Add Some Bling to Your Blackboard

If you think you are tired of looking at your boring Blackboard, think how your students feel! This document will give you some fresh ideas for making your course more visually interesting. You will find tips for using Blackboard tools for customizing your course, such as buttons, links, and banners as well as tips for using embedded content and interesting Web 2.0 tools.

Bling Your Blackboard Class

How Exactly are Students Using Technology?

It’s clear that today’s students rely heavily on electronic devices even when they’re not incorporated in the classroom. In one survey of college students, 38% said they couldn’t even go 10 minutes without switching on some sort of electronic device.

But how students are using their devices, how technology is affecting their educational experience, and what effect it has on their well-being are questions that are harder to answer. In the infographic below, online higher education database Onlineeducation.net has summed up some of the existing research on these points.


Via: OnlineEducation.net

Blackboard Beginning of the Semester Checklist

Use the Beginning of the Semester Checklist to ensure that your class is ready for student access. The checklist will assist you in turning off unnecessary tools, making the course available, and initiating communication. In addition you will also find instructions for the Add Test Student feature which allows instructors to login to their courses as a students.

Embedding Video in Blackboard

The ever-growing collection of shared online video content provides an excellent opportunity for educators. The following links offer many sites for online videos, many of which can be easily embedded in your Blackboard course.

Shared Online Video Resources, Portals, and Pedagogical Activities
YouTube
Hulu
TED

Easy Instructions for embedding video in Blackboard:
Embedding Video in Bb

Blackboard End of the Semester Checklist

The End of the Semester Checklist will help you wrap-up your course on Blackboard with end of the semester maintenance tips.

Blackboard 9.1 Tool Guide

Last year I ran across a Moodle Tool Guide for Teachers and thought that whenever I get the time I would create one for Blackboard. Well, the time has come. This guide will allow you to compare the functionality and pedagogical advantages of some standard Blackboard tools, as well as how tricky the tool is to set up.

While the original Moodle Tool Guide was created to be printed as a poster, this one is designed to be printed front to back on 8 1/2 x 11 paper to keep as a handy reference.

Feeback and suggestions are appreciated.

Bb9.1ToolGuide

Modified from Moodle Tool Guide for Teachers (http://www.cats-pyjamas.net/2010/05/moodle-tool-guide-for-teachers/) Joyce Seitzinger. May 2010

Save the Grade Center!

If you are using the Blackboard Grade Center, you really should consider exporting a copy every time you make changes. You can also work in the Grade Center offline once it has been exported as an Excel file

1. In your course, click Grade Center > Full Grade Center
2. Click the "Work Offline" button > Download
3. Leave the defaults as they are and click the "Submit" button
4. Click the Download button.  This will tell your browser to download the file
5. Note where you are saving the file on your computer, and click the Save button