This handout outlines the material covered in the first of four workshops on teaching with Blackboard. It will help you begin building your Blackboard course site. You will learn how to:
1.
Navigate a Course Site
Site Layout • Editing Controls • Edit Mode
2.
Set Up a Course Site
Teaching Style • Test Student • Date Management
3.
Add Content
Menu Item • Folder • Item • Content Editor
4.
Communicate through Blackboard
Announcements • Email • Notifications • Calendar
For more information on Blackboard workshops or to register for one, log into the ACC Workshop Database: https://eapps.austincc.edu/workshops/www/login.php
To begin, login to Blackboard at http://acconline.austincc.edu
using your ACCeID and password .
1.1.
1.2.
The image below highlights some of the main components of a Blackboard course site:
1.
Course Menu : Links in the menu help users navigate the site and locate materials.
2.
Control Panel : This instructors-only area provides access to the Grade Center, Course
Tools and other editing options.
3.
Course Banner : A course banner adds visual interest and appears on the course site’s entry page.
4.
Content Area : The main area of the page, where course content appears.
5.
Global Navigation Menu : This menu provides quick access to your notifications, other courses, retention center, and calendar .
6.
Logout Button : The Logout button officially ends your Blackboard session.
The following controls appear throughout the Blackboard interface and allow you to manage/edit your content:
Hover your mouse over an item to reveal the Action Button next to a menu item, content item, or grade center column’s name. Click to open a dropdown menu with all of your editing options .
The double-headed arrow allows you to drag and drop to reorder items. Click on the arrow and hold down the mouse button, drag the item to the desired location, then release the mouse button.
The Show/Hide Menu Button appears in between the menu and the main content area. Click once to collapse the menu (the button will shift to the far left of your screen). Click again to restore the menu.
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1.3.
Click the Expand/Collapse Menu Button to expand a menu to show all items or collapse a menu to hide all items. You can expand/collapse your course menu and various menus within the Control Panel.
At the top right corner of your screen, you will find the Student Preview and
Edit Mode buttons. Both are options for previewing what your course looks like to your students.
Student Preview:
The student preview is activated by clicking the eye-shaped icon. Student Preview displays the course exactly how a student would see it. The Instructor is launched into a student preview account that is automatically enrolled in the course as a student. Settings allow the Instructor to keep or delete data created while in Student Preview mode.
Edit Mode:
When Edit Mode is On, editing options are available to add or modify course content. Click the Edit
Mode button to turn edit mode Off and preview how students will see the course; note that the preview generated in Edit Mode still includes the Control Panel, although students will never see this panel. Click Edit
Mode again to turn edit mode back on so you can continue editing.
2.1.
You can customize the appearance of your course site by adjusting the organization and appearance of the menu, adding a course banner, and defining the course entry point.
Begin by going to Control Panel > Customization > Teaching Style.
Course Structure
: Under Select Course Structure , you can browse course structures, predefined course materials such as menu links, instructions, and content examples that can jump-start your course organization. Click on a course structure in the left column to open a description and preview of that structure. Click Use This
Structure > Submit to apply it to your course. The selected course structure's content is added to your course and does not replace existing menu items and content. You can delete unnecessary items.
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Entry Point
: Adjust the entry point to determine what page students will see first upon entering the course.
Under Select Course Entry Point , open the dropdown menu to select a page > Submit .
Course Theme
: You can customize the look and feel of your course by changing the Course Theme. Be sure the theme you choose keeps course content easy to read. Avoid busy patterns that distract from your content.
There are two ways to change the Course Theme:
1.
Control Panel > Customization > Teaching Style > Under Select Course Theme , scroll through the available course themes and click on one to select it. Click Submit to apply your course theme.
2.
In the top right corner, click on the color wheel icon that appears between the Student Preview icon and the Edit Mode toggle.
Menu Style
: When styling your menu, be sure it will be easy for students to read.
Avoid patterns and make sure there is sufficient contrast between the background and text colors.
Under Select Menu Style , select either Text or Buttons and make color selections. Check the Preview to see what your selections will look like. Click
Submit to apply your menu style.
Course Banner
: The banner will appear on the entry page.
You can use an existing image or create a banner using PowerPoint or imaging software like
Photoshop. Banners should be approximately 480 x
80 pixels and no larger than 65kb in size.
Under Select Banner , click Browse My Computer to locate and select the image > Submit .
2.2.
You can enroll the test student in any course you teach to preview the course site.
Go to Control Panel > Course Tools > Add Test Student . A test student account is created with "_s" appended to the end of your ACCEid (e.g. j0000000_s).
Enter a password for your test student > check the box to enroll the test student in the current course > Submit . The test student is created and enrolled in the current course. You
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2.3.
can now login as the test student using the username and password described above to access your course site as a student.
Automatically adjust all content and tool dates (including due dates, content availability, and announcements) in your course at once. Go to Control Panel > Course Tools > Date Management .
You will see the Date Management Review , where you can see the current dates for all course items. From here, click Run Date Management Again to automatically adjust all content and tool dates (including due dates, content availability, and announcements). Select Use Course Start Date or Adjust by Number of Days to adjust the dates accordingly, or select List All Dates for Review to manually adjust each date, the click Start .
When date management is complete, you will return to the Date Management Review , where you can verify the new dates for all course items. From here, you can Run Date Management Again with different settings, check the box next to individual items and Adjust Dates on the selected items by a set number of days, or click the pencil icon to the right of individual items to manually Edit dates if necessary.
3.1.
Add Menu Item:
Click the blue box with a plus sign at the top of your course menu.
From the dropdown, select the type of link to add to the menu. Options include, but are not limited to, the following types of links:
Content Area (a blank page where you can add text, files, folders, tests, assignments and other course materials): Enter a Name > check Available to
Users > Submit .
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Tool Link (a link to an integrated Blackboard tool, such as My Grades or the discussion board): Enter a Name > open the Type dropdown menu and select a course tool > check Available to Users > Submit .
Web Link (a link to a URL outside of Blackboard): Enter a Name > enter the URL > check Available to Users >
Submit .
Subheader/ Divider (items to organize your menu): For subheaders, enter a Name > Submit . A divider simply adds a horizontal line to the menu.
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Edit Menu Item
: Click the action button next to the menu item to open editing options, which include:
Rename Link : Edit the text that appears in the Course Menu.
Show/Hide Link: Indicates a menu item is hidden from students . Select
Show Link to make it available or Hide Link to make it unavailable.
Delete : Remove the menu item.
3.2.
Use folders to organize course content by grouping related materials together.
3.3.
Go to a Content Area in your Course Menu > click Build Content > from the New Page column select Content Folder . Enter a Name for the folder
> Submit .
A folder is added to the Content Area. Click on the name of the folder to open it and begin adding content.
Creating an Item lets you add text and attach files to a Content Area, or within a folder.
Go to a Content Area or Folder > click Build Content > from the Create column select Item .
Enter a Name and your Text > click Browse to locate and attach a file if needed > Submit .
3.4.
When entering text, you can use the Content Editor to format text and embed multimedia to make your course content more dynamic and engaging. Below are some of the features you will find in the Content Editor:
1.
Standard text formatting options, including font style, font size, bullets and numbers, etc.
2.
From left to right: Preview your content, get information on each of the formatting options, expand the editor to full screen, and collapse the editor toolbars.
3.
Integrate multimedia. From left to right: insert file, insert image, embed media, launch math editor, and insert mashup (YouTube video, Flickr photo, or Slideshare presentation).
4.
From left to right: add symbols, emoticons, anchors, and tables.
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4.1.
Individual Course
: To post only to the course in which you are working, go to Control Panel > Announcements > click Create
Announcement .
Enter a Subject and Message > set Date Restrictions or select
Not Date Restricted > check Email Announcement if desired >
Submit .
Multiple Courses
: To post an announcement to multiple courses you are teaching all at once, go to Control Panel > Announcement Cast .
4.2.
Enter a Subject and Message . Set Date
Restrictions if necessary, or select Permanent .
Check Email Announcement if desired.
Check the box next to each course you would like to receive the announcement, including the course in which you are currently working. Click
Submit to post the announcement to all selected courses.
Go to Control Panel > Course Tools > Send Email . Make a selection based on who should receive the email (e.g.
All Student Users, Single/Select Users). To select specific email recipients, click on a name in the Available to
Select column on the left > click the right-pointing arrow in between the boxes to move that user’s name into the Selected column on the right.
Enter your Subject and Message . You have the option to attach files to your email if needed.
Check the Return Receipt box to send a copy of the message to yourself (this message will include a list of email recipients). Click Submit to send the email.
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4.3.
4.4.
Blackboard pushes notifications of course updates to users. Note that notifications are only effective if you assign due dates to your assignments, quizzes, and tests.
The notifications can be accessed in the following ways:
Global Navigation Menu
1.
The number in red alerts users to the number of new notifications they have in their courses.
2.
From the Global Navigation Menu, users can access (from top to bottom)
Courses , Posts (new discussion posts), Updates (such as announcements or new assignments), My Grades , Retention Center (instructors only), and the
Blackboard Calendar.
3.
Settings allow users to Edit Notification Settings , which include options for receiving emails regarding notifications and setting up reminders for upcoming due dates.
Notifications Dashboard
: This customizable module page displays notifications for all a user’s courses. From the My ACC tab , click
Notifications Dashboard . Modules include:

Needs Attention - items that require your attention, such as upcoming due dates

Alerts - items that are past due

What’s New - announcements, new
 assignments or discussion posts, etc.
To Do – list of all items due and past due
Find all important course dates in one place through Blackboard’s calendar. Begin by opening the Global Navigation Menu > click the
.
1.
: Adjust to display by day, week or month.
2.
: Click the arrows for previous or future dates.
3.
: Click on an event to view details.
4.
Each course has its own calendar, and there is also a personal calendar. These calendars are color-coded. Click the arrow in the bottom right corner of a calendar name to adjust the color. Check/uncheck the box next to a calendar to show/hide it.
5.
: You can export the Blackboard calendar to other calendar applications such as
Outlook or Google Calendar. Click
> copy the iCal URL that appears and paste it into your external calendar application to integrate the two. Dates from your Blackboard calendar will now display in your external calendar.
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