El Paso Community College
May, 2014
Volume 1, Issue 3
Update on Blackboard Transition
Our transition to Blackboard Learn® Managed Hosting continues.
As you are aware from our previous Distance Education newsletters and emails, we are in the process of transitioning to a new
hosting service for Blackboard Learn© and Help Desk Services.
We have been working closely with Blackboard running tests to
ensure a smooth and timely transition.
Your summer 2014 courses are available on Blackboard. You may
begin building content and preparing your course(s). Please note
that after the spring 2014 grades submission in Banner closes at 8
a.m. on May 20 (as per the Registrar), we will need to take Blackboard offline for one to one and a half days to complete the transition. We estimate that Blackboard will be up and running again
by 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21. We will continue to keep
you informed on the progress of the transition to Blackboard
Learn® Managed Hosting.
Please ensure your Blackboard grade books are complete and
downloaded to Excel before Blackboard goes offline.
Inside this issue
Instructional.................... 2
Technical ....................... 2
Faculty Development......... 3
About Us ........................ 3
Blackboard Help Desk
 1-800-630-8849
 Available 24 hours a day
 7 days a week
The new Blackboard Help Desk phone number is 1-888-296-0863.
Students and faculty may begin calling the new Blackboard Help
Desk at 7:30 p.m. on May 21. Please make sure you update the
help desk phone number on your syllabus and/or anywhere you
have it posted for students.
Fall courses will be available on Blackboard by mid July.
If you have any questions or need clarification, please do not hesitate to contact the Distance Education Department at 831-3111.
The El Paso County Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, veteran
status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Blackboard Instructional Quick Tips
Blackboard Course Quality
According to Greg Kearsley’s Online Education: Learning and Teaching in Cyberspace, quality Blackboard courses share some common components in the areas of
content, pedagogy, engagement, feedback, organization, assessment, and a balanced workload.
No matter how fancy the technology, content must remain the focus of any Blackboard course. Content should be relevant, current, and compelling. Content and activities
ought to be appropriate for the subject and the audience. It is essential that course content be
engaging so that students are motivated to learn. Using graphics and video clips helps enliven
content and encourages students to engage with it.
Quality course instructors provide timely feedback on student progress and organize their course
in a way that makes it accessible and easy to use. Grading and evaluation policy and procedures
are be clear, explicitly stated and followed. The number and nature of assignments need to be
appropriate. It’s a matter of quality over quantity. Don’t assign a Discussion Board entry every
week for every section you teach. Stagger the discussion board assignments by class or every
few weeks. This will allow you time to grade and provide timely feedback. Use a variety of assessment tools so as not to over burden you and your students. Balance is the key.
Distance Education is in the process of developing a training titled “How to Organize My Blackboard Course.” Offered during Faculty Development week in August 2014, this training will discuss best practices in organizing your course to ensure that the components of a quality course
are present.
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.”
- Victor Hugo
Blackboard Technical Quick Tips —
Downloading Your Blackboard Grade Book
It’s the time of the semester to prepare grade books for submission to the
Registrar’s office. If you kept your grade book on Blackboard, all it takes
is a few easy steps.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Located in the far right side of the full Grade Center, click Work Offline.
Select Download
Select Data to Download (Full Grade Center, Selected Columns, or User Information)
Select Comma or Tab Delimiter Type (Tab Delimited is recommended for use in MS Excel)
Select a Download Location on your local computer
Click Submit
You can now adjust column widths, font, font size, etc. Add a header for course information and a footer for a signature line. For assistance find the Grade Center Basics Quick
Reference Guide on the Distance Education webpage.
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Faculty Development
Please call 831-3111 to RSVP
Blackboard
Communication Tools
Why Should I Use
Blackboard?
Blackboard Certification
Training
Date
Location
Time
Friday, May 23
Valle Verde B162
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Date
Location
Time
Monday, June 2
Transmountain 1130
9:00 am – 10:30 am
Monday, June 2
Rio Grande E111
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Tuesday, June 3
Valle Verde B162
9:00 am – 10:30 am
Tuesday, June 3
Mission del Paso D117
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Date
Location
Time
Saturday, June 7
Valle Verde B162
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Saturday, June 14
Valle Verde B162
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Saturday, June 21
Valle Verde B162
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Saturday, June 28
Valle Verde B162
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Training consists of 4 consecutive Saturday sessions. Instructor will receive their certification upon completion. Seating limited to 18. There are 8 seats available.
Blackboard Grade Center
Distance Education
P.O. BOX 20500
El Paso, TX 79998
Valle Verde Campus
Room C406
Phone: 915-831-3111
Fax: 915-831-2322
Date
Location
Time
Monday, July 7
Valle Verde B162
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Tuesday, July 8
Mission del Paso D117
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Wednesday, July 9
Rio Grande E111
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Thursday, July 10
Northwest M95
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Friday, July 11
Transmountain 1130
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Staff
Bob Jones
Luz E. Cadena
Andrew Lawrence
Sylvia Gonzalez
Andres Lopez
Margie Munoz
Karla Rangel
Arturo de Santiago
Adriana Maldonado
Janeth Galaviz
Director
Manager
Technical Coordinator
Administrative Assistant
Technical Assistant
Clerk
Clerk
STS
Work Study
Work Study
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