Instructors: Getting Started with Blackboard

Frequently Asked Questions, Training & Resources

Blackboard is a Web-based learning, discussion, and class administration tool that provides a secure, pre-made Web site for a class. Instructors can create their class Web site(s) without learning HTML or complex tools. Blackboard courses can be made accessible only to the people registered in the class.

Blackboard eases the publishing of course materials, facilitates evaluation and record-keeping associated with a course, and engages students in active learning through discussion boards and group Web pages. In addition, Blackboard provides contact among faculty and students between class sessions. You can post announcements of late breaking changes to keep students and their class assignments up to date. You can administer quizzes and surveys online, and even have them scored automatically. You can then post grades online, accessible securely to each student. Students can also submit assigments electronically.

Accessing Your Blackboard Course:

Building Your Blackboard Course:

Blackboard 9 New! Empty Content Areas are Invisible to Students

Prior to Blackboard version 9, students occasionally became confused when they clicked on a menu item and received the message "Folder Empty." Now, links on the Course Menu are invisible to students until content is added to that section of the course.

Bb Assessments:

Managing Course Users:

Getting Help:

Accessing Your Blackboard Course

How can I get a new Blackboard course?

It is not necessary to request a Blackboard course shell. A Bb course is automatically generated for each section of every course offered by UNO. The new course shells are created as soon as the course is established by the Registrar's office--generally one semester prior to the beginning of the course.

As soon as an instructor's 101 hiring paperwork is in order with Human Resources, a LAN account will be established for that individual. It is important that the academic department notify the registrar's office as to "Instructor of Record" assignments. The automated Bb enrollment process occurs once every 24 hour period at the beginning of each semester, placing the instructors into the Bb courses according to the data from the registrar.

How do I request that the multiple sections or courses I am teaching be combined into one Blackboard shell?

Email your request listing the courses and / or sections to be combined to Blackboard@uno.edu. When courses are combined, the automated process disables the original course shells and creates a new blank course shell that has all of the students from all requested sections enrolled therein. Therefore, neither original shell will exist anymore, there will be one big new course containing all the students.

Please note that:

• Blackboard does not distinguish which students are from which course, so ALL students will be listed alphabetically in the Grade Center. Blackboard 9 contains new "Smart Views" that can be created to sort students by various criteria in the Grade Center.
  
  
• The Blackboard System Administrator has no way of knowing whether a site is "crosslisted," so the instructor will have to specifically request a combination.
  

Blackboard 9 New! I have a combined-section Bb course site. How can I sort students by section in the Grade Center?

Where do I find my course on the Web?

Once logged into Blackboard, you will first access the "UNO" tabbed page. Under "My Courses," click on the link to your course. If you do not see your course listed under "Courses you are teaching" then you may not be assigned to the course/section in PeopleSoft. Contact your department and have them inform the registrar of your correct course/section assignments.

How do I log into Blackboard?

Go to http://uno.blackboard.com, and enter your LAN username and password.

Blackboard 9 New! How do I make my Blackboard Course visible to Students?

All Blackboard courses are initially created “unavailable” to students so the instructor can build the course, add content, etc. without onlookers. Then, when the instructor is ready to release the course to students, they make it available via the following steps:

1. Enter the course
2. Click on the arrow to the left of the word Customization in the Control Panel area
3. Mouse over the word Properties (under Customization) and click the arrow that becomes visible to the right of the word Properties.
4. On the resulting Properties page, scroll down to area 3 = Course Availability
5. At the question “Make this course available to users" select the “Yes” radio button.
6. Scroll to the top or bottom of the Properties page and click the Submit button

What will happen to my course when the semester ends?

You should export the Grade Center once your final grades are posted and save the file on your local computer, a cd-rom, or your UNO Network I-drive. To keep the Blackboard database at a manageable size for optimal performance, courses are removed from the system after 13 months. An email notification will be sent to all faculty before courses are removed.

How to Download Grade Center

How to Export a Blackboard Course

How can I copy content from one Bb course to another? Via the Bb Course Copy Tool

If I copy content into a Blackboard course that already has content, what happens?

If you want to copy content from one site to a site that already has content, content will be added but not replaced/removed. While typically you will only be copying into a new, blank site, if you are copying into a site that already has content, the Copy Course function will not remove or replace existing content in any site (it only adds content).

* Pay close attention to course menu items – if you remove default course menu items or rename them in your original course, the changes will be copied to the new course – but the default items may also appear. It is important to check the menu items to see where your content has been copied and to remove the unnecessary ones.

After Course Copy, my course menu items are out of order!

When your course is copied over to a new site, the default course menu items will remain, even if you did not use them in your source copy site. The default menu items are:

• Announcements
• Course Information
• Staff Information
• Course Materials
• Communication
• Discussion Board
• External Links
• Tools

So you may end up with more menu items than you need and will need to remove them. For each course, use the appropriate buttons at the top of the Course Menu, in Edit Mode, to delete the unnecessary items.

Building Your Blackboard Course

How can I change the way my name is displayed to students in Blackboard?

All first and last names in Blackboard are retrieved automatically and directly from the WebSTAR system, which is however you entered your name on your human resource forms. Due to this automation, there is no way from the Blackboard end to change a user's first name, last name, or user name.

What is a Course Cartridge and how do I import it into a course?

• Open Access. This type of cartridge does not require students to purchase an access code, and you should also be able to copy cartridge/publisher content from one site to another, from one semester to the next. These typically contain less content than the copyright-protected cartridges.
   
• Copyright-protected. IMPORTANT: This type of cartridge requires students to purchase an access code, and you will not be able to copy the cartridge to other sites (you will have to request a new cartridge download key for each site for each semester). After the student logs into Blackboard, and enters your site, and then clicks on a content area that contains cartridge content, they will be prompted to enter in an access code (just once for the entire semester) that they purchased (either shrinkwrapped with the textbook or sold separately - as determined by you and your publisher representative).

To obtain/import a cartridge:

1. Contact your publisher representative and tell them you are interested in a Blackboard Course Cartridge for a particular text that will go into the campus Blackboard server. Please be sure that your publisher orders the correct combination and that the bookstore receives it. There have often been problems with the bookstore receiving the wrong codes, delaying students from accessing content.
    
2. Once you have decided on a text/cartridge/package, the publisher representative will most likely direct you to an online form, where you will select the appropriate text and/or package, enter other details, and then request a Course Cartridge Download Key. You may be asked a few details:
   • Beginning Spring 2010, UNO is running Blackboard Learning System version 9
   • For the system administrator name, type "UNO Bb-Administrator".
   • For the email address, enter Blackboard@uno.edu(do not use an individual's email address - using this alias email ensures that it reaches the UNO Bb administrator email box.
      
3. Submit the online form.
    
4. Check your email to see if you have received an email containing the Course Cartridge Download Key. Once you have received it, that means the Blackboard Administrator received it too. You can either wait until the administrator emails you to confirm which course you want this downloaded to, or you can forward a copy to Blackboard@uno.edu and specify the course shell.
    
5. The administrator will then import the cartridge and you will be notified when this has been completed. The cartridge load process generally takes 24 - 48 hours.

Blackboard 9 New! What is the Control Panel?

The Control Panel is the modular area located in the lower left area of the Bb course. The Control Panel is an expandable menu, managed by arrows to the left and right of main headings, where the instructor, TA or course builder can add or modify course materials and other information related to your course. Only instructors, course builders, and teaching assistants will see this button.

How do I change my course name or description?

Go to the Control Panel module, Customization area, choose Properties. In the first section of the Properties page, make any desired changes in the course title or description boxes, then click on the Submit button at the top or bottom of the Properties page.

Blackboard 9 New! Can I change the order of my announcements?

Permanent announcements will always remain at the top of the announcement list, most recent announcements on top. The display order of non-permanent announcements can be changed by accessing the Control Panel module > Course Tools > Announcements then clicking and dragging the up / down arrow icon to the left of each announcement.

In what formats can I have a document in my course?

Blackboard can deliver many file formats. The important consideration is that students have the software on their computers to read that format.

Word-processing (Microsoft Word, Corel Word Perfect), spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel, Lotus Notes), and presentation (Microsoft PowerPoint, Corel Presentations) documents can be placed on Blackboard.

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the best format.

PDF (Portable Document Format), which is a static "picture" of a document, is also useful - especially for publishing slide shows, static tables, or graphs created in applications that students are not likely to have.

Word-processing documents can also be saved in Rich Text Format (RTF). This format does not require a specific application, such as Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect to be viewed by the user.

How do I create PDF documents? How will my students read them?

Creating PDF documents requires the use of a PDF writing software. Microsoft Office 2007 comes bundled with a PDF writer as one of the included tools, and there are various Open Source PDF writers available for free download via the web. Adobe Acrobat is a commonly used PDF writer, available at academic discount through the UNO Bookstore. Adobe Acrobat is also available in the Faculty Staff Resource Center, CC 104B.

To read PDF documents, students will use Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free software application that can be downloaded from: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

How will my students read word-processing documents?

Students must have either that software (e.g., Microsoft Word, Word Perfect) or a viewer to access the file. The Microsoft PowerPoint viewer can be downloaded here.

Blackboard 9 New! Where is the Digital Drop Box?

Blackboard version 9 no longer includes the Digital Drop Box.   The "Assignments" feature is to be used instead of the former Digital Drop Box. Read more about "Assignments" in the "Creating and Managing Groups and Assignments" module of the Blackboard 9 Instructor Training Materials.

What's the fastest way to read Discussion Board messages?

Discussion board postings do not have to be read individually. Enter the discussion forum in question and place a check in the box next to all the messages you'd like to read, and then select the "Collect" icon from the row of buttons across the top of the page. All of the checked messages will appear on your screen at once, you may read them or print the entire session.

My students do not see my quiz / test...and I'm sure I created and deployed it in a content area!

While the tests may be "deployed" in the content area they won't be available to students until you:

• make the tests available, and
• either specify specific dates or deselect the specific dates in the display options

The steps:

1. Within your course, go to the Control Panel module
   
   
2. Click on the content area the quiz/test is located, in such as Quizzes and Exams
   
   
3. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the test, then click Edit Test Options
   
   
4. Scroll down to right under #2 to Make the Test Available - select Yes
   
5. Scroll down to the fields Display After and Display Until:

•  If you want to select a time frame for the quiz/test to display, select the dates you want it to display (if you want it to display immediately, and "Display After" displays today's date, change it to yesterday's date.
  
  
• If you want the quiz/test to display indefinitely, you can also not use date limitations at all. Make sure "Display Until" has no checkmarks. But note that when you no longer want the quiz/test to display to students, you'll want to make sure to click "No" to step #5.

New! How do I allow a student to re-take a quiz or exam?

Students may be 'kicked' out of an assessment for various reasons, such as:

• If they click the "Back" button during the quiz,
• Resize the Window on their screen,
• Lose their internet connection, or
• Their browser times out.

To reset a quiz within Blackboard:

1. In the Grade Center, move the cursor over the desired cell, and click the Action Link to view the contextual menu
2. Select Grade Details
3. In the Actions column, click Clear Attempt.
4. Click OK

Blackboard 9 New! How do I download a copy (file) of my Grade Center?

1. From the Grade Center main view, click the Work Offlinebutton in the upper right of the Grade Center toolbar that runs horizontally across the top of the Grade Center screen. Select Download Grades, you'll be asked to select the delimiter type for the downloaded file.
   
   
2. The two options are Comma and Tab. Both are common types of data files and can be opened with most editing software.
   
   
3. Click Submit.
   
   
4. Click Download.
   
   
5. Click Save.
   
   
6. Make sure it displays the folder where you want to save the Excel file. Be sure to save it where you can easily find it later.
   
   
7. Leave the file name as is, or, if you have saved a copy of your Grade Center in the past, in the "File name" field, type in a file name. Be sure the "Save as type" field has the default "Microsoft Excel Comma Separated Values File" (csv file format).
   
   
8. Click Save. A "Download Complete" dialog box should appear, giving you the option to open the file now or close for later use.

New! How do I download, modify, then upload my Grade Center?

If you downloaded a copy of your Grade Center (steps above), you can now modify or add one or more items as needed (such as adding a test or changing a student's score), and then upload the file to make the changes to the "live" Grade Center.

1. Be sure to complete steps #1-8 above for downloading a copy of your Grade Center.
   
   
2. If you are still at the "Download Complete" dialog box (from the download step #8, above), you can click "Open," or if you closed it already, can open Excel, locate the file, and open the file.
   
   
3. Make the modifications to the Excel file / grades that you want made.
   
   
4. When you are finished, Save the file (you will receive several save prompts).
   
   
5. To upload the grades, from the Blackboard Control Panel Grade Center, click Upload Grades.
   Click Browse to select the Excel/csv file you just saved (must be a *.txt or a *.csv file).
   
   
6. Blackboard will ask you to select the column to upload from a file. Note that you can only select one column (you will need to repeat the Upload Grades steps for each column).
   
   
7. You will need to either select the destination column for the uploaded data, or select Create New Grade Center Item for the data to appear as a new Grade Center item.
   
   
8. Click Submit.
   
   
9. (If applicable) Check the boxes for the students in which you want to upload modified scores.
   
   
10. Click OK. You will be returned to the Grade Center with the changes made.

Managing Course Users

How will students be enrolled in my Blackboard course(s)?

Student enrollment is an automated process that updates daily.

How do I handle Add / Drop of students?

Late registrants will be added to your course automatically for you on a continuous basis. Students that drop a course will remain visible to the instructor in that Blackboard course, but the student will no longer be able to access the course.

How do I remove students from my course?

You cannot remove students from your course. If a student has dropped the course and it is a hardship for you to have their name remain in your course, please send an email request to blackboard@uno.edu that the student be removed.

How do I check the student roster?

To view your course roster, go into your Course Control Panel module, click on Users and Groups. To list all users in the course, in the first drop-down box, select Username. In the second drop-down box, select the criteria choice: not blank. Leave the name field blank, and click the Go button. All Bb users enrolled in the course will be listed.

I do not see one of my students listed in the Blackboard roster.

If a student does not show up in your roster in Blackboard, then most likely they aren't in the roster in WebSTAR. Enrollment data is loaded directly from WebSTAR into Blackboard. Most likely the student needs to check with the Registrar's office to find out why he / she isn't enrolled. If you verified that the student is in fact in your WebSTAR roster but you still don't see their name in the Blackboard Roster, request assistance by contacting the UNO Help Desk.

How do I add a Teaching Assistant to my course?

Instructors cannot add users to a course. To request that a user be added as a TA, please send email to blackboard@uno.edu.

How do students change their email address in Blackboard?

Blackboard users will not be able to modify any of their personal information in their account, including their email address.

Getting Help

How do my students get help with Blackboard login problems?

Where can instructors go for assistance with Blackboard problems?

Email a UNO Blackboard Administrator: blackboard@uno.edu

UCC Help Desk: 280-HELP (4357) (Computer Center Room 101-R)
Email the Help Deskhelpdesk@uno.edu