/ UTO Training
Workshop: Blackboard-Introduction

Technical Assistance:

  • Website: (ASU Help Desk is in the upper right corner)
  • Email Help Desk:
  • Help Desk Phone: 480.965.6500 (24/7 support)
  • Blackboard manual: Control Panel |Manual
  1. Course requests:
  • For development courses:
  • For credit courses (with SLN): | log in | click Bb+ icon right of the course name in My Classes section.
  • Services that can be added to Blackboard are:
  • iTunes U
  • Sakai
  • To add these services, click the Additional Options link next to the Cancel button after the Instructor/TA selection step
  • Credit courses can contain multiple sections
  • A new course must be requested each semester using the appropriate SLN
  • Content from a previous course can be copied to a new course
  • If you were not listed as the instructor of record, then you will need permission for this content to be copied
  • TAs cannot request courses for instructors
  1. Student Test Account:
  • You may set up an alternative/secondary ASURITE ID to view your myASU course from the student's perspective – this is ideal for testing your Blackboard links
  • You can access the request for at
  • You must have you ASU Affiliate ID, which is the 1000or 1200number on your Sun Card

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/ UTO Training
Workshop: Blackboard-Introduction

GENERAL INFORMATION

  1. Course Enrollment
  • Students automatically enrolled
  • TA’s must be added manually; you will need to first add the user, then modify his or her role:

Add User:

Control Panel|Enroll User| enter ASURITE ID| choose Username| click Search| click checkbox next to name(s) | click Submit

Modify Role:

Control Panel|List/Modify Users| click List All tab then List All button | click Properties button next to name | scroll to bottom of page and choose role (i.e. Teaching Assistant) | click Submit

  1. Documents and Naming
  • Document type – any kind of file can be uploaded (i.e. – .pptx/.ppt, .zip, .docx/.doc, .xlsx/.xls, .jpg, etc.)
  • Document size – 10 mb upload limit; email Help Desk if you need more space; or use an Instructor Volume for larger files
  • Movies – you can use Media Manager, Google video, You Tube or Instructor Volumes to stream video (Help Wiki has information); do not upload directly to Blackboard as they will be too large
  • File Naming
  • Do not use spaces or special characters in file names:

~`!@#$%^&*()-=+/?;:’”[{]}\|

  • Use underscore ( _ ) and dashes ( - )
  • Also avoid excessively long names
  • Best practice is to give the students a standard format for all assignments:

Format: LastName_FirstInitial_AssignmentName.doc

Example: Smith_M_ResearchPaper.doc

GETTING STARTED

Blackboard enables you to customize your environment.

  1. Managing MyCourses Module

Courses are never deleted, but you can hide them

Home Tab | My Course Module:

Click Pencil icon | deselect what you don’t want visible | click Submit

Note:The Courses tab will not reflect the changes made in the Home tab – you will need to modify that list separately using the pencil icon

  1. Manage Course Menu

This area is where you can change the order of menu items, and add, change or delete content areas and tool links

Add Content Area:

Select your course | Control Panel | Manage Course Menu | +Content Area | choose name from choice list or type specific name in text box | click Submit

Add Tool Link:

Tool links are links to course tools like My Grades or Group Pages.

Select your course | Control Panel | Manage Course Menu | +Tool Link | choose the tool from choice list | option to rename link in text box | click Submit

Modify or Hide Link:

Select your course | Control Panel | Manage Course Menu | click Modify next to the menu item | change the name or hide from students | click Submit

Remove Link:

Select your course | Control Panel | Manage Course Menu |click Remove | warning dialogue box appears asking you to confirm removal | click OK

  1. Course Design

Instructors have the option of changing the menu design (buttons vs. text and colors), and adding a course banner

Course Menu Design – Text Menu:

Select your course | Control Panel | Course Design| Course Menu Design | choose Text menu style | choose background and text color in section 2 by clicking Pick | choose the color block from the color palette | click Submit

Course Menu Design – Button Menu:

Select your course | Control Panel | Course Design | Course Menu Design | choose Text menu style | in section 2, click Gallery of Buttons | choose between Solid, Striped or Pattern | each option will display the buttons available | click the button style you wish to use | click Submit

  1. Settings

This area allows you to change course name & description, Enrollment Options and Course Entry Point.

Course Name & Description:

Select your course | Control Panel | Settings | Course Name and Description | make the desired edits | click Submit

Enrollment Options:

This are is not applicable for credit courses because enrollment is managed by CEM.

Select your course | Control Panel | Settings | Course Enrollment | you have the option of choose Self Enrollment and setting an access code | click Submit

Course Entry Point:

Select your course | Control Panel | Settings | Course Entry Point | choose the page you want displayed when the course is accessed | click Submit

  1. Adding Content

All content delivered to students (documents, presentations, assignments, tests and external links) are deployed in content areas. There are a variety of content that can be added to content areas.

Add Item

  • Items are added for one-way delivery materials like a syllabus, lecture notes, etc.

Click the content area from the course menu | click Edit View in the upper right corner |+Item|enter Name|add a description or instructions in the Text field|to upload a file, click Browse and choose file | choose Options|click Submit

Note: you can also access the content areas from the Control Panel

Add Folder

  • This helps you organize your content in folders much like you manage your files on your computer

Choose content area from menu | click Edit View|+Folder|enter Name|add a description or instructions in the Text field | choose Options|click Submit

Add External Link

  • This allows you to provide an external link (must include

Choose content area from menu | click Edit View | +External Link|enter Name| Enter URL (or copy/paste from webpage) |add a description or instructions in the Text field | option to upload file | choose Options| recommend choosingOpen in new window|click Submit

Add Course Link

  • This allows you to provide a link to a section of the course site (i.e. – Discussion Board located under Communication)

Choose content area from menu | click Edit View | +Course Link| enter Name|add a description or instructions in the Text field | click Browseto access the course map | choose the area or tool within Blackboard that you want to link to | choose Options| Click Submit

Note: If you want to access a sub-area, click the plus icon next to the main area to display all sub-areas

Add Test

  • The +Test icon in the content area is the final step in deploying a test.
  • You must first create your questions in the Test Pool, create the test in Test Manager, then deploy the test via a Content Area
  • This will enable you to create questions one time and reuse them in multiple tests (quiz, chapter test, midterm and final)
  • When a test is added, a Grade Center item is automatically added for recording the grade
  • A separate workshopis available for tests (Blackboard-Tests) where you learn how to create a variety of question types, create tests from a pool, use random blocks, deploy a test, view/grade completed tests, and other tasks related to managing tests.

Add Assignment

  • The assignment tool allows instructors to distribute and collect assignments in one place – the assignment link is attached to a Grade Center column that stores the students’ submissions
  • A Safe Assignment works in the same manner with an added feature – a plagiarism check.
  • Both assignment types are added from the drop-down list in the upper right corner of the content area
  • A separate workshop is available for assignments (Blackboard-Assignments) where you learn how to create assignments, see how students submit assignments, view/grade submitted assignments, and other tasks related to managing assignments.
  1. Communication

Send an Email

  • Instructors can send email from theControl Panel or from Grade Center
  • A copy of an email sent via Blackboard is automatically sent to your inbox
  • It is important to tell your students that all email sent from Blackboard goes to their GMAIL account, and you have no control of this setting
  • They are responsible to forward it to the address they wish to use; they can do this under Settings at the top of the page in their GMAIL account

From Control Panel:

Control Panel|Send Email| can choose to send to All Users (all users automatically added) or Select Users (will need to choose names) |enter Subject and Message| attach file (optional) | click Submit

From Grade Center:

Control Panel | Grade Center | for All Users, click the checkmark at the top of the leftmost column and choose Select All | to choose individuals, click the checkbox to the left of each name | hover over Email | choose Email Selected Users | enter Subject and Message | attach file (optional) | click Submit

Announcements

  • You can post announcements regarding deadlines, class meeting times, or any important communication
  • The message will show on each student’s Home tab, as well as on the main page when they enter your course shell

Control Panel|Announcements|+Add Announcement|enter Subject and Message| choose options |option to add course link (link to related assignment or test) |option to email announcement to all users | click Submit

Note: Permanent announcements remain at the top of the page at all times and force current announcements to sit below – do not recommend using this setting.

Discussion Boards

  • Discussion Boards are available to the entire class or to specific Groups
  • Discussion Boards have the option of being graded, which can be done from within the Discussion Forum
  • Discussion Forums can be added in content areas so that students are guided through course work chronologically
  • A separate workshop is available for discussion boards (Blackboard-Discussion Boards) where you learn how to create discussion forums, how to use the various features available, how to collect/view student threads, how to grade student threads, and how to use discussion boards with groups.
  1. Grade Center
  • Can review an assignment uploaded to grade center, comment on it electronically and deliver it back to the student via the Grade Center
  • Discussion Boards (if graded), Assignments, and Tests automatically have a grade center column added
  • A separate workshop is available for grade center (Blackboard-Grade Center) where you learn how to create/modify columns, how to manage the student view of My Grades, sort columns, manage grading schemas, and much more.
  1. Workshop Registration
  • There are several workshops available, which you can register for at
  • Additionally, many of the workshops have been recorded via Adobe Connect and are available for your viewing pleasure at Each of the workshops listed is a link to a page with a link to a hand-out and recording for the workshop.

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