Blackboard Help for SBU Faculty and Staff
Why would I want to login to Blackboard?
What is my Blackboard ID and password?
How do I change my Blackboard password?
How do I copy an existing course into a new course shell?
How do I make my course available?
How do I Create or Modify a Test?
How do I Add (deploy) Test to Content Area and Make Available?
What is a Test Canvas and how do I use it?
What Functions are available through the Test Canvas?
How can I Modify Test Availability?
How can I remove a Deployed Assessment from Content Area?
How can I Remove an Assessment from the Test or Survey Manager?
How can I send e-mail through Blackboard?
What Functions are available from the Send e-mail page?
What are the requirements for successful use of Collaboration Tools?
How can I diagnose and fix problems with Collaboration Tools?
Will my Macintosh work with the Collaboration Tool?
How do I add an Assignment to a Content Area?
How can I track student progress on an Assignment?
How do I use the Grading tool and provide Feedback on an Assignment?
How do I use the Item Download tool?
How can I use Content in Blackboard Courses?
What are Content Areas: adding and managing?
Why would I want to login to Blackboard?
SBU has many important documents now stored on Blackboard under the Content Collection. Here is how you can access this information:
You will need to login to Blackboard as directed above, then at the top part of the page there are tabs that read “My SBU”, “Courses”, “Community”, “Content Collection”, etc. You will want to click on the Content Collection.
Then click on Institution Content on the left hand side of the page.
Under Institution Content, you will find Bb Manuals, Employee Documents, Employee Phone Directory, and Student Directory.
What is my Blackboard ID and password?
Your username is the first initial of your first name plus your last name (John Smith = jsmith), you may have to use a middle initial if there is already an employee with your username (John Smith = jsmith, Joan L. Smith = jlsmith). Your password is either the same as what you already use to login to the Novell network, or is initially set to your eight digit birthday, MMDDYYYY (ex. 02031971 for Feb. 3rd 1971).
How do I change my Blackboard password?
You can change your Blackboard password through your employee e-mail (WebMail).
To access your e-mail account you can go to http://webmail.sbuniv.edu or go to SBU’s homepage, http://www.sbuniv.edu, My SBU, and then click the link that reads Webmail. The User Name and Password for your e-mail is the same as your Network login. Once you put in your Username and Password, you will get a screen that contains your mail and if you look at the top left-hand corner you will find three boxes, you need to check on the box in the middle (settings). Choose the password tab. You will get a screen that allows you to change your password. Make sure that you input the old password, create a new one that is at least eight characters in length, and hit the save button at the bottom of the page. Once you have done this, your password will be that same password that you created, for your Network Login, your Blackboard Login, and your Webmail/Groupwise Login. If you have tried these steps and still need assistance, you can call the helpdesk at 417-328-1702.
How do I copy an existing course into a new course shell?
Your course shells are generated for you as you are assigned as the instructor in Datatel. When your new course appears in Blackboard, you can then move information that you have created in another course over to the new shell.
Go into your original course that you are wishing to copy content from.
Go to Control Panel.
Course Options.
Course Copy.
On the first step (destination course ID) click on search, then hit browse. This will show you all the courses that you are associated with. Choose the appropriate one.
Specify which items that you wish to copy. EX: Staff Information, Announcements, Calendar, Settings.
Hit Submit.After you Submit, you should receive an e-mail that is sent to your SBU e-mail. This notifies you that your copy has been completed. Once you notice that information has arrived, go into the course that you copied the information to and make sure that everything copied over the way you like. You may go back in and repeat the process described above to copy only a few items that you may have forgotten.
How do I make my course available?
Once you have copied over your course into the new shell, you still need to make your course available for students to see. You can do this when ever you wish. Follow these steps:
Go into the course that you wish to make available in Blackboard.
Go to the control panel.
Settings.
Course Avail.
Select Yes.
Submit.
How do I Create or Modify a Test?
Tests are on-line evaluations that can be used to measure a Student’s understanding of the course. Test properties, such as availability and presentation options, are managed through the Content Area where the Test is added.
Click Test Manager in the Assessments area on the Control Panel to open the Test Manager.
How to create a Test:
Select Add Test on the Test Manager page.
Enter a name, description, instructions and click Submit.
Decide on Creation Settings options – Click Creation Settings to establish which default options, such as feedback and images, are available for each question creation.
Select a question type on the Test Canvas and click Go.
Details for all Question types; Random Block; Upload Questions; Search Pools & Assessments; Survey Manager; Pool Manager; Pool Import can be found in Manual under the Help section of the Control Panel.
Create a question.
Enter the Point Value for the question.
Attach a file or URL to any question (optional - if you chose these options in Creation Settings)
Enter answers to choose from and select the correct answer.
Enter feedback that Students will see based on their answer (optional - if you chose these options in Creation Settings, and want to provide this for the question)
Repeat Step 4 through Step 9 until finished adding questions. Use ADD QUESTION HERE (for the same type of question) or ADD/GO AT TOP (if you need a different type of question next).
How do I Add (deploy) Test to Content Area and Make Available?
Select a Content Area (your choice), such as Course Documents or create an area called Tests ,etc.
Select Edit View in the chosen Content Area.
Select Add Test on the Action Bar.
There are two options for adding a test on the Add Test page.
Create a New Test – Click Create.
Select an existing Test – Select a Test in the Add Test box and click Submit.
After a Test is added to a Content Area, the Modify Test page appears. This page includes links to the Test Canvas page, to modify the Test itself, and to the Test Options page. The Test Options page includes options for setting the availability, feedback, and presentation of the Test.
What is a Test Canvas and how do I use it?
The Test Canvas page is the center of the Test creation process. Instructors can modify the Test name and instructions, add and modify questions on the Test, and view Tests. With the exception of minor text changes, such as correcting a typo, Assessments should not be modified if Students have already begun taking the Assessment.
Select Test Manager in the Assessment area of the Control Panel.
Click Modify next to an existing Test.
Follow these steps to open the Test Canvas page for a new test:
Select Test Manager in the Assessment area of the Control Panel.
Click Add Test.
Complete the Add Test page and select Submit.
What Functions are available through the Test Canvas?
To . . . click . . .
Add a question. the drop-down menu in the Add Question: field, select a type of question to add and click Go.
Add a question in between existing questions. the drop-down menu in the Add Question: field, select a type of question to add and click Add Question Here in the location where the question should appear.
Change the settings for this test. Creation Settings. The Test Creation Settings page will appear. Creation Settings enable the Instructor to adjust the default point value, options for question feedback and the inclusion of images.
Change the name, description, or instructions for the
Test.
Modify to the right of the Name, Description, and Instructions.
Change the order of the questions. the drop-down list to the left of the question header. Select a new order for the questions using the numbers in the drop-down list.
Modify a question.
Modify to the right of the question header.
Remove a question. Remove to the right of the question header. A confirmation box will appear. Removing a question is
irreversible.
What are Test Options?
Test Options allow the Instructor to modify the name and description of a Test, as well as, set up the availability, presentation, and feedback for a Test. These options are only available once a Test is added to a Content Area. After a Test is added, the Modify Test page appears, select Modify the Test Options to open the Test Options page. To make modifications to existing Test Options select Modify next to the Test in the Content Area.
How can I Modify Test Availability?
Test availability may only be set after a Test has been added to a Content Area. Availability is managed on the Test Options page.
Note: When an Assessment is unavailable it is deployed to a Content Area but a link does not appear to Students. The unavailable Assessment can be seen when accessing the Course area through the Control Panel.
Option Description
Make the link available Select Yes to make a link to this Assessment appear to Students. If this option is set to No, it will not appear to Students. Instructors may make the link available, then use the Display After and Display Until fields to limit the amount of time the link appears.
Create an announcement for this Test Select Yes to create an Announcement about the Test. The Announcement will include the date and state “an Assessment has been made available in [Course area that includes the link to the Assessment]”. This Announcement will appear in the course Announcements.
Allow multiple attempts This option allows Students to take the Test multiple times. The status of multiple attempts is displayed to Students at the top of the Assessment. The grade for the most recent attempt is recorded and appears in the Gradebook.
Force Completion Students must complete the Assessment the first time it is launched if Force Completion is selected. Students 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.
If the Force Completion option is enabled, it is noted and explained to Students at the top of the Assessment.
If Force Completion is not enabled, Students may save their progress and complete the Assessment at another time.
Set Timer Select this check box to set a time limit for finishing the Assessment. If this option is selected, enter the amount of time to allow for the Test in the hours and minutes boxes below. The time elapsed is displayed to the Student during the Assessment. A one-minute warning is also displayed as Students approach the time limit.
Display After Select the date and time when the Test will become available to Students. This field is optional; the Instructor may control availability through the Make the link available option without setting specific dates.
Display Until Select the date and time the Test will be made unavailable to Students. This field may be left blank.
Password Select this check box to require a password for Students to access this Assessment. If this check box is selected, enter a password in the field below. Passwords cannot be longer than 15 characters. Passwords are case sensitive.
Warning: A warning appears if any Students have already taken a Test when the Modify the Test option is selected. Certain areas of the Test will not be available for modification if the Test has already been taken by Students.
If the Instructor modifies a Test after a Student has submitted it, the Student will view the new, modified Test when they view their grade and feedback. They will not view the original Assessment they completed.
How can I remove a Deployed Assessment from Content Area?
When an Assessment is removed from a Content Area it is deleted from that Content Area and the details of any Student attempts are deleted. The Assessment will still be available in the Test Manager or Survey Manager. Grades can be preserved, but the details of the Student attempts will be lost. Removing an Assessment from a Content Area does not delete the Assessment from the system. The Assessment must be removed from the Test Manager or Survey Manager to completely delete it from the course.
Tip: If any Students have already taken an Assessment be cautious and consider the consequences before removing the Assessment . It is recommended that an Assessment first be made Unavailable before considering the more drastic step of removing the Assessment.
Follow the steps below to remove an Assessment from a Content Area:
Open the Course Area where assessment is located..
Select Edit View from the Content Area of choice.
Locate the Assessment and click Remove next to the Assessment.
A warning appears. Click Yes to continue.
If a Student has not yet attempted the Assessment, the Assessment will be removed from the Course area. The Assessment is still in the Test or Survey Manager. If a Student has attempted the Assessment, please continue to Step 3.
Select the appropriate option and click Submit.
What is Preserve?
This option removes the Assessment from the Course area. Any Grades in the Gradebook related to this Assessment will remain but the attempt itself will be deleted.
In this instance, the grade stays but the Assessment and any attempts are removed. It will not be possible to view any of the Student’s responses to questions. This can have serious consequences, for example, if an essay question still needs to be graded, it will not be possible to do so after removing the Assessment because the details of the attempt were removed.
It is important to note that if the Assessment is deployed again, it is done as a new Assessment. There is no connection or shared data between the first and second deployments and the Gradebook will treat each deployment as separate Gradebook Items.
What is Remove?
This option removes the Assessment from the Course area and erases any record of the Assessment from the Gradebook. This will destroy all record of Student performance on the Assessment.
How can I Remove an Assessment from the Test or Survey Manager?
Assessments are removed by selecting the corresponding Remove button on the Test or Survey Manager. An Assessment can only be removed from the Test or Survey Manager if it is not deployed in a Course area. If a Remove button does not appear for an Assessment in the Test or Survey Manager, follow the instructions for removing a deployed Assessment before trying to remove the Assessment from the Test or Survey Manager.
Removing an Assessment from the Test or Survey Manager destroys the Assessment but does not have any impact on the Gradebook.
What are Messages?
The Messages feature gives each course a private and secure system for communication that functions similar to email. Keep in mind that Messages cannot be sent or received outside of the users in the course. Messages feature is a reliable communication function in times when student e-mail addresses may rapidly change.Messages are usually accessed through the Communications area of a course. Although, as with most features, the Instructor can restrict access or change the layout of the Course Menu so that Messages are accessible directly. Messages may be accessed through the Communications area of the Course Content Area or Instructors may access Messages from the Control Panel.
How can I send e-mail through Blackboard?
Instructors can send email to individuals who participate in the course from the Send Email page. Emails can be sent to individual users or to groups of users within the course, such as all Teaching Assistants. Instructors cannot send email to others (people not in our Bb course) via the Internet with the Send Email function. Click Send Email in Course Tools on the Control Panel to open the Send E-mail page.
What Functions are available from the Send e-mail page?
Function Description
All Users Sends email to all users in a specified course.
All Groups Sends email to all of the groups in a specified course.
All Teaching Assistants Sends email to all of the Teaching Assistants in the course.
All Instructors Sends email to all of the Instructors in the course.
All Observers Sends email to all of the Observers for a specified course
Single / Select Users Sends email to a single user or select users in the course.
Single / Select Groups Send email to a single group or select groups in the course.
What are Collaboration Tools?
The Collaboration Tools allow instructors and to participate in real-time lessons and discussions. Examples of these sessions include real-time, online classroom discussions, TA sessions, and live question and answer forums. Archives of previous sessions are also available for review. Instructors can search for and join Collaboration Sessions and view session archives.
To open the Collaboration Sessions page, please follow these steps; first, click Communication on the Course Menu in a Course. Then, select Collaboration. Here you will find the two types of Collaboration Tools:
* Virtual Classroom: Users engage in a real-time discussion with other users, access the Web, and engage in question and answer sessions. Users may also access the Whiteboard to display text and images.
* Chat: Chat is part of the Virtual Classroom. It can also be accessed separately. Chat allows users to open just the chat function.
What are the requirements for successful use of Collaboration Tools?
The Java 2 Run Time Environment 1.3.1_04 or higher is required to use the Collaboration Tools. The plug-in may be downloaded from the page that appears when a user Joins a Collaboration Session, or may be found at:
http://java.com/en/download/manual.jsp
Take care to uninstall any existing Java plug-ins before installing a new version.
How can I diagnose and fix problems with Collaboration Tools?
If you are using some sort of "Popup Blocker" software on your computer, it could be interfering with the Collaboration Tools (you’ll not get the new window that opens to show either the Virtual Classroom or Chat). Disable that software for a few minutes and then try starting either the Virtual Classroom or Chat again. If this works, check to see if your Popup Blocker software permits you to specify a website as "OK"; if it does, add the SBU MySBU website ( http://my.sbuniv.edu/ ) to that list. If your Popup Blocker does not permit an "OK" list then you'll have to disable it every time you want to access the Collaboration Tools.
Firewalls, whether at home or at work, can also interfere with the Collaboration Tools (you’ll get the popup window, but it will not be able to connect and communicate with the Blackboard server). In Blackboard 6 ( http://my.sbuniv.edu/ ) ports 8010 and 8011 are the default ports that should be opened in your site's firewall to allow external users to access the chat. Either these changes will need to be made by yourself to whatever software or hardware based firewall you may have there, or tell the System/Network Administrator at your work location what ports need to be open in the firewall there.
Will my Macintosh work with 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 Pop-Up Window Blocking must disabled. Users running Macintosh Operating System 8 or 9 should also use the Accessible Collaboration Tool. A link to this version appears when Join is selected on the Collaboration Sessions page. This link will open the Accessible version of the Collaboration Tool. The sound of a door opening or closing will be audible to all participants when a user enters or leaves a session through the accessible version.
What are Assignments?
Assignments allow instructors to create coursework and manage the grades and feedback for each student separately. Instructors may create Assignments that lists the name, point value and description of the Assignment; files may also be attached. After an Assignment is added to a Content Area, students may access the Assignment, complete it in a separate file, and send it back to the instructor. The instructor may respond to each student separately, sending comments about their individual Assignment and attaching files, if necessary. NOTE: Once a student completes and submits an Assignment the instructor accesses the student work in the Gradebook.
How do I add an Assignment to a Content Area?
Open a Content Area, such as Course Documents, from the Control Panel.
Select Add Assignment from the Action Bar.
Complete the Add Assignment page and click Submit.
Fill out the Assignment Information area:
-Give a Name (and chose a color for the Name text if desired), list the Points Possible (this will make for the Gradebook entry of the Assignment), provide Instructions via the WYSIWYG editor.
Fill out the Assignment Files area (if needed/desired):
-This lets you add one file to the Assignment. This could be the instructions needed, or perhaps the content that the students will need to read or otherwise use to work on the Assignment, etc. NOTE: If you want to provide multiple files, you will have to Modify the Assignment for each additional file you want to provide.
Fill out the Options area as needed/desired:
-The common content options of Make the assignment available, Track number of views, Choose date restrictions.
Submit the Assignment by clicking the Submit button.
How can I track student progress on an Assignment?
When viewed in the Gradebook, the Assignment may show a lock symbol for a student’s entry on the Assignment. This means they have made at least one Save on the Assignment, but have not yet Submitted it to you. While you can click on the lock symbol to see the Modify Grade page, the View button on this page will not function until the student Submits the Assignment to the instructor.
How do I use the Grading tool and provide Feedback on an Assignment?
When you see the red exclamation point ( ! ) for a student on the Assignment, this means that the Assignment “Needs Grading”. Clicking this will take you to the Modify Grade page, and now the View button on the right will be available to the instructor. This allows the instructor to enter a grade, view what the Assignment was and what the student turned in, and provide feedback for the student via comments and/or files, as well as make notes only the instructor can see for that student on this Assignment. Another important button here is the Clear Attempt. Doing this will allow a student to regain access to the Assignment, in case they accidentally clicked Submit before they were truly ready to do so.
Another possible way to access the Assignment is via the name of the Assignment in the Gradebook. This gives the instructor access to the following features:
* Item Grade List: View a list of Students and their grades for this Assignment.
* Item Detail: View the Assignment statistics.
* Item Information: Modify the Gradebook item information, such as item name and description.
* Item Download: Download Assignments submitted by Students.
* Item File Cleanup: Delete files for specific Students.
How do I use the Item Download tool?
The Instructor selects the check boxes next to the Student Assignments he or she would like to download. Individual or multiple check boxes may be selected. After Submit is selected a Download Assignment page appears. Click the link on this page to save the exported assignments to a location on the hard drive, where they can be accessed. The Zip file, named with the Assignment name, automatically includes files with the user name of the Student who submitted the file(s), and a text file.
For example, a Word document submitted by Mary Wallace (user name ‘123456’) for Week 1 Assignment called “mypaper.doc”:
Week_1_Assignment_123456_mypaper.doc
Week_1_Assignment_123465.txt
If there are multiple students are selected for this download, the Zip file will contain this set of documents for each student.
Use of Item Download before using Item File Cleanup would provide a way to archive student work, without leaving the files in Blackboard.
How can I use Content in Blackboard Courses?
Instructors use the tools available through the Course areas section of the Control Panel to manage information, materials, Assignments, and Assessments used in the course. These same areas can also be accessed directly with the Edit View option. NOTE: Instructors can set the name of Course areas and add additional Course areas from Manage Course Menu.
What are Content Areas: adding and managing?
Instructors can set the name of Course areas and add or remove Course areas from the Manage Course Menu area in the Control Panel of a course.
What is some general information on Content Types?
Instructors may add a number of different kinds of content to course Content Areas; these are referred to as Content Types. Content Types generally fall into two different categories:
• Content – Content that adds information to a course, for example, a file or a Learning Unit.
• Reference – Content that references something that lies outside the Content Area, such as an External Link or a Course Link.
All content shares a few similarities; each piece of content includes a name and description. Many Content Types also allow the Instructor to set options such as availability and date restrictions. Adaptive Release and Review Status, with User Progress and Performance Dashboard being closely related, are also common options for nearly all Content Types.
What are the Content Types?
Content Types may be selected from the Action Bar and drop-down list of a Content Area page.
Item A general piece of content to which items may be attached.
Test On-line evaluations of Student knowledge and skills. Test properties, such as availability and presentation options, are managed through the course area where the Test appears. For information on building Tests and other Assessments see the section on How to Create an Assessment.
Assignment Content that Instructors may mark based on a given number of points possible, such as class work.
Learning Unit A set of content that includes a structured path for progressing through the items.
Folder A folder within a Content Area to which other content types may be added. Folders allow Instructors to organize a Content Area into a structured area with a hierarchy or categories.
External Link Link to an outside Web site.
Course Link Link to another item in a course.
Survey Similar to Tests, Surveys are useful to polling purposes and evaluations. Questions in Surveys cannot be assigned points and Surveys may not be graded.
Tool Link to a tool in the course, such as a Discussion Board or Virtual Classroom session.
Offline Content A direct path to a specified file on a drive, usually a CD-ROM. To access this file, users must have the correct CD-ROM in their computer.
Syllabus Builder Content item that enables an Instructor to build a course syllabus by walking through a series of steps.
SCORM Content Content that adheres to Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) standards. Additional information can be found at http://www.adlnet.org/scorm/index.cfm See also http://www.rhassociates.com/scorm.htm and http://www.lsal.cmu.edu/lsal/expertise/projects/developersguide/
IMS Content Content that matches IMS (Instructional Management Systems) specifications. Additional information may be found at http://www.imsproject.org .
NLN Content A package of content developed by the National Learning Network. (NLN) Additional information may be found at http://www.nln.ac.uk .