This document discusses best practices for organizing online courses in Blackboard and resolving conflicts between those practices. It provides tricks for using tabs, HTML, and iframe tags to reduce walls of text and clicks to content while maintaining logical organization. Analytics and rubrics are also discussed as tools to provide feedback and monitor student performance and risk. The document encourages sharing one's own best practices for powerfully designing Blackboard courses.

1. Power
Blackboarding
Autumn 2016

2. Sometimes, best practices conflict
 Detailed information vs. wall of text
 Clicks to content vs. logical organization
 CSCC’s standard shell vs. the best way to organize your class
 Analytics vs. Blackboard Ugh!
The tricks I’m going to show you resolve some of these conflicts.
Online Course Design
Considerations
Best Practices

3.  Tabs
 Html
Detail vs. Wall of Text
There are two tricks I use to break up information

4.  Prevents excessive scrolling
 Organizes presentations
Turn on tabs in Customization
Detail vs. Wall of Text
Using Tabbed Content:

5. Detail vs. Wall of Text
So Pretty!

6. Detail vs. Wall of Test
I even have tabs within tabs:
There is a special trick I use to
do this. It’s not easy, but I can
give you the template if
Heather & Mary promise not
to kill me first.

7. • I use extensive html in my classes, but I am not an expert.
• I Google what I want to do and find the html that will do it, OR
• I use a WYSIWYG html editor (SeaMonkey) and copy/paste the
code into Blackboard.
Detail vs. Wall of Text
HTML

8.  I keep a file with CSCC colors on my
desktop to reference.
 I keep colors and styles consistent
throughout my course.
Detail vs. Wall of Text
HTML

9. Detail vs. Wall of Text
HTML

10.  We want to reduce the number of clicks to content
 We also want our courses to be well organized
Clicks to Content vs.
Logical Organization
When is a Click not a Click

11. Embedding documents into Blackboard rather than
requiring students to click to download a document saves
time and enhances the usability of your course.
Clicks to Content vs.
Logical Organization
Using the <iframe> tag

12. Clicks to Content vs.
Logical Organization
Using the <iframe> tag
Students can print or
download using
these buttons!

13. Clicks to Content vs.
Logical Organization
Using the <iframe> tag
Very simple to use.
1. Upload your pdf into the Content Collection
2. Open the 360° view
3. Look up the permanent URL
4. Copy/paste it into the following code:
<iframe src=“url of file” height=“1000px”
width=“100%”></iframe>

14.  This is a great tool if you don’t want to reformat
your documents into html.
 Save them as a pdf, place in your content
collection, and use iframe to embed them in your
course.
Be mindful of document format
 Pdf’s are best. “Portable Document Format”
 PowerPoints can be converted to flash or pdf or
both (use iSpring or OpenOffice).
Clicks to Content vs.
Logical Organization
Using the <iframe> tag

15. Use Blackboard’s Course Link
Clicks to Content vs.
Logical Organization
When is a Click not a Click?

16.  The click to content also helps organize your course
within the standard course shell limitations.
 Ideally, we would like our assignments immediately
after the presentation in Soc 1101. So, now students
have 2 ways to get to the assignment.
CSCC’s Standard Shell &
Logical Organization
Kill 2 Birds:

17.  In your gradebook, choose “Item Analysis” using the
column down arrow.
 Choose “Run”
 Wait
 Review your questions!
Analytics & Blackboard
Analytics are vastly improved

18. Check out your “Performance Dashboard”
It includes warnings based on
 Missed assignments
 Time since last login
 Grade average
You can monitor or e-mail students at risk.
Analytics & Blackboard
Analytics are vastly improved

19.  Using rubrics in grading subjective assignments
helps clarify expectations and improves feedback.
 Turn on Rubrics in your course tools.
 I use rubrics in the discussion boards and on
subjective questions in homework assignments.
Analytics & Blackboard
Rubrics

20. Analytics & Blackboard
Rubrics

21.  Once you turn on the rubric tool, you will see a link
under Course Tools.
 You can create and edit the rubric by clicking on that
tool.
 The ability to add rubrics is located in your options
when you create an assignment, a question or
discussion board.
 There are currently no analytics with rubrics –
unfortunately (other than overall averages/stnd dev)
Analytics & Blackboard
Rubrics

22.  I’ve collected a small bag of tricks over the years to
improve the ability of Blackboard to meet online course
best practices
 Feedback from students has been good.
Power Blackboarding
Keep What Works/Toss What Doesn’t

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Power Blackboarding
What are your Power Blackboarding tricks?

24. Power Blackboarding
Please let me know if you have any questions: