During this workshop, participants will learn how to use various tools in Blackboard 9.1 to support different learning styles, including SafeAssign, Assignments, Journals, Blogs, Wikis, Videos, and Discussion Boards. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to check papers for plagiarism, collect student files, create areas for journaling and blogging, add videos, and create discussion board forums. The presenter provides examples of how to use each tool and potential assignments involving the tools.

2. Advanced Topics

3. During the module, we will explore and discuss the exciting
learning tools available in Blackboard 9.1. Participants will
learn how they can use SafeAssign, Assignments, Journal,
Blogs, Wikis, Mash-Ups, Videos and Discussion Boards to
compliment a variety of learning styles.

4. By the end of this workshop you will be
able to:
 Check student papers for plagiarism
 Collect student files through
Blackboard
 Create a place for students to Journal
 Create a blog for students to post
entries
 Create a wiki
 Add YouTube, Flickr, Slideshare
 Create Discussion Board forums

5. Free plagiarism detecting tools integrated into Bb
Internet, ProQuest, Institutional document archives, Global
Reference
Creates a learning opportunity
Draft
SafeAssign ignores quotation marks, block quotes, etc.
Use SA more as a teaching tool and not so much as a “catching”
tool
When reviewing, check the highlighted areas to make sure they are
actually plagiarized
Identify matches that are not really matches and then recheck the
paper
Urls, Titles, Common phrases

6. Below 15%
15%-40%
40%+

7. Assignments Feature
Deploy, Receive, and Grade Assignments
Grade Center Column associated with Assignment
No more email attachments!
File always stored on Blackboard
Snow Days
Turnaround policy

8. Journals
Self-reflection, learn about student and their
experience with learning material
Learn how learner learns
Meaningful and memorable connections with
course material
Organize and clarify thoughts
Two Parts: Entry and Comments
All users can view, only instructors can
comment

9. Assignment Ideas
After each topic, ask students to freewrite for 10 mins.
Ask students to write a definition or about their
perception pre-lecture about a topic. Following the
lecture/reading/video/practice, they can re-journal
Students can journal their questions, research and
summarize answers
Journal their emotion following a
reading/video/lecture/speaker
How will you apply what you have learned?
Instructor/course feedback:
What did you like about today’s topic?
How could today’s topic been made more
interesting?

11. Blogs
Web Blog, We Blog
Online journal
Knowledge, understanding, analysis, synthesis,
evaluation
Text, hyperlinks, video, files
Enrolled users can create, view, and comment
Reflective, critical thinking skills, engage with course
material, growth throughout course, improve
writing/thinking
Meaningful connections through comments

12. Assignment Ideas
One word that describes/sums up the topic, blog title
is descriptive word, post explains word choice
Comment on a blogger with a different opinion,
conclusion, perspective
Blog as an iconic person, daily diary
Prospectus for upcoming assignment, blog serves as a
place to detail progress, seek advice, and share
resources

13. Wikis
1990’s: The Wiki Was Born!
Collaborative site, website-like
Only enrolled users can view, contribute, and comment
View wiki history
Examples of wikis:
http://firstday.wikispaces.com/
http://ncconlinelearner.wikispaces.com/

14. Assignment Ideas
Student presentations
Group projects
Class resource center
Students can take turns posting class notes
Students can create a course study guide
Things to Consider:
 Makes sure to include detailed instructions, practice
wiki
 The concept of “linked” pages
 Create a template for students
 Firefox for Mac users
 Wiki etiquette document: http://bit.ly/wikieti

15. Mash-Ups
“In Web development, a mashup is a Web page or
application that uses and combines data,
presentation or functionality from two or more
sources to create new services.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashup_(web_application_hybrid)
Add content from an external site:
 YouTube
 Flickr
 Slideshare
Part of a test question, topic in DB, part of an
assignment
Content resides on external site
Incorporate media
Compliment a variety of learning styles

16. Assignment Ideas: YouTube
A site for viewing and sharing online videos
Introduce a course topic
Start conversations in the DB
Demonstrate various viewpoints and perspectives
Engage students as the video relates real-world
examples of course content
Students can search for videos that further express
their DB posting/opinions/perspectives

17. Assignment Ideas: Flickr
A site for viewing and sharing photographic images
Images can be used as writing prompts
Students can search for pictures to express a story,
idea, themselves, etc. though a series of images

18. Assignment Ideas: Slideshare
A site for viewing and sharing PPT, Word docs, PDFs
World’s largest community of shared presentations
One of the 200 most visited websites in the world
Placed #5 out of top 100 Tools for Learning in 2010 by
educators worldwide
Slideshare is used by the White House and many other
government departments
Use to introduce a topic
Search for a presentation related to a course topic

19. Discussion Board
Synchronous and synchronous forums
Forums: organize discussion
Thread: series of posts related to the same
topic (Forum), first message
Reply to thread
The shy student

20. Assignment Ideas
Pre-test questions
Questions for guest speaker
Semester goals, course-related life experience, final
thoughts
Brainstorm
Current events
Ask open-ended questions

21.  Instructor presence
 Recognize student
contributions
 Weave students comments
into your own
 3-7 students per forum
 Set and communicate
expectations

22.  Be respectful of others and polite.
 Use correct grammar and punctuation.
 Avoid all CAPS.
 Review and edit your post prior to hitting
“Submit.”
 Stay on topic, remain clear and concise.
 Use multiple, short paragraphs as opposed
to longer ones