UBlearns: Workshop Agenda What is UBlearns? Course Design Access Setup & Support Welcome Page Control Panel & Navigation Content Tools Assessments Tests & Surveys Grade Center Menu Management User Management Course Backup 1 2 What is UBlearns Course Design Course Management System Blackboard customized for UB A web site for your course, offering ways to share content, communicate, collaborate, offer tests and surveys, create discussions, give assignments, link to video, link to websites, work with grades you choose how much you want to do! Course goals Scope of use (supplemental, class resource, etc ) Content organization What will be expected of students What students might expect Use of testing and assignment tools Use of Discussions Optional, mandatory, graded? Grade Center use Level of student interaction? Professional course design assistance is available at TLC Subject Specialists are available in UB Libraries 3 4 Opening UBlearns Enter via MyUB or - http://ublearns.buffalo.edu UBlearns Course Setup WELCOME > HELP > FACULTY > COURSE SETUP Instructors must use UBlearns Course Setup each semester to enable their course site for student access on UBlearns. 5 6
Support Contact UBlearns support staff ublearns@buffalo.edu (716) 645-2803 Contact TLC for instructional support ubtlc@buffalo.edu (716) 645-7700 Contact CIT Help Desk for issues not related to UBlearns cit-helpdesk@buffalo.edu (716) 645-3542 Student Support UBlearns Help website http://ublearns.buffalo.edu/help Blackboard official manual Course Tools > User Manual Contact UBlearns support staff ublearns@buffalo.edu (716) 645-2803 Contact CIT Help Desk for issues not related to UBlearns cit-helpdesk@buffalo.edu (716) 645-3542 7 8 Instructor Learning Community Navigation 9 10 Control Panel Control all aspects of your course through the control panel -Students cannot access it Content Examples of Content: Syllabus Course Documents PowerPoint Audio Video Images Tests Surveys Links to websites Assignments Learning units Add a syllabus: Control Panel > Course Information > Add item Use the Edit View link in the right corner to access content quickly. 11 12
Content Add a syllabus: Control Panel > Course Information > Add item Upload File vs. Using the Text Box Name Item Attach local file (Browse) 13 14 Content Create a Folder (i.e., WEEK ONE, Chapter 1) Control Panel Course Documents Add Folder Content Open the folder add Item browse for a PowerPoint presentation 1. 3. 2. 15 16 Content UB LibrariesServices Continue adding Content to Week 1 Folder Control Panel > Course Documents > Week 1 Course Reserve Link to course reserve http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/creserve/ Course Reserve Guidelines for UB Instructors http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/forms/guide.html 17 18
Assignments Assignment Tool Assignments Faculty-initiated file exchange Automatic Grade Center entry Available in any Content Area Control Panel > content area > drop down menu selection Assignment > GO 19 20 Assignments Student Submission Discussion Students can submit multiple files Default view: List Two options for viewing Discussions Tree View 21 22 Discussion Discussion Subscribe, Publish, Search, Mark and Read or Unread, Collect, Grade Considerations: Anonymous posts File attachments Subscriptions Rating Forum grading Thread grading 23 24
Collaboration - Chat Chat is private within your course and can be used as on line office hours. Collaboration Virtual Classroom The Virtual Classroom allows synchronous class interactivity with access to course documents, Internet and whiteboard You can work with dates to offer specific time periods you would be available in chat. 25 26 Instructors use Assessments to test student knowledge and measure their progress. Tests can be added to any Content area Create Tests in Test Manager or Pool Manager Considerations: Types of questions used Grading Feedback Multiple attempts Partial credit 27 28 Once a pool of questions exists, a test can be built, and once a test is built, it can be made available in any content area Creation settings determine: A wide variety of Question Types are available. Directions for each can be seen at the top of the page once a selection has been made Feedback for individual answers Question images, files and links Answer images, files and links Metadata added Point values Partial credit Extra credit Display option choices 29 30
- Just because a test exists, does not mean it is available. - Just because a test has been added to a content area does not mean it is available. Select Yes next to Make the link available. Tests are made available through Modify the Test Options 31 32 Assessments Self and Peer Evaluations Additional Selections in Test Options Display test score in the Grade Center? Self and Peer Assessment Peer evaluations Anonymous peer evaluations Self evaluations Select the scope of feedback Display the test all on one page or question by question? Faculty submit questions and evaluation criteria Allow backtracking? Randomize questions? 33 34 Assessments Self and Peer Evaluations Self and Peer Assessment Assessments - Surveys Surveys can be added to any Content area Useful for polling purposes, evaluations, and random checks of knowledge Surveys differ from Tests in the following ways: No point values No Random blocks of questions No feedback from instructors No grading Survey Results may be viewed on the Assessment Stats page the display will show how students responded to questions by percentage. Results to individual Student attempts on Surveys are not available. 35 36
User Management Enrolling a user Student roster is automatically updated by system from Records and Registration (data refreshed nightly) Change a user s role UBlearns Grade Center Control Panel > User Management > Enroll User Use UBit Name > search > select > add All newly enrolled users come in as students Control Panel > User Management > List / Modify Users Use UBit Name > search > select > change role (i.e. teaching asst., grader, instructor) 37 UBlearns Grade Center UBlearns Grade Center UBlearns Grade Center Tools accessed via Control Panel Send Announcements Use a course calendar Create course-related tasks Send email messages Use Discussion Board Collaborate (Chat and Virtual Classroom) Use the DropBox Create or upload a course glossary 42
Student Tools Tools Accessed through Menu represent Student Tools Turn off Tools you don t plan to use Control Panel > Course Options > Manage Tools > Tool Availability Tools - DropBox The Digital Dropbox offers file exchange Instructors may send files to select students Students may send files to instructors Student exchange does not have to be faculty initiated Multiple files may be sent 43 44 Content Areas Content Areas and Tools can be customized Control Panel >Course Options>Manage Course Menu Manage Course Menu Course Menu should reflect your Design and Organization No need to stick with the default menu! Unused items can be confusing. You can also re-arrange items. Control Panel > Manage Course Menu Rename links Remove links you don t plan to use (you can put them back if needed) Add Content Areas Add Tool areas 45 46 User Management: someone who does not have a UBIT username Adding a person who does not have a UBIT username: Send email request to ublearns@buffalo.edu with the Course ID, Name, Email address, and DD MM of birth of nonaffiliated person, and a statement accepting the responsibility for the non-affiliated person. Removing a person from a course: Modify User Properties and change availability to No Create groups for email and class activities Course Back Up Courses are automatically removed from the system at scheduled Intervals. Export and Archive are two ways to back up your course Access them through the Export / Archive Manager Export Course creates a.zip file package that can be imported. Export Course does NOT save any user interactions (grades, discussions, assignment submissions). Course materials are the only items exported. Exporting a course does not remove it from the system. Archive Course creates a.zip file package that can be imported. Archive Course creates a permanent record of an entire course including & user interactions Archiving a course does not remove it from the system. 47 48
Course Back Up Q & A Thank you for your attention Please fill out an evaluation form 49 50