Blackboard for Instructors Version 9.

May 9, 2011

Table of Contents
What has changed in Blackboard 9.1? .......................................................................................................... 4 New Features and Feature Enhancements ............................................................................................... 4 Removed Features .................................................................................................................................... 4 Blackboard Navigation .................................................................................................................................. 4 I am a new faculty member on campus. Where do I start?...................................................................... 4 Where is the Content that I Created in the Old Version of Blackboard?.................................................. 5 My side Navigation menu has disappeared. Where is it?......................................................................... 6 Why cant I find a course site from a previous semester?........................................................................ 7 How do I create a new menu tag? ............................................................................................................ 7 How do I edit or remove an existing menu tag? ....................................................................................... 8 Reordering a Course Menu ....................................................................................................................... 8 Site Creation and Availability ........................................................................................................................ 9 Creating a New Site ................................................................................................................................... 9 I want to use an existing Blackboard course site for this semester. What should I do? ........................ 11 I am teaching a course this semester but it does not appear on the Blackboard Wizard ...................... 12 Site Availability ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Blackboard Site Content ............................................................................................................................. 13 Creating Content Areas ........................................................................................................................... 13 Creating Folders within Content Areas ................................................................................................... 14 Adding Content to a Folder ..................................................................................................................... 16 Creating a Syllabus .................................................................................................................................. 21 Creating an Assignment in Blackboard ................................................................................................... 23 Creating a Quiz or Test in Blackboard ..................................................................................................... 25 Uploading Questions from an Excel File ............................................................................................. 25 What are the differences between question types? .......................................................................... 26 Building a Test ..................................................................................................................................... 28 Changing Test Settings ............................................................................................................................ 31 Editing Test Questions ............................................................................................................................ 32 Deploying a Test in Blackboard ............................................................................................................... 32 Creating a Pool of Questions in Blackboard............................................................................................ 34 Moving content / files from an old site to a new Site ............................................................................ 37
pg. 1

Adding Events to a Calendar ................................................................................................................... 38 Virtual Collaboration ................................................................................................................................... 38 What's new in Discussion Tools? ............................................................................................................ 38 Blog, Wiki and Discussion Board: What is the Difference? ..................................................................... 39 Group Options......................................................................................................................................... 39 What Tools are Available to Groups? ..................................................................................................... 39 Creating Groups in Blackboard ............................................................................................................... 40 Setting up the Discussion Board: Creating Forums................................................................................. 42 The Discussion Board: Threads ............................................................................................................... 44 The Discussion Board: Replies ................................................................................................................ 47 Group Discussion Board .......................................................................................................................... 48 Creating a Blog in Blackboard ................................................................................................................. 51 Creating a Wiki in Blackboard ................................................................................................................. 54 Group Virtual Classroom ......................................................................................................................... 56 Creating Announcements ....................................................................................................................... 59 Blackboard Wizard ...................................................................................................................................... 59 Adding Individual Users to a Site ............................................................................................................ 59 Removing a User from a Class................................................................................................................. 62 Both old and new students are added in a course site. What should I do? ........................................... 64 Restoring an Archived Site ...................................................................................................................... 65 Updating a Blackboard Site Title ............................................................................................................. 67 Verifying Site Enrollment ........................................................................................................................ 68 Checking Site Quota ................................................................................................................................ 69 Removing an Existing Blackboard Site .................................................................................................... 70 Removing an Archived Site ..................................................................................................................... 71 Grade Center ............................................................................................................................................... 72 What's new in the Grade Center?........................................................................................................... 72 Whats new in Quiz? ............................................................................................................................... 72 Accessing the Grade Center .................................................................................................................... 74 Getting to Know the Grade Center ......................................................................................................... 74 Grade Center Organization ..................................................................................................................... 75 Adding Grade Columns ....................................................................................................................... 75
pg. 2

Categories in the Grade Center .......................................................................................................... 77 Calculated Columns............................................................................................................................. 78 Weighted Columns .............................................................................................................................. 78 Total, Average, Minimum and Maximum Calculated Columns .......................................................... 81 Smart Views in the Grade Center ........................................................................................................... 82 Importing and Exporting the Grade Center ............................................................................................ 84 Exporting the Grade Center ................................................................................................................ 84 Importing the Grade Center................................................................................................................ 86 Automatic Entries in the Grade Center................................................................................................... 87 Viewing Grade Attempts ......................................................................................................................... 87 Extra Credit ............................................................................................................................................. 89 Creating an Extra Column worth 1 Point ............................................................................................ 89 Creating an Extra Column worth 0 Points ........................................................................................... 89 Entering Grades in the Grade Center...................................................................................................... 91 Overwriting Grades in Grade Center ...................................................................................................... 92 Viewing Attempts in the Grade Center ................................................................................................... 92 Column Statistics in the Grade Center .................................................................................................... 92 Downloading Results in the Grade Center .............................................................................................. 93 Exporting Grades from the Grade Center into SIS .................................................................................. 94 Backing up the Grade Center .................................................................................................................. 95 Emails in Blackboard ................................................................................................................................... 97

pg. 3

What has changed in Blackboard 9.1?

New Features and Feature Enhancements
Blackboard Learn 9.1 includes several innovations that are grouped in the following categories: Blackboard Connect Integration Building Content Course Files Course/Organization Role Customization Grade Center Learning Modules Lesson Plans for HigherEd and ProEd Clients Lesson Plans for K-12 Clients Standards Alignment for K-12 Clients Tests, Surveys, and Question Pools Textbook Web Services and Building Blocks Wikis Innovations in each of these areas represent the confluence of best-of-breed features and functions from earlier Blackboard products.

Removed Features
eCommerce This add-on product line is no longer available with Blackboard Learn. Offline Content Offline Content can no longer be added to a Course. The Offline content type will no longer be available when uploading content. For more information about available Content Types, see Building Content.

Blackboard Navigation
I am a new faculty member on campus. Where do I start?
Faculty can request a Blackboard training session for one-on-one assistance in getting started by contacting (insert contact information and hours). In addition, Blackboard 9.1 training documentation for instructors is located at (insert hyperlink). Generally, Instructors who are assigned to teach a particular course in SIS will be able to create Blackboard sites for that course using the Blackboard Wizard.

pg. 4

Begin by logging in to Blackboard.case.edu with your CWRU Network ID and password. The Blackboard interface will appear. Click on the link to the Blackboard Wizard within the, Administrator Announcements box. Select the course for which you want to create a site. The wizard will take you through the rest.

Where is the Content that I Created in the Old Version of Blackboard?

All content created in the previous version of Blackboard will automatically transfer to version 9.1. Once you login to Blackboard, you will be taken to the Home Page. By clicking on the, Courses tab, you will see a list of your Blackboard courses. To access a course, click on it. Please Note: To create a new course, you must access the Blackboard Wizard.

pg. 5

My side Navigation menu has disappeared. Where is it?

1. Click on the > arrow to gain access to the menu.

pg. 6

Why cant I find a course site from a previous semester?

Chances are the site has been archived. See, Restoring an Archived Site.

How do I create a new menu tag?

1. Login to your Blackboard course. 2. Click the, + sign at the top of the course navigation menu. 3. Select the type of menu item that you would like to add.

4. Enter a name for the item. 5. Select, Available to Users to make the page visible to students. To make page invisible, leave it blank. 6. Click, Submit. 7. Under the, Content, section, enter the desired content on to the new page. 8. In the, Attachments section, attach any desired files to the page from your computer by clicking the, Browse My Computer button. You may also browse the course files by selecting, Browse Course.

pg. 7

9. Select any desired options in the, Options section. a. Permit Users to View this Content select YES b. Track Number of Views select YES or NO c. Select Date and Time Restrictions - Select Not Date Restricted or Date Restricted. d. If Date Restricted is selected, select Display After dates or Display Until Dates. 10. Click, Submit when finished.

How do I edit or remove an existing menu tag?

1. Login to your Blackboard course. 2. On Course Navigation Menu, select the menu item that you would like to modify or delete. 3. Click on the down-facing double arrows to see the options for that menu item.

4. Select the desired option from the drop-down list. If you select Hide Link, the This link hidden from students icon appears on the menu item. You can show the menu item by activating its dropdown menu and selecting Show Link. 5. If you select Delete, a confirmation window appears. Click OK to permanently delete the menu item or click Cancel to cancel the deletion.

Reordering a Course Menu

1. Ensure that Edit Mode is on. 2. Hover over the up/down arrow to the left of the menu item to reorder. *This example assumes the menu is in list view in lieu of, buttons view.

pg. 8

3. Drag and drop the item to the desired location in the menu.

Site Creation and Availability

Creating a New Site
1. Click on the Blackboard Wizard. 2. Click on, Add a new Blackboard Site from the side menu. 3. Choose the Desired Semester.

4. Choose the Course. a. If there is a duplicate of the course, you will be prompted with an error message. If you still want to create it, click Yes. b. If you do not want to create the course, click No, Start Over.

5. Create a Description - The title of the BB site will be copied from the title of the course in the Registrars database. If you would like to append an extra note to the title to distinguish it from

pg. 9

other sections, add it in the text field. Otherwise, you can leave it blank.

6. Create the Course Site ID (no more than 50 characters). This CANNOT be changed (even by the administrator). Thus, if you are intending to reuse the course, avoid any unique identifiers (such as course ID or semester).

pg. 10

7. Blackboard will present a page confirming the information for the course.

a. If any of the information is incorrect, click the link, Make a different Selection and edit the field. b. If the information is correct, click Create Site.

I want to use an existing Blackboard course site for this semester. What should I do?
1. In order to reuse an existing Blackboard site, first ensure that the information and grades from the previous course are copied/exported or are no longer needed. 2. Make the site unavailable. This removes it from the students view. To make a Blackboard site unavailable: a. Go to the course site Control Panel. b. Click on, Settings in the Course Option area. c. Click on, Course Availability. d. Select, No to make the course unavailable. e. Click on the, Submit button.

pg. 11

3. Next, you must remove the existing enrolled users by selecting Remove Users from a Site within the Blackboard Wizard. 4. Add new enrolled students and others by selecting, Add Users to a Site within the Blackboard Wizard. 5. Access the Course Site Control Panel to update and modify site content. a. Update the course title if it is needed b. Replace the updated syllabus and course material

I am teaching a course this semester but it does not appear on the Blackboard Wizard
If the Wizard displays a message indicating that you are not assigned to any courses as an instructor, you will need to contact your academic department to determine if youve been added to your courses as an instructor in SIS. You will not be able to create a Blackboard site until your department has added you as an instructor to your course.

Site Availability
It is wise to make a Blackboard site available one week before the current semester. This way, students can become accustomed to the site layout. On the other hand, it is wise to make a Blackboard site unavailable when large changes are being made to it in order to avoid student confusion. Also, sites should be made unavailable at the end of a semester in order to remove current students from the course listing. To set the availability options within a course: 1. Login to Blackboard. 2. Select Customization from the Control Panel.

3. Select Properties.

pg. 12

4. Under Set Availability, select Yes to make the course available. If you would like to make the site unavailable, select No.

5. Under Set Course Duration, select whether you would like the course to continuously appear or if you would like the course to only appear during select dates.

6. Select Submit.

Blackboard Site Content

Creating Content Areas
1. To add content areas to a Course Menu, login to your Blackboard site. Verify that, Edit Mode is on. If it is not, click the button next to, Edit Mode in the upper-right corner of the screen.

2. Hover over or click the plus symbol in the Course Menu. Then, select, Create Content Area.

pg. 13

3. Enter the name for the new Content Area and click, Submit.

4. To make the Content Area available to students, select the, Available to Users button. 5. The new Content Area will be displayed at the bottom of the menu. User the drag-and-drop functionality to move the Content Area up or down in the menu.

Creating Folders within Content Areas

1. Login to Blackboard.

2. Click on the desired course from the Course List.

pg. 14

3. Click on the desired content area from the Course Menu. In the below example, Test Content Area was selected.

4. Select the Build Content tab and then Content Folder.

5. Type in a name for the folder in the Name box. If you would like to add a more detailed description of the folder, type this within the text box provided.

pg. 15

6. Set user permissions under the, Options panel.

7. Click the Submit button.

Adding Content to a Folder

1. Login to Blackboard.

2. Click on the desired course from the Course List.

pg. 16

3. Click on the desired content area, rom the menu options on the right.

4. Optionally, select the folder into which you would like to add content.

5. Select the Build Content tab.

pg. 17

pg. 18

The content types that available are listed under the Create option. Type Item File Description Any type of file, text, image or link that appears to users in a Content Area, Learning Module, Lesson Plan or folder. Use the File content type to add a file that can be selected and viewed as a page within the Course or as a separate piece of content in a separate browser window. Also, a collection of files or an entire lesson, including cascading style sheets (CSS), can be developed offline and uploaded into a Course from a local drive and viewed in order. Select an audio file to play on the page. If Auto-start and Loop are both set to Yes, the audio file will begin playing when users open the page and will continue to play until they stop it or navigate away from the page. Include a transcript for those that cannot hear the audio file. Select an image to show on the page. Set the height and width options to display the image at the right size and include a description for those that cannot see the image. Select a video to show on the page. The video player will appear directly on the page. Set the height and width options to display the video at the right size, and include a transcript for those that cannot see or hear the video. When uploading an MPEG file, you have the option of including a SAMI transcript file. Otherwise, use a separate text file in the same folder to provide a transcript for the video. A URL is a shortcut to a Web resource. Add a URL to a Content Area to provide a quick access point to relevant materials. A Learning Module is a collection of Content Items focused on a specific subject that students can navigate at their own pace. For example, a Learning Module about the solar system can include lecture notes, links to websites with pictures of all the planets, and assignments. Instructors can create a structured path for progressing through the items. The path can be set so that students must view content sequentially, or set to permit users to view the content in any order. A Lesson Plan is special content type that combines information about the lesson itself with the curriculum resources used to teach it. Default Lesson Plan sections include the instructional level, grade level, objectives and subject area of the lesson. Additional sections can be added to the Lesson Plan, arranged to appear in any order and optionally displayed to students. A Syllabus is an outline of a course of study. It can contain course information, objectives, instructor contact information, assignments, class meeting dates, textbook information and more. A Link is a shortcut to an area, a tool, or an item. Add a Course Link to a Content Area to provide quick access points to relevant materials and tools. Options for Course Links affect the availability and tracking of the content items no matter where they are accessed.

Audio

Image

Video

URL Learning Module

Lesson Plan

Syllabus

Course Link

Select the item that you would like to add. In the example listed below, a PowerPoint presentation (i.e. File) was added to the Content Folder titled Course Materials.

pg. 19

6. Select File from the Build Content menu.

7. Click either Browse My Computer (to locate a file stored on your computer) or Browse Course to locate a file located within the course. 8. Set user permissions within the Options panel.

9. Click Submit. The file will appear within the appropriate folder or content area.

pg. 20

Creating a Syllabus
1. Login to Blackboard. 2. Click on the desired course from the Course List. 3. Click on, the desired content area from the menu options on the left. 4. Optionally, select the folder to which you would like to add the syllabus to. 5. Select the Build Content tab and then Syllabus. 6. Type a name for your syllabus in the, Syllabus Name field.

7. When adding a syllabus to Blackboard, you have the option of uploading a file or using Blackboards software to create a syllabus. If you have a syllabus created, select Use Existing File and follow the on-screen directions. Otherwise, select the button next to Create New Syllabus. Please note: Steps 6 17 illustrate creating a new syllabus within Blackboard. 8. Click Submit. 9. Enter text into the Heading fields and Body boxes to organize your syllabus information. 10. Select a design style.

pg. 21

11. Select colors for the headers, borders and text. 12. Lesson shells function as subheadings where you can list specific lesson details and assignments. In the Build Lessons section, choose whether or not you would like to add lesson shells.

13. Set the availability options for the syllabus.

14. Click Submit to save your changes. 15. If you selected to create lesson shells you will have the option to edit your lessons. a. To add additional lessons, select the Add Lesson button. b. To remove a lesson, select the checkbox next to the lesson, then click the Remove Lesson button. c. To edit a lesson, click, Edit from the drop-down menu next to the lesson name.

pg. 22

Creating an Assignment in Blackboard

Assignments can be created as a way for students to upload content directly to the corresponding assignment listing. 1. Login to Blackboard. 2. Click on the desired course from the Course List. 3. Click on the desired content area from the menu options on the right. 4. Select the folder into which you would like to add the assignment. 5. Select the Create Assessment tab and then Assignment.

6. Enter a name and color for the assignment, as well as instructions.

7. Click the Browse My Computer button to locate a file to include with the assignment.

8. Enter the number of points possible for the assignment in the Points Possible text box.

pg. 23

9. Choose the availability options in the, Availability box. a. The Make the Assignment Available checkbox will enable students to see the assignment immediately. b. Assignment availability can be limited by selecting the desired dates next to Limit Availability.

10. Choose whether or not to enforce a due date on the assignment by selecting the checkbox next to Due Date.

11. Choose the recipients for the assignment. a. All Students Individually when each individual student is receiving a grade. b. Groups of Students for group assignments (i.e. the group is receiving a grade).

12. Click Submit.

pg. 24

Creating a Quiz or Test in Blackboard

1. Enter your Blackboard site. 2. From the Control Panel select Course Tools. Then, select Tests, Surveys, and Pools.

3. Click, Tests. 4. You will be presented with the option to build a test or to import an already existing test from Excel. Uploading Questions from an Excel File In order to upload questions directly into Blackboard from an Excel file, the file must be formatted correctly. A formatting guide is located on the Case Western Reserve University Website here. 1. Follow Steps 1 3 under Creating a Quiz or Test in Blackboard above. 2. Click Import Test. 3. Click Browse My Computer to upload an excel file from your computer. Similarly, select Browse Course to upload a file already on Blackboard. 4. Click Submit.
pg. 25

What are the differences between question types? Type Calculated Formula Description A Calculated Formula question contains a formula, the variables of which can be set to change for each user. The variable range is created by specifying a minimum value and a maximum value for each variable. Answer sets are randomly generated.

Calculated Numeric

This question resembles a fill-in-the-blank question. The user enters a number to complete a statement. The correct answer can be a specific number or within a range of numbers.

Either Or

Users are presented with a statement and asked to respond using a selection of pre-defined two-choice answers

Essay

Essay questions require the Instructor to provide Students with a question or statement. Students are given the opportunity to type an answer into a text field. Sample answers can be added for users or Graders to use as a reference. These types of questions must be graded manually on the Grade Assessment page. Users upload a file from the local drive or from the Content Collection as the answer to the question. This type of question is graded manually

File Response

Fill in Multiple Blanks

This question type builds on fill-in-the-blank questions with multiple fill in the blank responses that can be inserted into a sentence or paragraph. Separate sets of answers are defined for each blank.

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the Blank answers are evaluated based on an exact text match. Accordingly, it is important to keep the answers simple and limited to as few words as possible. Answers are not case sensitive, but are evaluated based on spelling.

Hot Spot

Users indicate the answer by marking a specific point on an image. A range of pixel coordinates is used to define the correct answer. Hot Spot refers to the area of an image that, when selected, yields a correct answer. Users are shown a sentence with a few parts of the sentence as variables. The user selects the proper answer for each variable from drop-down lists to

Jumbled Sentence

pg. 26

assemble the sentence. Only one set of answers is used for all of the dropdown lists.

Matching

Matching questions allow Students to pair items in one column to items in another column. Instructors may include a different numbers of questions and answers in a Matching question.

Multiple Answer

Multiple answer questions allow users to choose more than one answer. The number of answer choices is limited to 20.

Multiple Choice Multiple

Multiple choice questions allow the users a multitude of choices with only one correct answer. In multiple-choice questions, users indicate the correct answer by selecting a radio button. The number of answer choices is limited to 20.

Opinion Scale/Likert

Question type based on a rating scale designed to measure attitudes or reactions. This type of question is popular to use in surveys in order to get a comparable scale of opinion. Users indicate the multiple choice answer that represents their attitude or reaction. Ordering questions require users to provide an answer by selecting the correct order of a series of items. Quiz Bowl questions are a way to add fun and creativity to tests, such as self assessments or in-class contests. The user is shown the answer and responds by entering the correct question into a text box.

Ordering Quiz Bowl

Short Answer True/False

Short Answer questions are similar to essay questions. The length of the answer can be limited to a specified number of rows in the text box. True/False questions allow the user to choose either true or false. True and False answer options are limited to the words True and False

pg. 27

Building a Test 1. 2. Follow Steps 1 3 under Creating a Quiz or Test in Blackboard above. Select Build Test.

3. Enter a name and description for the test.

4. Enter Instructions for the test in the text box and click Submit. 5. You will have the option of creating a question, reusing questions, or uploading questions. If you would like to upload a question from the question pools section, you must first create a question pool (see, Creating a Pool of Questions in Blackboard). For this example, Create Question was selected.

pg. 28

6. Select the type of question that you would like to create from the drop-down list.

7. Type a title for the question section in the, Question Title text box (In the example below, Matching is shown).

8. Set options for the test questions in the Options panel.

pg. 29

9. Set the number of questions. Then, type the questions in the appropriate fields.

10. Type the answers in the fields provided.

11. Click Next.

pg. 30

12. Assign the appropriate question to the appropriate answer in the Assign field by clicking on the corresponding drop-down arrow.

13. Enter feedback that will display in response to a correct answer and incorrect answer in the Feedback section. 14. If you would like to categorize test topics, set this in the Categories and Keywords section. 15. Enter any desired notes in the Instructor section. 16. Click Submit.

Changing Test Settings

1. Login to your Blackboard course. 2. Select Course Tools from the Control Panel. 3. Select Tests, Surveys and Pools from the list. 4. Click on Tests. 5. The Test Canvas appears. It contains a list of tests youve created. Locate the test that you want to edit. Activate its dropdown list by clicking the double-chevron arrow next to the test name. 6. Select Edit from the dropdown list. 7. The test questions appear. To change settings for the test, such as question feedback, click on the, Question Settings button.

pg. 31

Editing Test Questions

1. Login to your Blackboard course. 2. Select, Course Tools from the Control Panel. 3. Select, Tests, Surveys and Pools from the list. 4. Click on, Tests. 5. The Test Canvas appears. It contains a list of tests youve created. Locate the test that you want to edit. Activate its dropdown list by clicking the double-chevron arrow next to the test name. 6. Select, Edit from the dropdown list. 7. The test questions appear. Locate the question you want to change. Activate its dropdown menu by clicking the double-chevron arrow. Then, select, Edit. 8. The question appears in edit mode. Make changes as desired. 9. Click, Submit to save.

Deploying a Test in Blackboard

1. Login to your Blackboard Site. 2. Optionally, select the folder into which you would like the test to be placed. In the example, the test is being placed within the Tests and Quizzes content folder. 3. Select the Create Assessment button and then Test

pg. 32

4. Select the test that you would like to deploy from the menu.

5. Click Submit. 6. Set the Availability settings. 7. Set the due date and assessment options. 8. Select the type of feedback displayed upon completion.

9. Select whether to present the entire test at once or one question at a time in the Test Presentation section. 10. Click Submit.

pg. 33

Creating a Pool of Questions in Blackboard

The Pool Manager allows for the creation of multiple questions that can be reused in various tests and quizzes on Blackboard. This feature is very convenient for organizing, recycling, and categorizing questions. 1. Enter your Blackboard Site. 2. Click on Control Panel. 3. Under Course Tools, select Tests, Surveys and Pools. 4. Click on Pools and then the Build Pool button. 5. Enter a name and description for the question pool.

6. Click Submit. 7. To add a question, click the Create Question button and select from the question types provided.

pg. 34

8. Type a title for the question in the Question Title text box (the example below shows a Matching question).

9. Set options for the test questions in the Options box. 10. Set the number of questions. Then type the questions in the appropriate fields.

pg. 35

11. Type the answers in the fields provided.

12. Click Next. 13. Assign the appropriate question to the appropriate answer in the Assign field by clicking on the corresponding drop-down arrow.

14. Enter feedback that will display in response to a correct answer and incorrect answer in the Feedback section. 15. If you would like to categorize test topics, set this in the Categories and Keywords section. 16. Enter any desired notes in the Instructor section. 17. Click Submit.

pg. 36

Moving content / files from an old site to a new Site

1. Enter the Blackboard site where the original content is located. 2. Click on the Control Panel from the side menu. 3. Select, Packages and Utilities and then, Course Copy.

4. Select the copy type, Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course from the, Select Copy Type dropdown. 5. Click the, Browse button next to, Destination Course ID. Select the course that you would like to copy the information to. 6. Click on the boxes next to any Course Materials that you would like to copy. 7. If you would like to ensure that the course package size does not exceed the limited, click on, Calculate Size.

pg. 37

8. Select whether to copy the enrollments (i.e. the students enrolled) in the previous course. 9. Click, Submit.

Adding Events to a Calendar

1. Click on, Tools from the Course Menu. 2. Click on, Calendar. 3. Click, Create Course Event. 4. Type in the name of the event in the, Event Name field. If desired, add an event description.

5. Enter the Event Date and Event Time. 6. Click, Submit. You will see the event appear on your calendar.

Virtual Collaboration
What's new in Discussion Tools?
A new feature related to discussions, but located outside of the discussion board interface, is called Wikis. Create Wikis for courses, organizations, and groups to host collaborative content and group projects. Instructors can grade Wikis without having to leave the Wiki and go to the Grade Center. Students can be given group or individual grades to allow grading based on individual contribution.

pg. 38

Blog, Wiki and Discussion Board: What is the Difference?

Blogs are great tools for compiling a free-flowing conversation between users. Posts accumulate and descend in chronological order, with the ability to add comments to posts. Wikis are great tools for organizing information that users may contribute to a discussion, and allow users to generate their own areas for posting ideas and conversation. Pages can be created and edited by users, and comments can be added on pages. Discussion boards are great tools to facilitate organized conversation between users. Replies can be posted inside different threads, which allows for efficient organization within the discussion board.

Group Options
Faculty can create a single Group or multiple groups in which students can be enrolled manually, automatically or by allowing the students to enroll themselves. These enrollments can be changed at any time. Faculty can add a Tool link to their course menu for Groups. These Groups can also be accessed through the default tools link in the course menu. Manual Enrollment involves the faculty selecting each member one at a time from a list of all the students in the Course. Random Enrollment is best suited for multiple Groups, where the faculty allows the system to divide up all the members of the Course among all the Groups based on Number of Students per Group or Number of Groups. For example, if there are 24 students enrolled in a Course and the faculty wanted four students per Group, the system would create six Groups. If the faculty wanted four Groups, the system would randomly enroll six students per Group. Self Enrollment allows the students themselves to become members of Groups by using Sign Up Sheets that Instructors create for each Course Group.

Each Group has its own space, or homepage, in the course with links to tools to help students collaborate. Only the instructor and the Group members can access the Group tools. For instance, each Group can have a private Discussion Board that is only accessible to a Groups members.

What Tools are Available to Groups?

Collaboration Users within the Group can crate and attend Chat sessions and Virtual Classroom sessions Discussion Board Users within the Group can create and manage their own Forums. Email Users within the Group can email individual members or the entire Group File Exchange Users within the Group and the Instructor can upload files to the Group space and organize them through the creation of folders.

pg. 39

Journals All members of a Group can view each others entries, but the group Journal can only be viewed by the Group and the Instructor. Instructors can select the Grading option for Journals. Wikis Users within the Group can edit their Group Wiki. All students within the course can view a Group Wiki. The Instructor can view and edit a Group Wiki and select the Grading option for Group Wikis.

Creating Groups in Blackboard

1. Enter your Blackboard site. 2. Click on Control Panel from the side menu. 3. Select Users and Groups and then Groups.

4. Click the Create Single Group button at the top of the screen.

pg. 40

5. Choose whether to Self-Enroll or Manually Enroll Individuals to the group (the below example utilizes Manual Enrollment). Type Self-Enrollment Description Self-Enrollment groups allow students to join a group by adding their names to a sign-up sheet. Sign-up sheets can be made available on the Groups page and can limit the number of people allowed to join the group. Self-Enrollment Groups can be made one at a time or made in sets. The Instructor creates a formal group of students to collaborate on work.

Manual Enrollment

6. Add a name and description for the group.

7. Set the group availability and Tools options. For example, if you would like to have a group discussion board, verify that the Discussion Board box is selected.

pg. 41

8. Select whether to allow group members to personalize the group space modules.

9. Add Group Members.

Doe, John (Student) Smith, Susan (Student) Obama, Barack (Student) Bush, George (Student) Barbie, Caribou (Student)

10. Click Submit.

Setting up the Discussion Board: Creating Forums

Forums are the basic organizing structure within a Discussion Board. Inside of forums, threads are created. Threads contain individual posts and replies. 1. Enter your Blackboard site. 2. Click on Control Panel from the side menu.

pg. 42

3. Click on Discussion Board under the Course Tools menu.

4. Click on the name of the Discussion Board. By default, it will appear as the Site ID of your Blackboard site.

5. Click the Create Forum button at the top of the screen. 6. Enter the name for your forum as well as a description.

pg. 43

7. Set the forum availability.

8. Change the forum settings.

9. Click Submit to save your changes.

The Discussion Board: Threads

Threads are messages within a forum that users can reply to. Essentially, threads act as a containing folder for comments and responses. Multiple threads can be added within a single forum. 1. Enter your Blackboard site. 2. Click on Control Panel from the side menu.

pg. 44

3. Click on Discussion Board under the Course Tools menu.

4. Click on the name of the Discussion Board. By default, it will appear as the Site ID of your Blackboard site.

pg. 45

5. Click on the name of the Forum under which you wish to make a thread.

6. Click the Create Thread button located at the top of the screen. 7. Enter a subject and message for your thread.

8. You may choose to attach a file to your thread.

9. Click Submit to save and submit your changes.

pg. 46

The Discussion Board: Replies

1. Enter your Blackboard site. 2. Click on Control Panel from the side menu.

3. Click on Discussion Board under the Course Tools menu.

4. Click on the name of the Discussion Board. By default, it will appear as the Site ID of your Blackboard site.

pg. 47

5. Click on the name of the Forum under which the thread you wish to post in is located.

6. Click on the name of the Thread under which you would like to leave your reply.

7. Navigate to the post you wish to reply to, then click on Reply.

8. Type the reply and click, Submit.

pg. 48

Group Discussion Board

1. Create a Group (see above instructions), verifying that the Discussion Board box is selected in the Tool Availability section. If this box was NOT selected: a. Login to your Blackboard site. b. Within the Control Panel, select Users and Groups and then Groups.

c. Click on the double-chevron arrow to the right of the group and select Edit.

d. Ensure that the Discussion Board box is selected under Tool Availability. e. Click Submit.

pg. 49

2. From the Control Panel, click on Discussion Board under Course Tools.

3. Click on the discussion board that is titled after the group that you created. From here, you can modify or manage the group discussion board, read posts, or remove the forum.

pg. 50

Creating a Blog in Blackboard

1. Enter your Blackboard site. 2. Click on the desired content area from the side menu.

3. Optionally, select a content folder into which the blog will be place. In the below example, the content folder, Discussion was selected.

pg. 51

4. From the Control Panel, select Course Tools and then Blogs.

5. Click Create Blog to begin the creation process. 6. Enter a name and description for the blog.

pg. 52

7. Set the availability for the blog.

8. Set the date and time restrictions for the blog (if any).

9. Set the participation options.

10. Select the desired blog settings. Here, you can chose whether to create a Grade Center entry for posting within the blog.

11. Click Submit.

pg. 53

Creating a Wiki in Blackboard

1. Enter your Blackboard site. 2. Click on the desired content area from the side menu.

3. Optionally, select the content folder into which the wiki will be place. In the below example, the content folder Discussion was selected.

pg. 54

4. From the Control Panel, select Course Tools and then Wikis.

5. Click Create Wiki to begin the creation process. 6. Enter a name for the wiki, as well as a description.

7. Set the availability options for the wiki.

pg. 55

8. Select Student Access options.

9. Set the grade settings.

10. Click Submit.

Group Virtual Classroom

1. Create a Group (see above instructions), verifying that the Collaboration box is selected in the Tool Availability section. If this box was NOT selected: a. Login to your Blackboard site. b. Within the Control Panel, select Users and Groups and then Groups.

c. Click on the double-chevron arrow to the right of the group and select Edit.

pg. 56

d. Ensure that the Collaboration box is selected under Tool Availability. e. Click Submit. 2. Select Collaboration from the Control Panel.

3. To join the virtual classroom, click on the Session name (Please note: If you hover over the session name with your mouse, the word, join will appear).

4. To create a new collaboration session, click the Create Collaboration Session button.

pg. 57

5. Enter a Session name in the Session Name field.

6. Set the availability options.

7. Select the desired collaboration tool (i.e. Chat or Virtual Classroom).

8. Click Submit.

pg. 58

Creating Announcements
1. To create an announcement, login to your Blackboard Site and select the desired course. 2. Under, Tools select, Announcements.

3. Select, Create Announcement. 4. Enter the announcement subject in the Subject field.

4. Enter the duration for the announcement in the, Web Announcement Options box. 5. To include an attachment, under, Course Links, browse to the appropriate attachment and select it. 6. Click, Submit.

Blackboard Wizard
Adding Individual Users to a Site
1. Access the Blackboard Wizard via http://www.cwru.edu/its/itac/BBWizard/ 2. Select Add Users to Site from the side menu.

pg. 59

3. Using the menu, choose the class you want to add users to. Then click Next.

pg. 60

4. Click on Individuals and then Next.

5. Type in the network ID of the individuals that you would like to add in the Network ID box and select their role from the drop-down list.

6. Click Add Users.

pg. 61

Removing a User from a Class

1. Access the Blackboard Wizard via http://www.cwru.edu/its/itac/BBWizard/ 2. Select Remove Users from a Site from the side menu.

3. Using the menu, choose the class you want to remove users from. Then click Next.

pg. 62

4. Click on Individuals and then Next.

5. The users are categorized by roles. Check the boxes of the users that you want to remove. Then click Remove Users.

pg. 63

Both old and new students are added in a course site. What should I do?
1. Access the Blackboard Wizard. 2. Click on, Remove Users from a Site. 3. Choose the site that you are working with. 4. Select, Individuals. The students listed here will not include those who are currently enrolled in the course within SIS. Thus, the students listed here are most likely from the previous semester and can be removed.

pg. 64

Restoring an Archived Site

1. Access the Blackboard Wizard via http://www.cwru.edu/its/itac/BBWizard/ 2. Select Restore an Archived Site from the side menu.

3. Click the restore button located to the right of the class site you wish to restore.

Wiz

pg. 65

4. Type in a new course site ID you want in the box then click the restore button.

pg. 66

Updating a Blackboard Site Title

1. Access the Blackboard Wizard via http://www.cwru.edu/its/itac/BBWizard/ 2. Select Update a Site Title from the side menu.

3. From the list, choose the course site you would like to update. Click Next.

4. Choose the course and then type an extension in the Extra Title Text box. The extension will be shown after the course title.

pg. 67

5. Optionally, enter extra descriptions in the large text box. 6. Click Update title.

Verifying Site Enrollment

1. Access the Blackboard Wizard via http://www.cwru.edu/its/itac/BBWizard/ 2. Select Verify Enrollment from the side menu.

pg. 68

3. Choose your class from the menu and then click Next.

Checking Site Quota

1. Access the Blackboard Wizard via http://www.cwru.edu/its/itac/BBWizard/ 2. Select Check Site Quotas from the side menu.

3. In order to request a larger quota, click on the course name.

pg. 69

Removing an Existing Blackboard Site

1. Access the Blackboard Wizard via http://www.cwru.edu/its/itac/BBWizard/ 2. Select Remove a Blackboard Site from the side menu.

3. Click the Remove button next to the site that you would like to remove.

pg. 70

4. You will be presented with a confirmation page.

Removing an Archived Site

1. Click on the Restore an Archived Site link.

2. Click the remove button to the right of the class site you want to restore.

3. Click the Delete button to confirm deletion. 4. You will be presented with a confirmation page when removing an archived site.

pg. 71

Grade Center
What's new in the Grade Center?
Smart Views can be used by instructors to see specific information and data in the Grade Center, such as viewing only Assignments, Assessments, Blogs, Discussion Boards, or Journals. Create rubrics in the Grade Center for grading and completing assignments. Instructors will have the option of making students anonymous when grading assignments and tests. Instructors will have the option to enter grades by question for all students as opposed to grading all questions of one student at a time.

Whats new in Quiz?

There are three types of assessments Test, Survey, and Assignment. Any assessment (Test, Survey, or Assignment) can be created from the Content menu. You can also create Question Pools. Question Finder Instructors and Course Builders have a new interface from which to discover questions. Instructors and Course Builders can create Tests, Surveys, and Pools by reusing questions that have been collected in the Question Finder repository. The list of questions available under Find Questions can be filtered by Test, Survey, or Pool, or by such attributes as question type, category, topic, or level of difficulty. As the user selects these attributes, the list of questions updates dynamically. The filtering capability is further enhanced by a search capability, which allows the user to refine the filtered list. The discovery process is also aided by a new section in the user interface that acts as a staging area for questions. The user can peruse and select or deselect as many questions as they want. When they are finished, this collapsible staging area will contain their selected questions. The staging area allows users to keep track of how many questions they have selected. Link to Questions Instructors and Course Builders can choose to link to or copy questions from any Test, Survey, or Pool within a Course. Linking to a question ensures that any changes to the original question are reflected in all links. Copying a question creates a separate question that is not affected by changes to the original question. Questions can be copied between Courses, but they cannot be linked across Courses. Question Sets

pg. 72

In addition to Random Blocks, Instructors can use Question Sets to randomly select a set number of questions to appear on a Test that are pulled from a specific group of questions selected by the Instructor. Instructors can select to include questions from one or more existing Tests and Pools. From this set, the Instructor specifies how many questions to display on the Test. The specific questions displayed are chosen randomly each time the Test is taken. This provides Instructors and Course Builders with a better idea of what will be displayed to Students than when using Random Blocks. This will make it easier to review the appropriateness of questions and help reduce the need to recreate Question Sets. Random Block Improvements The process to create or edit Random Blocks includes more capabilities. Batch Deletion and Point Updates Instructors and Course Builders can perform basic actions such as question deletion and point updates as batch actions, which can be targeted by question type. Users can update points for individual questions as well as points per question and number of questions to display for Random Blocks or Question Sets directly from the Canvas page. Taken together, these changes improve Instructor productivity and allow them to edit tests in less time. Copy Test, Surveys, and Pools Instructors and Course Builders can now copy a Test, Survey, or Pool directly from the List page. This addresses a common scenario in which an Instructor needs to provide a pre-test and post-test and needs to create two assessments that have more or less the same form. This capability also allows users to easily create new, smaller pools that contain a subset of questions of a larger pool. It is a much faster way to create similar tests compared to the import feature, which requires more steps. Where do these features appear? The Question Finder interface can be accessed from the Canvas page for a Test, Survey, or Pool. For example: [Course Name] > Course Tools > Tests, Surveys, and Pools > Tests > Test Canvas: [Test Name]. Questions Sets can be created and questions can be added from the task bar of the Canvas page. Click Reuse Question and then select the Create Question Set option or the Find Questions option. Both options will display the new Question Finder interface. How has the question discovery and revision workflow been changed? The process to discover and update questions that will be added to a Test, Survey, or Pool has been consolidated. The user is able to perform these tasks either directly on the Canvas page for the Test, Survey, or Pool, or at most only one more click away. Previously, the user had to navigate through several pages to perform the same task.

pg. 73

Accessing the Grade Center

1. Login to Blackboard. 2. Click on the desired course from the Course List.

3. Select Grade Center within the Control Panel menu. a. To view only assignments that need grading, select the Needs Grading option. b. To obtain full access to the Grade Center, select Full Grade Center.

Getting to Know the Grade Center

The Grade Center in Blackboard contains various phrases that need to be clarified in order to ease the understanding and application of instructions. This section will define the more common terms, which will hopefully aid in avoiding confusion.
Term Row Description Rows are the horizontal sections in the Grade Center. Rows contain a single student name and all of the grades that correspond to that student. Columns contain all of the student grades for one specific assignment. Calculated columns are vertical sections in the Grade Center that perform specific tasks. Examples include weighted columns, total columns, average columns and minimum / maximum columns.

Column Calculated Column

Calculated columns look the same as normal columns, but function differently. The double chevron arrow allows access to column menus in the Grade Center. Double Chevron Arrows Categories Double chevron arrows are located at the top of each column and will show their menu when hovered over. Categories are specifically created groups that contain columns that are similar in some way. Examples of categories include homework, tests, participation, quizzes and any number of other possibilities.

pg. 74

Grade Center Organization

Within the Grade Center in Blackboard, there are several options that allow instructors to organize their grading environment. Options in the Grade Center include custom categories, specific columns, and various other organizational tools. Adding Grade Columns Grade columns in the Grade Center act as columns where external grades can be entered. Grades to be entered into grade columns must be manually added. 1. Access the Grade Center by selecting Full Grade Center. 2. Click the Create Column button.

3. Enter a name and display name for the column, as well as a description.

pg. 75

4. Set the primary and secondary grade displays.

5. Categorize the column.

6. Set a points possible value for the column. 7. Optionally, select a due date.

8. Set the display option for the column and its contents.

9. Click Submit.

pg. 76

Categories in the Grade Center Categories in the Grade Center allow for grouping similar columns together. Using categories eases the use of weighted columns and adding multiple assignments into calculated columns.

1. Click on the double chevron arrow next to Manage. Then, select Categories.

2.

To add a category, select the Create Category button.

3. Enter the category name and description.

4. Click Submit to save your changes.

pg. 77

Calculated Columns Within the Grade Center, there are 4 different types of calculated columns. Calculated columns are capable of performing computations that some users find convenient when calculating student grades. Using calculated columns is completely optional in the Grade Center. Type Weighted Column Total Column Average Column Minimum / Maximum Column Description Weights multiple columns into a total Calculates the total grade from multiple columns Calculates the average from multiple columns Finds the lowest or highest value of multiple columns

Weighted Columns 1. Access the Grade Center by selecting Full Grade Center. 2. Click the Create Calculated Column button and select Weighted Column.

3. Enter a name and display name for the column as well as a description.

pg. 78

4. Set the primary and secondary display options.

5. Select either individual columns or entire categories to include in the weighted column calculations, using the arrow button to move items over.

6. Enter percentages that each item should contribute toward the total for the weighted column. Make sure that the Total Weight shows 100% when finished.

7. Select how to display the weighted column.

pg. 79

8. Click Submit.

pg. 80

Total, Average, Minimum and Maximum Calculated Columns

1. Click the Create Calculated Column button at the top of the screen and select the type of
column that you wish to create.

2. Enter a column name, display name, and description.

pg. 81

3. Select the primary and secondary display options.

4. Select whether to include all grade columns in the calculated column, or only specific columns
and categories.

5. Select whether to calculate the column as a running total or not. 6. Choose how to display the calculated column. 7. Click Submit to create the column and save your changes.

Smart Views in the Grade Center

Smart View is a feature in the Grade Center that allows students to be sorted using certain criteria. Criteria for sorting can include sorting by group, benchmark, focus, or a custom sort called investigate. 1. Click the Manage button at the top of the screen and select Smart Views from the dropdown list.

pg. 82

2. To create a new Smart View, click on the Create Smart View button located at the top of the screen.

3. Enter a title and description for the Smart View.

4. Select View type, as well as the criteria to create the Smart View.

pg. 83

5. Select a filter to apply. 6. Click Submit to save your changes.

Importing and Exporting the Grade Center

The Grade Center can be imported and exported using Microsoft Excel to organize the data.

Exporting the Grade Center If you would like to print the Grade Center, CWRU recommends downloading the Grade Center into Microsoft Excel and printing the document: 1. Click on the double-chevron arrow next to the Work Offline button and select Download.

2. Select the information to include in your download of the Grade Center.

3. Select the delimiter type (CWRU recommends keeping this set to Tab so that the file will work in Microsoft Excel).

4. Click Submit to process your request.

pg. 84

5. Click the Download button

6. Click OK to open in Microsoft Excel.

7. To save the file, select File >> Save As 8. Select Test (Tab delimited) from the Save as type: drop-down menu.

9. Click Save to save your file. 10. If your document contains multiple sheets, you may see these messages:

pg. 85

11. Click OK or Yes to save the file in a Tab-delimited format. Importing the Grade Center 1. Click on the double-chevron arrow next to Filter button and select Upload.

2. Browse for the file and select the delimiter type (if you processed the file in Microsoft Excel, this should be Tab).

3. Click Submit.

pg. 86

Automatic Entries in the Grade Center

In the Grade Center, assignments or tests that have been created using Blackboards tools will automatically be added. Certain user submissions to assignments and tests will require further grading than merely what the Grade Center calculates. When creating an assessment in Blackboard, the following question types will be automatically graded and entered into the Grade Centers calculations: Calculated Formula Either / Or Fill in the blank Jumbled Sentence Multiple Answer Ordering True / False Calculated Numeric Fill In Multiple Blanks Hot Spot Matching Multiple Choice Quiz Bowl

When creating an assessment in Blackboard, the following question types will not be automatically graded and entered into the Grade Centers calculations, meaning that they will need to be manually graded: Essay File response Short answer

Viewing Grade Attempts

Submitted assignments that require grading are marked using a ! in the Grade Center. Click on the double-chevron arrow next to the !

1. Click on the Attempt (Date) link from the drop down menu. 2. Click on the file name under Review Current Attempt to view the assignment submission. Optionally, you may choose to enter a grade and feedback to provide to the user. 3. Enter notes about the submission or grade that only the Instructor can view. 4. Click Submit to save your changes.

pg. 87

pg. 88

Extra Credit
Creating an Extra Column worth 1 Point In order for this method to work, every student must have the initial value of 1 entered into the Extra Credit Column. For example, if a student did not receive any extra credit, they would still have a 1 in the extra credit column, while a student that received 4 extra credit points would have a 5 in the Extra Credit Column. 1. Click on the Create Column button located at the top of the screen. 2. Enter in a name, display name, and description for the column.

3. Optionally, set the category. 4. Make sure that you enter 1 as the value in the Points Possible box.

5. Click Submit to save your changes. 6. Return to the Grade Center and manually enter a point value of 1 for every student in the, Extra Credit Column. Creating an Extra Column worth 0 Points To enter extra credit using this method, you will simply enter the corresponding number of points in the Extra Credit Column, however, since Calculate as a Running Total will be set to No, the total grade will be inaccurate until all assignments are graded. 1. Click on the Create Column button located at the top of the screen.

pg. 89

2. Enter in a name, display name, and description for the column. 3. Optionally, set the category. 4. Make sure that you enter 0 as the value in the Points Possible box. 5. Click Submit to save your changes. 6. Click on the double chevron arrow at the top of the Total column (or the column you are using that calculated the final grade), and select Edit Column Information. 7. Make sure that either: a. The All Grade Columns is selected OR b. The Extra Credit Column is selected under, Selected Grade Columns, Calculated Columns and Categories.

8. Select No under the Calculate as running total option. 9. Click Submit to save your changes.

pg. 90

Entering Grades in the Grade Center

The Grade Center in Blackboard has optimized manual grade entering by taking advantage of the keyboard. In order to edit the Grade Center, you must be viewing it in, Edit view. 1. If you are unable to click on a box and directly enter a grade, toggle the Edit Mode button located in the upper right-hand corner of the Grade Center. Verify that Edit Mode is, on. If it is not, click the button to change it.

2. When you first click on a grade box, the box will allow you to type in a value.

3. Type in the value and hit the Enter or Return key your keyboard. 4. If you enter a grade and do not push the Enter or Return key, you will see this warning message.

5. Click OK to save the grade or Cancel to abort your changes. 6. To navigate between grade boxes, up and down rows, and side to side in columns, simply use the arrow keys on your keyboard. 7. Alternatively, you can click directly on the box you wish to edit.

pg. 91

Overwriting Grades in Grade Center

Manually entered grades can be overwritten easily by clicking on the grade box and entering a new grade. Grades that were calculated by Blackboard for an assignment or assessment that need to be overwritten require a few more steps: 1. Click on the double chevron arrow next to a grade. Then, select View Grade Details from the drop-down menu. 2. 3. Select Manually Override, then enter the new grade. Optionally, enter feedback to the user and grading notes.

4. Click Save to submit your changes.

Viewing Attempts in the Grade Center

1. Click on the double chevron arrow next to a grade. Then, select View Grade Details from the drop-down menu. 2. Click on the Attempt (Date) button located under the Actions Column to view the users attempt.

Column Statistics in the Grade Center

Column statistics provide a range of the median and mean values that pertain to the column. To view the either page of statistics, click on the double chevron arrow at the top of a column and then either select Column Statistics.

pg. 92

Downloading Results in the Grade Center

Downloading the results from an assessment or assignment allows for the instructor to view the classwide attempts. Attempt results will open up in Microsoft Excel. 1. To download the results, hover over the double chevron arrow located at the top of a column, then click on Assignment File Download from the drop-down menu.

2. Select user attempts to download, then click Submit.

3. Select the criteria that you wish to download. 4. Click on, Download Assignments Now to download the result files.

pg. 93

Exporting Grades from the Grade Center into SIS

The Grade Export tool should only be used under certain circumstances. Make sure that you have formatted the Grade Center according to the following guidelines before using the Grade Export tool.

1. Access the Blackboard Wizard via http://www.cwru.edu/its/itac/BBWizard/ 2. Click on Upload grades to SIS from the side menu.

3. Follow the on-screen instructions in order to complete the grade transfer from the Grade Center into SIS.

pg. 94

Backing up the Grade Center

At the end of a semester, you may choose to export (i.e. Download) the Grade Center in order to have a record of the grades. Once a Blackboard site is recycled or the users are removed, the Grade Center entries will be deleted. 1. Click on the double-chevron arrow next to the Work Offline button and select Download.

2. Select the information to include in your download of the Grade Center.

3. Select the delimiter type (CWRU recommends keeping this set to Tab so that the file will work in Microsoft Excel).

4. Click Submit to process your request.

5. Click the Download button

pg. 95

6. Click OK to open in Microsoft Excel.

7. To save the file, select File >> Save As 8. Select Test (Tab delimited) from the Save as type: drop-down menu.

9. Click Save to save your file. 10. If your document contains multiple sheets, you may see these messages: a. Click, OK or, Yes to save the file in a tab-delimited format.

pg. 96

Emails in Blackboard
The e-mail feature in Blackboard allows users to send out e-mail to various groups within a Blackboard site. The e-mails are sent out to the Case e-mails (ex. [email protected]) that users are registered under. 1. Enter your Blackboard site. 2. Select Control Panel. 3. Under Course Tools, select Send Email. 4. Select the user group that you would like to send your email to.

5. Compose the email and click Submit.

pg. 97