1. Focusing on SIS Frameworks:
A Migration from Snapshot Integration Tools
Terry Patterson
LMS Application Administrator
University of Missouri - Columbia
Jeremy Wiebold
SIS Computer Programmer / Analyst
University of Missouri - Columbia

2. ABOUT TERRY
Terry Patterson
LMS Application Administrator
University of Missouri - Columbia
pattersontl@missouri.edu
I have used Blackboard for over 10 years.
Catalyst Award Winner and author of
Blackboard Learn Administration

3. ABOUT JEREMY
Jeremy Wiebold
SIS Computer Programmer / Analyst
University of Missouri - Columbia
wieboldj@missouri.edu
I have worked with Blackboard for 3 years.
I am a "new" father of an 11 month girl
named Madeline.

4. ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY
OF MISSOURI
Facts About Our Blackboard Instance
 1 Load Balancer and 6 App Servers
 35,356 - Active Blackboard Users
 625,093 - Average Daily Page Views in Bb
 5,337 - Available Courses on Blackboard
 315,689 - Avg Number of Weekly Emails

5. ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY
OF MISSOURI
Facts About Our Enrollments
Total Student Enrollments - 32,563
Students Enrolled in Bb Courses - 29,575
Blackboard Student Course Enrollments - 121,513
Spring 2013 Enrollment

6. THINGS I CAN TAKE BACK
TO MY INSTITUTION...
An understanding and comparison of
the Snapshot and SIS Framework
processes within Blackboard Learn
A possible solution to address not
creating Blackboard Learn shells for
every course offered
Understand the benefits and
challenges of moving from Bb
Snapshot to SIS Framework

7. OUR CHALLENGE
Sync users information between our SIS and
Blackboard systems
Develop a process which creates courses that:
- Give instructors flexibility
- Is mostly or fully automated
- Shortens the time to complete a course
request
Enroll and drop users from courses based on
SIS data
Move from Snapshot to SIS Framework

8. STARTING POINT
Users creation was based on quasi-snapshot
implementation but lacked update
functionality
Enrollments also were quasi-snapshot, but
didn't allow for drops
Instructors reused course shells
Support staff had to export, archive, and
clean out courses before the start of the
next semester

9. OUR PLAN
A 3 step process...
Step 1 - User creation
Step 2 - Course creation
Step 3 - Enrollment creation
and management

10. OUR INITIAL DECISIONS
- Use flat files
- Already being created
- Simplest form of automation
- Most comfortable for support
staff and administrators
- Users actively enrolled or employed
by the University
- New student users not added until
enrolled in courses

11. SNAPSHOT VS. SIS
FRAMEWORK
Flat File or XML File
Properties File
Command Line Driven
File Transfer via (FTP or
Snapshot Controller)
Flat File or XML File
Framework Advanced Config.
HTTP Post to Bb URL
cURL, PHP, Coldfusion, .NET
, etc…

12. STEP ONE...
USER CREATION
Give users ability to change first
name in Blackboard Learn
Clean up current Blackboard
usernames to address duplicate
or improper ones.
Create SIS Users Data Source
Key
Create SIS Users Data Integration

13. STEP ONE...
USER CREATION
Snapshot
SIS Framework

14. STEP ONE...
USER CREATION

15. STEP ONE...
USER CREATION

16. STEP ONE...
USER CREATION CHALLENGES
Many users had multiple accounts
(some invalid) and old data
Distinguish between local and
Active Directory authenticated
users

17. STEP TWO...
COURSE CREATION
Only create requested courses
Address course merging, cross
listing, and multiple sections
Allow faculty to add additional
course users (i.e.
Builders, TAs, and Graders)

18. STEP TWO...
COURSE CREATION
SIS Database
Blackboard Crosswalk Table

19. STEP TWO...
COURSE CREATION

20. STEP TWO...
COURSE CREATION

21. STEP TWO...
COURSE CREATION

22. STEP TWO...
COURSE CREATION
Snapshot
SIS Framework

23. STEP TWO...
COURSE CREATION
Use of Terms automatically assigns
courses the proper term. Users can
enable the Group By Term option in
My Courses to organize a cluttered
list of courses.

24. STEP TWO...
COURSE CREATION CHALLENGES
Make sure SIS data was correct
and up to date.
Work with staff in the culture
change and the new automation
process
Always finding new incidents and
examples that required new
coding

25. STEP THREE...
USER ENROLLMENTS
Faculty and students demanded
automated enrolls & drops
Need to update enrollments but
not drop students during heavy
usage

26. STEP THREE...
USER ENROLLMENTS
Created a "clock” which adds user
enrollments for the current
semester every two hours.
Push of all enrollments and drops
happens daily at 3:00am (lowest
daily usage point).
During transitions we send
multiple semester enrollments.

27. STEP THREE...
USER ENROLLMENTS

28. STEP THREE...
USER ENROLLMENTS

29. STEP THREE...
ENROLLMENT CHALLENGES
Dealing with "accidental
enrollments"
Ensure students who switched
sections weren’t dropped from
combined courses

30. DELIVERING THE
FEED FILES
Snapshot
SIS Framework

31. SENDING THE FILES
USING SIS FRAMEWORK
Using Curl
Using Coldfusion

32. SIS FRAMEWORK
BENEFITS
- Users can be given secondary
roles within Blackboard
- Course Term association
- Avoids use of third party services
on campus for file transfers
- Ability to push data frequently and
in smaller quanities

33. OUR FEEDBACK
“What fantastic updates you guys have made in the
course request process. This was so much easier than
it has been in the past. Pure genius!”
- Megan McKinstry
“The new form for requesting Blackboard sites is
GREAT. It was so easy to do, took me about 45
seconds to request the first class and about 25 to
request the second.”
- Karen Mitchell
“Just wanted to pass on to you that the new
Blackboard site request process is soooo much easier
now. Thank you for all the work you do to make
instructors jobs easier. Much appreciated.”
- Crystal Gateley

34. LEARN MORE
CUTTING THROUGH THE NOISE: A
DISCUSSION ABOUT IMPLEMENTING
THE NEW SIS FRAMEWORK
Birds of a Feather Session
Venetian | Palazzo Congress Center - Bellini 2005
Thursday, July 11th ▪ 2:00pm – 2:45pm

35. THANK YOU!
Terry Patterson
pattersontl@missouri.edu
Twitter: @terrypatterson
Jeremy Wiebold
wieboldj@missouri.edu
Twitter: @J_Wiebs
CUTTING THROUGH THE
NOISE: A DISCUSSION
ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THE
NEW SIS FRAMEWORK
Birds of a Feather Session
Bellini 2005
Thursday, July 11th ▪ 2:00pm – 2:45pm