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PRESENTS. Introduction to Blackboard. TOPICS. Logging into Blackboard Course Availability Adding Content Organizing Content Customizing Home Page Customizing Course Menu Combining Courses Tool Availability Course Copy. Logging into Blackboard. 3 Ways to Login to Blackboard:
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PRESENTS Introduction to Blackboard
TOPICS Logging into Blackboard Course Availability Adding Content Organizing Content Customizing Home Page Customizing Course Menu Combining Courses Tool Availability Course Copy
Logging into Blackboard 3 Ways to Login to Blackboard: • Click Blackboard on Missouri S&T home page (mst.edu). • Click Blackboard under Faculty and Staff on Missouri S&T home page. • Go directly to blackboard.mst.edu in your web browser.
Course Availability • Courses are UNAVAILABLE by default. • Gives instructors time to populate a course with content before students see course. • Courses need to be made AVAILABLE before students can see them. • Courses become UNAVAILABLE again a few weeks after the end of the semester. • Instructors can make them AVAILABLE, but will then need to manually make the course UNAVAILABLE again.
Course Availability • Login to Blackboard. • Click the course to make available. • Under the Control Panel, click Customization. • Click Properties. • Under Set Availability section, select Yes. • Click Submit. • The course is now available for students.
Adding Content • Content can only be added to designated “Content Areas” in Blackboard. • Staff Information: Profile of the instructor, CV, video introduction, etc… • Content: Basic content area for PDFs, Word docs, PowerPoint files, and more. • Assignments: Content area for items that will be assessed for a grade. • All content areas have same basic functionality—only difference is in name. • Content areas can be added or renamed to be more descriptive.
Adding Content Basic Content Upload: • Select content area from course menu (e.g. Content, Assignments, Staff Information, etc.). • Select Build Content. • Click Itemunder Create section of the Build Content menu. • Type in a Name. • Type in additional Text.
Adding Content Basic Content Upload: • Click Browse to attach a local file from your hard drive or S: drive. • Select visibility options. • Click Submit when finished.
Adding Content Other Content Options: • Select Build Content tab for adding links to folders, external links, course links, and more. • Select Assessments tab for adding assignments, tests, and other items that are graded. • Select Tools tab for discussion boards, groups, blogs, wikis, and more. • Some options may need to be “enabled” before they will show up in the Tools tab.
Adding Content [ NEW ] Files in Control Panel: The Files option in the Control Panel is a central repository for course files. • Organize files into folders. • Upload packages of files/folders. • Download packages for reuse. • Link to a File content item from anywhere in the course. • Modifying a content item in the Files section will update all links to the content item.
Organizing Content Moving Items: • Blackboard 9 has a “click-and-drag” interface for moving buttons, modules and content items within a single page. • Simply click and hold the arrow icon next to the item. • Then drag the item to its new location.
Organizing Content Moving Items: • Items can be moved to a different location in the course (or to a different course). • Click the drop-down arrows next to the name of the item. • Click Move. • Select a Destination Course • This can be the same or different as the current course.
Organizing Content Moving Items: • Items can be moved to a different location in the course (or to a different course). • Click Browse to search for a destination folder within that course. • Select the desired folder. • Click Submit. Content will now appear in the desired folder.
Organizing Content Copying Items: • Items can be copied to a different location in the course (or to a different course). • Click the drop-down arrows next to the name of the item. • Click Copy. • Select a Destination Course • This can be the same or different as the current course.
Organizing Content Copying Items: • Items can be copied to a different location in the course (or to a different course). • Click Browse to search for a destination folder within that course. • Select the desired folder. • Click Submit. Content will be copied into the desired folder. • Original copy is in its original location
Organizing Content Learning Modules: • Add a linear structure to the content of a Blackboard course. • Students are guided through modules one at a time. • Can be tied to a variety of other objects in Blackboard. • Discussion boards • Tests/Quizzes • Readings
Organizing Content Creating Learning Modules: • Select Build. • Click Learning Module under Create options. • Type in a name. • Type in the text for the learning module. • Select visibility and availability options. • Click Submit.
Organizing Content Folders: • Add a lot of structure to the content of a Blackboard course. • Can be layered. • Can be imported from a document package (ZIP file).
Organizing Content Creating Folders: • Select Build Content. • Click Create Content Folder. • Type in a name for the folder. • Type in a description for the folder. • Select visibility options and date/time restrictions. • Click Submit.
Customizing Home Page You can personalize what you see when you login to Blackboard. • Click Add Module to add new modules to the home page. • Click-and-drag title bar of module to move it around. • Click gear icon in title bar of a module to modify settings for module.
Customizing Home Page • Click the minimize icon to minimize a module. • Module is still available. • Click the close icon to completely close a module. • You will need to click Add Module to open the module on the home page again. • Some modules can’t be closed (a system setting).
Customizing Course Menu • Course menu is highly customizable. • Buttons can be: • Created • Moved • Renamed • Grouped • Linked to a variety of tools/objects in Blackboard
Customizing Course Menu • Button templates are available for various teaching styles/methods. • Click Customization in Control Panel. • Click Teaching Style. • Select an option under Select Course Structure. • Choose an Entry Point. • Select a Menu Style. • Choose other options. • Click Submit when finished.
Customizing Course Menu • Button templates are available for various teaching styles/methods. • WARNING: Use caution when choosing a different button template! • Restoring the original default S&T template is a time-consuming process! • If you want to use this, choose the menu structure beforeadding any content!
Customizing Course Menu Adding Buttons to Course Menu: • Click the plus button above the course menu. • Select the type of object to add (e.g. Content Area, Course Link, etc.). • New buttons are created at the bottom of the course menu. • Click-and-drag the item to its new location.
Combining Courses How Course Combine Works: • Students from one or more sections (Children) are combined into another course (Parent). • Students are then enrolled in two sections. • Both parent and child sections • Only students are copied over, not content
Combining Courses How Course Combine Works: • EdTech recommends making Child section unavailable to avoid confusing students. • EdTech also recommends notifying students in Child section that a course combine has taken place.
Section A • Section A • Adam • Amy • Alice • Adam, Bob, Chuck • Amy, Betty, Cathy • Alice, Bill, Chris Combining Courses • Section B • Section B • Bob • Betty • Bill • Bob • Betty • Bill Before Course Combine After Course Combine • Section C • Section C • Chuck • Cathy • Chris • Chuck • Cathy • Chris Make source sections unavailable
Combining Courses • Login to itweb.mst.edu/~bbfocuswith your Missouri S&T userid and password. • Select the term that contains the courses you want to combine. • Click Get Matching Courses. • Select 1 Destination (Parent) Course. • Select 1 or more Source (Child) Courses. • Students in Child courses will be merged into Parent course.
Combining Courses • Click Proceed to Combine Courses. • Click Confirm Combination. • WARNING – You will NOT be able to undo a course combine! • A confirmation message will tell you when the courses will be combined. • Source sections should be made unavailable to students to avoid confusion. • Notify students of the change in sections.
Tool Availability • Blackboard has a wide variety of tools. • Tools can be HIDDEN from students to limit their access to the tools. • Two methods for making tools available/unavailable: • Tools page. • Customization in Control Panel.
Tool Availability Method 1: Tools Page • Click Tools in course menu. • Click Hide Link for each tool that you want to hide from students. • Click Show Link to show a hidden tool. • Common tools to hide if they are not used in the classroom: • Blogs and Wikis • Voice tools • Groups
Tool Availability Method 2: Customization in Control Panel • Click Tool Availability under Customization in Control Panel. • Select the checkbox in the column for each tool to make available/unavailable. • Some tools can only be configured at the system level. • To make a tool fully available, it may also need to be made available in a Content Area (e.g. Blogs and Wikis).
Course Copy • Ideal for moving course content from semester-to-semester. • Usually very quick method of copying content. • Accessed through Packages and Utilities section in Control Panel. • Select Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course.
Course Copy • Browse for destination course ID. • Only courses you are listed as instructor for will be available. • May need to wait until future semester courses are created (about mid-semester). • Choose course materials to be copied. • If copying Grade Center Columns and Settings, should also copy any Assignments, Tests, Surveys, and Pools tied to GC columns.
Problems with Blackboard? • Contact the Help Desk at (573) 341-HELP or online at http://help.mst.edu • Please have the following information available: • Which Operating System are you using? • Which Web Browser are you using? • What is the Course ID / Reference Number / Instructor of the course that you are having problems with? • What steps did you go through when the problem occurred? • Blackboard Support Information can be found online at: http://edtech.mst.edu/support/blackboard
102 Centennial Hall Rolla, MO 65409 Email: edtech@mst.edu Phone: 573-341-4131