Blackboard Faculty and Staff Checklist

Course Close Out – Preparation for Migration

2011-2012

Performing a thorough course closeout allows for easy document retrieval in the case of a course challenge or accreditation review and aids in course creation for subsequent semesters. Bb support recommends that course directors perform this process as soon as possible post semester.

PREPARATION

1. Step 1 - Make an appointment with one of the Blackboard Staff (each school has an assigned Bb support person to assist with migration as follows:

  1. SoN Doris Owens
  2. SOM Bonnie Taylor
  3. Dental – Ida Garcia
  4. SHP – Beverly Vernon
  5. Graduate School – Mary Yanes

Before meeting with Bb support, if possible we suggest faculty do the following for each course:

2. PERFORM COURSE CLOSE OUT – This is the same process we suggest course directors perform at the end of every semester. If you are not comfortable with this process BB support will assist you but then you may need additional appointments. Please plan accordingly.

A. Suggested Save and Edit process

  1. On your computer, create a folder containing course name, e.g. PHAS6016SP11
  2. Create subfolder folder for archive (e.g. PHAS6016SP11_ARCHIVE)
  3. Create subfolders as follows, using the appropriate course name and semester:
  4. PHAS6016SP11emails
  5. PHAS6016SP11discussions
  6. PHAS6016SP11assignments
  7. PHAS6016SP11assessments
  8. PHAS6016SP11gradebooks
  9. Create a separate folder for course content, titled PHAS6016SP11content (using the appropriate course name and semester)
  10. Create folders by topic, e.g. Diabetes, Heart Disease, Stroke

B. E-mail

  1. Access Bb course e-mail
  2. For each e-mail folder do the following:
  3. Open the e-mail folder
  4. Click on small box to the left of SUBJECT to select all of the e-mails in that folder
  5. From the bottom of the screen click on Create Printable View
  6. When the dialogue box appears you will see a list of the compiled messages
  7. Click on Save as File
  8. Save file in the emails folder you created
  9. Save file as PHAS6016SP11emailSent (or PHAS6016SP11emailReceived, etc., using the appropriate course name and semester)

C. Discussions

  1. Go to Discussions
  2. Open individual topics
  3. Expand all + signs next to postings
  4. Select box to the left of the word Subject
  5. Click on Create Printable View
  6. Click on Save as File
  7. Save files in the discussions folder you created
  8. Save files as PHAS6016SP11titleofdiscussion (using the appropriate course name and semester)
  9. Repeat for each topic (you may also save by author and select individually)

D. Assignments

From the TEACH tab:

  1. Click on Assignment Drop Box
  2. Click on Submitted, or Graded, your choice
  3. Sort by individual assignments or all assignments, all students or by student.
  4. Select box to the left of the word Title.
  5. Click on Create Printable View
  6. Click on Save as File
  7. Save files in the assignments folder you created
  8. Save files as PHAS6016SP11titleofassignment (using the appropriate course name and semester)
  9. Repeat for each Assignment

NOTE: If the assignment involved attachments, you must save each attachment individually.

E. Assessments

From the TEACH tab:

  1. Go to Assessment manager
  2. Click on demo student Attempt
  3. Save file in the assessments folder you created
  4. Save a master copy of the test as PHAS6016SP11titleofassessment (using the appropriate course name and semester)
  5. Create a screen shot or copy the entire screen
  6. Save the screen shot in the assessments folder you created

F. Grade Book

From the TEACH tab:

  1. Click on the square next to the last name which will select all
  2. Go to the bottom of the page and select Export to Spreadsheet
  3. Save as default (Selected members, visible columns, comma delimited, Unicode
  4. Click on Export
  5. File will be saved as a csv, which can be used and saved as an Excel spreadsheet

G. File Manager – this process takes time, please plan from 1-5 hours for this process.

From the BUILD tab:

  1. Click on File Manager
  2. Take screen shots of file folders so you can replicate folder/file hierarchy
  3. Open each folder
  4. Identify files that are currently used in the course.
  5. Remove any duplicate files or obviously old and/or unused files.
  6. Select files you wish to save (check box to the left of the file name).
  7. Go to the bottom and select Zip
  8. Name the file (no spaces, no special characters! Less than 20 characters)
  9. Save zip file to the folder you created on your hard drive.

EDITS – suggestions

  • FILE MANAGER –
  • Download files into a folder, keeping the same file name store under semester/year on your hard drive e.g. Sp201DENH4000-BbCE8.
  • Make edits to the individual files downloaded from CE8
  • Rename the files -Avoid dates or years on file names –but name the files 20 characters or less e.g. EyeAnatLecture.ppt
  • Save edited files into a new set of folders (e.g. PHAS6016SP12TopicTitle, using the appropriate course name and semester). This will allow you to easily upload files into BbLearn AND make changes.
  • Gradebook - Double check formulas (complex formulas do not migrate over to BB Learn), suggest 100 or 1000 point basis

STEP 3) Meeting with Bb Support Team member:

- During this meeting the Bb support team member will :

  1. reviewthe online course in the old Blackboard CE8.
  2. If the course is ‘clean’ and ready to migrate they will present faculty with

STEP 4 – MIGRATION COURSE SET UP options

  1. Request BbLearn migration – complete the request form and e-mail it to the Bb administrator and have your course migrated from CE8 to the new BbLearn.
  2. request a blank course (to start over with a new course shell in BbLearn) the Bb support person will provide an orientation to BbLearn

If the course is not yet ready, Bb support will assist and make suggestions for course clean up and make another appointment.

STEP 5 – TRAINING PREPARATION

  1. Enrollment in the Faculty BbLearn Certification Course - faculty may choose to either reference as needed or formally complete.
  2. Each Faculty will be provided with a practice course

STEP 6 -set up Appt. #2 if needed -

  1. Quality control, Support team member will review migrated course with faculty and confirm that all is migrated per faculty request.
  2. Confirm Enrollment in the Faculty BbLearn Certification Course,
  3. Orientation/training in the new BbLearn if not completed .
  4. Make another training appt. if needed.

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