Blackboard Faculty Manual
Overview | Course Planning and Design | Content Areas | Communication Tools | Assessment | Monitoring Student Progress | Course Rollovers |
0.0 Course Planning and Design
0.1 SYLLABUS: generic syllabus vs. the detailed syllabus
See information at the following location: http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/faculty/manual/syllabus.htm
0.2 BEST PRACTICES IN COURSE DESIGN
Under construction
0.3 STRUCTURE: The Course Menu
The main menu (buttons or links) that is on the left side of your Blackboard course can be adjusted depending on your course needs. Content areas, tools, course links, and external links can be placed here. You can add, reorder, and turn off course menu items as needed.
0.3.1 Adding Content Areas to the Course Menu
1. Enter the Control Panel in your course and choose Manage Course Menu in the Course Options group.
2. Click the Content Area button on the Action Bar at the top.
3. The Add New Area window opens.
4. Choose a Name for the new Content Area from the drop-down list OR create your own.
5. Indicate whether guests and observers can have access to this area.
6. Check the box next to Available for Student/Participant Users to allow students to see this content area.
7. Click Submit. Your new content area will appear at the bottom of the list of menu items.
0.3.2 Adding Tools to the Course Menu
If you want to set up a main menu item that leads students directly to the discussion board, their grades, or some other tool in the course, you can add it by following these steps.
1. Enter the Control Panel in your course and choose Manage Course Menu in the Course Options group.
2. Click the Tool Link button on the Action Bar at the top.
3. Choose the Type of tool you want from the drop-down menu.
4. Type a Name for the tool.
5. Be sure the Available for Student/Participant Users checkbox is marked to allow students access to this tool.
6. Click Submit Your new tool will appear at the bottom of the list of menu items.
0.3.3 Adding an External Link to the Course Menu
If you want to provide a main menu item that takes students in one-click to a particular website, you can add it by following these steps.
1. Enter the Control Panel in your course and choose Manage Course Menu in the Course Options group.
2. Click the External Link button on the Action Bar at the top.
3. Type a Name for the link. (This will appear on the button on the main menu.)
4. In the URL box, type or paste the URL for the link.
5. Do not check the box that opens the link in a new window.
6. Indicate whether you want to to limit guest or observer access.
7. Be sure the Available for Student/Participant Users checkbox is checked to allow student access to this link.
8. Click Submit. The new link will appear at the bottom of the list of menu items.
0.3.4 Re-Ordering the Course Menu
1. Enter the Control Panel in your course and choose Manage Course Menu in the Course Options group.
2. A list of menu items will appear. Use the drop down arrow next to each item to change the item's position in the menu.
3. Changes will automatically occur as you alter the numbers.
4. Click OK when completed.
0.3.5 Re-Naming a Menu Item
1. Enter the Control Panel in your course and choose Manage Course Menu in the Course Options group.
2. Click the Modify button next to the content area.
3. In Section 1 of the Update Area window, change the Name of the area.
4. Click Submit and OK.
0.3.6 Turn off the Tool Panel
1. Enter the Control Panel in your course and choose Course Design in the Course Options group.
2. Click Manage Tool Panel.
3. Click Quick View Tool Panel Options.
4. In Section 1, choose "No" for all the items.
5. Click Submit.
0.4 COURSE AVAILABILITY
0.4.1 Making the Course Available to Students
You must turn on your Blackboard course prior to the beginning of the term, so that students can begin using it.
1. Enter the Control Panel of the course.
2. Choose Settings from the Course Options group.
3. Choose Course Availability.
4. Click Yes under Make Course Available.
5. Click Submit.
0.4.2 List Students in a Course
Instructors can easily view a list of students enrolled in their course. Blackboard imports a snapshot of course enrollment from Banner every 24 hours.
1. Enter the Control Panel for the course. Choose List/Modify Users from the User Management group.
2. To quickly view all students enrolled in the course, leave the search field empty on the Search tab and click the Search button. (An optional method is to click the List All tab and choose the List All button.)
3. Search Tab: To search for a student by last name, username or email, click the appropriate radio button on the Search tab and enter your search criteria.
3. Starts With Tab: Use this option to locate a single student. Enter the first few letters of the student's last name.
4. The Advanced tab allows you to view only students who have been active in your course in the last few days (number of days specified by instructor).
5. When finished searching, click OK.
0.4.3 Changing a Student's Role
1. Locate a student in the course via the List/Modify Users window (see 0.4.2 above)
2. Click the Properties button.
3. In the Modify User Properties window, in Section 4, select the role you wish the student to have. (Note: If you want to manage student roles in the discussion board, see section 2.2)
4. Click Submit.
0.4.4 Setting up a Test Student
Each course has a test student account to allow instructors to view their course as a student does. This option has the same access levels as an enrolled student.
Other uses for the test student account:
- Give the password to a guest speaker, so they can have full access to the course. The name of the account assures that if discussion threads are posted, they are clearly not from a regular student.
- Give temporary access to a substitute instructor or teaching assistant.
- Give access to a department chair or committee member to review online teaching of the faculty member.
The test student appears in the class roster as zzzzzStudent, Test Student.
The username for this student is represented by bb_xyy_nnnnn.
- x is either f(fall), w(winter), s(spring) or u(summer) term.
- yy is the last two digits of the calendar year.
- nnnnn is the course CRN.
- Example: bb_f01_14771 is the test student id for the course MTH_111_010_F2001.
Before the test student account can be used, the password must be set by the instructor.
1. Enter the Control Panel of your course. Click List/Modify Users in the User Management group.
2. On the Search tab, enter z in the search field. Click Search.
3. Click Password.
4. Set the password and note the username for the Test Student.
5. Click Submit.
6. You can now log-in to Blackboard using the test student username and password to view your course from a student's perspective.
0.5 GROUPS
To help facilitate group activities, you can divide a class into groups within Blackboard and give each group private access to their own tools. These tools include a group discussion board, group virtual classroom, group file exchange, and group email.
0.5.1 Setting up Groups
1. Go to the Control Panel and select Manage Groups from the User Management section.
2. Click the Add Group button to create a new group.
Section 1: Give the group a name, and if desired, a description.
Section 2: Place a checkmark next to the tools that you would like the group to access. Be sure the Group Available button is set to 'Yes'.
Section 3: Click Submit.
3. Now you need to add members to the group. Click the Modify button to the right of the group's name.
4. Click Add Users to Group.
5. Click the List All tab and then the List All button.
6. Place a checkmark next to the names of the students you want in that group. (Note: only 20 students appear per page. You will be able to select and submit users from only one page at a time. For example, if you have 3 pages of users, you must select the users to add on the first page and click Submit before continuing to add users from the next page.)
7. Click Submit.
Students will be able to locate their group tools under the default "Communications" main menu link on the front page of your course - and then by clicking Group Pages. If you will be doing a lot of group work, you might consider placing Group Pages under its own menu item.
0.5.2 Removing Users from a Group
1. Go to the Control Panel and select Manage Groups from the User Management section.
2. Click the Modify button next to the desired group.
3. Click Remove Users from Group.
4. Click the List All tab and then the List All button.
5. Place a checkmark in front of the user(s) you wish to remove. Then type the word 'Yes' in the text box above the Submit button.
6. Click Submit.
