Introduction to Blackboard
Log in to Blackboard (link from On-Campus web page)
Courses (and committees) automatically are set up as well as class list added by ITS. If you use Blackboard and expect your students to use it, introduce them to the site and let them know you expectations.
Buttons available on left side of screen. (Any of these can be disabled.)
| Announcements | Communication |
| Course Information | Discussion Board |
| Staff Information | External Links |
| Course Documents | Tools |
| Assignments |
Buttons additionally available to professors:
| Resources | Control Panel |
| Course Map | Quick Un-Enroll |
**Control Panel-Course administration is performed in Control Panel**
Major sections of the Control Panel
- Content Area
- Course Tools
- Course Options
- User Management
- Assessment
- Assistance
Content Areas (This is the section that you will use for adding most course information. If you wish to change the wording of the buttons, do this from the "Area Availability" under Course Settings page.)
Announcements This is a good place to list due dates, changes in syllabus, or corrections to material. If used however, make sure your students know that you will use it for important information and that you expect them to read it. Do give them time to read it, i.e., don't add an assignment the night before it is due.
Course Information, Course Documents, and Assignments Areas where you add course syllabus, course material, or assignments. Think through the organization of your material before you begin.
Adding information -- Open folder and add item to create hierarchy. Add text in one of the following ways:
- enter text directly
- copy and paste
- attach file students must have same software. May want to use
if
- file is large and the students will read and print
- worksheet that students will need to save
- format is not HTML or word processing document
Many types of software are supported by Blackboard. For example, if you attach a PowerPoint file, make sure students have PowerPoint software available. An entire web site can be archived and then unpackaged after it has been uploaded into Blackboard. However, it is easier to just create a link in your course site to the web site.
Choose type of text
- Plain text accepts text just as you enter it
- HTML Uses all HTML tags used if cutting and pasting HTML from another source
- Smart Text Reads HTML tags but doesn't require tags for line breaks or paragraph breaks
When adding information, some options are available
- control when a student can view/access documents you may want to keep information from view while working on document
- tracking stats
It is possible to add a folder or modify a folder. Choose appropriate button.
If you have more than one section of a course
- not possible to copy from one section to another section except as cut and paste; problem if you want to make same change in each section
- may have Tim make one course and then you divide into groups as sections
External Links and Books
- add the reading list or create a link to E-Reserves
- add a link to the library home page, to the online catalog, list of appropriate databases, links to pertinent web sites
- Send Email
- class lists automatically added and updated
- email usernames automatically updated
- can send email to all students or to groups of students (groups created under "User Management"
- Discussion Board (This is similar to a chat room except
users are not present at the same time to discuss online.)
- conversations grouped into threads with each thread having the main posting and related replies
- if you use discussion board, have some method to require students to participate
- Digital Drop Box
- used for sending and receiving files
- could be used between student and professor or between students working on a group project
Course Options (This section allows you to manage the appearance and organization of the course page.)
- Course Settings
- Area Availability
- allows colleagues to see what you do
- allows you to enable or disable various buttons
- can secure or make public sections
- Course Availability
- can set section to not be available while working on it
- guest access
- if guests allowed still can not be viewed from other institutions
- Area Availability
- Course Utilities
- recycle and archive talk with Tim
- import course cartridge talk with Tim
- List/Modify Users will find a class list with username and email address
- Manage Groups can create groups within your class
- Add a group name it, describe it, and give it functions
- Modify a group add students
Assessment (Here you can create quizzes and surveys and statistical reports of student answers along with reporting grades to students.)
- Assessment manager
- quiz generator
- true/false
- multiple choice allows multiple answers
- fill in the blank answers are not case sensitive, based on spelling and letter patterns
- matching
- ordering
- essay must be graded manually but sample answers could be provided for students to see
- assessment options
- survey option records answers anonymously gradebook will record that student has taken survey but not show answers
- professor can assign point values, student takes quiz online which is automatically graded, and results recorded
- quiz generator
- Points to consider before creating a quiz.
- number of questions
- instructions needed
- types of questions wanted
- points associated with each question
- Pool manager
- Online gradebook
- allows students to see their grades
- grades and adds test scores to gradebook
- export gradebook to Excel but not vice versa
- gradebook provides entries for any assessment created in Blackboard
- can create new entries for assignments not in Blackboard
- can view by student or by item gives mean, std. deviation, etc. but if not all students take exam, still counts them
Online Help is available at
http://support.blackboard.com/products/Bb5/instructor/pdf/Bb5-LevelTwo-Instructor.pdf
See also some quick tips for using Blackboard.
1/02/02
