Touro College

Transcription

Touro College

Touro College
Distance Learning Division
Faculty Guidelines for Creating a Blackboard Course
(Comprehensive)
PART I - COURSE DEVELOPMENT IN BLACKBOARD
Blackboard 6 is a course Web site creation tool that enables you to add an online component to
traditional classes or teach an entire course on the Web. You can quickly and easily create your
own Blackboard course to bring your learning materials, class discussions, and tests online. It's
easy to get started.
Planning your Blackboard course is possibly the most important step to ensure a successful
online experience for your students. If you invest time in the planning stage, the course building
and managing stages will be significantly easier.
Before you begin organizing the online component of your class, consider these critical questions:
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Why am I using Blackboard for this course?
How much of this course will be Web-based?
How can the Web promote the learning goals specific to this course?
Which areas and tools in a Blackboard course site are best suited to particular learning
outcomes?
How much time do I have to develop or convert course materials for effective online
presentation?
Your answer may include one or more of the following ideas:
I want to use Blackboard so that my students…
• ... can access my class handouts, assignments, PowerPoint presentations, and multimedia
class materials on their computers.
• ... can engage in learning activities online, extending the classroom lectures.
• ... can quickly link to external websites that I select based on the sites' intellectual value and
relevance to class issues.
• ... can use online discussion to develop initial thoughts on a topic.
• ... will learn to work collaboratively, in an environment that requires active learning and
group exchange. They will learn by problem-solving together, in groups, rather than
merely asking me for the answers.
• ... can attend "office hours" with me regardless of weather, location, or mobility constraints.
• ... will always know of changes to a course schedule, sudden class cancellations, and other
important announcements.
• ... can take practice quizzes (and/or graded quizzes) online, at their convenience, rather
than spend precious class time for this purpose.
Last Updated 9/13/2004
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... can still keep up-to-date, even if they have to miss class, once I post my lecture notes
online.
... will stop asking me, "When are you going to start using the Web in your classes?"!
Once you have a clear sense of your goals for using Blackboard, you can start developing
your Blackboard course.
If this is your first time using Blackboard, online course development may require more
time than you anticipate. Consider using only a few of Blackboard's features at first (for
example: Announcements, Faculty Information, Course Information, and Course Material for
handouts). The next time you teach a Blackboard course, you will feel comfortable enough to
begin incorporating features like the Assignment Manager, Discussion Board, Online Quizzes
and surveys, and the Collaboration Tools (Online Chat).
Blackboard can be accessed through any computer (PC or Mac) that has Internet access. We
reccomend using either Internet Explorer version 6 and higher or Netscape version 7.1 and
higher.
Transferring the classroom-based model of learning to an Internet-based model can be difficult for
instructors new to online learning. This tip sheet will provide you with a basic guide to creating
and managing a course web site.
1) General - Course Information
Provide students with an overview and/or orientation for your course Web site.
2) Content Management
a. Planning
• Plan out the placement of your materials before you start creating documents
in Blackboard. Decide the hierarchy of folders you plan to use so you can create
the folder structure before adding documents to them. Try to keep your folder
depth to a maximum of 2-3 so students can find material easily.
b. Announcements
• Use the Announcements feature consistently to inform students when content
is added or changed.
c. Adding Content
• When adding course content, give clear explanations describing what each item
is, what programs are necessary to access it, and how it fits in with the overall
goals of the lesson.
• Give comprehensive descriptions with each online assignment indicating its
relevance to the classroom-based course component and corresponding
materials.
• Give placement cues directing students to related assignments, readings, web
sites, or course documents.
d. Evaluation
• Check the Course Statistics in the Control Panel consistently to see when and
how often your students are accessing your course.
3) Secure Settings
a. Enable/Disable Buttons
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Limit access to areas of your course to enrolled students by disabling buttons
from the navigation area. In the Control Panel, click on the Course Settings and
choose Manage Course Menu. You can disable/enable buttons and rename
button titles by selecting from the drop-down menu.
b. Course Material
• In the Manage Course Menu area, you can secure areas of your course from users
on your Blackboard installation who are not enrolled in your course, or
previewing the course as a guest. Student Tools, Communication areas and
Announcements are automatically set to their defaults, but you may secure any
other navigation area by selecting the appropriate box.
1. Make sure you set Course Availability to Yes.
4) Interactivity
a. Asynchronous
• Require students to participate in discussion board forums. Students can
participate in discussions with the entire class, or with a specific group of
students through the Groups feature.
• Have students hand in assignments to you through the View/Complete feature
of the Assignment Manager. This is a much more organized method than using
emails or Digital Drop Box.
b. Synchronous
• Require students to participate in a virtual chat. Students can chat with the
entire class, or with a specific group of students through the Groups feature.
• Remember that some students may not be as comfortable in synchronous
communication as others, so keep the chat size manageable. A recommended
size is 3-7 students.
c. Groups
• Enroll students into groups to focus on interactivity among a smaller number
of students, or to work collaboratively on projects.
d. Office Hours
• Have specific online office hours for students who feel more comfortable
communicating in the online environment or for whom it’s more convenient.
e. External Resources
• Provide students with external resources or web sites and tie them to your
course assignments.
5) User Management
a. Student Roles
• Understand the different roles that can be assigned to students, course builder,
grader, or teaching assistant, so you may have some student assistance if
necessary. You might want to reconsider giving your students access to the
Control Panel.
b. Email Addresses
• Make sure that all of your students have/keep updated email addresses so they
can always receive email sent through Blackboard.
6) Hints and Help
a. Icebreaker Activity
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Include an icebreaker activity for students who may be new to the online
learning environment. A simple starting course activity might be for students
to create a student homepage or participate in a fun discussion board.
If you know that you will have documents that require the user to have a
software application to open them, have a folder that contains links to Plug-ins,
Players, and Viewers. A simple way to find most software plug-ins is to visit
the software company’s website and search through their available downloads.
We believe that instructional design plays an important part in developing online education. Not
surprisingly, a critical element contributing to the success of an online learning experience is the
role of the instructor and the instructional design of the course.
Here are some instructional design tips to help you develop an engaging and instructionally
sound Blackboard Course:
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Focus on the organization of online materials.
Provide transition between learning components.
Encourage opportunities for knowledge acquisition.
Encourage student participation.
Provide ample opportunities for feedback.
Provide methods for assessment.
Follow proven instructional design techniques.
Focus on Organization of Online Materials
In traditional classroom-based education, students are presented with assignments coordinated to
lecture materials. The instructor distributes required activities as appropriate and can answer
student concerns/questions in the classroom environment.
When online, students may be exposed to an entire semester's worth of materials all at once. As
such, they must be provided with clear, concise instructions regarding navigation within a course
and organization of the materials.
When developing online components, be sure to provide students with:
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An overview and/or an orientation of the entire course.
A clear explanation about how the course materials are organized.
A list of priorities, deadlines, and responsibilities.
This is, most often, the same type of information included in a syllabus. Providing this explicit
organizational information can prevent students from feeling “lost” or “overwhelmed” by the
materials, as disorientation can significantly limit instructional outcomes.
Create your course with explanations, descriptions, and cues about goals and accomplishments,
as students prefer clearly defined learning outcomes, or tasks, and recommended sequencing,
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from which they can orient themselves at any time. Guide students through the course by
including elements such as:
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Weekly announcements listing priorities and deadlines
Reminder e-mails (to both individuals and the entire class)
Downloadable syllabi, checklists, or task-lists students can use to monitor progress
through course materials
Provide transition between learning components.
Since the instructor is not physically present during the online learning process, it is important to
explain exactly WHAT materials are provided and WHY they are important in the scheme of the
course. Indicating relationships between materials helps students develop bridges, see
associations, and recognize the relevance of content elements. Otherwise, instructors run the risk
of presenting fragmented information that appears to the user as a series of discrete, rather than
coherent, information elements.
You can easily add transitions into your course by providing:
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Clear explanations describing what each file is, what programs are necessary to access
it, and how the file fits in with the overall goals of the lesson.
Comprehensive descriptions with each online assignment indicating the relevance to
the classroom-based course component and corresponding materials.
Placement cues directing students to the "next" related assignment, reading, or course
document.
This does not mean that each step and learning activity be spelled out for the student. While this
may be appropriate for some content-based exercises, advanced concept integration is better
served when students are gently directed to a goal.
Encourage Opportunities for Knowledge Acquisition
While the instructor should determine the basic structure of the online learning experience, ample
opportunities for active learning and cognitive assimilation must be provided. This is important
because students presented with an engaging, quality learning experience make their own bridges
between concepts and obtain reach higher levels of Comprehension. Utilizing the Blackboard
course's framework, you can plan and encourage activities that:
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Provide representations of materials that support all types of learners, such as text,
video, audio, or multimedia activities.
Present real-world and case-based scenarios that require students to visit external links
and perform web research.
Encourage practice and application of concepts by having students take online tests and
quizzes.
Foster knowledge acquisition through collaboration, discussion and negotiation by
assigning group projects where students "meet" online.
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Encourage Student Participation
Equally important to the role of the instructor in online education is the role of student
communication. If students share information by performing group activities and posting
assignments, learning is facilitated in a two-fold method. First, the student is independently
rehearsing and restructuring the knowledge while they develop opinions. Second, the student is
gaining exposure to other students’ evaluations of the materials.
To insure that your course provides ample opportunities for student participation, collaboration,
and reflection consider incorporating the following:
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Weekly Discussion Questions or Problem Sets. Require each student to post one answer
to the assignment and also to reply/comment on at least one other student’s answer.
Group Assignments. Divide students into small groups and assign a collaborative
project, paper, or presentation.
Online Fieldtrips. Provide the opportunities/assignments for students to perform
research online, visit related sites, and report experiences to the rest of the class.
Open Forum. Provide a chat or open discussion area for students to communicate,
outside the constraints of an assignment. This will promote friendly relationships.
Provide Ample Opportunities for Feedback
Communication and feedback provided throughout an online learning experience facilitate social
interchange, build relationships, and increase student motivation. Your feedback is important to
ensure that students feel that their contributions are an important priority and contribute to the
overall educational experience of the class.
Consider checking class discussion lists and responding to student e-mail on a daily basis to
provide your students with ample feedback. This helps build positive interpersonal relationships
with your students and increases instructor credibility.
Instructor feedback in discussion forums is also critical to maintaining the focus of the activity.
Monitor student discussions to insure students remain "on track" with the assignment. If
necessary, provide guidance and suggestions to the group or to individual students.
PART II – GETTING STARTED
1. Obtaining a Blackboard account
a. The first steps in building your Blackboard course site are to set up a Blackboard
account (if you don't already have one) and to request your first course. To access the
Touro Blackboard system, you will need a username and password. To request a
Blackboard account, you can go to http://blackboard.touro.edu/ and click on
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Blackboard User Account Request. After filling out and submitting the Blackboard
Account Request Form, you will be contacted by email when your Blackboard ID is set
up, usually within 1 to 2 business days.
b. To request a blank course web site, you have to go to http://blackboard.touro.edu/
and click on Blackboard Course Request Form . After submitting this form you will be
contacted by email when the course is set up, usually within 1 to 2 business days.
2. Blackboard Login Page
If you already have an account, log on to the Touro College Blackboard site at
http://blackboard.touro.edu. A Blackboard course will be shown in your account for each
course you are teaching. If you don't see them, fill out the Course Request Form so you can
be added as the instructor of the appropriate Blackboard course. It may take 1 to 2 business
days to process your request.
To access a Blackboard course you have to go to http://blackboard.touro.edu/ and enter
your username and password.
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Using an Internet browser (i.e. Internet Explorer or Netscape), go to
http://blackboard.touro.edu.
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Click the Login button on the main Blackboard page (located on the left side of
the screen).
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Enter your username and password and click the Login button.
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You will be taken to your personal Blackboard page
3. Touro College Welcome page
Once you have logged in to Blackboard, you will be taken to your personalized Blackboard
Welcome page. The information modules displayed on this page can be customized by
clicking the Contents and Layout buttons in the upper right corner of the page. There is also a
Tools box located on this page which gives you access to several tools, most importantly your
Personal Information. Here you can make changes to your name, email address, and
password.
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a. The Tools section can be used to change your personal information and to reset your
password (by clicking on the Personal Information link).
b. Within the "My Courses" area, you will see your courses listed. It contains a list of
courses you are assigned as an instructor. It could also contain a list of courses where
you are participating as a student. Click on the title of one of your courses, and you will
be taken to the course home page.
Note: You can have different roles in different courses. An instructor in one course can
be a student, a TA, etc., for another course.
4. Default Course View
a. The Course Web Site that you requested must be customized before it can be used.
b. There are 2 frames: Main Course Menus (customizable) at the left and the Content
Frame at the right.
c. Course Navigations (links that appear on top) show the current section you are in and
provide means to navigate back to any previous page.
d. Once you have entered your course site, locate the Control Panel button at the very
bottom of the left Main Course Menu.
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5. Blackboard Navigation Links
Please try not to use the Back button in your browser when using the Control Panel. Doing so can
occasionally cause errors or prevent submissions from going through.
Blackboard has implemented navigation links for you to use in place of your Back button. These
navigation links are located just below the tabs that run across the top of the page. It indicates
where you are in Blackboard and lists each area you went through to get there. Clicking on one of
the links in the list will take you back to that area.
Part III – THE COURSE CONTROL PANEL
1. Using the Control Panel to Access Your Course Settings
You will build your entire course by using the tools in the Control Panel. The Control Panel
(shown below) allows you to add, modify, and delete course content, as well as to manage
communication and grading. Only the instructor has access to the Control Panel.
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Click the Control Panel button located under the menu on the left of your course
homepage.
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You will be taken to the course's Control Panel.
The Control Panel is divided into 6 sections: Content Areas, Course Tools, Course Options, User
Management, Assessment, and Support.
• The links under Content Areas allow you to add content to different areas of your
course site.
• The Course Tools section controls all of the communication options, including
Announcements, Course Calendar, Discussion Board, and Digital DropBox (for file
exchange).
• Course Options allows you to customize the navigation and appearance of your course
site, and set options such as course availability and course design.
• Within User Management you can manually enroll and remove students from your
course as well as create small groups for team assignments.
• The Assessment area enables you to create online quizzes and surveys, manage your
course Gradebook, and review students' usage of your site.
• Support houses the online instructor manual and other Blackboard resources for
instructors.
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2. Course Options Area
Always start by clicking on the Settings link, where you can customize your course
a) Modify the course name and description by clicking on the Course Name and
Description link
b) Set Course Availability to unavailable (No). Don’t forget to set it back to Yes
when your course is completely finished (otherwise, the course will not be
accessible by students).
c) Click on the Course Design link to change the course navigation style and
design for your menu buttons.
Part IV – ACCESS AND CUSTOMIZE YOUR COURSE MENU
In the section of the Control Panel titled "Course Options", click on Manage Course Menu.
Blackboard's default Course Options will be displayed along with options to add, modify,
and remove items. You can remove or modify existing menus by clicking on the Remove or
Modify buttons for a specific menu item. You can also add new items to your menu by clicking
on the Add Content Area or Tool Area buttons.
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See Part VI for tips on use of course menu sections
TO MODIFY A COURSE SECTION/AREA
1. Click the Modify button at the right of the section you wish to modify.
2. Blackboard will display the current information for that area and allow you to make edits to:
a. the name and availability of the area
b. guest and/or observer access (if applicable)
c. where the item links to (if applicable)
3. Click the Submit button.
TO REMOVE A COURSE SECTION/AREA
1. Click the Remove button to the right of the section you wish to remove from your course.
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2. Blackboard will remind you that this is a permanent action. You will loose all information that
had previously been posted there. Click OK.
TO ADD A CONTENT AREA
1. Click the Add Content Area button to add a new section to the course.
2. You will be asked:
a. to enter a name for the new content area
b. if you want to allow guests and/or observers to access the material in this content area
c. if you want to make the area available to enrolled students
TO ADD A TOOL AREA
1. Click the Add Tool Area button to add a direct link to a specific tool (i.e. Digital Drop Box,
Discussion Board, Student Gradebook, etc.).
a. to choose the type of tool you wish to add
b. to name the new tool area
c. if you want to allow guests and/or observers to access the material in this area (some
tool areas automatically prevent guest/observer access, so this option will not appear
for those tool areas)
d. if you want to make the area available to enrolled students
TO ADD A COURSE LINK
1. Click the Add Course Link button to add a direct link to a specific item within the course
content.
a. to enter a name for the course link
b. to browse for the course item you wish to link to
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c. if you want to make the course link available to enrolled students
TO ADD AN EXTERNAL LINK
1. Click the Add External Link button to add a direct link to an outside web site (e.g., a link to
Amazon.com or CNN.com).
a. to enter a name for the external link
b. to enter the URL (target) you wish to link to
c. if you would like the web site to launch in a new window
d. if you want to make the external link available to enrolled students
Part V –CUSTOMIZE YOUR COURSE TOOLS
Using Communication Tools
Blackboard has several tools available that allow you to communicate and interact with
students:
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Announcements may be used to guide students through assignment sequences, and to
remind them of deadlines.
Send E-mail may be used to send email to all or selected students
Collaboration may be used as a way for students to meet with each other or with the
instructor online in a synchronous environment.
Roster may be used to see the names of the other students in the course.
Group Pages may be used by students who have been separated into groups to
communicate privately with the instructor and each other.
Discussion Boards may be used for online class discussions in an asynchronous
environment.
TO ENABLE/DISABLE COMMUNICATION TOOLS
1. Click the Modify button to the right of Communication (in the Manage Course Menu).
2. You have the option of renaming the area and setting guest access and area availability.
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3. Choose Enable to the right of each tool you intend to use in your course, and Disable for
each tool you do not intend to use.
4. Click the Submit button to save your changes.
Using Course Tools
Blackboard has several tools available to instructors and students such as:
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View Grades may be used by students to check their grade (if the instructor is using
Blackboard's online Gradebook).
Digital Drop Box may be used to transfer files between student and instructor.
Edit Your Homepage may be used by students to create a homepage with information
about themselves.
Personal Information may be used by students to update their Blackboard password,
email address, etc.
Calendar may be used by the instructor to post announcements and due dates. Students
may also use it as a personal calendar.
Student Manual is a help resource center for students.
Tasks may be used to post assignments and their priority. Students can enter their
progress for the instructor to check.
Address Book may be used by students to store email addresses.
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TO ENABLE/DISABLE TOOLS
1. Go to the Control Panel and click on the Manage Tools menu option
2. Select Enabling Blackboard Tools or Enabling content tools.
3. Click the Modify button to the right of Tools (Tools Area).
4. You have the option of renaming the area and setting guest access and area availability.
5. Choose Enable to the right of each tool you intend to use in your course, and Disable for
each tool you do not intend to use.
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Part VI – SUGGESTED USES FOR BLACKBOARD COURSE AREAS
Each Blackboard Course Web Site has several main areas (menu items), all of which you can
customize for your course. Each of the main menu items is listed along the left side of the
students' perspective of your course.
Before adding any new menu/item to your Main Course Menu, look through the default list that
your course Web Site comes with. This list is usually a good starting point when developing your
course structure. You will find many of these areas suitable for your course materials. For
example:
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Announcements may be used to guide students through an assignment sequence, and to
remind them of deadlines.
Course Information may be used for your course description, learning goals,
participation guidelines, grading policies, etc.
Faculty Information may be used to post office hours, contact information, etc.
Course Material may be used for module descriptions, readings, lecture notes and
handouts, quizzes, etc.
Assignments may be used to hold readings and assignments with specific due dates.
1. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Use Announcements to guide students through an assignment sequence, and to remind
them of deadlines.
2. COURSE INFORMATION
Include information such as:
• Course description
• Learning goals and outcomes
• Participation guidelines, including communication policies for e-mail and
discussions
• Grading policies
• Special instructor's notes: how quickly will you respond to e-mail? Will you hold
regular online "office hours" using the Collaboration Tools?
3. COURSE MATERIAL
Consider using a single organizational structure for each unit or module of work.
Once students become familiar with the standard components in each unit, they will
find it easier to navigate the course materials. Each unit might contain some of the
following:
a) Topic description (this can appear on the topic folder, or as a separate document
contained within the topic folder)
b) Learning outcomes and task list for the topic, with any deadlines clearly indicated
c) Readings for the topic
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d) Lecture notes or handouts (if your course has face-to-face lectures)
e) Quizzes (including self-tests) for the topic
f) Discussions for the topic (you cannot place discussions within Course Document or
Assignment folders directly, but you can create a short description of the topic's
discussion topic and a prompt for students to go to that discussion within the
Communication area of the course. Advanced web users can locate the URL for a
particular discussion, and paste this URL into a course document as a clickable link
[<a href="URL">URL</a>].)
g) Links for further research on a topic
Useful Hints
If you use Blackboard to post long assignments, consider the most appropriate and
accessible way for presenting the material. If students have to do a lot of scrolling to read
lengthy information, they may have difficulty keeping their place and maintaining
attention. Some formatting considerations to keep in mind are:
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Break up a long reading into several, sequential parts. Each part should be clearly
labeled to indicate the proper sequence.
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Rather than post a long reading to be viewed on screen, provide a link for students
to download the document for offline reading.
4. ASSIGNMENTS
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Consider posting a list of course assignments that students must submit to the
instructor with due dates clearly indicated. This can be formatted as a checklist, so
students can keep track of which assignments they have completed, or a list of
folders with assignment number and due dates. Each assignment will be displayed
within its own folder (for easy navigation).
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Group Projects or Group Area: if your course will make extensive use of learning
groups, this is a good place to post a list of each group's members. Don't forget that
Blackboard allows you to create special group communication areas (group
discussion, chat, file sharing, e-mail...).
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Use this area to post assignment submission guidelines, special formatting
requirements, and revision policies for your course. Redundancy in an online
environment is not a bad idea: don't be afraid to repeat important information that
may also be contained under "Course Information."
5. COMMUNICATION
a) Discussion Boards: When you create a new forum, give it a clear title so that
students will be able to locate it easily. If the discussion is associated with a set of
course documents (example: a folder of materials titled "Week One" or "Unit 4"),
title the discussion so that it is clearly associated with that set of course documents.
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b) Because discussion forums are located in the Communication area of your course,
rather than within Course Documents or Assignments, you may find it helpful to
post "pointer" messages to students about the beginning of a new discussion. Use
the Announcement area to inform students that a new discussion (provide the
discussion title) is now available. If you are organizing your course materials in
weekly folders or modules, post a file within those materials that reminds students
to participate in the associated discussion.
c) Consider establishing specific discussion forums for:
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Technical Issues (where students can post questions and share tips about technical
aspects of navigating the online course environment, and where instructors can post
updates on any technical matters as needed)
General Course Questions (where class members can discuss issues generally related
to the course materials and topics, but which are not specifically covered in other
discussion forums)
d) Establishing discussion areas like this before the class begins, and pointing out the
location and purpose of these areas to students early in the class, may help you to
keep topic-specific discussions on track.
Part VII – ADDING ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Announcements page is usually the first screen students see when accessing your course. For
this reason, it is the perfect place to communicate timely information to the entire class about
upcoming assignments, due dates, review sessions, etc. These announcements will also appear on
the Welcome page for all students in your class.
TO ADD AN ANNOUNCEMENT
1. In the section of the Control Panel titled “Course Tools”, click on Announcements.
2. Click the Add Announcement button.
3. Enter a subject for the announcement and the text for the message.
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4. Choose if you would like this announcement to display permanently on the
Announcements page so that students will always see it. If it is time sensitive, you can also
choose which dates and times you want the announcement available to students.
5. Click the Browse button if you wish to attach a file to the announcement.
Part VIII – MANAGE YOUR COURSE CONTENT - COURSE ITEMS
An "Item" is an actual piece of content you add to your course. All of your course materials will be
added as course items in the appropriate sections of your Blackboard course.
TO ADD A COURSE ITEM
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1. In the section of the Control Panel titled "Content Areas", click on the name of the
area you wish to add a course item to.
2. Click the Add Item button.
3. Select a name for the Item from the dropdown menu, or type a name into the text
box. You may also choose a color for the name by using the color swatch under the
item name.
4. In the text box provided enter your content, or if you would like to attach a file
instead, enter a description for the file you intend to attach. You will be able to spellcheck your content before you submit it! In order to format your content, you will
have to know a little bit of HTML and will have to choose the HTML display option.
5. Scroll down and click the Browse button to attach a file to the course item, just as
you would if you were attaching a file to an email message.
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6. After attaching the file, select a Special Action for it. The Special Action tells
Blackboard how to display the file within the course item.
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Create a link to this file will do just that. Enter text for the link in the textbox just
above the Special Action dropdown menu (i.e. Homework 1). Your students will
click on the link, which will be within the course item, to view the attached file.
The file will either open up right in Blackboard or download to their computer.
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Display media file within the page is used when attaching web-based
multimedia files such as images (.jpg or .gif), sound files (.wav, mp3, etc.), or
movie files (QuickTime, etc.). These files can be displayed right in Blackboard
along with any text entered into the text box in Step 4. If you choose this option
you will get another screen, after submitting, with options on where to position
the file. Your students will see the media file displayed within the course item.
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Unpackage this file is used when you are uploading a file that has been
compressed with WinZip or a similar program. If you choose this option you will
get another screen, after submitting, that asks which of the compressed files you
would like the students to see first. Your students will click on a link, which will
be within the course item, to view this file. The file will generally display within
Blackboard.
7. Select the options you would like to use for this particular course item:
•
•
•
Make the course item available to students
Track the number of times the course item is viewed
Choose between which dates and times you want the course item available to
students, if the information is time sensitive
21
Folders and Learning Units
From the instructor's point of view, folders and learning units are the basically the same (although
there is a slight difference, which you will see when you complete the following steps). Their
purpose is similar to that of a folder on the desktop of your compute, and are simply used to
group course content into sections. For example, you could have a folder or learning unit titled
"Week 1" and have all of the course items for week 1 inside.
From the students' point of view, folders and learning units are different in the way the course
items inside are displayed. A folder will list the course items vertically, all on the same screen. A
learning unit will put each course item on its own screen. The student will need to click through
the course items like a slide show.
TO ADD A FOLDER
1. In the section of the Control Panel titled "Content Areas", click on the name of the area
you wish to add a folder to.
2. Click the Add Folder button.
3. Select a name for the folder from the dropdown menu, or type a name into the text box.
You may also choose a color for the name by using the color swatch under the item
name.
4. In the text box provided, enter a description about the intended contents of the folder.
Select the options you would like to use for this particular folder:
•
•
Make the folder available to students
Choose between which dates and times you want the folder available to students
if the information is time sensitive
22
TO ADD A LEARNING UNIT
you wish to add a learning unit to.
2. Choose Add Learning Unit from the dropdown menu on the right, and click Go.
3. Select a name for the learning unit from the dropdown menu, or type a name into the
text box. You may also choose a color for the name by using the color swatch under the
item name.
4. In the text box provided, enter a description about the intended contents of the learning
unit.
23
5. Select the options you would like to use for this particular learning unit:
•
•
•
•
•
Make the learning unit available to students
Enforce sequential viewing of the learning unit (if you say No, Blackboard will
make the Table of Contents button a clickable list of each item in the learning
unit so students can jump to a particular item without having to click through
each one, like a folder)
Open the learning unit in a new window
Track the number of times the learning unit is viewed
Choose between which dates and times you want the learning unit available to
students, if the information is time sensitive
24
6.
Click the Submit button to save your changes.
Adding External Links (URLs)
An external link is a hypertext link that links to a web site on another server (i.e.
http://www.touro.edu could be an external link in Blackboard that takes the students to the
Touro College homepage).
TO ADD AN EXTERNAL LINK
1. In the section of the Control Panel titled "Content Areas", click on the name of the
area you wish to add an external link to.
2. Click the Add URL button.
3. Enter a name and URL (i.e. http://www.touro.edu) for the external link.
4. In the text box provided, enter a description of the web site or directions for what
students should be looking for once they get there.
5. Select the options you would like to use for this particular external link:
•
•
•
•
Make the external link available to students
Launch the web site in a new window
Track the number of times the web site is viewed
Choose which dates and times you want the external link available to students, if the
information is time sensitive
Adding Course Links
A course link is a hypertext link that links to another section of your Blackboard course. For
example, you have Week 1's reading assignment in a folder named "Week 1". Week 4's reading
25
assignment is in a folder named "Week 4" and it goes into more detail about Week 1's reading.
You could make a course link from Week 1 to Week 4 so that students who are interested in
learning more can quickly get to the detailed information.
TO ADD A COURSE LINK
you wish to add a course link to.
2. Click the Add Course Link button.
3. Select a name for the course link from the dropdown menu, or type a name into the text
box. You may also choose a color for the name by using the color swatch under the item
name.
4. In the text box provided, enter a description of the course item or section you will be
linking to.
5. Click the Browse button and select the course item or section you wish to link to in the
popup window. Then click the Submit button.
26
6. Select the options you would like to use for this particular course link:
•
•
•
Make the course link available to students
Track the number of times the course link is viewed
Choose which dates and times you want the course link available to students if
the information is time sensitive
Part IX – ADDING ASSIGNMENTS WITH THE ASSIGNMENT MANAGER
An "Assignment" is essentially homework activity that the student accesses, completes, and
submits through a single course item in Blackboard (this function does not use the Digital Drop
Box). When you create an assignment, it is automatically entered into Blackboard's Gradebook. It
is through the Gradebook that you can view student responses, enter comments, and assign
grades.
Once an assignment is graded, the student can then view the grade and your comments through
the “View Grade” link.
TO ADD AN ASSIGNMENT
you wish to add an assignment to.
27
2. Choose Add Assignment from the dropdown menu on the right and click Go.
3. Enter a name for the assignment. You may also choose a color for the name by using the
color swatch under the item name.
4. Enter the point value of the assignment and any instructions.
5. Select the options you would like to use for this particular assignment:
•
•
•
Make the assignment available to students
Track the number of times the assignment is viewed
If the information is time sensitive, choose which dates and times you want the
course link available to students
28
6. If desired, Click the Browse button to attach a file to the assignment, just as you would
if you were attaching a file to an email message.
7. Enter the text you want to display as the link to the attached file.
Part X – MODIFY, REMOVE & COPY COURSE CONTENT
TO MODIFY COURSE CONTENT
1. In the Control Panel, choose the Content Area that contains the course item, folder, or
learning unit you wish to modify.
2. Click the Modify button to the right of the item you wish to modify.
3. The content will be displayed in the same form that was used to create the content.
Make any changes here.
TO REMOVE COURSE CONTENT (after removal, content cannot be retrieved)
learning unit you wish to remove.
29
2. Click the Remove button to the right of the item you wish to remove.
3. Blackboard will ask you: "Are you sure you want to remove this item?"
4. Click Yes.
TO COPY/MOVE COURSE CONTENT
Instructors are able to copy or move course items, folders, and learning units to other sections of
the same Blackboard course, or to another Blackboard course altogether.
learning unit you wish to copy or move.
2. Click the Copy button to the right of the item you wish to copy or move.
3. Blackboard will display the content information for the course item, folder or learning unit
you have chosen to copy or move.
4. The dropdown menu provides a list of all Blackboard courses you are teaching. The course
you are currently editing will show up as the default. If you wish to copy or move content
to a different Blackboard course, choose that course from the list.
30
5. Click the Browse button to select the area you wish to copy the content to. You can copy or
move content into a specific folder within one of the main content areas by clicking on the
plus ( ) icon to view the area’s contents. Click the Submit button once you’ve chosen a
destination.
6. Once back at the main window, choose whether you would like to delete the original
course item once the copy is complete.
7. Click the Submit button to complete the move.
31
Part XI – USING DISCUSSION BOARD
The Discussion Board is a way of communicating with your students outside the classroom in an
asynchronous environment, which means you do not all have to be online at the same time. It is
convenient because you can read and post messages whenever you have time to do it. The
conversations that take place within the Discussion Board are logged, so they can be reviewed at a
later date. Each discussion topic is created by the instructor as a forum. All new posts and
responses added to a forum are organized into threads.
TO ADD A DISCUSSION FORUM
1. In the section of the Control Panel titled "Course Tools", click on Discussion Boards.
2. Click the Add Forum button.
3. Enter a title for the forum, a description, and any instructions.
4. Select the settings you wish to use for this particular discussion forum.
• Allow students to post messages anonymously
• Allow students to edit their messages after posting them
• Allow students to remove any messages they have posted
• Allow students to attach files to their messages
5. Allow students to begin new threads within this forum (if this setting is turned off, you
must post the first message in the forum for students to respond to)
32
TO MODIFY A DISCUSSION FORUM
2. Click the Modify button to the right of the forum you wish to modify.
3. The content will be displayed in the same form used to create the forum. Make any
necessary changes here.
TO REMOVE A DISCUSSION FORUM
2. Click the Remove button to the right of the forum you wish to remove.
33
3. Blackboard will ask you: "Removing this forum will destroy all its threads and archives!
Are you sure you want to remove the forum?"
4. Click OK.
TO ADD A DISCUSSION THREAD
2. Click on the title of the forum that you wish to add a discussion thread to.
3. Click the Add New Thread button.
4. Enter a subject and your message. If you wish to attach a document to your message, click
the Browse button to select it.
TO READ AND RESPOND TO MESSAGES
2. Click on the title of the forum you wish to access.
All of the messages for that forum will be displayed along with who posted each message
34
and when it was posted. Unread messages will be bold and will have a "new" ( ) icon to
the far right.
3. Click the title of the message you wish to read. You can send email to a student who posted
a message by clicking on their name.
Once a message is opened you can read it and reply by clicking the Reply button. The Previous
Message and Next Message buttons allow you to click through the messages within the current
thread in order. At the bottom of the window, you will see a list of all messages posted within the
current thread, which allows quick and easy access to each.
4. Click the OK button to return to the forum.
The following tool bar is available when viewing a forum (see image in step 3 above). The tools
allow you to easily manage a discussion forum. If you do not see these tools, click the Show
Options button at the top right of the forum, which changes to a Hide Options button when they
are visible.
•
•
•
•
•
Select All: Allows you to select all messages within a forum for collection (see the
explanation of collect below)
Unselect: Allows you to unselect any selected messages
Invert: Allows you to reverse your selection
Read: Allows you to mark a message as read (just as in email)
Unread: Allows you to mark a message as unread (just as in email)
35
•
•
•
•
Collect: Allows you to read all selected messages on the same page (this gives the
messages you are reading a context and allows you to read them all at once)
Lock: Allows you to lock selected messages within a forum so they can be read, but
not replied to
Unlock: Allows you to unlock messages that have been previously locked
Remove: Allows you to remove selected messages from the forum
Part XII – INTERACT WITH YOUR STUDENTS – COLLABORATION, E-MAIL
The Collaboration Tools are used for synchronous communication via the web, when participants
are online at the same time.
The Virtual Classroom enables the instructor and the students to communicate using tools such
as:
•
•
•
•
a whiteboard for drawing diagrams and writing equations
a group browser for viewing and discussing web sites
a course map for viewing and discussing course materials
a question inbox so students can submit questions to the instructor
Virtual Classroom sessions can be recorded and archived by the instructor, who must start the
recording at the beginning of each session.
The Lightweight Chat enables the instructor and the students to communicate using a text-based
chat tool, without using the tools listed above. These sessions can also be recorded and archived.
36
Interact With Your Students - Send Email
When a Blackboard account is set up for an instructor or a student, their current email address is
entered into the system. When someone uses the Send Email function in Blackboard, the email is
sent to the address listed in Blackboard’s system. You do not have a Blackboard email address and
you cannot retrieve your email from within Blackboard. Any email sent through Blackboard will
show up in your regular email inbox.
TO SEND EMAIL
1. In the section of the Control Panel titled “Course Tools”, click on Send E-mail.
37
2. Select the recipients of your messag:
3. Enter a subject and your message.
If you wish to receive a copy of the email, check the box next to “Send copy of message to
self”.
4. Click the Add button to add attachments to the email, if resired.
5. Click the Submit button to send.
Part XIII – GROUPS
The Groups feature in a Blackboard course can be used to form study or project groups. The
instructor can give the group access to a Discussion Board, Virtual Classroom, Digital Dropbox,
and/or Email. Students can access these communication tools within their own groups only.
ADD A GROUP
1. In the section of the Control Panel titled “User Management”, click on Manage Groups.
38
2. Click the Add Group button.
3. Enter a name for the group and a description of the group’s purpose. You may find it
useful to list the names of the students in the group as part of the description. This does not
make students part of a group. See below for instructions on how to add students to a
group.
4. Select the communication tools, that you would like the group to use. These tools function
exactly the same as they do on a course-wide basis, except that they are accessible by only
the students in the group. You can also choose whether you wish to make the group visible
to students.
6. Click OK to return to the list of groups you have created.
TO ADD STUDENTS TO A GROUP
1. Click the Modify button to the right of the group you wish to add students to.
39
2. Choose Add Users to Group from the list of options.
3. Search for the students you wish to add by entering a last name as search criteria, or by
clicking List All. After selecting the students you wish to add, click the Submit button.
4. Click OK to return to the group options, or click Manage Groups in the top navigation links
to return to the list of groups for the course.
TO MODIFY A GROUP
1. To change a group’s title, description or properties, and to add, remove, or view the
students in a group, click the Modify button to the right of the group.
2. Here you have a list of options that allow you to modify the group.
40
Part XIV – ASSESS & GRADE YOUR STUDENTS - GRADEBOOK
All students, online tests, online surveys, and online assignments, along with any
corresponding grades that Blackboard can automatically generate are added to the online
Gradebook. Instructors can also add outside assignments to the Gradebook to generate final,
weighted grades and to post all student grades in one place. Each student can only see his/her
own grades, along with the class average for each assignment.
TO ACCESS YOUR GRADEBOOK
In the section of the Control Panel titled “Assessment”, click Gradebook.
Blackboard will display the Gradebook in the form of a spreadsheet, listing all the students
down the left, and all the assignments across the top.
GRADEBOOK LEGEND
This icon means that a student is in the process of completing an assessment or assignment.
This icon means that the student has not yet submitted the assessment or assignment.
This icon appears when a student submits an assignment or an assessment that contains
essay questions, which need to be graded by the instructor.
This icon appears when an error has occurred in the Gradebook. Usually it indicates that a
student submitted an assessment without answering all the questions. This could mean that
the browser quit or the computer crashed in the middle of taking the assessment.
41
TO VIEW STUDENTS' RESULTS ON AN ONLINE TEST
1. Click on the grade Blackboard recorded in the Gradebook.
2. Click the View button to the far right to see how the student answered each question.
3. Blackboard will display the test information along with each question and the student’s
answer. The points received for each question can be changed by the instructor, so partial
credit can be given.
TO CLEAR AN ATTEMPT AT AN ONLINE TEST OR ASSIGNMENT
1. Click on the grade recorded in the Gradebook. If there was a technical error, a question
mark (?) will appear in place of a grade. Assignments will display an exclamation point (!).
42
2. Click the View button to the right to view the details of the test/assignment.
3. Click the Clear Attempt button which is displayed at the top along with the general
information about the test/assignment.
4. Click OK to confirm.
TO GRADE AN ASSIGNMENT
1. Click on the exclamation point (!) which indicates that the student submitted the
assignment.
2. Click the View button to the far right.
3. Blackboard will display the assignment information along with the student’s comments
and links to any files they attached. After reviewing their response, enter a grade,
comments, and upload any necessary files. The student will see all of these things when
they check their grade online.
43
4. Enter any additional notes to yourself. The student will not see anything entered here.
TO VIEW RESULTS OF GRADEBOOK ITEM AS CLASS PERCENTAGES
1. Click the title of the Gradebook item you wish to view.
2. Click Assessment Attempt Details.
3. Blackboard will display the general item information and how many students completed it.
The results of each question will be displayed as a percentage of those students who
completed the assessment.
44
TO ADD AN ITEM TO THE GRADEBOOK
1. Click the Add Item button.
2. Enter a name for the item, select a category (used for sorting purposes), enter a description,
select a date, enter the total points possible, and select how you wish to display the grade.
3. Choose whether you would like to make the item visible to the students when they check
their grade, and whether you want this item to be calculated toward the final grade.
TO WEIGHT GRADES
1. Click the Weight Grades button.
2. Choose whether you would like to weight by category or by item and then enter the
percentages.
45
Part XV – EDIT YOUR COURSE SETTINGS
Make Your Course Available – Settings
All Blackboard courses, when created, are set as “unavailable” by default. This means that the
instructor can see it, but the students cannot. This way, if an instructor chooses not to use the
Blackboard course, the students will not see it and be confused about why it is empty.
After populating your Blackboard course and checking to make sure that all is working properly,
you must make your course available to your students so they can access the materials.
1. In the section of the Control Panel titled “Course Options”, click on Settings.
2. You will be presented with a list of options, which deal mostly with the availability of your
course:
•
Course Name and Description: Allows you to make edits to the title and description
of your Blackboard course.
•
Course Availability: Choosing Yes makes your course available to students.
•
Course Duration: Set the dates between which your course will be available to
students.
•
Categorize Course: Select a Category for your course so that it can be found in the
Course Catalog.
•
Set Course Entry Point: The course entry point is the first page students see when
they access your course. It is set to the Announcements page ,by default. Here, you
can change it to another section of your course.
•
Course Design: Allows you to change the button style of your course navigation and
upload a course banner.
46
Part XVI – TIPS FOR CREATING A BLACKBOARD COURSE
A. CREATE COURSE COMPONENTS OFFLINE
Save course components on your hard drive, and organize them into folders that correspond
to the structure you will use in the online course. Then, you can just copy and paste them into
Blackboard. If you type all of your course components directly into Blackboard, you may lose
your work if your computer suddenly freezes up or if you lose your Internet connection.
B. CHOOSE THE MOST EFFICIENT AND "USER-FRIENDLY" MODE OF PRESENTING
COURSE MATERIALS
Keep in mind the challenge of reading dense, text-heavy documents on a computer screen. If
you want students to download large documents, remember that some of them will be dialing
up on slow modems (long download times). Blackboard can house many different file types
(MS Word documents, HTML pages, PowerPoint presentations, audio files), but students must
have access to software that can translate these file types. Downloads of some common "plug
in" applications are available at the Blackboard support website.
C. THINK ABOUT TRANSITIONS BETWEEN ONLINE COURSE MATERIALS
Without a clear indication of how different course components relate to one another, your
Blackboard site can appear fragmented rather than coherent. If students will participate in a
discussion that is based on an assigned reading, indicate this in your descriptions of the
reading assignment and the discussion. If you want to share recommended links to online
resources, indicate the relationship between specific course materials/activities and specific
links.
D. USE "REDUNDANCY" WISELY
Communicate important events and activities in several different areas of your course: use the
Announcements area, send e-mail, post something in a discussion board, and/or add an item
of information in an appropriate Course Materials or Assignments location. This type of
redundancy is a good idea in the online environment, where you cannot predict how students
will navigate your site. "Bad redundancy," on the other hand, involves posting materials in a
messy manner throughout your course. Create a system and organizational rubric and stick to
it: students will come to expect certain types of information in certain areas of your course site.
E. GO EASY DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASS
Many students will be experiencing the online course environment for the first time. They will
need a little time to grow comfortable navigating the Blackboard environment. Do not
overload the first week with content-heavy assignments; design some low-pressure activities
to guide students through the online course environment. Post a brief, clear overview of your
Blackboard course site in the Course Information area. Explaining the logic of your
organization will help students navigate the online course environment.
47
F. FILE TYPES
The flexibility of Blackboard permits the upload of many different file formats to support
your course content. While most of this material is text or html, you can also use many
other items, including slide shows, movies, audio clips, spreadsheets, and applets.
Any files you wish to upload should have a three or four letter file extension (such as ".txt"
or ".html") which designates its type and is a commonly used extension name recognized
by web browsers. Do not use special characters like (! @ # $ % ^ & * ?) or spaces in the file
names.
For example: If you wish to upload a Microsoft Word document, it must be named
similarly to "myfile.doc", ".doc" being the file extension for Word (see the table below for
commonly used file extensions).
This also helps because web browsers such as Netscape Navigator are pre-configured to
recognize common file types. That way, a student can click on a file such as "sample.xls"
and the browser will automatically launch the associated program, in this case, Excel.
Accordingly, items that are uploaded may require that the users/students taking your
course have the associated program residing on the computer they use.
Important things to consider when uploading files.
Extension
File Type
.aam
.aiff
.asf
.au
.avi
.doc
.ea
.ev, .ev2
.exe
.gif
.html, .htm
.image
.jpg, .jpeg
.jif
.mpg, .mpeg
.mov, .movie
.pdf
.ppt, .pps
.qt
.ra
.ram
Multimedia
Audio
Multimedia
Audio
Video
Text
Audio
Video
Program
Image
Web Page
Image
Image
Image
Video
Video
Text
Slide Show
Movie
Audio
Video
Associated Programs
Authorware plug-in
(www.macromedia.com)
Audio program
Microsoft Net Show (www.Microsoft.com)
Real Audio Player
(www.realaudio.com)
Video player (not Macintosh compatible)
Microsoft Word or other word processor
Java enabled Web browser
Java enabled Web browser
--NA—(not Macintosh compatible)
Graphics program or Web browser
HTML editor or Web browser
Movie or Media Player
Movie or Media Player
Adobe Acrobat
(www.adobe.com)
PowerPoint & PowerPoint Player
Quick Time
(www.apple.com)
Real Audio Player (www.realaudio.com)
Real Audio Movie (www.realaudio.com)
48
.swa
.swv
.swf
.tiff
.txt
.wav
.wpd
.xls
.rtf
Audio
Multimedia
Multimedia
Image
Text
Audio
Text
Spreadsheet
Text
Shockwave plug-in (www.macromedia.com)
Text or HTML editor, word processor
Audio program
WordPerfect or other word processor
Excel
WordPerfect or other word processor
49

Touro College

Transcription

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