Release 6.1
Publication Date: February 9, 2004
Date of last revision:
Copyright © 2004 by Blackboard Inc. All rights reserved.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 1
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Blackboard, the Blackboard logo, Blackboard Academic Suite, Blackboard Learning System, Blackboard
Learning System ML, Blackboard Portal System, Blackboard Transaction System, Blackboard Building
Blocks, and Bringing Education Online are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Blackboard
Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel
Corporation. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United
States and/or other countries. Sun, Solaris, UltraSPARC, and Java are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Red Hat is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States and/or other countries. Apache is a trademark of
The Apache Software Foundation in the United States and/or other countries. Macromedia, Authorware and Shockwave are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Macromedia, Inc. in the United
States and/or other countries. Real Player and Real Audio Movie are trademarks of RealNetworks in the United States and/or other countries. Adobe and Acrobat Reader are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Macintosh and QuickTime are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. WordPerfect is a registered trademark of Corel Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Crystal Reports is a trademark of Crystal Decisions in the United States and/or other countries. WebEQ is a trademark of Design Science, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Patents pending.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. All rights reserved. Made and printed in the USA.
No part of the contents of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher, Blackboard Inc.
Worldwide Headquarters
Blackboard Inc.
1899 L Street, NW, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20036-3861 USA
800-424-9299 toll free US & Canada
+1-202-463-4860 telephone
+1-202-463-4863 facsimile www.blackboard.com
International Headquarters
Blackboard International B.V.
Keizersgracht 106
1015 CS Amsterdam
The Netherlands
+31 20 5206884 (NL) telephone
+31 20 5206885 (NL) facsimile global.blackboard.com
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 2
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
User Manual ........................................................... 5
.................................................. 7
................................................. 8
Gateway ............................................................ 15
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 3
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Portal Features.................................................... 147
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 4
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Welcome to the
Blackboard Academic Suite
™ ! The
Blackboard Academic Suite
offers a robust set of tools, functions, and features for learning. Besides the features that are included as part of the
Blackboard Academic Suite
, there are numerous additional tools that can be added to
Blackboard Academic Suite
as Blackboard System
Extensions.
The
Blackboard Academic Suite Student Manual
details the tools and functions included with the platform from the Student or general user perspective. Other
Blackboard manuals detail the construction, customization, and management features that Instructors and Administrators use to build an impressive education environment on the Blackboard platform.
The flexibility of the
Blackboard Academic Suite
means that not all the tools and functions that are available are documented in this manual. Blackboard System
Extensions allow System Administrators to add a variety of materials, tools, and functions to
Blackboard Academic Suite
. Individual System Extensions are not documented in this manual. For assistance with a System Extension, please contact your System Administrator. In addition, the tools and functions that are documented in this manual may not be available to users or only available in certain areas of the platform because Administrators and Instructors can customize the availability of most aspects of the platform. Finally, some tools and functions may appear differently in the
Blackboard Academic Suite
than the examples in this manual because System
Administrators and Instructors can customize the name and appearance of many aspects of the platform.
The
Blackboard Academic Suite
™ includes:
Blackboard Learning System
™ (Release 6.1)
Blackboard Learning System
- Basic Edition ™ (Release 6.1)
Blackboard Portal System
™ (Release 6.1)
Blackboard Learning System
- ML ™
For most users, it is only important to know what Blackboard products are in use when determining if a particular function is available.
This document does not provide information on
Blackboard Learning System
– ML.
Manual Organization
The
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
begins by introducing the
Blackboard
Academic Suite
. The second section of the manual is dedicated to the course Web site environment of the
Blackboard Learning System
and the final section provides a review of the
Blackboard Learning System
basic portal and the advanced features of the
Blackboard Portal System
.
Manual Conventions
To make this manual easier to use a number of conventions appear throughout. These conventions are detailed in the table below.
Symbol
[r]
Bold type
Courier font
Steps
Required field
A button or field name.
Description
Text that users should type.
Tasks users should perform.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 5
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Using this manual
This manual is best read as a reference, rather than as a book to be read from cover to cover. If the manual is viewed online, the embedded links enable the reader to navigate quickly through topics and follow the same workflows that appear in the software. For readers that prefer to print out and read a paper copy of the manual, refer to the table of contents to locate topics that are referenced in the text.
Manual Updates
Please note that the
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
is updated periodically.
Check the Date Last Update at the beginning of the manual to ensure that it is the most recent copy. Any updates are listed in the Appendix .
The HTML version is available through the Student Manual feature in each course and at http://www.blackboard.com/products/services/support . Also, the Behind the
Blackboard extranet includes the most current versions of the user manuals in PDF format for those who would like to print a hard copy.
To report any comments or suggestions regarding this manual, please contact
Blackboard Support.
Which Blackboard product is installed?
To find out which Blackboard product you are using contact your System
Administrator.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 6
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Part One Contents
This part of the
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
includes the following chapters:
Chapter 1 - Welcome to the
Blackboard Learning System
Chapter 2 - Blackboard Platform Gateway
The
Blackboard Learning System
delivers a complete course management system.
Within the
Blackboard Learning System
environment navigation is simple with a header frame that includes images and buttons customized by the institution and tabs that navigate to the different common areas.
The Blackboard Gateway page welcomes users and provides an access point to the
Blackboard Academic Suite
. It should be noted that some institutions may choose to skip the Gateway page entirely and allow users to login through a function on the header frame.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 7
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
–
Introduction
The
Blackboard Learning System
is a comprehensive and flexible e-Learning software platform that delivers a complete course management system. While the
Blackboard
Learning System,
and the
Blackboard Learning System
- Basic Edition are all course management systems, the
Blackboard Learning System
includes advanced integration tools and APIs to seamlessly assimilate the
Blackboard Learning System
with existing institution systems. Furthermore, the
Blackboard Learning System
includes additional customization features and the ability to build out the platform with Blackboard
System Extensions. Finally, the
Blackboard Portal System
includes a customizable institution-wide portal with online communities.
Blackboard Building Blocks allows institutions to integrate external applications, tools, content, and services into the
Blackboard Learning System
.
The following are some things to keep in mind when using the
Blackboard Learning
System
:
Due to the fact that the
Blackboard Portal System
and the
Blackboard Learning
System
are highly flexible and customizable platforms, which can integrate third party applications, there may be certain tools that are not documented.
System Administrators have the ability to disable certain tools within the application. If you encounter tools that you are unable to access contact your
System Administrator.
The openness of the platform allows Instructors and Administrators to be very creative; therefore, the names for items users see in the application may differ from those in the documentation.
The
Blackboard Learning System
environment
The
Blackboard Learning System
environment includes a header frame with images and buttons customized by the institution and tabs that navigate to different areas within the
Blackboard Learning System
. Clicking on a tab will open that area in the content frame. Web pages containing specific content, features, functions, and tools are accessed from the common areas.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 8
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Header frame
The header frame contains a customizable institution image and navigation buttons that allow the user to access the institution home page, access the Blackboard help, and logoff of the
Blackboard Learning System
.
The table below details the buttons that appear in the header frame and their functions.
Button Description
Click
Home
to return to an institution home page. This URL is set by the system administrator.
Click
Help
to access an institution defined help site. This URL is set by the System Administrator.
Click
Logout
to end a session.
Common Areas
Blackboard Learning System
and
Blackboard Learning System
– Basic Edition include two common areas for users:
My Institution:
The My Institution common area contains tools and information specific to each user ’ s preferences. Tools and information are contained in modules, which users can add and remove from their My
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 9
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Institution common area. While users can choose which modules appear, the
Administrator may restrict access to or require specific modules.
Courses
: Courses are listed by role: courses that a user teaches as an
Instructor and courses that a user takes as a Student. Users click on a course from the Courses common area to access the course Web site.
Users also have access to the following common areas with the
Blackboard Portal
System
:
Community:
The Community common area lists organizations specific to each user, the Organization Catalog for the institution, and institution-wide
Discussion Boards. User organizations are listed by role: organizations that a user administrates as a manager and organizations that a user participates in as a member. Users simply click on an organization from the Community common area to access the organization Web site.
Services:
The Services common area contains links to other institutional offerings outside of the
Blackboard Learning System
. The links are set by the
System Administrator and cannot be modified by an individual user.
In addition, the
Blackboard Portal System
enables the institution to create custom tabs and present a different environment, or Portal, to users based on the User ’ s role at the institution.
Tabs
The tabs are navigation tools that access the common areas of the
Blackboard
Learning System
. Tabs also appear in search boxes as a means of changing the search parameters.
Click on a tab to access that common area.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 10
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Content frame
The content frame always contains one of the following pages:
Common area
: The area that appears in the content frame when a tab is clicked. Common areas hold broad information and allow the user to access
Web pages containing specific content and features.
Web page
: A Web page appears in the content frame when accessed through one of the navigational tools described below. Web pages contain specific content or features and originate from common areas.
Navigating within the
Blackboard Learning System
The
Blackboard Learning System
contains several ways to move from one area or page to the next. Only the material in the content frame changes when moving to a new area or page. The tabs and header frame are always available for quick access to those navigation features.
The table below describes each navigation tool available in the
Blackboard Learning
System
.
Tab
Navigation Tool Description
Click a tab to navigate to a common area. Top-level navigation is always available no matter what page or area appears in the content frame.
Button
Link
Image
Click a button to navigate to a page within the
Blackboard Learning
System
. Some buttons also lead to areas outside of the
Blackboard
Learning System
. In addition, buttons execute functions.
Click a hypertext link to access another Web page within the
Blackboard Learning System
. The page will appear in the content frame.
Links can also open Web sites outside of the
Blackboard Learning System
.
Click an image to navigate to another page. The customized images that appear in the platform can be linked by the Administrator to another URL.
Click one of the hypertext links that appear in the navigation path to access that page. The navigation path appears at the top of pages to allow users to quickly return to the previous page that led to the current page.
Path
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 11
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Each course offered by an institution is hosted on a Web site. A course Web site consists of a navigation path, a Course menu, and a content frame. The navigation path allows users to return to any page accessed between the main course page and the current page. The Course menu links users to the available content areas and tools. The content frame displays Web pages accessed through the buttons or navigation path.
Organization Web Sites
Organization Web sites function in the same way as course Web sites. The organization Manager uses the flexible learning tools of a course Web site to provide an online environment for the organization. Organizations are only available with the
Blackboard Portal System
.
Linking to a course Web site
To create a link to a course Web site, simply copy the URL from the address bar in the
Web. Links to course Web sites can be posted inside the
Blackboard Learning System
or externally. In either case, the user will be prompted for authorization before accessing the course Web site.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 12
Blackboard Academic Suite
Functions
User Manual
The table below includes information on the components of a course Web site. The names of the areas are customizable by the Instructor or the System Administrator.
Area
Announcements
Staff Information
Content Areas
Assignments
Communication
External Links
Tools
Description
Announcements post timely information critical to course success. Announcements occupy the Main
Frame upon entry to a course Web site and can also appear on the My Institution and Courses area depending on system configuration.
Click
Announcements
from the course Web site tool bar to view course Announcements.
Staff Information provides background and contact information on course Instructors and Teaching
Assistants.
Content areas can contain a wide-range of content items including:
Course Information – Course Information displays descriptive materials about the course. Materials usually posted here include the syllabus and course objectives.
Course Documents – Course Documents may include learning materials and lesson aids, such as lecture notes.
Assignments lists the due date and description for class work. The Instructor posts assignments and can modify the instructions and due date. Students may view files the Instructor has attached to an Assignment. They may also attach files to an Assignment to submit to the
Instructor.
Course users communicate through the Communication
Center. The Communication Center allow users to:
send and receive email read and post messages to Discussion Boards enter the Virtual Classroom view Student roster
view Group pages
External Links connects course users to outside learning materials. Instructors may select outside materials and post a hyperlink and brief description for each external source.
Tools that can be used in the course Web site. These include: Digital Drop Box, Edit Home Page, Personal
Information, Calendar, View Grades, Student Manual,
Tasks, The Electric Blackboard®, and Address Book.
Accesses the Blackboard Resource Center.
Allows course Web site navigation through a collapsible tree directory. Instructors can go directly to various course areas.
Resources
Course Map
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 13
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
To utilize the exciting features of the
Blackboard Academic Suite
users must have a valid username and password. The Gateway page welcomes users and provides a login button to access the Blackboard platform. Before logging in, a user must have a valid user name and password.
Note:
The
Blackboard Learning System
requires that cookies are enabled within the
Web browser.
Note:
The Institution may select to bypass the Gateway page. If this is the case, a
User accessing the URL will be directed to the My Institution tab and authenticated as a guest. Users may login to through a button on the header frame or a special portal module.
Functions
The following buttons appear on the Gateway page.
Note:
The
Course Catalog
and
Create Account
buttons may not appear depending on institutional preferences.
Function
Login
Course Catalog
Create Account
Description
Users can log into their account from the Blackboard
Gateway page.
Browse the Course Catalog .
Users can create an account to the Blackboard Gateway page.
In this chapter
This chapter includes the following topics.
Topic
Creating an
Account
Entry Page
Lost Password
Page
Course Catalog
Browsing the
Course Catalog
Description
Details how to create a Blackboard account with a user name, password and personal information. Depending on institutional preferences, this option may not be available to users.
Describes the page used to logon to Blackboard.
Details how to obtain a new password in the case that yours is lost.
Describes the Course Catalog for your institution
Details how to browse and search the Course Catalog for specific courses.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 15
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Users may create their own account from the Gateway page. In this area they can choose a user name and password, and fill out any personal information they choose.
Note:
The Administrator may make this option unavailable.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Create New Account page.
Step 1
Step 2
Enter the URL for the
Blackboard Learning System
into your Web browser.
Click
Create Account
from the Gateway page.
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Create New Account page.
Field
Personal Information
First Name:
[r]
Middle Name:
Last Name:
Email:
[r]
Student ID:
[r]
Description
Enter the user ’ s first name.
Enter the user ’ s middle name.
Enter the user ’ s last name.
Enter the user ’ s email address.
Enter the user ’ s Student ID as defined by the institution.
Account Information
User Name:
[r]
Password:
[r]
Verify Password:
[r]
Other Information
Gender:
Birthdate:
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential
Enter a user name.
Enter a password.
Enter the password a second time to verify.
From the drop-down list select the user ’ s gender.
Enter the user ’ s birth date.
Page 16
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Education Level:
Company:
Job Title:
Department:
Street 1:
Street 2:
City:
Country:
Web Site:
From the drop-down list select the user ’ s education level.
Enter the user
Enter the user
Enter the user
Enter the user
’
’
’
’ s company. s job title. s department.
Enter the first line of the user s city.
’ s address.
Enter the second line of the user ’ s address.
State/Province:
Enter the user ’ s state.
Zip Code/Postal Code:
Enter the contact ’ s ZIP code or postal code.
Home Phone:
Work Phone:
Work Fax:
Mobile Phone:
Enter the contact ’ s country.
Enter the URL of the user ’ s personal Web site. When adding a URL, do so as http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com or blackboard.com.
Enter the user ’ s home phone number.
Enter the user ’ s work phone number.
Enter the user ’ s fax number.
Enter the user ’ s mobile phone number.
Secure your Password
Passwords enable users to access all of their personal information. To maintain security users should not use not share their password with others.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 17
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
By logging into the
Blackboard Academic Suite
, users can access a secure environment to view courses, obtain course documents, view organization information and much more.
Note:
If the Administrator has enabled Portal Direct Entry, users will view the My
Institution page upon opening the
Blackboard Academic Suite
. Users may login to the system through this page.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Entry page.
Step 1
Step 2
Enter the URL for the
Blackboard Academic Suite
into your Web browser.
Click
Login
.
Fields
The table below details the entry fields on the Entry page.
Field
Account Login
Username:
Password:
Enter the User Name.
Enter password. The password and User Name must be entered exactly to login. The maximum number of characters in a password is 32. Passwords are case sensitive.
Description
Functions
The table below presents the functions available to users on the Entry page.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 18
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
To . . .
preview the
Blackboard Academic Suite
environment create an account obtain a new password login
Preview.
Create.
click . . .
Forget your password?
Lost Password page.
Login
after entering User Name and password in the fields.
to access the
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 19
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
If users forget or lose their password, they must complete the Lost Password page to obtain a new password. Users will need to create a new password based on instructions received in an email from Blackboard. To receive password information, users must enter their first and last names. Additionally, users have the option of entering a user name or an email address to verify password information. Users must enter information in all the fields in the
Find User With User Name
section or all of the fields in the
Find User With Email
section.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Lost Password page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Enter the URL for the Blackboard platform into your Web browser.
Click
Login
.
Click
Forgot Your Password?
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Lost Password page.
Field
Find User With User Name
First Name:
Last Name:
Description
Enter first name.
Enter last name.
Enter user name. This field is case sensitive.
User Name:
Find User With Email
First Name:
Last Name:
Email:
Enter first name.
Enter last name.
Enter email address.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 20
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Course Catalog lists all courses offered at the institution in defined categories such as semester and subject matter. The Course Catalog page allows users to search for courses via keyword or a specific category. The Administrator sets the categories. The links in the Course Catalog allow users to view Instructor information and a course description. From that point, users are also able to enroll, preview, or log into a course depending on how the institution customizes the
Blackboard Learning System
.
Note:
The institution may choose to use a different Course Catalog other than the one provided with the
Blackboard Learning System
or no catalog at all.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Browse Course Catalog page.
Step 1
Step 2
Enter the URL for the
Blackboard Learning System
into your Web browser.
Click
Browse Course Catalog
.
Functions
The table below details the available functions on the Course Catalog page.
To . . .
search for a course perform advanced searching browse the Course Catalog
click . . .
Go
after entering a keyword in the search box.
Advanced Search
hyperlink and provide the search criteria in the space provided, click
Search
. the hyperlink of the category or courses to view.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 21
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Preview a course
From the Login page Students are able to browse the course catalog and preview courses as a guest. To browse the course catalog follow the steps below.
Step 1
Step 2
From the Welcome page, click
Preview
.
In the Courses common area, select a Course Catalog link.
Step 3
From the Course Catalog page, click the hyperlink of the course you wish to preview.
Note:
The Instructor determines whether Students are allowed to preview a course prior to enrollment. Thus, this option may not be available for all courses.
Search the Course Catalog
Follow the steps below to search for a course from the Course Catalog main page.
Step 1
Click the text box and enter the keyword or course
Step 2
Click
Search
.
Advanced Search: Users can search by course title or course ID by clicking
Advanced Search
View all courses in the Course Catalog
Follow the steps below to view all courses in the Course Catalog:
Click
Advanced Search
.
Select
List All
to view all courses.
Step 1
Step 2
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 22
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Part Two Contents
This part of the
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
includes the following chapters:
Chapter 3 – Course Content
Chapter 4 – Communication
Chapter 5 – Course Tools
Course Web sites include all of the information for a particular course. Course Content areas contain information on course areas such as Course Documents, Course
Information and Course Announcements. The Communication Tools enable users to interact with their fellow classmates and Instructors from the course Web site. Some of the tools included are Collaboration Tools, Discussion Boards and class Rosters.
Course Tools enable users to manage their work and individual information within a specific course. Users can edit their personal information, view the course calendar, and check their grades.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 23
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
–
Each course offered by an institution is hosted on a Web site. Course Web sites contain all the content and tools for a course. This includes:
Course Materials
Course Calendar
Course Announcements
Assignments and Assessments
A course Web site consists of a navigation path, a Course menu, and a content frame.
The navigation path allows users to return to any page accessed between the main course page and the current page. The Course menu links users to the available content areas and tools. The content frame displays Web pages accessed through the buttons or navigation path.
After selecting a course in the Courses common area, click the corresponding button from the Course Menu on the left side of the page to access a course content area.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open a course Web site:
Step 1
Step 2
Login to Blackboard.
Select a course in which you are enrolled from the My Courses module on the My Institution common area
OR
Open the Courses common area and select a course in the
Courses in which you are participating:
area.
Course Areas
The names of the areas in a course Web site are configured by the Instructor or the
System Administrator and may differ from the names shown in this chapter. The
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 24
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
function of each area will not change even if the name and purpose of the area is different. The Instructor or the System Administrator may not make all of these areas available. The Course Areas that are accessible by Students make up the Course Menu that appears in the frame on the left side of all Course pages.
In this chapter
This chapter includes information on the following sections.
Section
Staff Information
Content Areas
External Links
Description
Explains how to view information about the staff such as
Instructor name, email address, office location, and office hours.
Provides information on how course materials and information is presented in many different ways from basic text to multimedia. Explains how Instructors can also post
Assessments and Learning Units.
Explains how to access external links posted by course
Instructors. Usually these links provide content consistent with the course ’ s objective or area of study.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 25
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
Users view staff information such as Instructor name, email address, office location, and office hours in the Staff Information area. This area may include information about the course Instructor, as well as any additional staff, such as Teaching Assistants or
Graders. Please note that the Instructor or the Administrator can change the name of this Course area.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Staff Information page.
Step 1
Step 2
Open a course Web that you are participating in.
Click
Staff Announcements
on the Course menu.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 26
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Document
Folder
External Link
Learning Unit
Assessment
Course content areas may contain a variety of learning materials. Instructors use these areas to present information in many different ways, from basic text to multimedia. Instructors can also post Assessments and Learning Units within any of the content areas.
The following is an example of the how a course content area may appear.
Common content areas
The following content areas are examples of some of the more common uses for content areas:
Course Information:
Course Information displays descriptive materials about the course such as the course syllabus and course objectives.
Course Documents
: Course Documents can be used by Instructors to organize learning materials and lesson aids.
Assignments
: Assignments lists the due date and description for class work.
The Instructor posts assignments and can modify the tasks and due dates from the Assignments page.
Books
: Instructors post recommended reading lists, useful articles, and other similar material in the Books area.
External Links
: The External Links content area provides a page to reference
Web sites useful for a course.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 27
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Navigating content areas
While Instructors have limitless options when designing content areas, navigating through content areas is a structured, easy-to-follow process. Content areas are arranged as a series of nested folders where each folder can contain items and other folders. Each content area folder page includes the location at the top, a navigation path, and whatever items the Instructor has included in that folder.
To return to a previous folder or to the beginning of the content area, click the appropriate folder in the navigation path. To open a folder, Learning Unit, Assessment, or file, click the links that appear in the folder contents.
Note:
Instructors may attach Microsoft
Content files can only be accessed with Internet Explorer, version 5.0 or higher.
Microsoft recommends using Internet Explorer 6.0.
®
LRN Content to a Content Area. LRN
In this section
The section includes information in the following topics.
Section
Assessments
Assignments
Learning Units
External Links
Course Cartridges
Description
Provides information for taking Tests and Surveys and reviewing the results.
Explains how Course Assignments are accessed and submitted to the Instructor.
Provides information on how to navigate within a Learning
Unit.
Explains how to access external links that the Instructor may include in course content areas.
Provides information on Course Cartridges and how to access them from within a course.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 28
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
An Assessment is a Test or Survey created by an Instructor or Teaching Assistant.
Tests can be used to test the knowledge and skill level of the users enrolled in the course. They allow the Instructor to assign point values to questions. Student answers are submitted for grading, and the results can be recorded in the Gradebook.
Surveys can be used for polling purposes and evaluations. These assessments are not graded.
Students can find Assessments within any content area, content area folder, or
Learning Unit within the course Web site.
There are several types of questions that can be included in an Assessment. A description of each question type is provided below.
Multiple Choice
: Allows the user a multitude of choices. In multiple-choice questions, the user indicates the correct answer by selecting a radio button.
True/False
: Allows the user to choose either true or false. True/False answer options are limited to the words True and False.
Fill in the Blank:
Users enter the answer in the text fields provided. Those answers are evaluated based on an exact text match.
Multiple Answer
one answer.
: Multiple answer questions allow the user to choose more than
Matching questions
: Allows the user to pair questions to answers.
Essay Questions
: Instructors provide Students with a question or statement.
Students are given the opportunity to type or cut and paste an answer into a text field. Students may also use the Math and Science Notation Tool in Essay questions.
Taking Assessments
Follow the steps below to begin taking an Assessment.
Step 1
Locate an Assessment in a Course Content Area and click the hyperlink associated with it.
Step 2
Click
Yes
to begin the Assessment.
Step 3
Instructors may choose to have users enter a password to begin taking an
Assessment. If necessary, enter the valid password and select
Submit
to begin the Assessment. The Assessment will continue to prompt for a valid password until the correct one is entered.
If the Assessment is timed, the time remaining will appear in the bottom of the browser. An example of an Assessment is shown below.
Note:
It is very important that users do not use the
Back
button when taking an
Assessment.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 29
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Feedback and Grades
After finishing a Test, detailed results of Student performance may be available if configured by the Instructor. Feedback will show the correct answers and comments from the Instructor as well as display the grade received. To access this information select the Test in the Content Area or use the View Grades Tools.
If an Assessment is changed by an Instructor after the user has submitted it, the new, modified Assessment will appear if the user accesses their grade and feedback after the change was made.
Multiple Attempts
Instructors have the option of allowing Students to take an Assessment multiple times.
If this option is available, after the Assessment is submitted a link to take the Test again will appear when the Test is opened. Students are notified at the top of an
Assessment if a Test will allow multiple attempts. If a Student takes an Assessment a second time, the first Assessment will be over-written. If the Assessment does not allow multiple attempts, the Review Assessment page will appear when the Student clicks
OK
on the receipt.
Force Completion
If the Force Completion option is enabled, Students must complete the Assessment the first time it is launched. They may not exit the Assessment and continue working on it at a later date. The
Save
button is available for Students to save the Assessment as they work through it, but they may not exit and re-enter the Assessment.
Backtrack Prohibited
Instructors use this option to prevent Students from returning to questions they have already answered. If this option is not enabled, Students may return to previous questions. If a Student is taking an Assessment that does not allow backtracking, an error page will appear if they submit a question and then attempt to use the
Back
button on the browser. The Student will be sent to the last unsaved question from this page.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 30
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Assessment modes
An Assessment is a Test or Survey created by an Instructor or Teaching Assistant.
There are two different options for the way Assessments are presented. These include:
All-at-Once
: All of the questions are presented at the same time. The following table describes the functions available for an All-at-Once
Assessment:
To . . .
store an answer finish the
Assessment
click . . .
Save
. A Saved icon will appear. Answers can be changed after they are saved.
Submit.
The Assessment will be sent to the server. A receipt page that states the Assessment has been completed and sent will appear.
One at a Time:
following table describes the functions available for a One at a Time
Assessment:
Questions in the Assessment appear one at a time. The
To . . .
navigate through the questions
click . . .
navigation arrows (
<<
,
<
, or
>>
). The Question/Section
Indicator describes their current place in the Assessment and the overall number of questions. If backtracking is prohibited these arrows will not appear.
Save
. A Saved icon will appear. Questions Students have answered up to this point will be saved.
Submit.
The Assessment will be sent to the server. A receipt page that states the Assessment has been completed and sent will appear. store an assessment finish the
Assessment
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 31
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Instructors can create Assignments and add them to a Content area. Assignments list the name, description, and attachments for class work. Students complete the assignment in a separate file and send it back to the Instructor. They may also include comments for the Instructor if they choose.
Find this page
Locate an Assignment in a Course Content Area and click the hyperlink associated with it.
Functions
The table below details the functions available on this page.
To . . .
access the files attached to the
Assignment add comments for the Instructor
then . . .
select a link in the
Assignment Files
field. submit a file enter the comments in the
Comments
field. The Instructor will receive these comments with the submitted
Assignment. click
Browse
and locate the file to attach, then click
Add
.
More then one file can be attached using this method. click
Remove
next to a file that has been attached. click
Save
to save the assignment and continue working on it later. click
Submit
to send the Assignment to the Instructor. remove a file save the
Assignment submit the
Assignment
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 32
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Submit Assignment
Students are able to submit an Assignment without attaching a file. If
Submit
is selected, and
File to attach
is blank, the Assignment is still submitted and will no longer be available. Instructors may create Assignments where Students do not need to attach files to complete them, but in cases where files do have to be submitted this should be kept in mind.
If the same file is attached to an Assignment more than once, the file name of the duplicate will automatically include a numeric suffix, for example,
History_assignment1.doc.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 33
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Blackboard Learning Units enable Students to follow a structured path for progressing through content. Instructors can present content items, files, and Assessments in
Learning Units. Instructors also have the option of enforcing the sequential path or allowing Students to access any page within the Learning Unit at any time.
Functions
The following table describes the functions available in a Learning Unit.
To . . .
move forward and backward
click . . .
the arrows to the left and right of the page number to access the different pages within the Learning Unit. If
Students have non-sequential access to all pages within the
Learning unit, Students may click to a view any page.
Close
. exit the Learning
Unit view the contents of the Learning
Unit
Contents
. A list of the contents in the Learning Unit will appear. Click
Close
Learning Unit page.
on this page to return to the main
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 34
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Users can access external links posted by course Instructors. Usually these links provide content consistent with the course ’ s objective or area of study. Users can access these links directly from a Content Area.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 35
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Instructors have the option of using Course Cartridge content in their courses. This content is created by publishers and is available for Instructors to download. Content ranges from textbooks to slides, documents, quiz banks, lists of relevant links, and other materials.
Student Access Keys
Students must enter an Access Key in order to view content downloaded from a
Course Cartridge. Access Keys may be found in a number of places, depending on the publisher ’ s preference. They may be found in the course text book or on the publisher ’ s Web site. The Instructor should know where the Student Access Keys may be located.
Instructions
The first time a Student attempts to open an item in a course that has been downloaded from a Course Cartridge they will be prompted to enter the Access Key.
After the Key has been entered once, the Student will be able to open any content on the course that has been downloaded from the Course Cartridge.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 36
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Text Box Editor allows users to create content through a simple editor within the
Blackboard Learning System
. Using WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), users may format text to create HTML, identify and correct spelling errors, add equations using WebEQ and MathML, and upload different types of files within a text box.
Note:
The Text Box editor is only available to Windows Operating System users with
Internet Explorer Version 5.x or a later version. System Administrators also have the option of turning off the Text Box editor, Spell Check, Web EQ and MathML for all users. Users without WYSIWYG features users have access to alternate Text Box
Options .
Find this page
The Text Box Editor appears throughout the
Blackboard Learning System
. This includes Calendar, Task, Assessment, and Discussion Board pages.
Actions
The Text Box Editor includes three rows of buttons. The first row is required and may not be collapsed. Users have the options of collapsing the second and third rows with the arrows to the left of the row. These options cannot be reorganized or rearranged by the user. The following table details the tools available in the Text Box Editor by row:
First Row – Basic Actions
Function
Font Style
Font size
Font
Bold
Description
Select the font for the text, these options correspond to standard HTML Style types.
Select the size for the text.
Select the type of font for the text.
Make selected text bold.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 37
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Italics
Underline
Align left
Align Center
Align Right
Ordered list
Unordered list
Decrease Indent
Increase Indent
Make selected text italics.
Underline the selected text.
Align text to the left of the text area.
Align text in the center of the text area.
Align text to the right of the text area.
Create a numbered list or add a numbered list item.
Create a bulleted list or add a bullet list item.
Move text to the left.
Move text to the right.
Second Row – Additional Basic Actions
Description
Search for a word or phrase in the text area.
Find
Function
Spell Check
Cut
Copy
Paste
Undo
Select the ABC checkmark to open the Spell Check pop-up window. Users use this to check spelling in the text area.
Cut the selected items
Redo
Hyperlink
Create Table
Copy the selected items
Paste copied or cut content.
Select the circular arrow pointing to the left to undo the previous action.
Select the circular arrow pointing to the right to redo the previous action.
Add a hyperlink to a URL in the text area.
Add a table. Select the number of rows and cells in the table.
Add a line to the text box.
Add a highlight color to the selected text.
Horizontal Line
Background
Color
Text Color
WebEQ Editor
MathML Editor
HTML View
Specify the color of the text.
Open the WebEQ Equation Editor icon (x
2
) to add an equation.
Open the MathML Equation Editor icon ( √ x ) to add an equation.
View the HTML code that is generated by the Text Box
Preview
Help
Editor. Users may also edit the HTML in this view.
Preview the content as it will be seen by the end users.
Select the question mark to launch the Help page.
Third Row – File Attachment Actions
Note:
The third row action buttons may not be available. The Administrator may choose to disable these options.
Function
Attach file
Attach image
Attach MPEG/AVI
Add Quick Time file
Description
Add a file to the text area. When selected, the Insert Link to File page will appear.
Add an image to the text area. When selected, the Insert
Image page will appear.
Add MPEG/AVI media content to the text area. When selected, the Insert MPEG file page will appear.
Add Apple QuickTime media to the text area. When selected, the Insert QuickTime File page will appear.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 38
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Add audio
Add
Flash/Shockwave
Add an audio file, such as .mp3, .midi or .wav to the text area. When selected, the Insert Audio File page will appear.
Add Macromedia Flash or Shockwave media to the text area. When selected, the Insert SWF File page will appear.
Attaching files
Users have the option of attaching different types of files to a text box. These files should always be uploaded from their original source, for example from the user ’ s local drive, not from another area where the file has been attached to a course in
Blackboard. Users should not copy and paste a file from one text box to another; this will cause errors and the files will not appear properly. When the page is opened, a link to the file will appear. Users may select the link to open the file or save the file.
Keyboard shortcuts
The Text Box Editor supports the following keyboard shortcuts:
Note:
An absolutely positioned element is an object that has a css style applied to it, so its location is determined by pixels. For example, instead of aligned right or top, the object is located at x=0, y=100 pixels.
Key
Movement
RIGHT ARROW
Description
LEFT ARROW
DOWN ARROW
UP ARROW
Move one character to the right. If an absolutely positioned element is selected, the element is moved one pixel to the right.
Move one character to the left. If an absolutely positioned element is selected, the element is moved one pixel to the left.
Move down one line. If an absolutely positioned element is selected, the element is moved down one pixel.
Move up one line. If an absolutely positioned element is selected, the element is moved up one pixel.
Move right one word.
CTRL+RIGHT
ARROW
CTRL+LEFT
ARROW
END
HOME
CTRL+DOWN
ARROW
CTRL+UP ARROW
PAGE DOWN
PAGE UP
CTRL+HOME
CTRL+END
Selection
SHIFT+RIGHT
ARROW
SHIFT+LEFT
ARROW
Move left one word.
Move to the end of the current line.
Move to the start of the current line.
Move down one paragraph.
Move up one paragraph.
Move down one page.
Move up one page.
Move to the beginning of the document.
Move to the end of the document.
Extend the selection one character to the right. Users may select characters to cut or copy and paste words, sentences or paragraphs.
Extend the selection one character to the left. Users may select characters to cut or copy and paste words, sentences or paragraphs.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 39
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
CTRL+SHIFT+RIG
HT ARROW
CTRL+SHIFT+LEF
T ARROW
SHIFT+UP ARROW
SHIFT+DOWN
ARROW
SHIFT+END
SHIFT+HOME
SHIFT+PAGE
DOWN
SHIFT+PAGE UP
CTRL+SHIFT+END
CTRL+SHIFT+HO
ME
CTRL+A
Extend the selection right one word. Users may select characters to cut or copy and paste words, sentences or paragraphs.
Extend the selection left one word. Users may select characters to cut or copy and paste words, sentences or paragraphs.
Extend the selection up one line. Users may select characters to cut or copy and paste words, sentences or paragraphs.
Extend the selection down one line. Users may select characters to cut or copy and paste words, sentences or paragraphs.
Extend the selection to the end of the current line. Users may select characters to cut or copy and paste words, sentences or paragraphs.
Extend the selection to the start of the current line. Users may select characters to cut or copy and paste words, sentences or paragraphs.
Extend the selection down one page. Users may select characters to cut or copy and paste words, sentences or paragraphs.
Extend the selection up one page. Users may select characters to cut or copy and paste words, sentences or paragraphs.
Extend the selection to the end of the document. Users may select characters to cut or copy and paste words, sentences or paragraphs.
Extend the selection to the beginning of the document.
Users may select characters to cut or copy and paste words, sentences or paragraphs.
Select all elements in the document. Users may select characters to cut or copy and paste words, sentences or paragraphs.
Editing
BACKSPACE
CTRL+BACKSPACE
CTRL+C
CTRL+V
CTRL+X
DELETE
INSERT
CTRL+Z
CTRL+Y
CTRL+F
SHIFT+F10
Delete the selection or, if there is no selection, the character to the left of the insertion point
Delete all of a word to the left of the insertion pointer, not including the space before.
Copy the selection to the Clipboard.
Paste the contents of the Clipboard to the current location.
Cut the selection to the Clipboard.
Delete the selection without placing it on the Clipboard.
Toggle between inserting and overwriting text.
Undo the most recent formatting commands.
Re-do the most recently undone commands .
Find text .
Display the context menu, if one is available (this is equivalent to right-clicking the document)
Formatting
CTRL+B
CTRL+I
CTRL+U
Toggle bold formatting.
Toggle italic formatting.
Toggle underlining.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 40
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Users may enter different types of text in Text fields throughout the
Blackboard
Learning System
. By default, the
Blackboard Learning System
will format text to 12point, left-justified Arial. Any other formatting must be done with HTML tags (unless the WYSIWYG features are used).
Text box options
The following options are available in most text entry boxes in the
Blackboard Learning
System
:
Format Option
Smart Text
Behavior
Automatically recognizes a link entered in the text box.
Smart text recognizes the ENTER key as a paragraph tag and accepts HTML tags as well.
Smart Text will also prompt to load images if an image source text is used when adding smart text as part of a content item.
Web addresses entered in the URL format are
Plain Text
HTML
automatically converted to links. For this to function the
URL
must
begin with "http://" and there must be a space before the "http://" to distinguish it from the previous word.
If an image tag,
<IMG>
, is entered in Smart Text,
Blackboard Learning System
will automatically prompt you to upload the image. (This only works when creating content; it does not work when modifying existing content.)
Displays text as it is written in the text area. Plain text does not render HTML codes; any HTML codes will appear as text.
Displays text as coded by the user using Hypertext Mark-up
Language (HTML) tags. May be used for cutting and pasting
HTML from another source.
Note:
The Smart Text and Plain Text options are only available if the Administrator has turned off the Text Box Editor (disabling the WYSIWYG features) or if users do not have Windows Operating System and Internet Explorer Version 5.x or a later version
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 41
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Users may include a link to a file from the Text Box editor. This option is available if the Text Box editor is enabled.
Note:
Users who do not have access to the Text Box Editor, or if the Text Box Editor is disabled, may still attach files to course Web sites
Find this page
The Text Box Editor appears throughout the
Blackboard Learning System
. Select the first button,
Attach File
, in the third row of the Action bar.
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Insert Link to File page:
Field
Insert Link to File
Browse:
OR Specify URL:
Click
Browse
Description
to locate a file.
Enter a URL to create a link to a file outside of the local system. An example is http://blackboard/images/picture1.jpeg.
Link to File Options
Name of Link to
File:
Launch in new window:
Enter the name of the link that Students click to access the attached file.
Select
Select
Yes
No
to have the file open in a new separate window.
to have the file open in the same window.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 42
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Users may add an image to the Text Box Editor. This option is available if the Text Box editor is enabled.
Note:
Users who do not have access to the Text Box Editor, or if the Text Box Editor is disabled, may still attach images to course Web sites, such as in Discussion Boards.
Find this page
The Text Box Editor appears throughout the
Blackboard Learning System
. Select the second button,
Attach Image
, in the third row of the Action bar.
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Insert Image page:
Field
Insert Image
Browse:
OR Specify URL:
Description
Click
Browse
to locate a file.
Enter a URL to create a link to a file outside of the local system. An example is http://blackboard/images/picture1.jpeg.
Image Options
Set the Width:
Set the Height:
Enter the width of the image in pixels for how it will appear to users.
Enter the height of the image in pixels for how it will
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 43
Blackboard Academic Suite
Border:
Alt Text:
User Manual
appear to users.
Choose a border for the image. This option determines the thickness of the border around the image. If ‘ 0 ’ is chosen there will be no border around the image.
Enter text that will be used by accessibility tools. Alternate text is important for visually impaired users who access the Web. Alternate text will also tell users what should appear if, for some reason, the image does not display
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 44
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
MPEG (Moving Picture Expert Groups) files are audio-visual files in a digital compressed format. AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is Microsoft ’ s file format for storing audio and video data. Users may add MPEG and AVI files to the Text Box Editor. This option is available if the Text Box Editor is enabled.
Note:
Users who do not have access to the Text Box Editor, or if the Text Box Editor is disabled, may still attach MPEG files to course Web sites, such as in Discussion Boards.
Find this page
The Text Box Editor appears throughout the
Blackboard Learning System
. Select the third button,
Add MPEG/AVI Content
, in the third row of the Action bar.
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Insert MPEG File page:
Field
Insert MPEG File
Browse:
OR Specify URL:
Click
Browse
Description
to locate a file.
Enter a URL to create a link to a file outside of the local system. An example is http://blackboard/images/picture1.jpeg.
MPEG File Options
Set the Width:
Enter the width of the video in pixels for how it will appear
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 45
Blackboard Academic Suite
Set the Height:
AutoStart:
Controls:
User Manual
to users.
Enter the height of the video in pixels for how it will appear to users.
Select
Yes
for the video to start playing when the page is opened by a user. Select
No
and the user will have to begin the video manually after opening the page.
Select the size of controls to appear to users. These controls must be available if users have to begin the video manually.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 46
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
QuickTime is a video and animation system that supports most formats, including JPG and MPEG. Users have the option of including QuickTime files in the Text Box Editor.
This option is available if the Text Box Editor is enabled.
Users with a PC will require a QuickTime driver to view QuickTime files. Macintosh users do not require this driver.
Note:
Users who do not have access to the Text Box Editor, or if the Text Box Editor is disabled, may still attach QuickTime files to course Web sites, such as in Discussion
Boards.
Find this page
The Text Box Editor appears throughout the
Blackboard Learning System
. Select the fourth button,
Add QuickTime Content
, in the third row of the Action bar.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 47
Blackboard Academic Suite
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Insert QuickTime File page:
User Manual
Field
Insert QuickTime File
Browse:
OR Specify URL:
Description
QuickTime File Options
Set the Width:
Enter the width of the video for how it will appear to users.
Set the Height:
Click
Browse
to locate a file.
Enter a URL to create a link to a file outside of the local system. An example is http://blackboard/images/picture1.jpeg.
AutoStart:
Loop:
Controls:
Enter the height of the video for how it will appear to users.
Select
Yes
for the video to start playing when the page is opened by a user. Select
No
and the user will have to begin the video manually after opening the page.
Choose whether the file should loop (repeat continuously).
Select if the controls for the file (for example, Start,
Pause, and Stop) should appear.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 48
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Users have the option of including audio files, for example a .wav file, in the Text Box
Editor. This option is available if the Text Box Editor is enabled.
Note:
Users who do not have access to the Text Box Editor, or if the Text Box Editor is disabled, may still attach audio files to course Web sites, such as in Discussion Boards.
Find this page
The Text Box Editor appears throughout the
Blackboard Learning System
. Select the fifth button,
Add Audio Content
, in the third row of the Action bar.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 49
Blackboard Academic Suite
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Insert Audio File page:
Field
Insert Audio File
Browse:
OR Specify URL:
Audio File Options
AutoStart:
Loop:
Controls:
Click
Browse
Description
to locate a file.
User Manual
Enter a URL to create a link to a file outside of the local system. An example is http://blackboard/images/picture1.jpeg.
Select
Yes
for the file to start playing when the page is opened by a user. Select
No
and the user will have to begin the file manually after opening the page.
Choose whether the file should loop (repeat continuously).
Select the size of controls to appear to users. These controls must be available if users have to begin the audio manually.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 50
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Macromedia Flash and Shockwave files support audio, animation and video; they are also browser independent. Browsers require specific plug-ins to run Flash and
Shockwave files. Users have the option of including Flash and Shockwave files in the
Text Box Editor. This option is available if the Text Box Editor is enabled.
Note:
Users who do not have access to the Text Box Editor, or if the Text Box Editor is disabled, may still attach Flash and Shockwave files to course Web sites, such as in
Discussion Boards.
Find this page
The Text Box Editor appears throughout the
Blackboard Learning System
. Select the sixth button,
Add Flash/Shockwave Content
, in the third row of the Action bar.
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Insert SWF File page:
Field
Insert SWF File
Browse:
OR Specify URL:
Click
Browse
to locate a file.
Enter a URL to create a link to a file outside of the local system. An example is
Description
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 51
Blackboard Academic Suite
SWF File Options
Set the Width:
Set the Height:
AutoStart:
Loop:
Set Quality:
User Manual
http://blackboard/images/picture1.jpeg.
Enter the width of the video for how it will appear to users.
Enter the height of the video for how it will appear to users.
Select
Yes
for the video to start playing when the page is opened by a user. Select
No
and the user will have to begin the video manually after opening the page.
Choose whether the file should loop (repeat continuously).
Select the quality of the images that will appear to users.
Please note that the better the quality of an image the larger the file, and the longer it will take to open and display to users.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 52
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The
Blackboard Learning System
includes a robust Spell Check feature that supports a full English dictionary, a supplemental word list configured by the Administrator, and custom word lists that are stored as a cookie on a user ’ s local machine. The spell check feature is available wherever users can enter blocks of text. It is also available as a module with the
Blackboard Portal System
.
Word lists
Misspelled words are determined by the following three sources:
Spell Check Dictionary
: A full English dictionary that includes words that will not be flagged for correction. The dictionary is also the only source for suggestions. This dictionary cannot be modified.
Supplemental Word List
: A list of additional terms added by the System
Administrator that do not appear in the default dictionary. For example, a medical school might wish to upload a list of medical terms so they are not flagged as incorrect terms for their users. This word list can be modified from the System Control Panel.
Personal Word List
: This word list is stored as a cookie on each user ’ s local machine. Words are added to this list using the
Learn
feature within Spell
Check. Like the supplemental word list, the words on each personal word list are not flagged for correction and are not included as suggestions for errors.
Extensive personal word lists may slow performance of the Spell Check tool.
Spell Check module
The Spell Check module includes the same features as the spell check for reviewing a text block. Users simply cut and paste text into the module and then run the spell checker. The module also includes a
Clear
button to reset the module so new text can be reviewed.
Personal word list and cookies
The personal word list is stored as a cookie on the user ’ s local machine. The cookie is not user or installation specific. Therefore, a user ’ s word list will be available to them whenever they are using Spell Check with an installation of the
Blackboard Learning
System
, as long as they are on the same local machine. Also, if another user logs onto the same machine, that user will have the personal word list stored on that machine applied to the spell checker. For example, if a user creates a personal word list on a computer in the computer lab, this word list will be available to all users who use this computer in the lab. The user may not take this word list with them to a different computer.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 53
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Spell Check feature appears anywhere users can enter blocks of text. It also appears as a portal module with the
Blackboard Portal System
. When Spell Check is launched it will review the text block and sequentially bring up any words it does not know for review. When a word is brought up for review the user will have several options for changing the text or setting Spell Check to recognize the word. Teaching
Spell Check a new word with the Learn function adds the word to the personal word list stored on the local computer.
Information about word lists and the Spell Check module is located in the topic About
Spell Check .
Functions
The table below details the functions available with Spell Check.
To . . .
replace the current occurrence of a word with a correction or suggestion replace every occurrence of a word in the text with a correction or suggestion
then . . .
enter a correction in the
Replace With
field or select a suggestion from the list. Once the correct word appears in the
Replace With
field, click
Replace
to change the word in the text. If the misspelled word appears later in the text block it will be flagged again for correction. enter a correction in the
Replace With
field or select a suggestion from the list. Once the correct word appears in the
Replace With
field, click
Replace All
to change every occurrence of the word in the
Not Found
field with the word in the
Replace With
field.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 54
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
ignore the word and not make a correction ignore every occurrence of the word in the text block teach Spell Check to recognize the word as correct click
Ignore
text block.
. The word will not be changed. If the word appears again in the text block it will be flagged for correction. click
Ignore All
. The word will not be changed and the
Spell Check will not flag it for correction elsewhere in the click
Learn
. The word will be added to the personal word list stored as a cookie on the local machine. Whenever Spell
Check is run on the local machine the word will be recognized and not flagged as misspelled. click
Finish
. The Spell Check tool will close. close the spell check without finishing
Recognized errors
Note how Spell Check handles the following circumstances:
Double words are recognized as errors.
Irregular capitalization is not recognized as an error.
Initial capitalization at the beginning of sentences is not checked.
Words in ALL CAPS are checked for spelling errors.
Words that contain numbers are recognized as errors.
A word that appears in the supplemental or personal word list may be entered as a correction during a spell check (they do not appear as suggestions). The
Spell Check tool must be run again to verify that the word is spelled correctly.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 55
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
–
Overview
The Math and Science Notation Tool (WebEQ Equation Editor) is a general purpose equation editor designed for working with equations. The Math and Science Notation
Tool enables users to use mathematical and scientific notation throughout the
Blackboard Learning System
. Users have the ability to add equations, edit existing equations, and move equations within the Equation Editor. All of the Equation Editor symbols are based on MathML, a markup language for math on the Web. MathML is a subset of XML.
Note:
The Math and Science Notation Tool may be available through an Essay question on an Assessment. Students may also access the Math and Science Notation
Tool during a Collaboration Session.
MathML Equation Editor
The MathML Equation Editor functions in the same way at the Math and Science
Notation Tool. Instead of opening with the symbol buttons, a blank text box will appear where users can enter XML.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 56
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Functions
The table below details how to access the Equation Editors.
To . . .
access the WebEQ
Equation Editor insert XML
click . . .
the
Math and Science Notation Tool
icon. The Math and
Science Notation Tool will appear. the
MathML Equation Editor
icon. The MathML Equation
Editor will open.
Installation Notes
For best performance on a Windows
®
operating system Blackboard recommends using
Internet Explorer 6.0.
For best performance on a Macintosh
®
, Blackboard recommends the following.
Step 4
Step 5
Upgrade the operating system to Mac OS X v10.2
Install Netscape
®
6.2.3 (or a later version)
Step 6
Install the MRJPlug-in. This is located at http://homepage.mac.com/pcbeard/MRJPlugin/
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 57
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Math and Science Notation Tool (WebEQ Equation Editor) enables users to use mathematical and scientific notation throughout the
Blackboard Learning System
.
Users are able to add and edit existing equations. Once an equation has been created it can be copied and used again or copied and modified using the Notation Tool features.
The MathML Equation Editor functions in the same way as the Math and Science
Notation Tool. Instead of opening with the symbol buttons, a blank text box will appear where users can enter XML.
Note:
The Math and Science Notation Tool may be available through an Essay question on an Assessment.
The image below is an example of an area where the Math and Science Notation Tool is available, such as an Essay question.
Web EQ icon
MathML icon
The following is an image of the Math and Science Notation Tool.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 58
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Functions
The table below describes the functions available in the Math and Science Notation
Tool.
To . . .
create a name for
then . . .
enter a name in the
Equation Name:
field. To accept the the equation default name do not make any changes. create an equation use the equation symbols available on the keyboard or in modify an existing equation submit the equation and its name the toolbar to create equations. select the equation from the
Edit Equation:
drop-down list.
The equation will appear on the Editor and can be edited using the Equation Editor features. Click
Modify
to save the changes. click
Add
.
Tips and Tricks
If an equation is more then one line or uses a large font size, the equation may be cut off when it appears on the course Web site. To prevent this from happening add an empty line after the final line in the equation on the Math and Science Notation Tool.
The entire equation will appear.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 59
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
–
Students are encouraged to communicate with fellow classmates and Instructors as part of the learning process. The Communication Center allows users to:
send email access course Discussion Boards use the Collaboration Tools review the Student roster access Student group pages
Note:
Instructors and System Administrators have the option to disable these features. Also, if the Instructor chooses, some of these tools may also appear directly in the Course Menu.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Communication Center:
Step 1
Step 2
Open a course Web site for a course that you are participating in.
Click
Communication
on the course menu.
In this chapter
This chapter includes information on the following sections:
Topic
Discussion Board
Description
Provides information on how to send email to other participants in a course.
Explains how to engage in asynchronous on-line conversations with others in a course.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 61
Blackboard Academic Suite
Collaboration
Tools
Roster
Group Pages
User Manual
Explains how to participate in real time lessons and discussions.
Discusses how to search a participant roster and view lists of Students, Instructors, and Teaching Assistants associated with a specific course.
Explains how to access communication functions available to groups created by the Instructor. Instructors may group
Students together in study groups, projects, or other course activities.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 62
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Users can access email functions for specific courses and organizations through the
Send Email page. From this page users can send email to the following people in a course:
fellow classmates
Instructors
Teaching Assistants
Groups within a course
Send Email allows users direct access to course participants and can also be accessed from the Tools box on the My Institution area.
Note
: The Send Email function is different from Web email, an optional service that allows users to access their Web email account through Blackboard.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Send Email page:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Open a course Web site for a course that you are participating in.
Click
Communication
on the course menu.
Click
Send Email
from the Communication Center.
Functions
The following groups are available to send email to from the Send email page:
Group
All Users
All Groups
Description
Sends email to all users in the course or organization.
Sends email to all of the groups in a specified course or organization.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 63
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
All Teaching
Assistants
All Instructors
Select Users
Sends email to all of the Teaching Assistants in a specified course.
Sends email to all of the instructors for a specified course.
Sends email to a single user or select users in a specified course.
Send email to a single group or select groups in a course.
Select Groups
Send Email in the Tools Box
Users can access the Send Email feature for all of their courses and organizations through the Send Email page in the Tools Box. From this page they are able to send messages to users in any of their courses or organizations. To open this page, click
Send Email
in the Tools box of a common area.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 64
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Functions
Send Email enables users to send email to fellow classmates, Instructors, Teaching
Assistants or Groups within a course. Users can create a message and choose who will receive it on the Select Users page.
Note:
To minimize the distraction of long lists of To: addresses, and to make the reuse of the address lists more difficult for potential spammers, all destination addresses are placed into the mail message ’ s Bcc: (Blind Carbon Copy) field upon receipt.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the All Users page:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Open a course Web site for a course that you are participating in.
Click
Click
Click
Communication
Send Email
on the Course Menu.
from the Communication Center.
Select Users
.
Fields
The table below details the fields on the All Users page.
Field
Enter Message Details
To:
From:
Subject:
Message:
Set Message Options
Description
All users enrolled in the course will appear.
The user ’ s email address will automatically be displayed in this field.
Enter the subject of the email.
Enter the email message.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 65
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Copy of message to self:
Add Attachments
Add:
Click the check box to send a copy of the message to the sender.
Click here to add attachments. Select
Browse
on the page that appears and navigate to the file that should be attached to the email.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 66
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Discussion Board is another communication tool that can be used to enhance a course Web site. Topics are posted to the Discussion Board that course participants can reply to and converse about on-line. This feature is similar to the Lightweight
Chat, but is designed for asynchronous use, meaning Students do not have to be online at the same time to have a conversation. An additional advantage of the
Discussion Board is that Student conversations are logged and organized.
Conversations are grouped into threads that contain a main posting and all related replies for easy retrieval.
Note:
Users may have the option to create Discussion Boards on topics of interest in the Community Common area. This option is made available by the System
Administrator. For more information on this topic see Creating Community Discussion
Boards in the Community Tab section.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Discussion Board page.
Step 1
Step 2
Open a course Web site for a course that you are participating in.
Click
Discussion Board
Center. on the Course Menu or from the Communication
Function
To access a forum listed on the Discussion Board page click a forum topic link. The
Discussion Board forum will appear. The system will not accept JavaScript in the
Discussion Boards.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 67
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Discussion Board is a communication tool that can be used to enhance a course
Web site. Instructors create forums on specific topics in the Discussion Board. For example, an Instructor may create a Mid-Term Review forum, where Students may go ask and answer questions about the Mid-Term exam. Students may access forums by clicking on the appropriate link in the Discussion Board. When a forum is accessed a page appears which lists the different threads in the forum. A thread is a message that is posted to a forum. Participants can post new threads in a forum and reply to threads that have already been posted.
Note
: Students are able to create new threads on the Discussion Board. If allowed by the Instructor a Student can create a forum, otherwise Students will only be able to add threads to existing topics.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Discussion Board Forum page.
Step 1
Step 2
Click
Discussion Board
on the course menu.
Click a forum to open it and view the contents within.
Functions
The table below details the functions available on the Discussion Board Forum page.
To . . .
start a new thread
click . . .
Add New Thread
. The Create New Message page will appear. On the Create New Message page a new subject title and discussion description may be added. view all messages the
View all Messages
up arrow. All messages appear. view unread messages the
View Unread Messages
down arrow. All unread
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 68
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
see all the threads and responses see only the first message in each thread read a message messages will be shown. the the
Expand All
appear. appear.
plus icon. All threads and responses will
Collapse All
minus icon. The topic threads will view the tool bar view messages that have been archived by the Instructor resort the list of messages a message link. A new Discussion Board page will appear. Depending on their course role, users may modify, remove, or reply to a message.
Options
tab. The Options tool bar will appear.
Click Here for Archives.
A page will appear with the threads that have been archived from this forum.
Archived messages must be made available by the
Instructor. the
Sort by:
drop-down list and select one of the following options:
Default: sort messages by the earliest date.
Author: sort messages by the author.
Date: sort messages by the earliest date. This is the default.
Subject: sort messages by the subject.
Options tab functions
The table below describes the functions available on the Options tab. Click
Show
Options
to access these functions. To select multiple threads in a forum, choose the check box next to each thread that will be included.
To . . .
select all threads and messages in the forum unselect the selections unselect the threads and messages that have been selected and select the threads and messages that have not been selected mark messages as read click
Select All
.
then . . .
click click
Unselect All
Invert
.
. mark messages as unread view multiple threads or messages lock a thread or message select the threads and messages, then click
Read
. select the threads and messages, then click
Unread
. select the threads and messages, then click
Collect
. select the thread and messages, then click
Lock
.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 69
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
When a new message is posted to a forum it starts a thread. All responses to the message appear under the message on the Discussion Board forum. The Create New
Message page is used to add a new thread to a Discussion Board Forum.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Create New Message page.
Step 1
Click
Discussion Board
on the course menu or from the Communication
Center.
Step 2
Click on a forum link to open it and view the contents within.
Step 3
Click
Add New Thread
.
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Create New Message page.
Field
Message Information
Current Forum:
Description
Date:
Author:
Subject:
The name of the Discussion Board Forum appears in this field.
The date appears in this field.
The name of the author appears here.
Enter the subject of the thread.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 70
Blackboard Academic Suite
Message:
User Manual
Post message as
Anonymous
Attachment
Enter a message. The following options are available:
Smart Text: Automatically recognizes a link entered in the text box. Smart text recognizes the ENTER key as a paragraph tag and accepts
HTML tags as well. Smart Text will also prompt to load images if an image source text is used when adding smart text as part of a content
item.
Plain text: Displays text as written.
HTML: Displays text as coded using HTML tags.
√ x: Opens the WebEQ Equation Editor .
< > Opens the MathML Equation Editor .
Preview: Opens the text as it will appear to the user.
Select this check box and the message will be posted anonymously. The Instructor may make this feature unavailable.
Enter the file path or click
Browse
to locate the file.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 71
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Users add message to threads by posting messages in response to the previous messages in the thread. Messages are added to a thread from the Your Response page.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Your Response page:
Step 1
Click
Discussion Board
on the Course menu or from the Communication
Center.
Step 2
Click on a forum link to open it and view the contents within.
Step 3
Open a message.
Step 4
Click
Reply
to respond to the message.
Fields
The table below details the fields on this page.
Field
Message Information
Current Forum:
Date:
Author:
Subject:
Description
The name of the Discussion Board Forum appears in this field.
The date appears in this field.
The name of the author appears here.
Subject defaults to the subject on the Add Thread page.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 72
Blackboard Academic Suite
Message:
Options
Post message
Anonymous
Attachment
Preview
User Manual
Enter a message. The following options are available:
Smart Text: Automatically recognizes a link entered in the text box. Smart text recognizes the ENTER key as a paragraph tag and accepts
HTML tags as well. Smart Text will also prompt to load images if an image source text is used when adding smart text as part of a content
item.
Plain text: Displays text as written.
HTML: Displays text as coded using HTML tags.
√ x: Opens the WebEQ Equation Editor .
< > Opens the MathML Equation Editor .
Preview: Opens the text as it will appear to the user
Select the check box to post an anonymous message.
This option may or may not be available depending on the options selected when Discussion Forum was set up.
Enter the file path or click
Browse
to locate the desired file.
Preview the message as it will appear on the Discussion
Board.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 73
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Collaboration Tools allow the Instructor and Students to participate in real-time lessons and discussions. Examples of these sessions include real-time, online classroom discussions, TA sessions, and office hour type question/answer forums.
Archives of previous sessions are also available for review. Guest speakers and subject-matter experts can also lead sessions using the Collaboration Tools. The
Collaboration Session page is used to organize and access sessions. From this page users can search for and join Collaboration Sessions and view session archives.
Collaboration Tools
The following Collaboration Tools are available.
Tool
Virtual Classroom
Lightweight Chat
Description
Allows users to enter a real-time discussion with
Instructors, Students, and colleagues, access the Web, and engage in question and answer sessions. Users may also access the Whiteboard to display text and images.
The Lightweight Chat is part of the Virtual Classroom, but can also be accessed separately. It allows users to open just the chat function of the Virtual Classroom.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 74
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Java Plug-in
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Collaboration Sessions page.
Step 1
Step 2
Click
Communication
Select
Collaboration
.
on the course menu in a course Web site.
Functions
The Java 2 Run Time Environment 1.3.1_04 or higher is required to use the
Collaboration Tools. This plug-in may be downloaded from the page that appears when a user joins a Collaboration Session, or may be found at http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/index.html
.
Users should take care to uninstall any existing Java plug-ins before installing a new version.
The following table describes the functions available from this page.
To . . .
filter the sessions listed on the page search for a session enter a session
click . . .
the arrow next to the drop-down list and select the type of session to display. Click
Filter
. The filters include:
Show All
– The default filter that displays all of the
Collaboration Sessions.
Open Rooms
– Displays all of the sessions that are currently being used.
Rooms with Archives
– Displays completed sessions that have an archive.
Rooms Available in the Future
– Displays sessions that are scheduled to take place in the future. the
Session Name
,
Start Date
or
End Date
option and then enter a value in the field. Click
Search
.
Join
next to the session. The Virtual Classroom or
Lightweight chat for that session will open.
Archives
next to the session. The Session Archives page will appear. access the archives for a session
User Roles
There are two roles available for users in Collaboration Sessions: Passive and Active.
Instructors control user access and functionality during a Collaboration session by assigning roles. These roles determine how much functionality a user has during a
Collaboration Session. For example, Instructors determine which users can chat, send private messages, or ask questions during a session by assigning specific Access
Rights to the different roles. The Student icon will appear in the Role column next to those Students who are Active.
Student roles can change throughout the Collaboration Session. Users who are
Passive, but would like Active rights, can “ raise their hand ” by clicking the hand icon,
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 75
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
which is visible to Passive Students. The Instructor then clicks the hand icon next to a user name or clicks the Student icon to make the user Active.
Macintosh and the Collaboration Tool
Macintosh users running OS X and Netscape should run Netscape 7. When opening the
Collaboration Tool, Netscape may put the tool in the background. If this happens, check under the
Window
menu for the Collaboration Tool. Netscape 6.2 does not work well with the Collaboration Tool and should be replaced with Netscape 7. For those users that wish to use Safari, be aware that the Safari browser is not yet supported by Blackboard, however, the Collaboration Tool should function normally in
Safari so long as Pop-Up Window Blocking is disabled (that is, you allow pop-up windows to display). When Safari is supported by Blackboard, it will be listed in the
Client/Browser Configuration Guide available at http://behind.blackboard.com
.
Macintosh users running OS 8 or OS 9 must use the Accessible version of the
Collaboration Tool. See below for more information on running the Accessible
Collaboration Tool.
Accessible Collaboration Tool
An accessible version of the Collaboration Tool is available in the
Blackboard Learning
System
. Users running Macintosh Operating System 8 or 9 should also use this version.
On the launch page, which opens when
Join
is selected on the Collaboration Sessions page, a link to this version appears. This link will open the Accessible version /
Macintosh OS 8 and 9 version of the Collaboration Tool, which resembles the
Lightweight Chat. Links to items that appear in the Virtual Classroom, such as items in the Course Map and Group Browser, will appear in this version. Documents created on the Whiteboard may be viewed if the Instructor takes a snapshot of them, using the
Snapshot button on the Whiteboard action bar. A link will be created to the snapshot for users to view it.
When a user, using the Accessible Collaboration Tool, enters or exits the room the sound of a door opening or closing will be audible to all participants in the
Collaboration Session.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 76
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Virtual Classroom allows the Instructor and Students to participate in real time lessons and discussions. The main page of the Virtual Classroom includes all of the functions available to users. From this area users can access all of the tools associated with the Virtual Classroom, such as asking questions, drawing on the whiteboard, and participating in breakout sessions. The Instructor establishes which tools in the Virtual
Classroom users can access.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Virtual Classroom.
Step 1
Click
Communication
on the course menu of a course Web site.
Step 2
Select
Collaboration Tools
.
Step 3
Click
Join next
to a Virtual Classroom session. The Virtual Classroom will open.
Virtual Classroom areas
The table below details the areas of the Virtual Classroom.
Part
Menu Bar
Function
Allows the Instructor to administer the Virtual Classroom.
This includes managing participation, monitoring breakout sessions, and ending the session.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 77
Blackboard Academic Suite
Classroom Tool box
User Manual
Lightweight Chat
Includes all of the tools used during the Virtual Classroom session. This includes searching for Web sites, asking and answering questions, utilizing the Whiteboard, and accessing the Course Map.
The main section where interaction between the users takes place. Allows users to compose messages, raise their hands to ask questions, and activate private messages.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 78
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Menu Bar allows the user to manage their Virtual Classroom session. Only users with Active privileges will have access to the options on the Menu Bar. The functions available in the Menu Bar include:
View
- Choose an option for viewing Personal Messages in the Virtual
Classroom
Clear
- Clear the session display
Breakouts -
Create a breakout room for a group of users
View
View allows the Instructor and users to select options for how they would like to view private messages.
Clear
Breakouts
Select
Show in-line
to view private messages within the chat area. Select
Show in separate frame
to view private messages in a separate window.
Clear erases the users chat display. To clear the chat display click
Clear
on the Menu
Bar.
This tool allows select users to participate in a separate session, while also participating in the main session. Users who enter a Breakout session are still active in the main Virtual Classroom Session. If a Breakout session in closed users are still active in the main session. Breakout sessions default to the same settings as the main session.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 79
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Select the checkboxes for the users who will participate in the Breakout session. Users may only join a Breakout session if they are selected by the creator of the Breakout session.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 80
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Classroom Tool box enables the Instructor and users to use the different tools available within the Virtual Classroom. If granted access to these tools by the
Instructor, users can use the Whiteboard, access Web sites, and view the course map.
The Classroom Tool box appears on the left side of the Virtual Classroom. To begin using items in the Tool box click the name of the tool.
Tools
The following tools are available in the Classroom Tool box.
Tool
Whiteboard
Description
Enables users to present different types of information as they would on a blackboard in a classroom.
Enables users to collaboratively browse the Web.
Enables users to browse the Course Contents while they are in a Virtual Classroom.
Enables users to ask questions during the session.
Enables users to answer questions submitted by other users during a session.
Group Browser
Course Map
Ask Question
Question Inbox
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 81
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Virtual Classroom allows the Instructor and Students to participate in real time lessons and discussions. The Whiteboard enables users in a Virtual Classroom to present different types of information as they would on a blackboard in a classroom.
Using the tools in the Whiteboard Tools palette, users can draw images, type text, and present equations. The Instructor will determine whether or not this function is made available to users.
Note:
Only users who have privileges (assigned by the Instructor) can access the
Whiteboard. See the User Roles topic for more information on Collaboration Session roles.
Find this tool
Follow the steps below to locate the Whiteboard.
Step 1
Step 2
Open a Virtual Classroom session.
The Whiteboard frame appears as a black white space on the left side of the Virtual Classroom. Click
Whiteboard
in the Classroom Tool to view the tools available for the Whiteboard. Click the name of the tool to begin using it.
Functions
The table below details the tools available for use on the Whiteboard.
To . . . click . . .
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 82
Blackboard Academic Suite
select an item
User Manual
draw free hand enter text using the keyboard draw a straight line highlight something with an arrow draw a square draw a circle input an equation the
Arrow
tool. Then click on an item for selection. The following may be performed on selected items:
Enlarge: Click one of the small black boxes that surround the item and drag it to the desired size.
Move: Click the item and move it to the desired location
Cut: Click the Whiteboard Tools palette item, then click the
Cut
icon.
Copy: Click the Whiteboard Tools palette item, then click the
Copy
icon.
Paste: Click the Whiteboard Tools palette item, then click the
Paste
icon.
Delete: Click the Whiteboard Tools palette item; click on the selected object; then click the
Delete
icon.
Group items: Click the Whiteboard Tools palette items, then click the
Group
icon.
Ungroup: Click a Whiteboard Tools palette item in a group, then click the
Ungroup
icon.
Bring front: Click the Whiteboard Tools palette item; click on selected object; then click the
Bring to front
icon.
Bring back: Click the Whiteboard Tools palette item; click on selected object; then click the
Send to back
icon.
Select all figures on the Whiteboard: Click the
Selects all Figures
icon. the
Pen
drawing tool. Choose the color of the pen in the
Fill Color
drop-down list. the text tool (
T
) then the Whiteboard area. A
Whiteboard Text Input box appears. Type the text in the box and click
Insert
. Use the options in the Tools palette to select color, font, and size. the
Slanted Line
tool. the
Pointer
. the
Square
drawing tool. Choose the color of the square from the
Fill Color
drop-down list. the
Oval
drawing tool. Choose the color of the circle from the
Fill Color
drop-down list.
The Math and Science Equation Editor icon (
∑
). The
Equation Editor will appear. Input the equation and click
Insert Equation
.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 83
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Virtual Classroom allows Instructors and Students to participate in real time lessons and discussions. The Group Browser enables users to collaboratively browse the Web. The Instructor and users use this tool to open a URL that is viewable by all users. URLs used in the session will be recorded in the archive if one is created. The
Instructor will determine whether or not this function is made available to users.
Note:
Only users who have an Active role can access the Group Browser. See the
User Roles topic for more information on roles.
Find this tool
Follow the steps below to locate the Group Browser.
Step 1
Step 2
Open a Virtual Classroom session.
Select the
Group Browser
in the Classroom Tool to begin using this tool.
Functions
The table below details the available functions in the Group Browser.
To . . .
open a Web site choose where to display the Web site
click . . .
type the URL in the
Enter Address
field.
Display To Class
to display the window in the Whiteboard area of the Virtual Classroom or click
Preview in New
Window
to open the Web site in a new browser window.
This window will only be displayed to the Instructor.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 84
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Course Map enables users to browse the Course Contents while they are in a
Virtual Classroom. By default, the Instructor has access to operate the Course Map.
Users must have Active privileges to use the Course Map in a Virtual Classroom.
Note:
The Course Map in the Virtual Classroom appears similar to the Course Map for linking items within a course but they are functionally different.
Find this tool
Follow the steps below to locate the Course Map.
Step 1
Step 2
Open a Virtual Classroom session.
Select the
Course Map
in the Classroom Tool to begin using this tool.
Functions
The table below details the available functions in the Course Map.
To . . .
display an element on the map to all users display an element on the map in a separate window refresh the Course
Map during a
Collaboration
Session
click . . .
the content area in the Course Map and select
Display To
Class
in the drop-down list. the content area in the Course Map and select
Preview in
New Window
in the drop-down list. The new window is only visible to the User accessing it.
Refresh Tree
in the drop-down list. This will update the
Course Map to match the latest Course menu on the course
Web site.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 85
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Users are able to ask questions during the session by using the Ask Question tool. As users submit questions during the session the Instructor can view and respond to them.
Note:
Only users who have an Active role can ask questions. See the
topic for more information on roles.
Find this tool
Follow the steps below to access the Ask Question tool.
Step 1
Step 2
Open a Virtual Classroom session.
Select
Ask Question
in the Classroom Tool to begin using this tool.
Ask a Question
To ask a question, select
Compose
in the Ask Question area, enter the question in the text box and click
Send
.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 86
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Questions from users are sent to the Question Inbox during the Virtual Classroom session. The Question Inbox is used to manage and respond to questions during a
Collaboration Session.
Note:
Only users who have an Active role can access the Question Inbox. See the
User Roles topic for more information on roles.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 87
Blackboard Academic Suite
Question
Response
Private
User Manual
Question that was submitted.
Enter the response to the question.
Select this check box to make the response to the question private. If marked private, the response will only be sent to the person who submitted the message.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 88
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Lightweight Chat allows the users to interact with each other and the Instructor via a text-based chat region. This region is part of the Virtual Classroom, but can also be accessed separately without the rest of the tools that make up the Virtual
Classroom. When accessed separately, it is called the Lightweight Chat.
Note:
Some of the functionality in the chat is limited to those users with an Active role. See the User Roles topic for more information on roles.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open a Lightweight Chat:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click
Communication
on the Course menu of a course Web site.
Select
Collaboration Tools
.
Click
Join
to next to a Lightweight Chat session.
Functions
The table below details the functions available in the Lightweight Chat.
To . . .
enter a message for the class to read become an Active user
then . . .
type the message in the
Compose
field. Click
Send
. The message will appear in the chat area. If the message is over
1000 characters, only the first 1000 characters will appear. click the hand symbol. A hand appears next to the user name. The Instructor clicks on the hand to make the user
Active. This means that the User may now post a message in the Chat.
Select a user ’ s name in the Participant list and then click
User Info
.
Select a user ’ s name in the Participant list and then click
Private Message
. The Compose Private Message window will appear. view user information send a private message to a user
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 89
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Instructor of a Collaboration Session can send and receive private messages from the users during the Collaboration Session. Users can send private messages to each other if the Instructor enables this tool in the Session Controls. Private messages are not recorded or archived.
Note:
Only users who have an Active role can send Private Messages. See the User
Roles topic for more information on roles.
Find this pop-up window
Follow the steps below to access the Private Message pop-up window.
Step 1
Open a Virtual Classroom or Chat session.
Step 2
Select a user ’ s name and click
Private Message
.
Functions
To send a Private Message, enter the message in the text box and click
Send
.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 90
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The User Information pop-up window displays personal information about the user such as name, email address, and any other information the user has chosen to add to their profile.
Find this pop-up window
Follow the steps below to access the User Information pop-up window.
Step 1
Step 2
Open a Virtual Classroom session.
Click
User Info
in the Chat area and the User Information pop-up window will appear.
Send a Private Message
Click
Private Message
to send a message to the user. The Compose Private Message pop-up window will appear.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 91
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Session Archives allows Instructors and Students to review the discussions and questions raised during a previous Collaboration Session. Session archives will not be available until the session leader has stopped recording the session.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to access the Session Archives page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Click
Communication
on the Course Menu of a course Web site.
Select
Collaboration Tools
.
Click
Archives
next to a Virtual Classroom session.
Functions
The table below details the available functions on this page.
To . . .
access an archived classroom search for an archive
click . . .
the session name in the Archive Name column.
The Archive page for that session will appear. the
Archive Name
or
Creation Date
option in the
Search by:
field. Enter the name of the archive or the date it was created in the field below and click
Search
.
Back to Collaboration Sessions
. return to the Collaboration
Session page
Example
The following is an example of an Archive.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 92
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 93
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
Users can search the Roster and view lists of Students associated with a specific course.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Roster page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Open a course Web site.
Select
Communication
on the Course menu.
Click
Roster
from the Communication Center.
Search
The Roster contains a search function. Users can search using different variables. The table below details the search options that are available:
To . . .
search for a user using the user ’ s last name or User
Name search for a group of last names that start with a particular letter or a user
ID that starts with a particular number
then . . .
Select the Search tab.
Enter either a last name or a user name.
Select either the
Last Name
or
User ID
option. All matching entries will be displayed.
Select the A-Z, 0-9 tab.
Click on the first letter of the last name or on the first number of the user ’ s ID. All matching entries will be displayed.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 94
Blackboard Academic Suite
Functions
search using a value found in the user ’ s name list all users
User Manual
Select the Advanced tab.
Enter a value in the
Containing:
field.
The search will return all users with that value in their User Name.
Click the check boxes and select values from the drop-down list to narrow the search.
Select the tab.
Click
List All
to list all the names enrolled.
All entries will be displayed.
Once a list has been generated, click the name of a Student in the list to view their homepage or select their email address to send them an email.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 95
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
Instructors can create Groups in a course to enable Students to collaborate with each other. These groups usually consist of a smaller group of Students in a class, such as study groups or project groups. From a Group page, users may:
send email to Group members exchange files enter discussion forums enter Collaboration Sessions
All of the functions available from Group pages, with the exception of the File
Exchange, act in the same way in the course Web site. Additional features of the
Collaboration Tools are also available when accessed through Groups.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Group page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Open a course Web site.
Click
Click
Communication
Group Pages
on the course menu. from the Communication Center.
Select the name of a Group in which you are a member.
Functions
The following functions are available from the Group page.
Note:
Instructors may limit which of these functions are available to Groups.
Function Description
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 96
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Group Discussion
Board
Group
Collaboration
File Exchange
Send Email
Group Members
Group members can enter discussions within various Group forums.
Group members can meet their classmates and Instructors for real-time discussion or class lessons.
Group members can exchange files.
Group members can send email to one or all of their group members.
The names of all members of the Group will appear along with their email address.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 97
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Students are encouraged to communicate with fellow classmates and Instructors from the Communication Center, located in the course Web site. Instructors can create
Groups in a course to enable Students to collaborate with each other. The File
Exchange function allows users within a Group to easily exchange files with their fellow
Group members. The File Exchange page displays the current files available for use by the Group members and the option to add files.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the File Exchange page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Open a course Web site.
Click
Click
Click
Communication
Groups
on the course menu. from the Communication Center. Select a Group.
File Exchange
.
Function
Click
Add File
to upload files for Group members to view or modify. Users can easily upload portions of Group assignments for review and editing by other Group members.
Click
Remove
to remove a file. All users in the Group may remove files from the File
Exchange.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 98
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The File Exchange function allows users within a group to easily exchange files with their fellow Group members. The Add File page enables Group members to add a file to the Group ’ s File Exchange for others to view.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Add File page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Open a course Web site.
Click
Click
Click
Click
Communication
Groups
Add File
.
on the course menu. from the Communication Center. Select a Group.
File Exchange
.
Fields
The table below details fields on this page.
Field
File Information
Title:
File:
Description
Enter the title of the file.
Enter the location of the file or click
Browse
the file to upload from your computer.
and select
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 99
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
Collaboration Sessions allow Instructors and Students to participate in real time lessons and discussions. The Group Collaboration Sessions accessed from the Group page have all of the same functionality as those in the Communication Area. Users also have additional features available to them in a Group Collaboration Session. All
Group members are granted an Instructor role when they access Group Collaboration
Sessions. Therefore, all Group members can manage sessions and access all of the available tools.
Note
: The
Collaboration Tools section includes information on all of the features and
functionality available in Course Collaboration Sessions.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Group Collaboration Session page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Open a course Web site.
Click
Click
Click
Communication
Groups
on the course menu. from the Communication Center.
Collaboration
.
Functions
The following functions are available from the Collaboration Sessions page. Since all
Group members have an Instructor role in Group Collaboration Sessions, these functions are available to everyone in the Group.
To . . .
create a new
Collaboration
Session
click . . .
Create Collaboration Session
. The Create Collaboration
Session page will open.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 100
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
filter the sessions listed on the page search for a session enter a session access the archives for a session change the name, availability, or tools used during the session delete a session the arrow next to the drop-down list and select the type of session to display. Click
Filter
. The filters include:
Show All
– The default filter that displays all of the
Collaboration Sessions.
Open Rooms
– Displays all of the sessions that are currently being used.
Join
Rooms with Archives
– Displays completed sessions that have an archive.
Rooms Available in the Future
– Displays sessions that are scheduled to take place in the future. the
Session Name
,
Start Date
or
End Date
option and then enter a value in the field. Click
Search
.
next to the session. The Virtual Classroom or Chat for that session will open.
Archives
next to the session. The Session Archives page will appear.
Manage
next to the session. The Modify Collaboration
Session page will appear.
Remove
next to the session. This action is irreversible.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 101
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
New Group Collaboration Sessions using the Virtual Classroom or the Chat are created on the Create Collaboration Session page. Groups can schedule sessions for specific dates and times and choose how long the sessions will be. The Create Collaboration
Session page and Modify Collaboration Session page function in a similar manner. The difference being, the Create Collaboration Session page opens with empty fields while the Modify Collaboration Session page opens with populated fields.
Note
: This feature is only available to users in Group Collaboration Sessions. Only the
Instructor may create course-wide Collaboration Sessions.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Create Collaboration Session page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Click
Communication
on the Course menu.
Select
Groups
from the Communication Center.
Click
Collaboration
.
Click
Create Collaboration Session
or
Manage
.
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Create Collaboration Session page.
Field Description
Name Your Session
Session Name:
Enter the name of the new session.
Schedule Availability
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 102
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Select Date(s) of
Availability:
A Start and End date and time for the Collaboration Session can be set but is not required. If these are not selected then the session is always open and available for users.
There is also the option to choose only a Start or an End date and time.
Click the
Start After
check box to choose a date and time to begin the Collaboration. The date can be selected by choosing from the drop-down lists next to the date or by clicking the calendar icon and selecting the date. Select the time to begin the session from the drop-down lists.
Click the
End After
check box to choose when the session will end. The date can be selected by choosing from the drop-down lists next to the date or by clicking the calendar icon and selecting the date. Select the time to begin the session from the drop-down lists.
Available:
Select
Yes
to make the session available.
Collaboration Tools
Choose a collaboration tool for this session:
Select the tool that will be used during this session from the drop-down list. The two types of Collaboration tools are:
Virtual Classroom
- Allows users to enter a realtime discussion with group members, access the
Web, and engage in question and answer sessions.
Lightweight Chat
- The Chat is part of the Virtual
Classroom, but can also be accessed separately. It allows users to open just the chat function of the
Virtual Classroom.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 103
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Group Collaboration Sessions have additional features available in the menu of the
Collaboration Tool. These features include a Record menu to create session archives and an End option to end a session. All group members have an Instructor role in a
Group Collaboration Session; therefore, they can all access these features.
Note
: These features are only available to Students during Group Collaboration
Sessions.
Record menu
The Virtual Classroom and Lightweight Chat sessions created in Groups can be recorded and archived. Archive recording can be started and stopped, as well as paused and un-paused by the users during the session. A session can have more then one archive. The table below details the buttons that appear on the Record menu.
Button Description
Click
Start
to begin recording a session. The user will be prompted to name the archive. A default name will prepopulate this box; the user can click
Submit
to keep the default name or makes changes then submit it.
Click
Pause
to pause a recording once it has started. Click this button again to
Un-pause
the recording and begin recording again. Pause and un-pause will be marked and timestamped in the archive.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 104
Blackboard Academic Suite
Controls
End
User Manual
Click
Stop
to end recording the session. When
Stop
is selected the archive is completed and a stop marker and time/date stamp will be included at the end of the archive.
Click
Bookmark
to insert a bookmark anywhere in the archive of the session. A name can be included for the bookmark.
The Group Collaboration Session includes a Controls option on the menu. All users in a group are given Instructor privileges, and therefore cannot change the Access rights of each other. All users have access to all of the tools in a Collaboration Session.
This tool ends the Virtual Classroom Session. Click
End
on the Menu Bar.
The End
Session pop-up window appears as shown below.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 105
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Introduction
Group Collaboration Sessions have Archive features available to Group Members.
Session Archives allow users to review the discussions and questions raised during a
Collaboration Session. Sessions are archived by date and the option to remove an archive is available. All Group members have an Instructor role in Group Collaboration
Sessions; therefore, they can all access the Archive features.
Note
: The feature to manage Archives is only available to Students in Group
Collaboration Sessions. Only the Instructor can manage the archives of Course
Collaboration Sessions.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Session Archives page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Click
Communication
on the Course menu.
Select
Groups
from the Communication Center.
Click
Collaboration
.
Click
Archives
next to a Collaboration Session.
Functions
The table below describes the functions available on this page
To . . .
search for an
Archive in the
Collaboration
Session open an archive change the name or availability of an archive remove an archive
click . . .
the
Archive Name
or
Creation Date
option in the
Search by:
field. Enter the name of the archive or the date it was created in the field below, and click
Search
. the archive in the Archive Name column.
Manage
Remove
. The Archive Properties page will appear.
. This action is irreversible.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 106
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Introduction
The Archive Properties page allows Group members to change the name and availability of an Archive session. All Group members have an Instructor role in a
Group Collaboration Session; therefore, they can all access the Archive Properties features.
Note
: This feature is only available to Students in Group Collaboration Sessions. Only
Instructors can change the archive properties of an archived Course Collaboration
Session.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Archive Properties page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Click
Communication
on the Course menu.
Select
Groups
from the Communication Center.
Click
Collaboration
.
Click
Archives
next to a Collaboration Session.
Select
Manage
.
Functions
The table below describes the functions available on this page.
Field
Edit Archive Name
Description
Archive Name:
Enter or modify the name of the archive.
Availability to Students
Available:
Select
Yes
and users will be able to view this archive.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 107
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
–
Tools enable users to manage their work and individual information. Course Tools are available on the Course menu in a course Web site and Institution Tools are available in the Tools box in a common area. Certain Tools, such as the Calendar and Tasks, may be available as both a Course Tool and an Institution Tool.
Institution Tools allow users to access Tools that appear in course and organization
Web sites on a system-wide scale. For example, Tasks, when accessed through the
Tools box, allows the User to:
view Tasks from all of the courses and organizations the user participates in view Tasks posted by the System Administrator enter personal Tasks
If Tasks is viewed through the Course menu in a course Web site, only Tasks that have been posted for that course will appear.
The Instructor of a course determines which Tools will be available in the course. The
System Administrator selects the Tools that will be available in the Tools box in common areas.
Note:
With
Blackboard Learning System
and
Blackboard Learning System
- Basic
Edition, the Tools Box will only appear on the My Institution Tab.
Example
The image below is an example of how Tools will appear in the Course menu on a course Web site.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 109
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
The image below is an example of how Institution Tools will appear in the Tools box in common areas.
In this chapter
This chapter includes the following sections.
Topic
Announcements
Digital Drop box
Edit Your
Homepage
Personal
Information
Description
Provides information on messages for courses and systemwide announcements.
Explains how to send files to the Instructor.
Explains how to edit the information on your Student
Homepage.
Provides information on managing personal data and privacy settings such as editing your account profile and
Calendar
View Grade
Tasks changing your password.
Discusses the Calendar tool, which manages events for courses, personal events and system-wide events.
Explains how to check grades for a course.
Provides information for organizing tasks, defining task priorities, and tracking task status.
Discusses The Electric Blackboard® tool and how it is used to save notes for a particular course.
Explains how to save contact information.
List and contact system users via email.
The Electric
Blackboard®
Address Book
User Directory
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 110
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
Students can view important messages from Instructors on the Announcements page of a course Web site. Announcements are organized and displayed by:
current date last seven days last thirty days view all course announcements
When accessed through the Tools box, all Announcements of interest to the user appear. These include Announcements from all courses the user is enrolled in and system-wide announcements. Users can sort the Announcements by category or post date.
Use the drop-down menu to select a view or click on the tabs to view Announcements for a specific period of time. The default is View Last 7 Days.
Note:
Users can also access their Announcements from the Tools box in the common areas. These Announcements include those from all courses and organizations the user is enrolled in as well as any system wide announcements.
Find this page
To view the Announcements page, open a course Web site and click
Announcements
on the course menu.
OR
Click
Announcements
in the Tools box.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 111
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Digital Drop Box enables Students to exchange files with the Instructor. Digital
Drop Box is only available as a Course Tool, it is not an Institution Tool.
Note:
A file added to the Drop Box will not appear to the Instructor until it has been sent. Once a file has been sent to the Instructor, it cannot be removed from the Drop
Box.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Digital Drop Box page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Open a course Web site for a course.
Click
Tools
on the course menu.
Select
Digital Drop Box
.
Functions
The following functions are available from the Digital Drop box page.
Function
Add File
Send File
Remove
Description
Upload files to the Drop Box.
Send a file to the Instructor.
Remove a file from the Drop Box.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 112
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Tips and Tricks
The following date and time information is included in files:
files sent to the Instructor will show the date and time submitted files that are added to the Drop Box but not sent will show the date and time posted
files sent from the Instructor will show the date and time received
Note:
The date and time displayed in each instance is not the date and time on the user ’ s machine, rather, it is the date and time on the
Blackboard Learning System
server.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 113
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Digital Drop Box page enables Students to exchange files with the Instructor. Files are added to the Digital Drop Box from the Add File page. The Add File page requests information on the title, file location, and any comments regarding the file. A file is not automatically sent to the Instructor if it is placed in the Drop Box through the
Add
File
option. Files must be sent through the
Send File
option.
Files that are added to the Drop Box but not sent will show the date and time posted.
Once the file is sent to the Instructor it will show the date and time submitted.
Note:
The date and time displayed in each instance is not the date and time on the user ’ s machine, rather, it is the date and time on the
Blackboard Learning System
server.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Add File page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Open a course Web site.
Click
Tools
on the course menu.
Select
Digital Drop Box
.
Click
Add File
.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 114
Blackboard Academic Suite
Fields
The table below details the fields on this page.
Field
File Information
Title:
File:
Comments:
Click
Browse
Description
Enter the title of the file.
User Manual
comments will appear beneath the title on the Drop Box page.
to locate a file or enter the exact path.
Enter any comments related to the file. These
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 115
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Students can select a file from the Digital Drop Box to send to the Instructor or select a file not in the Digital Drop Box on the
Send File
page. A file sent to the Instructor that is not in the Digital Drop Box will be added to the Student ’ s Drop Box when it is sent.
Files that are added to the Drop Box but not sent will show the date and time posted.
Once the file is sent to the Instructor it will show the date and time submitted.
Note:
The date and time displayed in each instance is not the date and time on the user ’ s machine, rather, it is the date and time on the
Blackboard Learning System
server.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Send File page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Open a course Web site.
Click
Tools
on the course menu.
Select
Digital Drop Box
.
Click
Send File
.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 116
Blackboard Academic Suite
Fields
The table below details the fields on this page.
Field
File Information
Select File:
Title:
File:
Comments:
Description
User Manual
Click the drop-down arrow and select the file to send.
Enter the title of the file.
Click
Browse
Instructor.
to upload a file and send it to the
Enter any comments about the file. These comments will appear beneath the title on the Drop Box page.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 117
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
Every enrolled Student has a course Web site Homepage where they can post information about themselves. The Edit Your Homepage screen allows users to edit their course Web site homepages. This area is created by default, each time a new
Student registers in the course. The default page is blank until the user edits the page.
The Student Homepage is only available as a Course Tool; it is not available as an
Institution Tool. Other users view your Homepage by clicking your name in the Roster.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Edit Your Homepage page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Open a course Web site.
Click
Tools
on the course menu.
Click
Edit Your Homepage
.
Fields
The table below details the fields on this page.
Field
Homepage Information
Intro Message:
Personal
Information:
Upload a Picture
Current Image:
New Image:
Description
Edit or enter the introductory message that users see when viewing the homepage.
Edit or enter any personal information that appears when the homepage is accessed.
The current image is displayed.
Click
Browse
to upload a new image.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 118
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Remove this Image:
Select the checkbox to remove the existing image or any new image.
Favorite Web Sites
Site 1 Title:
Site 1 URL:
Edit or enter the site title. If a title is entered but the
URL is not entered in the field below, the link will not work.
Edit or enter the site URL. When adding a URL, do so as http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com or blackboard.com
Edit or enter the site description.
Description:
Tips and Tricks
To view a Homepage for a user in the course go to the Roster , located in the
Communication Center. When an individual is selected from the Roster their
Homepage will appear.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 119
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
Users manage personal data and privacy settings from the Personal Information page.
The following functions are available to users:
edit their account profile change their password identify a CD-ROM drive to the
Blackboard Learning System
define privacy settings enable the Text Box Editor
Users may also access and make changes to their personal information from the Tools box in a common area. Changes to Personal Information are reflected system wide.
For example, if an email address is changed in one course, the user ’ s email address will be changed in all of the courses he or she is enrolled in.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Personal Information page.
Step 1
Step 2
OR
Open a course Web site for and click
Select
Personal Information
.
Tools
on the Course Menu.
Select
Personal Information
in the Tools box of a common area.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 120
Blackboard Academic Suite
Functions
The following functions are available from the Personal Information page.
User Manual
Function
Edit Personal
Information
Change Password
Set CD-ROM Drive
Set Privacy
Options
Set Text Box
Editor Options
Description
Edit personal information as it is displayed to other users.
Change your account password.
Set the CD-ROM drive used to access content from your computer.
Set the options to limit or increase the amount of personal information displayed to fellow Students and Instructors.
Set the options to enable or disable the Text Box Editor.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 121
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The information that appears in a user ’ s account profile can be modified on the Edit
Personal Information page. Users can change the values in fields, populate empty fields, or remove information from fields on this page.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Edit Personal Information page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Open a course Web site.
Click
Tools
Select
Select
on the Course menu.
Personal Information
.
Edit Personal Information
.
OR
Step 1
Step 2
Select
Select
Personal Information
in the Tools box of a common area.
Edit Personal Information
.
Fields
The table below details the entry fields on the Edit Personal Information page.
Field
Personal Information
First Name
[r]
Middle Name
Last Name
[r]
[r]
Edit the first name.
Edit the middle name.
Edit last name.
Edit email address.
Description
Student ID
Other Information
Edit Student ID as defined by the institution.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 122
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Gender
Birthdate
Edit gender.
Select birthday by clicking on the drop-down arrow and selecting date values.
Education Level
Edit education level.
Company
Job Title
Street 1
Department
Street 2
City
Edit any additional address information.
Edit city.
State/Province
Edit state or province.
Zip/Postal Code
Edit ZIP code or postal code.
Country
Web Site
Edit company.
Edit job title.
Edit department.
Edit address.
Home Phone
Work Phone
Work Fax
Mobile Phone
Edit country.
Edit the URL of the user ’ s personal Web site. When adding a
URL, do so as http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com or blackboard.com
Edit the home phone number of the user. The phone number will display exactly as entered.
Edit the work phone number of the user. The phone number will display exactly as entered.
Edit the fax number of the user. The fax number will display exactly as entered.
Edit the mobile phone of the user. The phone number will display exactly as entered.
Tips and Tricks
Changes made on the Edit Personal Information page will be reflected throughout the
Blackboard Learning System
. For example, if the user changes their first name, the new first name will appear in all courses they are enrolled in.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 123
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Account passwords can be changed from the Change Password page. The Change
Password page is accessible through the Personal Information features. Each user must enter a user name and password to login to the system.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Change Password page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Open a course Web site.
Click
Tools
Select
Select
on the Course menu.
Personal Information
Change Password
.
.
OR
Step 1
Step 2
Select
Select
Personal Information
Change Password
.
in the Tools box of a common area.
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Change Password page.
Field
Reset Password
Password
[r]
Description
Enter a new password for the account. The password must be at least one character and contain no spaces or special characters.
Verify Password
[r] Enter the password again to ensure accuracy.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 124
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Tips and Tricks
Due to security, it is recommended that users do not use common personal information as their password, such as their name or nickname. It is recommended that users change their passwords periodically to ensure security.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 125
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Users identify the CD-ROM drive location on the current workstation to the
Blackboard
Learning System
from the Set CD-ROM Drive page. The CD-ROM drive must be identified to the
Blackboard Learning System
before files can be uploaded from a CD-
ROM to the
Blackboard Learning System
. Users must set the CD-ROM drive each time they want to upload files from a CD.
Note:
A default value for the CD-ROM Drive will appear when this page is opened, but the user must select
Submit
to set the CD-ROM Drive. If
Submit
is not selected, then the value is null and a CD-ROM Drive is not set.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Set CD-ROM Drive page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Open a course Web site.
Click
Tools
Select
Select
on the Course menu.
Personal Information
Set CD-ROM Drive
.
.
OR
Step 1
Step 2
Select
Select
Personal Information
Set CD-ROM Drive
.
in the Tools box of a common area.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 126
Blackboard Academic Suite
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Set CD-ROM Drive page.
User Manual
Field
CD-ROM Drive Information
CD-ROM (for PC):
Description
Click the drop-down arrow and select the drive letter that maps to the CD-ROM drive from the list.
CD-ROM (for MAC):
Enter the CD-ROM drive location.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 127
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Set Privacy Options page allows users to choose the information they would like to make publicly available. This information will appear in course Rosters and Group pages. Users may also select to make this information available in the User Directory.
If an email address is not made available it will not appear in the Roster, Group pages,
User Directory, the Collaboration Tool or in any other part of the application.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Set Privacy Options page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Open a course Web site.
Click
Tools
Select
Select
on the Course Menu.
Personal Information
Set Privacy Options
.
.
OR
Step 1
Step 2
Select
Select
Personal Information
Set Privacy Options
.
in the Tools box of a common area.
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Set Privacy Options page.
Field
Contact Information
Email address
Description
Address (Street,
City, State, Zip,
Country)
Select this check box to make the email address visible to other users through the User Directory, and in other parts of the
Blackboard Learning System
, such as the
Roster and Group pages.
Select this check box to make address information visible to other users through the User Directory.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 128
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Work Information
(Company, Job
Title, Work Phone,
Work Fax)
Additional Contact
Information (Home
Phone, Mobile
Phone, Web Site)
User Directory Status
List my information in the user directory
Select this check box to make work information visible to other users through the User Directory.
Select this check box to make additional contact information visible to other users through the User
Directory.
Select this check box to list your profile information visible to other users through the User Directory.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 129
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Text Box Editor allows users to create content through a simple editor within the
Blackboard Learning System
. This page allows users to choose whether or not
WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) functionality will be enabled on their system. If this feature is enabled, users will have additional features available to them when entering content in many text boxes throughout the
Blackboard Learning
System
. See the Text Box Editor topic for additional information.
Note:
The Text Box Editor is only available to Windows Operating System users with
Internet Explorer Version 5.x or a later version. System Administrators also have the option of turning off the WYSIWYG features for the Text Box Editor for all users. Users without WYSIWYG functionality have access to alternate Text Box Options .
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Set Text Box Editor Options page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Open a course Web site.
Click
Tools
Select
Select
on the Course Menu.
Personal Information
.
Set Text Box Editor Options
.
OR
Step 1
Step 2
Select
Select
Personal Information
in the Tools box of a common area.
Set Text Box Editor Options
.
Fields
Select
Enable
and text boxes throughout the
Blackboard Learning System
will be enabled with additional WYSIWYG features. Select
Disable
and text boxes include basic options.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 130
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Calendar tool allows users to view Calendar items by day, week, month, or year.
Users can also manage the following events through the Calendar:
course organization institution personal
Upcoming and past events can be viewed daily, weekly, or monthly and organized into categories.
When the Calendar is accessed through the Tools Box users view all items on their
Calendar and have the options to add and modify personal calendar items. When the
Calendar is accessed through a Course or Organization only those calendar items that relate to the specific course or organizations will appear.
Note:
Students may not add events to the Calendar when it is accessed through a
Course or Organization. Events may only be added when it is accessed through the
Tools Box in a common area.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Calendar page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Open a course Web site.
Click
Tools
Select
on the Course menu.
Calendar
.
OR
Select
Calendar
in the Tools box of a common area.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 131
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Functions
To use the functions available on the Calendar page, follow the table below.
To . . .
view events for a specific date and time
click . . .
Quick Jump
to access the Quick Jump page.
From here, select a date and time and the
Calendar will immediately display events for that time.
Add Event
to access the Add Event page. create an event and add it to the calendar remove an event
Remove
to remove an event from the
Calendar page. This action is irreversible.
Note:
Only events created by the user can be removed. Events created by an Instructor,
Organization Manager, or System Administrator cannot be changed. on the tab to view events for the current day, view events by day, week, or month current week, or current month. view previous or future events on the arrows to the left of the current day, view event details week, or month to view events for the previous day, week, or month. Click on the arrows to the right to view future events. on a Calendar event to view details.
View Event
Click on an event to view event details. The Calendar: View Event page will appear as shown below.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 132
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Quick Jump page allows users to quickly view a portion of the Calendar. Quick
Jump is useful when looking for events planned months in advance of the current date. It is also useful for looking up the events of a past day, week, or month.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Quick Jump page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Open a course Web site.
Click
Click
Course Tools
Select
Calendar
.
Quick Jump
.
on the Course Menu.
OR
Step 1
Step 2
Select
Select
Calendar
in the Tools box of a common area.
Quick Jump
.
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Quick Jump page.
Field
Calendar Quick Jump
Please select the date you wish to access
Description
Select the calendar date. Click the first down arrow to select a month. Click the next down arrow to select a day and click the last down arrow to select a year. The
Calendar page will appear with the enter date.
Click on an option to indicate the type of Calendar view: Month, Week, or Day.
Please choose the type of view you wish to access the specified date
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 133
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
When the Calendar is accessed through the Tools Box users have the options to add and modify personal calendar items. Events may be added through the Add Calendar
Event page and modified through the Modify Calendar Event page. These pages are the same, the difference being, the Add Calendar Event page opens with empty fields and the Modify Calendar Event page opens with populated fields.
Note:
Only events created by the user can be modified. Events created by an
Instructor, organization Manager, or System Administrator cannot be changed by the user.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to find the Add Calendar Event page.
Step 1
Step 2
Click
Calendar
in the Tools box.
Click
Add Event
or
Modify
next to an existing Calendar event.
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Add Calendar Event page and Modify Calendar
Event page.
Field
Event Information
Event Title:
Enter the title of the event. This title will appear on the
Calendar page at the date and time indicated on the
Event Time fields.
Description
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 134
Blackboard Academic Suite
Description:
Event Time
Event Date:
Start Time:
End Time:
User Manual
Enter a description of the event. The following options are available:
Smart Text: Automatically recognizes a link entered in the text box. Smart text recognizes the ENTER key as a paragraph tag and accepts
HTML tags as well. Smart Text will also prompt
to load images if an image source text is used when adding smart text as part of a content item.
Plain text: Displays text as written.
HTML: Displays text as coded using HTML tags.
√ x: Opens the WebEQ Equation Editor .
< >: Opens the MathML Equation Editor .
Preview: Opens the text as it will appear to the user.
Click the drop-down arrow and select date values or click the icon to select a date from the calendar interface.
Click the drop-down arrow and select time values.
Click the drop-down arrow and select time values.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 135
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Tools box provides quick access for users to check grades and performance statistics from all their Courses. The My Grades page lists each user ’ s courses and organizations. Users then select a course or organization to access a report.
Users can check their grades in a course by accessing the View Grades page through the Course menu. This page includes information on the following:
the user ’ s average Assessment grade the total number of points the user has accumulated details about each Assessment. information about the class average on each Assessment grade weighting. This is the weight of the item.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the View Grades page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Open a course Web site.
Click
Tools
Select
on the Course menu.
View Grades
.
OR
Select
View Grades
in the Tools box of a common area.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 136
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Tasks page organizes projects (referred to as Tasks), defines task priority, and tracks task status. Instructors and organization leaders can post tasks to users participating in their course or organization.
From the Tools Box users can view all of their tasks, including those from the courses and organizations they are participating in, tasks posted by the System Administrator and their personal tasks. Users can create their own tasks and post them to the Tasks page. When Tasks is accessed through the Course menu users view Tasks for that specific course or organization.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Tasks page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Open a course Web site.
Click
Tools
Select
on the course menu.
Tasks.
OR
Select
Tasks
in the Tools box of a common area.
Functions
The table below details the functions available on the Tasks page.
To . . .
sort the list of tasks add or modify a task
click . . .
the drop-down arrow and select a task category.
Categories include:
All Tasks
My Tasks
Tasks by course
Add Task
or
Modify
to access the Add / Modify Task page for a particular task.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 137
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
remove a task
Remove
to remove a task. A box will appear asking to verify that a task should be removed. This action is irreversible. the task to view details. view the details of a particular task
View task details
Click on a task from the Tasks page to view course task details. The task details display:
the task name the due date the task priority the task status a description of the task
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 138
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Add or Modify Task pages allow users to create and modify personal tasks. These pages function in a similar manner. The difference being, the Add Task page opens with empty fields and the Modify Task page opens with populated fields. To modify a task, click
Modify
.
Note:
The only tasks that can be added or fully modified by the user are personal tasks created by that user. Users may adjust the Status for Tasks created by an
Instructor or organization Manager.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to find the Add Task or Modify Task page.
Step 1
Step 2
Click
Tasks
in the Tools box.
Click
Add Task
or
Modify
.
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Add Task page.
Field
Task Information
Task Title:
Description
Enter the title of the task.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 139
Blackboard Academic Suite
Description:
Due Date:
Task Options
Priority:
Status:
User Manual
Enter a description of the task. The following options are available:
Smart Text: Automatically recognizes a link entered in the text box. Smart text recognizes the ENTER key as a paragraph tag and accepts HTML tags as well. Smart Text will also prompt to load images if
an image source text is used when adding smart text as part of a content item.
Plain text: Displays text as written.
HTML: Displays text as coded using HTML tags.
√ x: Opens the WebEQ Equation Editor .
< >x: Opens the MathML Equation Editor .
Preview: Opens the text as it will appear to the user.
Select the date the task is due from the drop-down list.
Click the drop-down arrow and select date values or click the icon to select a date from the calendar interface.
Select a priority. The options are:
Low (task appears with a blue arrow pointed down)
Normal
High (task appears with a red arrow pointed up)
The selected priority appears on the Tasks page.
Select a status. The options are:
Not started
In progress
Completed
The selected status appears on the Tasks page.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 140
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Electric Blackboard® allows users to save notes for a particular course within the
Blackboard Learning System
environment. Users can write notes on The Electric
Blackboard®, save them, and then return later to add to and review them.
Note:
The Electric Blackboard® is only available in a course Web site. It is not available in the Tools box in a common area.
Find this tool
Follow the steps below to open The Electric Blackboard®.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Open a course Web site.
Click
Tools
on the Course menu.
Select
The Electric Blackboard
.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 141
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
Users can store contact information in the Address Book. Users must enter a profile for anyone they wish to add to their address book, even if the contact is a system user.
The Address Book is empty until the user enters contacts.
The Address Book will contain the same information if it is accessed through a Course menu or through the Tools box.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Address Book.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Open a course Web site.
Click
Tools
Select
on the course menu.
Address Book
.
OR
Click
Address Book
in the Tools Box.
Search Fields
The Address Book contains a search function at the top of the page. Users can search using different variables selected from the search tabs. The following search tabs are available on the Address Book page.
Tab
Search:
Description
Click
Last Name
,
User Name
or
and enter a value.
The search function will create a list of contacts with that last name, user name or email.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 142
Blackboard Academic Suite
A-Z, 0-9:
Functions
User Manual
Click the letter or number that represents the first character of a last name. The search function will create a list of all contacts with a last name that begins with that character.
The table below details the functions available on the Address Book page.
To . . .
create a contact and add it to the Address
Book modify a contact remove a contact
click . . .
Add Contact
.
The Add Contact page will appear.
Modify
Remove
for a contact.
for a contact. This action is irreversible.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 143
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Users create contact profiles for their Address Book from the Add Contact page.
Profiles can be created for any contact, including contacts outside of the institution, from the Add Contact page. The Modify Contact page contains the same fields as the
Add contact page and allows the user to edit a profile.
Note:
The user must create a profile for each contact, even those contacts that are also system users.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the Add Contact page.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Open a course Web site.
Click
Click
Tools
Select
on the course menu.
Address Book
Add Contact
.
.
OR
Step 1
Step 2
Click
Address Book
in the Tools Box.
Click
Add Contact
.
To modify a contact, find the user profile and click
Modify
next to their name.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 144
Blackboard Academic Suite
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Add or Modify Contact page.
User Manual
Field Description
Personal Information
First Name:
Last Name:
[r]
[r]
Enter the contact ’ s first name.
Enter the contact ’ s last name.
Email:
Other Information
Enter the contact ’ s email address.
Company:
Job Title:
Enter the contact ’ s company.
Enter the contact ’ s job title.
Address:
Enter the contact ’ s address.
Address: (cont.)
Enter any additional address information.
City:
Enter the contact ’ s city.
State/Province:
Enter the contact ’ s state or province.
Zip/Postal Code:
Enter the contact ’ s ZIP code or postal code.
Country:
Web Site:
Home Phone:
Work Phone:
Work Fax:
Mobile Phone:
Enter the contact ’ s country.
Enter the URL of the contact ’ s personal Web site. When adding a URL, do so as http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com or blackboard.com
Enter the home phone number of the contact. The phone number will display exactly as entered.
Enter the work phone number of the contact. The phone number will display exactly as entered.
Enter the fax number of the contact. The fax number will display exactly as entered.
Enter the mobile phone of the contact. The phone number will display exactly as entered.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 145
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Tools box provides access to the User Directory. The User Directory enables users to list users and contact other users via email. A search function at the top of the page creates a list of users. From the list, a user can click on a listed user ’ s email address to send a message.
Users will only appear in the User Directory if they indicate that they wish to be included on the Set Privacy Options page.
Note:
The User Directory is not available from a course Web site.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 146
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The user interface tabs are used to navigate throughout the
Blackboard Academic
Suite
. Tabs appear in the header frame of the user interface and are used to navigate to content-rich Web pages. Tabs contain links to courses and organizations, modules of content, user tools, and external links to additional services and content.
The tabs available in the user interface depend on the product that the institution is using.
Blackboard Learning System
: The user interface includes the My Institution tab and the Courses tab. Modules may include information that is pulled from the
Blackboard Learning System
, such as Announcements and the Calendar.
Blackboard Learning System
– Basic Edition: The user interface includes the
My Institution tab and the Courses tab. Modules may include information that is pulled from the
Blackboard Learning System
, such as Announcements and the Calendar.
Blackboard Portal System
: All tabs are available in the user interface, including the My Institution tab, the Course tab, the Community tab, and the Services tab. Modules may include information that is pulled from the
Blackboard
Learning System
, such as Announcements and the Calendar, and also information from outside sources, such as external Web sites.
Part Three Contents
This part of the
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
includes the following chapters:
Chapter 6 –
Blackboard Learning System
and
Blackboard Portal System
Tabs
Chapter 7 – Modules
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 147
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Within the
Blackboard Learning System
, there are two core tab areas; the My
Institution tab and the Courses tab. The
Blackboard Portal System
adds the
Community tab, the Services tab, and any other tab areas created by the school.
System Administrators also have the option of adding tabs specific to their institution.
In this chapter
This chapter contains the following sections:
Section Function
My Institution Tab Contains tools and information in modules that can be
Courses Tab customized for each user ’ s preference.
Lists courses specific to each user as well as the Course
Community Tab
Services Tab
Catalog for the institution
Lists organizations specific to each user, the Organization
Catalog for the institution, and institution-wide Discussion
Boards
Contains links to other institutional offerings outside of the
Blackboard Academic Suite
.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 148
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The My Institution common area contains tools and information specific to each user ’ s preferences. Tools and information are contained in modules, which users can add and remove from their My Institution common area.
While users can choose which modules appear, the Administrator may restrict access to or require specific modules. With the
Blackboard Portal System
, modules on the My
Institution Tab can present and interact with content outside the scope of
Blackboard
Learning System
courses.
Customization
Users can customize the content and layout of the My Institution area. After customization, the My Institution area displays the desired settings when a Student logs in again.
In this section
This section includes information on the following topics.
Section
Customizing
Content
Institution Tab
Layout
Editing, Minimizing and Removing
Content
Function
Customize the modules that will appear on the My
Institution area.
Customize the color and placement of the modules on the
My Institution area.
Edit, minimize, and remove modules from the My Institution area.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 149
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
From the My Institution common area, Students are able to access Institution Tools, courses, organizations and content from outside sources. Students can customize the modules that will appear on their My Institution area. Content such as the news, weather, and sports and other items are presented in modules that can be customized from the Institution Tab Content page.
Note:
The Modules chapter contains Information about the types of modules available in the
Blackboard Learning System
. Basic Modules are available with
Blackboard
Learning System
and
Blackboard Learning System
- Basic Edition. Basic Modules and
Advanced Modules are available with
Blackboard Portal System
.
Find this page
Follow the steps below to open the My Institution Content page.
Step 1
Step 2
Open the My Institution common area.
Click
Content
on the upper right hand corner.
Functions
Check the boxes next to those modules you would like to have appear in the My
Institution tab, click
Submit
. Modules with a red check have been selected by the
System Administrator and cannot be changed. Modules that display information from an outside source, such as weather and news, are referred to as channels.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 150
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
From the My Institution area, Students are able to access Institution Tools, courses, organizations and content from outside sources. Students can customize the color and placement of the modules on their My Institution common area through the My
Institution Layout page.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 151
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Editing content
The Pencil icon located at the top of each module allows the user to edit the content of that specific module.
Minimizing
The
Blackboard Learning System
allows users to edit, minimize, and remove modules from the My Institution area unless a module has been set as required by the System
Administrator.
The minus (-) button located at the top of each module allows the user to minimize the individual modules.
Removing
The remove icon located at the top of each module allows the user to remove the individual modules. Click
Remove
and a confirmation receipt will appear when the process is completed. Modules that do not have a remove icon have been set by the
System Administrator and cannot be changed.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 152
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Courses common area enables users to access courses they are instructing, courses they are participating in, and the Course Catalog. Users can also search for courses, and access tools and links that are configured by the Administrator.
In this section
This section includes information on the following topics.
Topic
Course List
Description
Explains how to access courses you are instructing or participating in.
Discusses browsing and searching the Course Catalog. Course Catalog
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 153
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
The Courses common area enables users to access courses they are instructing, courses they are enrolled in, and the Course Catalog. The user can access all courses they are participating in from the Course List. Click on a course to access the course
Web site for that course.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 154
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Users can access the Course Catalog from the Courses common area. The Course
Catalog allows them to view all courses offered by their institution that are categorized in the catalog. The catalog organizes Courses into categories. Users can browse through the categories and subcategories or use the search function to locate a course. The search function will only look for courses that are available in the Course
Catalog.
The image below is an example of the Search function in the Course Catalog.
Functions
The table below describes the available functions on the Browse Course Catalog page.
To. . .
search for a course
click . . .
the text box, enter the course keyword, then click
Go
. the advance search option. complete a search by Course ID or description, or to list all courses in the
Catalog browse course categories the hyperlink of the desired category.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 155
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Community common area allows the user to perform organization searches, view organization listings, and participate in community-wide Discussion Boards.
Note:
The Community tab is only available with
Blackboard Portal System
.
In this section
This section includes information on the following topics.
Section
Organizations
Description
Lists the organizations available at the institution and explains the Organization Catalog.
Communicate with fellow organization members and classmates by posting messages on particular topics.
Create Discussion Boards on topics of interest that others can access and reply to.
Community
Discussion Boards
Create Community
Discussion Boards
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 157
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Organization Web sites, accessed through the Community tab, offer similar features as course Web sites. Organization members can view information about the organization posted by the organization Manager, such as Announcements, Calendar events,
Discussion Boards and Rosters.
Note:
Organizations are only available with
Blackboard Portal System
.
Organization list
The Organization List, located in the Community common area, provides users with a listing of all the organizations in which they are a member. Any user can serve as the manager of an organization.
Function
If the
Blackboard Portal System
is configured by the institution to allow requests for organizations, users can send a request to the System Administrator to add an organization to the Institution ’ s current organization listing.
Click
Request
and an email message to the System Administrator will appear. Enter the name of the organization to add to the current listing and provide a brief description of the organization. Click
Send
.
Organization Catalog
The organization catalog provides a listing of all the organizations at the institution.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 158
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Functions
Follow the table below to use the functions available on the Organization Catalog page.
To . . .
view an organization in a predefined
click …
the hyperlink of the category. category browse organizations
Browse Organization Catalog
.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 159
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Community Discussion Boards allow the user to communicate with fellow organization members and classmates by posting messages on particular topics.
For more information on this topic see Discussion Board in the Courses section.
Note:
Community Discussion Boards are only available with
Blackboard Portal System
.
Functions
The table below details the functions available from the Community Discussion Boards.
To . . .
access a
Discussion Board create a new
Discussion Board the Discussion Board link.
Create
click . . .
. The Create Discussion Board page will appear. This option is made available by the System Administrator.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 160
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Discussion Boards allow the user to communicate with other users by posting messages on particular topics. Users may create Discussion Boards on topics of interest. This function allows users to create Discussion Boards for others to access and reply to. This option is made available by the System Administrator.
Note:
Community Discussion Boards function in the same way as course Discussion
Boards .
Find this page
Follow the steps below to find the Community Discussion Boards.
Step 1
Step 2
Note:
This page is only available with
Blackboard Portal System
.
Open the Community common area.
Click
Create
in the Discussion Board area.
Fields
The table below details the fields on the Create Discussion Board page.
Field
Board Information
Board Name:
Board Description:
Board Options
Select Icons:
Description
Enter the Discussion Board name
Enter the Discussion Board description
Click the drop-down menu to select an icon associated with the Discussion Board.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 161
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
The Services common area allows users to view external links to the various services provided by the institution. The institution ’ s System Administrator establishes these services.
Note:
The Services tab is only available with
Blackboard Portal System
.
Find the Services common area
Login and click the Services tab.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 162
Blackboard Academic Suite
Overview
User Manual
—
Modules are packets of content that appear on the My Institution Tab or Module tabs.
They are made available by the System Administrator. Modules allow users to view information from within
Blackboard Learning System
, such as Calendar events and
Courses. Information from outside, such as news, the weather, and other Web sites can be presented to modules through the
Blackboard Portal System
.
Note:
Basic modules are available in all of
Blackboard Learning System
products.
Advanced modules are only available in the
Blackboard Portal System
.
Note:
See the topic on Customizing Content for information on how to personalize the modules that appear on My Institution tab.
Module Types
The following table describes the different types of modules that may be found in the
Blackboard Academic Suite
.
Module
Basic Modules
Description
Basic modules pull information from within the
Blackboard Learning System
. For example, the My Calendar module includes events on the user ’ s Calendar for a particular day and links to their My Calendar page, where the user may modify their Calendar events.
Advanced Modules
Channel Module
Channel modules stream content from an outside source into a
Blackboard Learning System
module. The module content is updated at intervals. Examples of Channel modules include weather modules and news modules.
URL Module
URL modules display Web page content from outside of
Blackboard Learning System
. The URL of the Web page is entered by clicking the link.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 163
Blackboard Academic Suite
Opinion Poll
Module
Multiple Choice
Poll Module
User Manual
Opinion Poll modules ask a question and give users a chance to enter a full response in a text box. The module also displays some of the recent responses to the module.
Multiple Choice Poll modules present a question with multiple answers. Users will see the question as well as options for selecting one of the answers. After users select an answer, they will see the results of the poll to date within the module. The only way to see the results of a poll is to vote.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 164
Blackboard Academic Suite User Manual
Overview
Administrators may give a user administrator privileges for one or more modules. If a user has administrator privileges for a module a
Module Admin
button will appear at the top of the My Institution page. When selected, the Delegated Module Admin page will appear, enabling the user to open and modify those modules they have administrator privileges for.
Functions
Select
Content
to modify the content within a module, such as the links or HTML it includes. Select
Properties
to modify the title, description and availability of the module.
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 165
Blackboard Academic Suite
—
This document was published on February 9, 2004.
There have been no updates since publications.
User Manual
© 2004 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential Page 166
* Your assessment is very important for improving the work of artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
© 2021