On this page you will find a variety of resources to help you get started or solve problems in Blackboard. Click on a section to jump down, or scroll to see all resources. If you have additional questions not answered here, don't hesitate to contact the Help Desk (see left sidebar).
| Getting Started |
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10 Steps to Getting Started with Blackboard
The following tutorial walks through all faculty need to know to get up and running with Blackboard in no time. |
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Course Coordinator List
In order to get a course shell created in Blackboard, your course needs to be flagged in ISIS. The following pdf lists the department course coordinator contacts. |
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Learn What's New with Blackboard Version 8.0
In May 2008 we upgraded to verion 8. The following video quickly explains some of the changes you should be aware of with Blackboard 8. |
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How to do a Course Copy
The following pdf provides step by step instructions of how to copy material from a previous course shell in Blackboard to a new course shell. |
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Request a Course Copy or Multiple Section Merge
Send a request to the staff at CU Online to copy the material from one course shell to another and/or to merge multiple sections of a course. |
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Adding a Course Banner
The following illustrates how to add a course banner in Blackboard. |
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Course Menu Design
The following jobaid illustrates how you can customize the look of your course by changing the menu design. |
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Uploading a Syllabus
The following jobaid illustrates how to upload your syllabus to Blackboard. |
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Add Instructor Contact Information
The following jobaid illustrates how to add your instructor contact information to Blackboard. |
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Add Basic Content to a Course
The following video demonstrates how to add basic content to a course in Blackboard
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Organizing Your Course Content
The following document highlights different ways you can organize your course content in Blackboard
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Creating Course Content
The following is a brief pdf created by Blackboard on different ways to create course content in Blackboard
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Presenting Course Content
The following is a brief pdf created by Blackboard on how you can structure and release course content in Blackboard.
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Embedding a YouTube video
The following video demonstrates how to embed a YouTube video into to a course in Blackboard
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Course Checklist
The following checklist can serve as a helpful tool to ensure you that your course in Blackboard is ready to go |
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Instructions for Students
The following job aid goes over some basic information about Blackboard for students who are new to Blackboard. |
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Making Your Course Available for Students
The following illustrates how to make the course shell available for students to access it. |
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Setting Up Groups
The following illustrates how to set up groups in Blackboard |
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| Grade Center |
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Getting Started
The following document is a short 4 page document provided by Blackboard that hightlights the basic features and changes to the new Grade Center. |
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Adding Columns
The following video illustrates how to add columns in the new Grade Center
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Organize the Grade Center
The following video illustrates different ways you can organize your the new Grade Center. |
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Categories & Weights
The following video illustrates how to add categories to assignments and then to set up a weighted total in the new Grade Center. |
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Analyzing Grades
The following video highlights different ways to analyze the grades in the new Grade Center. |
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Customizing the Grade Center
The new grade center allows faculty to have greater control over what the layout of the Grade Center. The following video highlights different ways to customize the grade center. |
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Exporting / Importing Grades into the Grade Center
The following video shows how you can export and import grades from Excel into the Grade Center in Blackboard. |
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Grade Center Handbook
The following handbook is a comprehensive resource on the different tools and functions of the new Grade Center in Blackboard |
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Simulcast about the Grade Center
The following video is a recording of a simulcast done on the Gradec Center and Blackboard. |
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| Assignments |
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Adding Assignments
Facutly, especially those teaching a completely online course, often prefer to have students turn in assignments in Blackboard. The following should help explain how to set up assignments in Blackboard using the assignment tool |
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SafeAssign (Instructors)
SafeAssign is a plagirism detection tool. The following resources illustrate how to set up a SafeAssignment or directly submit to student work to SafeAssign. |
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SafeAssign (Students)
SafeAssign is a plagirism detection tool. The following resources illustrate how to submit a SafeAssignment and review your SafeAssign report. |
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Wiki Tool
There is now a Wiki tool in Blackboard which can serve as a great way to get students to collaborate on projects. The following resource will help explain how to set up and use the Wiki tool in Blackboard. |
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Edit a Wiki
The following job aid explains how to edit a Wiki in Blackboard. |
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Blogs, Wiki's, & Podcasts Webinar
The following simulcast was recorded during a live workshop on blogs, wiki's, and podcasts. |
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Scholar
Scholar is a social bookmarking tool that is integrated with Blackboard. If you have used tools like del.icio.us before or created webliographies in your class then you might want to begin using Scholar. |
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| Assessment |
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Self and Peer Assessment
The self and peer assessment tool enable students to develop their critical thinking skills by allowing them to assess themselves and their peers using teacher-set criteria.The following document will help explain how to use the tool. |
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| Measuring Student Performance |
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Creating a Text/Quiz in Blackboard
The following video shows how to create a basic test/quiz in Blackboard. |
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Change the Settings for a Test/Quiz in Blackboard
The following video illustrates how to change the settings of a Test/Quiz in Blackboard (e.g., making it available, changing how long students have to complete the exam) |
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Tips for Deploying a Test for Instructors
Before you begin creating tests in Blackboard, you should be sure to understand the advantages and disadvantages of giving assessments online. This resource hightlights some of the tips you will need to consider when deploying a test onlne. |
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Test Taking Tips for Students
This document highlights some of the tips students should be aware of when taking a test/exam online. |
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| Troubleshooting - Online Test Taking Use this form to fillin details ofany issues/errors you may have experienced while taking on online test in Blackboard |
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| Removing "No Print" Code The following job aid explains how toremove the "No Print Code" from your exam/test/quiz in Blackboard. |
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Survey Manager
Surveys provide instructors with an assessment tool that is useful for polling purposes, evaluations, and random checks of knowledge. The following resource will help explain how to set up and use the tool. |
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| Exporting Test Questions from within Blackboard This document highlights the steps you need to take to export your test questions from within Blackboard into a doc, pdf or rtf |
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| Communication |
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Adding Audio Announcements
The following video illustrates how to add audio announcements in Blackboard. |
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Configure Panopto for Lecture Capture in Blackboard
Panoptop is a lecture caputure tool available on the AMC. The following job aid explains how to configure Panopto in Blackboard. |
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| Keeping in Touch with Students |
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| Student Collaboration and Communication |
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| Maintenance / Trouble Shooting |
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Recommended Web Browsers
A number of the problems faculty and students have with Blackboard are related to the Web Browser they are using. The following job aid outlines recommended browsers. |
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Purge Your Java Cache Version 1.4
Experienced users have found that you can speed up Blackboard by purging your java cache. The following instructions explain how to do this for people with version 1.4. |
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Purge Your Java Cache Version 1.6
Experienced users have found that you can speed up Blackboard by purging your java cache. The following instructions explain how to do this for people with version 1.6. |
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Change Your Temporary Internet Settings
Some instructors have had problems recently with using Internet Explorer in the Grade Center. Typically what happens is that they enter grades or make changes in their grade center that they don't see. For instance, they might enter grades and then once they are done the new grades are not there. The following resource will guide you through changing your internet settings to avoid this problem. |
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Change Internet and Java Settings (for problems with saving grades)
The following instructions should help faculty who are having problems saving grades in the Grade Center--specifically when the saving icon continues to spin but nevers saves the grade. |
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| Communities / Organizations |
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Make a Request for a faculty or student Organization
Use the following form to request CU Online to create an Organization in Blackboard. |
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How to Enroll Individual Users
The following job aid illustrates how to enroll individual users into an Organization in Blackboard.
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How to Batch Enroll Users
The following job aid illustrates how to batch enroll users into an Organization in Blackboard. |
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| Resources from other Universities |
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| Central Michigan Student Tutorials |
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| Central Michigan Faculty Tutorials |
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| Hudson Valley Community College |
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