qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyui Blackboard CE 8 Faculty Quick Start Guide opasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfgh jklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvb nmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwer Blackboard CE 8 Faculty Quick Start tyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopas Guide Faculty Quick Start Guide dfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzx cvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmq FIT Lab wertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuio pasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghj klzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbn mqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwerty uiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdf ghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxc vbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrty uiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdf Rev. 9/14/2009 Page 1 ghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxc
Blackboard CE 8 Faculty Quick Start Guide Table of Contents Introduction... 1 How to Log Into Blackboard CE 8... 2 My Blackboard... 3 How to Check Your Browser... 3 Setting Up Your Course for the First Time... 5 Tools... 6 Course Content... 6 Adding Folders and Files... 6 Adding a Syllabus... 7 Creating an Announcement... 8 Mail... 8 Discussions... 9 Creating a Single Topic... 9 Creating a Topic for Each Group... 9 Assignments... 10 Creating an Assignment... 10 Adding a Start Date to an Assignment... 11 Review and/or Grade an Assignment... 13 Assessments... 14 Creating an Assessment... 14 Reviewing Assessments... 15 Learning Modules... 16 Creating a Learning Module... 16 Adding Content... 17 Group Manager... 18 Custom Groups... 19 Create Multiple Groups (Computer Generated)... 20 Creating Groups with Sign Up Sheets... 21 Roster... 22 Chat and/or Whiteboard Rooms... 22 Page i
Creating a Chat/Whiteboard Room... 22 Entering a Chat/Whiteboard Room... 23 Viewing a Chat Room Log... 23 Hints and Troubleshooting:... 24 Hints:... 24 Troubleshooting... 24 Page ii
Introduction This guide was created to help you, the faculty, to quickly set up an on line course using the basic components of Blackboard CE 8. For more detailed information on Blackboard go to http://fitlab.iss.utep.edu/fit_lab/blackboard_ce_8.html. Interactive material is found under Self Paced (Online) Tutorials and the printed material is found under Faulty Resources. This guide will show you: How to log into Blackboard CE 8 Check your browser Be aware of the My Blackboard Page How to set up you course initially Course Content Home How to add/change a Syllabus How to add an Announcement Hints about the Mail tool Creating Discussion Topics Creating and Reviewing/Grading Assignments Creating and Reviewing Assessments Learning Modules Working with Groups and the class Roster Creating Chat/Whiteboard Rooms and Roster Hints and Troubleshooting Blackboard CE8 Page 1
How to Log Into Blackboard CE 8 To log in to Blackboard CE 8 open the Internet Browser of your choice (ex. IE, Firefox, Safari) and go to my.uteup.edu (URL: http://my.utep.edu) and log in. Once you have logged in you will see new menu bars. Click on the word BLACKBOARD to get into Blackboard CE 8. Page 2
My Blackboard My Blackboard or opening page is apportioned into three areas. First is the Logo Bar which is where you can change your settings, check your browser, get help, and of course log out. Second is the My Blackboard Toolbar where you can manage your files through the Content Manager tab, add or remove Channels, change the layout of the page, and check the mail and calendars from all your classes. Third is the Channels area which shows various sources of information. Note: Any changes made here will only be seen by you. How to Check Your Browser The Check Browser will ensure that the browser you are using is compatible with Blackboard CE 8. If an area is found not to be compatible it will give you recommended changes so that everything will work properly. When you click on Check Browser a window similar to the one below will open up. Page 3
If a red X appears: Browser Check: The browser you are using has not been validated by Blackboard. However, it may still work but you might have issues. Until the latest patch goes through you may have issues with IE 8. (Check Campus Announcements in Blackboard for any new developments.) Cookies Check: Make sure you have turned on or enabled cookies in your browser Javascript Check and Java Check: Make sure Java and Java Script is enabled in your browser and/or go to http:// java.com and click on Do I have Java? under the free Java download button. Pop up Blocker Check: When this is checked (most of the time it will be) just be aware that some files will not open/download unless you cancel the pop up blocker. To temporarily cancel a pop up blocker hold down the ctrl key while you click on the file and continue to hold the key down until you can save the file. Page 4
Setting Up Your Course for the First Time Double click on your selected course (as an example this booklet uses the test course CC_FITlab) The following screen will show the first time you access your class: This screen will only show the first time you access your class. Here you can select Set up a blank course or Copy content from another [Blackboard] course or Import content from file. Click Continue. If you clicked on Set up a blank course you will see the following screen: Select the tools you think you might use (you can always add/remove tools later.) We recommend: Search, Syllabus, Announcements, Discussions, Chat, Who s Online, Mail, Roster, Assessments, Assignments, Learning Modules, and the Student Tools My Grades, My Progress, and Notes. Click. Page 5
Below is an example of what you may see. Under the UTEP logo you will notice three tabs. Build, Teach, and Student View. All primary Instructors (listed in Banner) will be automatically set up as both Designer (Build Tab) and Instructor (Teach Tab.) The Build Tab is where the course is created. The Teach Tab is where the interaction with the students takes place. Finally, the Student Tab is your view, as Demo Student, to see your course as a student. That is why you cannot remove Demo Student from your roster or grade book. Tools To add/remove Course Tools in the Build Tab click on Manage Course Then click on Course Contentt Is the first page your students will see when they enter into you class. Adding Folders and Files If you wish to add a folder called Power Points and have the Power Points available to your students, click on Create Folder Give the folder a title and click Save Click on the folder Page 6
Now you can add Files, Content, Etc. (see the section on adding content in Learning Modules) Now the various links are in place. Adding a Syllabus These are the steps to upload a MS Word, HTML, PDF, or any document into the Syllabus tool. Make sure you are in the Build Tab (You cannot add a syllabus from the Teach tab only view) Click on the Course Content tool Click on Add Content Link Click on Syllabus Click on Select File Click on My Computer Locate your syllabus and click Open Page 7
Your syllabus has now been loaded onto the Course Content or Homepage as well as in the Syllabus tool. Creating an Announcement Click on the Announcements tool Click on Create Announcement button Type a Title for your message, and then type the body of the message. Select who you want to receive/view the announcement. Select the start date and if you wish an end date for the announcement and it is recommended to select the Also deliver as a pop up message. Then click Send You now have an announcement This tool can be used from the Build or Teach tabs. Mail The Mail in Blackboard works much like any other mail software you may be using or have used in the past with 2 main exceptions. 1. You click on Browse for Recipients instead of typing the email address. 2. All email communication is with your course. If you wish to forward your mail to another email address you can do so, however, just like most email software a forwarded message will not reply to the original sender. This tool can be used from the Build or Teach tabs. Page 8
Discussions Discussion Boards allow an individual to post a comment or question online, then other individuals who are members of the same discussion board may read that comment/question and respond with their own remarks. Discussion boards are an asynchronous communication tool. Creating a Single Topic From the Build or Teach tab click on the Discussions tool. Click on Create Topic Enter a Title, Description if applicable and if desired select a Category. By default the topics are not gradable, but you can change that here If you expand the Topic Behavior Options it is here that you can Lock the topic so that students can view what was posted but no longer can they reply or post a message. Of course, when you are done click Save. Creating a Topic for Each Group To create a topic for each discussion group you must be in the Teach Tab. Click on Group Manager under Instructor Tools Page 9
Select the group or groups you want a discussion topic created. Click on the Create Group Activity drop box. Select Discussion Topic Then click on the green arrow. Follow the directions from Creating a Single Topic. You now have a topic for multiple groups. Assignments This tool allows your students to submit work for a course. It allows you to be ale to monitor, view, grade submitted work, and send confidential feedback to the students. This is a designer function and must be done in the Build Tab. Creating an Assignment Click on the Assignments tool. Page 10
Type in a Title for your assignment (required) and fill in the Description and Instructions and add an attachment if you wish. Continue to fill out the rest of the form and click on More Options to expand the area. It is in heree you can allow your students the ability to take back and resubmit the assignment. Publishing a submission will make the submission viewable by the entire class. Click Save. Adding a Start Date to an Assignment As the instructor you may chose to upload/create assignments ahead of time but not want the students to be able to work on the assignment until a specific date. Such as after they have covered the instruction/topic. The Start Date option will keep the assignment hidden/invisible to the studentss until the designated date. Page 11
To add a start date to an assignment click on the down arrow and select Set Release Criteria Click on Add Date Criteria Make the necessary changes to the date and time and click Save. The release criteria should appear, if it is correct click Save. Page 12
Other Release Criteria includes: Add Member Criteria this allows only specific students you select to have access to the assignment Add Group Criteria this allows only specific groups (See the Group Manager area for information on creating group) Add Grade Book Criteria this is utilized when beginning an assignment is contingent on the grade of a previous assignment and/or quiz Review and/or Grade an Assignment To review and/or grade an assignment you must be in the Teach Tab because this is an Instructor function. Click on the down arrow next to the assignment and select View Submissions. If you do not see all your students scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the Page drop box, select All (1 ##) and click on the green arrow. All of your students should now be listed. Click on the student s assignment Page 13
You can now view the student s work, give comments and grade the assignment, then click Save. Assessments Assessments allow your students to complete quizzes, self tests and surveys online. To build an assessment you must be in the Build Tab this is a designer function. Creating an Assessment To create an assessment click on the Assessments tool. Click on Create Assessment Give your assessment a title and select the type of assessment then click Save and Add Questions. Page 14
Click Create Questions and select the type of question. Enter the Question information and click Save If the assessment is marked as Hidden click on the down arrow and select Show Item. You will also click on the down arrow and select Edit Properties to set the release dates, how it is delivered, etc. Reviewing Assessments To review and/or grade an assignment you must be in the Teach Tab because this is an Instructor function. Click on the down arrow next to the assignment and select View Submissions. If you need to grade a question (such as an essay question) click on the date under the Attempt column to open the student s submitted quiz. The quiz will open and you will be able to read the student s responses and grade them. Do not forget to click Update Grade when you are done. If necessary you can select the submitted quiz from a student and click Reset Entire Submission so that the student can retake an assessment. Page 15
Learning Modules Learning Modules are used to organize and deliver course content. In other words you can encapsulate an entire lesson (readings, files, assignments, assessments, Web pages, discussions, chat, etc) in one module. Or you can use it to organize your course content. Creating a Learning Module To create a Learning Module you must be in the Build Tab because this is a designer function. Click on the Learning Module tool. Click on Create Learning Module Give the module a title and make your selections. We recommend that you select The Table of Contents under First page of the learning module should be: this way a document doesn t automatically try to open Page 16
If you wish to set any type of criteria click on the down arrows and make your selection To add your material, click on the Learning Module. Adding Content To add a file click on Add File and select Browse for Files Click on My Computer Locate your file(s) and click Open If you get a socket/pipe error when you click open to upload a file Click OK and then click on Click here to select files individually you will be able to upload your files from here. Page 17
To add Assignments, Assessments, Chats, Discussions, etc. click on Addd Content Link To Add a Module Learning Module to the Course Content Click on Add Content Link and select Learning Select the Learning Module you want and click Save Group Manager Many of our Faculty utilizes collaborative learning in their course and the Group Manager tool is available for this purpose. You can create custom groups, multiple or computer generated groups, or sign up sheet groups. You will need to be in the Teach tab as this is an Instructor function. Click on Group Manager under Instructor Tools Click on Create Groups Page 18
Select the type of group you want to create and click Continue Custom Groups Give the group a name and if you wish enter a description for the group (this is optional). Click Addd Members if you are ready to add students/members into the group. Select the student/members you want in this group by clicking in the white box next to their name. Click Addd Selected Click Save Page 19
Create Multiple Groups (Computer Generated) Type the group a name that is used for all groups (a number will be generated to differentiate the groups) and if you wish enter a description for the group (this is optional). Now select Create empty groups, and add members later if you want to control who goes into which group (don t forget to type in the number of groups you want in the Number of groups: box. Or select Create full groups, and randomly distribute Students if you want the computer to create the random groups. As the instructor in the class you will always have access to all the groups under the Teach Tab, however if you want to be able to see the groups from the student viewpoint select Include the demo Student in one of the groups. This will randomly place the Demo Student into 1 of your groups. Select whether you want a set number of groups By number of groups or by a set number of students By number of Students per group. Finally, select how you want any extra or new members handled. You will see a break down of your groups, if you don t like the way the students are divided into the groups you can click Shuffle Members to shuffle the groups or if you are done click Save. Page 20
Creating Groups with Sign Up Sheets Faculty can create one or more groups that the students can join. This way the students can select the group they want to belong. Once a student joins a group they cannot remove themselves from the group. Only the Faculty or TA can remove a student from a group. Just like before, fill out the required fields. Fill out how you want the sign up sheet link should look. Click Continue and you will a preview of the groups and then click Save. Page 21
Roster The class roster allows Instructors/TAs/Students/Auditors/Designers to view the class roster by Instructors/TAs, Students and Groups. This is a great way for students to be able to seee who is in their group as well as who is in the other groups. Chat and/or Whiteboard Rooms Chat rooms allow Faculty, TAs, and students to participate in real time, synchronous discussions. A couple of examples of Chat room use are: Example 1. Student collaboration; students need to meet to work on a group project but cannot physicallyy meet at a specified location can log into a chat room to discuss/ /work on their project. Example 2. You can set up a chat room for office hours at for any day or time. You will just need to let your students know when you will be logged into the chat room. Creating a Chat/Whiteboard Room To create a chat room click on Chat. Although you can create a chat or whiteboard room from either the Build or Teach tab the examples listed here are from the Build tab. Click on Create Chat or Whiteboard Room Enter the name/title of the chat/whiteboard room, description (not required to enter), and the Maximumm users Page 22
Select the Type of room (Chat: text messaging, Whiteboard: everyone can contribute to a drawing board) Then click Save (a Chat and Whiteboard Room is created in the example) Entering a Chat/Whiteboard Room Click on the to enter the chat room A sample chat/whiteboard room Viewing a Chat Room Log From the Teach Tab click on Chat click on the down arrow next to the chat room s title. Page 23
Then select View Log and you will see what transpired. This function is open to Faculty, TAs, and Students. Faculty and TAs can clear a log. Hints and Troubleshooting: Hints: 1. Make sure you run a browser check periodically. 2. Do not save file in the MS Office 2007 format use 2000 2005. 3. We are currently having issues with IE 8, please use IE 7 or Firefox Troubleshooting 1) If My Computer doesn t show when trying to upload a file i) Run a browser check and make sure you have Java and Java scripting turned on. You can find the latest free version of Java at http://www.java.com. 2) I keep getting a weird error when I log into Blackboard a) This is not an error, just select Always trust content from this publisher and click Run 3) I am running Safari on a Mac and the Course Tools titles do not show up. a) Download the new version of Safari. 4) I am trying to open up a Chat room from off campus and I get an error message or the application shuts itself down. a) Make sure when you log into my.utep that you do so using VPN when trying to use the Chat room feature. 5) Why do some of my students show they are on line (Who s On line) for several hours but I can t contact them? a) Your students more than likely just clicked on the X to close the screen instead of logging out. When they X out instead of Log out, Blackboard still sees them as logged in. Faculty, more assistance can be found by contacting the Helpdesk at 747 5257 or email the FIT Lab: fitlab@utep.edu or visit our site at http://fitlab.iss.utep.edu. Students can get help from the Helpdesk at 747 5257 or any of the on campus computer labs. Page 24
Page 25