Blackboard Faculty Manual

Overview | Course Planning and Design | Content Areas | Communication Tools | Assessment | Monitoring Student Progress | Course Rollovers

2.0 Communication Tools

2.1 ANNOUNCEMENTS

The announcements section appears on the home page of a course and can be used to keep students apprised of current course information:

• Getting started information
• When assignments are due
• Changes in the course schedule
• Correction or clarification of materials
• Exam schedules

Announcements appear in the order posted with the most recent announcements appearing first. (Note: If your course isn't available yet, announcements will only display when you are in Edit Mode.)

2.1.1 Creating an Announcement

1. If your announcements page isn't already open, go to the Control Panel on the course home page, choose Course Tools, and then Announcements.
2. Click the Create Announcement button.
3. The Create Announcement window opens.

• Section 1: Announcement Information
  • Subject: Give the announcement a title.
  • Message: Type or copy/paste the announcement here.

• Section 2: Web Announcement Options
  • Duration: Select 'Not Date Restricted' to create an announcement which doesn't expire. Select "Date Restricted" to set dates during which the announcement should appear.
  • Select Date Restrictions: Indicate dates during which the announcement should appear. Click the checkboxes and indicate both display after/until dates and times. Not setting dates will cause the announcement to post immediately. 
• Section 3: Course Link (optional)
  • Location: Click the Browse button to access the course map. From here, select a location in the course that students can access directly from a link in this announcement. (If you are linking to a specific discussion board forum, be sure to select that specific forum from within the course map.)
• Section 4: Click Submit.

New announcements appear below the large, gray, re-positionable bar on the front page.  You can move priority announcements above the bar to pin them to the top of the list and prevent new Announcements from superseding them.  Students do not see the bar and can't reorder announcements.

2.1.2 Modify or Remove an Announcement

1. Be sure Edit Mode is ON.

2. Locate the desired announcement.

3. Click the down chevrons to the right of the announcement title and choose:

• Edit to modify the announcement. The Modify Announcement window opens and you can make any changes based on the instructions in step 3 in the "Creating an Announcement" section above.
• Delete to completely remove an announcement

 

2.2 DISCUSSION BOARD

2.2.1 Overview of the Discussion Board

The discussion board allows for collaborative learning activities in an online course. A discussion board has the following structure:

Forum - A collection of communication by participants related to a single topic. The discussion board is the central repository for all forums available in a course. Forums can be linked to any location in the course.

Thread - The initial post and the entire series of replies to that post within a discussion board forum.

Post - A discussion board entry, or message, attached to a thread or used to start a thread. Also a verb, meaning the act of submitting a post.

 

The discussion board is an asynchronous form of communication in that users will post and read messages on their own schedule. Instructors can, of course, limit when forums will be made available and for how long.

When users access the discussion board, they will only see forums they can access. Unavailable forums can only be viewed by instructors and administrators.

 

2.2.2 Adding a Forum

1. Open the discussion board.
2. Click the Create Forum button.

3. The Create Forum window opens.

• Section 1: Forum Information
  • Name: Type the name of this forum.
  • Description: Describe the purpose of the forum.
• Section 2: Forum Availability
  • Available: Choose "Yes" if you want this forum to be available immediately.
  • Choose date and time restrictions: indicate when the forum should be available. You must set both a display after and display until date/time.  If you set date/time restrictions, be sure to set the forum availability to "yes" or it won't become available at all.

• Section 3: Forum settings : Check the settings you want to enable.
  • Allow anonymous posts: Allows users to post a message without a name attached. This can be useful when discussing sensitive topics, however forums cannot be graded when this is enabled.
  • Allow author to delete own posts: Allows users to delete their posted messages or only their posts that have no replies (preferred choice).
  • Allow author to edit own published posts: Allows users to edit their posted messages. This is useful so users can edit spelling errors, etc.
  • Allow post tagging: Allows posts to be tagged by instructor for efficient searches. (This can often slow down the loading of your forum, so use sparingly.)
  • Allow users to reply with quote: Allows students to include previous message in their reply.
  • Allow file attachments: Allows users to upload attachments to be viewed with their messages.
  • Allow members to create new threads: Allows users to create new threads within the forum. Preventing members from starting threads can help focus their posts on the topic.
  • Subscribe: Allows users to subscribe to a thread or forum so that they are alerted via email every time someone posts in the thread or forum.
  • Allow members to rate posts: Allows forum members to rate individual posts. This is a 5-star system useful when collecting peer feedback.
  • Force moderation of posts: Requires that all messages are reviewed by someone with the 'moderator' role before they are posted to the forum.
  • Grade: Choose from the following
    • No grading in forum
    • Grade forum: Allows you to assign a grade to each user based on their overall performance in the forum. Indicate number of points possible here.
    • Grade threads: Allows you to grade each user based on their performance in a thread. Note: If threads are graded, users cannot be given permission to start threads.
• Section 3: Click Submit.

 

2.2.3 Adding a Thread to a Forum

1. Open the Discussion Board and click on the forum that you wish to post to.

2. Click Create Thread.

 

 

3. The CreateThread window opens.

• Section 1: Message
  • Subject: Enter the subject of this thread
  • Message: Enter your message.
  • If enabled in this forum, check the box if you want to post this anonymously.
• Section 2: Attachments - click the link to activate the following options.
  • Attach file: Click 'Browse My Computer' or 'Browse Content Collection' to locate and attach a file to this thread.
    • Name of Link to File: Type in the text that you want students to see and click on to open the attachment.
• Section 3: Submit
  • click Save Draft to save a draft.
  • Click Submit to submit the post.

4. View the forum to verify that the thread was posted.

5. If grading by thread is enabled, you must set the points possible for this thread in Section 3.

 

2.2.4 Replying to a Post

1. Open the discussion board and click on the desired forum.

2. Click on the desired thread to open it.

3. Open the post that you want to reply to by clicking on it.

4. At the top of the post, click the Reply button. (Note: If the quote function is enabled, you can reply to a post and include all previous posts in your message by clicking the Quote button.)

5. The Reply to Post Window opens.

• Section 1: Message

  • Subject: Adjust the subject line, if desired.

  • Message: Type your post here. (If you are using Quote to reply, type your message below all text already in this box.)

  • Post as Anonymous: Check this box to post anonymously. This feature may not be available in all forums.

• Section 2: Attachments - Click the "Attach a file" link to activate the following options.

  • Use the Browse button to locate and attach a file to your post. Only one file can be attached here.

• Section 3: Click Save to save your work without posting the reply yet. Click Submit to post.

6. The post will appear in the thread underneath the original post.

 

2.2.5 Viewing and Sorting Threads

1. Open the Discussion Board and click on a forum to open it.

2. Click in the checkbox to place a checkmark in front of the desired thread(s).

3. Click on the Collect button that appears at the top or bottom of the thread list.

4. A Collection page opens that contains all of the posts for the thread(s) on one page.

5. Filter and sort options are available at the top of the collection page. Sort shows all posts. You can sort posts by Author, Date, Subject, or Thread Order by using the drop-down arrows next to Sort By. Filtering will only show posts that meet certain criteria. Turn on filtering, by clicking the "Filter" button in the top right corner of the page. Filter by Author, Status, Read Status, or Tags (if enabled).

2.2.6 Subscribing to a Forum or Thread

You may subscribe to a forum or thread only if you enabled this when the forum was created.

1. Open the discussion board and click on desired forum.

2. In the Action Bar at the top of the forum window, click the Subscribe button. Once subscribed, this button changes to the Unsubscribe button. (If subscription is enabled at the thread level, you will only see this button when you open a thread.)

3. A 'Success' message will appear at the top of the window to indicate that you have successfully subscribed to that forum/thread.

 

2.2.7 Tagging Posts

You can tag posts only if this feature was enabled when the forum was created.

1. Open the discussion board and click on the desired forum.

2. To apply a tag to a post, you will need to view that post in a Collection. (To view posts in a collection, select the desired posts, by clicking the checkboxes to the left of the post titles and then click the Collect button.)

3. In the Collection window, add a tag to a post by clicking the Add button in the footer of the post and typing a tag into the text box.

4. Remove a tag by clicking on the 'x' symbol next to the desired tag. (Can only be done in collection view.)

 

2.2.8 Locking a Thread

When you want to close a thread from any further discussion, use the lock command. When a thread is locked, users may read the thread but not make any additions or changes. Locking a thread allows an instructor to grade the posts without users making any changes.

1. Enter the discussion board and click on the desired forum. You must be in List View to lock a thread. (Toggle between tree and list view by clicking the buttons in the upper right corner of the screen.)

2. Select the thread that you wish to lock by clicking the checkbox on the left of the appropriate row.

3. Click the down chevrons on the Thread Actions button. Choose "Lock".

4. The status of the thread will now show as "Locked".

5. To unlock a thread and allow posts, simply follow this procedure again, except choose "Unlock" in the Thread Actions drop down list.

 

2.2.9 Grading Posts

Student participation in an online course is primarily through communication in the discussion board. As an instructor, you can grade student participation at the forum or thread level.

First, be sure that grading is enabled when the forum is created or by modifying the settings of the forum. Once grading is enabled, a corresponding column will automatically appear in the Grade Center.

To grade student participation in a forum:

1. From the discussion board, double-click on the forum to open it.

2. Click the Grade Forum button at the top of the page.

2. The "Grade Discussion Forum Users" window opens. All students in the course will be listed. Choose a student to grade and click the Grade button corresponding to that student.

3. The "Grade Discussion Forum: Student Name" window opens with a collection of the student's posts in that forum. Evaluate the posts and click the Edit Grade button.

4.  In the blue box that opens, enter the grade value, feedback to the student, and grading notes (only viewable by instructors).  Click Save Grade.

5. To quickly move to the next student, click the Contributors / Show All link at the bottom of the right pane, clicking another student's name, and grading their posts.  

4. Click the Submit button next to the grade. Then click OK at the bottom of this page.

5. All grades are automatically recorded in the gradebook.

To grade student participation in a thread:

1. From the discussion board, open the desired forum. (Be sure you are in List View. You can toggle between Tree and List view using the buttons in the upper right corner of this screen.) Locate the thread to be graded and click the Grade button in the far right column.  (If this is the first time you've entered the thread to grade it, you'll first need to enter the points possible.  You'll be returned to the forum window and will need to click the Grade Thread to enter the grading page.)

2. The "Grade Discussion Thread Users" page opens. Every student in the class will be listed. Choose a student to grade and click the  Grade button that corresponds to their name.

3. The "Grade Discussion Thread: Student Name" window opens with a collection of the student's posts in that thread. Evaluate the post click the Edit Grade button on the right.

5.  Enter a grade and feedback (viewable by student) and/or grading notes (viewable by instructors only).  Click Save Grade.

 

 

4. You can continue to grade other students by clicking the Contributors link at the bottom of the right pane, clicking on another student name, and then grading their posts.  Click OK when you are finished grading.

5. All grades are automatically recorded in the Gradebook.

 

 

2.2.10 Managing Student Roles

To assign a student to act as a moderator, or to block a student from participating in the discussion board, follow these steps.

1. Open the discussion board and locate the desired forum.

2. Click the down-chevrons next to the forum name and select Manage.

3. The "Manage Forum Users" window opens. The following roles are available for participants:

• Reader: Can only view content. Cannot add or respond to posts.
• Manager: Grants all privileges. Use this role as an instructor.
• Moderator: Can participate in the discussion board and has ability to modify, delete, and lock posts. Can approve or reject posts in the queue of a moderated forum.
• Grader: Can participate in the discussion board and also grade posts in the forum.
• Participant: Can participate with read/write privileges in the forum. Normally assigned to students.
• Reader: Can only view content. Cannot add or respond to posts
• Blocked: Blocks the user from accessing the forum in any way.

4. Select the desired forum role for each user. Click Submit.

 

2.2.11 Peer Review of Posts

Students providing feedback to other students is a common learning tool used in classrooms. You can make use of this same tool in your online discussion board.

First, be sure that the feature is enabled when the forum is created or modify the forum to Allow members to rate posts.

How it works:

1. Students enter a forum, open a thread and view a post.

2. In the header of each post there is an Overall Rating field with 5 stars. The stars show the overall rating that the post has received from users.

3. Each student should indicate their rating by clicking on the number of desired stars next to Your Rating in the header of the post. This rating is then included in the overall rating for that post.

4. A user may not rate the same post more than once.

 

2.3 THE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM

The virtual classroom is a tool used for synchronous (real-time) discussion and demonstration with students. It is a collaboration tool that uses live chat and an online whiteboard. Students can ask questions, draw on the whiteboard, and participate in breakout sessions from the virtual classroom.

Some instructors may find that setting up a virtual classroom to conduct office hours would be useful. Short demonstrations or Q&A sessions could be conducted from this location.

2.3.1 Setting up a Virtual Classroom or a Chatroom

Each classroom 'session' that you intend to hold must be created in Blackboard.

1. From the Control Panel in your course, choose Collaboration under the Course Tools group.

2. From the Collaboration Sessions window click the Create Collaboration Session button from the menu bar at the top.

3. From the Create Collaboration Session window complete the following:

• Section 1: Session Name
  • Name your session.
• Section 2: Schedule Availability
  • Select the date/time that the session will be open. (Remember to schedule this real-time activity so that students in other time zones can participate too.)
  • Indicate whether you want this session to be available now (able to be seen) on the schedule by students.
• Section 3: Collaboration Tool
• • Choose Virtual Classroom to set up a room with a whiteboard and chat.
  • Choose Chat to set up a chatroom only.
• Section 4: Click Submit.

4. You will see your new session appear in the Collaboration Sessions window.

 

2.3.2 Joining a Virtual Classroom or Chatroom session

1. Enter the Virtual Classroom from its location in your course. (Tools button on main menu > Collaboration). If you will be using it extensively, consider having it placed on it's own button on the main menu.

2.Click on the link to join the session.

3. If you do not already have the Java Plug-in on your computer, you will be given instructions on how to download it so that you can participate in the chat.

4. Click OK.

5. The Chatroom may appear as a minimized item on your taskbar at the bottom of the screen. Just click on it to open it and begin chatting.

 

2.3.3 Using the Virtual Classroom

1. On the Collaboration Sessions page, enter a virtual classroom by clicking on the link.

2. The virtual classroom will appear as follows:

A= Participant List - You will be able to see who is present in the classroom and whether they are 'active' or 'passive'. Passive is the default - meaning that the person cannot use any of the tools in the classroom. You must make each participant active for them to participate using chat. Do this by clicking on a student's name and clicking the 'head' icon in the lower right corner of the pane. You will then see this icon appear in the role column next to their name indicating that they are active. (Students may signal you that they want you to change their status by displaying a hand icon in the column next to role.)

B=Whiteboard - Use as you would a blackboard in a classroom. Click on a tool (located on the left panel) and draw on the whiteboard. The tools include (from left to right) a pointer, a slanted line tool, a freehand pen, the equation editor, a square tool, an oval tool, and a text editor.

When you click the text editor button and click on the whiteboard, a window will appear on top of the whiteboard. Type your text in this window and click the Insert button. It will then appear on the whiteboard.

The equation editor works in the same way. Click on the Equation button, click on the whiteboard, and the Equation Editor will open. click the Insert Equation button at the top of the window to place the equation on the whiteboard.

 

C=Chat Window- Type your message in the Compose text box at the bottom of the chat window and click the Send button. It will automatically place your comment or question in the Chat window.

D=Toolbox - Other tools are also available in the virtual classroom:

Map - Allows users to browse the course while in a virtual classroom. Users must be 'active' to use the content map.

Group Browser- Allows users to collaboratively browse the web. The tool opens a URL that everyone in the room can view.

Ask Question- A location where users can submit questions to the instructor - operates outside of Chat.

Question Inbox - Location where questions placed in the 'Ask Question' tool are placed. This is where the instructor manages and responds to those questions.

3. Recording a Session

• Click the Start button in the upper right corner of the screen to start recording.
• Click the Pause button to pause a recording that has started. Click it again to un-pause and begin recording again.
• Click Stop to end the recording.
• Click the Snapshot button (in the Whiteboard toolbar) to record an image of the whiteboard in the recording.
• See the next section to learn about how to make recordings available to students.

2.3.4 Giving students access to v. classroom recordings

Recordings of collaboration sessions will not be visible to students until the instructor makes them 'available'.

1. Go to the Control Panel in your course and click on Collaboration in the Course Tools section.

2. Click Recordings for a session.

3. Click Manage for a recording.

4. Change Availability to Yes so that students can view the recording.

 

2.4 THE CALENDAR

Each course has a Course Calendar tool available. Use the calendar to highlight important course dates, assignments, and events. Students' calendars display all information posted by the instructor as well as their personal entries. Unfortunately, dates that are set in content areas, discussions, and assessments do not automatically get posted in the course calendar.

2.4.1 Adding an Event to the Calendar

1. Open the Course Calendar from the Course Tools group in your Control Panel.

2. Click the Create Course Event button at the top.

3. On the Add Course Event page, complete the following sections:

• Section 1: Type the event name and a description.
• Section 2: Specify the event date, start time and end time.
• Section 3: Click Submit.

4. Your new event will now be posted on the calendar.

 

2.4.2 Modifying or Deleting an Event

1. From the Course Calendar, locate the calendar event to be modified or deleted.

3. Click the double-chevrons next to the event and view the drop-down menu. To modify, choose Edit. In the Edit Course Event window, update or change the event details. Click Submit.

4. To delete, choose Delete and click Submit.

5. Click OK.

 

2.4.3 Calendar Quick Jump

Quickly move to a month, week, or day in the calendar by using the Quick Jump feature. This is especially useful when looking for events planned months in advance.

1. Open the calendar from its location in your course (located under Tools on your course menu).

2. Click the Jump to button in the upper right corner of the calendar.

3. In the Calendar Quick Jump window, select a date and the type of view (month, week, or day).

4. Click Submit.

 

2.5 TASKS

Helping students track deadlines with the Task function may improve student success. An instructor can post tasks to all students in the course and students can also post personal tasks to their page. Task information is displayed in columns showing priority, task name (subject), completion status, and due date.

2.5.1 Adding a Task

1. From the Control Panel choose Tasks from the Course Tools group.

2. From the Tasks window, click the Create Course Task button.

3. In the Create Course Task window, complete the following:

• Section 1: Task Information
  • Task Name: Type the name of the task. You may want to copy/paste the assignment title from the actual assignment link in the course so that the verbiage is consistent throughout your course.
  • Description: Type a description. Consider copy/paste as noted above.
  • Due Date: Indicate the due date.
• Section 2: Task Options
  • Priority: Choose from Low, Normal, or High.
• Section 3: Click Submit.

4. The new task will appear in the Tasks window.

 

2.5.2 Viewing Tasks

1. Locating the Task List

• Tasks can be viewed by all participants in the following locations:
  • On the main menu of the course under Tools OR under a button designated for Tasks
  • On the My Oregon State home page in Blackboard (the screen you see when logging in to Blackboard).

• Instructors can also view tasks through the Control Panel under the Course Tools group.

2. Priority Symbols

• High = Red exclamation point in a yellow square
• Normal = No icon
• Low = Green arrow pointing down

3. Sorting Tasks

• Click on the underlined column heading to sort tasks by:
  • Title - Alphabetical only
  • Priority - Lowest to highest only
  • Due Date - Most recent due date appears first
  • Status - Alphabetically from Completed to Not Started

4. Viewing Completion Status by Student

• View the completion status for each student by clicking the task's title in the list.

2.5.3 Modify or Delete a Task

1. From the Control Panel and choose Tasks from the Course Tools group.

2. To modify a task, click the down-chevrons next to the task title and choose Edit. Update or change any details in the Edit Course Task window. Click Submit.

3. To delete a task, click the down-chevrons next to the task title and choose Delete. Click OK.

2.6 EMAIL

Blackboard allows instructors and students to send email to each other from within a course. These messages are sent to the ONID email account of the recipient. Be sure to forward ONID email to the email address you prefer to view and reply to students from.

1. Access the Email function from any of these locations:

• The link on the main page of the course,located under Tools. Some instructors prefer to have a button on their main menu leading directly to email.
• From within the Control Panel - under Course Tools.
• From the My Oregon State page in Blackboard (the screen you see when logging into Blackboard). If accessing from this location you will need to select the course you want to send mail from.

2. From the Send Email window, select the group or individual you wish to send mail to.

• All Users
• All Groups
• All Teaching Assistants
• All Student Users
• All Instructor Users
• Select Users
• Select Groups

3. If choosing one of the last three options, you will need to select the individuals you wish to receive the mail.

4. Compose the message:

• Subject: Type a subject line
• Message: Type your message
• A copy of the email is sent to you automatically
• Attach a File: Attach a file if desired.
• Click Submit.

2.7 Blogs

Blogs are meant as a place for commentary by an individual or group for public consumption and comment.  Blogs in Blackboard are not public - only students enrolled in your course can view them.

2.7.1 Creating a Blog

1.  From the Control Panel, choose Course Tools, and click Blogs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Click the Create Blog button at the top of the Blogs page.

3.  The Create Blog page opens:

Section 1:  Blog Information

• Name:  Type the name of the blog
• Instructions:  Enter any specific instructions.

Section 2:  Blog Availability

• Blog Availability: Blogs are immediately available by default.  

Section  3:  Blog Date and Time Restrictions

• Display After / Until:  (Optional)  If you don't want to make the blog immediately available, indicate the date/time after which you want it to appear or disappear.

Section 4:  Blog Participation

• Individual vs. Course:  Indicate whether this blog is to be an individual blog or course blog  (Choosing "individual" means that a blog page will be created for each student in the course.)
• Anonymous: Check this box if you want to allow comments to be posted anonymously.

Section 5:  Blog Settings

• Index Entries:  Indicate whether you want blog entries to be indexed by month or week.
• Allow Users to Edit & Delete Entries: Check this box if you want users to be able edit or delete their entries
• Allow Users to Delete Comments: Check this box if you want to allow users to delete their comments
• Grade Blog: Indicate whether you want to grade this blog.  If so, enter the number of points possible.  A column will be automatically created in your Gradebook when you activate grading here.

Section 5:  Submit

Students will be able to access the blog by clicking on the Tools link on the main menu.  Consider creating a separate main menu button for blogs if you will make significant use of this tool in your course.

2.7.2 Managing a Blog

1. Create an Entry

Create a blog entry by clicking on the Create Blog Entry button at the top of the blog.  Enter a title for your post and the text of your post in the Entry Message text box.  You can attach a file to the entry if you wish by clicking the 'Browse My Computer' button.  Click Post Entry or Save Entry as Draft.

 

2. View Drafts

View your drafts by clicking View Drafts from the main blog page.

3.  Comment on a Post

Open a blog.  Click Comment next to the post you wish to comment on.  Enter your comments in the Comment field.  Click Add.

4.  Change the Availability of a Blog

On the main blog page, click the checkbox next to the blog you want to change availability on.

Click the drop-down chevrons on the Availability button and choose Make Available or Make Unavailable.

5.  Delete a Blog

On the main blog page, click the checkbox next to the blog you want to delete. 

Click the double-chevrons next to the blog title, and choose Delete from the drop-down menu.

 

2.7.3 Grading a Blog

If you've enabled grading on your blog, when you open a blog (individual, course, or group) you will be able to grade blog participants from within the tool.

1.  Open the blog.

2.  Look in the right pane, under 'More Blogs' (if individual blog),  'View Entries By' (if course blog) or 'Blog Grade' (if group blog) . 

If grading individual or course blogs, you will find a list of all students in the course, the number of posts they have made in their blog, followed by an exclamation point icon indicating that it is available to be graded. 

• Click on the student's name that you want to grade and their blog-site (if setup as individual blogs) or blog entries (if setup as a course blog) will open. 
• Click the Edit Grade button that appears, enter their grade and any feedback to the student. 
• Click Save Grade.

If grading a group blog,  you can grade students individually as noted above, or click the All Group Members link under 'View Entries by:'.   This will allow you to enter a single grade and feedback that will be transferred to all the group members.

 

 

2.8 JOURNALS

Journals are an ongoing reflection or record of events by an individual.  Journals in Blackboard can be private between instructor and student or shared with everyone in the class, however only the instructor and the student can post entries in the student's journal.

2.8.1 Create a Journal

1. From the Control Panel,choose Course Tools, and then click on Journals. 

2. On the Journals page, click the Create Journal button at the top.

3. The Create Journal page opens:

Section 1:  Journal Information

• Name:  Type the name or title of the journal
• Instructions:  Provide specific instructions, if desired.

Section 2:  Journal Availability

• Journal Availability: Journals are immediately available by default. 

Section 3:  Journal Date and Time Restrictions

• Display After/Until: (Optional)  If you don't want to make the journal immediately available, indicate the date/time after which you want it to appear or disappear.

Section 4:  Journal Settings

• Index Entries:  Indicate whether you want blog entries to be indexed by month or week.
• Allow Users to Edit & Delete Entries: Check this box if you want users to be able edit or delete their entries
• Allow Users to Delete Comments: Check this box if you want to allow users to delete their comments
• Permit Course Users to View Journal:  Check this box if you want to make this journal public so that all students in the course can view it.  (They will not be able to add comments, however -- this is reserved for only the instructor and the student who owns the journal.)
• Grade Journal:  Indicate if you want the journal to be graded.  If so, enter the points possible.  A corresponding column in your Gradebook will be created when you do this.

Section 5:  Submit

Students will be able to access the blog by clicking on the Tools link on the main menu.  Consider creating a separate main menu button for journals if you will make significant use of this tool in your course.

 

2.8.2 Managing a Journal

1. Create an Entry

Create a journal entry by clicking on the Create Journal Entry button at the top of the journal.  Enter a title for your entry and the text of your entry in the Entry Message text box.  You can attach a file to the entry if you wish by clicking the 'Browse My Computer]' button.  Click Post Entry or Save Entry as Draft.  

2. View Drafts

View your drafts by clicking View Drafts from the main journal page.

3.  Comment on an Entry

Open a journal.  Click Comment next to the post you wish to comment on.  Enter your comments in the Comment field.  Click Add.

4.  Change the Availability of a Journal

On the main journal page, click the checkbox next to the journal you want to change availability on.

Click the drop-down chevrons on the Availability button and choose Make Available or Make Unavailable.

5.  Delete a Journal

On the main journal page, click the checkbox next to the journal you want to delete. 

  2.8.3 Grading a Journal

If you have enabled grading in your journal, you'll be able to enter grades directly in the tool.

1.  Open the journal you want to grade.

2.  Look in the right pane under 'More Journals'.  Here you will see a list of all students' journals.

 

3. Click on a student's name to open their journal. 

4.  Click on the Edit Grade button that appears. 

 

 

5.  Enter the student's grade and any feedback in the window that opens.  Click Save Grade.

 

2.9 WIKIS

A wiki is a collaborative work space for students and instructors. Instructors have the ability to track the changes taking place in the wiki by student and grade student contributions from within the tool.

2.9.1 Creating a wiki space

1. From the Control Panel, choose Course Tools, and click Wikis.

2. Click the Create Wiki button at the top of the page.

3. The Create Wiki page opens. Complete each field:

Section 1: Wiki Information

• Name: Type the name you’ll give to the wiki.
• Instructions: Enter any specific instructions.

Section 2: Wiki Date and Time Restrictions

• Wiki Availability: Wikis are immediately available by default
• Limit Availability: (Optional) If you don’t’ want the wiki immediately available, indicate the date/time after which you want it to appear or disappear.

Section 3: Wiki Participation

• Student Access: If you want students to have access to edit the wiki, leave the default setting ‘Open to Editing’.   If you want to restrict editing, but still allow students to read the wiki, choose ‘Closed to Editing’.

Section 4: Wiki Settings

•  Grade Wiki: Turn on grading, if desired.

Section 5: Click Submit.

 

2.9.2        Managing a wiki

1. Create a page

Create a wiki page by clicking on the Create Wiki Page button. Give the page a name and type your content into the space provided. Click Submit.

2. Add a Comment on a page

            Click the Comment button on the page. Type your comment into the text box provided and click Add.

3.  Edit a page

            Click the Edit Wiki Content on the page to be edited. Add, delete, or change items on the page. Click Submit to save your changes.

4. Review wiki history

            Click the Participation and Grading button in the upper right corner of the wiki. On the Participation Summary page you can see the words modified and page saves by student. Click on an individual’s name to open their Contribution page. Click on the page version link to view the content on the page.

 

Alternatively, click on the ‘Compare to Version 1’ link to be able to see a highlighted version of the page showing the student’s edits.

The image below gives a sample of a page comparison showing the additional text this student added to this page. 

2.9.3 Grading a Wiki

If you’ve enabled grading on your wiki, you will be able to grade wiki participants from within the tool.

1. Open the wiki.

2. Click the Participation and Grading button in the upper right corner of the wiki.

3. Participants who have contributed to the wiki, but haven’t been graded yet, will appear in the View Contributions By: list in the right pane with an exclamation point icon next to their name.

4. Click on a name in the list and their Contribution page will open. In the right pane, click the Edit Grade button.

 

5. In the grading window, enter a score and optional private feedback to the student in the Feedback text box. The Grading Notes textbox is for your notes and is not visible to the student.   Click Save Grade.

Blackboard Version 9.1