Teaching With Blackboard 9.1
Note: Requirements listed are for online instructors only.
Stay Informed
- Distance Learning News: Check the DL News blog for Distance Learning and Blackboard news. You can subscribe by email or RSS feed for carefree delivery.
- Blackboard 9.1 FAQs: If you are experiencing problems with Blackboard 9.1, please take a look at at our list of FAQs generated since we installed this version.
- Help Your Students Help Themselves: Don't forget your students. Review the Help Your Students Help Themselves section.
Get Started with Blackboard (Internet and Hybrid Instructors)
Here's how you can prepare yourself to teach an Internet or Hybrid course on Bb 9.1:
- Sign up for a workshop (find a current listing of upcoming training on the Training Schedule page.
- Required: Complete the Bb101 Course (as a student). All online instructors are enrolled in this course and it will show up on your My Courses list in Bb. This short self-paced course introduces you to Bb from a student's perspective.
- Required: Complete the Getting Started with Blackboard workshop (as an instructor). This training (in person or online) introduces you to the teaching side of Blackboard.
- New! We are now offering our basic Blackboard training courses as self-paced courses, which you can choose instead of the face-to-face workshop. If you choose this option (select through the registration form), you will be enrolled in a course with an empty shell, and be provided with instructions on how to complete some basic activities. The instructional materials are available to everyone, but you must register and complete the course online to receive credit for this training, if choosing the self-paced option. View Blackboard 9.1 self-paced faculty tutorials.
- For in-depth learning on specific Blackboard features, check the resources in the Blackboard Tutorials section on this page.
Before the first day of class, please complete the following:
- Use the Course Readiness Checklist (pdf) to help ensure that your course is ready to launch.
- Check the Grade Center to ensure that all activities were copied and are correct; that the correct grading schema is being used; and that items are correctly categorized. Refer to Grade Center Check document (pdf).
- If you are revising your course, consult the CFCC course essentials checklist (doc).This document identifies 25 standards that should be addressed in online courses. You can use the rubric (doc) with these standards if you want to take notes as you review your course.
Blackboard Tutorials
These following sites include tutorials for most of Blackboard's features. Below this section are tutorials listed for some specific features.
- Blackboard's new On Demand Learning Center
Select from over 50 movie (close captioned and most under 3 minutes long)or text tutorials for specific Blackboard features. - NC Community Colleges Help
This help site from NC Community Colleges includes many helpful tutorials for each of Blackboard's features. Select the Course Delivery > Instructors link to get started. - Blackboard Manual for Instructors (html)
The full Bb manual includes all features. It is text-based with few images so this might not be a favorite for visual learners.
Assignments / Testing
- Adaptive Release Advanced: How to use to extend assignment time for select students (pdf)
This tutorial shows you how to use the Adaptive Release: Advanced tool in Blackboard to provide extra time for select students. - Adaptive Release Advanced: Create Multiple Rules to Release a Content Item
(movie cc, opens in new window) - Add Image, File or External link to Test, Survey, or Pool (html)
In order to include images, files or external links in test, survey or pool questions, you must first change the question settings. This tutorial will guide you through this process and show you how to include the image, file or external link in your question. - Export Individual Tests from One Course to Another
Learn how to export a test from one course and import to another.
- Instructor Safe Assign Tutorial (html)
This tutorial will show you how to use the Safe Assign plagiarism checking tool in Blackboard. You might also choose to view an abbreviated Instructor Guide from Blackboard (pdf). You can provide your students with a Student Safe Assign Guide (pdf) - Using the BYU Test Generator to Format Questions for Test Upload
(movie cc, opens in new window)
Learn how to use a free online formatting application to easily format questions for upload to Blackboard's Test, Survey, and Pool Manager. While you can build tests directly in Blackboard, this is sometimes time-consuming and tedious. This tool allows you to create questions in Word, paste them into the test generator to create a properly formatted file that is ready to upload directly into Blackboard. The movie tutorial will walk you through the steps. Files and links referenced are included below the movie.
Grade Center
- Grade Center Overview (cc movie, 3:53)
Learn about the basic layout and features of the Bb Grade Center. Use the CC button to show/hide captions. - Getting Started with the Grade Center (pdf)
This quickstart guide from Blackboard will guide you through many of the Blackboard features. - Grade Center Check document (pdf)
Use this document to help determine if your Grade Center is prepared for the first day of class (all items included, weighting and grading schemas are correct). - How to Add Extra Credit (pdf)
Learn how to add extra credit assignments to the Bb 9 Grade Center. - Managing Grade Attempts (pdf)
This tutorial explains how to manage assessment attempts (view details, clear attempt, delete, etc.) - NEW! Weighting Grades by Category (pdf)
This quickstart will show you how to set up grade weighting by categories. - Weighting Grades Movie Tutorial (movie cc, 4:53)
Learn how to set up weighted grades by individual items or by category.
Important: Before setting your weights, make sure you have removed any duplicate categories and that all the required categories exist. In Grade Center, click the Manage button and then Categories. - Determine Time Elapsed for Quiz or Test (html)
Check the amount of time a student spent taking a quiz or test. This is especially useful when you are alerted that a student went over the allotted time.
Communication Tools
- Discussion Board: Creating a Discussion Forum (html)
Learn how to set up a discussion forum in Blackboard 9.1. - Print Discussion Board Posts (pdf)
Learn how to collect and print discussion posts either to paper or PDF. - Conducting Online Office Hours (pdf)
Review some options available for conducting office hours (and study sessions) online. Don't forget to make your selected tool(s) available to students.
Error Messages and Display Issues
- @X@artifact_3403395_1@X@ ?? My students say that my content looks that this! (html)
Our version of Blackboard will show that text to students if you save items as HTML Objects. - Bb Error Message: Resolving Invalid HTML Errors (html)
Some of you will notice an invalid html error message, such as the one below, in parts of your courses that were migrated from Blackboard 7.3 to our new version. Although you might not be able to view your content as expected, rest easy; this tutorial will show you how you can repair your item. - Bb Text Display Errors (html)
If you find that your text is displaying incorrectly in your Blackboard course, this tutorial will help with troubleshooting. - Students Cannot View Attached Files in Copied Courses (pdf)
This tutorial addresses problems with students viewing attached files in copied courses, where the original course uses files that are stored in the new Files area.
Miscellaneous
- Copy Content from One Course to Another (html)
Learn how to perform full course copies and how to copy individual items from one course to another. - Hiding Courses in your My Courses list(html)
If your list of courses includes courses you no longer wish to view, you can easily hide them. You can always add them back to your list. - Pasting Content from Word (New Tool to Help) (html)
Learn how to easily resolve problems caused by pasting Microsoft Word content into the Blackboard text editor. - Add Test Student Account (html)
Instructors can now add their own test student accounts to courses. This tutorial will guide you through the simple process of creating and/or adding your student account to your courses. - Deleting Items & Setting Availability (pdf)
Learn how to delete items in Blackboard and set date restrictions on announcements, assignments, tests, and discussion forums. - Running a Report of All User Activity (movie, cc)
Learn how to run reports of student activity in your course, including dates of access, items accessed, and more. Blackboard Course Reports are NOT required to be submitted with rosters. You can use these throughout the semester to determine which activities were accessed by students and on which dates. - Screen Reader Tutorial (accessibility)
This tutorial, created by George Washington University, explains how Blackboard users can navigate Blackboard using a screen reader. This tool is frequently used by people with visual disabilities.
Help Your Students Help Themselves (Internet and Hybrid)
There are few things you can do to help students succeed in their online courses:
- Remind them about the Blackboard student tutorial. This course appears in every student's list of courses and they can enter it at any time. This tutorial provides students with activities they can complete to familiarize themselves with Blackboard. There are a number of tutorials and guidelines they should follow when taking online courses.
- Request that students read the Distance Learning Basics: Skills for being a successful online student (pdf), which is included in the Blackboard Student Tutorial (available to all students in Blackboard). Some instructors include the reading as one of the introduction activities to the course.
- Provide this Blackboard Browser Checker link to help ensure that students' computers have required applications to operate Blackboard successfully.
- Provide a thorough introduction to the course, along with your expectations (see CFCC Course Essentials)
- Let students know which file types you will accept for assignments (be aware that some students might not have MS Office, etc. so provide ways for them to save files in an acceptable format) and how to properly name files. See this Filenaming and File Types document (part of the student tutorial) for some information and suggestions.
- Provide students with information about taking quizzes and tests in Blackboard. This document is included in the student tutorial.
- Advise students about two important help sites:
- Blackboard On Demand Learning Center (student movie tutorials, close captioned)
- NCCCS Blackboard Help (text and movie tutorials for students)
