Training & Documentation

Blackboard

Ithaca College is in the process of phasing out Blackboard CE 8 as its online courseware system and moving to Sakai. Blackboard will be available for the 2011-2012 academic year but will be unavailable beginning August 2012. All faculty members are encouraged to begin using Sakai for course materials beginning fall 2011.

Blackboard

Because Blackboard ties directly into Homer, the Student Information System, for section creation and enrollment, instructors can post course information easily and securely to one location. In addition, Blackboard provides numerous tools to facilitate course administration, communication and student learning.

ITS is available to assist faculty in determining how best to use the following Blackboard tools to suit their instructional needs:

Organizational Tools

  • Calendar: Enter important events and deadlines, and allow Students to enter their own events.
  • Search: Search for content in the course.
  • Syllabus: Provide course requirements, objectives, and policies.

Communication Tools

  • Announcements: Post important information in a central location.
  • Chat: Chat with other users in the course in real time, or use the Whiteboard to display images.
  • Discussions: Post and respond to messages on specific topics either in the traditional threaded discussion format or as journal or blog entries.
  • Mail: Send messages to other users within Blackboard
  • Roster: View profiles for course members. Users can edit their own profile.
  • Who's Online: Chat with other users who are logged in to Blackboard

Student Learning Activities

  • Assessments: Create quizzes, self tests, and surveys.
  • Assignments: Create assignments for Students to submit online. Students can work independently or in groups.
  • Goals: Create goals that list the qualitative and quantitative performance expected in your course.

Content Tools

  • Learning Modules: Organize and present content and activities to Students.
  • Local Content: Allow Students to easily access large files from a portable medium, such as CD-ROM, instead of downloading the files from Blackboard.
  • Media Library: Create a glossary or image collection.
  • Weblinks: Create links to Internet resources.

Student Tools

  • My Grades: Allow Students to check their grades.
  • My Progress: Allow Students to track their own progress.
  • Notes: Allow Students to take notes.