↓ Jump to: My Home | Global Navigation | Content Area | Build Content | Assessments Tab | Tool Tab | Grade Center | Manage Tab
My Home
A. My Home (First page you see in Blackboard)
B. Links to sites students may need during the course of semester
C. Tools:
D. My Messages: Here is where you can see any Course Messages sent by any of the classes you are teaching without going inside the class.
E. My Announcements: Students can see announcement in all of their courses.
F. My Courses: Where you can find a list of all of the courses that you are teaching.
Global Navigation
To the far right of the My Home Page is the Global Navigation link. From the Global Navigation link you can access any of your classes, course messages, calendar, etc. You can access Global Navigation available from any page in Blackboard.
Click on the image on the left to see it in full size.
Content Area
A. To access the Content Area click on the Content link in the Course Menu. Once the content area opens you see the Course Content page.
B. The folder looks like any manila folder you might have on your desk. You always want to put content into the folder, not on it.
C. Open the folder by clicking on the link to the right of the folder.
- Build Content
- Assessments
- Tools
- Partner Content
Build Content
The Build Content tab contains what you need to start developing course content.
A. Create a content folder. Click on the link
and the Content Folder Information page will come up. Give your folder a name based (Module, Chapter, Week, etc.)
B. Items are Pages in Blackboard
C. Images: Maps, art,work, images etc.
D. Web Links: Journal Articles, webpages,
E. Flickr Photos
F. Slide Share
G. YouTube Videos
Assessments Tab
To create Tests, Surveys, or Assignments (written)work you will want to click on the Assessment link.
- Tests can be created manually or instructors can use a publisher’s test bank.
- Surveys are created just like tests but serve a different purpose. Surveys are anonymous.
- Assignments are a way to turn in written assignments in the Blackboard system. They can be graded as a document in grade Center or optionally checked for plagiarism.
Tool Tab
The Tool Tab contains many tool types:
- Journals
- Portfolios
- Discussions
Grade Center
The Grade Center in Blackboard provides instructors with a way to provide students with ongoing information about their standing in the class. The Grade Center is located on the Course Menu under Course Management.
The grade center link provides several options to get you to the Grade Center.
- When assessments are linked to the Grade Center click on the needs Grading
- The Full Grade Center allows you to see the whole Grade Center and input grades manually
- The Smart Views or Sub categories allow you to grade all one specific type of assignment at a time like Assignments.
The Grade Center View
A. Create Column is for assignments not connected to the Grade Center.
B. Create Calculated Column: These include weighted, and total columns, both put in automatically by Blackboard.
C. Manage tab and Total Column
D. Reports
E. Items need grading
Manage Tab
It is under the Manage Tab that instructors can find the types of features necessary for fine tuning the Grade Center. When you are setting up the Grade Center in your courses it is important to pay attention to the links in the red box at the left.
- Categories help instructors to separate their various assessments in the Grade Center.
- Smart Views are subcategories that can be found under the full Grade Center link. Smart Views allow you to go directly to the specific category to grade all of one type of assignment.
- Column Organization gives you the opportunity to drag and drop the columns into the order.
- Row Visibility hide assignments that you using, or a student that is no longer in the class.