Migration FAQ

Moving from Blackboard (Bb) to Trunk

Moving from ANGEL to Trunk

Why are we moving to Trunk?

Tufts’ current version of Blackboard is 12 years old and is not a sustainable, long term option for Tufts. Rather than wait for a catastrophic event to signal the end of Blackboard at Tufts, Neal Hirsig, the Blackboard administrator, reached out to colleagues in UIT to initiate a collaborative process, involving faculty, students, and staff from all Tufts schools to define a strategy that would serve the university well in the future. Through this participatory process, the decision was made to implement a University-wide strategy and an open source solution. Trunk is that solution and its implementation will allow Tufts to realize cost savings while at the same time enjoying greater flexibility and control, expanded functionality, and long-term sustainability. Benefits of Trunk:

  1. It serves multiple audiences and purposes including courses, research collaboration and administrative uses
  2. It provides equivalent course functionality to Blackboard without licensing costs and restrictions.
  3. It allows Tufts to innovate, extend, and support an application that meets the university’s diverse needs.
  4. It allows Tufts to join a community of like minded universities in support of the mission-critical areas of teaching, learning, collaboration, and assessment.

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When do I have to move? When can I start using Trunk?

Trunk will replace Blackboard for use in teaching and learning this Fall (2011). Instructors currently using Blackboard will be able to access the system to download content from their sites, at least through the 2011-2012 academic year. Students, however, will no longer have access to the system, so it may not be used for instructional purposes after Summer term 2011.

The quickest way to start using Trunk is to come to a workshop, starting on May 16.

During that session, instructors will get an orientation to the system, learn how to use the most popular tools, and see course shells for fall classes. Instructors will also have the opportunity to start working on their course sites. After the workshop, instructors will be able to work on their own to continue developing their courses and with the help of Trunk online support resources.

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Can all of the content in my Blackboard course site be moved to Trunk?

No. Blackboard is a proprietary software platform, which makes it difficult to export all the content from inside its sites. The Trunk Support team has worked hard to develop mechanisms for bringing over as much of the content on Blackboard course sites as possible. We are successfully able to move or migrate folders, files and links located in the following Blackboard content areas:

  • Course Documents
  • Course Information
  • Assignments
  • External Links or any newly created content areas

Our service can also migrate Blackboard tests and surveys.

Unfortunately, there is no way for us to migrate Faculty/Staff information, announcements, discussion board content, assignment tool tasks, digital drop box content or any type of student uploaded information.

We recommend making an archived copy of your site if you’d like this content preserved, and we are happy to work with faculty who need assistance in recreating content located in areas that we cannot move. For more information on making an archived copy of your course, see Simply archiving Blackboard course content (bfree).

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Does Trunk have the same tools and capabilities available in the Tufts’ Blackboard system?

There are some important differences between Blackboard and Trunk and an instructor will need to learn the new environment. However, an instructor will be able to do just about everything in Trunk that they could do in Blackboard. It will just be a question of deciding how best to go about it. After orienting to the new environment, instructors will easily be able to upload and organize files, email their classes, post announcements, and create discussion forums, among other things. In addition, Trunk has certain tools and functionality that allow instructors to do things that they cannot currently do in Tufts’ Blackboard environment such as:

  • create a private site for each user (faculty, staff and students) with a set of tools and a content area where you can keep files which can easily be moved to any course or project site or published on the Web
  • create their own project and organization sites
  • drag and drop documents from your computer or other location into Trunk
  • easily create html pages and publish them on the Web or Trunk sites
  • make content public or private
  • add several sections and recitations rosters to a single course site
  • add guest instructors to a class
  • add individuals outside Tufts as guests on their site.

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What type of support is available to help me move my content from Blackboard to Trunk?

See the Migration Options page for detailed information on types of support available for moving your content from Blackboard to Trunk.

Email to trunk@tufts.edu with any additional questions.

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How will I learn to use Trunk?

A variety of resources will be available to help you get started using Trunk.

  • Face-to-face workshops: Introductory workshops will be offered in Tisch and Ginn libraries starting May 16th. New workshops will be added on a regular basis and will continue throughout the summer and into the fall.
  • Written documentation: Written documentation about common tasks is provided in the Getting Started with Trunk section of this site. Once you’ve logged into Trunk, you may also access detailed documentation on each of the tools in Trunk by clicking the Help tool which is available from every site in the environment and from the login or Gateway page. Note - help documentation is a work in progress and in cases where the content is relevant, we may refer you to documents developed by other universities that are members of the Sakai Community. If you would like documentation on topics that you do not see, please let us know.
  • Video tutorials: The Trunk support team is currently in the process of creating video tutorials. Look for them under the Getting Started with Trunk area of this site. Note - Video tutorials are a work in progress and in cases where the content is relevant, we may refer you to tutorials developed by other universities that are members of the Sakai Community.

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Can I continue to use Blackboard for Teaching?

No. Starting in Fall 2011, all courses in Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Fletcher will be taught in Trunk. Blackboard may not be used for instructional purposes, but faculty will still be able to access the system in order to view, download or archive content on their sites. Students will no longer have acess to Blackboard after Summer term, 2011.

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Can I make a copy of my course content on Blackboard to keep?

Yes, for detailed instructions on how to do this, see Simply archiving Blackboard course content (bfree)

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What should I do about my organizational sites in Blackboard?

Collaboration sites in Blackboard may be moved into project sites in Trunk. For instructions on moving content from one system to another, see Migration Options page on this site. For information on project sites in Trunk, see the FAQs for Faculty under Getting Started with Trunk section of this site.

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When do I have to move? When can I start using Trunk?

Trunk will replace ANGEL for use in teaching and learning this Summer (2012). Instructors currently using ANGEL will be able to access the system to download content from their sites until July 1. However, no new content may be added to ANGEL after Spring term 2012.
The quickest way to start using Trunk is to come to a workshop, starting on May 30.
During that session, instructors will get an orientation to the system, learn how to use the most popular tools, and see course shells for summer and fall classes. Instructors will also have the opportunity to start working on their course sites. After the workshop, instructors will be able to work on their own to continue developing their courses and with the help of Trunk online support resources.

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Will all of the content in my ANGEL course site be moved to Trunk?

We are in the process of migrating ANGEL content from all 2011-2012 courses into Trunk. ANGEL is a proprietary software platform, which makes it difficult to export all the content from inside its sites. The Trunk Support team has worked hard to develop mechanisms for bringing over as much of the content on ANGEL course sites as possible. We are successfully able to move or migrate the following types of ANGEL content:
Files and external links located in the Classroom area

  • Course Information
  • Assignment dropboxes
  • Tests and quizzes
  • Discussion forum topics

Unfortunately, there is no way for us to migrate announcements or any type of student-uploaded information. However, we are happy to work with faculty who need assistance in recreating content located in areas that we cannot move.
We are not migrating any content from older courses (pre-Summer 2011). If you would like to archive any content from an older courses, you can visit your course sites and download your files individually until July 1. If you need assistance archiving old course material, contact Trunk Support by June 15.

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How will I learn to use Trunk?

A variety of resources will be available to help you get started using Trunk.

  • Face-to-face workshops: Introductory workshops will be offered in Hirsh library starting May 30. Workshops also take place on the Medford campus on a regular basis and will continue throughout the summer and into the fall.
  • Written documentation: Written documentation about common tasks is provided in the Getting Started with Trunk section of this site. Once you’ve logged into Trunk, you may also access detailed documentation on each of the tools in Trunk by clicking the Help tool, which is available from every site in the environment and from the login or Gateway page. Note – help documentation is a work in progress and in cases where the content is relevant, we may refer you to documents developed by other universities that are members of the Sakai Community. If you would like documentation on topics that you do not see, please let us know.
  • Video tutorials: The Trunk support team is currently in the process of creating video tutorials. Look for them under the Getting Started with Trunk area of this site. Note – Video tutorials are a work in progress and in cases where the content is relevant, we may refer you to tutorials developed by other universities that are members of the Sakai Community.

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Can I continue to use ANGEL for teaching?

No. Starting in Summer 2012, all Friedman School courses (including those cross-listed with other schools) will be taught in Trunk. After June 1, 2011, ANGEL may not be used for instructional purposes. Faculty will still be able to access the system in order to view and download content until July 1.

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What should I do about my Community Groups in ANGEL?

All current Community Group sites will be moved into project sites in Trunk. For information on project sites in Trunk, see the FAQs for Faculty under Getting Started with Trunk section of this site.
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