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
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. 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:
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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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 and Student Preview
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. 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 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. 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
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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.
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. 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.
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Edit Menu Item: Click the action button
editing options, which include:
next to the menu item to open
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.
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. 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. 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
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 to display
by day, week or month.
2. Adjust Dates Displayed: Click the
arrows for previous or future dates.
3. Events: Click on an event to view
details. Note: Any item with a due
date will automatically appear in
the calendar. Instructors may drag
and drop items to adjust due dates.
4. List of Calendars: 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. 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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