blackboard 9.1 a guide for newcastle university staff6 blackboard 9.1 a guide for newcastle...

Blackboard 9.1A Guide for Newcastle University Staff

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Blackboard 9.1A Guide for Newcastle University Staff

Blackboard 9.1 A Guide for Newcastle University Staff

Overview 3

Module Home Page and Notifications 4

Three things you need to know 5

Adding Content to Your Module 8

Assessment – Tests, Surveys and Assignments 9

The Control Panel 10

Communication – Announcements and Emails 10

Course Files Area 11

Using the Control Panel 12

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Overview

See http://teaching.ncl.ac.uk/blackboard/version9/upgradefaq.php

Support and Advice In addition to this handout support and advice regarding the use of Blackboard is available:

Web based

http://teaching.ncl.ac.uk/blackboard/

http://ondemand.blackboard.com/

http://bit.ly/Bb9Inst Bb9 help for Instructors

On Campus

Quality in Learning and Teaching (QuILT) Tel: 0191 222 7819

Mike Cameron Tel: 0191 222 3968 E: [email protected]

Ashley Wright Tel: 0191 222 5565 E: [email protected]

Staff Workshops

http://www.ncl.ac.uk/quilt/about/workshops/

This handbook has been created as an aid for ALL staff at Newcastle University who access Blackboard. It covers the features and teaching tools within modules that the majority of staff will use on a regular basis. The guide also refers to new and enhanced student-focused features. Blackboard 9 will go ‘live’ in July 2011 in time for the start of the 2011/2012 academic year. The usual roll-over processes for Modules will occur as they have in previous years.

Blackboard 9.1 A Guide for Newcastle University Staff Designed and created by QuILT

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The default home page display shows ‘Announcements’ and ‘What’s New’. Additional notifications can be added by clicking ‘Add Module’ on the ‘Home Page’:

z What’s New: Displays a list of new items. Instructors and Teaching Assistants (TAs) see any new assignments that have been submitted, tests that have been submitted and new discussion board posts. Students see new discussion board posts, new grades posted and new content that is available.

Modules can now have a ‘Home Page’ that displays not only announcements but also what has changed in courses since users last logged in. This means that they can quickly find new materials without having to first browse to the Module/Community.

Module Home Page and Notifications

Blackboard 9.1 A Guide for Newcastle University Staff

Note: The ‘Notifications Dashboard’ available on first log in displays ALL notifications for ALL modules and organisations. If you wish to add a Module Page see page 7.

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If you have used Blackboard before, there are three things that will help you to edit your modules.

1. ‘Edit Mode’ – switch on to edit the course; Switch off to view as a student. Edit Mode’ switches on various controls including:

z handles for dragging menu items and documents onscreen

z menus for adding content

z context menus which bring up additional controls to change items.

Turning edit mode off lets you see the course as a student will see it.

The Blackboard interface has been vastly improved in version 9. It now takes fewer clicks to perform common tasks. With a little practice, 9 is easier and faster to use and can do more for your students.

Three things you need to know

Blackboard 9.1 A Guide for Newcastle University Staff Designed and created by QuILT

6 Blackboard 9.1 A Guide for Newcastle University Staff

2. Drag and drop – to move items

Use the handles to re-order content in your course (documents, presentations etc). Use the similar handles to re-order the course menu course (e.g. Module documents, Course information, Discussions etc).

3. Context menus – (which look like two downward pointing arrows) let you edit, add or change things in your module. Clicking the arrow button will reveal a menu of relevant options for the item or area. For example, clicking the menu next to an item will, amongst other things, let you edit or delete the item.

The image below shows the menus associated with a content area that let you upload files and add documents, tests and interactive features.

7Blackboard 9.1 A Guide for Newcastle University Staff Designed and created by QuILT

Module Navigation Area (Menu) The navigation area at the left of any module or community is similar to the previous version of Blackboard but has three major differences:

z The design and presentation of the interface has been greatly improved.

z Content area availability – If a content area does not contain any content it will not be visible to students

z Add menu items


To add content to your module:

1. Click the menu link for the area (e.g. Lecture materials)

2. Ensure Edit mode is switched On

3. Hover your mouse over Build Content, and click the type of content you want to add. All options are shown in this image:

For example, to add a PowerPoint or Word document, hover over Build Content and then click Item. Complete the form as shown below. Browse for the file. Click Submit.

Adding Content to Your Module


Assessment – Tests, Surveys and Assignments Tests, surveys and assignments (including Turnitin assignments) have been grouped together under Create Assessment. To add one to your course:

1. Go to the area where you wish to add the assessment, test or survey (e.g. Assignments)

2. Hover over ‘Create Assessment’

3. Choose a Test, Survey, Assignment or Turnitin UK Assignment and follow the prompts.

You can also build Tests, Surveys and Pools of questions within the Control Panel (see later section). Once built, you can add them to the appropriate content area using the Create Assessment menu.

Turnitin assignment reports are accessed from the Control Panel by clicking Course Tools then TurnitinUK Assignments.


The ‘Control Panel’ now sits to the bottom left of your course as an expandable set of menus. For example, click Course Tools to find ‘Send email’, Announcements and Turnitin reports. See the back page for a map of the Control Panel functions.

Announcements and emails are added through the Control Panel. To add an announcement:

1. Click Course Tools in the Control Panel menu

2. Click Announcements

3. Click Create Announcement, fill in the form and submit.

To send emails, expand the Course Tools and click Send Email.

The Control Panel

Communication – Announcements and Emails


The Course Files area is the repository for all of your Blackboard Module/Community content.

Any content that you upload into Blackboard will be found in here. You can also add content here, and even upload lots of files at once by choosing Upload and then Upload files. Select a folder or hold down the Ctrl key and click’ to select more than one file. You can then link to a file or folder you have uploaded: go to any content area such as “Module Documents”, hover over Build Content, click Add Item and use Browse Course to select the item or folder.

Course Files Area

Details are correct at the time of going to press in July 2011. This brochure is for information and guidance purposes only.

Designed by Smith Creative. Printed by Statex Press Northern Limited.

©Newcastle University, 2011.

The University of Newcastle upon Tyne trading as Newcastle University.

As in previous versions, the Control Panel is situated below the Module Menu at the left of the screen. To use it, expand or collapse the relevant sub-menu. For example, click Course Tools to expand a list of options shown below.

Web based support:http://teaching.ncl.ac.uk/blackboard/ http://ondemand.blackboard.com/

Quality in Learning and Teaching (QuILT) Tel: 0191 222 7819http://www.ncl.ac.uk/quilt

Using the Control Panel

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