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Quick Blackboard Tips
- 1. Quick Blackboard Tips Ways to Increase Your Completion Rates
- 2. Orientation Meeting • No Bb log in info prior to meeting • Blackboard orientation • Objectives, expectations, communications protocols and netiquette • Schedule – pacing guide • My Tasks & Class Calendar • “Start Here” button
- 3. “Start Here” Button • Welcome message • Course objectives & learning outcomes • Pacing guide • Grading Scale & expectations • Rubrics • Communications protocols • How to get technical help • ADA compliance statement
- 4. Assignment Turnaround Time • Instructors log in daily • Respond to emails within 24 hours • Grade assignments and provide feedback within 3 days • Provide specific feedback to each assignment
- 5. Organizing Content • “Chunk” content into weekly modules • Make external links open in new tabs • Link to documents in the text editor box • Consider using Rich Text File format
- 6. “Special” Content • Any zipped content – Shockwave/Flash content – Microsoft Producer presentation • YouTube mash up • SlideShare mash up
- 7. Self - checks • Weekly quizzes • Pre-Test and Post-Test • Elect to have the quizzes not be included in the grade calculation
- 8. Design Points: • Shorter course menu • Label all links • Include language that explains linked content • Include navigational directions in the overview and the first module • Class entry point • Use consistent verbiage
Editor's Notes
- We were very disappointed in our completion rate for our online PD courses. Feedback from the participants included many issues with course organization, user-friendliness, the feeling of working in isolation, not enough feedback, or assignments were taking too long to be graded. We made sweeping changes in our courses, including a standard course template that includes several required items that course writers are not allowed to delete. Having that consistent layout and verbiage helps us maintain fidelity of instruction.
- Bb orientation:How to log inHow to submit an assignmentHow to post in the DB, journal, blogHow to access gradesHow to email instructor, participants
- Regardless of how much you share how to access content in the course, you’ll have those participants who will not read your directions or pay attention in the orientation meeting. What we do is include a “Start Here” button in all of our courses. In the Start Here section, we include a learning module titled, “Course Overview”. The participants are expected to read through the entire course overview whenever they have some questions about any procedures or requirements for successful completion of the course.
- We include wording to this effect in any service agreements or contracts that we have with consultants. We also require that the instructors complete an online instructor training session so that they are familiar with all of the tasks that they will be completing in the course. The feedback is very important ~ the main reason participants drop out is because they feel like they are working in isolation. Instructors should participate in the threads in the discussion board topics. The more interaction the better.Allow the participants to interact with each other. We require that our participants respond to 2 classmates in each discussion board activity.Pick one mode of communicating. We require our instructors to use email instead of the internal messaging system.
- You can name the modules “Week 1”, “Lesson 1”, or “Module 1”. All external links should open up in new tabs or windows so that participants won’t accidentally close the browser. In order to force all pdf’s to open up in a new window, add the link from within the text editor instead of using the #2 add link below it. If not, Adobe Reader will take over the Bb screen and participants will have to know to use their browser’s Back button to get back to the module’s content. Consider using RTF format instead of Word documents. Not all participants have Microsoft Word, however all major word processing programs can open up RTF’s. We color code our titles so that content is in black, discussion board activities have green titles, and assignments have red titles. At the end of each module, include a page that offers positive feedback on completion of the module and also directs participants where to click to begin the next module.
- A variety of content will make your course more engaging. Microsoft Producer can make your PowerPoint presentations more engaging by combining video, audio, and the outline with the regular PowerPoint. Schockwave/Flash content is a great way to include interactive activities. Both of these formats require several files, and all of the files are included in a zipped folder containing an html file that launches the activity. It’s tricky to add that content:Upload the zipped folder into the course contentIn the module, add the item, and then insert a link to a file.Select browse the course content, and browse to the zipped folder (which will no longer appear zipped) and browse to the .html file.Make sure that the link will open up in a new window. For the YouTube videos and SlideShare content, make sure that the player is embedded. You can remove any extra text in the text editor box.
- To keep your learners engaged, offer them opportunities to test their knowledge throughout the course. You can set up assessments so that the grades won’t be included in calculating the final grade.
- “Click here to download the syllabus”“This is an Adobe Reader file that will open up in a new window…”“Click the arrow button to the right to move to the next page of this module.”In older versions of Bb, the class entry point was the Announcements. The new version is the “Home Page”. Utilitze some of the modules such as the calendar, tasks, and Announcements. Include a course banner and color coordinated buttons.Include a button to local help (delete the button that links to the user manual at Blackboard’s website.)Include the same verbiage for all links, assignment directions, etc.