Blackboard Course Template Sample Welcome Letter ( Welcome to (course name)

Blackboard Course Template
Sample Welcome Letter (email to your students the first morning of class)
Welcome to (course name)
If you are new to Blackboard, you need a login name and password. The web address is
http://gvtc6.blackboard.com . Once you are there, select login and follow the process.
Your username consists of your initials and last 4 digit of your Student ID
( ex. Jane M Doe, 71021234 = jmd1234 )
Your password is your 6-digit birth date mmddyy (ex. 041704)
If you do not know your Student ID, please use the directions
below to access it.
Go to http://webserver.southwestgatech.edu/
Enter Secure Area
Enter User ID: your social security number
Enter Pin: your 6 digit date of birth mmddyy
Click on Login
Click on Student Services and Financial Aid
Click on Student Records
Click on View Student Information
At the top right you will see your Student ID beside your name
Once you’ve logged into Blackboard, scroll down the screen to the “My Courses” section and
select your course by clicking on its underlined title.
When you have successfully logged into the course, e-mail me at (email address) and let me
know that everything is working well. Communication in the online environment is essential. A
consecutive week of not logging in and not contacting the instructor can result in being dropped
from the course.
Please contact me with any concerns or problems.
(instructor name)
The following items have been copied into your Blackboard course from the SWGTC template…
Announcements
Welcome!
Welcome to (course name). If this is your first online course, there are some things you
need to know. This course is fully online and we will not meet face-to-face. Your are
responsible for logging into the course and participating by completing assignments,
discussions, exams, and/or any other tasks presented. Participation and communication
is essential to success in an online learning environment. The course includes a utility
that allows instructors to track the areas visited by students. We can track when
you logged into the course and which section you visited (within the course), by time and
date. The time of day is not important but consistent access to the course is required for
success. It is good practice to communicate with your instructor often and consistently.
You may only need to let me know that you are doing well and understanding the
material. If you do not understand the assignments or material, please let me know. I'm
here to help you and I'm happy to work with you in areas that you are having any
concerns. You will find me to be very willing to offer assistance if only you ask early and
not wait until "zero" hour to ask for help. With that being said, the course lasts 10 weeks.
I'm sure you will enjoy this adventure in (course name)....
At the left you should see the navigation bars that take you to the different areas
available within Blackboard.
The Announcements button brings you to this page. From time to time I will post
announcements directing your attention to important issues.
The Course Information button takes you to the syllabus and other resource material
you will need to succeed in the course. When you have a question about "procedure,"
check this area first.
The Staff Information button tells you about me and gives contact information on how to
reach me.
The Assignments button contains the "meat" of the course. Here you will find lecture,
presentations, graded activities, and exams. Each is labeled accordingly and you will find
that I try to follow the book as closely as possible.
The Communication button gives you options to email me or other students enrolled in
the course.
The Discussion Board button allows you to post messages to a discussion board that
can be viewed by everyone enrolled in the class. You will have weekly assignments that
require these postings.
The External Links button will take you to a list of helpful sites that I have selected to
display. If during the quarter you would like to add a link, just email me the information
and we will make it available.
Finally, the Tools button allows you to make changes in your "Personal Information", for
example updating your email address and changing your Blackboard password, and it
also allows you to "check your grades".
This pretty much covers the navigation. To begin, click "Course Information" and begin
reading the syllabus, course outline, etc. Then move to "Assignments". Good luck!
Course Information
Blackboard Orientation
Course Policies
Email Policy
The following are guidelines for email communication with the course instructor.
Please make sure you check your email daily for course information. Also make
sure that you have a legitimate need before you write. Excessive email can be
overwhelming for both the sender and the receiver.
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Your instructor will answer email about
o questions arising from difficulty in understanding course content
o requests for feedback about graded assignments/exams
Your instructor will not answer email about
o questions answered in the course content areas of the site
o inappropriate subjects
o messages that do not state the purpose of the email clearly in the
subject line
Your instructor will answer email received on a given day no later than close of
work on the next workday.
Discussion Policy
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Discussion forums will have an associated deadline by which time all
students must have posted their responses to receive credit for participation.
Students will be graded on discussion postings. Points are earned based on
quality of responses and compliance with the required number of postings as
specified in the individual assignment instructions.
Students are expected to focus on the specific topic of discussion. Irrelevant
subjects are not permitted.
All students have the right to express their own opinions in discussions, and
every other student must respect this right. Any disrespectful comments will
result in a grade of 0. Abusive or insulting messages may result in a grade of
F for the course.
Submitting Assignments
To submit your assignments through Blackboard, click on the View/Complete
Assignment link and either
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type your answers in the Comments Box or
if you are turning in a Word, Excel, Access, or PowerPoint file, attach the file
by clicking Browse
Selecting the "Browse" button causes another pop up dialog window to appear.
This window is used to locate the file you want to submit. It will likely be on your
floppy drive (A drive). If you are working online, it may be on your C drive in the
(My Documents) folder. The location is strictly dependent upon where the file
was originally saved.
Find the target file then select the file by clicking on it, select "open". The file
name and path will appear in the box next to the "browse" button. You have been
successful.
The last necessary step is to select the Submit button at the bottom of the dialog
box. A verification message will appear and you can relax knowing that your file
was submitted.
NAMING THE FILES YOU SUBMIT
Each assignment should follow a specified naming format. The text will tell you
what to name each document but I need you to add to this name. In each file
name, add the first letter of your name and your last name along with the week
number.
Like this: assignment name_cbarrow_wk4
This format identifies the name of the document as the text specifies plus the first
letter of my name and my last name and the week number.
This format will require discipline on your part but it is very important to
organizing the large amount of submissions received during a term.
Neglecting to follow this format could result in your submissions not being
accepted so make it a priority to format your files properly.
Work Ethics
Each student will receive a work ethic grade each quarter for each course. The
work ethic grade will be reflected in the quarterly grade report and determined by
evaluating the 10 following traits:
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Attendance
Character
Teamwork
Appearance
Attitude
Productivity
Organizational Skills
Communication
Cooperation
Respect
The work ethic grade does not affect GPA but may affect employment status.
Work ethic grades are reflected and explained on students' transcripts and
quarterly grade reports.
Drop/Add Deadlines
Students desiring to drop or add or otherwise modify their schedule after
registration must secure approval of their advisor. These changes in a student's
schedule may only be completed during the designated drop/add period upon
presentation to the Student Services Staff of a properly completed drop/add form
during the designated drop/add time (the first 5 class days of the quarter) and
upon payment of any additional fees.
The advisor should:
1. Use a Drop/Add form and indicate the course to be dropped. The change is
not in effect until the Drop/Add form is processed.
2. A student who drops a course during the quarter because of failing grades
will receive an "F" on the report card.
3. The advisor's signature must be on the Drop/Add form to be processed by
the Admissions Office in the first 5 days of the quarter.
4. Any course dropped by a student without the advisor's and/or director's
approval will be reported as an "WF" on the report card.
Online Testing Information
Before the exam:
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I will post an announcement or send an email to let you know when you can
access a test.
Don’t enter a test site before you are ready. The online tests are set to only
allow you to access the test once for a score.
Do enter the test site within time period specified; allow enough time to
complete the test within the given time limit. (If the test has a time limit. The
time will show on the status bar at the bottom of your window. )
Find a time to take the test in which you will be free of interruptions.
Email me with any questions about the format of the test.
During the exam:
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If your computer and telephone share the same telephone line, unplug your
telephone while taking the quiz/test.
When you first access the test, read the directions carefully.
Use the scroll bar on the side of the screen to move back if you need to
check earlier questions. If you click the “back” button on your browser, you
will be removed from the quiz/test and receive a grade of “0.”
If something goes wrong, send me an email immediately documenting the
exact problem and asking how you should proceed.
When you have marked all your answers, read them once more before
submitting. Make sure that you have answered all questions.
Make sure you remember to finish by clicking the “Submit” button. Don’t
close the window of the test for any reason before you’ve clicked “Submit”.
Don’t cheat. Cheating deprives you of the education for which you are
paying. Consider that there are many subtle ways that you might be caught,
which may lead to consequences like failed courses and even expulsion.
After the exam:
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After you submit your test answers, you will receive a score for all the items
that the software could grade; essay questions and most short answer
questions will have to be graded by your instructor. You may also receive
feedback on the test. Pay attention to this feedback, and use it as a way to
learn the answers to the questions you missed.
To check your grades, click "Student Tools" then "Check your grade".
Library Resources
SWGTC Library
The Library/Media Services Center is open days and evenings when classes are
in session. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:45 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and
Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. You may access our many online resources at
GVTC Library Resources
This link provides additional library resources through the Georgia Virtual
Technical College.
BannerWeb Review
Financial Aid Status and Grades
Web Registration
The above links provide BannerWeb directions for web registration, checking financial aid
status, and checking grades.
Discussion Board
Web Sites