Update:
We are pleased to be able to now provide a comprehensive update on EMA Core Systems Integration and the timescales for going live.
By “integration” we mean the automatic transfer of assessment and reassessment records from RISIS to Blackboard (this excludes Turnitin), as well as the automatic transfer of sub modular marks via Blackboard (including from Turnitin) back to RISIS.
Following a period of complex development, User Acceptance Testing (UAT) started on Thursday 15th November and will continue over the next couple of weeks. This is crucial for identifying any bugs and ensuring that the development is fit for purpose. We are very grateful to all assisting with UAT and for colleagues covering those that are involved and absent from the office.
Timescales for go-live:
Dependent on a successful UAT phase, the technology to enable automatic transfer of records from RISIS, and creation of the submission points and columns in Blackboard, will go-live on 3rd January 2019.
This will mean that Blackboard submission points and Grade Centre columns will be automatically set up for Spring and Summer term, for assessments and reassessments that have a due date from 1st February 2019. Any submission points which have a due date prior to this will continue to be set up manually. Due to system limitations, Turnitin submission points will continue to be created manually and mapped to Grade Centre columns.
From 1st February 2019, the technology to automatically pull marks from Blackboard Grade Centre columns into RISIS will go-live (as and when they have been entered into Blackboard and been released by the Programme Administrator).
Training:
Full, online guidance documents are being produced for Programme Administrators. Formal training is not thought to be necessary as the changes to process are minimal, however this will be assessed during the UAT phase.
If you have any questions regarding integration, please contact ema@reading.ac.uk.