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Updated Blackboard Resources for Faculty
LeTourneau University uses Blackboard Learning System to provide web sites and communication tools for all students and instructors. The tutorials and documentation listed below are designed to assist faculty who are new to Blackboard, as well as faculty who want to extend their use of Blackboard in their courses. If you have any additional questions about Blackboard or would like to schedule a one-on-one training session, please send an e-mail message to blackboard@letu.edu
Courses and User Accounts
All faculty and students are given Blackboard user accounts. Course sites are handled differently depending on the type of course, as described below:
Training Materials
The pdf files below were created by Instructional Technology Services staff at LeTourneau University for use in instructor-led training sessions. They are made available here for reference purposes.
- Getting Started with Blackboard -- Faculty Who Teach Evening Courses for Working Adults -- This guide helps faculty members who teach evening courses for working adults begin to use Blackboard to supplement their teaching.
- Supplementing Your Course With Blackboard -- This guide helps faculty members who teach in a classroom begin to use Blackboard to supplement their teaching.
- Creating an Online Course in Blackboard -- This guide helps faculty members who are creating an online course master for LeTourneau University.
Blackboard Resources
- Instructor Manual -- A 330 page downloadable manual that describes all features within Blackboard. This manual is also available in HTML format within each Blackboard course site, inside the course Control Panel.
- What's New and Different in the Blackboard Learning System (Release 6.1) -- Describes the newest features added to Blackboard, including the text editor, the Quick Edit mode, gradebook views, and exam options.
- Support Site for Blackboard (the company) -- To access the great training materials on this site, you will need to create an account and indicate that you are an instructor using Blackboard.
Assessments
The pdf documents listed below contain information for working with online assignments, the digital drop box, online quizzes, and the gradebook.
- Making a Quiz Available -- Describes how to make an existing quiz available in Blackboard 6. The steps for doing this are quite different than the steps used in Blackboard 5.5.
- Working with Assignments -- Using the "assignment" type of item in Blackboard that automatically links students' submissions with the online gradebook.
- Using the Digital Drop Box -- Using the digital drop box to collect student files without linking to the online gradebook.
- Assignments vs. the Digital Drop Box -- Compares and contrasts the two primary methods online instructors use to collect homework assignments from students.
- Gradebook Icons -- Describes the various gradebook icons and what they represent for instructors and graders.
- Weighting Grades and Modifying Items for Grade Weighting -- These two documents describe how Blackboard 6 handles weighted grades in the online gradebook.
Collaboration
The pdf documents listed below provide information about using Blackboard tools to facilitate or improve class communication.
- Eight Ways to Get Students More Engaged in Online Conferencing -- Presents some excellent suggestions for using the online discussion boards in Blackboard to get your students more engaged in their learning.
- Collaboration Tools -- This excerpt from the Blackboard Instructor's Manual describes the Virtual Classroom and the Lightweight Chat tool.
Course Content
The pdf documents listed below contain information about creating and modifying course content for use with Blackboard.
- Making Course Content Available for Students with Disabilities -- Describes standards and guidelines for preparing course materials that are web accessible.
- Saving a PowerPoint as a Website -- How to convert your PowerPoint presentation into a website so that it can be uploaded into Blackboard as a web presentation.
- Importing a Website into Blackboard -- How to import a website (such as a converted PowerPoint presentation) into Blackboard.
- Using Offline Content in Blackboard -- How to add links in Blackboard to offline content, such as information stored on a CD-ROM or a shared network drive.
- Using Basic HTML in Blackboard -- While HTML is not required in Blackboard, knowing a little HTML can help you achieve better results when creating your content.
- Math and Science Notation Tool - WebEQ Equation Editor -- This excerpt from the Blackboard Instructor's Manual describes the new equation editor in Blackboard 6, which is available for both instructors and students.
- Learning Units -- This excerpt from the Blackboard Instructor's Manual describes the concept of learning units in Blackboard, which enable instructors to structure and sequence their course materials.
Course Management
The pdf documents listed below describe some course management activities instructors use while using Blackboard.
- Course Roles in Blackboard 6 -- Describes the various course roles that instructors may wish to assign, such as teaching assistant and grader.
- Manage Groups -- This excerpt from the Blackboard Instructor's Manual describes how to create and manage student learning groups online.
System Administration
Blackboard administration at LeTourneau University is divided among the following departments:
| Department | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Information Technology (x3500) |
|
| Distance Learning (x3280) |
|
| Instructional Technology Services (x3280) |
|
