Blackboard End of the Semester Checklist

Fresno State | TILT/Blackboard Resource Center: 559.278.7373 |Blackboard Start-Up 9.1 SP13 Page 1

BLACKBOARD VERSION 9.1 SERVICE PACK 13

START-UP

Contents

Blackboard What, How, When, and Where? .......................................................................................................... 3

What can Blackboard do for me? ....................................................................................................................... 3

What do I have to do to get my courses on Blackboard? ................................................................................... 3

What is the timeline for Blackboard course creation? ....................................................................................... 3

Email Preference ................................................................................................................................................. 3

Login to Blackboard ............................................................................................................................................ 3

Quick Links Tool ...................................................................................................................................................... 4

My Blackboard ........................................................................................................................................................ 4

Courses and Organizations ................................................................................................................................. 4

Notifications Dashboard ..................................................................................................................................... 4

Global Navigation Menu and My Blackboard ......................................................................................................... 5

Social Learning Tools ............................................................................................................................................... 6

Profiles ................................................................................................................................................................ 6

Messages ............................................................................................................................................................. 7

Spaces ................................................................................................................................................................. 8

Course Site .............................................................................................................................................................. 8

Edit mode ................................................................................................................................................................ 9

Control Panel Overview .......................................................................................................................................... 9

Customizing the Functional Settings of Your Course ............................................................................................ 10

Change the Course Name to Reflect the Current Semester ............................................................................. 10

Make Your Course Available ............................................................................................................................. 10

Customizing the Framework and Design of Your Course ..................................................................................... 10

Selecting a course structure ............................................................................................................................. 10

Selecting a Course Theme ................................................................................................................................. 11

Select Menu Style and Add A Banner ............................................................................................................... 11

Turn off all Unnecessary Tools .......................................................................................................................... 12

Changing the Course Entry Point ...................................................................................................................... 12

Creating a Test Student User Account .................................................................................................................. 12

Content Editor ....................................................................................................................................................... 13

Two Views of the Content Editor ...................................................................................................................... 13

Best Practice: Copying and Pasting Text to Prevent Loss ................................................................................. 13

Creating Your Contact Information ....................................................................................................................... 13

Video Everywhere ................................................................................................................................................. 14

Uploading Files into Blackboard ........................................................................................................................... 14

Naming Files ...................................................................................................................................................... 14

Creating PDF Files ............................................................................................................................................. 14

Uploading Your Syllabus ....................................................................................................................................... 15

Adding Items to the Course Menu ........................................................................................................................ 15

Action Bar in the Content Area ......................................................................................................................... 16


Adding Items to the Course Documents Area ...................................................................................................... 16

Create Item ....................................................................................................................................................... 16

Creating Folders and Organizing Files ............................................................................................................... 16

Adding Content to Folders ................................................................................................................................ 17

Creating Learning Modules ............................................................................................................................... 17

Creating a Shortcut to Tools in the Content Area ............................................................................................ 17

Moving Items in the Course Content Area ....................................................................................................... 17

Enrolling Students ................................................................................................................................................. 17

Removing Students ............................................................................................................................................... 17

Viewing the Course Roster .................................................................................................................................... 18

To View the Roster through the Tools area: ..................................................................................................... 18

To View the Roster Through the Control Panel: ............................................................................................... 18

Posting an Announcement .................................................................................................................................... 18

Making Your Course Available .............................................................................................................................. 19

Sending an Email ................................................................................................................................................... 19

Copy Course .......................................................................................................................................................... 19

Combining Course Sections .................................................................................................................................. 20

Getting Help with Blackboard ............................................................................................................................... 20


Blackboard What, How, When, and Where?

What can Blackboard do for me?

Course Information: Syllabus, Faculty Information, Calendar, Schedule

Learning Resources: Documents, PowerPoint Presentations, Audio/Video links, Web sites

Collaboration: Synchronous and Asynchronous communications, Announcements, Discussion Forums,

Real Time Chat and Virtual Classroom, Groups, Blackboard Collaborate!

Evaluation: Tracking student progress, Tests, Surveys, Grade Center, Assessment tools

What do I have to do to get my courses on Blackboard?

All classes have a Blackboard course shell.

What is the timeline for Blackboard course creation?

Blackboard and PeopleSoft are integrated.

Course Shells are created six-weeks before the beginning of the semester.

Students are automatically enrolled two weeks before the beginning of the semester.

Email Preference

To login to Blackboard, users must have a Fresno State email username and password. The email

username and password is also the username and password for Blackboard.

All email sent through Blackboard goes to the Fresno State email addresses. Email may be forwarded

to another email account. For details, contact Help Desk (https://help.csufresno.edu/).

Login to Blackboard

To access your courses on Blackboard 9.1, please visit:

(https://blackboard.fresnostate.edu/).

https://help.csufresno.edu/

https://blackboard.fresnostate.edu/


Quick Links Tool

The Quick Links tool allows a user to quickly locate any heading or section within any page in Blackboard and jump directly to it.

Located in the top left, the Quick Links icon opens a pop-up window that displays the landmark and navigation links on the page. Any available keyboard shortcuts for the page are also displayed.

My Blackboard

Courses and Organizations

When you login to Blackboard, you will be in the Courses and Organizations area within the My Blackboard

page. The Courses and Organizations area contains the following default modules which cannot be removed.

Tools: allows users to view information from all courses and set personal information (e.g. change

password, set privacy options, etc.)

Hot Links: provides links to the most visited sites of Fresno State.

Course List: displays your courses. To personalize Course List, point on the upper right corner of the

My Courses module and click on the “Gear” icon that appears. Make changes in the Edit Course List

and click Submit.

My Organizations: displays your organizations. TIP: The Blackboard - Faculty Forum contains

information and resources for Blackboard and online teaching in general.

The Bb Home displays an overview of recent activity, such as messages, items that were recently

graded, and items that are due. Click each tool in the menu to access the page.

My Blackboard Tools

Notifications Dashboard

The Notifications Dashboard area within the My Blackboard page is module-based and customizable.

To add a new module: click the Add Module button on the upper-left corner of the Notifications

Dashboard area > Browse the Categories > click the Add button for the module you wish to appear on

your Notifications Dashboard.

To change the theme: click the Personalize Page button on the upper-right corner of the page > select

the Theme you like > click Submit.


Global Navigation Menu and My Blackboard

The Global Navigation Menu provides access to critical and timely information from one location.

Global Navigation Menu Icon Legend


Social Learning Tools

The Social Learning Tools allow users to discover, connect, and collaborate with others who have a Blackboard

profile. This includes Blackboard users at other schools. Through their learning network students are able to

learn from each other through social, informal means - complementing the more formal classroom and online

course experiences.

Enhanced Profiles provide the opportunity for users to create an online academic identity and share

only what they want to share. Profiles include a wall for communication and the ability to message and

follow other users to make connections and build a learning network.

Through the use of the People tool, users can build a learning network as they find other students and

peers with the same academic interests.

Using the Message tool users may contact those within the global learning network.

Spaces provide users with an area for collaboration and communication among peers or students.

Users control the Spaces in which they can communicate with others for departmental collaboration,

best practice sharing, committee work, or to foster social learning among students.

Profiles

A profile is a reflection of how the user wants to present themselves to peers, classmates, and instructors. When creating profiles, users decide what they want to be called, their academic interests and anything else they want to share.

Profiles are stored in the Blackboard cloud. This means that profiles are not tied to a specific institution and users are able to maintain their academic relationships and network as they move from the institution to workforce.

Once profiles are created they cannot be deleted, only hidden.

Note: It is suggested that you wait to set-up your profile until after student rosters are loaded which is generally two weeks before the beginning of the semester. If you create your profile before this time there is the possibility that you will have to re-create it once rosters are loaded.

Setting Up Your Profile:

1. Access your profile through the My Blackboard Global Navigation Menu by clicking on the Avatar icon.

2. Click Edit My Profile.

3. Upload an image that will be your Avatar throughout Blackboard.

4. Choose an Email Address. It is suggested that you use a personal email for this, as you may lose access

to Fresno State email if you graduate or change institutions. The system sends you a verification email


containing a link that directs you back to your profile, verifying your identity as the owner of that email

address. Once verified, your profile is linked to that email address.

5. Set the Privacy Settings. Read each option carefully to decide which users can view your profile.

Public: If you select this option, anyone with a Blackboard profile can find and view you on the

People page. They do not have to be enrolled in the same institution, course, or organization as

you. Your name and avatar appear throughout your courses, and users can view a preview of

your profile from there.

My Institution (recommended): If you select this option, anyone at your institution can find and

view you on the People page. They do not have to be enrolled in the same course or

organization as you. Your name and avatar appear throughout your courses, and users can view

a preview of your profile from there.

Private: If you select this option, only users who are enrolled in the same course or organization

as you can find and view you on the People page. Your name and avatar appear throughout

your courses, and users can view a preview of your profile from there.

Hidden: If you select this option, no users can find and view you on the People page. Your name

and avatar appear throughout your courses, but users cannot view a preview of your profile

from there.

Facebook and Twitter Integration

When you create or edit your profile, you can pull in your profile picture, Facebook-specific email address, and

a brief “about me” description from your Facebook or Twitter profiles.

Messages

My Blackboard messages are not the same as course messages or email. You do not have to be online at the same time as other people to send and receive messages. You do have to be logged into Blackboard to send and receive My Blackboard messages. Messages appear in the left panel of the Global Navigation Menu. The most recent appears first.

To read or compose a Message, click on the Message Icon located in the Global Navigation Menu.

Create a Message:

1. Select the user you want to send a message to from your Learning Network and click Send Message. 2. Type in your Message and click Send Message. 3. You may also start a conversation with another user from the Messages area by clicking New Message.


Spaces

A space is a group that you can easily and quickly create to collaborate with other users. For example, you can create a space for a final exam study group, your athletic team, or any other special interest. Spaces are not the same as organizations. Anyone can create and manage spaces.

To access the spaces you belong to or to create a space, click on the Spaces Icon located in the Global Navigation Menu. The spaces that you have joined and manage appear in your profile.

Create a Space:

1. Click Create a Space. 2. Type a Name for the space. 3. Optionally, Invite space members and click Get Started. 4. Click More Options. 5. Add an Image. 6. Invite space members. 7. Select the space Category and type a Description. 8. Set the Privacy Options which will set how your space appears in My Blackboard and in member

profiles.

Public Spaces are discoverable using search and anyone can join.

Protected Spaces are discoverable to search, but to join you must request access from the manager or be invited by the manager.

Private Spaces are not discoverable using search, and can only be joined by invitation from the manager. Private spaces are not displayed on a member’s profile.

9. Click Save Edits.

The privacy settings in your space set how your space appears in My Blackboard and in member profiles. Read

each option on the Edit My Space page carefully to set users who can find and join your space.

Course Site

In the Course List, click on a Course you are teaching. Each new course opens to the Home Page that contains

modules designed to provide students with information on what has changed in the course since they last

visited, what items require attention and what items are past due or due in the near future. Instructors can

modify the course home page to meet their needs. The modules on the Home Page include:

My Announcements: Course related Announcments appear here

My Tasks: Displays any tasks created by the instructor

What’s New: Displays notifications of what’s new in the course

Needs Attention: Notifications for all of the items that need attention in all the courses.

To Do: Generates a report of what is due and past due

Alerts: Includes reports of what is past due as well as Retention Center and Activity alerts.

This page may be customized by clicking on Add Course Module and selecting the desired modules.


See Changing the Course Entry Point if you prefer opening the course to the Announcements page.

Edit mode

The most important detail instructors need to know about Blackboard 9.1 is where to find the Edit Mode

button which allows instructors to manage their courses. This button is located in the upper-right corner of

each Course area and in any subfolders. With Edit Mode ON you can easily manage course content. With Edit

Mode OFF you see what your students see.

Control Panel Overview

The Control Panel is the area for managing the content, features, users,

and appearance of a course. The Control Panel provides access to all the

course-building tools. You can expand and collapse items in the Control

Panel by clicking on any of the menu buttons.

Content Collection: The Content Collection area is a course’s

document repository that can be used to keep and organize

course-related files. You can upload a file once and reuse it in

multiple areas.

Course Tools: Provide access to all available tools for

communication, collaboration, assessments, etc. in a course.


Evaluation: Provide tools for tracking user performance and activity.

Grade Center: In Blackboard 9.1, the link to the Grade Center is on the top level of the Control Panel.

The Grade Center area provides access to the Full Grade Center page.

Users and Groups: Provides tools to enroll students, to search students enrolled in the course, and

organize students into groups.

Customization: Provides access to customize the course properties such as course availability, tool

availability, and course appearance.

Packages and Utilities: Provided access to copy course, import, export, and archive features for a

course.

Help: Provides access to Blackboard Learn Guide and On Demand Learning Center.

Customizing the Functional Settings of Your Course

NOTE: Make sure your Edit Mode button is in the ON position.

Change the Course Name to Reflect the Current Semester

Changing the course name allows users to easily identify the course they are looking for in a list of courses on Blackboard.

1. In the Control Panel area, select Customization and Properties. 2. In the Name and Description area, change the Course Name to reflect the current semester and click

Submit.

Make Your Course Available

All courses are set to unavailable by default. As soon as the course is ready it is the instructor’s responsibility

to make the course available. You will see (Course is unavailable to students) at the top of your course site

until you make the course available to students.

1. Select Customization and Properties in the Control Panel area. 2. In the Set Availability, Make Course Available, select Yes and click Submit.

Customizing the Framework and Design of Your Course

Selecting a course structure

Course structures are predefined course materials such as Course Menu links, instructions, and content

examples that you can add to your course to begin the design process quickly.

When selecting a Course Structure, keep in mind the following information:

A selected course structure’s content is added to your course and does not replace existing menu items and content in your course.


A selected course structure's links appear at the top of your Course Menu.

You can edit or delete course structure content in the same way as other created or imported content.

The optional content examples are guidelines for creating your own course material. This content is set to unavailable so that students cannot view it.

IMPORTANT! Adding a course structure does not replace existing Course Menu items and content. The course structure's content is added to the existing content and Course Menu in your course, and you have the ability to edit. You are not able to default back to your original structure once you select a new one, you will need to manually edit the links.

To Select a Course Structure:

1. Select Customization in the Control Panel area of your existing course. 2. Select Teaching Style. 3. In the Select Course Structure area, select the name of the Course Structure you would like to use in

one of the five focus areas, Activity. Communication, Content, System or Time. 4. Preview the structure on the right side of the screen and select Use This Structure if you are sure you

would like to make the changes and click Submit.

Selecting a Course Theme

You may easily add style and visual interest by customizing the look and feel of your course using Course Themes. Course themes are pre-built designs that allow you to change the color of course links, section and page headers, and the background wallpaper of the course.

To Select a Course Theme:

1. Select Customization in the Control Panel area of your existing course. 2. Select Teaching Style. 3. In the Select Course Theme area, select the theme you would like to use and click Submit. 4. You may also change the Course Theme using the Change Course Theme icon at the top of the course

site.

Select Menu Style and Add A Banner

You may select a color and style for your Course Menu.

1. Select Customization in the Control Panel area.


2. Click on Teaching Style and scroll to the Select Menu Style area, select Buttons or Text and make your selections. You also have the option to Upload a Banner.

You may easily create a Banner in PowerPoint.

1. Open a new PowerPoint presentation and select a Blank Content Layout. 2. Resize the slide 7 to 8 inches in width and 1.5 inches in height. 3. Design your banner using WordArt, Text boxes, ClipArt or digital Photos. 4. Save the Banner as a JPEG file. 5. To upload the Banner into Blackboard, select Customization in the Control Panel area. 6. Click on Teaching Style and scroll down to Select Banner, click Browse and Select the JPEG file of the

Banner you created in PowerPoint and click Submit. A Banner Gallery of PowerPoint templates is also available: (http://www.fresnostate.edu/academics/blackboard/fac-staff/banner-gallery.html) Simply select the template you want to use, download it and modify the text to reflect your course. All of the images were taken around the Fresno State campus and will provide an attractive and effective ‘welcome mat’ for your course.

Turn off all Unnecessary Tools

To simplify your class you will want to hide the links of all the tools you will not be using. If you decide to use a

tool later in the semester you may make it available at that time.

1. In the upper right-hand corner, select Edit Mode ON. 2. Select Tools on the Course Menu.

3. Click Hide Link next to the tools that you are not using.

4. To view the Tools that will be available to students, turn off the Edit Mode button.

Changing the Course Entry Point

For those instructors who prefer to have the Announcements as the course entry point they may do this easily

by changing the entry point.

1. On the Course Menu hover to the right of the Announcements link and select Show Link. 2. In the Control Panel area, select Customization and Teaching Style then scroll down to Select Course

Entry Point.

3. Change the Course Entry Point to Announcements and click Submit.

Creating a Test Student User Account

Instructors can create a test student user account using the Add Test Student tool accessible from the Course Tools area of the Control Panel. An instructor can create only ONE test student user account. This test student account is tied to an individual instructor and can be added to any course the instructor is teaching. Once a test student is added to a course, the instructor can log into the course THROUGH THE NON-FRESNO STATE OR COMMUNITY USERS LINK LOCATED UNDER THE REGULAR BLACKBOARD LOGIN. You will not be able to login as a Test Student through the regular login area.

http://www.fresnostate.edu/academics/blackboard/fac-staff/banner-gallery.html


Note: please do not share this account with others because they will gain access to ALL the courses associated with this test student. This account should only be used to test your course as a student. Please do not use this account for guest users or official course records.

Content Editor

The Content Editor is based on the industry standard, WYSIWYG, and allows users to add text and other forms

of digital content to Blackboard.

Two Views of the Content Editor

Simple Mode: Contains a minimal set of the most used text formatting functions.

Advanced Mode: Includes every available formatting and object attachment function.

Best Practice: Copying and Pasting Text to Prevent Loss

To protect against losing work if an internet connection loss or software error occurs, you may choose to type

in an offline simple text editor, such as Notepad, and copy and paste your work into Blackboard Learn.

Alternately, before submitting or saving, you can select and copy all of the text typed in Blackboard Learn.

Creating Your Contact Information

The Faculty Information link should contain information students will need to contact the instructor. This includes email, office location and office hours. Instructors may also add notes and upload a picture.

1. Select Faculty Information on the Course Menu. 2. Select Create Contact, complete the template and click Submit.


Video Everywhere

Video Everywhere is a tool found in the Content Editor that allows users to record video and upload directly

into YouTube.

Record a video on the fly using a

webcam and have it seamlessly

embedded into course materials,

interaction, and feedback through the

content editor.

Uploading Files into Blackboard

Naming Files

When you save a file that you will be uploading into Blackboard it is very important that you and your students

follow specific naming conventions. Do not use any special characters (#, !, &, etc). The filename of any file

you submit MUST include only letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores and it MUST end with a file

extension.

Creating PDF Files

Saving documents in PDF may make it easier for users to download and access files. Users will need the free

Adobe Reader to access and read the files http://get.adobe.com/reader/.

If you do not have Adobe Acrobat there are several options for creating PDF files for free

Cute PDF (http://www.cutepdf.com/)

Zamzar – file conversion tool (http://www.zamzar.com/)

http://get.adobe.com/reader/

http://www.cutepdf.com/

http://www.zamzar.com/


2007 Microsoft Add-in: Microsoft Save as PDF

(http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4d951911-3e7e-4ae6-b059-

a2e79ed87041&displaylang=en)

This download allows you to export and save to the PDF versions of Office and send as an email attachment

seamlessly.

Uploading Your Syllabus

The course syllabus and all revisions should be located in the Syllabus area located on the Course Menu.

1. Select Syllabus on the Course Menu. 2. Click on Build Content and Create Item. 3. Type in the name of your Syllabus and a description. Make sure and include the file type. 4. Browse for the file on your computer, Name the Link, select the Options and click Submit.

Adding Items to the Course Menu

The Fresno State default Course Menu has the following links: Home Page, Announcements, Syllabus, Faculty

Information, Course Documents, Discussions, Tools, Help. You may easily add

other items to your Course Menu.

1. Click the “+” sign from the Course Menu.

2. Select the item you would like to add. You have the following choices:

o Content Area: This area can contain many different types of

content including Tests, Assignments, Folders, Links to

multimedia, etc.

o Module Page: These are cutomizable pages that can contain any

number of interactive elements such as a dictionary, calculate,

or information including grades, tasks, and alerts.

o Blank Page: Blank pages utilize the text editor for content that

will appear on the page.

o Tool Link: This allows access to specific tools within the course.

o Web Link: Link to an external website.

o Course Link: Direct link to another area in the course.

o Subheader: Allow you to clarify relationships between Course Menu items. These are text only

and when inserted a Divider appears above it.

o Divider: Allow you to organize your Course Menu into distinct sections.

3. Type in a Name and add any other necessary information.

4. Checkmark “Available to Users” and click Submit.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4d951911-3e7e-4ae6-b059-a2e79ed87041&displaylang=en

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4d951911-3e7e-4ae6-b059-a2e79ed87041&displaylang=en


Action Bar in the Content Area

Build Content – Allows you to create folders to organize your course where you may place items, files,

images, external links, course tools, etc. You can also add content that is pulled from an external Web

sites (Flickr, SlideShare, and YouTube) to your work through the Mash-Up tool.

Create Assessment – Allows you to create Test, Surveys, Assignments, and SafeAssignments that link

to the Grade Center.

Tools – Allows you to add a link to all Blackboard tools.

Partner Content – Allows you to search for or manually enter a Textbook to add to your course.

Adding Items to the Course Documents Area

Create Item

1. Mouse over Build Content > click Item.

2. Type in the Name of the File and a description in the Text box.

3. Attach a file from a local drive or course Content Collection. File name is used as a title of the file by

default. Consider providing a descriptive name of the content in the Link Title. Select the desired File

Action Option for each attached file.

4. Select the desired Options.

o Permit Users to View the Content Item – Yes or No

o Track Number of Views – allows you to see who has accessed the item

o Select Date and Time Restrictions – set the day and times the content will be available to

students

5. Click Submit when finished.

Creating Folders and Organizing Files

Folders provide the instructor with a way to add multiple files to a course in an organized manner.

1. Mouse over Build Content > click Content Folder.

2. Type in the Name of the folder and a description of what the folder contains in the Text box.

3. Select the desired Options > click Submit.


Adding Content to Folders

1. Click the title of the Folder to open it.

2. Add the desired content using the drop down menus on the Action Bar.

Creating Learning Modules

Learning Modules offer a simple and intuitive means for instructors to organize and structure course content

with hierarchical organization so students can navigate through content in a logical, sequential way.

1. Mouse over Build Content > click Learning Module.

2. Type in the Name of the module and a description of what the module contains in the Text box.

3. Select the desired Options > click Submit.

4. Click the title of the Learning Module to open it.

5. Add the desired content using the drop down menus on the Action Bar.

Creating a Shortcut to Tools in the Content Area

You can create a shortcut (link) to tools, content areas, or content items.

1. Go to a Course Content Area where you want to create a link to an area, a tool, or an item. 2. Hover over Build Content > select Course Link. 3. Click Browse to open the Menu to view all available link options and choose one. 4. Fill in the required fields and determine the options. 5. Click Submit.

Moving Items in the Course Content Area

1. Point to the item that you would like to move to access the action link. 2. Click Move. 3. Browse the destination where you want to move the item. 4. Click Submit.

Enrolling Students

1. Click Users and Groups from the Control Panel area > select Users.

2. Click Enroll User and select Find User to Enroll from the drop-down menu.

3. Type in the Username. Or click Browse and then search the Blackboard user index by First Name, Last

Name, or Email for the student you wish to enroll.

4. Change the Role if desired and click Submit.

Removing Students

Deleting students from a course deletes almost all of the information associated with the users, such as Grade

Center information, Assessment and Assignment information and Course Statistics. Instead of removing

students from the course, you can change a specific student’s availability in the course.


1. From the Control Panel, click Users and Groups > Users. 2. Point to the name of a student to whom you want the course unavailable. 3. Click on the Action Bar and Change User’s Availability in Course. 4. Choose No for Available (this course only). 5. Click Submit.

Viewing the Course Roster

To View the Roster through the Tools area:

1. Click Tools > select Roster.

2. At this point you do not have to select anything from the drop down menus or enter anything into the

search field. Just click the Go button.

If you want to view a list of enrolled students along with items such as usernames and email addresses you

may do so through the Control Panel > Users and Groups > Users.

To View the Roster Through the Control Panel:

1. Click Users and Groups > select Users.

2. In the Search field, select Email and Contains from the drop down menu and then type the sign in the

text field and click Go. OR In the Search field, select Username and Contains from the drop down menu

and then type % sign in the text field and click Go.

Posting an Announcement

Consider posting a Welcome Announcement. In this message you may want to include the date/time of class,

a brief course overview, instructor’s name and contact information, any textbook information, as well as how

you intend to use Blackboard.

There are several ways to post Announcements in your course.

From the Control Panel area:

1. Select Course Tools > choose Announcements.

2. Click the Create Announcement button in the Announcement page.

3. Fill in the Subject and Message fields and select the appropriate Options.

4. Click Submit.

If your course opens to an Announcements page:

1. Select Edit Mode ON.

2. Follow Step 2 of “From the Control Panel Area” above.

If your course opens to a Home Page which contains the My Announcements module:

1. Select Edit Mode ON.


2. Locate My Announcements module in the page.

3. Click the more announcements… button.

4. Follow Step 2 of “From the Control Panel Area” above.

NOTES: Priority announcements may be placed above the repositionable bar [Students do not see the bar]

and will always appear first in the list. This also means new announcements appear directly below a

repositionable bar, and thus also appear below the priority announcements.

Making Your Course Available

All courses are set to unavailable by default. As soon as the course is ready it is the instructor’s responsibility

to make the course available. You will see (Course is unavailable to students) at the top of your course site

until you make the course available to students.

1. Select Customization and Properties in the Control Panel area. 2. In the Set Availability, Make Course Available, select Yes and click Submit.

Sending an Email

Send an email to your students once the course is made available. You may want to consider copying and pasting the Welcome Announcement into the body of the email.

1. Go to the Course Tools area in the Control Panel. 3. Click Send Email. 4. Select the Users. 5. Type in a Subject and a Message and click Submit.

Copy Course

Once official course shells are created, you may copy content from your developmental course shell into your

official course shell.

1. Enter the course you want to copy content from. 2. Select Packages and Utilities in the Control Panel area of your existing course. 3. Select Course Copy. 4. In the Select Copy Type area, select Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course. 5. Click Browse to locate the Destination Course ID. 6. Search by Course ID, Instructor or Name/Description to access your course list. 7. Select the button next to the Destination Course ID of the course you want to copy the content to. 8. Select the items you would like to copy and click Submit.

An email will be sent once the Course Copy task is complete. Once this email is received, check the destination

course to verify that the selected materials were copied successfully from the original course. You will also

see a message in yellow at the top of the destination course once the course copy is complete.


Combining Course Sections

To request that course sections are combined and rosters merged into one course, complete the Combine

Course Request Form found in the Faculty section on (https://blackboard.fresnostate.edu/). This is a

permanent change for the term and requires signatures from all participating faculty. Print the form and mail

it to Technology Innovations for Learning and Teaching (HML 121).

Getting Help with Blackboard

There are several ways to get help with Blackboard 9.1.

Email: [email protected]

Resource Center located on the second floor of the Henry Madden Library in Studio 2: 559-278-7373.

Technical Support information: http://www.fresnostate.edu/academics/blackboard/support.html

https://blackboard.fresnostate.edu/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.fresnostate.edu/academics/blackboard/support.html