Blackboard Manual - departments.bloomu.edu

Transcription

Blackboard Manual - departments.bloomu.edu
Blackboard 7.3
9/10/08
7.3
Regina A. Bobak
Instructional Media and Design Center, Bloomsburg University
[email protected]
570-389-5319
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INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 6 System Requirements ........................................................................................................................................ 7 BEST PRACTICES INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 9 Using Blackboard to Improve Course Efficiency .................................................................................................. 9 Course Design ................................................................................................................................................... 11 Blackboard Backup ............................................................................................................................................ 14 Best Practices Summary .................................................................................................................................... 14 Course Design Template .................................................................................................................................... 15 Blackboard Access ............................................................................................................................................. 19 Selecting Your Course ....................................................................................................................................... 20 MY INSTITUTION PAGE ..................................................................................................................... 21 Modify Content .............................................................................................................................................. 21 Modify Layout ..................................................................................................................................................... 22 Hide Course ........................................................................................................................................................ 22 CONTENT AREAS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 24 Add Item ........................................................................................................................................................... 25 Add Folder ........................................................................................................................................................ 26 Add External Link .............................................................................................................................................. 26 Add Course Link ................................................................................................................................................ 26 Add Test ........................................................................................................................................................... 27 Add Selection .................................................................................................................................................... 27 Text Editing ....................................................................................................................................................... 31 Manage ............................................................................................................................................................ 33 COURSE TOOLS INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 37 _________________________________________________________________________
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Announcements ................................................................................................................................................ 37 Add Announcement .......................................................................................................................................... 37 Modify Announcement .................................................................................................................................... 38 Remove Announcement ................................................................................................................................. 38 Course Calendar ................................................................................................................................................ 38 Add Event ............................................................................................................................................................ 38 Modify Event ....................................................................................................................................................... 38 Quick Jump ......................................................................................................................................................... 38 Calendar Views .................................................................................................................................................. 39 Remove Event .................................................................................................................................................... 39 Staff Information .............................................................................................................................................. 39 Add Profile ........................................................................................................................................................... 39 Add Folder ........................................................................................................................................................... 39 Modify Profile or Folder................................................................................................................................... 40 Remove Profile or Folder ............................................................................................................................... 40 Tasks ................................................................................................................................................................ 40 Add Task .............................................................................................................................................................. 40 View Task ............................................................................................................................................................. 40 Modify Task ......................................................................................................................................................... 41 Remove Task ...................................................................................................................................................... 41 Send Email ........................................................................................................................................................ 41 Send Email .......................................................................................................................................................... 41 Optional Email Access ..................................................................................................................................... 42 Discussion Board ............................................................................................................................................... 42 Add Forum ........................................................................................................................................................... 43 Grading a Forum ............................................................................................................................................... 44 Grading a Thread .............................................................................................................................................. 44 Modify Forum ..................................................................................................................................................... 45 Remove Forum .................................................................................................................................................. 45 Manage Forum ................................................................................................................................................... 45 Copy Forum ........................................................................................................................................................ 46 View Forum and Threads ............................................................................................................................... 47 Collaboration .................................................................................................................................................... 49 Set Up Session ................................................................................................................................................... 49 Join Session ........................................................................................................................................................ 49 Manage Session................................................................................................................................................. 51 Remove Session ................................................................................................................................................ 52 Digital Drop Box ................................................................................................................................................ 52 Send File .............................................................................................................................................................. 52 _________________________________________________________________________
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View File ............................................................................................................................................................... 53 Remove File ........................................................................................................................................................ 53 Glossary Manager ............................................................................................................................................. 53 Messages .......................................................................................................................................................... 54 Advanced Group Management .......................................................................................................................... 56 Create Groups .................................................................................................................................................... 56 Modify Group ...................................................................................................................................................... 57 Remove Group ................................................................................................................................................... 57 Assign Users ....................................................................................................................................................... 57 Individual Assignment .................................................................................................................................... 57 Random Assignment ........................................................................................................................................ 59 Turnitin Assignment .......................................................................................................................................... 61 COURSE OPTIONS ................................................................................................................................ 62 Manage Course Menu ............................................................................................................................................. 62 Course Design .......................................................................................................................................................... 64 Manage Tools .......................................................................................................................................................... 66 Settings .................................................................................................................................................................... 66 Course Copy ............................................................................................................................................................ 68 Back Up Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 69 Differences .............................................................................................................................................................. 69 Export Course .......................................................................................................................................................... 70 Archive Course ........................................................................................................................................................ 71 Recycle Course ........................................................................................................................................................ 71 Import Course Cartridge .......................................................................................................................................... 72 Import Package ....................................................................................................................................................... 72 USER MANAGEMENT INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 73 List/Modify Users .............................................................................................................................................. 73 Send Email ............................................................................................................................................................... 74 Change Password .................................................................................................................................................... 74 Properties ................................................................................................................................................................ 74 Enroll User ........................................................................................................................................................ 74 Remove Users from Course ..................................................................................................................................... 75 Manage Groups ................................................................................................................................................ 76 Create Groups ......................................................................................................................................................... 76 Add Users and Manage Group ................................................................................................................................ 77 Remove Group ........................................................................................................................................................ 77 View Groups ............................................................................................................................................................ 77 _________________________________________________________________________
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ASSESSMENT INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 78 Test Manager ................................................................................................................................................. 78 Create Test .......................................................................................................................................................... 78 Creation Settings .............................................................................................................................................. 78 Add Questions .................................................................................................................................................... 79 Availability ........................................................................................................................................................... 80 Modify Test .......................................................................................................................................................... 80 Remove Test ....................................................................................................................................................... 81 Survey Manager ............................................................................................................................................ 81 Survey Availability ............................................................................................................................................ 82 Pool Manager ................................................................................................................................................. 82 Modify or Remove ............................................................................................................................................. 83 Export .................................................................................................................................................................... 83 Gradebook ..................................................................................................................................................... 83 Gradebook Access ............................................................................................................................................ 84 Gradebook Options .......................................................................................................................................... 84 Icons Displayed in Gradebook ..................................................................................................................... 85 Creating a Gradebook Item ............................................................................................................................... 86 Manual Entry ...................................................................................................................................................... 86 Assignment Manager ....................................................................................................................................... 87 Downloading and Grading an Assignment ......................................................................................................... 88 Download Several Assignments at Once ................................................................................................. 90 Item Options ..................................................................................................................................................... 91 Item Grade List ................................................................................................................................................. 91 Item Detail .......................................................................................................................................................... 92 Item Information .............................................................................................................................................. 92 Assessment Attempt Details and Download Results ........................................................................... 92 Item Download and Item File Cleanup ..................................................................................................... 92 Managing Items in the Gradebook .................................................................................................................... 92 Override Manual Grade ..................................................................................................................................... 93 Override Manual Grade .................................................................................................................................. 93 Gradebook Settings ........................................................................................................................................... 94 Column Settings ................................................................................................................................................ 94 Manage Gradebook Categories .................................................................................................................... 94 Manage Display Options ................................................................................................................................. 94 _________________________________________________________________________
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Weight Grades .................................................................................................................................................. 95 Download Grades ............................................................................................................................................. 96 Upload Grades .................................................................................................................................................. 97 Sort and Filter ................................................................................................................................................... 98 Sort Items ........................................................................................................................................................... 99 Filter..................................................................................................................................................................... 100 Gradebook Views ........................................................................................................................................ 100 Course Statistics ......................................................................................................................................... 100 Performance Dashboard ............................................................................................................................ 101 Review Status .................................................................................................................................................. 102 Adaptive Release ............................................................................................................................................ 102 View Grades ...................................................................................................................................................... 102 Early Warning System ................................................................................................................................ 102 Item Score/Grade ........................................................................................................................................... 103 Item Due Date ................................................................................................................................................. 104 Last Course Access ........................................................................................................................................ 105 COMBINE COURSE TOOL ................................................................................................................ 106 Create Combined Course ................................................................................................................................. 106 Content .................................................................................................................................................................. 109 Gradebook Sort ..................................................................................................................................................... 109 Uncombine Courses from the Combined Course .................................................................................................. 111 Remove a Combined Course ................................................................................................................................. 112 Introduction
Welcome to Blackboard. You have chosen to utilize Blackboard in your course. Blackboard is
an easy-to-use online course delivery and management system. Using Blackboard's graphical
point-and-click interface, you can post syllabi, readings, and assignments, as well as
communicate via email, virtual chats or discussion boards.
In order to use Blackboard effectively, you need to be able to do the following:
•
Use web browsers
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Download and save files from the Internet
Complete online forms
Ask questions if you have a problem or concern
System Requirements In order for Blackboard to run efficiently, you should have the following:
Item
Requirements
Internet Connection
Telephone connection (56k or better), DSL, or
cable modem
Computer Specifications
Minimum 64 MB of RAM, 1 G of free disk
space, 150 MHz or higher
Monitor
800x600 pixels (For best performance, access
using 1024x768 resolution or higher)
Web Browser
PC – Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher or Netscape Navigator 7.1
Mac – Safari
*Do NOT use the AOL browser or Opera to
access Blackboard.
JavaScript*
Enable
Java*
Enable
Cookies*
Enable
Java Plug-In
Java Plug‐In is used for the collaboration tools.
Pop-up Blocker software
Disable or hold the CTRL key as you click the
link.
Additional Plug-ins
The following is a list of additional plug-ins that
you may need:
•
•
•
•
•
QuickTime
Shockwave, Flash & Authorware
Real Network RealPlayer
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Windows Media Player
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Anti-virus software
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• Microsoft Office Converters and Viewers
Since you will be sharing files, we recommend
you have anti-virus software.
*To enable Java and JavaScript for Internet Explorer:
1.
2.
3.
4.
On the menu bar of the browser go to Tools
Select Internet Options
Select Security Tab
Select Custom Level for the Internet zone and scroll down towards the bottom until you
find the section for Scripting
5. Select the enable radio button for Active Scripting and Scripting of Java Applets
6. Click OK
*To enable cookies for Internet Explorer:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Go to Tools
Select Internet Options
Select Privacy tab
Click Advanced button
Select the accept radio button for First-Party and Third-Party Cookies and check the
Always allow session cookies box
6. Click OK
*To enable Java and JavaScript for Netscape:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
On the menu bar of the browser go to Edit
Select Preferences
Select Advanced
On the right hand side, select the box in front of Enable Java and Enable JavaScript
Click OK
*To enable cookies for Netscape:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Go to Edit
Select Preferences
Select Privacy and Security
Select Cookies
Select the radio button in front of Enable all cookies
Click OK
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Best Practices Introduction
Using technology for classroom instruction is prevalent in higher education. You are most
likely familiar with using PowerPoint or the Internet during your class instruction.
Technology goes beyond the classroom. Blackboard is allowing instructors to supplement
their face-to-face courses with a means to organize and share content with students, allow
collaboration among students and instructor outside of the classroom, manage grades and
assignments, and provide resources the student may not have an opportunity to otherwise
receive.
The following sections will provide you with ideas for “Best Practices” in utilizing Blackboard
with your face-to-face courses. You can also use these best practices for courses that you
may offer completely at a distance. You will be well on your way to creating a successful
online component for your courses.
Using Blackboard to Improve Course Efficiency Blackboard offers ways to improve your course efficiency from providing a frequently asked
questions section to interacting with your students when you are not able to be on campus.
Let’s take a look at some ways to make your course more efficient.
Frequently Asked Questions
You probably find that students have similar questions throughout the semester. Instead of
repeating yourself to each student, you may want to post your replies so all students benefit
from your response. In Blackboard, you can create a folder in the Documents area where
you can post questions and answers. Over time, you will compile a list of frequently asked
questions. You will then be able to direct your students to that list before they send new
questions to you.
Note-taking
Would you like to save paper and duplication work from the handouts you provide to your
students? Blackboard allows you to upload PowerPoint presentations or lecture notes. The
students can access the files, save them to their computer, or print them. File size should
not be more than 1 MB. Instead of students taking extensive notes, they can make
annotations to materials that have been posted. Students can than focus on your
presentation and engage in class discussion.
Classroom Access
Are there times when you wish you could show a complicated diagram on the computer
instead of trying to draw it during class? You can post complex graphics or dynamic
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animation files within Blackboard. During class, go to the course site and display the files to
support your classroom instruction. Plus, students have access to the files after class.
Adaptive Release
Are there times when you don’t want the students accessing content until they achieved a
particular objective? But, you don’t want to hold up the entire class? Adaptive Release
allows you to select criteria for content or assessments to be released to students. You can
select different criteria for different students.
Informative
Forgot to tell the class about an upcoming event? You can use Blackboard to post
“announcements” for the class. It’s also a good way to remind them of upcoming
assignments. You can also send email to students to remind them of upcoming events.
Grades
The Blackboard gradebook is best used as a convenient organizational tool for your grades,
as well as a communication tool for students to access their grades. As long as you maintain
a safe backup policy (exporting the gradebook on a regular basis and saving these exported
files) the Blackboard gradebook is a great tool for both faculty and students.
Away
You have been accepted to present at a conference, but you would need to miss class. Don’t
worry; you won’t have to cancel class. If you have internet access on your trip, you can
have virtual office hours or deliver your class online. Just tell the students to go to the
Virtual Classroom at the designated time. You can even log a transcript of the session that
students can review later as needed. Won’t have internet access? Simply post your
materials before you leave and assign the students to work in groups for that class session
to complete an activity.
Learning Community
Most importantly, Blackboard provides the tools to build a learning community. Students
can learn a tremendous amount from each other and they need to gain experience working
with others. You can promote information sharing and collaborative work by assigning
discussions and team projects. Create groups in Blackboard to enable file exchange, chat,
and discussions.
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Course Design Course design is important when technology is being implemented. Blackboard may play a
tiny role or a hefty role in your course. The level of its use is dependent upon a variety of
factors such as the number of students, stability of material, multimedia use, interaction
level, number of references, and users’ comfort levels.
The following steps will assist you in designing your course incorporating Blackboard.
1. Define Learning Objectives
You most likely have these already determined and categorized by topic or subject if
you taught the course in the past. Take a few minutes to review the objectives and
make sure they are complete and concise.
2. Categorize Learning Objectives
You have your objectives categorized by topic or subject, but now you need to
arrange them on how they will be taught. You should ask yourself the following
questions:
•
•
•
•
Which points
Which points
Which points
materials?
Which points
approach?
will you bring out in the classroom?
will you illustrate by asking questions?
are covered well by the textbook or supplementary reading
would best be demonstrated using a “learning by doing”
3. Plan Lessons
You’ve made your preliminary decisions as to how your objectives will best be
delivered. Now you can build your weekly lessons or modules.
•
Lecture – content you categorized as “lecture” is lesson material that you may
place in Course Documents using Learning Units, Folders, and Items. Course
Documents has three possible layouts. You can add items and each item will
be listed on one web page. You can add Folders that contain items to organize
the content more. The items within a folder are still on one web page. The
third option is to create a Learning Unit with items. This last option allows the
student to view each item sequentially using next and back buttons and/or a
menu. Assignments, Course Information, and External Links provide the same
possible layouts. You will need to decide which way is best to present the
material for your students.
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Questions – questions that you categorized as open discussion can be placed
into the Discussion Board, grouped by module or week. You’ll want to design
stimulating questions for thoughtful discussion and debate. You can set a
timeframe for participating in a discussion posting. Warning: discussions can
get out of control. Make sure students stay on the topic. You may need to
focus them back in to the topic.
Text – if you’re using a textbook, decide what you want the students to read.
You also need to think about when you want the students to read the text in
relation to the classroom lecture.
Web site links – if you are using outside web sites, it is best to have them
open in a new window outside of Blackboard.
Tasks – you have to decide on the tasks you want your students to perform,
how you will verify the tasks have been completed, and how you will evaluate
them.
Assessments – determine the type of assessments you will use. Note: the
online quizzes in Blackboard present several potential problems. If a student
dials in from home using an Internet Service Provider (ISP), the ISP may kick
him/her off for inactivity. The quiz software is designed so that once a student
begins taking a quiz, he/she can never take it again -- unless you clear the
attempt. For example, if the student closes the quiz window before hitting the
"submit" button, then he/she cannot take that exam again. This feature has
unfortunate consequences for some students who make an honest mistake.
For example, a student loses the right to retake an exam if she accidentally
closes the window or if the browser crashes or if the electricity to the
computer is shut off for any reason. Consequently, students should be warned
to take quizzes carefully.
Availability – content can be made available to the students at your
discretion. Will the students be able to view all course material throughout the
semester or will lessons be made available at certain times throughout the
semester.
4. Develop Lessons
You should develop your lessons outside of Blackboard first. Even though it is simple
to place content in Blackboard, the going gets more tedious if you decide you wish to
move material around and re-structure your lessons. Use the “Course Design
Template” to plan your course.
5. Build Course in Blackboard
Now that you have the course planned out, you can develop in Blackboard. The
following are hints to help you successfully develop your course:
•
•
While building your course, check the student’s view frequently. You
accomplish this by clicking on the course name in the upper-left corner. If you
make it a habit to view the course through the student view on a regular
basis, you’ll know that your course appears and behaves in the way you’ve
envisioned.
Proofread your course content. Use the spell-check feature after you’ve typed
in content. Warning: if you copy and paste information from another source,
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check formatting. For example, quotes copied from Microsoft Word become
rectangles when copied from Word and pasted into Blackboard.
Use the gradebook to track students’ progress. Remember to export the
gradebook on a regular basis!
Try to avoid using the “Date Restrictions” function unless it’s required (such
as making a quiz available for a certain time). If you decide to date-restrict
content, place a date restriction on the entire folder or learning unit as
opposed to the individual items of content inside.
Keep file sizes manageable for students who have slower internet
connections. For example, don’t post a 10 Megabyte PowerPoint file for the
students to download. It is recommended that you post single documents that
are less than 1 megabyte for student downloads. Avoid uploading files into
Blackboard that are larger than 5 megabytes. The following chart will assist
you with file sizes and download times:
File Size
Download Time at 28.8
kbs
10 Kilobytes (typical web page without
images)
2 seconds
100 Kilobytes (typical word document)
28 seconds
1 Megabytes (typical PowerPoint
presentation)
4 minutes 51 seconds
10 Megabytes (large PowerPoint
presentation)
48 minutes 32 seconds
There are some other options to distribute larger files. You can compress files
(zip) and upload to Blackboard as a “packaged file”. The students will have to
download and unzip the file. Another option is to separate large files into a
series of smaller files. The third option is to place files on a CD-ROM to be
distributed to the students.
6. Implement Course
Now that you have your course developed in Blackboard, it is time to teach the
course. You may want to take a few minutes during your first class to show the
students the Blackboard site and some basics for navigating through the course.
7. Evaluate Course
Congratulations! You utilized Blackboard within your course. Now you should
evaluate the successfulness of the course. You can develop a survey in Blackboard
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for your students to answer. You will get immediate feedback to evaluate and make
changes for future classes.
Blackboard Backup It is a good idea to make frequent back-ups of your course both during the semester and at
the end of the semester. Please note that some areas/items within your course such as
discussion board threads, quiz responses, documents submitted to the digital drop box will
NOT be included in a course backup file. The digital drop box is just a temporary storage
container that is meant to be cleaned out on a regular basis. If you are using the digital
drop box, you should save all documents submitted by students to a designated folder on
your computer’s hard drive and then be sure to burn the files onto a CD-ROM by the end of
the semester. It is strongly suggested that you do this in case of a grade challenge after the
semester has ended.
Individual student quiz responses should be opened up via the gradebook and then printed
out and/or copied and pasted into a word processing program in order to keep a backup
outside of Blackboard.
Your gradebook should also be backed-up on a regular basis separately from your course
backup. To backup your gradebook you need to export it. This file will be a commadelimited text file which can then be opened up as an Excel spreadsheet.
Best Practices Summary Utilizing technology in a course can be a very rewarding experience. Don’t be afraid to
experiment with different ways to incorporate Blackboard into your course. An instructional
designer will be able not only to answer your questions, but to help you conceptualize the
structure and design of your course. Know your comfort level with using technology.
Remember, once you have a course set up in Blackboard, you can recycle, archive, copy, or
export the course. Teaching the same class next semester? Make a few tweaks from the
evaluations you received along with content updates and you’ll be ready to go!
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Course Design Template Course ID:
Course Name:
Instructor:
Phone:
Email:
Semester:
Students:
Blackboard Features
Check the Blackboard features you plan to incorporate into your course.
Content Areas
Course Calendar
Course Information
Staff Information
Course Documents
Tasks
Assignments
Discussion Boards
External Links
E-mail
Collaboration (chat rooms)
Course Tools
Digital Drop Box
Announcements
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User Management
List / Modify Users
Enroll User
Manage Groups
Assessment
Test Manager
Survey Manager
Pool Manager
Gradebook
Course Statistics
Course Options
Course Menu
Manage Tools
Settings
Recycle Course
Course Copy
Import Package
Export Course
Archive Course
Resources
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Course Content Organization
Modules
Lessons
Sections
Weeks
Other Content Layout
Module
Name or Number: Topic: Learning Objectives
•
•
•
•
Reading Assignments
Assignment
Type
Location
Website
Folder with items
Textbook
Item
Textbook
Item
Notes
Type
Location
Word Document
Item
PowerPoint
Item
PowerPoint
Item
Comments: Lesson Notes
Comments: Supplementary Information
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Notes
Type
Location
PowerPoint
Item
PowerPoint
Item
PowerPoint
Item
Comments: Discussion Questions
•
•
•
Assessments
Type
Location
Other
Item
Other
Item
Other
Item
Comments: Chats
Date: Time: Chat room: _________________________________________________________________________
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Blackboard Access All courses are loaded automatically with the course information from the Registrar's Office.
Blackboard course shells are available:
Semester
Date Available
Fall
August 1
Spring
December 1
Summer
May 1
Note: The student enrollment is NOT available until the week before classes begin.
To access Blackboard:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Open your web browser
Type the following web address: http://blackboard.bloomu.edu
Click Login
Enter your username and password
Username: Your username begins with 10 then your campus network email ID.
Example: Robert T. Mahoney’s username is 10rmahoney.
Password: Your password is the first four letters of your last name with the last name
capitalized as it normally would be and your date of birth with full year/month/day.
Example: Robert T. Mahoney’s birthday is August 3, 1962 making his password
MAHO19620803.
Example:
Anita F. McNaus was born on November 8, 1955.
Username: 10amcnaus
Password: MCNA19551108.
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Note: For security reasons, the helpdesk can not give passwords over the phone and
they can only send the password to your Bloomsburg email account.
5. Click Login
You have now entered the Bloomsburg University’s Blackboard site. The next section will
explain how to select your course.
Selecting Your Course When you login to Blackboard, you are taken to “My Institution” page, similar to below. Take
note of the different areas outlined on the image that will be of interest to you.
The Home button takes you back to this
page. The Help button provides
assistance. Always click the Logout
button when you have finished your
Bl kb d
i
Click Personal
Information to change
your password.
You can now see the most recent
content added to your Bb courses.
Courses you are teaching
will be listed here. You can
access your course by
clicking on it here
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There are common tabs at the top of the page.
Tab
Description
My Institution
My Institution tab contains tools and information specific
to each user’s preference. This is the default page when
you login.
Courses
The Course tab will give you a list of courses you are
teaching. You can see a list of your courses by clicking
this tab.
Community
The Community tab lists organizations specific to each
user, the organization catalog for the institution, and
institution discussion boards.
Services
The Services tab is set by the system administrator and
may contain links outside of Blackboard.
Email
There is a link, Faculty Email, on the top right of the page providing access to Bloomsburg
University email.
Note: This is the web version of the email system.
My Institution Page
Modify Content
My Institution page is the first page you see when you login. The Contents link on My
Institution Page allows you to customize your page. You can add newspaper headlines,
dictionary, weather, etc. The items with red checkmarks cannot be removed from your
institution page.
To modify content:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Log into Blackboard
Click
on My Institution page
Select the Modules you would like to add
Click Submit
Click OK
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What’s New
What’s New is a content item that shows when an item is added to a course.
Note: You need to Refresh this box to remove the items you viewed and see the new ones
added since you last viewed them.
Modify Layout
You can change the arrangement of the content and the color of My Institution page.
To modify layout:
1. Log into Blackboard
2. Click
3. Select an item in the left column to move it to the right column or vice versa – you
can also arrange the order of the items in each column using the up and down
arrows
4. Select a Personalize Theme
5. Click Submit
6. Click OK
Hide Course
You have the option of hiding courses on the My Institution page. This is a nice feature if
you want to only view the current courses you are teaching when you login to Blackboard.
Follow these steps to hide a course:
1. Login to Blackboard
2. Click the pencil icon in the top right corner of My Courses box
3. In the Modify Courses List you may select the courses you would like to display on
the My Institution page (a checkmark means the item is being displayed)
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Note: You may select the options you would like to see in My Courses box. If you
don’t want to view a course, make sure all of the checkmarks are deselected in that
row.
4. Click Submit
5. Click OK
You can view all of your courses using the Courses tab.
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Content Areas Introduction
The Content Areas provide a place to post course information, documents, assignments, and
external links. All four areas contain the same types of functions that can be performed. The
standard options are:
Option
Description
Icon
Enter text or add document. Each
item is listed on one web page.
Provides a place to organize a
number of Items.
Link to a web site.
Link to another section within the
Blackboard course.
Add a test to make it available to
students. You should create the
test first using the Test Manager.
However, you will have the option
to Create a New Test from here.
The drop down menu provides a
number of Blackboard functions.
Choosing Assignment here will
automatically create a column in
the gradebook. This is also where
you will create a Turnitin
Assignment. The other option
used often is the Learning Unit
(provides a place to create a lesson
that uses next and back buttons).
(Learning Unit)
(Turnitin Assignment)
Course Information
The Course Information section is a good place to post general information about the course
such as the course description, goal, objectives, grading, or an entire syllabus.
Course Documents
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Content that you categorized as “lecture” is lesson material that you may want to place in
Course Documents using Learning Units, Folders, and Items.
Assignments
This is a good place to store all of the course assignments.
External Links
The External Link area provides a place for you to link to web sites that may be of interest
to your students.
Add Item
To add an item:
1. Click
2. Enter Name
3. Choose Color of Name (optional)
4. Enter Text
5. If you have a file to upload to this new item, click Browse next to Attach local file
6. Locate the file you wish to upload
7. Click the file once to highlight it
8. Click Open
9. Enter Name of Link to File
10. Select one of the following options in the Special Action dropdown menu:
a. Create a link to this file – This option will create a link to this file that when
clicked will open the file.
b. Display media file within the page – Using this option will display or open
the file within Blackboard. This is good for adding video or audio clips. Note:
You will have more options to select after you click Submit in step 14.
c. Unpackage this file – This option is normally only used for compressed file
types. It will unzip a packaged file such as a webpage or PowerPoint
presentation saved in a web format containing multiple files.
Note: It is recommended that you use the Create a link to this file option.
11. Select make the Content Available
12. Select Track number of views if you would like to see access data for this item
13. Choose date and time restrictions
14. Click Submit
15. Click OK
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Add Folder
To add a folder:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Click
Enter Name
Choose Color of Name (optional)
Enter Text
Select option for Make the content available
Select option for Track number of views
Choose Date Restrictions
Click Submit
You have created a folder which is empty at this point. You can now add content.
1. Select the location you placed your folder
2. Click the name of the folder
3. Add items, folders, external links, course links, or select from the drop down menu
Note: You can add a folder within a folder. Use folders to organize content.
Add External Link
To add an external link:
1. Click
2. Enter Name
3. Enter URL
Note: You must use http://. To avoid typing errors, copy the URL from the web
browser and paste it in the field.
4. Enter Description
5. Attach local file if you have one
6. Select Options
Note: Recommend Yes for Open in New Window
7. Click Submit
Add Course Link
To add an external link:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Click
Enter Name
Choose Color of Name (optional)
Enter Text
Click Browse in Course Link
Select the location within Blackboard
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7. Select Options
8. Click Submit
Add Test
This is where you make a test available to the students. You have the option of creating the
exam here as well as in the Test Manager section of Blackboard.
To add a test:
1. Click
2. Add Test by selecting from the available test in the box
Note: If you did not create a test using the Test Manager, you can create the test
here. Click Create.
3. Click Submit
4. Click OK
Now that you’ve added the test, you must at least access the Modify the Test Options to
set the availability of the test. The options here are the same as in Test Manager in the
Assessment box. To learn more about these options, visit the Test Manager section in the
Assessment document.
Add Selection
You have options in the Selection drop down to add to your course. Some of these items
may also be located in other areas of the course. Four of the options will be covered here.
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Syllabus
You may want to add a syllabus link on the menu before using the syllabus builder. Click
here to view how to add a link for the syllabus on the left menu.
To add a syllabus:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Select Syllabus using the dropdown menu
Click GO
Enter Syllabus Name
Select Create New Syllabus or Use existing file (attaches the syllabus)
If you select Use existing file, Browse to locate the file. Click Submit. Complete
the Modify Item page and click Submit.
6. If you select Create New Syllabus, click Submit.
7. In Syllabus Information, you can complete the different areas that fit your
syllabus.
8. Select a Syllabus Design
9. If you would like to build lesson shells, select Create specified number of lesson
shells and enter the Number of lessons to create (you can always add more
lesson shells later).
10. Select Options
11. Click Submit
You’ll see an outline of your syllabus with a list of lessons at the bottom (if you added lesson
shells).
12. Click Modify to the right of the Lesson Title to add a description for the lesson
13. Click OK
14. Repeat for other lessons
.
You can add more lessons by using
Learning Unit
To add a learning unit:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Select Learning Unit
Click GO
Enter Name
Choose Color
Enter Text
Select Options for this unit
Note: You have the option to have students view the unit sequentially. If you select
Yes, your students will be required to view the content in the learning unit
sequentially page per page. If you chose No, students will have the option to skip
through the material in the learning unit and only review the one they wish to.
7. Click Submit
8. Click OK
Now that you’ve created the Learning Unit, you can enter information.
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1. Locate the name of the learning unit
2. Add options from the menu
Note: Each option you add is a new page in the learning unit.
Assignment
Using the Assignment option in the drop down will automatically add the assignment to the
gradebook.
To add an assignment:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Select Assignment
Click GO
Enter Name
Choose Color (optional)
Enter Points Possible (if you’re not using the gradebook, leave this at 0)
Enter Instructions
Attach Assignment Files (optional – you may have a document for them to
download, complete, and submit)
8. Select Options
9. Click Submit
10. Click OK
When students access the assignment, they will attach their assignment and add comments.
Document Package
Document Package allows you to upload a zip package containing documents. A new course
content item is created for each file in the package. The directory structure in the zip
package is also maintained.
To use this feature:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Select the location for the files (you will most likely place them in the Course
Documents area)
3. Using the dropdown menu, select Document Package
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4. Click GO
You are now on the Document Package screen.
5. Select Default Settings for New Items
6. Browse to locate the zip package
7. Click Submit
You should receive a confirmation screen Document Unpackaging Completed.
8. Click OK
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A folder is created with the name of the zip package.
9. Click the folder name to view the file list
You can modify each individual file by clicking Modify next to the file name. This allows you
to modify the item’s name, text color, add a description, attach another file, and change
availability options. You also have the option to Manage the individual files.
In order to use this tool, you must have your files in a zip package. To do this:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Place all of your files in a folder
Right click on the folder
Select Send To
Select Compressed (zipped) Folder
The zip package is created.
Text Editing
Blackboard has a built-in text editing menu bar. This menu allows you to do basic text
editing such as copy, cut, paste, undo, spell check, formatting etc. It also includes special
functions such as equation editors, html tags, and insertion of various media files. This
section will discuss those special functions.
Note: the text editor is different if you are using a Macintosh computer.
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WebEQ
The Math and Science Notation Tool (WebEQ™ Equation Editor) is a general purpose
equation editor designed for working with equations. It enables users to use mathematical
and scientific notation throughout the Blackboard Learning System. Users have the ability to
add equations, edit existing equations and move equations within the Math and Science
Notation Tool. All of the Equation Editor symbols are based on MathML, a markup language
for math on the Web, which is a subset of XML.
Helpful Hints for creating equations in WebEQ:
•
•
•
If an equation is more then one line or uses a large font size, the equation may be
cut off when it appears on the course Web site. To prevent this from happening add
an empty line after the final line in the equation on the Math and Science Notation
Tool. The entire equation will appear.
Text will remain aligned properly if the number of lines in an applet is minimized.
This can be done by creating a separate applet for each one or two equations.
Fonts cannot be changed in WebEQ.
MathML
The Math and Science Notation Tool can be accessed from any content or Assessment area.
Once added, the equations can be modified like other items within a content area.
To open the Math and Science Notation Tool, click the Math and Science Notation Tool icon
(+) for any text box that accepts math notation.
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HTML
It stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It’s known as the language to create web pages.
Blackboard allows you to edit or add you own HTML tags. You must be familiar with HTML
tags to use this feature.
MPEG/AVI
MPEG (pronounced M-peg), which stands for Moving Picture Experts Group, is the name of
family of standards used for coding audio-visual information (e.g., movies, video, music) in
a digital compressed format. Blackboard supports this type of file format.
AVI stands for Audio Video Interleave. The .AVI format is what is known as a container
format. It specifies a way in which a file may contain audio and video data. Blackboard
supports AVI content.
QuickTime
It’s another file format containing various forms of digital media (movies, video, and music).
This file format is used on the web and can be incorporated into your Blackboard course.
Manage
Now that you have created your content area, you can manage it using adaptive release,
review status, and statistics tracking. To access these features, click
the content name.
to the right of
Adaptive Release
Adaptive release provides you with the flexibility of releasing content to students based on a
rule provided by you. You set the rule and criteria for the content item. To view the content,
a student must meet the requirements of the rule.
If you do not set an adaptive release rule, the content is available to all students in the
course depending on the item availability and date/time restrictions set on the Add Item
page.
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Note: Content items selected as Unavailable on the Add Item page overrides any adaptive
release settings.
To set adaptive release you must first create the content item. Then,
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click
to the right of the content item
Select Adaptive Release
Choose Date (optional)
Complete Membership if you want to set the rule to specific users or groups (you
must have your group names created before doing this – click here for information
on creating groups)
a. Browse to locate a student OR
b. Click on a group name in the Available Course Group column
c. Click the arrow to move it to the Selected Course Group column
5. Complete Gradebook Item if your rule is based on a graded submission
a. Select a Gradebook Item using the dropdown menu
b. Select Condition
6. Complete Review Status if your rule is based on a reviewed item
a. Browse to locate the item that needs to be reviewed before this item
becomes available.
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7. Click Submit
Note: You will receive a warning if your adaptive release interferes with other dates you
have set.
Advanced Adaptive Release
Advanced Adaptive Release allows you to create multiple rules per content item. For
example, you set a rule for Group A to score at least 85% on the quiz to see a content item;
then you set a score of at least 80% for Group B to see the content item. To use the
Advanced Adaptive Release:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Click
to the right of the content item
Select Adaptive Release: Advanced
Select
Enter Name
Click Submit
Select the criteria you want to add to this rule
a. Date – select dates and click Submit
b. Membership – select users or groups and click Submit
c. Gradebook Item – select Gradebook item, condition, and click Submit
d. Review Status – select Item and click Submit
7. Click OK
To Remove a criteria:
1. Select the checkbox next to the criteria
2. Click
To Modify the rule:
to the right of the rule
1. Click
2. Within here you can modify each criteria – click
to the right of the criteria
To change the Rule name:
1. Click
2. Enter the new name
3. Click Submit
To Remove a rule:
1. Select the checkbox next to the rule
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2. Click
3. Click OK
To Copy a rule:
1. Select the checkbox next to the rule
2. Click
You can now Modify or Manage the copied rule. This saves time if some of the criteria are
the same as a previous rule created.
Review Status
This tool allows you to track students’ progress in a course. You can set a Review Status for
content items. The students review the information and select the Mark Reviewed button.
You can check the status of reviews on the User Progress Page.
To enable Review Status:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click
to the right of the content item
Click Review Status
Select Enable
Click Submit
Adaptive Release and Review Status: User Progress
To view students’ progress:
to the right of the content item
1. Click
2. Click Adaptive Release and Review Status: User Progress
Statistics Tracking
To add statistics tracking to a content item:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Click
to the right of the content item
Click Statistics Tracking
Click Enable/Disable Tracking
Select Enable
Click Submit
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To view the statistics of the item:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
to the right of the content item
Click
Click Statistics Tracking
Click View Statistics
Select Filter Options
Click Submit
Course Tools Introduction
Course Tools contain communication and collaboration tools for synchronous and
asynchronous interaction. These tools allow you to share files, have discussions, and hold
office hours virtually.
Announcements
Announcements provide information to the students as soon as they login to the Blackboard
course. Announcements are good for reminding students of assignment due dates,
upcoming events, or content changes.
Add Announcement
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Announcements in the Course Tools box
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Click
Enter Subject
Enter Message (you can format the message by using the text formatting icons)
Select Options
Locate Course Link – Optional (provides a link for the student to access a particular
area of the course from the announcements page)
Email Announcement – Check the box ‘Email this announcement to all
course users’ if you would like an email sent.
9. Click Submit
8.
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10. Click OK
Modify Announcement
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Announcements in the Course Tools box
3.
4.
5.
6.
next to the announcement you want to change
Click
Update the information
Click Submit
Click OK
Remove Announcement
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Announcements in the Course Tools box
3. Click
4. Click OK
next to the announcement you want to delete
Course Calendar
Course Calendar may be used to share course related events with the students. All students
enrolled in the course have access to the course calendar.
Add Event
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Course Calendar in the Course Tools box
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Click
Enter Event Information – Name and Description
Select Event Time
Click Submit
Click OK
Modify Event
1. Locate the event on the calendar
2.
3.
4.
5.
next to the event
Click
Update the information
Click Submit
Click OK
Quick Jump
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Course Calendar in the Course Tools box
3. Click
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4. Select the date and type of view
5. Click Submit
Calendar Views
There are four ways to view the calendar:
• View
• View
• View
• View
Click on the
Day
Week
Month
Year
tab of the view you would like to see at the top of the calendar.
Remove Event
1. Locate the event on the calendar
2. Click
3. Click OK
next to the event you want to delete
4. Click OK
Staff Information
Staff Information is an area for you to post information about yourself, guest speakers, or
other course leaders.
Add Profile
Add Profile allows you to add information for each individual person.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Click Control Panel
Click Staff Information in the Course Tools box
Click
Enter the Profile Information
Select Options for the profile
Click Submit
Click OK
Note: You must enter a title or name and a valid email address.
Add Folder
Use the Add Folder when you have a group of people with similar profiles. For example, you
may have a folder for Guest Speakers that contains profiles of all the guest speakers for the
course.
1. Click Control Panel
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2. Click Staff Information in the Course Tools box
3. Click
4. Select a name in the dropdown list or enter a name
5. Select the Option to make folder available
6. Click Submit
7. Click OK
Now that you have a folder created, you can add profiles.
8. Click on the folder name
9. Add Profiles as shown in the Add Profile section above
Modify Profile or Folder
1.
2.
3.
4.
next to the profile or folder you want to alter
Click
Update the information
Click Submit
Click OK
Remove Profile or Folder
1. Click
2. Click OK
next to the profile or folder you want to delete
Tasks
Tasks can be used to organize priorities for the course. You can posts tasks for all students
to view.
Add Task
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Tasks in the Course Tools box
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Click
Enter Task Information
Select Task Options – Low, Normal, High
Click Submit
Click OK
View Task
You can view the list of tasks by Priority, Subject, or Due Date. Click on the one that is
appropriate for your viewing.
(Located above the list of tasks)
You can view the status of students’ progress on a task.
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Tasks in the Course Tools box
3. Click the task name
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Modify Task
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Tasks in the Course Tools box
3.
4.
5.
6.
next to the task
Click
Update the information
Click Submit
Click OK
Remove Task
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Tasks in the Course Tools box
3. Click
4. Click OK
next to the task you want to delete
Send Email
You can send email through Blackboard to other participants in the course.
Note: This email only goes to Bloomsburg University accounts.
Send Email
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Send Email in the Course Tools box
3. Select from the following
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4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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Complete Recipients if selecting single users
Complete Email Information
Add Attachments, if any
Click Submit
Click OK
Optional Email Access
1. Click Communication on the left menu of the Blackboard course under tools
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Click
Select from the list
Complete Recipients if selecting single users
Complete Email Information
Add Attachments, if any
Click Submit
Click OK
Discussion Board
Discussion Board provides a platform for asynchronous communication. Students respond to
your posting or other students’ postings in an organized manner.
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Note: You must add the forum for the students to post threads. Once you add a forum, you
can enable other users to manage the forum.
Add Forum
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Discussion Board in the Course Tools box
3. Click course name to enter the room
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Click
Enter Title
Enter Description
Select Forum Availability (Yes- to make forum available to students)
Select Forum Settings
9. Click Submit
Allow post tagging- Allow random message grouping independent of thread or
thread status. Forum managers or Instructors can create and apply text labels of
their own choosing to messages in a forum; other Discussion Board users can read,
filter, and search messages using the tags, but cannot create new ones.
Allow users to reply with Quote- Allow users to include the text of the original
message in any replies to the message. This is enabled by default.
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Subscribe- The instructor has the option to enable the subscription of a
Forum/Thread. There is also an option of including either the entire post or just a link
to the post in the email sent to students; this option is enabled by the instructor.
Allow members to rate Posts- Enable forum members to rate individual posts.
Individual users select a rating from 0 to 5. Each post has an overall rating field with
five stars.
Force Moderation of Posts- Requires that all messages are reviewed by a
moderator before they are posted/ displayed in the Forum.
Grading- Instructor is able to grade students based on overall participation in a
forum or individual threads. They can assign a point value in either case, and enter a
grade for the students in the Discussion Board.
Note: Users cannot create new threads if Grade threads is selected for the Forum. Also
the grade will be reflected in the Grade book. It’s best to use List view when grading.
Grading a Forum
1. From Forum view, Click
next to the Forum
2. Choose which student you would like to grade and click grade
3. Click
4. Enter
5. Click Submit or Clear
6. Click OK
Grading a Thread
Note: To grade threads in a forum make sure that the option is enabled when the forum is
created or modified. Then, add the thread to be graded.
1. Click on the Discussion Board course menu button
2. Click on the forum where you will grade threads
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3. Click
4. Fill out the form with subject and message and attach a file, if you like
5. Check the box beside Grade Thread and add points possible
6. Click Submit
Note: Grade the thread by clicking on the Grade Thread icon in forum view (ensure you’re
in List View), then Click the Grade button or the Thread for a student to view his/her
posts and assign a grade for the thread. Also, make sure after you enter a grade that you
click Submit and then click Ok.
Modify Forum
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Discussion Board in the Course Tools box
3. Click the name of the Course to enter
next to the forum
4. Click
5. Update the information
6. Click Submit
Remove Forum
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Discussion Board in the Course Tools box
3. Click name of the Course to enter
4. Click
5. Click OK
next to the forum you want to delete
Manage Forum
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click Control Panel
Click Discussion Board in the Course Tools box
Click on the name of the Course to enter
next to the forum
Click
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5. Choose from the drop down menu how you want the forum to Display, Items
per page, and Forum Role.
6. Click Submit
Copy Forum
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Discussion Board in the Course Tools box
3. Click the name of the Course to enter
next to the forum
4. Click
5. Fill out Forum Information
6. Click
Note: Once you add the first forum, you can add more forums from the Discussion Board
on the left menu of the course. The Modify, Remove, Copy, Manage, and Grade options are
also available in this location.
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View Forum and Threads
You can view the Forum and Threads from two different locations: the Discussion Board
link from the left menu or through the Control panel. You can also view the forum in two
different views: Tree View and List View.
Note: Once you’re in the Discussion Board for a course you will see the forums that have
been created for that course, number of Posts, Unread Posts, and Total participants. Also,
numbers of unread posts in the Unread Posts is a clickable icon that directs the instructors
to the text of these unread posts. The Search area has been rolled up into
Selecting this icon will drop down the Search area (see below).
.
Tree View- Flagging a message is present only in Tree View. To grade a thread, you must
click into the thread.
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List View
The process of selecting one or more posts or threads for inclusion
in a page that can be sorted, filtered, printed, and saved as a document.
Action bar consist of the icons to Flag, Clear Flag, and Subscribe. There
are also the icons to Collect, Mark Read or Mark Unread.
button has been added to open a Reply to Post box to
Note: Within a thread, a new
the original thread post. Also, the new Quote icon is located within the action bar of a post.
Selecting the icon directs the Instructor to the Reply to Post page, to reply to a post, and
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within the Message text box is included the text from the post to which the Instructor is
responding.
Collaboration
Blackboard provides an area to collaborate with your students in real-time. The
collaborative sessions may be recorded and archived for future review. There are two
different types of collaborations: virtual classroom and chat. The virtual classroom provides
an area for discussion, web page sharing, asking questions, and a whiteboard. The chat is
part of the virtual classroom that is accessed separately. You have the option of searching
for sessions.
Set Up Session
To schedule the collaborative event in advance:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Collaboration in Course Tools box
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Click
Enter Session Name
Schedule Availability
Choose Collaboration Tool
Click Submit
Click Ok
Note: If a time is set, the session is not visible until that time. Always schedule the session
15 minutes earlier than the actual start time.
Join Session
You have two options to join a session:
•
•
Use the left menu of the course – Communication – Collaboration
Control Panel – Collaboration
Virtual Classroom Display
Item
Description
Menu Bar
Manage participation, monitor breakout sessions, record options.
Note: You must start the recorder to create an archive.
Toolbox
Course Map
View a specific part of the Blackboard course – opens in a new
window
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Displays the whiteboard – you must click
Group Browser
Show a website to the students.
Ask Question
Type a question and click Send
Question Inbox
Students’ responses to the questions are in the chat window. The
student may select to send a response only to the instructor.
Participants
Participants are listed on the screen.
Chat Area
Discussion location. Compose the text in the field and click Send.
Menu Bar
Toolbox
White Board
Participants
Chat Area
Chat Display
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Technical Assistance
Blackboard chat requires that the most current version of Java be installed on your
machine. If you do not have it, please go to
http://www.java.com/en/download/windows_automatic.jsp and install the latest version. If
you have an older version, please uninstall that version first, and then install the latest
version.
Depending on your security level for the Internet, you may need to add http://*.ship.edu to
your Trusted Site list.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Open Internet Explorer
Click Tools
Click Internet Options
Click Security
Click Trusted Sites
Sites – type http://*.ship.edu
Click Add
Click OK
Click OK
Manage Session
To change a session:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Collaboration in Course Tools box
next to the session name
3. Click
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4. Update the information
5. Click Submit
6. Click OK
Remove Session
To remove a session:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Collaboration in the Course Tools box
3. Click
4. Click
next to the session you want to delete
Digital Drop Box
Digital Drop Box is a location to exchange files with an individual or select group of
students. This is helpful if you have students submitting large files instead of filling your
email account.
Note: The Digital Drop Box is always accessed through the Control Panel. The students
access it through the Course Tools link on the left menu of the course.
Send File
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Digital Dropbox in the Course Tools box
3. Click
(saves file for sending later) or
OR
Click
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
(simultaneously select file and send)
Select User(s) (hold ctrl key to select more than one)
Select File or Upload new one
Enter Comments
Click Submit
Click OK
You can distinguish between a sent file and an added file by the information provided below
the file name. A sent file will have Submitted and an added file will have Posted on. If you
would like to send the Added File, click on the link and complete the screen.
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View File
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click
Click
Click
Click
Control Panel
Digital Dropbox in the Course Tools box
file name
Open or Save
Remove File
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Digital Dropbox in the Course Tools box
3. Click
4. Click OK in the warning box
5. Click OK
Note: If you would like students to submit documents for an assignment, use the
Assignment tool so that an entry is created in the gradebook.
Glossary Manager
The Glossary Manager provides you with an area to store course terms for the students to
view. You must enable the glossary for students to view it.
To add terms to the Glossary Manager:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Glossary Manager in Course Tools box
3.
4.
5.
6.
Click
Enter Term
Enter Definition
Click Submit
7. To Add Another Term, click
8. Click OK
OR
To Upload a glossary you must have the files in a .csv file.
Example:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click
Browse to locate the file
Select Upload File Options
Click Submit
To Download the glossary:
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Click
Click Download
Click Save
Choose the Location
Click Save
To Modify a term:
next to the term
1. Click
2. Enter changes
3. Click Submit
To Remove a term:
1. Click
2. Click OK
next to the term
Messages
Messages are similar to email except they are sent and stored within Blackboard. You may
access Messages from the Tools link on the menu or through the Control Panel. Students
access Messages using the Tools link. If you plan on using Messages frequently, you may
want to add a link on the left menu.
Note: You can only send messages to others in the course.
To access Messages:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Messages in Course Tools box
To create a New Message:
1. Click
2. Click To, Cc, or Bcc
3. Select Recipients
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Note: you must select one user at a time and click
column.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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to move each one to the right
Click Submit
Enter Subject
Enter Body text
Click Submit
To check your Inbox:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Messages in Course Tools box
3. Click
4. Click message title
5. You can compose a New Message, Reply, Reply All, Forward, Remove, or Print
6. Click OK to return to your Inbox
You can also mark messages as Read or Unread from here along with Removing messages.
Simply use the icons on the menu bar.
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To view your Sent messages:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Messages in Course Tools box
3. Click
Note: You have the same features here as you do in your Inbox.
Advanced Group Management
Advanced Group Management is a building block that enables you to manage your groups
efficiently. You can assign users to a group by selecting the user or by random assignment.
Group properties can be changed as well. The nice feature of this tool is that you can see
who you assigned to which group.
Create Groups
You must create groups before you can take advantage of the features of this tool. You have
two options for creating the groups. One way is to use the Group Management link in the
User Management box. This is covered in more detail in the handout User Management.
The second option is to create your groups through the Advanced Group Management
tool in the Course Tools box (described below).
To create groups using Advanced Group Management:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Advanced Group Management in Course Tools box
3. Click Add Group
4. Complete Group Name, Description, and select features to enable
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5. Click Submit
Confirmation received that group is created.
6. Click OK
Continue adding all the groups you need for the course.
Modify Group
You can modify a group’s information by selecting the group using the checkbox and clicking
Modify Group.
Remove Group
You can remove a group by selecting the group using the checkbox and clicking Remove
Group.
Note: This cannot be undone.
Now that your groups are created, you can assign the users.
Assign Users
You have two options for assigning students. You can assign students to groups by
assigning individual students to a group or having Blackboard perform a random assign
function.
Individual Assignment
To assign students individually to groups:
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1. Select all the groups by checking the box Select All
2. Click View/Assign Users
3. Click Modify to change the user/group assignments
4. Assign the user to a group by selecting the appropriate checkbox
Note: A user may be assigned to more than one group.
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5. Click Submit
Confirmation received that users are added to the groups.
6. Click OK
Random Assignment
Random assignment can only be done if students have not been assigned to a group. If you
have assigned students to groups, you must remove the students from the groups before
doing the random assignment.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Select all groups by clicking Select All
Click View/Assign Users
Click Randomize
Enter the number of students to be assigned to each group
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5. Click Submit
Confirmation received that users are added to the groups.
6. Click OK
To view the group assignments, click View/Assign Users – a green checkmark represents
the group the student is assigned to. If you would like to make any changes, click Modify.
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Note: The instructor is not listed in each group. However, you still have access to each
group. If you would like your name to be included as a member of the group, click Modify
and select all the groups you would like to participate.
Turnitin Assignment
To learn how to view Turnitin Assignments, please visit the Turnitin documentation at
http://ot.bloomu.edu/Turnitin/index.php.
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Course Options
Manage Course Menu
You have the option of changing the information on your course menu. Follow these
directions to personalize your Course Menu.
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Manage Course Menu in Course Options box
3. Select the item you would like to add to the menu
4. Use one of the options below to alter your Course Menu
OPTION 1: Add a Content Area
a. Click
b. Select Area name or type in one of your choice
c. Select the options for Guest, Observer and Student/Participant
d. Click Submit
e. Click OK
OPTION 2: Add Tool Link
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Click
Select Type
Enter Name
Select the options for Guest, Observer and Student/Participant
Click Submit
Click OK
OPTION 3: Add Course Link
a.
b.
c.
d.
Click
Enter Name
Browse location
Select location
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e. Select the options for Guest, Observer and Student/Participant
f. Click Submit
g. Click OK
OPTION 4: Add External Link
a. Click
b. Enter Name
c. Enter URL
Note: Make sure you enter http://. To reduce errors in typing the URL,
copy the URL from the website and paste it in the field.
h. Select Open in a new window if you would like the website to open
outside of Blackboard
i. Select the options for Guest, Observer and Student/Participant
d. Click Submit
e. Click OK
Modify Menu Item
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click Modify to the right of the item you wish to change
Enter the change
Click Submit
Click OK
Reorder Menu Items
1. Click the down arrow
2. Select the number for the place you would like the menu item located
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Remove Menu Item
1. Click Remove to the right of the item you wish to delete
2. Click OK in the warning box
Note: This cannot be undone.
Course Design
Course Design provides you with options to customize the look of your course. You can
change the menu style and color along with adding a banner to your course.
Course Menu Design
To change the menu style and color:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Click Control Panel
Click Course Design in the Course Options box
Click Course Menu Design
Select Menu Style
Select Style Properties for background and text properties
a. Click
b. Click the color square
Note: Make sure your background and text colors contrast each other.
6. Click Submit
7. Click OK
Manage Menu Display Options
To manage the menu display:
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1. Click Menu Display Options
2. Select Detail View or Quick View
3. Deselect Allow use of both views if you do not want your students to change the
view of the menu
4. Click Submit
5. Click OK
Manage Tool Panel
To manage tool panel:
1. Click Manage Tool Panel
2. Click Quick View Tool Panel Options or Detail View Tool Panel Options
3. Select Tool Panel Display Options
Note: If no tools are selected, the Tool Panel will not display.
4. Select Header Name
5. Select Colors
6. Revert to system default – select this only if you want to reset the Tool Panel to
the Blackboard default settings
7. Click Submit
8. Click OK
Course Banner
To add a course banner:
1. Click Course Banner
2. Click Browse
3. Select image
Note: Make sure the image file size is manageable for students using a slower
Internet connection. Your banner size should not exceed 820 pixels (width) by 100
pixels (height). Banners could be in GIF, JPEG, or BMP file formats.
4.
5.
6.
Note:
Click Open
Click Submit
Click OK
If you would like to remove the banner, select the check box and click Submit.
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Manage Tools
You can decide which course tools are available in a course. There are three menu options:
•
•
•
Tool Availability – select tools available to students, guests, and observers
Building Block Tool Availability – Building blocks are add-ons to Blackboard
developed by outside vendors
Content Type Availability – type of content that can be added to a course
The default settings of each option works fine for most professors. If you do decide you
need to change a tool’s availability, follow these steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click Control Panel
Click Manage Tools in the Course Options box
Click the option you would like to change
Click the box next to the tool you want to make available or unavailable (checkmark
means tool is available)
5. Click Submit
6. Click OK
Settings
There are a variety of settings you can select for your course. There are a few settings that
you should not change. Please take note of these listed below.
•
•
•
Course Duration – we recommend that you do not change this setting
Enrollment Options – all enrollment is done through the Registrar’s office
Categorize Course – there is no need to categorize your course at this time
Let’s take a look at the settings that you have the option to change.
Course Name and Description
You have the option of changing the course name, adding a description, and selecting the
classification. To access:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Settings in Course Options box
3. Click Course Name and Description
4. Enter Name
5. Enter Description
6. Select Subject Area
7. Select Discipline
8. Click Submit
9. Click OK
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Course Availability
You have the option of making the course unavailable to students until you are ready for
them to have access. To change availability:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Settings in Course Options box
3. Click Course Availability
4. Select the Availability
5. Click Submit
6. Click OK
You may want to make the course unavailable two weeks after grades are disbursed.
Guest Access
You can open your course for Guest to access. To allow guest:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Click Control Panel
Click Settings in Course Options box
Click Guest Access
Change Allow Guest Access
Click Submit
Click OK
Set Course Entry Point
You can decide on the area of the course you would like your students to view as soon as
they login to the course. The initial setting is for the Announcements page. To select a
different area:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Click Control Panel
Click Settings in Course Options box
Click Set Course Entry Point
Select Entry Point from the drop down menu
Click Submit
Click OK
Observer Access
You can open your course for Observers. To allow observers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Click Control Panel
Click Settings in Course Options box
Click Observer Access
Change Allow Observer Access
Click Submit
Click OK
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Set Language Pack
You can set a language pack for your Blackboard course and enforce it. If a language pack
is not chosen for the course, the course will display in the student’s preferred language
pack. If the student did not change the language pack, the system default language pack is
used. To set a language pack:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Click Control Panel
Click Settings in Course Options box
Click Set Language Pack
Select a Language Pack using the dropdown menu
Select Enforce Language Pack if you don’t want your students to change the
language
6. Click Submit
7. Click OK
Note: The language pack does not change any text that you’ve already added to Bb. For
example, if you change the name of a menu item before setting a language pack, the menu
item does not change to the new language pack you set.
Course Copy
Course copy provides the ability to share content between courses. There are three options
under course copy:
• Copy Course Materials into a New Course – Do NOT use
• Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course
• Copy Course with Users (Exact Copy) – Do NOT use
The second option, Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course works well for
moving content from a course taught in a previous semester to the same course for a new
semester. This will save you from uploading your course documents again.
If you would like to copy parts of a course into an existing course, follow these steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click
Click
Click
Click
5.
Select the Search by and enter text in the field (the easiest way is to search by
Instructor and type your Blackboard username)
Click Search
6.
Control Panel
Course Copy in the Course Options box
Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course
Browse for the Course ID
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7.
8.
9.
10.
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next to the course you want to copy material to (the course ID is
Click
placed in the text field)
Check all of the boxes in Select Course Materials of the information you would
like to copy
Check Enrollments (Do NOT click this box!)
Note: If you would like to move sections of different courses into a single course,
use Combine Course Tool.
Click Submit
You will receive a message that an email has been sent to let you know when the action has
completed. The email is from PASSHE confirming the course copy action.
Note: When the Discussion Board is copied over, only the forums are copied. The threads in
each forum do not copy over. So, if anyone has posted a thread to the forum, the thread
will not show in the copied course.
Note: If you choose to copy the Adaptive Release rules, user criteria will not be copied
because you should not select Enrollments.
Back Up Introduction
Once the semester is completed, you are responsible for backing up your Blackboard
course. We recommend the following:
1. Download the gradebook to your computer. See Download Gradebook for more
information.
2. Make the course unavailable to the students. See Course Availability.
3. Back up your course by either exporting or archiving the course.
4. Save the files on your University network P drive or to a disc.
5. Hide the course on the My Institution page.
Differences
The Control Panel offers you options to archive, export, and recycle a course. The following
are descriptions for you to determine the best method for your needs:
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Export
The export feature allows you to choose areas of your course content and package it in a zip
file to save on your computer. The zip file can be used in another course at a later date.
Student interaction such as the discussion board postings and grades are not exported. This
function is best used to import the zipped content from the previous semester course to a
new course shell. Warning: If you unzip the file or remove files from the package, the
package will not import correctly.
Archive
The archive function allows you to record your course including the user information such as
discussion postings and gradebook. The archive is saved in a zip file to your computer. This
feature is not intended to be used to import information from a previous taught course to a
new course shell.
Recycle
The recycle function provides you the opportunity to delete selected information from a
course and save the rest of the course areas for future use. Note: We recommend you do
NOT use this feature. Recycle cannot be undone.
Export Course
Remember, the export function saves the course content in a zip file. Use this function for
future use of the course content in another course. Follow these steps to export your course
content:
1. Login to Blackboard
2. Select the course
3. Click Control Panel
4. Click Export Course in the Course Options box
5. Click
6. Select materials to include in the export
7. Click Submit
You will receive a message that an email will be sent when the action is completed.
8. Click OK
Once you receive the email from Blackboard Administrator:
9. Click Export Course in the Course Options box
10. Click the File name – export file names begin with ExportFile…
11. You will be asked to Open or Save the file, click Save
12. Select the file location
13. Click Save
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Note: Do NOT unzip this file or remove files from the folder! If you do, you will not be able
to import the zip file into a Blackboard course.
Export course now allows you to save multiple files of your course. For example, you may
want to save the Content areas separate from the quizzes. You have the option to remove
an export by using
. You now have access to a log and a detailed log. The log shows
errors that may have occurred during the export. The detailed log also provides download
times.
Archive Course
Remember, when you archive a course, you are saving all of the information in the course
including student names, grades, discussion postings, etc. This function is not to be used as
a back-up for later use in another course. Follow these steps to archive a course:
1. Login to Blackboard
2. Select the course
3. Click Control Panel
4. Click Archive Course in the Course Options box
5. Click
6. Click Submit
You will receive a message that an email will be sent when the action is completed.
7. Click OK
Once you receive the email from Blackboard Administrator:
8. Click Archive Course in the Course Options box
9. Click the File name – archive file names begin with ArchiveFile…
10. You will be asked to Open or Save the file, click Save
11. Select the file location
12. Click Save
Archive also shows the option of viewing logs and removing the archive.
Recycle Course
Remember, this function is final and cannot be undone. To recycle a course, follow these
steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Login to Blackboard
Select the course
Click Control Panel
Click Recycle Course in the Course Options box
Select the Content Materials to remove
Select the Other Materials to remove
Type Remove in the text field
Click Submit
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Hint: Archive or Export the course before completing a recycle.
Import Course Cartridge
A course cartridge contains additional information (documents, slides, test banks, links to
related web sites) that can be downloaded to your Blackboard course. Course cartridges are
available from academic publishers. You have the option to modify the content once it is in
your course.
Note: You must have the Download Key from the publisher to access course cartridges
and your students must purchase the textbook that contains the Blackboard key to access
the information.
To download a course cartridge:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click Control Panel
Click Import Course Cartridge in the Course Options box
Enter a Course Cartridge Instructor download key
Click Submit
Warning: If you import a course cartridge, your students may not be able to access any of
your content in Blackboard without the key from the textbook. If you would like to evaluate
a course cartridge, place it in a course you are not using or a previously used course.
Import Package
Import package allows you to upload content from an exported course. You may import the
entire course or parts of a course.
Note: When content, discussion board, gradebook items, groups or tests, surveys or pools
are imported, the existing information in the course will also remain. If course settings are
imported, the course settings in the destination course will be overwritten. Course ID will
remain.
To import package:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Click Control Panel
Click Import Package in the Course Options box
Click Browse to Select a Package
Locate the package and click OK
Select the Materials to include
Click Submit
Click OK
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User Management Introduction
User Management allows you to:
•
•
•
•
List/Modify Users
Enroll User
Remove Users from Course
Manage Groups
List/Modify Users
The List/Modify Users enables you to change the role of a student in your course, update
student profiles, and change students’ passwords. To access this feature:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click List/Modify Users in the User Management box
3. Select a search method
•
•
•
•
Search – search by last name, username, or email address
Starts With – search for a group of users or a user that starts with a
particular character
Advanced – limit the search based on activity
List All – lists all users enrolled in the course
You have the options of sending email, changing a password, or updating a student profile.
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Send Email
You have the option of sending an email to a user by clicking on the user’s email address.
This opens your email software you have on your computer to send the email.
Change Password
You have the option of changing a student’s password by clicking the Password button.
Recommendation: Have students contact the Help Desk or use the Forgot Password
link on the login page to receive their password. Otherwise, they will be contacting you
every time they forget their password.
Properties
Properties display the Modify User Properties page. You can update the student’s
personal information. The main use here is to change the Role of the student. There are six
different roles for a user:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Course builder – user can add content to the course
Grader – user can access all areas under assessment
Guest – can view the course but not participate
Instructor – user can access and control all areas of the course
Student – access all available course content and graded assessments
Teaching Assistant – user can control most aspects of the course
Once you update the student’s information, click Submit. The required fields (*) must be
completed.
Enroll User
You have the ability to enroll a user into your course. You may want to do this for two
reasons:
•
•
Adding a student, such as a graduate assistant, to assist with the course
Providing access for a faculty member to view or observe your course
Note: The user must be listed in Blackboard to enroll him/her.
We do NOT recommend enrolling students into the course because the registrar office
completes this task when a student registers for the class. A batch is run every night to
update student enrollment.
To enroll a student:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Enroll User in the User Management box
3. Select a search method
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•
•
Search – search for a user by last name, username, or email
Starts With – search for a group of users or a user that starts with a
particular character
• List All – list all Blackboard users on campus (this may take a minute
depending on your Internet connection)
4. Select the user(s) you would like to enroll
5. Click Submit
6. Click OK
Remove Users from Course
You have the ability to remove users from course. For example, if you enrolled another
faculty member to observe your course and the observation is completed, you can remove
him/her from the course.
Note: If you remove a student from the course, the student will be back in the course until
the Registrar’s Office puts in the drop and runs the batch. We recommend you do not
remove students from the course.
To remove a student:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click Control Panel
Click Remove Users from Course in the User Management box
Select a search method
Select the user(s) you would like to remove
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5.
6.
7.
8.
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Type Yes
Click Submit
Click OK in the warning box
Click OK
Manage Groups
Blackboard gives you the capability to create groups within a course. Groups can share and
have discussions amongst themselves without others outside of the group seeing the work.
You choose the features that a group can utilize within Blackboard. Before you can enroll
students into a group, you must create the groups.
Recommendation: Use the Advanced Group Management tool for creating groups.
Create Groups
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Manage Groups in User Management
3.
4.
5.
6.
Click
Enter Name
Enter Description
Select Group Options
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7. Click Submit
Add Users and Manage Group
Once you create the groups, you have four options:
•
•
•
•
Group Properties – can change group name and set group options
Add Users to Group – select the students to be in the group
List Users in Group – list students in group
Remove Users from Group – remove selected student(s)
To access these options:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Manage Groups in User Management
next to the group name
3. Click
Remove Group
To remove a group:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Manage Groups in User Management
next to the group name
3. Click
4. Click OK in the warning box
5. Click OK
View Groups
You have access to view the students’ discussions, chats, and file submissions. To view
groups:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click
Click
Click
Click
Communication on the left menu of the course
Group Pages
the group name
the feature you would like to view
Note: You also have the option to participate within the group.
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Assessment Introduction
The Assessment box contains links that provide the options of assessing students, recording
grades, and viewing course statistics.
Test Manager
The Test Manager is used to create, modify, and remove tests. Tests may consist of the
following questions: multiple choice, true/false, matching, ordering, multiple answer, essay,
calculated formula, calculated numeric, either/or, file response, fill-in multiple blanks, fill-in
the blank, hot spot, quiz bowl, jumbled sentence, opinion scale/likert, and short answer.
Create Test
To create a test:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Test Manager in Assessment box
3. Click
4. Enter Name, Description, and Instructions on the Test Info page
Note: The image below provides you with the option of formatting your text. You will
most likely want to use Smart Text. If, however, you don’t want formatting, choose
Plain Text. If you know HTML and would like to add HTML code, select HTML. You can
also add equations, do a spell check, and preview the description and instructions.
5. Click Submit
The Test Canvas page opens. This is where you will add your questions. Before you add
your questions, let’s look at Creation Settings.
Creation Settings
Creation Settings allows you to control default settings, such as point value, question
feedback and categorization, for questions. To access Creation Settings:
1. Click Creation Settings
2. Select the settings you would like
Setting
Description
Feedback
Provides the option for entering specific feedback for
each possible response. Note: This is not available for
Multiple Answer, True/False, and Matching questions.
Add images, files, and
Provides the option for attaching images, files, and URLs
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external links
to questions and answers.
Question Metadata
Using a category or keyword for questions provides the
opportunity to search for questions later.
Scoring
If all or most of your questions have the same point
value, enter it here. You can still customize individual
questions. You also have the option of selecting partial
credit for question types that use partial credit.
Display
Select random order, horizontal or vertical display, and
numbering options for answers.
3. Click Submit
4. Click OK
Now you are ready to begin adding questions to your exam.
Add Questions
To add questions:
1. Select the question in the drop down menu
2. Click
3. Fill out the appropriate fields based on the type of question you selected
4. Click Submit
You are back to the Test Canvas page. Continue adding questions by following steps 1 – 4
above.
Note: You also have the option of where you want to add your question. Click Add
Question Here to insert a question before or after another question.
When you have completed entering your questions, click OK. This will take you back to the
Test Manager page. You have created an exam and now need to make it available to your
students.
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Availability
To make the exam available to your students:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Assignments in Content Areas box
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Click
Select the Test you want to make available
Click Submit
Click OK
Click Modify the Test Options
Enter Test Information
Note: If you select Open Test in new window, students will need to disable popup blockers.
9. Select the appropriate options for Test Availability
10. Select Self – assessment options
Note: If you are setting display after and display until dates, select Make the link
available.
Note: If you set a time limit, the student receives a one-minute warning, but
Blackboard does not end the session. An exclamation point is placed in the
gradebook. When you view the student’s test, you will see the time elapsed.
11. Select Test feedback option
12. Select Test Presentation options
Note: It is best to present all the questions at once.
13. Click Submit
14. Click OK
15. Click OK
Note: Making the test available to your students automatically adds a column for the test in
the gradebook.
Modify Test
To modify test questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click Control Panel
Click Test Manager in Assessment box
next to the test you want to change
Click
Make changes to individual questions by clicking
next to the question OR add
questions by selecting the question type and clicking GO
5. Click OK
Note: If you made the test available, you will receive a warning message when you Modify.
You will lose the results of students who have taken the test.
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To modify test options:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click Control Panel
Click Assignments in Content Areas box
Click
next to the test you want to change
Click Modify the test options
Note: You can also modify the test from here
5. Change the options
6. Click Submit
7. Click OK
Remove Test
To remove a test:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click Control Panel
Click Test Manager in Assessment box
next to the test you want to delete
Click
Click OK in the warning box
Note: This action cannot be undone.
Survey Manager
Surveys are a way to poll students, conduct evaluations, and do random checks of
knowledge acquisition. To create a survey:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Survey Manager in Assessment box
3. Click
4. Enter Name, Description and Instructions on the Survey Info page
5. Click Submit
The Survey Canvas page opens. This is where you will add your questions.
1. Select the type of question from the Add dropdown menu
Note: You have the same options as the Test Manager
2.
3.
4.
5.
Click Go
Enter the question
Fill out the appropriate fields based on the type of question you selected
Click Submit
You are back to the Survey Canvas page. Add as many questions as you wish following
steps 1 through 5.
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When you are finished adding questions:
1. Click OK
2. Survey Manager page opens
3. You can Modify or Remove the survey from here
Note: At this point you have created a survey which is stored in your survey pool. You need
to make it available to your students.
Survey Availability
To make the survey available to your students:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Assignments in Content Area box
3. Select Survey in the dropdown menu
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Click GO
Select the survey you want to make available
Click Submit
Click OK
Click Modify the Survey Options
Select the appropriate options for survey availability, self–assessment, feedback, and
presentation
10. Click Submit
11. Click OK
Note: A column in automatically added in the gradebook when you make the survey
available. You will view the results of the survey from the gradebook.
Pool Manager
The Pool Manager is a place to store questions for repeated use. You can create new
questions or add questions from other tests. You can also upload pools from other
Blackboard courses.
Creating a pool is similar to creating a test. To create a pool:
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1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Pool Manager in Assessment box
3. Click
4. Enter Pool Info
5. Click Submit
The Pool Canvas page contains the different question types. Add questions here just like
you did in Test Manager. You also have the option of selecting Creation Settings and
setting the options. Once you have completed your questions, click OK to return to the Pool
Manager page.
You also have the option of importing a pool of questions. You must format the questions
accordingly before you can import them.
Modify or Remove
You can Modify or Remove the pool just like you do with a test.
Export
A pool can be exported out of Blackboard. The exported file is saved as a .zip file. To export
a pool:
1. Click
next to the pool you want to save
2. Click Save
3. Select the location to save the file
4. Click Save
Gradebook
The gradebook in Blackboard assists you in recording and viewing students’ grades in a
spreadsheet format. When the students are enrolled in the course, they are automatically
placed in the gradebook. The students have the ability to check their progress in the course.
The gradebook has a variety of display settings and options. Here are a few of the features:
•
•
•
•
•
Instructor may manually enter grades
Option of weighting grades
Ability to sort and filter both grades and students
Grades may be exported or imported
Automatically add student grades through the assignment manager and test
functions
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Note: Each time grades are entered for an assignment or test, it is recommended you
download the gradebook for backup.
Gradebook Access
The gradebook is always accessed through the Control Panel in a course. To access the
gradebook:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Gradebook in the Assessment box
The first time you access the gradebook, you will see a screen similar to the one below. The
students are listed in the first column. A new column will be added for each gradebook item.
The last two columns provide the total points each student has out of the total possible
points and the weighted total.
Note: The students only have access to their individual grades.
Gradebook Options
Options for managing the gradebook are listed across the top.
Options
Description
Add a new entry (column) to the gradebook.
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Options
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Description
Used to order items in the gradebook or modify a
gradebook item. For example, changing from displaying
a score to a percentage.
Used to change the spreadsheet view, manage
categories for weighting grades, or customize the scale
used to display letter grades.
Used to apply weights to grades. Grades can be
weighted by item or by category. For example, all
assignments may be worth 30%, tests 20%, etc.
Used to download grades to a spreadsheet program on
your computer. Use this feature to save a copy of your
gradebook. You will want to do this on a regular basis
throughout the semester.
If you downloaded the gradebook and added grades
through a spreadsheet, you can upload the grades into
Blackboard. This upload can be done one column at a
time.
Sort Items by
You have the option to sort items by
•
•
•
Category
Date Added
Date
•
•
•
•
Position
Points Possible
Title
Weight
Filter Items by Category
This sort provides a way to sort by Category. Only the
items that match the Category type will appear.
Filter Users by Last Name
This sort provides a way to view only students’ grades
with the last name beginning with the letter you
choose.
Icons Displayed in Gradebook
Blackboard uses icons in the Gradebook to indicate the status of a particular assessment for
each student. In most cases, clicking the icon provides more information about the item.
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Icon
Description
-
The student has not taken the assessment or submitted the assignment.
!
An assignment or test has been attempted, but requires you to finalize
the grade. Tests that include essay questions will have this symbol.
The student has begun the assessment but has not yet submitted.
?
Gradebook error.
The student has either completed a survey or completed an assignment
created with a Complete/Incomplete grade display option.
Creating a Gradebook Item
In order to begin adding a new set of grades for an assignment a new column must first be
created in the gradebook. There are two ways to add items to the gradebook, manually by
adding an item or using the Assignment Manager.
Manual Entry
1. Click on Gradebook in the Assessment box
2. Click
Complete the sections:
1. Enter the Item Information
a. Enter Item Name (required)
b. Choose a Category
c. Enter a Description
d. Select Date
e. Enter Points Possible (required)
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Choose Display As
i. Score – displays the raw score received (number of points)
ii. Complete/Incomplete – displays a checkmark for an item that has
been assigned a grade
iii. Letter – displays a letter corresponding to a grade (you can modify the
percentage in relation to the letter grade on the Modify Grade Display
Options page)
iv. Percentage – displays the raw score as a percentage
v. Text – you may enter text instead of a score but numeric data cannot
be assigned
2. Select Options
Note: There are some items you may want to view in the gradebook but not calculate in
the final grade, such as midterm grades.
3. Click Submit
4. Click OK
Repeat the above steps to add more items to the gradebook.
Assignment Manager
The Assignment Manager allows you to create trackable assignments within the course.
When an Assignment is created, students have access to the assignment and it also
automatically creates an entry in the online gradebook. Students can retrieve the
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assignment, complete it and upload the assignment into the gradebook. You can then
retrieve the submitted assignment and enter the grade directly into the gradebook. To add
an assignment:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click the desired Content Area (most likely you will want to keep all of the
assignments in the Assignments area)
3. Choose Assignment from the drop down on the right side of the page
4. Click GO
5. Enter Name of assignment
and selecting the color from
6. You can change the color of the text by clicking
the palette (optional)
7. Enter Points Possible
8. Enter Instructions for the assignment
9. If you have a file to attach, select Browse, locate file and click Open. Name the file
in the Name of Link to File box.
10. Select the desired Options
11. Click Submit
12. Click OK
Downloading and Grading an Assignment
Now that you have created the assignment, students can go to the appropriate area, view
the assignment and submit the file(s). If the student attempts to submit an assignment
more than once, they will receive a notice that they have already submitted the assignment.
After the student completes the assignment and submits it to you, you need to go directly
to the Gradebook to download the file and enter the grade. An exclamation point (!) will
appear in the score area for each student who has submitted their assignment. You have
two options for downloading the assignment files submitted by the students. You can
download an individual student file or several students’ files at one time. To download an
individual student assignment from the gradebook:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Gradebook in Assessment box
3. Click ! for the student you want to grade
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4. Click View
5. Review the assignment information in Assignment Information
Note: You may Clear Attempt if the student submitted the work before he/she was
ready.
6. Click the file name in the Student’s Work section to display the file
7. Review the assignment
8. Enter Grade
9. Enter feedback in Comments area
Note: Students will view your comments when they view the assignment grade.
10. Attach any necessary files
Note: You can download the student’s assignment to the application (such as Word)
and make comments directly in the file, then send the file back to the student for
review or rework.
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11. Add any necessary Instructor Notes
Note: The notes entered here are for your use only. The students never see these
notes.
12. Click Submit
13. Click Ok
14. Verify the grade you submitted
15. Click Submit
16. Click Ok
Download Several Assignments at Once
As mentioned above, you have the option of downloading several students’ assignments at
once as a zipped file.
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Gradebook
3. Click the name of the assignment in the spreadsheet you want to retrieve student
files
4. Click Item Download
5. Select Select All or Select Ungraded or select individual students using the
checkboxes
6. Click Submit
7. Click Download assignments now
Note: The file size is listed.
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8. Click
9. Click
10. Click
11. Click
12. Click
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Save and select the file location (Remember this location)
Save to save the file
Open if you want to view them now or Close to view later
OK in Blackboard to return to the Items Options page
OK to return to the Gradebook View Spreadsheet
Item Options
The Item Options page gives you three choices when an item has been added manually:
1. Item Grade List – view and modify users’ grades
2. Item Detail – Detailed statistics for an item
3. Modify Gradebook Item – Modify the name, description, availability and other
properties
Item Grade List
Once a column for an item has been created manually, you can begin entering grades for
that item. You also have the option of overriding student grades.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Click Gradebook in the Assessment box
Click on the name of the item to add or modify grades
Click Item Grade List
Click the text box in the Manual Grade column
Enter grade
6.
Click on the Modify Comments button if you would like to add a comment.
The comment box shown below will appear:
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7. Click Submit when you’ve finished entering all the grades and comments
8. Click OK to return to Gradebook View Spreadsheet
Item Detail
Item Detail contains specific statistical data on the item. To access Item Detail:
1. Click Gradebook
2. Click the item in the gradebook you would like to view
3. When finished viewing the statistics, click OK
Item Information
The Item Information link is another way to access the Add/Modify Gradebook Item
page. Make any necessary changes and click OK.
Assessment Attempt Details and Download Results
When you create a test using the Test Manager, you have two other options for viewing
statistical information: Assessment Attempt Details and Download Results.
Assessment Attempt Details provides you with how the class performed on each
question. This will help you identify areas in the course that may need further explanation
or to weed out poorly written test questions.
Download Results saves the information to your computer to view in a spreadsheet. To
download the file:
1. Click Download Results
2. Click Submit
3. Click Save
4. Select the location for the file
5. Click Save
6. Click Open to view the file
When you return to Blackboard after viewing the file, click Cancel to return to the Item
Options page.
Item Download and Item File Cleanup
If you created an Assignment and had the students attach files, you can download the files
from the Item Options page. These steps were covered in the Download Several
Assignments at Once section earlier in this document.
Managing Items in the Gradebook
The Manage Items in the Gradebook allows you to add, order, modify and delete items.
To access the Manage Items feature:
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Gradebook
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3. Click
4. Choose one of the following actions:
a. Modify item – Complete the Modify Gradebook Item page.
b. Remove item - A warning pop-up window will appear.
Note: Items that have been created using the Assignment Manager or Test
Manager must be deleted from the area they were created. Only manually
created items can be deleted from here.
Warning: When you delete an item, you remove all student scores
associated with that item. It is not recoverable.
c. Add Item - Complete the Modify Gradebook Item page.
d. Change Order of Items - Use the drop-down list next to each item name and
select the order for them to appear.
Override Manual Grade
Override Manual Grade
1. Click Control Panel
2. Click Gradebook
3. Click on the actual student’s grade that you would like to overide
4. Enter the grade in the Override Manual Grade box
5. Click Submit button
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Gradebook Settings
You can customize the look of your gradebook in the Gradebook Settings. The three options
on this screen are Spreadsheet Settings, Manage Gradebook Categories and Manage Display
Options.
Column Settings
You have four options for the way a student is displayed in the spreadsheet (you may select
more than one option):
•
•
•
•
Name: Last, First
Name: First Last
Username
Student ID
Note: Bloomsburg University does not use student IDs. The column will be blank.
To change the setting:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Click
Click Spreadsheet Settings
Select the display you prefer
Click Submit
Click OK
Manage Gradebook Categories
You have the option of adding categories to your gradebook. You are able to modify and
remove these categories you create.
Note: You cannot delete any default Blackboard categories.
To add a category:
1. Click
2. Click Manage Gradebook Categories
3.
4.
5.
6.
Click
Enter Category Name
Enter Description (optional)
Click Submit
Manage Display Options
You may make changes to the display options and create new options. To access the
Manage Display Options:
1. Click
2. Click Manage Display Options
You can Add Display Option by:
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1. Click
2. Enter Name
3. Enter values
Example: You may want a Pass/Fail option as completed in the image below:
Note: If you need to add more values, click
.
4. Click Submit
displays all of the current information for that display option. You may change the
name, symbols, and options.
duplicates the display option you select to copy. You can then modify the option.
can only be done on the display options you add. A warning pop-up window will
appear. Removing a display option is irreversible.
Weight Grades
You can set a weight for each gradebook item to determine a final grade. For example, the
final exam may be worth 30% while quizzes are worth 15%. You have two options for
weighting grades by Category or Individual Item. To develop a weighting system:
1. Click Gradebook
2. Click
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3. Select the way you would like to weight the course
Note: Blackboard will check to determine if your weights add up to 100%. If your
weights don’t add up to 100%, an error message will appear.
4. Enter a weight for all of the items under the method you chose
5. Click Submit
6. Click OK
Download Grades
You can download grades to your desktop for use in a spreadsheet program. Also, download
grades as a backup. To download grades:
1. Click Gradebook
2. Click
3. Select Delimiter
a. Choose Tab if you are going to view in Microsoft Excel
4. Click Submit
5. Click Download
6. Click Save
7. Select Location
8. Click Save
9. Click OK in Blackboard to return to the Gradebook View Spreadsheet
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Upload Grades
After you have downloaded the grades to a spreadsheet software package, you can modify
the spreadsheet and upload it back into Blackboard.
Note: You cannot add students to Blackboard.
To upload grades back into Blackboard:
1. Click Gradebook
2. Click
3. Click Browse and locate file
4. Click Open
5. Click Submit
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6. Choose Uploaded Item
7. Choose Existing Item
Note: If you added a new column in the spreadsheet, you must select Create New
Gradebook Item. You will complete the Add/Modify Gradebook Item. After you
submit the new item, you will be asked to Choose the Rows to Import. Select all
the appropriate rows and click Submit. Click OK.
8. Click Submit
9. Choose Rows to Upload
Note: Click Select All link if you would like to select all of the students on the
roster.
10. Click Submit
11. Click OK to return to the Gradebook View Spreadsheet
Sort and Filter
Blackboard provides three options for sorting and filtering data to narrow your focus on
what you need.
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Sort Items
Sort temporarily rearranges the items in the display. It does not hide any of the items. You
have the option to sort items by:
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•
•
•
•
•
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Category
Date Added
Date
Position
Points Possible
Title
Weight
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To sort items:
1. Click Gradebook
2. Use the arrow to select sort item
3. Click GO
Filter
You have two options for filtering: by categories or students’ last names. Filtering
temporarily hides the display of items not matching your selection.
To filter an item:
1. Click Gradebook
2. Use the arrow in the Filter Items by Category or Filter Users By Last Name to
select the filter
3. Click GO
To remove a filter:
1. Click the arrow in the list you filtered
2. Select All
3. Click GO
Gradebook Views
Gradebook Views provides two other methods for viewing grades. You may view grades by
item or by user.
View Grades by Item – you can view each item and access an item’s options.
View Grades by User – you can view student grades and access User Options which
provides User Grade List, User Detail, and User Information.
Course Statistics
Course Statistics provides a way to view how often students have viewed an area of
Blackboard. There is an option to export or print the data. To access course statistics:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click Control Panel
Click Course Statistics in Assessment box
Select Report
Select Filter Options (Optional)
a. Time Period
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b. Users
5. Click Submit
Depending on the filter options you choose, you will receive graphs and tables of data. If
you would like to export the results:
1. Click
2. Save the file
If you would like to print your results:
1.
2.
3.
Note:
Click
Select Printer
Click Print
This could be lengthy depending on the filters you choose.
If you would like to change the filter settings:
1. Click
2. Select Report
3. Select Filter Options (Optional)
a. Time Period
b. Users
4. Click Submit
Performance Dashboard
The Performance Dashboard provides an overview of the students’ progress and activity in
the course. You can view the students’ progress for review status or adaptive release rules
you set for certain items. The Performance Dashboard now contains columns for the
Discussion Board and Early Warning System.
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Review Status
The number in the review status column is the number of items the student has marked as
reviewed. If you click on the number, you will see the items listed for that student and each
marked as Reviewed or Not Reviewed. The eye symbol shows if the item is visible to the
student for review.
Adaptive Release
The open book icon under Adaptive Release gives you a pop-up window showing the course
detail menu with items visible/not visible and reviewed/not reviewed for the student.
View Grades
This is another way to view the students’ grades. After you click on the grade icon, you
have 3 options:
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•
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User Grade List – view and modify the student’s grades
User Detail – view detailed statistics for the student
User Information – view student’s contact information
Early Warning System
The Early Warning System is a new feature that builds upon the Performance Dashboard
and introduces the ability for instructors to proactively measure and monitor student
performance based on key performance metrics. The Early Warning System appears as a
new link on the course control panel. Critical Early Warning Statistics will be displayed in the
Performance Dashboard in a new column along with direct access to the relevant details for
each student. Instructors can define rules that monitor for both positive and negative
trends. Rules are defined against three key performance metrics within a course:
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•
Item Score/Grade
•
Item Due Date
•
Last Course Access
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Item Score/Grade
1. Click Control Panel
2. Select Early Warning System from the Assessment menu.
3. Select Grade Rule from the Early Warning System action bar.
4. Enter Rule Information.
5. Enter Rule Criteria.
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6. Click Submit.
Item Due Date
1. Click Control Panel
2. Select Early Warning System from the Assessment menu.
3. Select Due Date Rule from the Early Warning System action bar.
4. Enter Rule Information.
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5. Enter Rule Criteria.
6. Click Submit.
Last Course Access
1. Click Control Panel
2. Select Early Warning System from the Assessment menu.
3. Select Last Access Rule from the Early Warning System action bar.
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4. Enter Rule Information.
5. Enter Rule Criteria.
6. Click Submit.
Combine Course Tool
If you would like to combine multiple sections of the same course or various courses into one course, you will use the Combine Course Tool. This tool replaces the Enrollment Grafter. To combine courses, you will actually create a new course. Create Combined Course 1.
2.
3.
4.
Login to Bb
Select a course you want to combine.
Click Control Panel
Click Combine Course Tool in the Course Tools box
5. Click
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6. Enter Course ID
Recommendation: Use the Year/Term/Department Code/Course Code/your initials.
Example: 2007Fall62-371rb
Note: The course ID will be followed by “_CC” once it is created.
7. Enter Course Name
Recommendation: Use the course name of the courses you’re combining followed by
your initials.
Example: TCHG READING EL SCH rb
Note: The course name will be followed by “(Combined)”.
8. Select Year using the drop-down selection (this is the year of the courses you want to
combine).
9. Select Term using the drop-down selection (this is the term of the courses you want to
combine).
10. Click Submit
Now that you created this “new combined course”, you will choose courses that you want to be in the Combined Course. 1. Next to Show, make sure Courses that can be combined is selected.
2. Click Go
Note: The search is only going to return courses that you are teaching in the year/term
that you selected in #’s 8 & 9 above when you created the combined course. You do not
have to enter search criteria.)
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A list of your courses for that year/term will appear. These are the courses that you can
put into the new course you just created.
Note: You CANNOT combine courses that are in different year/terms.
3. Select the checkbox next to the courses you want to combine
4. Click
…do NOT click OK.
You’ll receive notification that the attempted action was successful. 5. Click OK
You’ll now see the courses that are in the new combined course. _________________________________________________________________________
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6. Click OK
Click My Institution tab and you will see your new combined course listed by course name followed by (Combined). If you want to view the Course ID, you’ll need to click on the pencil icon at the top right of the My Courses box and select the checkbox in the column for Course ID next to the combined course name. Your students will be listed in their original course and the combined course. Note: You may want to make the original courses UNAVAILABLE so the student only has the Combined Course to enter. Content If you already set up one of the original courses with content, you can do an export course from the original course and import package in the combined course to move the content to the combined course you created. For information on how to do this, please visit http://ot.bloomu.edu/Documents/Blackboard/CourseOptions.pdf starting on page 8 for export course and page 10 for import package. Gradebook Sort A nice feature of this tool is that you can sort your gradebook by the original courses your students are enrolled. 1. Enter your combined course
2. Click Control Panel
3. Click Gradebook
You will notice all the students are listed and that a new column is added for Course
Section.
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4. You can filter the students by their original course. You may need to use your scrollbar at
the bottom of the page to view the filter option.
5. Next to Filter Course Section, use the drop-down to choose the course you would like to
filter.
6. Click GO
To view all the students again: Change the filter to All Sections and click GO to see all
the students again.
Note: The course ID with “cc” attached to it in the filter selection will show students who
you enrolled manually. Reminder, do not manually enroll students who are officially
registered for your course.
You can also download the gradebook by sections as well. 7. Click Download Grades
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8. In step 2, you’ll choose the section you want to download.
9. Follow the normal procedure for downloading a gradebook from Bb.
Uncombine Courses from the Combined Course If you decide that you do not want a course to be in the new combined course, you can disassociate it. To do this: 1. Enter the combined course
2. Click Control Panel
3. Click Combine Course Tool in the Course Tools box
4. Click GO (This will list all of your combined courses. You can do a search as well if you
have a lot of combined courses.)
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5. Click Modify to the right of the course that you want to remove an associated
course.
6. Select the checkbox next to the course(s) you want to
disassociate.
7. Click
8. Click OK in the warning box.
The course has been disassociated from the combined course. Note: This does not remove the students from the combined course. You will need to go into the combined course and manually remove the students through the control panel. Remove a Combined Course If you decide you do not want to have a Combined Course, you can remove it. _________________________________________________________________________
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Note: This action CANNOT be undone. You will lose any information or student records you have in the Combined Course. 1. Enter a course that is in the same year/session as your combined course.
2. Click Control Panel
3. Click Combine Course Tool in the Course Tools box
4. Click GO
5. Select the checkbox next to the Combined Course that you want to remove.
6. Click
7. You’ll receive a warning box.
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8. Click OK and The course has PERMANENTLY been REMOVED.
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