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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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