Blackboard Resources

We upgraded to Blackboard 8.0 in June. The Gradebook has been completely redesigned and renamed Grade Center. This new feature offers more flexible tools and a variety of views and reports. Download the Getting Started with the Grade Center quick guide. Or view the document here. Any changes will be noted in new video tutorials.

User Manual for Release 8.

Follow these links for detailed support information:

• Course cycle, policies, system requirements, and browser support
• Blackboard Basics
  • Settings for new sites
  • End of term priorities
  • Tips for students
  • Tips for faculty
• Blackboard FAQs

Point of View: Students and Faculty

Blackboard for Students

• In some courses, students may visit Blackboard outside of class to access course announcements and to download pertinent documents. In addition, students may check grades on the course gradebook.
• In other courses, students must visit Blackboard frequently in order to participate in such required features as the Discussion Board, Group Pages, Digital Drop Box, or to complete a Blackboard "Assignment."
• Some courses are designed with opportunities for self-study beyond the required assignments, by providing comprehensive Learning Units, an extensive list of Web Links, and an open Discussion Board.

Blackboard for Faculty

• Blackboard, in its simplest configuration, can be used as an online file cabinet for course documents, making them easily available to students--and saving department copying fees.
• If developed along with course plans, as an integral part of course design, Blackboard can serve as an interactive course supplement that fosters out-of-class communication between students, student groups, and between students and faculty. Blackboard is a great way to extend the class beyond the four walls of the classroom.
• All faculty are enrolled in the Faculty Blackboard Help Center site, which is available after logging in to Blackboard.

Blackboard Online Tutorials [Quicktime required to view tutorials] THE BASICS: SETTINGS AND ORGANIZATION Getting Started Audience: faculty and students. How to organize modules on Welcome page to be less distracting. Audience: faculty. How to find basic settings, change course name, and make course available. Organizing the Welcome Page (3:04) Course Settings (4:34) Managing the Menu Audience: faculty. How to customize menu design and list of menu items. Menu Design (4:38) Menu Items (10:19) Adding Content Audience: faculty. How to add a variety of content types. Adding Documents and Folders; Moving Documents to Folders (4:52) Adding videos (4:11) Adding external links Creating a Syllabus Using the Syllabus Builder feature Blackboard Pedagogy Audience: faculty SPECIAL FEATURES: GRADING, CONTENT, AND ASSESSMENT Gradebook [these will all change when we upgrade to version 8.0 and have a Grade Center] Audience: faculty. How to set up a basic gradebook, weight grades, and download to Excel. Gradebook settings (3:53) Adding items (2:59) Putting in grades (7:45) Weighting grades (5:25) Downloading Grades and Working in Excel (5:29) Discussion Board Audience: faculty and students. Assignments Audience: faculty and students. Learning Units Audience: faculty and students. Assessments Audience: faculty. Using the Test Manager to create assessments, creating pools.