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Tips for using the e-learning system Blackboard
Tips for using the e-learning system Blackboard
Important note: All following illustrations are taken from the basic design of courses in
Blackboard. This design as well as some menu terms may be changed by the instructors
due to specific needs of your course.
If you successsfully logged in to the Blackboard system and completed registration for the
course you are interested in, the following screen (standard version) appears:
Illustration: Introductory page
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Header :
This button leads to the company homepage of Blackboard Inc.,
not to the homepage of Ruhr-University of Bochum. The university’s homepage can be accessed through the logo on the lefthand corner.
This button leads to the support system of Blackboard Inc.
You must use this button to log out after every session. Simply
closing the browser is not sufficient. If you do not log out, there is
a risk that unauthorized users will use the system under your password.
Subheader :
My Institution opens the personalized Blackboard introductory
page.
Courses opens a list of all Blackboard classes offered at RuhrUniversity of Bochum.
Tips for using the e-learning system Blackboard
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Navigation bar 
The Navigation bar on top makes it easier to handle the whole system. The first point 'Courses' refers to the location within the whole Blackboard-System. The Course-ID follows next.
The deeper you get into the system the longer this Navigation bar will be. The further items
always refer to the chosen course area. A klick on them brings you to the respective area. The
Use of the browser-integrated 'Back-Button' should be avoided.
Courses :
Here you find all the information with relevance to the chosen course. The following list explains all the links:
Announcements – This will usually be the introductory page for
each course. Here you will find current information like public
messages or dates.
Course Information – This button offers specific information for
the respective course. Similarly to a printed syllabus you usually
find a short description of the course as well as other specifics (like
required literature, timetables etc.).
Staff Information – This link offers information about the instructor(s) of the course.
Course Documents – This link offers a collection of all the texts
required for the course. Those can be literature but also information sheets put together by students.
Assignments – Here you find all the assignments required for the
next session, or homework for evaluating a class afterwards etc.
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Tips for using the e-learning system Blackboard
Communication – Communication opens several possible ways of
communicating with the other class participants. These are the options
send an e-mail to the participants.
Send E-mail
Discussion Board
Virtual Classroom
Roster
Group Pages
enter the discussion board for
asynchronic discussing
enter the virtual classroom to
chat
access the course participants‘
homepages (if applicable)
reach the areas of the different
work groups
External Links – This button leads to Internet sources outside the
Blackboard system.
Tools –A collection of tools within the Blackboard system. This is
what you can find here:
Digital Drop Box
Edit Your Homepage
Digital Drop Box for the exchange of files
Personal homepages that can be
created by course participants
Personal information of the participants. You decide how much
Personal Information data you make available.
The Calendar allows an individual and general time scheduCalendar
ling
Check Grade offers information
for the participants if tests can be
Check Grade
taken through the system.
Manual
Manual leads to the internal help
system (in English).
Tasks offers a ‚To-Do-List‘.
Tasks
Electric Blackboard
Address Book
Electric Blackboard for messages.
The Address Book contains all
the participants‘ addresses (if authorized)
Tips for using the e-learning system Blackboard
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Resources (or Academic Web Resources in the subheader) lead
to an internal Blackboard source system, in which academic internet sources are listed according to academic fields. This is meant
as a search support when searching the web for additional information on a particular field of interest. It will automatically exclude „non-academic“ sources.
Course Map – This button offers an additional window for the
navigation list of the course in every part of the system
Note: This list refers to the system as it opens to the user after a course was registered at the
computer lab. It is left to the instructors of a course to make changes if they wish. Some areas
can be deleted or renamed. If the navigation list of a specific Blackboard course looks different than the one shown above, the instructor changed its appearance.