Blackboard 1: Course Sites

Blackboard 1: Course Sites
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.
2.
3.
4.
Navigate a Course Site Site Layout • Editing Controls • Edit Mode
Set Up a Course Site Teaching Style • Test Student • Date Management
Add Content Menu Item • Folder • Item • Content Editor • Video Everywhere
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://www3.austincc.edu/it/workshops/www/login.php
To begin, login to Blackboard at http://acconline.austincc.edu using your ACCeID and password.
1. Navigate a Course Site
1.1. Site Layout
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.
1.2. Editing Controls
The following controls appear throughout the Blackboard interface and allow you to manage/edit your content:
Click the Action Button next to an item’s name to open a dropdown menu with all of your editing options.
The action button appears for menu items, content items and grade center columns.
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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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.
1.3. Edit Mode
At the top right corner of your screen you will find
the Edit Mode button. 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. Click Edit Mode again to turn edit mode back
on and continue editing.
2. Set Up a Course Site
2.1. Teaching Style
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 1. 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.
Entry Point: Adjust the entry point to determine what page students
will see first upon entering the course.
Under 2. Select Course Entry Point, open the dropdown menu to
select a page > Submit.
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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 3. 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 450 x 100 pixels and no larger
than 65kb in size.
Under 5. Select Banner, click Browse My
Computer to locate and select the image > Submit.
2.2. Add Test Student
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 can now login as the test student using the username and password
described above to access your course site as a student.
2.3. Date Management
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.
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, then click Start.
When date management is complete, you
will see 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, Adjust Dates on selected items
by a set number of days, or manually Edit
individual dates if necessary.
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3. Add Content
3.1. Menu Item
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.
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.
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. Folder
Use folders to organize course content by grouping related
materials together.
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.
3.3. Item
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.
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3.4. Content Editor
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. Record from webcam (see section 3.5 below for details).
4. 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).
5. From left to right: add symbols, emoticons, and anchors.
3.5. Video Everywhere
Record from a webcam and post your video directly into the Blackboard content editor using the Video Everywhere
building block.
Create YouTube Channel: Before you can use Video Everywhere, you must create your own YouTube channel to
store the videos. Go to YouTube.com > click Sign In > enter your ACC email address and password (you may
use a different account if you prefer). In the top left, click My Channel > you will be prompted to Create a
New YouTube Channel > click OK. You now have a YouTube channel where your videos will be stored.
Record from Webcam: From the Content Editor in Blackboard, click the Record from Webcam icon (see item 3 in
section 3.4 above). The window pictured below will open.
In the new window, click Sign in to YouTube
and enter the information used to create your
YouTube channel. If you encounter a security
warning, click Grant Access.
Click Record from webcam. Click Start
recording to begin. When you click Stop
recording , you will have the option to Cancel,
Start Over, or Upload. If you are satisfied with
your recording, click Upload.
You will have the option to play the video in place or to display a thumbnail students must click on to play the
video. Select the option you prefer and click Insert.
You will be returned to Blackboard, and you will see a placeholder box in the Content Editor where your video
will appear. Click Submit. The video and player controls are embedded in your Blackboard content, and the
video itself is stored in your YouTube channel.
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4. Communicate through Blackboard
4.1. Announcements
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.
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.
4.2. Send Email
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. Notifications
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
Home Page: Each course site includes a Home Page by default. This module page is similar to the Notifications
Dashboard, but it displays only notifications relevant to the current course and is customizable by the
instructor. Click on Home Page in the course menu to view it. To customize this page:
Drag and drop modules to change the order in
which they are displayed.
Click the
in the top right corner of a module
to remove the module from the page.
Click Add Course Module to add additional
modules to the page.
To remove the Home Page entirely, click the
action button
to the right of Home Page in
the course menu and select Delete. There is no
way to directly restore a Home Page once deleted; you can, however, add a link to a Module Page in your
course menu and then manually add modules such as My Announcements, What’s New, etc.
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4.4. Calendar
Find all important course dates in one place through Blackboard’s calendar. Begin by opening the Global
Navigation Menu > click the Calendar icon.
1. Calendar Display: Adjust the
calendar to display by day, week or
month.
2. Adjust Dates Displayed: Click the
arrows to show previous or future
dates.
3. Events: All events within the
selected date range are displayed.
Click on an event to view details.
Note: Any item that is assigned a
due date will automatically appear
in the calendar. Instructors may
drag and drop items to adjust due
dates for assignments and tests.
4. List of Calendars: Each course has its own calendar, and there is also a personal calendar that allows
users to create their own personal events. 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. Export Calendar: You can export the Blackboard calendar to other calendar applications such as
Outlook or Google Calendar. Click Get External Calendar Link > 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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