USING BLACKBOARD
Blackboard is a common Course Management System. The best way to think of it is as a file management system for your course files, and as a robust multifaceted communications system. In the MD Program, we use Blackboard to structure our courses.
BLACKBOARD
A few thoughts about Blackboard in most schools:
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The students are accustomed to it, and so posting course documents and assignments there is a low-labor high-yield proposition.
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Blackboard could be said to provide too many options for posting content. Always think of your students first when you consider how to structure your course site.
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Make sure your learners have a clear path to the discussion boards. Instructors differ on their preferences here: you can make the discussion an ongoing thing that is accessible from any part of the course site, or you can place it within a folder for a specific class session. The key is to make sure the students know where it is.
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Consider using content folders that are:
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Presented in the order the student will use them
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Identified by the date of the class to which they pertain or the date you expect the assignment to be completed, and are
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Identified by the topic name
HELPFUL LINKS TO BLACKBOARD HOW-TO INFORMATION
BLACKBOARD INSTRUCTOR HELP
This is a link to Blackboard's online Help system for instructors.
BLACKBOARD COURSE TOOLS
A link to information about external tools, calendar, tasks, course messages, and discussion boards.
BLACKBOARD COURSE COMPONENTS
Directions for using Blackboard's features.
CREATING ASSIGNMENTS
How to create and manage assignments.
USING COURSE STRUCTURES
Using predefined functions such as menu links, instructions, and content examples.