Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• FAQs (lecturers): click here
• FAQs (students): click here

For any questions about the UP Connect platform (guide), zero-rated data, Google tools, please contact the ITS Department: https://www.up.ac.za/it-services/article/2892076/covid-19-support

In order to ensure that service providers are willing to offer continued support for this initiative, it is essential that all users act responsibly in making use of data. With the launch of the initiative, it was noted that a few individuals had abused the system and used enormous amounts of data, thus compromising the agreement with the Internet Service Providers and the sustainability of the project in support of our many thousands of students and staff. It was thus necessary for the University to restrict the access to YouTube to only allow curated YouTube videos in clickUP to be viewed on the portal. YouTube videos, which were embedded in clickUP before 22 April 2020, can still be viewed. Below is the process we have established for lecturers to submit embedded YouTube videos URLs to be whitelisted. It will take at least one business day before the video will be available for students to view as UP Information Technology Services (ITS) will whitelist all the submitted URLs once a day:

1. Complete the following form for only the number of URLs required. A second form must be completed if more than 5 URLs are required.
2. We require two URLs:
   • the complete YouTube URL and
   • the complete URL from within clickUP where the specific Video is embedded.
3. A complete YouTube URL must be in this format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abc123deF or https://www.youtube.com/embed/Abc123def 
4. Please DO NOT submit URLs for YouTube playlists.

Access through the connect portal implies that embedded YouTube videos or videos linked as a web link from a Google Drive folder will be free to download and it does not require a whitelisting process.

Teaching and Learning Resources available

• ClickUP helps site for both students and staff :
  • The first page of the help site for staff include an overview of key documents
  • A section focussing on student engagement include Blackboard Collaborate resources
• International Blackboard Collaborate help site 
• The Blackboard help-site for instructors and students
•  A self-enrollment clickUP Alert course 2020 for all clickUP instructors which include advice such as:
  • Tips
  • Institutional documents shared such as academic continuity etc.)
  • Where to find support
  • Recording of Collaborate sessions held to support lecturers with Collaborate
• Online self-paced courses for contract lecturers, based on the face-to-face courses that are usually presented. These courses are also available to any other lecturer to learn how to use clickUP in a structured way. A Letter of Participation will be released for each of the courses on achieving a 50% result for a test that is available for each course.
•  Enrol yourself into these courses from within clickUP
• Self-paced courses now available
  • INTRODUCTION & PREREQUISITE for the OTHER courses:
    • Overview & creating course navigation
  • DISTRIBUTE CONTENT:
    • clickUP Content
    • Narrated PowerPoints (Available 4 May)
    • Interactive Video and Content (Available 4 May)
  • ASSESS STUDENTS:
    • clickUP Assessment
    • Turnitin
    • Turnitin Grading and Feedback (Available 4 May)
    • Grade Center
  • MONITOR PARTICIPATION:
    • Metrical: The use of data in clickUP to monitor students
• Normal support through the e-support office and consultations per appointment with Instructional Designers remain in place

UP online self-help guides available for students