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Instructor• Instructor
◦ Find the Right Help
◦ What's New in Learn
◦ Browser Support for April 2014
▪ Browser Support Policy
▪ Internet Explorer Security Zones and Compatibility View
◦ Get Started
▪ Log In to Learn
▪ My Institution Tab
▪ Modules
▪ Course Catalog
▪ Organizations
▪ Courses Tab
◦ My Blackboard and Navigation
▪ Password, Personal Information, and Settings
▪ Calendar
▪ Messages
▪ My Grades
▪ People
▪ Portfolios
▪ My Portfolios
▪ Posts
▪ Profiles
▪ Spaces
▪ Updates
◦ In Your Course
▪ Navigate a Course
▪ Instructor Features
▪ Content Editor
▪ Format HTML Content
▪ Video Everywhere
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▪ File Attachments
▪ Sharing and Exchanging Files in Courses
▪ Best Practice: Attaching Files
▪ Online Teaching Strategies
▪ Best Practice: Analyze Course Effectiveness
▪ Best Practice: Help Students Succeed
▪ Best Practice: Increase Student Retention
▪ Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series 2012 Recordings
▪ Accessibility Information
▪ Accessibility Features
▪ Quick Links
▪ Best Practice: Captioning Video Content
▪ Best Practice: Formatting Accessible Documents
◦ Course Customization
▪ Course Availability
▪ Course Properties
▪ Course Style Options
▪ Course Structures
▪ Using Course Structures
▪ Selecting a Course Structure
▪ Course Structure: Activity
▪ Course Structure: ANGEL
▪ Course Structure: Blackboard Classic
▪ Course Structure: Blackboard Learn - Default
▪ Course Structure: By Chapter
▪ Course Structure: By Lecture
▪ Course Structure: By Lesson
▪ Course Structure: By Module
▪ Course Structure: By Subject
▪ Course Structure: By Topic
▪ Course Structure: By Unit
▪ Course Structure: Case Study
▪ Course Structure: Conference Session
▪ Course Structure: Constructivism
▪ Course Structure: Cooperative Learning
▪ Course Structure: CourseInfo
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▪ Course Structure: Daily
▪ Course Structure: eCollegial
▪ Course Structure: Expedition-Based
▪ Course Structure: Experiential Learning
▪ Course Structure: Guided Discussion
▪ Course Structure: Lab Format
▪ Course Structure: Open Source 1
▪ Course Structure: Open Source 2
▪ Course Structure: Project Format
▪ Course Structure: Science-Focused
▪ Course Structure: Social Learning
▪ Course Structure: Traditional
▪ Course Structure: WebCT 1
▪ Course Structure: WebCT 2
▪ Course Structure: Web 2.0
▪ Course Structure: Weekly
▪ Course Structures FAQs
▪ Course Roles
▪ Course Enrollments
▪ Enrollment Options
▪ Manage Users
▪ Guest and Observer Access
▪ Search Users
▪ Course Tool Availability
▪ Languages Other Than English
◦ Communication
▪ Calendar
▪ Announcements
▪ Contacts
▪ Roster
▪ Course Messages
◦ Notifications
▪ Notification Settings
▪ Notification Types and Removal
▪ Notifications Dashboard
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◦ Collaboration
▪ Best Practice: Interactive Tools in Action
▪ Best Practice: Commenting on Reflective Writing
▪ Best Practice: Grading Reflective Writing
▪ Discussions
▪ About Forums and Threads
▪ Set Up Discussions
▪ Create Forums
▪ Create Threads
▪ Best Practice: Effective Discussion Questions
▪ Manage Discussions
▪ Moderate Discussions
▪ Reply to Discussion Posts
▪ Search and Collect Discussions
▪ Grade Discussions
▪ View Discussion Statistics
▪ Group Discussions
▪ Wikis
▪ Best Practice: Wikis in Action
▪ Create Wiki Topics
▪ Create Wiki Pages
▪ Edit and Manage Wikis
▪ Grade Wikis
▪ Blogs
▪ Create a Blog
▪ Edit and Manage Blogs
▪ Grade Blogs
▪ Journals
▪ Best Practice: Benefits of Reflective Learning
▪ Create a Journal
▪ Edit and Manage Journals
▪ Grade Journals
▪ Course Groups
▪ Groups Page
▪ Group Tools
▪ Create Groups
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▪ Create Group Links
▪ Remove Students From a Group
▪ Edit Groups
▪ Send Email to a Course Group
▪ Create Group Assignments
▪ Grade Group Assignments
▪ Import and Export Groups
▪ Best Practices: Groups
▪ Best Practice: Group Collaboration
▪ Best Practice: Presenting Groups
▪ Best Practice: Group Membership
▪ Best Practice: Group Assessment
▪ Blackboard Collaborate
▪ Blackboard Collaborate Launcher
▪ Launch Blackboard Collaborate from Windows
▪ Install the Launcher on Windows
▪ Join Sessions on Windows
▪ Play Recordings on Windows
▪ Open .collab Files Automatically on Windows
▪ Launch Blackboard Collaborate from Mac
▪ Install the Launcher on Mac
▪ Join Sessions on Mac
▪ Play Recordings on Mac
▪ Open .collab Files Automatically on Mac
▪ Troubleshoot
▪ Confirm the Launcher is Installed
▪ Create a File Association
▪ Clear the Launcher's Java Cache
▪ Reinstall the Launcher
▪ Blackboard Collaborate Sessions
▪ Collaboration Tools
▪ Chat
▪ Virtual Classroom
▪ Record Collaboration Sessions
◦ Course Content
▪ Create Content
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▪ Best Practice: Presenting Content
▪ Writing for the Web
▪ Page Design
▪ Color
▪ Graphics
▪ Create Course Areas for Content
▪ Create Content in a Course Area
▪ Add Content Packages
▪ Create Assessments in a Course Area
▪ Link to Tools in a Course Area
▪ Provide Textbook Information in a Course Area
▪ Edit and Manage Course Areas and Content
▪ Reuse Content
▪ Best Practice: Reuse and Save Content
▪ Copy Courses
▪ Export and Archive Courses
▪ Import Course Packages
▪ Import Course Cartridges
▪ Chalk Titles
▪ Check Course Links
▪ Date Management
▪ Release Content
▪ Basic and Advanced Adaptive Release
▪ Adaptive Release Rules
▪ Adaptive Release Criteria
▪ Best Practice: Explaining Content Release
▪ Best Practice: Approaches to Adaptive Release
▪ Examples of Advanced Adaptive Release
▪ Bulk Delete Course Information
▪ Course Files
▪ Create and Edit Folders in Course Files
▪ Add Files to Course Files
▪ Create HTML Objects
▪ Web Folders and Shared Locations
▪ Files Added Automatically to Course Files
▪ Link to Files and Folders in Course Files
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▪ Browse for Files in Course Files and the Content Collection
▪ Manage Files and Folders in Course Files
▪ Control Access to Course Files
▪ Move Files to Course Files
▪ xpLor
▪ Build a Glossary
▪ Blackboard Digital Content
▪ Bookshelf by VitalSource
▪ Cengage Learning iLrn
▪ Macmillan Higher Education
▪ McGraw-Hill Connect and Create
▪ Best Practice: Reduce Your Course Size
▪ Best Practice: U.S. Copyrights
▪ Best Practice: Intro Videos
▪ Best Practice: Twitter
▪ Best Practice: Web 2.0 Tools
◦ Assignments
▪ Create Assignments
▪ Assignment Grade Settings
▪ Use SafeAssign in Assignments
▪ SafeAssign Originality Report
▪ DirectSubmit
▪ Language Support in SafeAssign
▪ SafeAssign FAQs
▪ Multiple Assignment Attempts
▪ Edit and Manage Assignments
▪ Grade Assignments
▪ Grade With SafeAssign
▪ Anonymous Grading
▪ Delegated Grading
▪ Best Practice: Delegated Grading Examples
▪ Download Assignments
▪ Best Practices: Assignments
▪ Best Practice: Presenting Assignments
▪ Best Practice: Assignment Instructions
▪ Best Practice: Assignment Rubrics
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▪ Best Practice: Plagiarism
▪ Self and Peer Assessment
▪ Create Self and Peer Assessments
▪ Add Questions to Self and Peer Assessments
▪ Add Criteria to Questions
▪ Preview Self and Peer Assessments
▪ Complete Self and Peer Assessments
▪ Edit Self and Peer Assessments
▪ Evaluate Self and Peer Assessments
▪ Monitor Self and Peer Assessment Submissions
▪ Monitor Self and Peer Assessment Evaluations
▪ View Self and Peer Assessments Results
▪ Export and Import Self and Peer Assessments
▪ Digital Dropbox
◦ Tests, Surveys, and Pools
▪ Create Tests and Surveys
▪ Test and Survey Options
▪ Restrict Tests by Location
▪ Edit Tests and Questions
▪ Test and Survey Canvas
▪ Deploy Tests and Surveys
▪ Delete Tests and Surveys
▪ Test and Survey Question Status
▪ Test and Survey Results
▪ Question Settings
▪ Question Metadata
▪ Question Types
▪ Calculated Formula Questions
▪ Calculated Numeric Questions
▪ Either/Or Questions
▪ Essay Questions
▪ File Response Questions
▪ Fill in Multiple Blanks Questions
▪ Fill in the Blank Questions
▪ Hot Spot Questions
▪ Jumbled Sentence Questions
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▪ Matching Questions
▪ Multiple Answer Questions
▪ Multiple Choice Questions
▪ Opinion Scale and Likert Questions
▪ Ordering Questions
▪ Quiz Bowl Questions
▪ Short Answer Questions
▪ True or False Questions
▪ Reuse Questions
▪ Random Blocks
▪ Question Sets
▪ Question Pools
▪ Upload Questions
▪ Import or Export Tests, Surveys, and Pools
▪ Grade Tests
▪ Item Analysis
▪ Resolve Student Issues With Tests
▪ Respondus
▪ Kryterion Konnect Online Proctoring
◦ Grade Center
▪ Grade Center Interface
▪ Needs Grading Page
▪ Grade Center Interactions
▪ Customize Grade Center
▪ Grade Center Columns
▪ Grade Columns
▪ Total Columns
▪ Weighted Columns
▪ Average Columns
▪ Minimum/Maximum Columns
▪ Extra Credit Columns
▪ Grade Center Categories
▪ Grading Schemas
▪ Grading Periods
▪ Smart Views
▪ Create and Manage Smart Views
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▪ Organize Grade Center Data
▪ Color Code the Grade Center
▪ Share and Reuse Grade Center Data
▪ Archive and Copy Courses With Grade Center Data
▪ Grading
▪ Rubrics
▪ Enter Grades
▪ Grade Details
▪ Override Grades
▪ Curve Grades
▪ Calculate and Exempt Grades
▪ Delete or Clear Grades
▪ Grade Center Reporting
▪ Grade History
▪ Grade Center Statistics
▪ Upload or Download Grade Center Items for Working Offline
▪ Send Course Email
▪ Turnitin
◦ Student Performance and Retention
▪ Retention Center
▪ Course Reports
▪ Performance Dashboard
▪ Goals
▪ Achievements
▪ The Lure of Badges
▪ Create and Manage Achievements
▪ Best Practice: Put a Badge on It
▪ Tasks
▪ Student Preview
◦ Content Collection
▪ Copy Files to the Content Collection
▪ Copying Courses and Content Collection Items
▪ Export/Import and Archive/Restore Content Collection Items
▪ Organize and Manage Content
▪ Organize Content in Folders
▪ Folder Permissions
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▪ Library
▪ Reusable Objects
▪ Create and Use Reusable Objects
▪ Share and Find Content
▪ Web Folders and Shared Locations
◦ Solutions to Common Problems
▪ FAQs
▪ Change Your Password
▪ Forgot Your Password
▪ Languages Other Than English
▪ Report Inappropriate Content
▪ Find the Right Version of Help
◦ Blackboard Videos
◦ About Help
▪ Get Started with Help
▪ Find the Right Version of Help
▪ Search Help
▪ Glossary
▪ Copyright Notice
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Instructor
Blackboard Recommends...Look here for information abouttopics that are trending in theBlackboard Community.
Starting the Semester
Make My Course Available
Create a Course From aPedagogical Template
Create My First Assignment
Content Editor
Edit My Personal Information
Featured Video: Student Preview
What's New in Learn
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If you are not sure which version of Blackboard Learn you are using, see Find the Right Help.
Learn 9.1 April 2014
The following table will help you to get familiar with the new features available for instructors with Blackboard Learn April2014.
You can also check out BlackboardTV, the Blackboard YouTube channel, to view dozens of Blackboard Learn videotutorials. This includes a featured playlist of Quick Hit videos, created just for educators.
Feature Description To Learn More
Assessments:Significant Figures
In calculated formula questions, instructors can select the number ofdecimals or significant figures for the correct answers generated bythe system.
Calculated FormulaQuestions
BlackboardCollaborate BuildingBlock
The Blackboard Collaborate Launcher is now available to Windowsusers, giving them parity with Mac users. This utility provides aconvenient and reliable way to launch Blackboard Collaborate webconferencing sessions and recordings.
BlackboardCollaborateLauncher
Financial AidReporting
Generate reports of student academic contribution within a single ormultiple courses in Blackboard Learn 9.1.
Course Reports
Grading:Anonymous Grading
Instructors can hide student names from submitted assignments foranonymous grading.
Anonymous Grading
Grading: DelegatedGrading
Instructors can delegate grading to specific users. Delegated Grading
PortfolioImprovements
Portfolios are now accessed from the global navigation and have anew authoring canvas. Instructors can create portfolio assignments.
Portfolios
Profiles The Enhanced Cloud Profile provides users with their firstprofessional profiles. The added features help users demonstratecompetencies they have developed through their educationaljourneys in a visual and uniquely /compelling way. If you do not seethis update, your institution has not turned it on.
Profiles
SafeAssignIntegration
SafeAssign is integrated into regular Learn assignments. Use SafeAssign inAssignments
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Best Practice:Plagiarism
SafeAssignOriginality ReportChanges
The SafeAssign originality report has been changed in the followingways:
• The report has been updated with a new look and feel. Thereport now displays multiple attachments.
• The email option has been removed. While viewing the report,you can "print to pdf" either natively or using a plug-in based onthe operating system and browser combination that you areusing to create an accessible PDF. Then, you can share the PDFin multiple ways, including secure email.
• Each source now has a color unique to the source. Textmatching the source is highlighted in the unique source color.There are a maximum of 30 different colors. This matches themaximum of 30 different sources.
• By default, all citation source highlighting is on. Instructors canclick Show/Hide All Highlighting to turn source highlighting offand on for all sources at once.
• The report layout has been improved for narrow screens. Thereport information and citations now appear at the top of thesubmission when instructors reduce the width of the viewingarea.
• Instructors click Select Sources and Resubmit to determinewhich sources they want to include in the next report. By default,all sources are included. Instructors can clear the check box foreach source to exclude from the results. This behavior is thereverse of previous releases.
• The page instructors are redirected to after resubmitting a paperhas been updated to be more in line with the styling of the newreport.
• During the redesign of the SafeAssign originality report, itbecame clear that the mixed script count was potentially showingmisleading and confusing information. The mixed script countidentifies the potential of multiple scripts used in an assignmentto hide acts of plagiarism. It was discovered that the count wasbased on the number of words or sentences in the text and wasonly triggered by Cyrillic. The count should be based on all of theways multiple scripts can be used to avoid plagiarism detection.Also, the areas where each script was used were not identified inthe document and had to be manually located. For thesereasons, while the originality report continues to alert you to anyuse of mixed-script characters within individual words anywherein a submission, the word count will not be available until it canbe accurate for all script combinations and all instances can behighlighted in the report.
SafeAssignOriginality Reports
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Student Preview Instructors can view their course exactly as a student does by usinga student account the system generates for them.
Student Preview
Request Email UpdatesClick the following button to request email updates about new releases from Blackboard.
Most Popular
• Student Preview (5,242)
• Use SafeAssign in Assignments (4,361)
• My Blackboard and Navigation (3,697)
• Course Availability (3,629)
• Assignments (3,217)
Most Helpful
• Selecting a Course Structure (100%)
• Browser Support for April 2014
• Browser Support Policy
• Find the Right Help
• What's New in Learn
Recently Updated
• What's New in Learn (Aug 27, 2014)
• Course Reports (Aug 22, 2014)
• Announcements (Aug 20, 2014)
• Course Tool Availability (Aug 13, 2014)
• Create Threads (Aug 7, 2014)
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Get Started with Blackboard HelpFind out how easy it is to find just what you need when you need it:
To learn more, see Get Started with Help.
http://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_2014_04/InstructorUpdated: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 09:01:25 GMT
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Find the Right Help
ƒ
How to Navigate HelpBlackboard help is organized by version and by role. You can select the right version of the help from the controls underthe search bar.
Role is easy to understand: you can view the help for students, instructors, or administrators. But how do you know whatversion of Blackboard Learn your institution is using?
How to Determine Your Version of LearnOn your Blackboard site's login page, click Installation details at the bottom of the page.
The Installation Details identify the version of Blackboard Learn that you are using and it also lists the capabilities thatyour institution licenses. Notes throughout the help system will identify if a particular capability is necessary to use afeature.
The following example tells you that your institution is currently on Blackboard Learn 9.1 April 2014.
9.1.201404 indicates that this is the April 2014 update of Learn 9.1. The rest of the number identifies the particular build.Only administrators and Blackboard Support will be interested in this portion of the number.
The following example tells you that your institution is currently on Blackboard Learn 9.1 SP 14.
9.1.14 indicates the release is 9.1 and the Blackboard Learn service pack is SP 14. The rest of the number identifies theparticular build. Only administrators will be interested in this portion of the number.
http://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_2014_04/InstructorUpdated: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 09:01:25 GMT
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Help for Earlier Service PacksThis site contains content for Learn SP 10 and later, but also includes links to help for SP through SP 9 in the old formaton help-archives.blackboard.com. If you are on SP 6 or later, you can access the help for your version by selecting theright version from the controls under the search bar.
To access the help for these versions in another language, replace the language code portion of the target URL (EN-US/NAHE) with your 4-letter country code, such as FR-FR for French. For K-12 and ProEd, use EN-US/K12 and EN-US/ProEd, respectively.
If you are on a service pack prior to SP 6, you can download the PDFs and host them locally. Click the desired languageto download the complete PDF documentation package (ZIP). If the only language listed is English (en_US), the helpwas not translated for that version. You should download the help for the previous service pack.
Version PDFs in Available LanguagesLearn 9.1 SP 5 English (en_US)Learn 9.1 SP 4 English (en_US)Learn 9.1 SP 3 English (en_US) | Arabic (ar_SA) | Chinese, Simplified
(zh_CN) | Chinese, Traditional (zh_TW) | Dutch(nl_NL) | French (fr_FR) | German (de_DE) | Italian(it_IT) | Japanese (ja_JP) | Spanish (es_ES)
Learn 9.1 SP 1 & SP 2 English (en_US) | Arabic (ar_SA) | Chinese, Simplified(zh_CN) | Chinese, Traditional (zh_TW) | Dutch(nl_NL) | French (fr_FR) | German (de_DE) | Italian(it_IT) | Japanese (ja_JP) | Spanish (es_ES)
Learn 9.1 GA English (en_US)
Where to Find More InformationIn addition to Help, use these resources to help you find the information that you need:
• YouTube Blackboard Channel: The Blackboard YouTube channel includes dozens of video tutorials to help facultyand students learn how to use Blackboard Learn.
• Ask the MVPs: Ask the MVPs is a discussion board where users can get answers from other users. The MVPforums are moderated by a group of client experts who can help you with a wide-range of questions.
• Behind the Blackboard:
◦ Students and Faculty can access the public portions of this site, which provide links to various self service andcommunity resources, including listservs. Blackboard listservs provide a quick way to get your questionsanswered or make your opinions known.
◦ Administrators must log in to Behind the Blackboard to access information about support tickets, softwaredownloads, and the support knowledge base.
• Upgrade Center: Administrators can log in to the Upgrade Center to access the information and resources neededto help you make and execute a plan to upgrade to Blackboard Learn Release 9.1.
http://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Instructor/000_Find_HelpUpdated: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 09:01:25 GMT
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What's New in Learn
If you are not sure which version of Blackboard Learn you are using, see Find the Right Help.
Learn 9.1 April 2014
The following table will help you to get familiar with the new features available for instructors with Blackboard Learn April2014.
You can also check out BlackboardTV, the Blackboard YouTube channel, to view dozens of Blackboard Learn videotutorials. This includes a featured playlist of Quick Hit videos, created just for educators.
Feature Description To Learn More
Assessments:Significant Figures
In calculated formula questions, instructors can select the number ofdecimals or significant figures for the correct answers generated bythe system.
Calculated FormulaQuestions
BlackboardCollaborate BuildingBlock
The Blackboard Collaborate Launcher is now available to Windowsusers, giving them parity with Mac users. This utility provides aconvenient and reliable way to launch Blackboard Collaborate webconferencing sessions and recordings.
BlackboardCollaborateLauncher
Financial AidReporting
Generate reports of student academic contribution within a single ormultiple courses in Blackboard Learn 9.1.
Course Reports
Grading:Anonymous Grading
Instructors can hide student names from submitted assignments foranonymous grading.
Anonymous Grading
Grading: DelegatedGrading
Instructors can delegate grading to specific users. Delegated Grading
PortfolioImprovements
Portfolios are now accessed from the global navigation and have anew authoring canvas. Instructors can create portfolio assignments.
Portfolios
Profiles The Enhanced Cloud Profile provides users with their firstprofessional profiles. The added features help users demonstratecompetencies they have developed through their educational
Profiles
http://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Instructor/000_Find_HelpUpdated: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 09:01:25 GMT
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journeys in a visual and uniquely /compelling way. If you do not seethis update, your institution has not turned it on.
SafeAssignIntegration
SafeAssign is integrated into regular Learn assignments. Use SafeAssign inAssignments
Best Practice:Plagiarism
SafeAssignOriginality ReportChanges
The SafeAssign originality report has been changed in the followingways:
• The report has been updated with a new look and feel. Thereport now displays multiple attachments.
• The email option has been removed. While viewing the report,you can "print to pdf" either natively or using a plug-in based onthe operating system and browser combination that you areusing to create an accessible PDF. Then, you can share the PDFin multiple ways, including secure email.
• Each source now has a color unique to the source. Textmatching the source is highlighted in the unique source color.There are a maximum of 30 different colors. This matches themaximum of 30 different sources.
• By default, all citation source highlighting is on. Instructors canclick Show/Hide All Highlighting to turn source highlighting offand on for all sources at once.
• The report layout has been improved for narrow screens. Thereport information and citations now appear at the top of thesubmission when instructors reduce the width of the viewingarea.
• Instructors click Select Sources and Resubmit to determinewhich sources they want to include in the next report. By default,all sources are included. Instructors can clear the check box foreach source to exclude from the results. This behavior is thereverse of previous releases.
• The page instructors are redirected to after resubmitting a paperhas been updated to be more in line with the styling of the newreport.
• During the redesign of the SafeAssign originality report, itbecame clear that the mixed script count was potentially showingmisleading and confusing information. The mixed script countidentifies the potential of multiple scripts used in an assignmentto hide acts of plagiarism. It was discovered that the count wasbased on the number of words or sentences in the text and wasonly triggered by Cyrillic. The count should be based on all of theways multiple scripts can be used to avoid plagiarism detection.
SafeAssignOriginality Reports
http://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Instructor/000_Find_HelpUpdated: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 09:01:25 GMT
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Also, the areas where each script was used were not identified inthe document and had to be manually located. For thesereasons, while the originality report continues to alert you to anyuse of mixed-script characters within individual words anywherein a submission, the word count will not be available until it canbe accurate for all script combinations and all instances can behighlighted in the report.
Student Preview Instructors can view their course exactly as a student does by usinga student account the system generates for them.
Student Preview
Request Email UpdatesClick the following button to request email updates about new releases from Blackboard.
http://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Instructor/010_Whats_NewUpdated: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 09:01:25 GMT
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Browser Support for April 2014Not sure what version of Learn you're using? See How to Determine Your Version of Learn.
Supported BrowsersBlackboard supports four primary browsers for Learn releases. Links to the vendor sites for the browsers are included inthis topic.
To learn more about Blackboard's general browser support policy as well as information about Javascript, Cookies, andother software, see the Browser Support Policy topic in this section.
The browser versions listed are those that were available when Blackboard Learn 9.1 April 2014 wasreleased. These are not the only browsers supported on this release. To learn more, seethe Browser Support Policy topic in this section.
Traditionally Released Browsers
The dates listed are the original release dates for general availability.
• Internet Explorer® 11 from Microsoft (17 October 2013 for Windows 8.1, 7 November 2013 forWindows 7)
• Internet Explorer 10 from Microsoft (26 October 2012 for Windows 8, 26 February 2013 forWindows 7)
• Internet Explorer 9 from Microsoft (14 March 2011)
Some configuration options for Internet Explorer might make some features of BlackboardLearn difficult to use. To learn more, see Internet Explorer Security Zones and CompatibilityView topic in this section.
• Safari® 7 from Apple (22 October 2013)
• Safari® 6 from Apple (25 July 2012)
Safari for Windows is unsupported. Apple's continued support for this browser is unclear,and Blackboard does not test it.
Automatically Updated Channel-based Browsers
The dates listed are the latest numbered patch release dates.
http://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Instructor/010_Whats_NewUpdated: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 09:01:25 GMT
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• Firefox® 28 (stable channel) from Mozilla (18 March 2014)
• Firefox 24 (ESR channel) from Mozilla (17 September 2013)
• Chrome™ 34 (stable channel) from Google (8 April 2014)
Don't See Your Browser or Version Listed?Both newer and older browsers from these vendors may be supported. To learn more, see the Browser Support Policytopic in this section.
Java and Other Browser PluginsA handful of features in Blackboard Learn require particular additional software to be installed. Without these, thefeatures themselves do not function. For this release of Learn, the following features have plugin requirements:
• Multiple file uploads in Course Files and Content Collection requires the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) fromOracle enabled as a browser plugin. The single file upload tool does not have this requirement. The upload applet issigned by Blackboard and includes a timestamping authority that allows the applet to run even after the certificatehas expired.
• The Virtual Classroom Tools in courses require the JRE from Oracle enabled as a browser plugin. The VirtualClassroom applet is signed by Blackboard and includes a timestamping authority that allows the applet to run evenafter the certificate has expired.
• The Meeting Room and Blackboard Collaborate synchronous communication features, available via Building Block,require the JRE for access to the rooms, but do not require the browser plugin. Blackboard also has additionalinformation about how Blackboard Collaborate uses Java in the Blackboard Collaborate Support Portal.
• The Record from Webcam feature of the Content Editor requires the Flash Player browser plugin from Adobe tosuccessfully save the recordings to YouTube.
JRE version 7 is the recommended version for features that depend on it. JRE version 6 may work, but could result inunexpected behavior. Oracle has acknowledged some security issues with JRE version 6.
On Apple Mac OS X, Google's Chrome browser does not support Java 7 because of incompatibilities between64-bit Java and 32-bit Chrome. Firefox and Safari browsers do not have this limitation on Mac OS X. Users of theChrome browser on Mac OS X must configure Java 6 support to access the features listed.
Adobe Flash Player version 11 is the recommended version of the Adobe Flash Player plugin, but the YouTubeservice ultimately determines the version required for this plugin.
Blackboard Learn does not require any other browser plugins. To learn more about browser plugins, assistivetechnology, and other supporting software, see the Browser Support Policy topic in this section.
Plugin Links• Download link for JRE on Oracle's site.
• Windows auto-download .cab files for JRE on Oracle's site - scroll down to links for version 7.
http://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Instructor/010_Whats_NewUpdated: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 09:01:25 GMT
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• To learn more about security and JRE, see this Blackboard Security Advisory.
• Directions from Apple for configuring Java 6 for Chrome browsers on Mac OS X on Apple's site.
• Download link for Adobe Flash Player on Adobe's site.
• More information about the Blackboard applet timestamping authority on GeoTrust's site.
In this section...• Browser Support Policy
• Internet Explorer Security Zones and Compatibility View
http://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Instructor/015_Browser_SupportUpdated: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 09:01:25 GMT
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Browser Support Policy
How We Test and Validate BrowsersBlackboard's approach to determining browser testing and validation is driven by two main considerations:
1. We want to test and validate the latest browsers, especially where browser auto-updates drive rapid enduser upgrades.
2. We want to test and validate an appropriately broad set of browsers that are being used among our clients.
When a browser is listed as tested and validated, Blackboard is committed to supporting client usage in two main ways:
1. Before a Learn release, by testing the available browser and operating system combinations to prevent anybrowser issues from being released.
2. After a Learn release, by rapidly addressing client issues by:
• Accepting Support cases on the platform technology, assisting with resolution, and escalating the issuesfor resolution, regardless of the browser in use.
• Working to resolve any browser issues in product releases as with any other type of issue.
BrowsersBlackboard tests and validates four primary browsers for Learn releases. Links to the vendor sites for the browsers areincluded below.
This includes two browsers that follow a traditional software update path with periodic releases of new versionsas Generally Available, typically tied to a particular operating system (OS):
• Internet Explorer from Microsoft
• Safari from Apple
Certain Internet Explorer configuration options can make it difficult to use some features of Blackboard Learn. To learnmore, see the Internet Explorer Security Zones and Compatibility View topic in this section.
This also includes two browsers that follow a cross-operating system, channel-based rapid software update path:
• Firefox from Mozilla
• Chrome from Google
With these browsers, Blackboard tests their latest "stable" release channel at the time of testing, which is thechannel that gets the most testing by the browser vendors themselves before being released to users.
In addition, Blackboard tests and validates Firefox's specialized Extended Support Release (ESR) channel, which is asubset of their stable channel designed for enterprise-wide deployment. To learn more, see Firefox's Extended SupportRelease page.
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If you need information about the specific versions of each browser that were tested and validated when a particularversion of Learn was released, see the Release Notes for that released.
Blackboard's Approach to Rendering in Browsers• The rendering layer of Blackboard Learn consists of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets(CSS), and JavaScript that all comply with modern standards for those languages.
Our universal design approach focuses on interoperability. This means that wherever possible we do not writecode specific to a certain browser or we use the minimum amount of encapsulation to handle variations among thebrowsers.
• The rendering layer of Blackboard Learn interacts with the rendering engine of your browser, which is the partthat draws the web pages in the main part of the browser window.
• All of the browser rendering engines are designed to work well with standards-compliant markup in HTML, CSSand Javascript. This includes:
◦ WebKit, which powers Safari, Chrome, and Opera
◦ Blink, a version of WebKit that powers the most recent versions of Chrome
◦ Trident, which powers Internet Explorer
◦ Gecko, which powers Firefox
This design approach to the rendering layer of Blackboard Learn allows us to be confident that new versionsof browsers, when released, will continue to work with current versions of Learn.
Blackboard's Approach to Browser TestingTo verify this confidence with each new release, Blackboard executes our browser compatibility test suite againstnewly released browser versions on multiple OS combinations to ensure function prior to releasing a given version. Thistesting leverages the full set of automation and manual testing strategies available to ensure confidence in testing.
Newer Browser VersionsBecause of the increased frequency of new browser version released by some vendors, Blackboard's policy is tosupport all new browser versions released to the market as Generally Available or by supported release channels, evenif the browser is released after testing has concluded for the release. We address any critical browser issues found byclients in the field against a provisionally supported browser as a top priority. We execute frequent test cycles againstnew browsers to ensure the system continues to perform as expected and will update client facing supported browserdocumentation appropriately.
Older BrowsersJust as we recommend keeping up with the latest version of Blackboard Learn for the best experience, the browservendors make the same recommendation about their software. Some older versions of browsers from some vendorsmay have rendering issues with newer versions of Learn, and some newer browser versions may have rendering issueswith older versions of Learn.
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Blackboard still accepts client issues for these browsers reported to Support and will attempt to replicate the issue on afully supported browser. If it cannot replicate the issue, Blackboard will recommend that the client move to a browserversion fully supported by Blackboard. In some cases, an additional recommendation might be to update to a moremodern version of Learn.
Cookies and JavascriptRegardless of the browser being used, Blackboard Learn requires the use of session cookies and javascript enabledin the user's browser to provide the right experience for teaching and learning.
Additional acceptance of persistent cookies or third-party cookies may be required for some features tofunction correctly, including WebDAV access to course files or content collection files and access to users' Blackboardprofiles and Social Tools. To learn more, see the Using Persistent Cookies topic and the Social Learning Tools topic.
Blackboard also provides a Building Block to allow users to acknowledge a cookie disclosure statement when logging into Blackboard Learn, as is required in some places. To learn more about this Building Block, see the SecurityManagement - Cookie Disclosure topic.
Java and Other Browser PluginsA handful of Blackboard Learn features require particular additional software to be installed. Without these, the featuresthemselves do not function. Users may be prompted to install the additional software when accessing these features, ordepending on individual browser security settings, users may need to acknowledge a browser message allowing theplugin to run on their system.
If you need information about the specific features that require browser plugins for a particular service pack of Learnor version information for the plugins themselves, see the Release Notes for that service pack.
Blackboard Learn can be used to serve media content or other types of specialized content that requires abrowser plugin such as Java, Flash Player, Apple QuickTime, or other plugins to render the content. In these scenarios,the version of the plugin and the browsers that are compatible with the plugin, as well as installation andconfiguration instructions for the plugin, are determined by the nature of the content and will vary.
Assistive Software and AccessibilityBlackboard strives to make all its products as accessible as possible. To learn more about assistivetechnologies, visit http://access.blackboard.com
.
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Internet Explorer Security Zones and Compatibility View
Common Issue with Internet Explorer - Not Logged InSome Blackboard Learn users using Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser may encounter a "Not Logged In" error whenattempting to access Cloud features such as Profiles if their browser is not configured to have both the Cloud server andtheir Learn installation server in the same Security Zone. This error occurs even though the user is successfully loggedin to Blackboard Learn at their institution.
The configuration of Security Zones is a unique feature of Internet Explorer. Users of the other supported browsers forBlackboard Learn do not have this issue. To learn more about supported browsers, see the Browser Support Policytopic in this section.
This problem is easy to correct, but it must be done in the individual browser. The following sections provide directionsfor several versions.
Common Issue with Internet Explorer - Profile Not FoundSome Blackboard Learn users using Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser may encounter a "Profile Not Found" errorwhen attempting to access the Profiles feature in particular if their browser is configured to show either their Learninstallation server or the Cloud server in Compatibility View mode. This error occurs even though the user is successfullylogged in to Blackboard Learn at their institution.
The Compatibility View mode is a unique feature of Internet Explorer. Users of the other supported browsers forBlackboard Learn do not have this issue. To learn more about supported browsers, see the Browser Support Policytopic in this section.
This problem is easy to correct, but it must be done in the individual browser. The following sections provide directionsfor several versions.
Configuring Internet Explorer Security Zones for Blackboard Learn and Cloud1. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options. In Internet Explorer versions 9 and 10, you access this menu by
clicking on the "sprocket" icon under the search bar. In version 8, you access this menu by clicking on the word"Tools" in the same location. The following steps are identical for all versions.
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2. Select the Security tab in the Internet Options dialog box.
3. Select Trusted Sites (the green check mark icon).
4. Add *.cloud.bb to the Trusted Zone if it is not already added.
5. Add your Blackboard server address to the Trusted Zone if it is not already added.
6. Close the Trusted Sites dialog box.
7. Click OK to close the Internet Options dialog box.
Click the images below to expand.
Internet Explorer Version 8
Internet Explorer Version 9
Internet Explorer Version 10
Configuring Compatibility View Settings for Blackboard Learn and Cloud1. From the Tools menu, select Compatibility View Settings. In Internet Explorer versions 9 and 10, you access
this menu by first hitting the Alt key to make the menu bar visible. In version 10 on Windows 8 OS, you must be inDesktop mode. In version 8, you access this menu by clicking on the word "Tools" underneath the Search box.The following steps are identical for all versions.
2. Review any sites in the Websites you've added to Compatibility View list.
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3. If there are any cloud.bb sites or your Blackboard Learn site on the list, select them and click Remove.
4. If your Blackboard Learn site is in your Intranet Security Zone, clear the Display intranet sites in CompatibilityView check box.
5. Click Close to close the Compatibility View Settings dialog box.
Click the images below to expand.
Internet Explorer Version 8
Internet Explorer Version 9
Internet Explorer Version 10
Notes
Technically, the Security Zone issue arises if your Blackboard Learn server and the Blackboard cloud.bb server are intwo different Internet Explorer Security Zones AND one of those zones is running in Protected Mode and the other zoneis not running in Protected Mode. In this configuration, the cloud.bb server and the Blackboard Learn server are not ableto communicate with each other to validate your session, so the cloud.bb server reports that you are not logged in.
Because of this, it is also possible to fix this issue by changing the Protected Mode setting for one of the zones (usingthe Security tab as described above) so that it matches the other, without necessarily changing the zone for eitherserver, or adding either one to the Trusted Sites zone. However, this may have an impact on your browsing of other,non-Blackboard sites, or on browsing policies at your institution.
The recommended, easiest way to configure your browser to work around this issue is by adding both entries to theTrusted Sites zone as described above.
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Compatibility View mode should not be needed for any feature of Blackboard Learn. With this mode set, the Cloudserver is unable to communicate back to the Blackboard Learn server when it has new information.
• Read more about Security Zones on Microsoft's site.
• Read more about Protected Mode on Microsoft's site.
• Read more about Compatibility View on Microsoft's site.
• Detailed technical explanation of the Security Zone issue from the Microsoft Developer Network Blog.
• Read more about how to use Micrsoft's Group Policy feature to register trusted sites for a large number of browserson a network is also described on the Microsoft Developer Network Blog.
• Read more about how Blackboard Learn uses cookies in the Browser Support Policy topic in this section.
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Get StartedWhen using Blackboard Learn, you need to know the following information:
• Your institution has the ability to disable certain tools within the application. If you encounter tools that you areunable to access, contact your institution.
• The openness of Blackboard Learn allows you and your institution to be very creative. The names for items inBlackboard Learn may differ from those in the documentation.
• Building blocks allow institutions to integrate external applications, tools, content, and services into BlackboardLearn.
Browser CompatibilityTo learn about supported web browsers and operating systems, see Browser Support.
Contact your institution to learn which version of Blackboard Learn your institution is using, as compatibility varies byversion.
You can use Blackboard Mobile Learn on a variety of mobile devices, including BlackBerry®, Android™, and iPhone OSdevices such as iPhone and iPod Touch. Contact your institution to learn whether your institution has made BlackboardMobile Learn available.
Printing Course ContentBecause Blackboard Learn is web-based, printing is handled through your web browser. If the content is an attached filesuch as a Microsoft® Word or Excel document, use the print function in those programs.
Most browsers have a Help option that can explain more about printing.
If you need assistance printing course content, contact your institution.
In this section...• Log In to Learn
• My Institution Tab
• Courses Tab
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Log In to Learn
The first step in using Blackboard Learn is to log in to the system. Your institution will provide you with the URL,username, and password.
How to Log In to Blackboard LearnIn most cases, the URL given by your institution directs you to the gateway page for logging in. If instead, you aredirected immediately to the My Institution tab, you may also log in through a button on the header frame or a specialportal module.
1. Navigate to the URL provided by your institution.
2. Type your Username.
3. Type your Password. Passwords are case sensitive.
4. Click Login.
◦ New users see a welcome page that invites them to create a profile. Before creating a profile, you mustaccept the Blackboard Profiles Terms of Service in the pop-up window. If you do not agree to the terms ofservice, you will not be granted access to some tools. You can choose to create a profile later. To learn more,see Profiles.
◦ Exiting users see the My Institution tab.
Passwords enable access to personal information. To maintain security, do not share passwords withothers. If you forget your password, see Forgot Your Password? If you want to change yourpassword, see How to Change Your Password.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do if I can't log in?
Please contact the computing help desk at your institution. If you are not sure how to contact them, look for thetechnology office on your institution’s website or search the internet for your institution’s name + Blackboard + help orsupport.
What is the gateway page?
The gateway page welcomes you and provides a login button to access Blackboard Learn. Gateway pages arecustomized by your institution. You must have a valid username and password to log in.
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If the gateway page does not appear, you may also log in through a button on the header frame or a special portalmodule.
Cookies must be enabled within the web browser. Enable cookies through your browser's settings oroptions menu.
1. Login: Use this function to log in to Blackboard Learn.
2. Change Text Size: Display assistance in changing the size of the text displayed in the browser.
3. High Contrast Setting: Change the display to assist low vision users. You can select whether to use youroperating system's high contrast settings or use Blackboard styles.
4. Create a New Account: Create an account to use Blackboard Learn.
5. View Course Catalog: View courses belonging to your preferred program of study.
6. Preview as Guest: Preview Blackboard Learn without using a system account. You may be able to browse thecatalog and preview courses as a guest but you will not have access to the entire course.
What happens after I log in?
New users see a welcome page that invites them to create a profile. Before creating a profile, you must accept theBlackboard Profiles Terms of Service in the pop-up window. If you do not agree to the terms of service, you will not begranted access to some tools. You can choose to create a profile later. To learn more, see Profiles.
Exiting users see the My Institution tab. From this tab, you can access the courses you are enrolled in or are teaching.
How do I log out?
Click the logout button
in the upper-right corner of the page.
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My Institution Tab
After logging in to Blackboard, you "land" on the My Institution tab. Across the top of that page, other tabs might beavailable to you. Tabs that are visible depend on what capabilities your institution has licensed. Your institution canrename the pages and tabs that appear.
Modules on the My Institution tab collect information from all the courses you are enrolled in, giving you a total pictureof news and activity for your courses.
Explore the My Institution Tab
1. The Global Navigation Menu and My Blackboard are available everywhere in Blackboard Learn. Click thearrow next to your name at the top of the screen to access the following functions:
◦ All of your courses, as well as the Home and Help links. Users can change their settings, such as text sizeand personal information. The logout
function is nearby.
◦ On the left side of the panel, My Blackboard pages display course communication, due dates, grades, andmore. A number next to your name indicates how many new items are available. To learn more, see MyBlackboard and Navigation.
2. Tools: The tools available on this page roll up information from all of your courses. For example, the calendarshows events for all courses. Descriptions of the tools are available later in this page.
3. Modules: Modules on the My Institution tab collect information from all the courses you are enrolled in or areteaching. Your institution determines which modules appear and whether you can add modules.
Use links in the modules to view information and navigate to those areas in your courses. You can collapseindividual windows and drag modules to new positions on the page.
Your institution determines which modules appear. The following list includes modules you might see:
◦ My Courses: Access the courses you are enrolled in or teaching.
◦ My Announcements: Displays announcements for courses and from your institution. Announcementscommunicate important, time-sensitive information.
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◦ My Tasks: Displays tasks added by instructors. You can add personal tasks when accessing tasks fromTools.
4. Add Module: Click to view the list of available modules, such as dictionary, report card, and notes. Descriptionsare provided in the list so you can choose the most significant. Your institution determines if you are allowed toadd modules.
5. Personalize Page: Change the color scheme of the page. Your institution determines if you are allowed topersonalize the page.
Watch a TutorialDouble-click the video to enlarge the viewing area.
Additional TabsIn some instances, you have access to several tabs that contain modules. These additional tabs include the samefeatures for customizing the content and layout of modules. For example, if your institution has licensed contentmanagement, you have the Content Collection tab. Institutions that license community engagement can create customtabs, present different tabs to users based on roles, have a Community tab that lists a user's organizations, and have aServices tab that institutions use to provide links.
Explore the Tools PanelYour institution determines which tools appear on the Tools panel on the My Institution tab:
• Announcements: Displays announcements for courses you are enrolled in and from your institution.Announcements communicate important, time-sensitive information.
• Calendar: Displays events that your instructors have added. You can also post private, personal events.
• Tasks: Keep track of work with tasks your instructors have added. You can also add personal tasks.
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• My Grades: Displays the status of gradable items such as tests, assignments, journal and blog entries, anddiscussion board posts. When you access your My Grades page from the Tools panel, you see grades for all thecourses you are enrolled in.
• Send Email: A list of all the courses you are enrolled in appears. Send email messages to other course members'external email addresses.
• User Directory: Lists users within Blackboard Learn. Users only appear if they indicate that they want to be includedon the Set Privacy Options page.
• Address Book: Store contact information in the address book. The address book is empty until you create contacts.You must create a profile for anyone you want to add to your address book even if the contact is a Blackboard Learnuser.
• Personal Information: Access and edit your personal information that appears to other users. You can also changeyour password, set your privacy options, and personalize your settings.
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Modules
Modules are a great way to see what's happening in your courses, as well as access commonly used tools with just oneclick. Modules have different properties that are set by your institution. You may be allowed to minimize or removemodules, however, some modules are required to appear. You may also be allowed to edit the content that appears inthe modules.
Edit Module ContentTo edit information, click the Manage icon located at the top of each module.
Minimize a ModuleTo minimize a module, click the down-pointing caret icon (
) located at the top of each module. To maximize a module, click the right-pointing caret icon (
) located at the top of each module.
Open a Module in a New WindowTo open it in a separate window, click the dual-window icon (
) located at the top of each module. If the icon does not appear, the option is not available for this module.
Remove a ModuleTo remove a module, click the remove icon (X) located at the top of each module. In the pop-up window, click OK.Removing a module does not permanently delete it. You can restore deleted modules with the Add Module function onthe action bar. Modules that do not have a remove icon are required to appear.
You can personalize the placement, color, and selection of modules that appear on the My Institution tab or theNotifications Dashboard sub-tab. The Notifications Dashboard sub-tab appears only if your institution licensescommunity engagement.
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Customize Module LayoutYou can reorder the modules on a tab using the drag-and-drop function or the keyboard accessible reordering tool.
Drag-and-Drop Function
Press and drag the header of a module to move it to a new location. The module is surrounded by a dashed line as youmove it. Release the module to place it in its new location.
Keyboard Accessible Reordering Tool
You can use the keyboard accessible reordering tool for an alternative method to reorder items. The tool appears on theaction bar
.
Select one of the modules. Use the up and down arrow icons to move the module to a new position in a column list. Usethe right- and left-pointing arrows to move a module between columns.
Personalize the PageAccess the My Institution tab or another tab containing modules and click Personalize Page on the action bar. On thePersonalize page, select a color scheme from the Color Palette Library.
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How to Add a Module1. Access the My Institution tab or another tab containing modules.
2. Click Add Module.
3. On the Add Module page, select the modules to appear on the tab. You can search by keyword or browse bycategory to find modules. Your institution can disable options.
4. Click Add to place the module on your My Institution page. Click Remove to delete the module from your MyInstitution page.
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Course Catalog
The course catalog lists all courses offered at the institution in defined categories, such as semester and subject matter.
If your institution licenses community engagement, the organization catalog lists all organizations at the institution indefined categories, such as organization type or semester availability.
You can search for courses or organizations using a keyword or a specific category. The links in the catalog displayinstructor information and a course description. You may be able to enroll, preview, or log in to a course depending onhow your institution customizes Blackboard Learn.
Your institution might to use a different catalog or no catalog at all.
Browse the Course CatalogClick View Course Catalog on the gateway page. Or, log in and open the Courses tab or the Community tab tobrowse the listings.
1. Search Catalog: Use the drop-down lists to limit the search by parameters.
2. Go: Search for a course.
3. View Textbooks: Click to open a new window and view textbooks for a course.
View a Course as a GuestClick the link to a course to view it as a guest. Guests do not have access to the entire course.
The course instructor determines whether you are allowed to preview a course prior to enrollment. This option isnot available for all courses.
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Organizations
Institutions have organizations of different types, from academic to special interest. Organizations in Blackboard Learncontain content and tools to keep you informed and in touch with other members of your organization.
An organization looks exactly like a course:
• A menu similar to the course menu.
• A home page.
• Tools similar to a course's tools, like announcements and discussions.
The organization leader and your institution manage organization enrollments. If enabled, you may self enroll. Contactthe organization leader or your institution about enrollment. After you are enrolled, only the leader or an administratorcan unenroll you.
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Courses Tab
The Courses tab contains a list of the courses you are enrolled in. Remember that your institution can rename tabs.
Explore the Courses Tab
1. Course Search: You can search for a course, and if allowed, preview the course. Type a keyword or text string inthe box, click Go. The results appears on the Browse Course Catalog page.
2. Course List: From the list, you can access any course you are enrolled in or teaching. For example, if you are astudent in two courses and a teaching assistant in one course, your course list is divided into the courses you areenrolled in and the courses you are a TA for.
3. Course Catalog: You can search the catalog for courses or organizations. Select a category link or click BrowseCourse Catalog to begin your search. To learn more, see Course Catalog.
If your institution licenses community engagement, the organization catalog lists all organizations in categories, such asorganization type or semester availability.
Guests are able to browse the catalog and preview courses. Guests do not have access to the entire course. Instructorsdetermine whether users are allowed to preview a course prior to enrollment.
Your institution may choose to use a different catalog or no catalog at all.
About Course EnrollmentsCourse enrollments are handled by your institution. If you are enrolled in a course but do not see it in the course list, or ifyou are enrolled in the incorrect course, contact your institution for assistance.
You cannot delete old or unwanted courses, but you can hide them from view.
Your institution controls all options in Blackboard Learn, including whether you can customize modules. If you areunable to complete the steps, contact your institution for assistance.
How to Hide a Course in Your ListYou use the same steps to hide a course from the Courses tab or from the My Courses module on the My Institutiontab.
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1. Click the Manage icon that appears when you move your mouse pointer over the module.
2. Locate the row for the course you want to hide and clear the check box in the Course Name column.
3. Be sure all check marks are cleared in that course's row.
4. Repeat for all courses you want to hide.
5. Click Submit.
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My Blackboard and Navigation
Everything you need for your Blackboard experience is in one convenient location. My Blackboard provides you withquick and easy access to critical and timely information regarding your institution, courses, and fellow classmates. FromMy Blackboard, you can view how you are doing in each of the courses you are enrolled in, view grades, be reminded ofassignments that are due, and much more.
Your institution may not allow you to change your personal information, password, or settings through BlackboardLearn. Because Blackboard Learn often shares data with other systems on campus, such as the registrar's office,it may be necessary to ensure that your information is the same everywhere. In this case, your institution will havea different way to change your information. To learn more, contact your institution.
Watch a TutorialDouble-click the video to enlarge the viewing area.
Access the Global Navigation Menu and My BlackboardAt the top of any page, click the arrow next to your name to access My Blackboard and the global navigation menu.
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My Blackboard ToolsTools Description
Bb Home: Gives you an overview of the items that aredue and recently graded. Move your mouse pointer overView to reveal your grade. Bb Home displays the fivemost recent activities relevant to you.
If your institution has turned on messages, BbHome shows a preview of your unread messages.
Calendar: Review everything you have due and bereminded of when you need to complete it. To learnmore, see Calendar.Posts: Displays the posts made in the last seven daysin the courses and organizations you are enrolled in andfollow. For example, you can see when a classmatesubmits a blog post in your course.
If your institution has turned on the people andspaces tools, the latest posts by the people andspaces you follow also appear.
Updates: Review a list of notifications alerting you toimportant events and information. For example, you cansee when an assignment has been graded. To learnmore, see Updates.My Grades: View your grades for each assignment, test,or activity in all of your courses. Sort the grades by dateor course. To learn more, see My Grades.Home
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Help: Go to Behind the Blackboard for manuals,tutorials, and more.
My Blackboard Social CommunityIdentity and presence are an important part of participation in learning activities. With My Blackboard's social learningtools, you can create an online identity, find and connect with other users, and engage in group and peer collaboration.
If you do not see any of these tools, your institution has not turned them on.
Tools DescriptionProfile: Define your personal identity to share with thosein your academic network. After you upload your image,it replaces the empty profile icon. To learn more, seeProfiles.People: Find and interact with peers, classmates, andinstructors. To learn more, see People.
Messages: Message users outside of the courseenvironment. To learn more, see Messages.
Spaces: Work and communicate collaboratively withothers in your academic network. To learn more, seeSpaces.
Watch this video to see how you can interact with your academic community in a more informal and social way, all whilekeeping your academic life separate from your personal life.
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In this section...• Password, Personal Information, and Settings
• Calendar
• Messages
• My Grades
• People
• Posts
• Profiles
• Spaces
• Updates
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Password, Personal Information, and Settings
You can edit your personal information and settings from the global navigation menu.
Your institution may not allow you to change your personal information, password, or settings through BlackboardLearn. Because Blackboard Learn often shares data with other systems on campus, such as the registrar's office,it may be necessary to ensure that your information is the same everywhere. In this case, your institution will havea different way to change your information. To learn more, please contact your institution.
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How to Edit Personal InformationYou can edit the information that appears in your account profile on the Edit Personal Information page. Changes youmake on this page are reflected throughout Blackboard Learn. For example, if you change your last name, the new lastname appears in all the courses you are enrolled in. Most of the personal information is optional.
1. From the global navigation menu, click Settings, and then click Personal Information. You can also accessPersonal Information on the Tools panel.
2. On the Personal Information page, click Edit Personal Information.
3. On the Edit Personal Information page, make changes to the appropriate fields.
4. Click Submit.
How to Change Your PasswordBlackboard recommends that you change your password periodically to ensure security. Do not use common personalinformation as your password, such as your name.
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Use the following steps to change your password:
1. From the global navigation menu, click Settings, and then click Personal Information. You can also accessPersonal Information on the Tools panel.
2. On the Personal Information page, click Change Password.
3. On the Change Password page, type a new password. The password must be at least one character andcontain no spaces.
4. Type the password again to ensure accuracy.
5. Click Submit.
How to Add an Avatar ImageIf allowed by your institution, you can upload an avatar that is used to represent you throughout the system. Avatarimages appear in the page header, blogs, journals, discussions, and within notifications modules such as What's New,Needs Attention, and To Do.
Users can upload a photo or other image they have created to use as an avatar. The recommended pixel size for anavatar image is 150 by 150.
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Use the following steps to add your avatar image:
1. From the global navigation menu, click Settings, and then click Personal Information. You can also accessPersonal Information on the Tools panel.
2. On the Personal Information page, click Personalize My Settings.
3. On the Personalize My Settings page, you can add or change your personal avatar. Click Use custom avatarimage. You will not see this option if your institution has turned on the profiles feature.
4. Click Browse My Computer.
5. Select the avatar image file and click Open.
6. Click Submit.
If your institution has enabled the profiles feature, the images students upload to their profile pages appear throughoutthe system. To learn how to add your avatar to the profiles page, see Profiles.
How to Change Personal SettingsThe Change Personal Settings function allows you to manage the content editor, language pack, and the display ofpage instructions throughout the system.
1. From the global navigation menu, click Settings, and then click Personal Information. You can also accessPersonal Information on the Tools panel.
2. On the Personal Information page, click Change Personal Settings.
3. On the Change Personal Settings page, click On to enable the content editor, which allows you to createcontent through a simple editor when you enter content in text boxes throughout Blackboard Learn.
4. Select a User Language Pack from the drop-down list that is localized to your culture or accept the default.
5. To display page instructions for every page, click Yes. Page instructions are brief explanations of the features of aparticular page. On some pages, there are links to More Help that opens a new window with additional steps onusing the feature you are viewing.
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6. Click Submit.
How to Set Privacy OptionsPrivacy option allows you to choose the information you want to make publicly available. This information appears in theroster and on group pages. You may also choose to make this information available in the User Directory. If an emailaddress is not available, it does not appear in the roster, group pages, User Directory, the collaboration tool, or in anyother part of the application.
If your institution has turned on the profiles and the people tools, you can set privacy settings within your profile.The privacy settings in your personal profile set how your profile appears in the people tool.
To learn more about online safety, see Protecting Your Reputation and Identity Online.
1. From the global navigation menu, click Settings, and then click Personal Information. You can also accessPersonal Information on the Tools panel.
2. On the Personal Information page, click Set Privacy Options.
3. On the Set Privacy Options page, select the appropriate check boxes to make personal information visible toother Blackboard users.
4. To list your profile information in the User Directory, select the check box.
5. To prevent other course members from contacting you by email, select the email option check box.
6. To prevent your name from appearing in the course roster, select the check box.
7. Click Submit.
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Calendar
You can use the course calendar to provide students with dates for course-related events. Course calendar eventsappear to all members of the course. Common entries include the following items:
• Meetings
• Instructor office hours
• Exams
• Guest speakers
• Course items with due dates
Instructors and your institution control which tools are available.
The calendar displays a consolidated view of all your institution, course, organization, and personal calendar events.You can view events by day, week, or month. You can also view and organize upcoming and past events intocategories.
Course calendar events appear to all members of the course. Common entries include upcoming tests, due dates forassignments, or special lectures. Course items with due dates automatically appear in the course calendar. Onlyinstructors may create course calendar events.
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The Calendar InterfaceYou can access the calendar from your course, from the Tools panel on the My Institution tab, or from the MyBlackboard menu.
1. View events by day, week, or month.
2. Navigate to another month.
3. Click the plus (+) to create a new event. You can also click a date to create an event. Assign the event to theappropriate calendar, select the date and time, and add a description.
Students cannot create an event on a course and institution calendar. Instructors cannot create an eventfor the institution calendar unless they have administrator privileges.
4. Click an event to manage it. You can also press and drag an event to change the date.
5. Select the calendars you want to show, such as institution, personal, or course. By default, all calendars arevisible. Optionally, change the color of each calendar to suit your preference. Using a distinct color for eachcalendar easily displays which calendar the event is associated to without opening the event.
All institution events appear in the institution calendar. All course events, such as assignments due, appearin the course calendar.
6. Get an iCal URL for importing your Blackboard Learn calendar into an external calendar application. After theLearn iCal URL is set up in an external calendar, it is updated dynamically with new Learn calendar events. Forexample, log in to Google Calendar and access the Other Calendar drop-down list. Select Add by URL andpaste the iCal URL generated by Blackboard Learn.
You cannot import external calendars into this calendar.
How to Create an Event1. On the calendar, click the plus (+) to create a new event. You can also click a specific date to create an event.
2. Type the New Event Name.
3. Select a calendar to associate the event to, such as your personal calendar.
Only instructors and administrators can add events to the course and institution calendars.
4. Select the Start and End times.
5. Type the Event Description. There is a 4,000 character limit for event descriptions.
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6. Click Save.
Recurring EventsOptionally, you can make events repeat by selecting the Repeat check box. Additional options appear that allow you tocreate multiple events based on a repeating pattern.
Specifics on Repeating Events and Limitations
Repeat Options Daily, Weekly, and Monthly SupportedDaily End after X number of times -OR- on a particular date.Weekly Repeat Day of the week supported. End after X number of times -OR- on a particular date.Monthly Repeat Day of the month (1-31) or day of week (first Sunday, second Monday, and so on)
supported. End after X number of times -OR- on a particular date.Bulk Add (Series) Create a series with the repeat options.Bulk Delete (Series) Delete the entire series created using the repeat options.Edit an Instance Edit an instance of the series. If you change the date/time of the instance, that particular
instance has a “broken” icon to indicate that it no longer conforms with the original seriesrules.
Changing the name or description of an instance does not break the instance fromthe series.
Edit Series (KnownLimitation)
At this time, you cannot edit the series. After you create a series, you can bulk delete ormake changes to individual instance.
Edit or Delete an EventOn the calendar, navigate to the date of the event in the main view to perform the following tasks:
• Click the event to edit or delete it.
• Press and drag an event to another date in the main view to change the date of the event. The time of the event andcalendar it is associated with remain the same.
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• Press and drag an event from the main view to another date on the smaller monthly view to change the date.
Course Items With Due DatesWhen you create items with due dates, such as tests or assignments, the calendar event automatically appears on thecourse calendar for that day.
For calendar events associated to content items, all adaptive release and availability rules are handled, ensuringthat the release of an item is in synch with the calendar.
How to Add a Calendar Link to the Course MenuIf you want students to access the course calendar from your course, you can add a link to the course menu for one-click access to the tool. You can also customize the name of the link.
1. Point to the plus sign above the course menu. The Add Menu Item drop-down list appears.
2. Select Tool Link.
3. Type a Name for the link.
4. From the Type drop-down list, select Calendar.
5. Select the Available to Users check box.
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6. Click Submit.
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Messages
Exchange simple messages with other people who use Blackboard.
Access your messages through the global navigation menu. If prompted, you must accept the terms of service andprovide an email address before using this tool for the first time.
1. View your messages in the left panel. The most recent appears first. Click a message to view the entireconversation.
2. Click Compose to start a conversation with another user.
3. Delete the conversation.
4. Write a reply.
My Blackboard messages are not the same as course messages or email. You do not have to be online at the sametime as other people to send and receive messages. You do have to be logged in to Blackboard to send and receive MyBlackboard messages.
If your institution makes Enhanced Profiles available, you can message users from their profile cards. If profile cardsdisplay only a user's name, avatar, nickname, about me information, and academic discipline, your institution does nothave Enhanced Profiles.
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My Grades
The My Grades page shows the status of gradable items, such as tests, assignments, journal and blog entries, anddiscussion posts.
The My Grades page may include item names, details, due dates, student and instructor dates of activity, postedgrades, points possible, links to rubrics used for grading, and your instructor's comments about the items.
Your instructor and institution control which tools are available.
Access My Grades1. On the course menu, click Tools or a customized My Grades link.
-OR-
On the My Institution tab, click My Grades on the Tools panel.
-OR-
In the page header, click the arrow next to your name to access the My Blackboard menu. Click the My Gradesicon.
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The My Grades page appears.
View Grade DetailsIf you access My Grades from the My Institution tab or the My Blackboard menu, you see grades for all your courses.On the left side of the screen, you can sort by All Courses or Last Graded.
If you access My Grades inside a course, you see your grades for that course only.
The Order by drop-down list allows you to change the order by Course Order, Last Activity, or Due Date. By default,items are ordered by course order.
Above the list of gradable items, you can narrow the list by selecting All, Graded, Upcoming, or Submitted. Forexample, Graded shows only items that have been graded by your instructor.
If your instructor included feedback during grading, click the View Feedback icon (
) to view it in a pop-up box.
If your gradable item has not been graded, the Grade column contains a symbol indicating its status. After an itemis graded, the grade appears in the Grade column. To view more detail, click a graded item's title.
My Grade Item StatusThe following table describes the symbols appearing on the My Grades page.
Symbol Description- Item has not been completed. No information is
available.
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Symbol DescriptionItem is completed, but will not have a grade (for itemssuch as surveys).Item has been submitted. This item is waiting to bereviewed by your instructor.
-OR-
Item has been submitted. Your instructor may reviewthis item, but may not be provided a grade.
Grade Item has been graded. Click the grade to view detailedfeedback.Attempt is in progress. This item has not beensubmitted. To submit the item, see How to Save anAssignment as a Draft and Submit Later.Grade is exempted for this user. If you do not completethis assignment, it will not affect your grade.Error has occurred. Contact your instructor.
Graded anonymously. Appears with rows where yourinstructor assigned grades with student names hiddenduring the grading process.Click to view feedback provided during grading.
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People
The People tool is a single location where you can find and connect anyone with a user profile. These connections canbe made through existing connections, such as a course you are enrolled in or through new connections you decide tomake.
Access the People page through the global navigation menu. If prompted, you must accept the terms of service andprovide an email address before using the this tool for the first time.
If you do not see the People page, your institution has not turned it on.
1. Expand the list of courses to see users enrolled in your courses or organizations.
2. View all of your current classmates who have opted to use profiles. Use the various links in the left panel to viewspecific groups of users.
3. Preview a user’s profile by moving your mouse pointer over his or her avatar to show the profile card.
4. Search for specific users at other institutions or within your academic networks by first or last names.
Enhanced FeaturesIf your institution enables the enhanced set of social profiles and tools, additional capabilities appear on the Peoplepage:
• Enhanced Profiles: Follow, block, or message users from their profile cards. If you click Follow on users' profiles,their posts and comments from their profile walls are aggregated on your Posts page in My Blackboard.
If a profile card displays only a user's name, avatar, nickname, about me information, and academicdiscipline, your institution does not have enhanced profiles.
• Cross-institution Search and Networking: See users in all of your Blackboard courses and organizations acrossall of your institutions.
• Connections: See who you are following and who is following you. The People page alerts you when someone hasrequested to follow you, if you selected the option to require requests in your profile settings. You can accept ordecline the request.
• My Spaces: See users who are connected to the spaces you are associated with.
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Portfolios
Portfolios are an invaluable tool in academic and professional development. They provide a powerful medium for usersto efficiently collect and organize artifacts representative of work completed over time. Portfolios offer a means todemonstrate formative and/or summative progress and achievement. Portfolio authors are empowered with tools toeffectively present their information in a cohesive, personalized format.
Assigned Portfolios
You can request that portfolios be submitted for course assignments.
On the Create Assignment page, expand Submission Details and click Portfolio Submission. Optionally, choose atemplate students should use in their portfolio submissions.
Portfolio snapshot submissions made through an assignment are not listed in the student's list of shared portfoliosnapshots and cannot be rescinded like other sharing events.
Assigned Portfolios and Inline GradingWhen a student has submitted a portfolio in response to an assignment, the portfolio is viewable in the assignmentgrading interface.
1. The portfolio snapshot is not rendered through Crocodoc, so direct annotation of the portfolio pages is notpossible.
2. Grading feedback, rubric results, and rubric feedback provided in the grading sidebar is separate from portfoliocomments. This information is stored independently as part of the assignment attempt—not as part of the portfolioor portfolio snapshot itself.
3. From the grading sidebar, you can download a portfolio as a ZIP package of HTML files.
4. Because portfolios are stored as portfolio snapshots, portfolios submitted through an assignment can beharvested through Outcomes Assessment Evidence Collection just as the submission for any other assignment is.
What happens to my old portfolios with this new framework?Portfolios created in either the basic portfolio or personal portfolio tools in the legacy portfolio framework still arepresented in the new portfolio framework. You can continue to view, share, and edit them.
Numerous behaviors around portfolio authoring, layout, and design have changed in the new portfolio framework.Legacy portfolios may not look exactly the same in the new portfolio framework as they did in the legacy portfolioframework. You may see changes to page layout and, most significantly, to the visual design of the portfolio. However,you should still be able to access and view all of the content of the portfolio. Continued editing and maintenance of theportfolio should be easier.
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Revisit your active portfolios to make any necessary adjustments to achieve your outcomes:
• Check each page of the portfolio to be sure the content was converted appropriately.
• Check the artifacts in the Artifact Repository to be sure they were converted appropriately.
• Adjust the layout and design preferences of the converted portfolio to conform to the preferred design options.
• For your shared portfolios, check the sharing settings to be sure they were preserved appropriately.
In this section...• My Portfolios
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My Portfolios
The My Portfolios page is the launching point for viewing, creating, and reviewing portfolios. Access the My Portfoliospage from the global navigation menu at the top right of the page. Select Tools and click Portfolios.
If you do not see portfolios, your institution has not turned it on.
The My Portfolios page includes a search function to locate specific portfolios. You can search by username (theportfolio owner), title, description, and learning objectives. The resulting list includes information about the portfolio type,availability, and links to comments and portfolio settings. The search returns only the portfolios that you havepermissions to view.
To view a portfolio from the My Portfolios page, click View.
Create Portfolios
Before you begin creating a portfolio, take some time to set a goal for the portfolio and think about the point you want tomake and the story you want to tell. Create an outline of the points to highlight in your portfolio. Make sure that eachpoint has sufficient supporting material and is presented in a clear and concise manner.
You use artifacts to add content to a personal portfolio. Artifacts link to items that are evidence of your work, knowledge,and skills. You can create artifacts before or during the portfolio creation process. If you have a good outline of what youwant to accomplish, create artifacts before moving on to create the portfolio.
When your artifacts are ready, create a shell for the portfolio. This includes a name and description. Use the descriptionfor your own organizational needs. After creating the shell, build out the portfolio and add pages and content.
Creating a portfolio includes the following steps:
1. Create a portfolio.
2. Add pages and artifacts.
3. Design the appearance.
4. Determine the settings.
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How to Create a PortfolioOn the My Portfolios page, click Create Portfolio.
The first time you create a portfolio, you have the option of taking a brief guided tour of the portfolio authoring canvas. Ifyou choose to skip or replay the tour, you can access it at any time from the orientation bar. Click the tour's compassicon (
) next to help.
You can customize your portfolio's header and footer. After creation, click the pencil icon (
) to edit the header and footer.
A portfolio consists of pages and sections. Use a page to provide structure to the portfolio. Each page must have at leastone section. Use a section to provide structure to the page's content.
The menu on the left shows all of the portfolio's pages and sections, which you can use to manage them. Click the plus(+) icon at the top of the menu. To delete pages, click the trash can icon (
) to the right of a page.
Deleting a page also deletes all of the sections and content on that page. Artifacts associated with a sectionremain in the My Artifacts repository, and you can reuse them.
Use the drag-and-drop function to rearrange pages and sections in the menu. During authoring, use the menu to moveamong pages to edit them.
After creation, click the pencil icon next to a section title to edit it. Each section has a content editor for creating freeformcontent. The content editor appears dynamically when clicking in the content editor box. You can associate one or moreartifacts with each section. Typically, you add artifacts to a section and use the content editor to reflect on thoseartifacts.
The Settings option allows you to change the settings' decisions made when creating the portfolio, such as the portfoliotitle and description.
The Preview and Customize option allows you to see how the portfolio will look, and make layout and color palettedecisions that affect the final design of the portfolio.
The Done Editing option allows you to exit the portfolio authoring canvas. If you try to exit without saving new andupdated content, you are warned of unsaved changes.
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Share Portfolios
Share your portfolio with others, both at your institution and outside the walls. Each timeyou share a portfolio with other users, you create a static snapshot of that portfolio at thatpoint in time. What is shared is that static snapshot. If you make edits that you want toshare, you need to share the portfolio again.
For example, a student in a two-year graduate program must maintain a portfolio over thecourse of the program representing his learning activities and reflections. He may berequired to provide this portfolio for evaluation each semester over the four-semesterprogram. He shares his portfolio, which creates a snapshot of the portfolio at the time of
evaluation, and can continue to work on the portfolio without interfering with its evaluation.
How to Share Your Portfolio1. On the My Portfolios page, click More following a portfolio's name.
2. Click Share.
3. On the action bar, point to Share a Snapshot with and select one of the user types. Use the following table todetermine which sharing option to choose.
Who? What Happens?Blackboard Learn Users The portfolio is listed in the user's Shared with Me.External Users A URL is created and emailed to the specified users so
that they can access your portfolio.Courses or Organizations The portfolio is listed in the portfolios tool in the course
or organization. Members of those courses andorganizations can search for your portfolios.
Institution Roles All users with that role may search for your portfolio.All System Accounts Any user on the system may search for your portfolio.
Manage Comments
Comments are used to provide feedback from peers and instructors.
The Comments page includes columns displaying the date posted, the author who posted the comment, and thecomment text. You view, add, and delete comments on this page. Only the author of a comment can delete it.
Click the comment's title to open the comment text. To sort the comments, click the column title.
What happens to my old portfolios with this new framework?Portfolios created in either the basic portfolio or personal portfolio tools in the legacy portfolio framework still arepresented in the new portfolio framework. You can continue to view, share, and edit them.
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Numerous behaviors around portfolio authoring, layout, and design have changed in the new portfolio framework.Legacy portfolios may not look exactly the same in the new portfolio framework as they did in the legacy portfolioframework. You may see changes to page layout and, most significantly, to the visual design of the portfolio. However,you should still be able to access and view all of the content of the portfolio. Continued editing and maintenance of theportfolio should be easier.
Revisit your active portfolios to make any necessary adjustments to achieve your outcomes:
• Check each page of the portfolio to be sure the content was converted appropriately.
• Check the artifacts in the Artifact Repository to be sure they were converted appropriately.
• Adjust the layout and design preferences of the converted portfolio to conform to the preferred design options.
• For your shared portfolios, check the sharing settings to be sure they were preserved appropriately.
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Posts
The Posts page displays the posts made in the last seven days in the courses and organizations you are enrolled inand follow. The following list includes examples of posts appearing on this page:
• A new blog post made by one of your classmates.
• A new post to a discussion board you are a member of.
• Your contribution to a wiki in one of your courses.
About the Posts PageAccess your Posts page through the global navigation menu. Each new post appears with a preview of the content,location, and author. Click a post to expand the content in the right panel. For discussion posts, click Reply or Quote tocontinue the conversation. You can provide and view comments for wiki and blog posts, however, an instructor candisallow commenting for a wiki. Instructors are the only users who can comment on journal posts.
If your institution has the people and spaces tools turned on, the latest posts by the people and spaces you followalso appear.
Filter PostsThe following list describes the filter options in the left panel:
• All: View all the posts in your courses, even if you have not posted. This filter option does not appear if no one hasposted in any of your courses.
• @me: View only your posts. This filter option does not appear if you have not posted in any of your courses.
• Custom: If posts exist in your courses, this filter option appears. If you have posted, you can select the check box inthe pop-up box to view only the posts in the courses that you have participated in. If you have not posted, thecustom pop-up box is empty -OR- has no check box.
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If you need to view an older post that does not appear, access the course and the tool where the post was made.
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Profiles
Profiles are the new educational resume!Profiles show peers and employers what has been accomplished in classes, projects,volunteerships, internships, and work experience.
About ProfilesA profile is not the same as your user account.
• A user account is a reflection of your student registration information at your institution. You can edit your useraccount information by editing your personal information.
• A profile is a reflection of how you want to present yourself to your peers, classmates, instructors, and employers. Inyour Blackboard profile, you decide what you want to be called, what your academic interests are, and anything elseyou want to share.
Profiles are stored in the Blackboard cloud—not at your institution. This means that you can keep your profile throughyour academic and professional life. If you enroll at a different institution or join the workforce, you can maintain youracademic relationships and networks using the same profile.
With the profiles update, you can now share your profile with employers.
About the Updated ProfileWith the update, you can carry your educational identity outside the institution and share it with not only your peers, butalso employers. Learn profiles are now connected to profiles on MyEdu—a site dedicated to helping students achievetheir goals and position them for career success. To learn more, see myedu.com.
When you access your profile for the first time or first time after the update, you are asked to connect to or create aMyEdu account. If you do not want to connect your profile to MyEdu, select I am employed by in the drop-down list onthe Let's get started! page.
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Do You Have the Updates?When you access the topics listed in the following table, you are viewing information in the student section ofBlackboard Help. When you are finished, select the instructor role in the drop-down list at the top of the page to returnto viewing instructor topics.
Click the images to enlarge them in your browser and make the text readable. Use your browser's back button to returnto the topic.
Updated Profiles Profiles Not UpdatedIf you see a Blackboard + MyEdu welcome screen or aprofile page that allows you to add work experience, youhave the profiles updates installed. For information thatapplies to your system and students using profiles, seeProfiles Updated.
If you see a profile page with an area for posts, you haveprofiles without the updates. For information that appliesto your system and students using profiles, see ProfilesNot Updated.
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Spaces
You can read this page in its entirety, or click the Table of Contents icon
in the upper right and choose a topic that interests you.
A space is a group that you can easily and quickly create to collaborate with other users. For example, you can create aspace for a final exam study group, your athletic team, or any other special interest. Spaces are not the same asorganizations. Anyone can create and manage spaces.
Access the spaces you belong to through the global navigation menu. The spaces that you have joined and manageappear in your profile. If prompted, you must accept the terms of service and provide an email address before using thistool for the first time.
If you do not see the spaces tool, your institution has not turned it on.
1. Access the spaces you manage and belong to.
2. Browse public spaces at your institution to join.
3. Create a space. When you create a space, you are automatically made the manager of the space. You canpromote other users to manage the space also.
4. Respond to space invitations.
How to Search Spaces1. Click the All Spaces link located below Create a Space.
2. All public spaces appear in the right panel.
3. Type keywords in the Search box and press the Enter key. The search results display in the right panel.
4. Point to a space to view it or request to join it.
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How to Create a Space1. 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.
9. Click Save Edits.
Edit a SpaceOn the Space page, click Edit Space. From here, you can change the space name, picture, category, description,privacy settings, and membership.
Space Privacy and Joining OptionsThe privacy settings in your space set how your space appears in My Blackboard and in member profiles. Read eachoption on the Edit My Space page carefully to set users who can find and join your space.
• 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 invitedby the manager.
• Private Spaces are not discoverable using search and can only be joined by invitation from the manager. Privatespaces do not appear on a member’s profile.
Post and Comment on Space WallUse your space wall to update and have conversations with those who follow the space.
• Provide information in the Share Something field and click Post.
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• Comment on a user’s post. Point to a post or comment and click Comment.
• To edit, point to one of your own posts or comments and click Edit. An “EDITED” label appears to make it clear thatthe following occurred:
◦ The post or comment was edited from its original state
◦ When the most recent edit occurred
Manage MembershipFrom the space's Edit page, you can manage current membership and pending invitations. In the Space Membershiparea, you can perform the following tasks:
• Click Manage to view current space members. Point to a member to make him or her a manager, or remove amember from the space.
• Click Invite to ask new members to join the space. On the Invite page, you can view pending invitations. Click the Xnext to a pending invitation to rescind it.
• View the list of current Managers and Members.
InvitationsWhen you invite a user to become a member of your space from the space's Edit page, the invitation shows on theirSpaces page in My Blackboard. An invited user can accept or decline the invitation.
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Updates
Access your updates through the global navigation menu. On the Updates page, you see all notifications for eachcourse and organization you are enrolled in or teach. To learn more, see Notifications.
1. Browse all notifications.
2. View notifications by course.
3. Open a notification's contextual menu to take action.
4. Select the notification types you want to show. Hiding a notification on the Updates page does not remove it fromyour system-wide notification settings.
How Long Do Updates Last?Posts remain in My Blackboard for seven days. Student grades stay in My Blackboard for as long as they have accessto their courses. For updates, your institution decides how long notifications remain in My Blackboard. You can dismissan update after you view it.
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In Your CourseThe topics in this section introduce the main ideas and tasks for working within a course. Review the table of contentson the left to see Help sections about specific areas of a course, such as assignments and the Grade Center.
In this section...• Navigate a Course
• Instructor Features
• Content Editor
• File Attachments
• Online Teaching Strategies
• Accessibility Information
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Navigate a Course
Courses vary in design depending on the instructor and the institution, but some common elements exist.
You can read this page in its entirety, or click the Table of Contents icon
in the upper right and choose a topic that interests you.
Student View of the Course Environment
1. Page header: The area at the top of the screen that contains the tabs, your avatar, access to the globalnavigation menu and My Blackboard, and Logout. The page header elements remain the same regardless ofwhere you are in Blackboard Learn.
2. Tabs: Blackboard Learn has two common tabs, the My Institution tab and the Courses tab. To learn more,see My Institution Tab and Courses Tab. Your institution can rename tabs.
If your institution licenses content management, a Content Collection tab is available. If your institution licensescommunity engagement, the Community and Services tabs are available.
3. Course-to-course navigation: Use this feature to access all courses you are enrolled in. Access the contextualmenu next to the house icon to go to another course. Next to the house icon, use the orientation bar to accessprevious pages you visited recently.
4. Course menu: The access point for all course content. Instructors determine which links are available here.
5. Content frame: The larger area of the screen next to the course menu that displays the selected content area,tool, module page, or material. Instructors choose the page that appears here when you enter a course.
6. Action bar: The rows at the top of the content frame, containing page-level actions, such as Create Thread inthe discussion board.
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Course MenuThe course menu is the panel on the left side of the interface that contains links to all top-level course areas. Instructorscan also provide links to the tools page, individual tools, websites, course items, and module pages. Instructors controlthe content and tools available on the course menu.
Instructors can customize the style of the course menu. They can change the color, add subheaders and dividers, andchoose buttons or text for the links. These customizations create variations in the look and organization of your courses.
1. For the course menu design, instructors can use text only or labeled buttons for the links.
2. Open the course menu in a separate window. The detached menu always displays course materials as adirectory tree. You can expand the view to show the hierarchy of course navigation and move the windowwherever you want.
3. Refresh your view.
4. Expand or collapse the course menu frame by moving your mouse pointer near the border and clicking the arrow.When you collapse the course menu, you have more room to view content.
Course-to-Course NavigationWhile inside one of your courses, you can conveniently access all of the courses you are enrolled in. Access thecontextual menu next to the house icon. Click another course title. If the same page you are currently viewing in thecourse exists in the next course, that is where you will land. The most recently visited course is listed first.
For example, if you are viewing the announcements page in one course and click another course in the contextualmenu, you are taken to that course's announcements page.
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Watch a Tutorial
Double-click the video to enlarge the viewing area.
Course Home PageBy default, a link to a course's Home Page appears in the course menu, but your instructor or institution can change this.The Home Page contains modules with information about course events and notifications. The modules function similarto the modules on the My Institution tab. Use the links in modules to navigate to areas in your courses, and add,delete, and rearrange modules. To learn more, see Modules.
Your institution can rename modules and determine which are available.
Printing Course ContentBlackboard Learn is web-based, so printing is handled through your web browser in most cases. If the content is anattached file, such as a Microsoft® Word document, that program handles the printing.
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Most browsers have a "Help" option explaining more about printing.
If you need assistance printing course content, contact your institution's computing help desk.
Paging OptionsYou can edit the paging options to specify how many items appear on a page in Blackboard Learn. For example, youcan decide how many forums appear on the main discussion board page.
Show All displays all items and causes the Next Page and Previous Page controls to disappear. For bestperformance, do not use Show All with a very large number of items.
Use the following steps to edit the paging options:
1. Click Edit Paging.
2. Type a number in the Items per page box.
3. Click Go.
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Instructor FeaturesThe Blackboard Learn environment allows you to easily navigate, provide content, edit items, and change options thataffect how users interact with the interface.
You can read this page in its entirety, or click the Table of Contents icon
in the upper right and choose a topic that interests you.
Watch a TutorialDouble-click the video to enlarge the viewing area.
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Instructor Features in Your Course
1. Course menu: The access point for all course content. Instructors determine which links are available here.Learn more in the next section.
2. Control Panel: The panel following the course menu is an instructor's access point for course managementfunctions. You can manage the course style, course tools, and users from this area. Students do not see theControl Panel.
3. Student preview: When student preview is enabled, you can review course content and validate coursebehaviors from a student's perspective. You are logged in with a student account, called the preview useraccount, and enrolled in the current course. To learn more, see Student Preview.
Your institution may disable this feature.
4. Edit Mode: When Edit Mode is ON, all the instructor functions appear. This includes action bar functions such asBuild Content or the appearance of contextual menus. When Edit Mode is OFF, you are viewing the course as astudent sees it. The Edit Mode function appears to users with a role of instructor, teaching assistant, coursebuilder, and administrator.
Your institution may disable this feature.
5. Action bar: Rows at the top of the page containing page-level actions such as Build Content, Search, Delete,and Upload. The functions on the action bar change depending on where you are in your course. The action barcan contain multiple rows of functions such as on the main Grade Center page.
6. Contextual menus: Many components in Blackboard Learn have contextual menus, such as content items,course menu links, or Grade Center columns. The options in the contextual menu vary depending on thecomponent. Click the down arrow next to an item to access the contextual menu.
To learn about user interface features available to all users, see Navigate a Course.
Course MenuThe course menu appears on the left side of your course window. It is the cornerstone for the organization andnavigation of your course. You create links on the course menu to present tools and materials to users. You cancustomize its appearance and order the links.
The course menu appears in a list view, which displays only the top level of course materials. You can choose buttonsor text for your links. To change the style of the course menu, see Select the Menu Style.
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Click the Display Course Menu in New Window icon
to view the course materials as a directory tree in a new window. Users can expand the view to show the hierarchy ofcourse navigation.
Your institution can restrict options to maintain a consistent style for all courses. This can include making sometools unavailable or setting permanent course area names.
How to Create a Link on the Course Menu1. Change Edit Mode to ON and point to the plus sign above the course menu. The Add Menu Item drop-down list
appears.
2. Select the type of content to create.
3. Type a Name. Complete any other required text boxes, such as URL for Web Link.
4. Select the Available to Users check box to allow users to see the link on the course menu. You can createcontent ahead of time, hide the link, and then show the link at the appropriate time.
5. Click Submit. A link to the new content appears on the course menu.
Create an uncluttered course menu to maintain efficient navigation for your users, and try to limit the number oflinks included in the course menu. Use content areas to hold related items and give your course organization andstructure.
Course Menu Components
The following table lists the types of content and tools you can include on the course menu. You can also includesubheaders and divider lines to help visually organize the links for your users.
Type DescriptionContent area Content areas are the top-level course areas. They hold all of your course materials.
You create, link, and manage them on the course menu. After you create a contentarea, you add content to it, such as online lectures, multimedia, tests, andcommunication tools. To learn more, see Create Course Areas for Content.
Blank page The blank page tool allows you to include files, images, and text as links on the coursemenu. Include blank pages on the course menu for critical information, as too many
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Type Descriptionlinks on the course menu can overwhelm students. Remove blank pages from thecourse menu as soon as the information is no longer needed.
Tool link Create a link to an available tool in your course, such as the calendar or journals. Youcan also create a link to the Tools page.
Course link Create a shortcut to an existing area, tool, or item in a course.Web link Create a link to a URL to provide quick access to a resource on the internet.Module page Create a module page and choose the individual modules to include. The modules can
be tools, such as a calculator, or the modules can display information, such as grades,alerts, and tasks.
Subheader A subheader is unlinked text. You can group related links under a subheader to helpusers find information quickly.
Divider A divider is a line that visually divides the course menu to help users find informationquickly. After you create it, you can move it to the appropriate position.
Reorder and Manage Course Menu Links
You can organize and rename the course menu links to make them easier for students to use.
1. Use the drag-and-drop function to reorder course menu links.
2. Alternatively, use the keyboard accessible reordering tool
to reorder the links.
3. Access a link's contextual menu and click Rename to change its title. Click Hide Link to make it unavailable tostudents. Click Show Link to make it available to students. If you Delete a content area, all content items within itare also permanently deleted. This action is final.
4. With Edit Mode set to ON, an unavailable link title appears with a square with a diagonal line through it (
). Students do not see the link on the course menu.
Contextual MenusThroughout Blackboard Learn, items that are acted upon by a user have a contextual menu associated with them. Youaccess the contextual menu by clicking the arrow next to an item's title. The contextual menu contains options for manycomponents in Blackboard Learn, such as content items, course menu links, or Grade Center columns. The options inthe contextual menu vary depending on the component.
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Common Contextual Menu Options
The following options are common to many items in Blackboard Learn. If an option does not appear, you cannot performit on that item.
• Open
• Edit
• Copy
• Move
• Delete
Other Contextual Menu Options
These options will vary depending upon the type of item and a user's role. The following list is not comprehensive.
• Adaptive Release options
• Metadata
• Statistics Tracking
• User Progress
• Manage
• Grade
• Mark as New
Control PanelThe Control Panel appears below the course menu and provides access to all course administration. Use the arrowsnext to each link to expand or collapse the area. The Control Panel is only available if you have one of the followingcourse roles: instructor, teaching assistant (TA), grader, course builder, or administrator.
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The Control Panel is comprised of the following areas.
Area FunctionFiles or ContentCollection Each course has its own Course Files area accessed in the Files section of the
Control Panel. With Course Files, you have access to all files from a central locationinside the course. Course Files is relative to the course, so only content for the courseis stored there. Content is not shared across courses taught by the same instructor. Tolearn more, see Course Files.
If your institution licenses content management, the Content Collection is availablethrough this area. With it, institutions have a common content repository where userscan share content. Therefore, you can add content to your course from other coursesand from your computer, and manage it through the Content Collection. The sectionheading Content Collection appears instead of Files in the Control Panel. To learnmore, see Content Collection.
Course Tools Contains all the available tools that are added to your course. To learn how to controlwhich tools are available here, see Course Tool Availability.
Evaluation Provides links to course reports, the Retention Center, and the PerformanceDashboard. Use these tools to view information about student activity and contentusage, and to be notified about performance based on criteria you create. To learnmore, see Course Reports, Retention Center, and Performance Dashboard.
Grade Center Provides links to the Needs Grading page, the Full Grade Center, default smartviews of the Grade Center, and any smart views you create. Smart views appear in anindented list in the Full Grade Center section. To learn more, see Smart Views.
Users and Groups List, enroll, edit, and remove users from your course. Create formal groups of studentsto collaborate on work. To learn more, see Course Groups.
Customization Control enrollment options and guest and observer access. You can change theproperties of your course, such as its name, availability, and language pack. You canuse the Quick Setup Guide and Teaching Style page to modify the appearance ofyour course. Change tool availability to control which tools are available in your courseand which users have access to them. To learn more, see Enrollment Options, Guest
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Area Functionand Observer Access, Course Properties, Languages Other Than English, CourseStyle Options, and Course Tool Availability.
Packages and Utilities Import, export, and archive a course, check course links, copy all or part of the course,and move selected files to Course Files or the Content Collection (when available). Tolearn more, see Import Course Packages, Export and Archive Courses, Check CourseLinks, Copy Courses, Move Files to Course Files.
Help Offers online documentation.
Paging OptionsYou can edit the paging options to specify how many items appear on a page in Blackboard Learn. For example, youcan determine how many forums appear on the main discussion board page or how many items appear on the NeedsGrading page.
The default is 25 items per page and the maximum number of items is 1,000 per page. Show All displays all items andcauses the other controls to disappear. For performance, the items per page should not be greatly expanded.
Use the following steps to edit the paging options:
1. Click Edit Paging.
2. Type a number in the Items per page box. If the number is greater than the total number of items, then all itemsappear. If the number is less than one, then one item appears.
3. Click OK.
Course Home PageBy default, a link to the course's Home Page appears in the course menu, but your institution can change this. Itcontains modules that inform you of course events and notifications. The modules function similar to the modules on theMy Institution tab. You can use the links in modules to navigate to areas in your courses and add, delete, andrearrange modules. To learn more, see Modules.
Your institution can rename modules and determine which are available.
The Home Page is often the default course entry point, which means this is the first page students see when they enteryour course. To learn how to change the page, see Select the Course Entry Point.
To edit the Home Page's settings, access its contextual menu next to the title above the action bar. For example,change the setting to enable users to personalize their Home Pages.
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Content Editor
Watch a TutorialDouble-click the video to enlarge the viewing area.
About the Content Editor
The content editor allows you to add and format text, insert equations and hyperlinks, tables, and attach different typesof files to create content. The editor appears throughout the system as the default editor.
The content editor or WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor is based on the industry standard TinyMCEplatform. TinyMCE is a javascript-based WYSIWYG content editor that provides a stable, robust user experience. Thelegacy WebEQ equation editor has been replaced with a new mathML equation editor (WIRIS).
The content editor is always available to all users. Your institution can control the availability of specific tools within thecontent editor, but users no longer need to explicitly opt in or opt out of using the content editor.
Instructors and your institution control the content editor's features and availability. If you have difficulty accessingthe content editor, contact your institution for assistance.
Two Views of the Content EditorThe content editor has two view modes: simple mode and advanced mode. Change the view in the upper-right corner ofthe content editor.
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Simple Mode
The simple mode contains a minimal set of the most used text formatting functions. Click the show more (
) function—represented by two down pointing arrows—to access more editor functions. To learn more, see SimpleContent Editor Features.
Advanced Mode
The advanced mode includes every available formatting and object attachment function. Click the show less (
) function—represented by two up pointing arrows—to view only one row of functions. To learn more, see AdvancedContent Editor Features.
Functions not currently available appear grayed out. For example, the functions to apply or remove a hyperlink areavailable only when you select text or an object in the text box.
Your institution can disable certain functions such as spell check and the math editor.
Depending on your institution's HTML policy, certain tags and attributes are not allowed in the content editor andwill not work. If you have questions about this, contact your instructor or institution about being granted theappropriate privilege for using unrestricted/trusted HTML input.
Adding and Editing ContentBy default, Blackboard Learn formats text to 12-point, left-justified Arial. Use the content editor functions to apply otherformatting. With the mouse pointer positioned in the text box, you can use four methods for adding, formatting, andediting text and objects:
• Content editor functions. To learn more, see Simple Content Editor Features and Advanced Content Editor Features.
• Right-click contextual menu. To learn more, see Using the Right-Click Contextual Menu.
• Keyboard shortcuts. To learn more, see Keyboard Shortcuts for the Content Editor.
• Direct editing of the HTML code. To learn more, see HTML Code View.
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Best Practice: Copying and Pasting Text to Prevent LossTo protect against losing work if an internet connection loss or software error occurs, you may choose to type in anoffline simple text editor, such as Notepad or TextEdit, and copy and paste your work into your course.
Alternately, before submitting or saving, you can select and copy all of the text typed in Blackboard Learn. Select thetext and right-click to copy it. You may also use key combinations for copying and pasting:
• Windows: Ctrl+A to select all the text, Ctrl+C to copy, and Ctrl+V to paste.
• Mac: Command+A to select all the text, Command+C to copy, and Command+V to paste.
Simple Content Editor FeaturesIn the content editor's simple mode, you see a single row of functions. Click the show more (
) function—represented by two down pointing arrows—to access more editor functions.
The following table defines each function.
Function DescriptionBold the selected text.
Italicize the selected text.
Underline the selected text.
Select the font face for the text. Click the down arrow next to the displayed current fontto select from a list of all available fonts.Select the size of the text. Click the down arrow next to the displayed current font sizeto select from a list of all available font sizes.Set the text color. Click the down arrow to select a different text color.
Create a bulleted list. To learn more, see Working With Lists.
Create a numbered list. To learn more, see Working With Lists.
Begin the automatic spell check. Click the down arrow to select a different language.To learn more, see Using the Spell Checker.Add a new or edit an existing hyperlink. To learn more, see Using the Link Function.
Remove a hyperlink from the selected text or object.
Opens a preview window showing how the content will appear after submitting.
Open the context editor help information pop-up display.
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Function DescriptionExpand the content editor window to fill the entire browser frame.
Access the advanced content editor features.
Advanced Content Editor FeaturesIn the content editor's advanced mode, you see three rows of functions. Click the show less (
) function—represented by two down pointing arrows—to view only one row of functions.
The following tables describe each function.
Row 1 Functions DescriptionBold the selected text.
Italicize the selected text.
Underline the selected text.
Display text with a horizontal line through the letters (strikethrough).
Select a paragraph style for the text. Click the down arrow next to the displayedcurrent style to select from a list of all available styles.Select the font face for the text. Click the down arrow next to the displayed current fontto select from a list of all available fonts.Select the size of the text. Click the down arrow next to the displayed current font sizeto select from a list of all available font sizes.Create a bulleted list. To learn more, see Working With Lists.
Create a numbered list. To learn more, see Working With Lists.
Set the text color. Click the down arrow to select a different text color.
Set the text highlight (background) color. Click the down arrow to select a differenthighlight color.Remove all formatting, leaving only the plain text.
Opens a preview window showing how the content will appear after submitting.
Opens the context editor help window.
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Row 1 Functions DescriptionExpand the content editor window to fill the entire browser frame.
Collapse functions to one row of the most used text formatting functions.
Row 2Functions Description
Cut the selected items.
Copy the selected items.
Paste the most recently copied or cut items.
Search for and replace text. To learn more, see Using Find and Replace.
Undo the previous action.
Redo the previous action—available only if an action has been undone.
Align text to the left margin.
Align text in the center.
Align text to the right.
Align text to both the left and right margins.
Move the text or object to the right (indent). Click again to indent further.
Move the text or object to the left (outdent). Click again to outdent further. You cannot outdent textbeyond the left margin.Make the text into a superscript.
Make the text into a subscript.
Add a new or edit an existing hyperlink. To learn more, see Using the Link Function.
Remove a hyperlink from the selected text or object.
Enter text to the right of the current mouse pointer location (default).
Enter text to the left of the current mouse pointer location.
Add a thin horizontal line to the current mouse pointer position, spanning the entire width of the text area.
Add a thin centered line, setting width, height relative to the current mouse pointer position, and whetherto use shadows. To learn more, see Inserting Lines and Horizontal Rules.
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Row 2Functions Description
Insert a nonbreaking space character at the current mouse pointer position.
Begin the automatic spell check. Click the down arrow to select a different language. To learn more, seeUsing the Spell Checker.
Row 3 Functions DescriptionAdd a link to a file in the text box. The Insert Content Link window appears. You canlink to the following file types: DOC, DOCX, EXE, HTML, HTM, PDF, PPT, PPTX,PPS, PPSX, TXT, WPD, XLS, XLSX, and ZIP. You can link to a file from yourcomputer, from Course Files, the Content Collection, or a URL.Embed an image in the text box or edit an existing selected image. The Insert/EditImage window appears. You can add the following file types: GIF, JPG, JPEG, BMP,PNG, and TIF. You can add images from your computer, from Course Files or theContent Collection, or a URL. To learn more, see Adding Images.Embed a media clip in the text box or edit an existing selected media object. TheInsert/Edit Media window appears. From the Type drop-down list, select the type ofmedia you want to add: Flash (default), HTML 5 video, QuickTime, Shockwave,Windows Media, Real Media, lframe, and Embedded Audio. You can add media filesfrom your computer, from Course Files or the Content Collection, or a URL. To learnmore, see Adding Media Files.Opens the WIRIS Formula Editor page—the visual math equation editor page. Tolearn more, see Using the Math Editor.Add a mashup. To learn more, see Adding Mashups.
Click to show all nonprinting characters. Click again to hide them from view.
Format the text as a blockquote.
Opens the Select Special Character window. Select a symbol to insert at the currentmouse pointer position.Opens the Insert Emoticon window. Select the emoticon to insert at the currentmouse pointer position.Position the mouse pointer where you want the anchor to appear and click to open theInsert/Edit Anchor window. Use anchors to position (anchor) other items and objects,such as images. To learn more, see Using Anchors.Opens a preview window so you can see how the content will appear after publishing.
Click to open the Insert/Edit Table window. To learn more about tables, see WorkingWith Tables.Click to open the Table Row Properties window.
Click to open the Table Cell Properties window.
Insert a blank row in the table above the current mouse pointer position.
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Row 3 Functions DescriptionInsert a blank row in the table after the current mouse pointer position.
Delete the current row from the table. If you select multiple rows, all are deleted.
Insert a blank column in the table to the left of the current mouse pointer position.
Insert a blank column in the table to the right of the current mouse pointer position.
Delete the current column from the table. If you select multiple columns, all aredeleted.Merge two or more selected table cells into a single cell.
Split previously merged table cells. If the cell or cells are not ones that were merged,nothing happens.Click to open the HTML Code View window. Then, you can directly edit the contentHTML code. This feature is intended for experienced web developers. To learn more,see HTML Code View.Edit the cascading style sheet (CSS). This feature is included for experienced webdevelopers. To learn more, see Advanced Image Settings.Record video using your webcam. To learn more, see Video Everywhere.
Working With Lists• Ordered/Numbered List: Creates an ordered or numbered list, or adds a numbered list item. Click the down arrow (
) to select from the available list ordering schemes:
◦ Alphabetic
◦ Roman numerals
◦ Greek symbols
• Bullet List: Creates an unordered or bullet list, or adds a bulleted list item. Click the down arrow (
) to select from the available bullet list symbols.
Spacing Between Bulleted or Numbered Items
You can easily increase the amount of space between bulleted or numbered items. You can do this in the WYSIWYGview or code view.
By default, bulleted and numbered lists have the same spacing as lines in a paragraph. Each item in the list uses the<li> tag to create each bulleted or numbered item.
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Adjust Spacing in WYSIWYG View
In WYSIWYG view, after you create your list, place your mouse pointer at the end of each bulleted or numbered line andclick Shift + Enter. You are adding a line space between each list item. If you continue to click the key combination,additional line spaces are added. In code view, you will see <br /><br /> for each line space. This code appears insideeach bulleted or numbered item's closing tag (the </li>).
Adjust Spacing in Code View
If you want to control the amount of spacing between list items, you need to work in code view. In the content editor,click (
) to access the HTML code view window. You can add an amount to each tag creating each list item. For example,where you see <li>, replace each with <li style="margin-bottom: 8px;">. For the 8px, you can add the amount you need.The spacing is added to the bottom of each bulleted or numbered item, creating space between the list items.
You can adjust paragraph spacing using the same methods.
Using the Spell CheckerClick the spell checker (
) icon to turn the automatic spell check function on or off. Click the down arrow to select a different language's dictionary.You will see wavy, red underlining for words detected as potentially misspelled or not found in the loaded dictionary. Ifyou resume typing text, the spell checker function switches off.
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Right-click an underlined word to view a menu:
• See a list of suggested correction.
• Ignore the single instance.
• Ignore all occurrences of the indicated word.
Your institution determines if the spell checker function is available and which spelling dictionaries are loaded in.
Using Find and ReplaceUse find (
) to search for matching text and, optionally, replace it with other text.
Finding Text
In the pop-up window, click the Find tab and type the text to find.
For Direction, choose whether to search up or down from the current mouse pointer position. Select the Match Casecheck box to match upper and lower case. Clear the check box to ignore case. If the text is located, it appearshighlighted in the text box.
Click Find Next to locate the next match or Close to close the window.
You can also click the Replace tab to switch to the replace text function.
Replacing Text
To search for and replace text from one tab, click the Replace tab.
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Type the text you want to replace. For Direction, choose whether to search up or down from the current mouse pointerposition. Select the Match Case check box to match upper and lower case. Clear the check box to ignore case. Click
Enter or Return. If the text is located, it appears highlighted in the text box.
In the Replace with text box, type the text to replace the located text with and choose an action:
• Replace: Replace the next instance found.
• Replace All: Replace every matched instance.
• Find Next: Find the next match and highlight it, but do not change the text.
You can also click the Find tab to switch to the search-only function.
Using the Link FunctionSelect text or an object, and click the link function (
) to add a new hyperlink or edit an existing hyperlink. To remove a link, select the link and click the remove link function (
). You can also link and remove links using the right-click contextual menu. You must use the http:// protocol
when typing or pasting an address for the link.
Unless you select text or an object, the insert/edit link and remove link functions are grayed out and unavailable. Ifyou click remove link for something that has no hyperlink, nothing happens.
You can specify a link to a website, a file from your computer, Course Files, or the Content Collection.
In the Target drop-down list, choose where to open the link:
• Open in this window/frame.
• Open in a new window.
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• Open in parent window/frame.
• Open in top frame, replacing all current frames.
Type an optional title for the window or frame displayed when users click the link. Optionally, select a link class. If noother choices are available, the drop-down list may only show Not Set.
Inserting Lines and Horizontal RulesLine: Click the line function (
) to add a thin horizontal line to the current mouse pointer position, spanning the entire width of the text area.
Horizontal Rule: Click the horizontal rule function (
) to add a thin centered line. You can set the following options:
• Width in pixels or as a percentage of the total available width of the text area
• Height of the line relative to the current position
• Shadow or not—default is with shadow
Use the Width drop-down list to choose pixels or percentage. Use the Height drop-down list to choose Normal or aheight increment from 1 to 5. Click Insert to add the line or Cancel to close the window.
Adding ImagesClick the Insert/Edit Image function (
) to embed an image in the text area or edit an existing selected image. Alternatively, embed an image using the right-click contextual menu. You can also use the options in the contextual menu to edit the properties of an existing selectedimage.
You can add the common image types, such as GIF, JPG, JPEG, BMP, PNG, and TIF.
Whenever possible, use compact, compressed file formats such as JPG or PNG to reduce the time required todownload the embedded image.
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General Image Settings
On the General tab, embed an image from one of the following:
• To create a link to a file outside of the local system, type or paste a URL in the Image URL text box. You must usethe http:// protocol.
• Click Browse My Computer to upload a file from your computer. You can also upload a file from the course'sstorage repository:
◦ If Course Files is the course's storage repository, click Browse Course.
-OR-
◦ If your institution licenses content management, click Browse Content Collection.
You can email a link to a file you are including. In the Content Collection or Course Files, access the file's 360°view. Copy the permanent URL address and paste it in an email.
Image description: Optionally, type a description for the image. Recommended for accessibility readers.
Title: Optionally, type a title for the image.
Appearance Settings
The Appearance tab allows you to control image placement and appearance. A sample thumbnail display on the rightside of the window shows how the various choices will appear.
• Alignment: Placement of the image relative to the nearby text. Choices include baseline, top, middle, bottom, texttop, text bottom, left, and right.
• Dimensions: Image size displayed in pixels. Important: If not set, the actual image size populates the boxes.
If you select the check box for Constrain Proportions and add a measurement, the image is resized withouthorizontal or vertical distortion.
• Vertical space: In pixels, the margin reserved above and below the image.
• Horizontal space: In pixels, the margin reserved on either side of the image.
• Border: In pixels, applies a border around the image.
• Style: Whenever you change the appearance settings, this box displays the HTML code used to format the image. Ifnecessary, you can enter additional code or alter the existing code.
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Advanced Image Settings
Use the advanced image settings to specify an alternative image based on mouse activity. You can also set additionalidentification, language, and link parameters. Normally, you do not need to set or change these settings.
Adding Media FilesClick the Insert/Edit Embedded Media function (
) to embed a media clip in the text area or edit an existing selected media item. You can also use the right-clickcontextual menu to edit the properties of an existing selected media clip.
General Media Settings
Type: From the drop-down list, select the type of media you want to add:
• Flash (default)
• QuickTime
• Shockwave
• Windows Media
• Real Media
• lframe
• Embedded Audio
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You can email a link to a file you are including in a content item. In the Content Collection or Course Files, accessthe file's 360° view. Copy the permanent URL address and paste it in an email.
• To create a link to a media file outside of the local system, type or paste a URL in the File/URL text box. You mustuse the http:// protocol.
• Click Browse My Computer to upload a file from your computer. You can also upload a file from the course'sstorage repository:
◦ If Course Files is the course's storage repository, click Browse Course.
-OR-
◦ If your institution licenses content management, click Browse Content Collection.
• Dimensions: Size displayed in pixels. Important: If not set, the actual size populates the boxes.
If you select the check box for Constrain Proportions and add a measurement, the file is resized without horizontalor vertical distortion. You are able to preview the file in the window.
Advanced Media Settings
On the Advanced tab, you can set advanced display parameters, as well as a number of options specific to Flashmedia only.
Advanced:
• ID: Set an identification code for the media.
• Name: Type a name for the media.
• Align: Set whether to align the media to the top, right, bottom, or left.
• Background: Set a background color for the media.
• V-Space and H-Space: Set vertical and horizontal margins for space around the embedded media.
Flash options:
• Quality: Set the playback quality for the Flash media. Choices are high, low, autolow, autohigh, and best.
• Scale: Select a resizing option for Flash media. Choices are show all, no border, exact fit, and no scale.
• WMode: Set a display mode for the media. Choices are window, opaque, and transparent.
• SAlign: Set the position alignment for the media within the Flash media player. Choices are left, top, right, bottom,top left, top right, bottom left. and bottom right.
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• Auto Play: Select to have the Flash media play automatically when selected.
• Loop: Select so the media file loops (replays) after reaching the end.
• Show Menu: Select to show the Flash media player menu.
• SWLiveConnect: Used only in older Flash media. When selected, allows the player and browser to exchangeinformation. Typically, this parameter is not necessary.
• Base and Flash Vars: Manually configure the Flash options. These features are intended for advanced webdevelopers needing a high degree of control and customization over the Flash player appearance and behavior.
Media Source Settings
In the Source tab, you can enter custom media HTML code. This feature is intended for advanced web developers.
Adding MashupsA mashup combines elements from two or more sources. When you view a YouTube™ video in a Blackboard Learncourse as part of the course content, you are experiencing a mashup.
Click the insert mashup function (
) to display a drop-down list and select from the following types:
• Flickr© Photo
• SlideShare Presentation
• YouTube™ Video
• NBC Content
Your institution determines the availability of specific mashup types.
After you select a mashup type, you can search for content to fit your course. Then, you set viewing and presentationoptions.
After selecting a YouTube video, choose No for the Show YouTube Information option if you do not want toshow YouTube’s suggested videos at the end of playback.
Before submitting, click the preview function (
) to see how the mashup will appear in the content item. Close the preview window to make changes. When you aresatisfied with the selection and options, click Submit to continue or Cancel to abort adding the mashup.
To learn more about how instructors can use mashups in their courses, see How to Create Mashups. To learn moreabout how students can use mashups, see Mashups.
Using the Math EditorThe math editor delivered within the content editor provides an interface for creating and managing math formulas inyour course. The math editor is written by WIRIS and is standard- based using the latest MathML standard for
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describing math formulas for display in browsers. Additionally, the created formulas are saved as the MathML for futureediting AND as a PNG file for rapid deployment to browsers.
Click the launch math editor function (
) to open the math equation editor window, the WIRIS Formula Editor.
Javascript must be enabled for the math editor to function.
Rich Set of Features• Basic operations
• Matrix calculus
• Calculus and series
• Logic and set theory
• Units
• Greek alphabet
Math Editor Highlights• The math editor automatically converts formulas and equations to images so that users do not need to download an
applet to view them. The formulas and equations continue to remain fully editable for an author.
• The math editor supports copying and pasting of MathML formulas and equations directly in the editor.
• Supports Legacy Equations - the math editor continues to support W3C MathML standards and extracts MathMLfrom the pre-SP8 legacy math editor.
• If upgrading from other platforms such as CE 4 or Vista, the math editor can accommodate the formulas andequations from these platforms.
Understanding the Tabs
The tabs at the top of the page allow you to select different elements:
• General
• Operators
• Symbols
• Big operations
• Matrix mathematics
• Arrows
• Greek symbols
• Superscript, subscript, and accents
• Other miscellaneous math elements
• Functions
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To learn more, click the Manual link within the math editor to access the WIRIS website user manual. The manualprovides a list of all icons available in the tabs.
Working With TablesClick the insert/edit table function (
) to begin adding a table in the text area. Alternatively, you can use the insert/edit table command from the right-clickcontextual menu.
Most of the table functions are unavailable (grayed out) unless you place the mouse pointer inside an existingtable.
General Tab
On the General tab, you can set the basic properties for a table. Note that after creation, you can edit a table using thetable functions and commands. You can resize a table by clicking and dragging the table border anchors.
• Columns: Type the initial number of columns for the table. The default is set to two columns.
• Rows: Type the initial number of rows for the table. The default is set to two rows.
• Cell Padding: Type a number in pixels for the individual table cells' padding.
• Cell Spacing: Type a number in pixels to separate the table cells.
• Alignment: Select the table alignment: center, left, or right. If not set, the current paragraph alignment is used.
• Border: Creates a simple black line border around the table. Type a number in pixels for the width of the tableborder. The default is set to one pixel.
• Width: Set the width of the table in either pixels or a percentage of the available display width. The default is set to200 pixels.
• Height: Set the height of the table in either pixels or a percentage of the available display height. If left blank, thetable is sized automatically as needed to fit the content.
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• Class: Set the HTML class for the table. If your setup does not use classes, ignore this setting
• Table Caption: Select the check box so the table is created with a caption cell at the top. A table caption appears asthe title of the table.
Advanced Tab
On the Advanced tab, you can set additional properties for a table.
• ID: Type a table description or identifier.
• Summary: Type a description for a table.
• Style: Allow HTML code overrides for the placement, size, appearance, and border.
• Language Code: Assign a language code to a table— used in translations.
• Background Image: Use a graphic image to appear as a background for a table. You can provide a URL to create alink to an image file outside of the local system.
◦ Click Browse My Computer to upload a file from your computer. You can also upload a file from the course'sstorage repository:
▪ If Course Files is the course's storage repository, click Browse Course.
-OR-
▪ If your institution licenses content management, click Browse Content Collection.
◦ Frame: Set the table frame parameter: void, above, below, hsides, lhs, rhs, vsides, box, or border.
◦ Rules: Set rules for the table content: none, groups, rows, cols, or all.
◦ Language Direction: Set whether text entered in the table goes left to right or right to left from the mousepointer position.
◦ Border Color: Set the color for the table border.
◦ Background Color: Set the background color for the table.
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Setting Row and Cell Properties
Row properties affect an entire table row or a number of selected table rows. Cell properties affect the current table cellor a number of selected cells.
Row Properties
Click inside an existing table and click the table row properties function (
) to open the Table Row Properties window. You can set formatting parameters to control how the contents of a tablerow or selected rows will appear.
General Tab
On the General tab, set the following properties:
• Row Type: Set whether the row is a header, body, or footer.
• Alignment: Set the alignment of the row’s cell contents to center, left, or right.
• Vertical alignment: Set the alignment of the row’s cell contents to top, center, or bottom.
• Class: Set the row content HTML class. If classes are not used, ignore this setting.
• Height: Manually set the height of the row. Otherwise, the row expands or contracts as needed to fit the contents.
From the drop-down list at the bottom of the window, select the rows:
• Update the current row or selected rows only (default).
• Update odd rows in the table.
• Update even rows in the table.
• Update all rows in the table.
Advanced Tab
On the Advanced tab, you can set additional row properties:
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• ID: Type a row description or identifier.
• Style: Allow HTML code overrides for the placement, size, appearance, and border.
• Language Direction: Set whether text entered in the row goes from left to right or right to left from the mousepointer position.
• Language Code: Assign a language code to a row—used in translations.
• Background Image: Use a graphic image to appear as a background for a row. You can provide a URL to create alink to an image file outside of the local system.
◦ Click Browse My Computer to upload a file from your computer. You can also upload a file from the course'sstorage repository:
▪ If Course Files is the course's storage repository, click Browse Course.
-OR-
▪ If your institution licenses content management, click Browse Content Collection.
◦ Background Color: Set the background color for the row.
.
Cell Properties
Click the table cell properties function (
) to open the Table Cell Properties window. You can set formatting parameters to control how the contents of a tablecell or selected cells will appear.
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General Tab
On the General tab, set the following properties:
• Alignment: Set the alignment for a cell contents to center, left, or right.
• Cell Type: Set a cell content type to data or header.
• Vertical Alignment: Set the alignment for a cell contents to top, center, or bottom.
• Scope: Expand the modification selection beyond an individual cell and applies the changes to a column, row, rowgroup, col group.
• Width: Manually set the width of a cell.
• Height: Manually set the height of a cell.
• Class: Set the row content HTML class. If classes are not used, ignore this setting.
From the drop-down list at the bottom of the window, select the cells:
• Update the current cell or selected cells only (default).
• Update all cells in a row.
• Update all cells in a table.
Advanced Tab
On the Advanced tab, you can set additional cell properties:
• ID: Type a cell description or identifier.
• Style: Allows HTML code overrides for the placement, size, appearance, and border.
• Language Direction: Set whether text entered in a cell goes from left to right or right to left from the mouse pointerposition.
• Language Code: Assign a language code to a cell—used in translations.
• Background Image: Use a graphic image to appear as a background for a cell. You can provide a URL to create alink to an image file outside of the local system.
◦ Click Browse My Computer to upload a file from your computer. You can also upload a file from the course'sstorage repository:
▪ If Course Files is the course's storage repository, click Browse Course.
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-OR-
▪ If your institution licenses content management, click Browse Content Collection.
◦ Border Color: Set the color for a cell border.
◦ Background Color: Set the background color for a cell.
Editing Tables
Click inside an existing table to make the table editing functions active in the content editor.
Function DescriptionClick to open the Insert/Edit Table window. If clicked inside a table, a new table is created inside thefirst one.Click to open the Table Row Properties window.
Click to open the Table Cell Properties window.
Insert a blank row before the current mouse pointer position.
Insert a blank row after the current mouse pointer position.
Delete the current row from the table. If you select multiple columns, all of them are deleted.
Insert a blank column to the left of (preceding) the current mouse pointer position.
Insert a blank column to the right of (following) the current mouse pointer position.
Delete the current column from the table. If you select multiple columns, all of them are deleted.
Merge two or more selected cells into a single table cell.
Split previously merged table cells. If the cell or cells are not ones that were merged, nothing happens.
To resize a table, in addition to using table, row, or cell properties, you can also press and drag one of the table borderanchors. These are positioned at each of the table corners—to make the entire table larger or smaller. You will also findthem in the middle of each side—left, right, top, and bottom—to resize the table horizontally or vertically.
Right-Click Contextual Menus
You can also right-click anywhere inside an existing table to access a contextual menu. Select Insert/Edit Table toaccess some editing properties for an existing table.
Using AnchorsYou can use anchors to position (anchor) other items and objects, such as images. Position the mouse pointer whereyou want the anchor to appear, and click the anchor function (
) to open the Insert/Edit Anchor window. Type a name for the anchor and click Insert to add it.
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To modify an existing anchor, select it and click the anchor function.
To remove an anchor, select it and press the Delete key.
Deleting an anchor also deletes the object or text anchored to it.
Advanced Functions
HTML Code View
Click the HTML code view function (
) to open the HTML code view window. Then, you can directly edit the content HTML code. When finished, clickUpdate to apply your changes or Cancel to abort.
The content editor performs some code verification. To keep the code valid and working, HTML tags are added orremoved as needed. However, you might enter invalid codes or tags, and the content editor's auto-correcting capabilitiesmay not catch all issues. Displayed results can be unpredictable.
This feature is intended for experienced web developers.
Editing CSS
Click the edit CSS function (
) to edit the cascading style sheet (CSS) for the page.
This feature is intended for experienced web developers.
In the Edit CSS Style window, using the tabs and individual settings, you can customize nearly all of the basicformatting defaults for the current content editor display. Each tab controls a different category of style overrides.
• Text: Set the font face, size, style, weight, and aspects of text appearance.
• Background: Use a background color or image, and set how it is displayed.
• Block: Set formatting options at the paragraph level, including word and letter spacing, alignment, indenting.
• Box: Set defaults for drawn boxes.
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• Border: Set the style, width, and color for all aspects of table and object borders.
• List: Set defaults for formatted lists.
• Positioning: Set the overall page positioning, placement, and clipping preferences.
Click Apply or Update to make the changes or Cancel to abort.
Using the Right-Click Contextual MenuIn the content editor, you can place your mouse pointer in the text area and right-click to access a contextual menu. Themenu includes the editor's most commonly used functions.
• Cut: Cut the selected text or object.
• Copy: Copy the selected text or object.
• Paste: Paste the most recently cut or copied text or object.
• Link: Visible only when you select text or an object and opens the insert/edit link window. To learn more, see Usingthe Link Function.
• Remove Link: Visible only when you select text or an object and removes any hyperlink. If you click remove link forsomething that has no hyperlink, nothing happens.
• Image: Add or edit an image. To learn more, see Adding Images.
• Alignment: Open a sub-menu, allowing you to align text to the left margin
, center
, right margin
, or both margins
.
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• Insert/Edit Table: Place your mouse pointer inside an existing table and click this option to access the availableediting features.
Cut, copy, and paste functions may not be available in all browsers.
Keyboard Shortcuts for the Content EditorThe content editor supports the keyboard shortcuts listed in the following table. Please note that Mac users use theCommand key instead of the Ctrl key. In the table, these are indicated by "Mac." Following the table, you can use theadditional keyboard shortcuts listed to navigate the content editor toolbar.
If you use the shortcut keys that move selected items one character left, right, up, or down, the object you aremoving is absolutely positioned. An absolutely positioned element is determined by pixels so moving it up oncemoves it up one pixel.
Keyboard Shortcut DescriptionRight Arrow Move one character to the right.Left Arrow Move one character to the left.Down Arrow Move down one line.Up Arrow Move up one line.Ctrl+Right ArrowMac: Command+Right Arrow
Move right one word.
Ctrl+Left ArrowMac: Command+Left Arrow
Move left one word.
End Move to the end of the line.Home Move to the start of the line.Ctrl+Down ArrowMac: Command+Down Arrow
Move down one paragraph.
Ctrl+Up ArrowMac: Command+Up Arrow
Move up one paragraph.
Page Down Move down one page.Page Up Move up one page.Ctrl+HomeMac: Command+Home
Move to the beginning of the text.
Ctrl+EndMac: Command+End
Move to the end of the text.
SelectionShift+Right Arrow Extend the selection one character to the right.Shift+Left Arrow Extend the selection one character to the left.Ctrl+Shift+Right ArrowMac: Command+Shift+Right Arrow
Extend the selection right one word.
Ctrl+Shift+Left ArrowMac: Command+Shift+Left Arrow
Extend the selection left one word.
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Keyboard Shortcut DescriptionShift+Up Arrow Extend the selection up one line.Shift+Down Arrow Extend the selection down one line.Shift+End Extend the selection to the end of the current line.Shift+Home Extend the selection to the start of the current line.Shift+Page Down Extend the selection down one page.Shift+Page Up Extend the selection up one page.Ctrl+Shift+End Extend the selection to the end of the document.Ctrl+Shift+HomeMac: Command+Shift+Home
Extend the selection to the beginning of the document.
Ctrl+AMac: Command+A
Select all elements appearing in the text box.
EditingBackspaceMac: Delete
Delete the selection. Or, if you make no selection, delete thecharacter to the left of the mouse pointer.
Ctrl+BackspaceMac: Shift+Command+Delete
Delete all of a word to the left of the mouse pointer.Mac: All words in a line to the left of the mouse pointer are deleted.
Ctrl+CMac: Command+C
Copy the selection.
Ctrl+VMac: Command+V
Paste the cut contents or copied contents.
Ctrl+XMac: Command+X
Cut the selection.
Delete Delete the selection.Insert Switch between inserting and overwriting text.Ctrl+ZMac: Command+Z
Undo the most recent formatting command.
Ctrl+YMac: Command+Y
Redo the most recent undone command.
Ctrl+FMac: Command+F
Find text.
Shift+F10 Display the contextual menu. This is the same as a right-click.FormattingCtrl+BMac: Command+B
Select or clear bold formatting.
Ctrl+IMac: Command+I
Select or clear italic formatting.
Ctrl+UMac: Command+U
Select or clear underlining.
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Keyboard Shortcuts for the Content Editor ToolbarThe content editor toolbar supports the following keyboard shortcuts:
• When you access the content editor for the first time, you are automatically placed in the editing window. To move tothe toolbar from the editing window, use Alt+F10 (PC) or Alt+Command+F10 (Mac). The focus is placed on the toprow, first icon on the left.
• In the toolbar, use the right arrow ( > ) and left arrow ( < ) keys to move forward and backward within the toolbar. Thedown and up arrows do not work to navigate to different rows within the toolbar. Use the arrow keys to move to theend of one row and then up or down to the next row.
• To select an icon on the toolbar, press the Enter key. You are placed back in the editing window.
• To go back to the toolbar, use the same keyboard shortcuts: Alt+F10 (PC) or Alt+Command+F10 (Mac). The focuslands on the last icon you accessed.
• Use the Tab key to leave the content editor and move to the next field on the page.
• Use Shift+Tab to leave the content editor and move to the previous field on the page.
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Format HTML ContentHypertext Markup Language (HTML) coding consists of special tags placed around the text you want to format. Thesetags tell web browsers and other HTML-enabled applications how to show the encoded text when displayed by acomputer.
What Is HTMLHTML is the set of codes used to format (or "mark up") web pages. A single piece of HTML code is called a "tag." HTMLtags are surrounded by pointed brackets, called chevrons ("<" and ">"). Tags usually come in pairs.
For example, the pair of HTML tags to create bold text looks like this:
<strong>This text will be bold.</strong>
The <strong> tag means "start bold here." The end tag, </strong>, means "end bold here." End tags always include theforward slash ("/").
Paragraph Formatting Using HTMLIn HTML, a paragraph break is used to put a single blank line between paragraphs. A hard return inserts no blank line.The tag is used alone at the end of a paragraph, or as a pair. If used as a pair, the "align=left|center|right" modifier maybe included in the beginning tag to control placement.
For example, the following tag creates a right-aligned paragraph:
<P align=right>Fourscore and seven years ago, our foundingfather set forth upon this continent a new nation.</P>
Text Formatting Using HTMLUse the following tags for basic text formatting:
• Bold text tag: <strong>text</strong>• Italic text tag: <em>text</em>• Underlined text tag: <u>text</u>
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• Font format tags: <font>text</font> (Font formats includeface=fontstylecolor=fontcolorsize=fontsize)
The font tag requires at least one of the modifiers (face, color, or size).
The face modifier is set to any font, but a person viewing the page must also have that font installed on their computers.For that reason, use only common fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier New.
The color modifier recognizes basic colors, including black, white, gray, red, blue, yellow, green, purple, orange, cyan,magenta, and so on.
The size modifier does not refer to typical font point sizes. In HTML fonts are sizes 1 through 7. The default font size is3.
Because each user may set the default font point at which his or her browser will display text, these font sizes arerelative. For example, one user might have her browser's default font set to 10-point Times while another has hisbrowser's default font set to 12-point Times. The HTML tag would create 10-point Times text on the firstcomputer, and 12-point on the latter, since 3 is the default size.
Users may use plus or minus signs to indicate sizes relative to the default. For example, the following HTML creates textthat is two steps larger than the default font size:
<FONT size=+2>Bigger, Better, Faster!</FONT>
Creating Links With HTMLLinks are created using the "anchor" tag.
<a href="URL">Clickable text</a>
In the following example, the words "Blackboard Inc." will turn into a link that directs a user to the Blackboard homepage.
http://www.blackboard.com/
When displayed, the link will look like this: http://www.blackboard.com/
Creating HTML With Other ToolsCourse developers do not have to learn everything about HTML. They may also use web authoring tools to generateHTML. The following list includes applications you can use:
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• Word processors: Microsoft© Word™, Corel© WordPerfect™, Apple© AppleWorks™, Sun© StarOffice™, and almostevery other contemporary word processor contains the ability to convert word processing documents to a web pagecoded in HTML. However, the conversion from a word processing document to an HTML web page is often notperfect, especially for documents with complex formatting.
• WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) web-authoring tools: These tools provide an environment similar toa word processor for developing web pages and entire websites. You can choose from many products, including,Adobe© Dreamweaver™, Adobe© GoLive™, NetObjects© Fusion, and Microsoft© FrontPage™.
• HTML Editors: Applications like BareBones© Software's BBEdit™ provide an editing environment for HTMLdocuments. While they are not WYSIWYG, HTML editors usually have a "preview" mode that allows users to switchbetween viewing the raw HTML codes and previewing how those codes will look in the browser. These productshelp you write HTML faster and easier, but they presume a user is already knowledgeable about HTML.
Incorporating HTML Generated With Other ApplicationsInstructors may decide to incorporate HTML generated content with other applications into their courses. Use thefollowing options for including this content.
Save the content as an HTML file and upload the HTML file itself into Blackboard Learn. In the course area, next to theSpecial Action field, select Create a link to this file. Blackboard Learn will automatically detect images in an HTML fileand prompt you to upload the images as well.
Copy and paste the HTML code into a text box.
Troubleshooting HTML CodeBlackboard recommends that you do not use the following in a course:
• Multiple frames.
• <applet> tags inside the text box. These tags may cause errors in the content.
Other HTML ResourcesYou can find many online resources for additional information about HTML. One valuable and definitive resource is theWorld Wide Web Consortium located at http://www.w3.org.
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Video Everywhere
Using the content editor, you can record video everywhere. Once installed and activated, a new icon called Recordfrom Webcam is added to the content editor that controls your webcam. You can record video from the content editorand upload it directly to YouTube™. You must have a Google® account that is registered on YouTube. A YouTubechannel is required to process and save your webcam videos.
Record from Webcam (Video Everywhere) is not available when the content editor only allows limited textformatting, such as when sending email or creating groups.
How to Record and Share Video Using the Content Editor1. Click Record from Webcam. Instructors and your institution can disable this tool.
2. When prompted, click Sign in to YouTube.
3. Sign in to YouTube using your Google account. Click Grant Access to allow your Blackboard server to uploadvideo on your behalf.
If your Google account is not enabled for YouTube access, you will receive a prompt to open a new browser taband log in to YouTube. After you log in to YouTube, create your YouTube channel to upload and store yourvideos. Navigate back to the Webcam Recorder window and click Sign in to YouTube. Click Grant Access.
4. Click Record from webcam.
5. When you are prompted by Adobe Flash to enable the player settings, accept or agree.
6. Agree to allow the recorder to upload videos to YouTube.
7. Click Start Recording. When you are finished, click Stop Recording.
8. Click Upload to save your video on YouTube.
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9. Click Insert to add the video to the content editor. You can choose between:
◦ Play in place: Plays the video in the current location. Users can resize the video size to match the content. Aplaceholder appears in the content editor where your video will play for viewers.
◦ Thumbnail: A small image of the video is displayed. Users click on the thumbnail to view the video in a newwindow.
10. Your video appears in your content item. It takes a few minutes to encode the video, so it may not playimmediately. You might even receive a "This video is unavailable" message. Wait a few minutes and try again.
How to Make Your Video AccessibleAfter you upload your video to YouTube, you can add closed captions and descriptive captions. Captions and transcriptshelp people who are deaf or who experience hearing impairments understand the audio track of your video. Captionsalso help people who speak different languages or have learning disabilities understand what is happening in yourvideo.
After you upload your video, it will take between an hour and a day for YouTube's transcription tool to automatically savecaptions from the soundtrack of your video. On the YouTube tool bar, the Captions link appears when the captions areavailable. After the transcription is completed, you need to edit the captions to be sure they are correct.
1. On the YouTube tool bar, click Captions.
2. For English, click automatic captions in the right side panel.
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3. The inline text editor opens. You can edit directly in each frame's text box. You can also download the text file,edit it on your computer using a text editor, and upload it back to YouTube.
4. Click Done.
The most current and detailed instructions for adding transcripts, translations, and captions to videos posted onYouTube are available by clicking the help link in YouTube and searching for "captions."
PrivacyBy default, all videos are recorded under the Unlisted privacy setting. An unlisted video does not appear underYouTube searches, and only users who know the link can access it. This does not guarantee complete privacy. Theunlisted setting allows authors to publish and share videos easily without a need for specifically choosing who can viewthe video. If users have access to where the video is published, they can view it. They can also click a YouTube logo onthe video which allows them to view the unlisted video on the youTube.com site.
You can change the privacy setting to Private. From the video library, edit the video to make it private in the YouTubeclip edit settings. If you make a video private, only the users you specifically include, and who have a Google accountcan view it. Private videos appear in the library with a lock next to them. Private videos cannot be viewed by anyoneother than the author and specified viewers.
To Learn MoreTo learn more about making your videos accessible, see Best Practice: Captioning Video Content.
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File AttachmentsYou can add file attachments to different areas in your course, such as to a content item, an assignment, or a discussionboard post. Users open a file by clicking a link to the file that appears in the course.
Locate the file you want to attach. Click Browse My Computer to upload a file from your computer. You can also uploada file from the course's storage repository:
• If Course Files is the course's storage repository, click Browse Course.
-OR-
• If your institution licenses content management, click Browse Content Collection.
After selecting a file to attach, you may add a name for the link to the file. This link title appears to users, instead of thename of the document. For example, type "Biology Lab" as the link title instead of using the file name
lab_bio_101.doc.
Accepted Characters in File NamesBlackboard Learn allows the use of all characters in file names. However, a user's operating system and browser maylimit the types of characters accepted. For example, some browsers do not accept multi-byte characters, and some maynot have the languages installed to display the special alphabetic characters specific to them.
Recognized Attachment File TypesThe following file types are recognized by Blackboard Learn. These files can appear within a content item.
Blackboard Learn can recognize additional file types and associated applications if a MIME extension is added. Contactyour institution to learn more about adding MIME extensions.
Extension File TypePrograms associated with the FileType
AAM Multimedia Adobe® Authorware® plug-in. Notethat the AAM file is the starting pointfor a series of files that must beenclosed in a ZIP file.
AIFF Audio Audio media playerASF Multimedia Microsoft® .NET™ ShowAU Audio Real Audio Player™AVI Video Video player (not Macintosh®
compatible)
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Extension File TypePrograms associated with the FileType
DOC Text Microsoft® Word or other wordprocessor
EXE Executable Executable fileGIF Image Graphics program or web browserHTML, HTM Web page HTML editor or web browserJPG, JPEG Image Graphics program or web browserJIF Image Graphics program or web browserMP3 Audio Audio media playerMPE Audio/Video Audio media playerMPG, MPEG Audio/Video Audio media playerMOOV,MOVIE Movie QuickTime® movie playerMOV Video Movie or media playerPDF Text Adobe® Acrobat® ReaderPNG Image Portable Network GraphicsPPT, PPS Slideshow Microsoft® PowerPoint® and
PowerPoint® Player®
QT Movie QuickTime™RA Audio Real Audio Player™RAM Video Real Audio Movie™RM Audio Audio media playerRTF Text Rich Text FormatSWF Multimedia Adobe® Shockwave® plug-inTIFF, TIF Image Graphics program or web browserTXT Text Text or HTML editor, word
processorWAV Audio Audio media playerWMA Audio Audio media playerWMF Graphic Microsoft® Windows®
WMV Video Microsoft® Windows®
WPD Text WordPerfect® or other wordprocessor
XLS Spreadsheet Microsoft® Excel®
ZIP Text WinZip®
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Sharing and Exchanging Files in CoursesYou have several options in Blackboard Learn for sharing and exchanging files with students.
Items and FilesFor distributing files to students, you can use Items or Files within a content area. You also have the ability to makeitems and files available for a set period of time or to apply adaptive release rules to limit access to students who havemet a set of requirements.
You may also use Course Files or the Content Collection—if your institution licenses content management—to storefiles and link to them in a content area.
AssignmentsYou can create assignments to receive student files. Again, you can limit assignment availability by date and time, or bythe application of adaptive release criteria. A major benefit is the ability to download all files submitted through anassignment in a single compressed ZIP file, rather than a file-by-file workflow.
Group File ExchangeThe course groups feature allows you to create subsets of students and give them their own workspaces to collaboratewithin your course. One groups tool is file exchange that permits group members and instructors to upload and managedocuments in the group area. As only designated members can access the group area, this solution allows forcooperative editing as well as simple file exchange.
Blogs, Journals, and WikisThe interactive features of blogs, journals, and wikis provide another alternative for file sharing within your course.
• Use journals, a tool that is private between the instructor and an individual student, to give feedback on files sharedby a student, or to distribute personalized files to students.
• The more public nature of the blogs tool permits students to receive feedback from their peers on shared documentsthrough the comments feature, while retaining your ability to share files by attaching them to your own blog entries.
• The collaborative space of wikis is an option for multiple students and instructors to share and exchange files, or tocreate a shared document within the content editor.
You can also enable the blogs, journals, and wikis tools within group areas.
Discussion BoardAnother option for file sharing is the discussion board. Threaded posts within the discussion board enable discussions ofdocuments to be tracked easily.
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Best Practice: Attaching Files
You can add files to your course in multiple ways, including when you create course content. When you add files to yourcourse, they are stored in the course storage repository: Course Files or the Content Collection. To learn about thedifferences, see Course Files vs. the Content Collection.
Watch a TutorialDouble-click the video to enlarge the viewing area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before I create content, do I have to upload all my files into Course Files or the Content Collection?
No. You can add files as you create content. You can use the browse function to upload one or more files. If youupload them into a course area, you do not need to upload the same files directly to the repository. After creating
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your content, you can move your new files to different folders in Course Files or the Content Collection as needed.Links to the files will not break.
What happens if I want to move a file from one content item to another?
You can reuse files in Course Files or the Content Collection. Therefore, you can delete links to files in your course,yet the files themselves remain in the repository, where you can link to them again. Also, if you modify or move a fileto another folder after you link it in your course, the link will not be broken.
A new semester has started and I need to update my syllabus file. What is the best way to do this?
You can edit and overwrite individual files in Course Files or the Content Collection while maintaining the course linksto those files.
When creating a content item in the Getting Started content area, you create a link to your syllabus file in CourseFiles or the Content Collection. Later, you need to make changes to the file. You edit a copy of the file on yourcomputer and upload the new version of the syllabus to the repository using the Overwrite File function in the item'scontextual menu. The link to the file in the content area remains intact. When students access the syllabus in yourcourse, they see the revised content. To learn more, see How to Overwrite a File.
What happens when I attach a file when creating a journal or blog topic, or a discussion forum?
When you create content in the interactive tools, you can use the Insert File function in the content editor to includea file in your instructions. The system automatically uploads the files to Course Files or the Content Collection in thetop-level folder. Later, you can organize your files by moving them to different folders in the repository and the linkswill remain intact. To learn more, see About Files Added Automatically to Course Files.
Can I link to a file more than once?
You can link to a file as many times as you want. If you need to edit it, the changes will appear in all the linkedinstances. To learn more, see How to Overwrite a File.
If I do link to a file more than once, is there an easy way to keep track of where the links are in my course?
Yes. In Course Files or the Content Collection, access the item's contextual menu and select 360° View. You canview all pertinent information about the item and where it is linked in your course. To learn more, see View a File orFolder's Course Links.
Three Common Ways to Add Files to Your CourseYou can add all types of files to your content. In our examples, we will add a document and introduce three of the waysyou can use to begin building content and attaching files. To learn more, see Add Files to Course Files.
1. To control where a file link appears, use the content editor to attach a file as you create content.
2. When creating content, attach a file in the Attachments section.
3. Add your files to Course Files or the Content Collection BEFORE you create content.
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To control where a file link appears, use the content editor to attach a file as you create content
When you use the Insert File function in the content editor, you can determine exactly where the file's link appearswithin your content. You can also add alt text to describe the attachment. Alt text (alternative text) is a short phrasedescribing any visual components on a web page. Alt text is interpreted by screen readers and helps describe whatsome users cannot see.
You can link to files already in Course Files or the Content Collection -OR- browse for one on your computer. Any filesyou upload from your computer are saved in the repository in the top-level folder. You cannot select the folder your fileswill be uploaded to.
Advantage: You have creative control over how your content appears. If you are adding three files to your content item,you can split them up among the text as you want.
Example: You provide your students with three case studies to read. They must select one to further investigate. In thesame content item, you can provide an introduction and a file link for each case study. You can use the file name orprovide a link title for each. In our example, a link title appears for each.
Files Appear: The links to the files appear exactly where you want. As you refine your content or need to updatematerial, you can continue to add files, images, web links, mashups, and links to multimedia. You have the flexibility tochange the order and appearance when you want.
When creating content, attach a file in the Attachments section
As you create content, you can add a file from your computer quickly and easily. Alternatively, select one from CourseFiles or the Content Collection.
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Advantage: You can upload files while building your course. You don't have to upload your materials first.
Example: Your students are struggling with the group project. You can deliver more instructions and ask them todownload a file with specific examples. As you create the new content item, you can attach a file. If it is on yourcomputer, you can select the folder in Course Files or the Content Collection that you want to upload it to.
Simply click Browse Course or Browse Content Collection to locate the file on your computer and upload it.Alternatively, locate the file in one of the folders in your repository. To learn more, see Browse for Files in Course Filesand the Content Collection.
File Appears: In the content area, the file you uploaded appears immediately following the title of the content item. Youcannot change where the link appears. You can use the file name or provide another name for the file. In our example,the file name appears.
Add your files to Course Files or the Content Collection BEFORE you create content
Upload files and folders into Course Files or the Content Collection, either one at a time or in batches, using the drag-and-drop function or the browse function.
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Advantage: In Course Files or the Content Collection, you can create folders to organize your content, making it easy tolocate files later.
Example: You decide to deliver content to your students using weeks. On the course menu, you add links for Week 1,Week 2, and Week 3. In Course Files or the Content Collection, you create folders with the same names and uploadyour files. When you create content, you can easily navigate to the appropriate folder to locate the file you need.
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Online Teaching StrategiesA large part of successful learner outcomes is figuring out the best teaching strategies for your subject matter andstudents. Keeping students engaged and excited about learning is a combination of course design and studentmanagement.
The following webinars are part of the 2013 Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series (BITS). BITS brings Blackboardcommunity experts to you, sharing their top strategies and pedagogy for increasing educator efficiency and improvinglearning outcomes. These recordings vary from 10 to 60 minutes in length and are categorized into three tracks: GettingStarted, Assessing Learners, and Collaboration. To attend an upcoming webinar, visit: www.blackboard.com/bits
These resources are available in English only.
From the Beginning: Setting up Your Blackboard Learn Course
Getting Started: This webinar, facilitated by Lesie Day of Blackboard, is a beginner's guide to using the quick set-upguide, course themes and structures, setting up your course menu and more! By the end of this session, you shouldleave with ideas on how to set up your course, leaving you ready to begin creating content.
Meet the Grade Center
Getting Started: This webinar faciliated by Paige Brooks-Jeffiers, Kentucky Community and Technical College System,takes a look at the basic functions of the grade center. Creating columns, organizing columns and calculating the finalgrade are covered. The student view is also coverd to ensure they see grades the way you anticipate.
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Getting Started with Publisher Content
Getting Started: This webinar faciliated by Brian Morgan, Marshall University and Misty Cobb of Blackboard shows youhow tointegrate pre-developed content from your textbook publisher into your Blackboard course. Brian Morgan speaksabout his experiences integrated Cengage Learning content into his courses. Brian highlights the positives andnegatives regarding the use of pre-developed content for both fully-online courses and as a supplement to traditionalcourses.
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Creating a Welcoming Course Environment
Getting Started: This webinar faciliated by Cheryl Cyrus of Blackboard shows you how to create a welcomingenvironment for your course, and prepare your students for success. Topics will include Course Links, the new VideoAnywhere Building Block, and essential Orientation information to include in your course.
What You Need to Know About the Grade Center
Getting Started: This webinar faciliated by Dr. Julia K. VanderMolen, Assistant Professor-Health and Science,Davenport University, shows you the basics of recording and sharing grades and comments with students through theGrade Center. Participants also learn some tips and tricks for managing grades.
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The Rewards of Rubrics
Assessing Learners: This webinar facilitated by Dr. Torria Bond, California Baptist University, shows you how to locaterubrics in Learn, discusses two types of rubrics, and helps you construct an assignment in Blackboard with an attachedrubric given a live demonstration in Learn.
Maximizing Student Engagement Through My Blackboard: Discussion Board, Wikis, Blogs, and Journals
Collaboration: This webinar facilitated by Marcie Newton, The College of Saint Rose, discusses similarities anddifferences among Discussion Board, Wikis, Blogs, and Journals. How to maximize student engagement using thesevaluable tools is covered along with effective teaching strategies based on Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy to encouragestudent engagement.
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Effective Practices for Course Communications
Collaboration: This webinar facilitated by Misty Cobb of Blackboard provides an overview of various communicationstools in Learn. Effective best practices based on evidence from the academic literature is presented. Emphasis is placedon how the effective use of Blackboard features are meeting student needs and increasing student retention. Blackboardfeatures highlighted will include messages, email, text, notifications, and more.
The Ins and Outs of Writing Effective Discussion Questions
Collaboration: This webinar facilitated by Cheryl Cyrus of Blackboard shows you how to build community online usingdiscussion board questions that build engagement and don’t result in a series of “me too” responses. Learn a few tricksfor writing effective discussion questions and building authentic interaction online.
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In this section...• Best Practice: Analyze Course Effectiveness
• Best Practice: Help Students Succeed
• Best Practice: Increase Student Retention
• Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series 2012 Recordings
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Best Practice: Analyze Course Effectiveness
Adjust and adapt your course to increase student success.Knowledge is power. To determine how well your design is working,analyze how students interact and perform in your course. Adjust your courseaccordingly, and be rewarded with an engaging and robust learning environmentthat enables students to reach their learning goals.
For example, low participation in discussion board activities can lead to aninvestigation into instructions and expectations for using the tool, where the toolis placed in the course, and the timeliness of your interactions. After makingimprovements, check participation levels again to confirm that the changes hada positive impact.
Blackboard Learn provides a collection of tools and reports to track your studentactivity and gain insight into the effectiveness of your course. For example, youcan use the following to gain information:
• Item Analysis on tests
• Course reports
• End-of-course evaluations
Item Analysis on TestsItem Analysis provides statistics about overall test performance and individual test questions. This data helps you toidentify questions that might be poor discriminators of student performance. Use this information to improve questionsfor future test administrations or to adjust credit on current attempts.
To learn how to run this report, see Item Analysis.
Example
After the item analysis, you notice the majority of students answer onequestion incorrectly. What is contributing to the low success rate?
• Is the wording of the question confusing?
• Are the answer options unclear?
• Were students given appropriate learning content to successfullyanswer this question?
• Was the learning content easily accessible and clear?
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Based on what you discover, you can improve the test question to besure that is is truly assessing what students know or do not know.
Course ReportsCourse reports include details about which students are accessing your course and when. Use the information fromthese reports to determine when you should be present in your course and investigate the effectiveness of your contentand activities.
Course Activity Overview Report
The Course Activity Overview report displays overall activity within a single course, sorted by student and date. Thedata includes the total and average time spent per user and each user's total activity in the course. Use this informationto investigate and improve your content and activities.
To learn how to generate this report, see Course Reports.
Example
Student activity is high in the afternoons on Tuesdays and Thursdays.Use this information to your students' advantage and make yourselfpresent in the course when they are most likely there. Set that time toengage with your students, post announcements, host office hours, andparticipate in group discussions.
Example 2
Students tend to spend a long time on one page and significantly less onothers. One student in particular hasn't accessed any pages. Time spenton pages could indicate special interest in the topic or difficultyunderstanding it. Based on the recognizable patterns that you see instudent activity, investigate the accessibility and effectiveness of yourcourse, content, and activities.
Course Coverage Report
The Course Coverage report displays data on course items that have been aligned to goals. Use this report to discoverwhich goals do not have instructional material associated with them. Fill in these instructional gaps with rich content.
To learn how to run this report and how to align content to goals, see Course Reports and Goals.
Example
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After running a Course Coverage report,click the linked number in the Not Coveredcolumn to view goals that do not havecourse material associated with them.
After you create course material that enables students to meet thosegoals, use the content item's contextual menu to Add Alignments to thegoal. This process links the content to the goal. Your changes show inthe report when you run it again.
Learn Analytics Reports
Learn Analytics reports are available If your institution licenses Blackboard Learn Analytics:
• Student At a Glance: Gather detailed information about how a student is performing compared to other students inthe same course or with the same major.
• Learn Course At a Glance: Analyze how a particular course is designed, how the course compares to other coursesections in the same department or with the same course number, and how students are using the course.
• Activity and Grade Scatter Plot: Analyze how different student activity types relate to the grades recorded in theGrade Center or the SIS Final Grade.
• Activity Matrix: Analyze activity and grade patterns in a course to help find students with different usage andperformance profiles.
• Course Activity Trend: Understand various course measures over time, broken down by instruction method. This isimportant because different instruction methods have different expectations regarding instructor course design andstudent participation.
End-of-Course EvaluationsEnd-of-course surveys are a great opportunity to hear how your students felt about their learning experience in yourcourse.
Course Surveys
Summative evaluations give your students time to reflect on how effectively your course met their needs, where contentcan be improved, and the concepts they found exceptionally challenging. Evaluations give students an opportunity toimprove the experience for future students. Not only is this a great model for lifelong learning, this information can leadto improved content and interactions for your students.
To learn how to create an end-of-course survey in your course and make it available to students, see Create Tests andSurveys.
Example
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Course Evaluations should be general enough for students to give youhonest feedback but also guided enough that you can easily understandwhat they mean.
Consider using a rating system and ask your students the followingquestion:
• Did you find the material engaging?
• Did the activities prepare you for success?
Include open-ended questions:
• What are your overall thoughts about the course?
• What was the most valuable portion of the course vs. mostdistracting or unneeded portion?
Enterprise Surveys
Another option for summative evaluation that might be available to you is an Enterprise Survey. You need a special useraccount to access the enterprise survey tool. Your institution creates this account for you.
Enterprise surveys help you to measure satisfaction levels, community engagement, and other attitudes that impactinstitutional effectiveness. Surveys provide indirect measurements of student learning by relying on self-reported dataand implied success. Enterprise Surveys collect data anonymously. Individuals cannot be identified by their responses.
To learn more, see Enterprise Surveys.
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Best Practice: Help Students SucceedThese are the top three reasons students named when they did not succeed in their online courses, according to astudy of community college online students from 2001 to 2010 (Fetzner, 2013):
1. I got behind and it was too hard to catch up.
2. I had personal problems (health, job, child care).
3. I couldn't handle studying plus work or family responsibilities.
What can you do to mitigate these issues? Provide an effective framework and guide them to use it to their advantage.You can use the following tips and refer students to How to Succeed Online.
Keep Students on TrackIt's important for students to be extremely organized even though "coming to class" has built-in flexibility for onlinecourses. The following tips can help you provide students with the framework for prioritizing their responsibilities.
Offer a sneak peek. If a “preview week” is offered before your online coursebegins, be sure the syllabus and schedule are available for students to review.If they cannot log in prior to class starting, consider emailing students theseresources.
Use the built-in tools. Include due dates for graded course items such astests, assignments, and graded discussions. They are automatically added tothe Calendar which all students see. Users can import their course calendarinto external calendars such as Google Calendar. Encourage students to useMy Blackboard daily. They can see due date reminders and other notificationsin Updates, course interactions in Posts, and their latest scores in My Grades.
Set expectations for logging in regularly. Tell students to log in a minimumnumber of times per week. Encourage them to review all course activities andassignments that are due that week and to ask questions early on so that they can still complete the work ontime.
Anticipate technical difficulties. Instruct students to store the school's helpdesk phone number and websiteURL on their phones and in written form. This ensures that they can receive technical assistance even if theircomputer is not working. Encourage students to have an alternate method for getting online work done, such asusing a computer lab or a friend's laptop. For instructions on Blackboard tools, help.blackboard.com is alwaysavailable.
If a student falls behind... and cannot keep up with the course despite putting forth a best effort, advise thestudent to contact you as soon as possible to discuss options.
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Plan for the UnplannedAll students experience personal problems at some point. Include advice in your syllabus, such as theseexamples, about what to do when unusual circumstances arise.
Communicate. When students are dealing with emergencies of a personal nature, they should contact you assoon as possible to let you know the situation.
Get help. Colleges support a variety of student services, such as counseling, academic advising, and disabilityservices. Post links to these resources and encourage your students to go there for assistance.
Create a cushion. Encourage students to plan ahead and leave a cushion of time each week so that they cancomplete the weekly coursework even if personal emergencies arise.
Time management is key. Point out the built-in tools mentioned in the previous section to students. Thesefeatures help students manage their time and prioritize tasks effectively so that they do not leave academic workto the last minute.
Work Your Coursework Into Your LifeBe an advisor to students and help them achieve balance between school, work, and life.
Goal setting. Help students develop long-term and short-term academic goals, with time frames, for completingtheir college work. Encourage them to be realistic in planning the time it will take to meet their goals whilehandling other responsibilities. Warn them against signing up for more courses than they can reasonably handle.
Integrate personal and course calendars. Encourage students to develop a prioritized to-do list and a mastercalendar. This will help them see the “big picture” of all of their academic due dates integrated with their familyand work responsibilities.
Users can import Blackboard course calendars into external calendar applications.
Source
Fetzner, M. (2013). What Do Unsuccessful Online Students Want Us To Know? JALN 17(1), 13-27.
Contributor
Marie Fetzner, Ed. D. | Monroe Community College | Rochester, NY
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Best Practice: Increase Student RetentionThe Five Pillars of Online Learning Effectiveness [1] provide a framework for developing and sustaining online learningprograms. The five pillars were created by J. C. Moore of The Sloan Consortium and include Faculty Satisfaction,Student Satisfaction, Learning Effectiveness, Scale, and Access.
Researchers J. C. Moore and M. J. Fetzner [2] mapped online retention best practices to each of the five pillars,resulting in a compiled list of common practices shared by institutions with high online course completion rates. Thefollowing best practices for the Learning Effectiveness and Student Satisfaction pillars are drawn from their research.You can use them to support students in successfully completing your courses. To read about best practices for all fiveof the pillars, see the full article [2].
Learning Effectiveness PillarFeatured best practice: Emphasize intensive faculty-student and student-student interactivity.
1. As you welcome students and introduce yourself to the class, include a photo and model the type ofinformation you want your students to include in their introductions.
2. Use the student’s name in one-to-one personal communications and in publicdiscussion postings in Blackboard. This encourages individual students to respondto your posts.
3. In your Announcements and Discussions areas, consider using phrases such as“our class” instead of “the class” and “we’ve had a great week” instead of “it’s beena good week.” This helps the one-to-many posts seem more personal to each student.
4. Plan to create at least three announcements or discussion posts each week to establish your onlinepresence and show students that you are monitoring the course regularly.
5. For group work, assign student leaders in each group to facilitate discussions and post the team’s finalanswers to the group assignment. This allows the faculty member to review the team’s work anddiscussions by group, rather than by each individual.
Student Satisfaction PillarFeatured best practice: Identify online learning obstacles to eliminate them for students.
1. If your institution offers an orientation to online learning, encourage or require students to take it. If this isnot offered, create an initial unit in your course that outlines your expectations, offers time management
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tips, and gives students an opportunity to practice with online tools such as tests and assignments in anon-graded situation.
2. When using collaborative tools such as discussions, blogs, journals, andwikis, let students take the lead to prepare them for the types of onlinecommunication they will encounter in the workforce.
3. Use Blackboard’s Retention Center to quickly identify students who arestruggling. Contact the students individually to find out what their specificdifficulty is and what can be done to solve it.
4. Seek student input with course surveys and regular, informal “temperaturechecks.” Find out what is working for them and what is not. Demonstrate that their opinion matters.
5. Provide links to campus resources such a advising, disability services, scheduling, registration, andtechnical support.
Sources
[1] Moore, J. C. (2002). The Sloan-C Pillar Reference Manual Quick Guide. The Sloan Consortium.
[2] Moore, J. C., and Fetzner, M. J. (2009). The road to retention: A closer look at institutions that achieve high coursecompletion rates. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks (JALN) 13(3), 15-17.
Contributor
Marie Fetzner, Ed. D. | Monroe Community College | Rochester, NY
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Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series 2012 RecordingsThese resources are available in English only.
Strategies to Engage StudentsWith learner engagement at the forefront of developing and delivering an effective online course, this session examineshow course developers and instructors can teach students writing strategies while employing the same strategies usedwhen in developing a course. This hands-on writing course includes engaging techniques that can be applied tonumerous content areas with an emphasis on course objectives, expectations, collaboration, and ongoing feedback.
Strategies to Engage Students (Windows Media Player Movie | 44m 28s)
Followup to Strategies to Engage StudentsThis follow-up webinar demonstrates the technical how-to's of implementing the best practices presented in Strategies toEngage Students.
Strategies to Engage Students (WebEx Webinar | 24m 27s)
Ten Ideas to Help Students Be More Engaged in Online ClassesThis webinar provides straightforward methods for helping your students become more engaged in your onlineclassroom. This session presents simple and effective ideas that can be introduced easily into an on-going class.
Ten Ideas to Help Students be More Engaged in Online Classes (Windows Media Player Movie | 51m 02s)
Followup to Ten Ideas to Help Students Be More Engaged in Online ClassesThis follow-up webinar demonstrates the technical how-to's of implementing the best practices presented in Ten Ideas toHelp Students be More Engaged in Online Classes.
Ten Ideas to Help Students be More Engaged in Online Classes Ten Ideas to Help Students be More Engaged inOnline Classes (pop-up. (WebEx Webinar | 11m 02s)
Assessing Student Engagement for Continuous Course ImprovementInstructors and professors need to know whether students are engaged in a course. It is challenging to measure thelevel of engagement as the course progresses and make continuous improvements. This session shares broad
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strategies for monitoring and assessing engagement throughout your courses and provides some tips and tricks toimplement them.
Assessing Student Engagement for Continuous Course Improvement (Windows Media Player Movie | 45m 51s)
Followup to Assessing Student Engagement for Continuous Course ImprovementThis follow-up webinar demonstrates the technical how-to's of implementing the best practices presented in AssessingStudent Engagement for Continuous Course Improvement.
Assessing Student Engagement for Continuous Course Improvement (WebEx Webinar | 13m 18s)
Efficient Collaboration and Team Building in the Distance Learning EnvironmentTo deepen student collaboration, instructors often employ group or team projects and activities. Facilitation andmanagement of group activities online can be time consuming. This session explores strategies for efficiently promotingstudent collaboration and successfully building teams in the online environment.
Efficient Collaboration and Team Building in the Distance Learning Environment (Windows Media Player Movie | 43m 43s)
Followup to Efficient Collaboration and Team Building in the Distance Learning EnvironmentThis follow-up webinar demonstrates the technical how-to's of implementing the best practices presented in EfficientCollaboration and Team Building in the Distance Learning Environment.
Efficient Collaboration and Team Building in the Distance Learning Environment (WebEx Webinar | 9m 06s)
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Accessibility Information
Blackboard is committed to ensuring that the platform is usable and accessible. The code and user interface designtechniques are continually audited to ensure that the application is usable by everyone, to the greatest extent possible,regardless of age, ability, or situation.
Blackboard measures and evaluates accessibility levels using two sets of standards: Section 508 of the RehabilitationAct issued from the United States federal government and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) issuedby the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). A third party conducts audits of our software releases to ensure theaccessibility of the products. For Blackboard Learn 9.1's conformance with the accessibility standards under Section 508of the Rehabilitation Act using the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® (VPAT®) tool, see the VPAT forBlackboard Learn Release 9.1. For Blackboard Learn 9.1 SP 11 conformance statement for Web Content AccessibilityGuidelines 2.0, Level AA see Learn Accessibility Conformance Statement. To learn more about Blackboard’scommitment to accessibility, see http://www.blackboard.com/accessibility.
These resources are available in English only.
About the Structure of Blackboard Learn PagesA logical heading structure is in place to properly structure the page and allow users to navigate using headings.Headings are used consistently throughout the application. This gives users the ability to understand the structure of anypage in the application quickly, and move to the appropriate section of the page or content item easily.
As is required, a single H1 is provided to identify the page the user is looking at. In Blackboard Learn, the page title, forexample “Course Documents,” is always the H1.
H2 headings are used to delineate major sections of a page. These headings are hidden and allow screen reader usersto skip directly to each major page section. For example, a course page has two H2 headings: one for the course menuand one for the main content that is located immediately above the action bar on the content page.
H3 headings are typically used as the title of content items or key content elements on a page. For example, the title ofan assignment on a “Course Documents” page is an H3 so the user easily finds it.
To reduce the visual clutter on a page, a number of elements are hidden until they receive either mouse orkeyboard focus. After focus is given, these elements become active and follow typical keyboard interactionmodels.
Frames Removed and Replaced With DIVs and iFrames
Technical changes to the primary navigation in Blackboard Learn make navigation easier for visually-impaired users.
Frames have been completely removed from the Learn application and replaced with HTML5 compliant DIVs andiFrames. This change improves page printing, accessibility, and page navigation.
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This change results in improved accessibility for users of screen readers where identification of page location, navigationand page titles are necessary.
About Keyboard NavigationIndustry standard keyboard interactions are used throughout Blackboard Learn to move between menus, open menusand select items within a menu. Keyboard navigation patterns differ between browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari,Chrome), but the interactions within any particular browser are common and consistent.
If you are using a Mac with Firefox or Safari and are having difficulty navigating using your keyboard, review andupdate your operating system and browser settings. This ensures they are properly configured for keyboardnavigation. To learn more, see the following information:
• Firefox setup
• Firefox keyboard navigation tips
• Mac general setup
About Keyboard Navigation for the Course Quick Setup Guide
The Quick Setup Guide wizard is an accordion object and uses the standard navigation. The wizard opens by defaultwhen an instructor opens their course for the first time. You can also access it from the Control Panel by expanding theCustomization section. Type "Welcome" in your browser's Find tool and press ESC on your keyboard.
Navigating Within The Quick Setup Guide
Within the Quick Setup Guide, press the following keys to navigate:
• Up and Down Arrow keys on your keyboard to move between the names of the sections in the accordion.
• Spacebar or Enter on your keyboard to open a section. After the section is open, the focus will still be on theheading, press Tab to navigate to the sublist. The sublist is coded as radio buttons allowing you to use arrow keys tonavigate between items. Stopping on the item selects it.
• Spacebar on your keyboard to make an item active or inactive.
• Tab on your keyboard to enter the open section of the accordion and change the options within the section. After youhave reached the end of a section, clicking tab again will take you to the title of the next accordion section.
Navigating Within The Structures Step
Within the Structures step, you must select a structure to use it. If you do not select a structure, the current structure isused.
Navigate to each structure to read about and preview it. To open the link to learn more about the course structures,press the following keys in the order listed:
1. Press Tab on your keyboard to open a list of links. Press Spacebar on your keyboard for a description.
2. Press Tab again to proceed to the next link, the Help page.
3. Press Tab to proceed to sample content. This is the last link in the step.
4. Press Tab to return to the structures step.
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If you leave the Structures step, the current selected structure opens when you return to that step.
To select a structure to use, press the Spacebar on your keyboard to select it. Press the Spacebar again to deselect thestructure. Visually, this turns the Use this structure button on and off.
Accessibility Training ResourcesEnroll in our free self-paced course, Universal Design and Accessibility for Online Learning, available throughCourseSites, for guidance in building courses that are accessible. Click Self-Enroll.
Universal Design and Accessibility for Online Learning Course Archive
Download a copy of the course archive to customize and facilitate at your own institution. This archive (1.9 MB) iscompatible with Blackboard Learn 9.1 SP 8 and later. Do not unzip or open the archive. A system administrator mustrestore the course to the system.
Screen ReadersBlackboard Learn has created a Screen Reader Tutorial to provide users who access the application through a screenreader with information to help them use the system successfully.
To download the tutorial, click the following link: Blackboard Learn Screen Reader Tutorial.
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Accessibility Features
The goal of Blackboard Learn is to provide an accessible platform for students and instructors for equal access to onlinecourses. Instructors have some responsibility to make their course content accessible. Students need to ask foraccommodations if they need them. Find out how you can create and participate in inclusive learning experiences byusing the accessibility features in Blackboard Learn.
Blackboard is fully committed to ensuring that our platform contains no barriers for users with disabilities and is bothusable and accessible by everyone, regardless of age, ability, or situation. Blackboard measures and evaluatesaccessibility levels using two sets of standards: Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act issued from the United Statesfederal government and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) issued by the World Wide WebConsortium (W3C).
The linked resources are available in English only.
Design Accessible ContentThe following list includes the top five things you need to know about designing accessible content:
1. If you are adding images to your content, you must define alternative (alt) text for them. Alt text should be simpleand succinct, and describe exactly what the image is. Example alt="photograph of a CellDividing." If an image is a diagram that conveys more complicated information, a long description ortextual format of the material is required.
2. If you are adding video or other multi-media content to your course, you must include descriptive captions for thecontent to ensure users with hearing impairments can consume it. To learn more, see Best Practice: CaptioningVideo Content.
3. One of the top complaints from students with visual impairments is the inability to consume attached files.Format attached documents with appropriate headings to ensure they can be properly consumed by screenreaders. When creating your documents, use the Formatting and Style options available in Microsoft Office,Adobe, or other word processing tools to define appropriate headings and lists.
4. Properly tag attached PDF files to ensure their structures can be read by screen readers. Simple methods for"print" or "save" to PDF create a single image of the file. While the document looks like it is properly structured,the screen reader is not able to interact with or read any of the material. To learn more about making accessiblePDF documents, see Meet PDF Accessibility Standards on the Adobe Acrobat website.
5. Be sure that you provide your students with clear expectations, instructions, and directions for all assignmentsand tests. Students with cognitive impairments or learning disabilities can have trouble focusing on even simpletasks. Clear directions and understandable expectations can help them focus, making them much more likely tosucceed.
Using Blackboard With a Hearing ImpairmentThe following list includes the top two things to know about using Blackboard with a hearing impairment:
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1. The new Record from Webcam (Video Everywhere) feature is embedded in the content editor. It allows you tocreate video messages or submissions anywhere you have access to the content editor. For users who sign, theycan record and view video conversations in a discussion forum, post a video blog, or even submit a videopresentation for assignments.
2. While the Blackboard Learn product does not auto-caption media files, it does provide full support for captions inall media types that you can upload or view within your course content. With some forethought, you can evencaption the videos recorded with the new Record from Webcam. To learn more, see Best Practice: CaptioningVideo Content.
Using Blackboard With a Visual ImpairmentThe following list includes the top five things to know about using Blackboard with a visual impairment:
1. Blackboard Learn is developed against the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to ensure its compatibilitywith the latest versions of assistive technology including screen readers such as JAWS and VoiceOver.
2. Pages in Blackboard Learn follow a common structure to ensure familiarity as you navigate through the system. Acombination of headings and ARIA landmarks are used to define the structure of the page. Features such as theglobal navigation menu and Quick Links can help with faster, more efficient navigation. All keyboard navigationfollows commonly used web navigation models.
3. The Quick Links feature goes beyond traditional skip links, allowing you to jump directly to any heading or ARIAlandmark on the current page. You can open Quick Links with a keyboard shortcut (Shift+Alt+L) from anywhere ina page so that it's always easy to move around.
4. Alt tags are used to identify all images used within Blackboard Learn. When instructors are building coursecontent, they are prompted to add alt text to images they upload, as well to ensure visual information is availableto all users.
5. If you have defined high contrast settings on your computer, you can enable high contrast styles on the login pageof Blackboard Learn. Doing so will inform the system to respect your operating system selections to ensure thebest visual experience based on your personal needs.
Using Blackboard With a Mobility ImpairmentThe following list includes the top five things to know about using Blackboard with a mobility impairment:
1. Keyboard navigation throughout the Blackboard Learn system follows common web navigation models to ensureconsistency and familiarity with other web-based experiences.
2. Quick links will aggregate up a list of all the headings and landmarks on the page. This allows you to quickly findand navigate to elements in the middle of the page. You can open Quick Links with a keyboard shortcut(Shift+Alt+L) from anywhere in the page so that it's always easy to move around.
3. Keyboard shortcuts are available for a variety of tools in Blackboard Learn to increase efficiency for keyboardusers. Keyboard shortcuts are specific to the current page or tool in use. Discover them by opening the QuickLinks tool (Shift+Alt+L). To learn more, see Keyboard Shortcuts for the Content Editor.
4. If typing is difficult, the Record from Webcam (Video Everywhere) feature allows you to create voice responses.Use this feature for assignments, discussions, blogs, and for any other Blackboard Learn area where the contenteditor is present.
5. Located on every page where you can reorder items using drag-and-drop function, the keyboard accessiblereordering tool displays the items on the page as a list. You can use keyboard commands to reorder the items. Tolearn more, see Keyboard Accessible Reordering.
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Using Blackboard With a Learning DisabilityThe following list includes the top five things to know about using Blackboard with a learning disability:
1. When you are in a course, you can collapse the course menu to reduce the clutter on the page and help youfocus on the task at hand. Bring the menu back at any time by holding your mouse on the left of the screen andclicking the bar that appears. This control is also accessible with a keyboard.
2. Menu options, buttons, and controls that are not always needed only appear when the items they relate toreceive focus from either the mouse or keyboard. This helps reduce the visual noise on the page and ensuresaccess to the menus as soon as you need them.
3. Activity counters within the global navigation menu and My Blackboard tools can alert you to new items orinformation requiring your attention. As you review these items, the counters are cleared so that you are alwaysaware of what is new or has changed since you last accessed the system.
4. If your system is enabled, you can set up individual notifications for new content, due dates, discussion posts, andother items within Blackboard Learn to alert you to information even when you are not logged into the system.These notifications are sent to you by email, shown in My Blackboard updates, or the Notifications Dashboard. IfBlackboard Connect is installed, you can receive alerts by text message.
5. The Blackboard Learn system allows instructors to set up accommodations for tests based on individual needs. Ifyou require more time, more attempts, different display options, or an alternative testing location, contact yourinstructor.
Accessibility Features in Blackboard LearnAs a student or an instructor, awareness and use of these features and tools creates an accessible environment forsuccess.
My Blackboard
My Blackboard aggregates information from across the Blackboard Learn system and focuses on the individual user.From a single place, users can get a quick overview of everything related to various tools and courses, as well as theiracademic or institutional network and community. This allows users to respond, review, and directly interact with theinformation presented there. Activity counters quickly call attention to items requiring a user's attention since he lastaccessed My Blackboard. Having a single place to go can simplify the overall experience for students with disabilitiesand help them feel more focused on the tasks they need to complete. Students can get an overview of outstandinginformation before diving into the details of their courses.
To learn more, see My Blackboard and Navigation.
Global Navigation
The global navigation menu refers to the set of links that appears at the top of the Blackboard Learn interface. Toaccess it, click your name or use a keyboard shortcut. This menu provides a consistent, quick, and easy way to findinformation. You can also navigate to tools like My Blackboard, your courses, and even some personal settings fromanywhere in the system.
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Adaptive Release
With adaptive release, instructors can create individualized learning paths for students. Adaptive release controls therelease of content to students based on a set of rules an instructor creates. The rules may be related to availability, dateand time, individual users, group membership, scores or attempts on any Grade Center item, calculated columns in theGrade Center, or review status of an item in the course. Instructors can use adaptive release to target alternativecontent formats or additional materials directly to the students who need them.
To learn more, see Release Content.
Quick Links
Located in the top left of the interface, the Quick Links icon opens a list of all the ARIA landmarks, as well as an outlineof all content headings on the page you are viewing. Any available keyboard shortcuts for the current tool or page alsoappear. You can quickly locate any heading or section within any page in the Blackboard Learn application and jumpdirectly to it. Quick Links is specific to the page you are viewing. You can open it at any time with a keyboard shortcut(Shift+Alt+L). This shortcut provides a significant increase in efficiency for users who rely primarily on their keyboards fornavigating within the application.
To learn more, see Quick Links.
Test Exceptions
New settings appear on the Test and Survey Options pages called Test/Survey Availability Exceptions. With thesesettings, instructors can select one or more groups or students and make a number of exceptions to the alreadyestablished availability settings for a test or survey. Exceptions provide an accommodation to a student with a disability,such as allowing more time or attempts on the test, or providing accommodation for technology and languagedifferences.
To learn more, see Test and Survey Options.
Keyboard Accessible Reordering
Located on every page where you can reorder items using drag-and-drop function, the keyboard accessible reorderingtool displays the items on the page as a list. You can use keyboard commands to reorder the items.
To learn more, see Keyboard Accessible Reordering.
Record From Webcam (Video Everywhere)
A feature within the content editor—Record from Webcam (Video Everywhere)—allows students and instructors torecord video on the fly using their webcams and the YouTube recording technology. Video is seamlessly stored in yourpersonal YouTube account and directly embedded in course materials, interactions, and feedback through the contenteditor. Visual feedback is extremely valuable for anyone using sign language and for users who need to replayinteractions. Students have the ability to record video responses and submissions wherever they have the ability togenerate content using the content editor. This makes it easier for them to communicate with their teachers or peers inalternative formats. The feature is based on the YouTube technology. You can even run these self-recorded videosthrough YouTube's automated captioning technology to build captions and transcripts.
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To learn more, see Video Everywhere and Best Practice: Captioning Video Content.
YouTube Player Controls
The YouTube mashup allows an instructor to search for and embed YouTube videos directly in course content. Whenthe video is displayed, students can use the accessible player controls that allow them to play, pause, stop, and controlthe volume of a video with a keyboard or screen reader. They are not required to interact with the more challengingFlash based controls that are present with the default YouTube videos.
Notifications
You can configure Blackboard to send out notifications through a variety of channels, informing users about changes totheir courses. Notifications are specific to the individual user, so both instructors and students can set what notificationsare sent to them, as well as when and how they want to receive notifications. Users can click a link within a notificationand go directly to the individual item without the need to consume all the surrounding content. When integrated withBlackboard Connect, users can optionally receive notifications by text (SMS), text-to-voice, and telephone. Thesecapabilities allow all users to understand what is happening with their courses in the medium that is most comfortable forthem.
To learn more, see Notifications and Notification Dashboard Settings.
Display Options and Content FoldersInstructors can control the visual display of content on content pages or within folders in their courses. Options includeshowing only the text, showing only an icon to represent a content object, and showing both the text and the icon. With alot of content on a page, students with cognitive disabilities can find it challenging to consume the information.Instructors can use folders and formatting to control the amount of clutter and help students to focus on one element at atime.
To learn more, see Course Style Options.
Content Editor
The content editor in Blackboard Learn is based on third-party technology from TinyMCE. It provides accessiblecontrols, as well as keyboard shortcuts for formatting content created within it. The editor properly cleans upunnecessary HTML code that may be included when content is copied from Microsoft Office documents. This cleanHTML ensures that screen reader users can fully consume any content created in or copied into the editor.
The formatting controls in the editor also ensure that headings added to content by an instructor do not conflict with theoverall semantic structure of the page the content is displayed in. Building accessible content within a course is key tothe success of all students. The content editor helps ensure that any content you create within it meets user and systemexpectations.
To learn more, see Content Editor.
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High Contrast Styles
On the login page for the Blackboard Learn system, you can choose to enable a high contrast setting. This ensures thesystem uses the contrast settings you already defined in your operating system to display text, menus, and othernavigation controls within the Blackboard Learn environment. For users with visual impairments, the contrast settingsdefined within the operating system likely provide the most comfortable manner to view and consume information. Thehigh contrast support in Blackboard Learn allows you to continue to use them.
To learn more, see Log In to Learn.
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Quick Links
Overview
The Quick Links tool allows a user to quickly locate any heading or section within any page in the Blackboard Learnapplication and jump directly to it. Located in the top left, the Quick Links icon opens a pop-up window that displays thelandmark and navigation links on the page. Any available keyboard shortcuts for the page are also displayed.
LandmarksLandmarks are designated based on ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite). ARIA defines a way to makeweb content and web applications more accessible to people with disabilities. Landmarks in Blackboard Learn areinclude:
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• application
• banner
• complementary
• contentinfo
• form
• main
• navigation
• search
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Best Practice: Captioning Video Content
About CaptioningIf you want to fully engage learners with video content, add captions. Captioning video creates accessible content forindividuals who are deaf or hearing impaired. Captions are also important for anyone working in a noisy environment.Captions add another dimension to video content, making a richer learning experience for students who have specificneurological processing problems, non-native speakers, adults working toward basic literacy, and children learning toread.
Different Types of CaptionsThe following list includes the different types of captioning. Not all types of captioning fulfill all accessibility requirements.
• Closed Captions: Video that has closed captions is denoted with a familiar CC icon
. Using closed captions is optional. Users can turn them on or off with their video player or other controls. Closedcaptions for video on television are read by a decoder that is part of the hardware of all television sets sold in theUnited States. Closed captions for video on the web are read by a media player if it supports closed captions. Not allversions of media players support closed captions. Closed captions are not part of the actual video stream and existin a separate text stream.
Users who want to access closed captions need to understand how to turn them on from their televisions ormedia players. Include instructions for users in your course.
• Open Captions: Video that is accessed on the web can use open captions to provide on-screen text. Open captionsare always displayed because they are part of the video stream. Open captions are not subject to different mediaplayer features. Users do not have to know how to turn the captions on. A disadvantage of open captions is that ifthe video is compressed, there can be a loss of quality and readability. They can also be distracting to some users.
• Audio Description: Adding a written description of sound effects such as "floor creaking" or "glass shattering"provides a richer experience for viewers. Audio descriptions are part of open or closed captions. They can fill inmissing information a narrator fails to provide. For example, if a narrator says, "As you can see, the three mainpoints support the conclusion," but doesn't say what those three main points are, audio description provides themissing information in the captions.
The easiest way to avoid requiring audio description in the example is to have a storyboard that the narratorfollows that details visual information out loud.
• Real-time Captions: Taking place during a synchronous event such as streaming video or a Blackboard Collaboratesession, real-time captioning, sometimes referred to as real-time text, is a transcription service similar to TDD/TTYfor telephones. Transcription services are separate from Blackboard Learn. There is usually a cost for the serviceand the service needs to be arranged in advance of the event.
• Subtitles: Translating just dialog and not including sound effects or other description, subtitles assume that viewerscan see and hear. Only spoken dialog is captioned and often translated into a different language.
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Finding Captioned ContentThe easiest and fastest way to add captioned content to your course is to locate videos that already have captions. Arelatively small percentage of videos are captioned, but you can locate them by filtering your search. In YouTube, enteryour search term and then add a comma followed by cc. For example, when searching for captioned videos on MOOCs,type "MOOC, cc" in the search box.
iTunes and Hulu have filters to help you locate videos that have captions. Just because a video has captions doesn'tmake the actual content any better or worse than uncaptioned videos. Before adding a captioned video to your course,play it all the way through to ensure the captions are accurate and the content is what you are expecting.
How to Caption a Video with YouTubeTMYou can caption any videos that you own, meaning you uploaded them to your YouTube account. YouTube's automaticcaptioning service provides a solid start to captioning your videos.
Having a storyboard is important, even if you are making informal videos. Have an outline and what you are going to saytyped out. This takes a little extra time up front, but it saves time in the long run. With a storyboard, you'll sound better inyour video, and you'll make fewer retakes. You'll also be able to copy and paste your narration into YouTube instead ofretyping it into the caption editor.
1. Type an outline and basic storyboard.
2. Create your video.
3. Upload the video to YouTube.
4. Wait two to six hours.
5. Log back in to YouTube and click Video Manager.
6. Click Edit and click Captions.
7. Click Automatic Captions.
8. Edit the existing captions. Sometimes the automatic approximations are hilarious so this is fun.
Although YouTube's automatic captioning is far from perfect, it will get you 80 percent of the way there. The clearer yourspeaking voice and diction, the better results you'll get. The best part of the automatic captioning tool is the time codesare synched to your content. All you need to do is edit the existing text in each frame.
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Captioning Video Recorded From the Content Editor
Use the Record from Webcam feature in the Blackboard Learn content editor to record video directly from yourwebcam and automatically upload it to YouTube. This gives everyone enrolled in your course a direct way to create andshare video. To caption these videos, log in to your YouTube account. Locate your video. Choose a method to add yourcaptions:
• Type in your video transcript and let YouTube sync it to your video. This takes some time and you need to check theresult to be sure the transcript syncs correctly with your video.
• You can upload a timed caption file. This type of file has the sync times included. There are different formats for atimed caption file. To learn more, see the Captions help page in YouTube.
• Wait a few hours and use the automatic captions feature.
In all cases, when you have a storyboard or outline available, adding captions is easier and faster.
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Best Practice: Formatting Accessible Documents
About Accessible DocumentsContent that is created in Blackboard using the content editor is automatically formatted in HTML following accessibilitystandards. You can link to or pull in content from other sources using the content editor or other Learn tools. Contentyou add as an attachment or a linked file is not automatically formatted. Make sure all your students can read andinteract with your attachments and linked files by making them accessible. When your document is formatted usingstyles and tags, it will be accessible to your users who rely on assistive technology such as screen reading applications(screen readers).
Accessible documents have a structure that is based on styling elements or tags. This structure provides a hierarchy ofinformation. The most important information is identified as the top-level in the document, and supporting information isidentified as lower levels. Illustrations, graphs, and tables that appear in a document have specific tags based on whattype of information they convey.
Screen readers use tags to convey an information hierarchy of a document to users so that they can understand theorganization of the material. Tags are also used to provide other information to users such as descriptions of visualcontent and the organization of data arranged in tables.
Adding a structure to documents using styles and tags during the writing process is the fastest, more reliable way tocreate accessible documents. In almost every case, styles and tags added in an application such as Microsoft© Wordtransfer when you save the document to another format such as Adobe PDF or HTML.
Using Documents in Learn
Many areas in Learn allow you to add documents, including content pages, assignments, and tests. Format any files thatyou distribute in your class using styles and tags. This will ensure that all of your students can participate fully no matterwhat technology they use to read documents.
Encourage your students to format documents that they exchange in groups and for group assignments and grouppresentations using styles and tags. Promoting accessibility among your students raises awareness and increasesstudent achievement, retention, and satisfaction.
How to Make Microsoft© Word Documents Accessible
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Use Headings
Create a consistent heading structure in Word using styles.This is different from just changing the font size or makingthe font bold. Set up your document styles or use one ofthe templates that Microsoft includes with Word. In Word2007 and 2010, to change a block of text, select it and thenclick on the appropriate style from the tool bar. Differentversions of Word have slightly different ways of accessingand setting styles, so use the help in your version forspecific instructions.
As a general rule, use no more than one Heading 1 <H1>on a page. The <H1> tag identifies the highest level ofinformation in the document structure. Heading 1 is usedfor chapter titles, main section headings, and otherdivisions that represent the top level of information. UseHeading 2 <H2> and lower number headings to identify thesub-levels of information in your document.
When adding heading tags, be consistent and include eachlevel in the hierarchy where appropriate to reflect theorganization of the document. Be sure that H1 is followed by H2, then H3, and H4. Don't go from H1 to H4 just forformatting purposes. Instead, change your styles for each heading to change the way it looks.
Alternative Text for Images
Screen readers use alternative text (alt text) to provide users with information about images. In most versions of Word,right-click an image and select Format Picture... In the dialog box, select the option for Alt Text, and then type in youralt text. Be specific and succinct so that users will quickly understand what is being described. Different versions ofWord have slightly different ways of entering alt text, so use the help in your version for specific instructions.
Word 2010 has two fields for text, Title and Description. Type your alt text in the Description box so that whenyou convert Word documents to PDF or HTML the alt text is converted to the new format. Titles are not convertedto other formats, so you would have to enter them again in the new format.
Data Tables
In accessible documents, tables are never used for formatting layout on a page because it is difficult for screen readersto understand the information architecture and what is being presented. Tables are only used to present data. Forscreen readers to interpret data in a table so that users can understand how the data is organized, the screen readerneeds to be able to identify which cells are part of the header row and which cells contain data. You can indicate that arow repeats on the top of each page in the Table Properties menu in Word. When saved as a PDF, the first row isdetected as a table header. If the Word file is saved as HTML, the table headers are not maintained. Instead, the cellsare tagged as <thead>. Data cells are tagged as <tbody>.
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When you convert to HTML from Word, you can edit your HTML document using a text editor or other application suchas Adobe Dreamweaver to add specific table tags. Use <th> to tag table headers, <tr> to identify the beginning of eachnew row, and <td> to tag cells that contain data. See the following example. Unfortunately there is no way to tag theseindividual elements in Word.
<thead><tr>
<th>Column Header 1</th><th>Column Header 2</th>
</tr></thead><tbody>
<tr><td>table data in column 1</td><td>table data in column 2</td>
</tr></tbody>
Links
It is easy to create links in Word by pasting the full URL into a page. When you press space or Enter, Wordautomatically creates a link. Change the link text to something descriptive because the URL that is automatically createdmay not make sense to a screen reader. If you are creating a Word document that may be printed as well as readelectronically, consider including both the URL and the descriptive link in the text. For example:Getting Started with Creating Accessible Course Content (http://ondemand.blackboard.com/r91/documents/getting_started_with_accessible_content.pdf)
Windows Word 2010 Accessibility Checker
If you are using Windows, Word 2010 has a built-in Accessibility Checker. This is a good resource to help you identifyand repair accessibility issues. Access the Accessibility Checker from Files > Info > Check for Issues > CheckAccessibility.
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How to Make PDF Documents AccessiblePDF (portable document format) is an open standard for formatting documents. PDF creates files that look the samewhen printed as when exchanged electronically. When you share a PDF file, almost everyone can read it using freeAdobe Reader® software or the Adobe Reader mobile app.
Most PDF files are converted from an application such as Microsoft © Word. Many programs and plug-ins can createPDF files, but very few create tagged PDF files. PDF tags provide a hidden structure and textual representation of thePDF content so that it can be read by a screen reader. PDF tags are similar to HTML tags and Word styles.
Adobe Acrobat is the original application for creating PDF documents and converting other documents into PDF. Toomany different combinations of authoring software and PDF converters exist to describe each one in this topic. If you areconverting a Word file to PDF and you have created an accessible Word file using heading tags, alt text for graphics,and so on, Office 2010 can created tagged PDFs natively. You can also download and install the Adobe add-in, calledPDFMaker, to create PDF files from Word. If you are using earlier versions of Office, you must have the add-in to createtagged PDF files.
If you are using the Adobe add-in, click Save as Adobe PDF from the File menu. In the PDFMaker dialog box, clickEnable Accessibility and Reflow with tagged Adobe PDF from the Settings tab. If you are using the native save,click Save as PDF. Before you save the file, click Options, and then select Document structure tags foraccessibility.
Adobe Acrobat X and later has an accessibility checker that scans your PDF and alerts you to any problems. Theaccessibility checker will help you correct any issues. You can also correct table coding using Acrobat's TouchUpReading Order Table Editor. To learn more about using Adobe Acrobat to create accessible files, visit Adobe.com andsearch for "accessibility."
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Course Customization
In this section...• Course Availability
• Course Properties
• Course Style Options
• Course Structures
• Course Roles
• Course Enrollments
• Course Tool Availability
• Languages Other Than English
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Course AvailabilityA course must be made available before students enrolled in the course will be able to view or access the course and itscontent. However, you may want to make a course unavailable during the building process or after a scheduled coursehas finished.
If your course is unavailable, access is determined by course role. Blackboard administrators, instructors, coursebuilders, teaching assistants, and graders can see and access unavailable courses from the My Courses tab and thecourse list, but they are marked as unavailable. Students cannot access unavailable courses regardless of the courseduration. Unavailable courses do not appear in the course catalog.
Watch a TutorialDouble-click the video to enlarge the viewing area.
How to Control Course Availability1. On the Control Panel, expand the Customization section and click Properties.
2. In the Set Availability section, click Yes or No.
3. Optionally, when making a course available, you can choose one of the following options in the Set CourseDuration section:
◦ Continuous (default) to leave the course available without a specified start or end date.
◦ Select Dates to choose a start and/or end date. The start and end times are set automatically. The start timeis midnight and the end time is 11:59:59.
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◦ Days from the Date of Enrollment to specify a specific length of time users have to access the course afterenrolling. This is the best option for self-paced courses.
4. Click Submit.
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Course PropertiesProperties control the functional settings of your course.
How to Access Course Properties1. Change Edit Mode to ON.
2. On the Control Panel, expand the Customization section and click Properties.
Provide a Name and DescriptionYou can change the name and description of your course. This name appears as the displayed course name throughoutBlackboard Learn. The description appears in the course catalog.
Use Course ClassificationYou can safely ignore these fields. Course classification is not part of or related to course categorization for the coursecatalog. When you create each course, a default classification value is listed. These fields were used in previousversions of Blackboard Learn, but exist now only to ensure backward compatibility with building blocks or other plug-ins.
Set Course AvailabilityYou can set courses to be available or unavailable. If a course is available, all users participating in the course haveaccess. If a course is unavailable, access is determined by course role. Instructors, course builders, teaching assistants(TAs), and graders can see and access unavailable courses from the My Courses tab and the course list, but they aremarked as unavailable. Students cannot access unavailable courses regardless of the course duration. Unavailablecourses do not appear in the course catalog.
Set the Course DurationCourse duration defines the time in which students may interact with a course:
• Continuous: The course is always available.
• Select Dates: The course is available according to specific dates. Courses may have a start date, but no end date.The start and end times are set automatically. The start time is midnight and the end time is 11:59:59. After the enddate, courses are not available to students, but are otherwise unchanged.
• Days from the Date of Enrollment: Place a time limit on courses calculated from the date a student enrolls. This isthe best option for self-paced courses.
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Use Terms to Set Availability and DurationIf your institution has associated a term with a course—for example, Spring 2013 Semester or Winter Session2013—you can set a course to use these preset dates.
When a term is available for a course, additional options appear with Set Availability and Set Course Duration:
• Use Term Availability: The course is available during the term dates, but unavailable before and after. The name ofthe term is listed.
• Use Term Duration: The course runs for the entire duration of the term, beginning on the first date of the term andending on the last. The actual dates are listed for the associated term.
Categorize the CourseThe course catalog lists the courses that are offered through the system and is made available to users by yourinstitution. The categories in the course catalog are also created and maintained by your institution. You can add yourcourse to one or more categories that appear in the course catalog.
Select a catalog category and use the arrow functions to move the category to the Selected Items box. You can selectmore than one category. Repeat the process to add another category. The course appears under the selectedcategories. Invert Selection selects categories that are not selected and clears categories that are selected. Use this toexclude one or two categories without having to click all the other categories.
Select a Language PackLanguage packs change the language of buttons, titles, and other text supplied by the system. Language packpreferences are defined at the system, course, and user level.
At the system level, your institution defines one language pack as the system default. This is the language pack thatappears when no other language pack is specified at the course level or at the user level.
At the course level, you can set a language pack that is different from the default to make all users in a course view thesame language pack. For example, use in a course designed to teach that language.
At the user level, individuals may choose their preferred language packs, unless a language pack choice has been set to be enforced.
Customized names for content areas and tools are not changed with the language pack. These values stay thesame for all language packs. The default names in the system are translated and appear differently in eachlanguage pack.
To learn more, see Language Packs.
Set Course Files OptionsThe following properties are available only if your institution licenses content management:
• Course Files Default Directory: Type or browse for the directory to contain the files for this course. This is thedefault location where files are saved for the course and does not conflict with the Content Collection Home Pagesetting.
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• Display: Each item in the Content Collection has a contextual menu that provides access to the available actions.When working in the course files area on the Control Panel, the selected option configures the menu to display allof the Content Collection options that are available when working on the Content Collection tab or only the course-specific options.
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Course Style OptionsStyle options control the appearance, theme, course menu style and layout, content appearance, course entry point, andthe banner image for a course.
On the Control Panel, expand the Customization section and click Teaching Style to access course style options.
Select a Course StructureCourse structures contain course areas, optional content examples, and instructions to help you design your course.Click a structure to view its description and preview of what its menu looks like when added to a course. You can opt toinclude content examples when adding a course structure to your course.
A selected course structure's content is added to your course and does not replace existing course menu items andcontent. You can edit and delete course structure content in the same way as other created or imported content. Beforeyou begin, export or archive your course so you have an original version before adding a course structure. Alternatively,request an empty course for experimenting with course structures.
If the Select Course Structure section is not visible, your institution has disabled it.
Use the following steps to select a course structure:
1. On the Control Panel, expand the Customization section and click Teaching Style.
2. On the Teaching Style page, in the Select Course Structure section, the left column displays all coursestructures in a scrollable list. Click different course structures to browse their descriptions and course menus. Inthe preview, you can click a course menu link to learn the purpose of that item in the course structure.
3. Choose a course structure and click Use This Structure to select it. Your chosen course structure is indicated bya green check mark at the top of the course structure selection tool.
To revert, click Existing Menu in the course structures' list and click Use This Structure. No changes are madeto your course.
4. After selecting a course structure, the Include content examples check box is revealed. Click it to add contentitems and instructions as well as the course structure's menu links. If you do not include content examples, onlymenu links are added to your course.
5. Click Submit to add the course structure content to your course. Click Cancel to exit without adding a coursestructure.
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Including content examples populates the course structure with content items appropriate for the course structure type.The content examples are intended to be guidelines for creating your own content. The sample content is unavailable sothat students cannot view it. If you decide to use the content examples, edit them to fit your course and make the itemsavailable to users.
To learn more about the different course structures, see Using Course Structures.
Select the Course Entry PointThe course entry point is the first area users see upon entering your course. The default course entry point is the HomePage and contains modules that alert students to activity in your course. You can change the entry point by choosing anavailable area from the drop-down list. Available entry points are all the areas appearing on the course menu.
Changing the entry point takes effect immediately for users who log in to the system after the change. Users who are inthe system when the change takes place will see the new entry point the next time they log in.
Watch a TutorialDouble-click the video to enlarge the viewing area.
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Apply ThemesIf your institution uses the Bb Learn 2012 system theme, you can choose a course theme from this page. Coursethemes add a background image to the course display and change the color of the menu, buttons, and controls. Use thescrollable list to choose the appropriate course theme from the thumbnail sample images. You can change the themeagain at any time. Themes do not affect course content or a chosen course structure.
If your institution has made themes unavailable, the course themes icon does not appear.
Alternatively, you can change course themes from anywhere in your course using the Change Course Theme function.Point to the (
) icon to view all the available course themes, and click one to select it. Scroll through the theme preview box and clicka theme.
The course theme changes immediately to the new choice. To change the theme, click another.
Select the Menu StyleThis setting determines whether the course menu appears as plain text with a colored background or as graphicalbuttons with text on them. When choosing menu colors, select colors for the background and text that display a highlevel of contrast to ensure readability and accessibility.
As you make choices in the Select Menu Style section, the Preview sample menu shows what the settings will look likeonce submitted.
Click Text and choose the background color and text color by accessing the contextual menu to access the colorswatches. A large palette of preset colors is available. You can also provide a hexadecimal color value. Click a color,and then click Apply.
Click Buttons and expand the Button Library to choose from the following options:
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• Button Type: From the drop-down list, click Pattern, Solid, or Striped.
• Button Shape: From the drop-down list, click Rounded Corners, Rectangular, or Rounded Ends.
• Button Color: Optionally, to narrow the available choices, type a color or button name and click Search.
As you select each option, the buttons in the Button Library change to reflect the current choices. Click a button in thelibrary to select it.
Set the Default Content ViewThe Default Content View setting determines how content items appear in folders when users access the course forthe first time.
• Icon Only displays content items as titled icons with no descriptions.
• Text Only displays content items as titles with short text descriptions only.
• Icon and Text, the default option, displays titled icons with descriptions.
Changing the default content view affects only new content areas. To change all existing pages as well, select the checkbox to Apply this view to all existing content.
Select a BannerYou can add a banner image to appear at the top of the course entry point. The banner image is automatically centered.
Use Browse My Computer to locate an image file on your computer. You cannot use images stored in ContentCollection or Course Files; however, a copy is stored there with each new upload. If you delete the image from thecourse entry page, the image file remains in the course storage repository in the main folder.
A recommended size for banners is approximately 480 by 80 pixels. When choosing a banner image, keep in mind thatusers can resize their browser windows, expand and collapse the course menu, and use monitors of varying sizes andscreen resolutions. After you upload a banner, view it under those varying conditions to be sure that it appears asintended.
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Course Structures
In this section...• Using Course Structures
• Selecting a Course Structure
• Course Structures FAQs
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Using Course StructuresBuild Your Course: 1, 2, 3...GO!
Even if you are new to online instruction, course structures enable you to create a course in a short amount of time. Usea course structure's course menu links, instructions, and content examples to jump-start your course organization andcreate a meaningful learning experience for students.
After completing three basic steps, your course will be ready for students.
Step 1: Select a Course StructureBefore you begin, you can export or archive your course before adding a course structure to ensure you have an originalversion. To learn more, see Export and Archive Courses.
A selected course structure's content is added to your course and does not replace existing menuitems and content. You can delete unnecessary items.
Choose a course structure on the Teaching Style page.
If the Select Course Structure section is not visible, your institution has disabled it.
1. On the Control Panel, expand the Customization section and click Teaching Style.
2. On the Teaching Style page, in the Select Course Structure section, the left column displays all coursestructures in a scrollable list. Click different course structures to browse their descriptions and preview theircourse menus. In the preview, you can click a course menu link to learn the purpose of that item in the coursestructure.
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3. Choose a course structure and click Use This Structure to select it. Your chosen course structure is indicated bya green check mark at the top of the course structure selection tool.
To revert, click Existing Menu in the course structures' list and click Use This Structure. No changes are madeto your course.
4. After choosing a course structure, the Include content examples check box is revealed. Select it to add contentitems and instructions as well as the course structure's menu links. If you do not include content examples, onlymenu links are added to your course.
5. Click Submit to import the course structure and optional content examples to your course. Click Cancel to exitwithout making changes to your course.
Alternatively, choose a course structure in the pop-up Quick Setup Guide. If your institution has enabled it, the pop-upwindow appears each time you enter your course until you disable it at the bottom of the window. Or, you can accessthe pop-up window using the following steps:
1. On the Control Panel, expand the Customization section and click Quick Setup Guide.
2. Expand the Choose a Course Structure section. The left column displays all course structures in a scrollablelist. Click different course structures to browse their descriptions and preview their course menus. In the preview,you can click a course menu link to learn the purpose of that item in the course structure.
If the Choose a Course Structure section is not visible, your institution has disabled it.
3. Choose a course structure and click Use This Structure to select it. Your chosen course structure is indicated bya green check mark at the top of the course structure selection tool.
To revert, click Existing Menu in the course structures list and click Use This Structure. No changes are madeto your course.
4. After choosing a course structure, the Include content examples check box is revealed. Select it to add contentitems and instructions as well as the course structure's menu links. If you do not include content examples, onlymenu links are added to your course.
5. Click Apply Changes to import the course structure and optional content examples to your course. Click Cancelto exit without making changes to your course.
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If you browse and choose a different course structure from the list after clicking Use this Structure and opt to Includecontent example, the Include content examples for phrase does not update until a new course structure is applied.
Add only one structure to a course. Adding more than one course structure in the same course can result induplicate menu items and content. To prevent this, create or request an empty course to experiment with additionalcourse structures.
For detailed descriptions of each course structure, see Selecting a Course Structure.
Step 2: Include Content Examples -OR- Start FreshIncluding a course structure's content examples populates your course with items appropriate to the course structuretype. The content examples are intended to be edited for your own use and are designed to inspire both experiencedand novice Blackboard Learn instructors.
Include SampleContents Content Included
Yes If you decide to include content examples, your course will contain:
• Pedagogical information
• Step-by-step instructions
• Teaching tips
• Links to video tutorials and Blackboard Help topics
• Course material: content items, tools, assignments, tests, surveys, announcements, weblinks, and mashups.
Content examples are unavailable to students and have a distinct visual style that isremoved automatically when an item is made available. For most course structures, the topicof oceanography is used. The sample items demonstrate how you can use items andtools with your teaching method. You have the option to edit these items and make themavailable so that students can view them -OR- delete them and create new items.
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Include SampleContents Content Included
Users who are familiar with Blackboard Learn can include content examples to see samplesof course material and explore new tools and features.
When you add a course structure to your course, a folder named "sample_content" isadded to your course's storage repository—Course Files or the Content Collection.The folder contains the files used in the course structure's examples. If you alreadyhave folders in Course Files or the Content Collection, the "sample_content" folderappears in an "ImportedContent" folder. If you add multiple course structures to thesame course, additional "ImportedContent" folders appear.
No If you have experience using the features in Blackboard Learn and are comfortable buildingdifferent types of material in your course, you can exclude content examples.
If you do not include content examples, the course structure's course menu links are added,but provide empty areas where you can create content.
If you want to include the course structure's content examples, select the Include content examples check box. If youhave content in your course, the course structure's content appears also.
Step 3: Create ContentAfter choosing a course structure, you can customize your course. The following checklist provides the essential tasksfor preparing your course for students.
Change Edit Mode to ON to reveal editing features.
Organize the Course Menu
You can rename, reorder, delete, hide, and add course menu links as needed. Deleting a content area link from thecourse menu is a quick way to delete an entire area as well as the items within it. However, the content area and allitems within it are permanently deleted. This action is final. If you are unsure, hide the content area instead.
If a tool link on the course menu does not work, the tool is not enabled. You can delete the link or ask your institutionto enable it.
If you did not include content examples, the course structure's course menu links provide empty areas where youcan create content.
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To learn more, see Course Menu.
Create Content Items, Tool Links, and Files
After your course menu is organized, you can upload files from your computer, edit existing content, and create newcontent and tool links. Using a wide variety of content types and tools provides a rich, interactive learning experiencefor your students.
To learn more, see Create Content in a Course Area.
Edit, Move, Copy, and Delete Content
When you add a course structure with content examples to your existing course, the content examples appear inaddition to the existing content and are unavailable to students. You can edit, move, copy, or delete any of thecontent.
As you are building your course, if you are still developing some content or do not want students to see it, make itunavailable.
To learn more, see Edit and Manage Course Areas and Content.
Preview Your Course as a Student
Be sure to preview your content as a student. Change Edit Mode to OFF to see the student view.
If you include a link to a tool in a content area, the tool’s content must be made available before students can accessit.
If an item is visible that you do not want students to see, change Edit Mode to ON and make the itemunavailable or delete it.
If possible, log in as a mock student and experience your course exactly as a student does. Work through yourcourse content and activities, and try out the tools. You may find something is not functioning as you want, helpingyou resolve issues before students encounter them.
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Selecting a Course StructureCourse structures are predefined course materials such as course menu links, instructions, and content examples thatyou can add to your course to begin the design process quickly.
• A selected course structure’s content is added to your course and does not replace existing menu items and contentin 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 tounavailable so that students cannot view it.
You can export or archive your course before adding a course structure to ensure you have an original version. To learnmore, see Export and Archive Courses.
Adding a course structure does not replace existing course menu items and content. The coursestructure's content is added to the existing content and course menu in your course, and you candelete what is not needed.
You can use any theory or model for teaching in Blackboard Learn because it is open, flexible, and centered onenhancing student achievement. Blackboard offers five categories of course structures you can use as a launching padto create your course, organize content, share knowledge, and build communities.
Click a course structure in the list to learn more about the pedagogy, tools, and content types used to meet its teachinggoals.
Focus on ActivityFocus onCommunication
Focus onContent Focus on Systems
Focus onTime
Activity
Case Study
Conference Session
Constructivism
Expedition-Based
ExperientialLearning
Lab Format
Cooperative Learning
Guided Discussion
Social Learning
Web 2.0
By Chapter
By Lecture
By Lesson
By Module
By Subject
By Topic
By Unit
ANGEL
Blackboard Classic
Blackboard Learn -Default
CourseInfo
eCollegial
Open Source 1
Open Source 2
Daily
Weekly
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Focus on ActivityFocus onCommunication
Focus onContent Focus on Systems
Focus onTime
Project Format Science-Focused
Traditional
WebCT 1
WebCT 2
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