Blackboard Training

Blackboard Academic Suite, Release 9 is a course management system that enables faculty to post syllabi, assignments and reading materials on the web (including pictures, movies and sound clips) without needing to know HTML.

Faculty also may extend classroom discussion through its on-line discussion board or chat functions; email students in their class; allow students to submit papers on-line and view their grades from the on-line gradebook.

All students and faculty have Blackboard accounts and can access these materials by using their username and email password to log into the Blackboard site. These materials are accessible from anywhere at any time, as long as the user has internet access.

All courses taught at the university automatically have a corresponding Blackboard course and all students and the instructor are automatically enrolled. Faculty must choose whether or not to make a Blackboard course available/visible to their class.

Follow the steps below to get started with Blackboard:

  • Login into Blackboard at http://courses.denison.edu
  • Use your e-mail username and password to log into Blackboard
  • You should see your courses listed in the "My Courses" module on the right,  if you do not see some of the courses you are teaching, contact Anne Crowley at crowley@denison.edu.

To make your course Available:

  • Under CLASS MANAGEMENT on the left column, expand the options  for the Control Panel using the left options arrow.
  • Expand the option for “Customization.”
  • Click the "Properties" link under the Customization options.
  • Under "Set Availability" (#3), click on the “Yes” button  for “Make Class Available”.
  • Scroll to the top or bottom of the screen and click  "Submit" to save your changes.

NOTE:  You will need to perform this action for every course  that you are teaching on Blackboard.

The Blackboard course management system also allows the content of  the course to be copied from one semester to another. Either the  faculty member or Blackboard Administrator can complete this  function by using the course copy option in the Control Panel.

Blackboard Tutorials

For Faculty

Blackboard 9 Basics [pdf]

Learn how to navigate the new Blackboard 9 interface.  This workshop will provide hands-on training of basic Bb functions that include creating folders, posting files, sending e-mail, and customizing the look and feel of your Bb9 site.

Blackboard 9 Communication Tools [pdf]

Blackboard 9 has expanded the tools that faculty and students can use to communicate. These tools can address certain pedagogical goals and student learning styles.  The communication tools that will be covered in this hands-on workshop include discussion board, blogs, wikis, personal journal, chat and e-mail.

Getting Started with Blackboard 9 Grade Centre [pdf]

The Gradebook in Blackboard has been completely redesigned in Blackboard 9 (now called the Grade Centre).  The Grade Centre now has a similar look and feel of an Excel spreadsheet and allows for dropped grades and more customization.

Using Blackboard 9 Gradebook Integration With Wimba Voice Boards [pdf]

Gradebook integration allows instructors to assign a grade for each student that has accessed a particular board. These grades are then automatically integrated with the gradebook system in Blackboard.

Blackboard 9 Wimba Voice Design Basics [pdf]

Five features designed to support your learning activities, each with their own best practices.

Ideas for Using Blackboard [pdf]

Use the following ideas in your own BlackBoard course as a tool for helping your students' learning. Remember: Don't use a strategy just because it will make your course more exciting. If you would like to use a strategy but do not know how to implement it into your learning outcomes, contact your instructional technologist or Anne Crowley at crowley@denison.edu  or 6219 for ideas and help.

Creating An Online Course [pdf]

Taking your course online may seem like a daunting task, but it can be simple. Just follow these 10 easy steps, and you'll be on your way to creating a successful online component for your course.

8 Ways to Engage Conferences [pdf]

Guidelines from Dr. William Klemm from Texas A&M University which should create a strong collaborative learning environment in your course discussion board. These methods increase both the quality and quantity of student participation.

For Students

Short overview of Blackboard for students unfamiliar with the course management system.

  • Blackboard Overview
  • Submitting Assignments
  • Online Test