Why is Prometheus going away?

In January, 2002, Blackboard Inc. purchased Prometheus from George Washington University. While Prometheus is maintained and supported, improvements ceased and license costs escalated.

When is Prometheus going away?

Our license was scheduled to end on June 30^th, but we have extended it through the entire summer semester. For fall '03 classes, Blackboard will be available for engineering faculty.

Why Blackboard?

Blackboard, a robust, full-featured courseware system, has been supported by central campus since fall of 2000. It is a very easy tool to use. ITS administers the server and provides technical support while the CIT provides user training. With engineering's move to Blackboard, the FIC will provide conversion support and training. Blackboard is available at http://courses.utexas.edu.

How can I get my Prometheus course into Blackboard?

A conversion tool, modified by the FIC, is now available to export content from Prometheus and import it into Blackboard. The FIC will provide training to support engineering faculty in using the conversion tool and learning to use Blackboard. For a schedule of hands-on conversion workshops, see http://fic.engr.utexas.edu/utwired/index.cfm

Will Blackboard go away?

There are no guarantees. However, Blackboard Inc. is a stable company that is not likely to be bought out or go out of business in the near future. The University is one of Blackboard's biggest clients and they have an interest in keeping us happy. As long as Blackboard continues to improve it's product over the years, it is unlikely that the University will choose to discontinue using Blackboard.

What is the UTwired Archive?

The archive provides access to all Prometheus content. When the Prometheus license ends, you can access your content by using the archive. Students will not be able to access the archive, but faculty can view and convert their course content. Once the Prometheus license ends, you will not be able to edit content inside the archive. The archive is at http://utwired.engr.utexas.edu/utwiredarchive. If you find errors or missing information in the archive, please report it to utwiredsupport@engr.utexas.edu.

Should I convert my Prometheus course to Blackboard?

Converting allows you to reuse the material that you previously entered into the system. Many engineering faculty have spent a considerable amount of time posting files and content in their Prometheus courses. If you have a substantial amount of material in Prometheus that you want available online for future courses, you should convert. However, if you intend to change the course structure, update the files, or revise a large portion of the content, it might be more efficient to start fresh in Blackboard. The FIC is available to discuss your individual needs and help you make this decision.

When should I convert my course?

The FIC previously recommended waiting until August because central campus was planning to upgrade from Blackboard 5.5 to version 6.1 between the summer and fall semesters. That upgrade has been postponed, so there is no reason to delay. If you wish to convert your Prometheus course(s) to Blackboard, you may do so at any time.

How long does it take to convert a course?

The conversion wizard is simple to run, but it can take up to 3 business days for the imported material to appear in Blackboard.

Are there any caveats about the conversion process?

The conversion process should only be run once per course that you are exporting. The process uses a great deal of processing power on the server and should only be performed when you are ready to move to Blackboard. Once the course is in Blackboard, it should not be re-imported.

What doesn't convert into Blackboard?

Location in Prometheus	Content that will not be Converted
Throughout	Anything that has been hidden will not be converted
Archive Library	Archived courses (can be unarchived to convert)
Grade Book	Student grades
Messages	Email and announcement logs
Chat	Chat logs
Discussions	Discussion responses
Utilities – Student Panel	TA, Student, and Shadow names and access settings
Utilities – Security	Course ID and password
Utilities – Groups	Group names, student association with groups, and all group data (in group folder and group discussion area)
Utilities – Tracking	All tracking data
Throughout	Site Map links (functionality does not exist in Blackboard)

What Prometheus functionality does not exist in Blackboard and how are these functions converted?

NOTE: If you don't know about these functions, you are probably not using them.

File Manager	File Manager functionality does not exist in Blackboard. Course files will be converted with the course, Inbox content will not be converted (no student content will be converted), My Files content will be converted into a separate course titled: [Professor Last Name]: My Files. Only the Instructor will be able to access their My Files data.
Content Modules	Content Module functionality does not exist in Blackboard. Content Module content associated with courses will be converted with courses. Content Modules will also be converted into separate courses titled: Content Module [Content Module Name]. Only the instructor exporting this module will have access to this course.
Files	Web Lessons using Prometheus Navigation or SCORM Compliant Navigation. A note will be inserted into courses where Web Lessons existed alerting instructors to the loss of data.

How do I get my course ready for conversion?

While you can still access Prometheus (before the end of the summer semester), unhide all content that you want converted. Hidden items will not be converted. If you have Web Lessons, change them to use internal navigation. Be sure to prepare your course for conversion before the end of August. Once our Prometheus license expires, you will no longer be able to make changes to your Prometheus courses. Please contact the FIC for assistance if needed.

How do I convert a course?

The course conversion wizard will be available at http://utwired.engr.utexas.edu/utwiredarchive/conversion The wizard consists of three steps. You will choose which Prometheus course you wish to convert. You will then choose the Blackboard course into which the material will be imported. Finally, you will confirm the details and wait up to 3 business days for the material to appear in Blackboard.

Is it better to just start my Blackboard course from scratch?

Every course at the University already has an empty shell in Blackboard whether you use it or not. The conversion from Prometheus simply imports some data into that shell. It is very easy to just start using Blackboard.

What if I choose not to use to Blackboard?

Using technologies to teach is encouraged within the College, but using Blackboard or any other technology is voluntary. Some faculty members build their own web sites, or have their students develop course web sites. If you have such a web site, you may move your Prometheus content to that site. However, the FIC cannot support automated conversion to custom-made web sites.

How do I learn to use Blackboard?

The FIC offers hands-on workshops on using the conversion wizard and learning the fundamentals of Blackboard. These training sessions will focus on the needs of engineering faculty making the transition from Prometheus to Blackboard. A schedule is posted at http://fic.engr.utexas.edu/utwired/index.cfm. The FIC will also support faculty who want to start using Blackboard without converting from Prometheus. Please contact Mary Crawford for more information (mary.crawford@mail.utexas.edu or 232-9419).

Additionally, the CIT offers Blackboard training. CIT training is appropriate for faculty who have not previously used a courseware tool. The schedule is available at http://www.utexas.edu/cc/blackboard/training.html.

How do I get my students into Blackboard?

Blackboard is tied directly to the registrar's database. Students are placed in their courses in Blackboard automatically. Updates to student rosters are done nightly in Blackboard.