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Blackboard Tutorials For Instructors

This tutorial is designed as an advanced introduction to the Blackboard Learning System (Release 6).

Advanced Tutorial Topics

Hardware/Software Recommendations

The following hardware and software are minimum specifications to work with the Blackboard application:

A note about Proprietary Browsers
Internet service providers such as AOL, MSN, AT&T at home, and CompuServ offer their users a customized interface for accessing the world wide web that can interfere with access and use of Blackboard features. If you are using a browser such as AOL, we recommend connecting to the Internet as you normally would, minimizing the browser window, and finally opening up Internet Explorer or Netscape to Blackboard.

View an animated demo (01:17) of the Hardware/Software requirements here: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Requirements.htm

Accessing Blackboard

Blackboard is accessible through the World Wide Web.

UIS students and faculty access Blackboard courseware through the same portal --- http://bb.uis.edu

You may access Blackboard in a couple of different ways:

View an animated demo (00:56) of Accessing Blackboard: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Accessing.htm

Logging in to Blackboard

Once at the Blackboard site, click the "Login" button.

At the login page, enter your NetID and your password associated with your NetID.
(This is the same password you would use to access your email.)

NetID passwords can be set or reset by visiting https://www-s.uis.edu/netid/servlet/NetId.

NOTE: First time students must "Activate" their NetID by filling out the form at: https://www-s.uis.edu/netid/servlet/NetId.
All faculty and staff can establish NetID accounts by visiting https://www-s.uis.edu/netid/servlet/NetId.

View an animated demo (00:40) of Logging into Blackboard: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/LoggingIn.htm

Navigating Blackboard

Inside Blackboard you will see a header frame that contains five links and tabs to common areas: Home, Help, Logout, My UIS, and Courses.

Common Area Image Links

Home: Returns to the UIS home page, http://www.uis.edu.
Help: Links to the online support site, http://online.uis.edu/support.cfm. The support page includes Fast Links on:

Logout: Clicking the "Logout" button ends your Blackboard session.

The "My UIS" tab

The My UIS common area contains tools and information specific to each user. This is the page you are sent to after logging in to Blackboard.

Here you will see the "Welcome" greeting, tools and contents.

View an animated demo (01:10) of My UIS Tab: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Navigating%20Blackboard%20My%20UIS%20tab.htm

The "My UIS" Tab contains:

View an animated demo (01:47) of Header Frame Longer Version: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Navigating%20Blackboard%20The%20Header%20Frame.htm

View an animated demo (00:40) of Header Frame shorter Version: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Navigating%20Blackboard%20Header%20Frame%20Short.htm

 

The Courses tab

Course Search - Search the Available Blackboard courses. Courses set as "Unavailable" in the course settings will not show up in this Search.

Course List - Courses are listed into two categories:

Click on a course to access that course Web site.

Course Catalog - Browse or Search only the Available Blackboard courses.

View an animated demo (00:33) of Course Tab: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Courses%20Tab.htm

Customize Your My UIS View

Remove courses from your course list.

To Remove underused courses from your Blackboard course list:

View an animated demo (01:07), to delete courses from your course list: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Removing%20Courses%20from%20Course%20List.htm

Add or remove modules that appear on your My UIS page.

Select the modules you want to appear on the My UIS Blackboard page. You can Add and Remove modules to add information or reduce clutter.

View an animated demo (01:01), to add or remove modules: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Adding%20and%20Removing%20Modules%20on%20My%20UIS%20page.htm

Personalize the Page Layout and Choosing a color scheme.

View an animated demo (01:00), to Personalize the Page Layout and Choosing a color scheme:http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Personalize%20Page%20Layout%20and%20Color%20Scheme.htm

The Tools Box

View an animated demo (02:00), to view tools box: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Tools.htm

Edit Your Personal Information

To Edit Your Personal Information:

View an animated demo (01:28), to edit personal information: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Personal%20Information.htm

Formatting with the Textbox Editor

Formatting Text Box Content with the Text Box Editor

Blackboard now comes with a formatting toolbar called the Text Box Editor.

The Text Box Editor appears when posting a new message or responding to a posted message. Use the Text Box Editor toolbar to make postings more attractive, interesting and informative and not have to learn HTML or CSS.

Tools available in the toolbar:

The toolbar is very much like the one available in MS Word. Let us look at the various tools available.

Please note: There are problems copying and pasting from word processing programs like Microsoft Word. To copy and paste from Word:

How to Enable or Disable Textbox Editor:

Note for Mac Users

The formatting toolbar is only available to Windows Operating System users with Internet Explorer Version 5.x or a later version. You will still have Smart Text and HTML formatting options.

The math and equation editors, and the spell check and preview functionalities, which are found in the PC version are also available in the Mac version. However, you will need to follow a different procedure for adding images.

Adding images to content areas on a Mac:

The Control Panel - Building Your Course

To begin building your course:

The control panel comprises 6 areas:

View an animated demo (01:31), of the control panel overview: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Control%20Panel%20Introduction.htm

Adding an Announcement

To add an Announcement:

View an animated demo (01:17), of how to add an announcement: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Adding%20Announcements.htm

Adding Staff Information

To add Staff Information:

View an animated demo (01:28), of how to staff information: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Adding%20Staff%20Information.htm

Adding a Document and Other Content

View an animated demo (01:02), of how to add Document and Other Content: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/AddingCourseContentItem.htm

Enrolling Student Users

Note: Users who are already enrolled in the course will not show up in the Enroll User search.

View an animated demo (00:49), of how to enroll student users to the course: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/AddingUsers.htm

Archiving your Course

Archive Course creates a permanent record of a course including all the content and user interactions.

Archived courses are saved as .zip files with the following file naming structure: ArchiveFile_Course_ID.ZIP. These .zip files are stored and Instructors can access them for use in the future. Archiving a course does not remove it from the system.

To Archive your Course:

Select Click here to view the detailed log file to view the status and log from the Course Archive operation.

View an animated demo (00:49), of how to archive the course: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/ArchiveCourse.htm

Using "Quick Edit"

Blackboard's "Quick Edit" feature is a shortcut to the control panel.

Click "Edit View" in the top right corner of the course view to access in one click the editing tools of the control panel.

Quick Edit is a Blackboard feature that allows an instructor to view course content using the "Course View". Instead of entering the Control Panel, editing can be accomplished through the course view.

Accessing the "Quick Edit" Feature

Course Settings

 Manage settings of a course and its contents, including:

To open the Settings page, click Settings in Course Options on the Course Control Panel.

To change the Course Name:

Making a Course Available to Students:

View an animated demo (01:03), of how to make a course available to students: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Course%20Availability.htm

To set Guest Access:

Change Course Menu Appearance:

View an animated demo (01:30), of how to change Course Menu apperance: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Change%20Course%20Menu%20Appearance.htm

To add an Image to appear on your course page above the announcements:

Manage Course Menu

To begin customizing the navigation menu bar:

Add and modify course buttons that link to course areas. Link to up to 10 different areas for each course.

Tip: Link directly to the Discussion Board, Group pages, or another popular course area, and turn three clicks into one.

Click Manage Course Menu from the Control Panel to open the Manage Course Menu page.

Assignment Management

Assignments in Blackboard are a way of organizing files students upload to the Blackboard course.

Assignments are managed in the Gradebook and can be created in any content area of a course. All content management operations, including time-release options, are supported.

Instructors can provide feedback through the Web and through direct comments on students' assignments.

Assignments are tied directly to the Gradebook and are organized by Assignment and student - unlike the Digital Drop box or email, which store all files in one location.

Quick Summary: Steps to Add and Grade an Assignment

Adding an Assignment

View an animated demo (02:39), of how to add an assignment: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/assign_add.htm

Fill in and view the following Assignment options:

Click "Submit" to finish adding the Assignment.

Batch Downloading Assignments

To view or grade student Assignments:

Tip: To download all student assignments in one convenient operation:

View an animated demo (01:31), of how to Batch DOwnload an Assignment: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/assign_download.htm

Entering a Grade for an Assignment

In the Gradebook, a spreadsheet view with all the assignments and tests are listed across the top. The names of the students can be found on the left hand side.

After clicking on the exclamation point to grade an Assignment, a long, grey toolbar will give you the student's name, the assignment name, a box for you to put the grade in, the point value, and the exact time and date the student handed the assignment in. Click on the button that says "View" to view the complete Assignment.

View an animated demo (02:25), of how to enter a Grade for an Assignment: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/assign_grade.htm

Digital Drop Box

The digital drop box enables students and instructors to exchange files. The digital drop box is an alternative to having your students assignments sent to your email account. For even better organization of student papers, files, homework, etc, consider using the Assignment option.

To access the digital drop box, click on the Tools button in the navigation area, followed by the digital drop box link.

*IMPORTANT*: When using the Digital Drop Box always select the "Send File" option. If you select "Add File", the file will not be sent to your instructor; rather it will remain in your personal drop box for you to see. Also remember to save your files with the suffix .doc, .rtf or .txt.

Quick Summary: Steps to Drop Box File Exchange

Typical Use of the Digital Drop Box

  1. Open Drop Box
  2. Select student paper
  3. Open
  4. Check file label
  5. Save to hard drive
  6. Read, grade, write comments
  7. Email paper/comments
  8. Put grade in Gradebook

Additional Course Content Areas

Learning Unit: A structured path for progressing through the content within a course. Allows a student to view content as a slideshow, without having to click a link to open content.

Survey: Useful for polling purposes, evaluations, and random checks of knowledge.

Assignment: Assignments are linked to the Gradebook and list the name, point value, and a description for class work. Students complete the assignment in a separate file and send it back through the Course menu.

LRN Package: LRN Packages enable Instructors to create course content presentations that have a hierarchical structure and sequential navigation.

MAPLE TA Assignment: Maple T.A. is a web-based testing and assessment system, particularly designed for mathematical equations. Their Web-based system allows for creating tests, assignments, and exercises, automatically assessing student responses and performance. Maple T.A. supports complex, free-form entry and intelligent evaluation of responses. For more information, see the Maple TA website: http://www.maplesoft.com/products/mapleta/index.aspx

Turnitin Assignment: Turnitin is an online resource for educators and students concerned with developing quality writing and research skills. Turnitin prevents and detects plagiarism by comparing submitted papers to billions of pages of content located on the Internet and our proprietary databases.

Sending an E-mail to the class:

View an animated demo (00:49), of how to send an E-mail to the class: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/SendEmail.htm

Group Management

The Manage Groups function enables you to divide students into smaller groups and provide this smaller group with a private environment for collaboration. The tools available to the groups include discussion board, email, file exchange and the Virtual Classroom.

Creating A Group:

Advanced Group Management

Once inside the Group Management, you can add a new group, modify or remove a group from the tabs available at the bottom of the page.

Creating A Group:

Viewing and Assigning Users:

Modify Group:

Remove Group:

Discussion Board: Posting & Reading Messages

The Discussion Board:

To enter the discussion board:

To view the messages in a forum:

To respond to a message posted:

To view the Archives available:

 

Discussion Board Forum Basics

The Discussion Board is a communication medium for posting and responding to messages. Conversations are grouped in threads that contain a main posting and all related replies.

To open the Discussion Board page, go to the Control Panel, and click Discussion Board under Course Tools.

At the Discussion Board page, an Instructor can

View an animated demo (01:17), about Forum Basics: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/DiscussionBoardForum.htm

Discussion Board - Inside a Forum, Managing threads

Forums are used to organize discussions on related topics. Students and Instructors click discussion links to access a forum from the main Discussion Board page. When a discussion is started within a forum it is called a thread.

Inside of a forum you have many options.

The Options tab.

To . . . then . . .

select all threads and messages in the forum

click Select All.

unselect the messages selected

click Unselect All.

unselect the threads and messages that have been selected and select the threads and messages that have not been selected

click Invert.

mark messages as read

select the threads and messages and click Read.

mark messages as unread

select the threads and messages and click Unread.

view multiple threads or messages

select the threads and messages and click Collect.

lock a thread or message

select the thread and messages and click Lock. Participants can view but not reply to a thread that is locked.

unlock a thread or message

select the thread and messages and click Unlock.

remove a thread or message

select the thread and message and click Remove.

Add New Thread

When a discussion is created within a forum it is called a thread. The Create New Message page is used to start a thread. The new thread will appear in the discussion forum.

To open the Create New Message page.

The fields on the Create New Message page:

Field Description

Message Information

Subject:

Enter the subject of the thread.

Message:

Enter a message. Select a text type for the message from the following options:

  • Smart Text: Automatically recognizes a link entered in the text box. Smart text recognizes the ENTER key as a paragraph tag and accepts HTML tags as well. Plain Text: Displays text as written.
  • HTML: Displays text as coded using HTML tags. Please note that embedded images and Java scripts may not be used when posting a message to a discussion board.

Options

Post message as Anonymous

Select the check box to post an anonymous message. This option may or may not be available depending on the options selected when the discussion forum was created.

Attachment:

Enter the file path or click Browse to locate a file.

Preview

View the message as it will appear on the Discussion Board forum.

Message View

To open the Message View page.

Once a message has been accessed, an instructor can:

View an animated demo (01:57), for inside the Forum, Managing Threads: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/DiscussionBoardThreads.htm

Discussion Board Forum Archives

Discussion Board threads can be archived by the Instructor and made available to Students.

Follow the steps below to open a Forum Name Archive page.

The table below details the functions available on this page.

To… click…

view the archived threads in a forum

the name of the forum. A page will appear that displays all of the archived threads in the forum.

archive a discussion board thread

Add Archive. The Add Archive page will appear.

add threads to the archive or modify archive

Modify. The Modify Archive page will appear.

remove the archive

Remove. All of the archived threads will be removed from the system. This action is irreversible.

Add Archive

Threads within a forum can be archived by the Instructor and made available to Students. New archives are created on the Add Archive page. Once a new archive is created, threads can be added through the Modify Archive page.

Follow the steps below to open the Add Archive page.

The table below details the available fields on this page.

Field Description

Add Archive

Archive Title:

Enter a title for the archive

Description:

Enter a description of what is included in the archive.

  • Smart Text: Automatically recognizes a link entered in the text box. Smart text recognizes the ENTER key as a paragraph tag and accepts HTML tags as well. Smart Text will also prompt to load images if an image source text is used when adding smart text as part of a content item.
  • Plain Text: Displays text as written.
  • HTML: Displays text as coded using HTML tags.

Available:

Select this option to make this archive available for Students to view.

Modify Archive

After an archive is created threads can be added to it from the Modify Archive page. This page also enables the Instructor to modify the title, description, and availability.

Follow the steps below to open the Modify Archive page.

The table below details the available fields on this page.

Field Description

Modify Archive

Archive Title:

Enter a title for the archive

Description:

Enter a description of what is included in the archive. Select a text type from the following options:

  • Smart Text: Automatically recognizes a link entered in the text box. Smart text recognizes the ENTER key as a paragraph tag and accepts HTML tags as well. Smart Text will also prompt to load images if an image source text is used when adding smart text as part of a content item.
  • Plain Text: Displays text as written.
  • HTML: Displays text as coded using HTML tags.

Available:

Select this option to make this archive available for Students to access.

Release archived thread into Forum

Select the check boxes next to threads that will be removed from the archive and placed in the forum.

Select threads to move to Archive

Select the check boxes next to threads that will be placed in the archive.

View an animated demo (01:57), about Archives: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/DiscussionBoardArchives.htm

Discussion Grader

New Feature in Blackboard at UIS: Discussion Grader

The Discussion Grader allows instructors to evaluate and grade student participation in the Discussion Boards from a single page in Blackboard. The Discussion Grader displays the number of student Posts and Replys and is tied directly to the Gradebook.

With the Discussion Grader, an instructor can:

To Access the Discussion Grader tool in Blackboard:

Setting up a Discussion Grader Item

Grading a Discussion

View an animated demo (03:39) of the Discussion Grader here: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/DiscussionGrader.htm.

Assessments

From this section of the Control Panel it is possible to create tests and surveys, manage the gradebook and run reports on the usage of your course site by participants.

In the assessments area of the control panel, you can create tests by clicking either "Test Manager" or "Pool Manager" (the Pool Manager is preferable if you wish to develop a pool of questions you can pull from and potentially randomize for your tests).

On the test canvas, using the drop down box, select the appropriate question format (e.g. multiple choice, true or false, multiple answer, essay etc.) and click go.

Respondus

Standard Format for Importing Questions

Respondus imports multiple choice, true-false, essay, fill in the blank, and multiple answer questions.
The text (.txt) file must be organized in a "Standard Format" before it can be imported into Respondus.

Below are a set of questions along with their answers (taken from a text file):

1)Albert Michelson determined the exact speed of light?
a)True (Correct Answer)
b)False
2)What version of BB are we using at UIS?
a)5.0
b)6.0 (Correct Answer)
3)Who determined the speed of light?
a)Bill Hayes
b)Albert Michelson (Correct Answer)

View an animated demo (01:07), as to how to import exams into Respondus: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Text%20file%20format%20for%20importing%20it%20%20into%20Respondus.htm

To change the format of the above text file contents:

1. Include "a space" after each parenthesis.

2. And, to indicate the correct answer place an asterisk (*) directly in front of the answer choice (do not put a space between the asterisk and the answer choice).

After making these changes the contents of the text file will look like the following:

1) Albert Michelson determined the exact speed of light?
*a) True
b) False
2) What version of BB are we using at UIS?
a) 5.0
*b) 6.0
3) Who determined the speed of light?
a) Bill Hayes
*b) Albert Michelson

Importing a Text File into Respondus

View an animated demo (01:48), as to how to import text files into Respondus: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Importing%20a%20text%20file%20using%20Respondus.htm

Publishing a Respondus File to Blackboard

The Respondus file will be uploaded either to the Test Manager or the Pool Manager, depending on what you selected.

View an animated demo (02:59) to publish Respondus file to Blackboard: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Publishing%20Respondus%20file%20to%20the%20BB.htm

Deploying a Test

To deploy a test:

View an animated demo (05:12) to Deploy a Test: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Deploying%20a%20test.htm

Reviewing Students' Test Answers and Modifying Scores:

Tests are automatically graded by Blackboard and the test results appear in the Blackboard gradebook.

To review the scores and answers:

On the View Grades page, you can either make a change directly to the student's grade in the Grade field or click on "View" to review the student's answers and if necessary edit the scores.

If a student has experienced a network freeze, or for some other reason needs to retake the test, clear the first attempt and allow the student to retake the test as follows:

Gradebook

Grades generated from online tests are posted to the Gradebook automatically. You can also manually enter columns into the Gradebook to track scores on other assignments. Students can check their grades from the Student Tools button in the course.

Accessing the Gradebook:

Once inside the gradebook, you will notice that each student has a row and each item in the gradebook has a column. When tests are created in Blackboard, a column is automatically created in the gradebook to record those test scores. To record scores for other assessed items, you will need to add that item to the gradebook.

View an animated demo (00:16) to Access the Gradebook: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/AccessingGradebook.htm

Adding an item to the gradebook:

View an animated demo (00:51) to Add an Item to the Gradebook: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/AddingGradebookItem.htm

Modifying Items in the Gradebook

View an animated demo (00:57) to Modify a Gradebook Item Name: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/GradebookModifyingItemName.htm

Reordering Items in the Gradebook

View an animated demo (00:48) to Reorder Gradebook Item's: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/GradebookReorderingItems.htm

Saving A Copy of Your Gradebook

For backup purposes you may wish to save a copy of your gradebook. To do so:

View an animated demo (01:03) to Save a Copy of Your Gradebook: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/GradebookDownloadCopy.htm

Collaboration Tools - Lightweight Chat and the Virtual Classroom

The Collaboration Tools allow the Instructor and Students to participate in real time lessons and discussions and also view archives of previous Collaboration sessions.

The Collaboration Tools can be used to hold real-time, online classroom discussions, TA sessions, and office hour type question/answer forums.

Guest speakers and subject matter experts can also communicate with the class using the Collaboration Tools.

The following Collaboration Tools are available:

To find the collaboration area:

This will take you to the collaboration area where, if available you will be able to participate in either a lightweight chat or the virtual classroom.

Lightweight Chat

The Lightweight Chat is a text-based chat tool that allows a group of users to conduct an online session through text-based messages. This text-based tool can be used alone or in conjunction with the enhanced Virtual Classroom. The tool also includes a control panel, through which an Instructor or moderator may allow or disallow access to particular functions.
Some of the features of the Lightweight Chat include:

To participate in a Lightweight Chat:

Follow the instructions for entering the collaboration area
Next click the "join" button to the right of the Lightweight Chat you would like to join. The Lightweight Chat will open in a new window (this may take a few moments).

Important: Pop-up blockers on many machines will prevent the Lightweight Chat from opening. To override a pop-up blocker, hold the "Ctrl" key while clicking "Join". Disabling the pop-up blocker is another solution.


To participate, type your message into the "compose" window at the bottom of the screen and click "send".

Virtual Classroom

The Virtual Classroom consists of all of the functionality included in the Lightweight Chat in addition to other features that may be used during an online collaboration session. The controls for these features, as well as the participation of users, are controlled by the Instructor through the session controls.
New features include:

To participate in the Virtual Classroom collaboration session:

Follow the instructions for entering the collaboration area.
Next click the "join" button to the right of the Virtual Classroom session you would like to join. The Virtual Classroom will open in a new window (this may take a few moments).

The following additional features can be found in the Virtual Classroom:

  1. Course Map: enables you to take "class tours" i.e. locate specific content in the course and view it along with the rest of the class.
  2. Whiteboard: for creating and sharing text based information, diagrams and math equations.
  3. Group Browser: for browsing sites as a group
  4. Ask Questions: opens a box for asking questions
  5. Question inbox: shows questions that have been sent to you.
  6. User Info: for accessing user information.
  7. Breakouts: for small group breakout sessions.

Tip: Set up a Course Menu links directly to collaboration meetings:

To set up a Course Menu links directly to collaboration meetings:

Tips and Tricks

When developing an activity that requires the Collaboration Tools, consider the following.

Note: It is important to remember that Collaboration Sessions are not recorded and archived by default. The leader of the session must start the recorder to create an archive. For more information, please see Record Menu.

Macintosh and Accessible Collaboration Tool

An accessible version of the Collaboration Tool is available in the Blackboard Learning System. Users running Macintosh Operating System 8 or 9 should also use this version.

On the launch page, which opens when Join is selected on the Collaboration Sessions page, a link to this version appears. This link will open the Accessible version / Macintosh OS 8 and 9 version of the Collaboration Tool, which resembles the Lightweight Chat. Links to items that appear in the Virtual Classroom, such as items in the Course Map and Group Browser, will appear in this version. Documents created on the Whiteboard may be viewed if the Instructor takes a snapshot of them, using the Snapshot button on the Whiteboard action bar. A link will be created to the snapshot for users to view it.

When a user, using the Accessible Collaboration Tool, enters or exits the room the sound of a door opening or closing will be audible to all participants in the Collaboration Session.

Java Plug-in

The Java 2 Run Time Environment 1.3.1_04 or higher is required to use the Collaboration Tools.  This plug-in may be downloaded from the page that appears when a user joins a Collaboration Session, or may be found at http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/index.html.

Users should take care to uninstall any existing Java plug-ins before installing a new version.

Collaboration Sessions

To find the Collaboration Sessions:

Default Collaboration Sessions

Each course and organization begins with two default Collaboration Sessions. The Lecture Hall is the default Virtual Classroom, and Office Hours is the default Lightweight Chat. These default sessions can be removed. Removing a session is irreversible.

The following functions are available from the Collaboration Sessions page:

To . . . click . . .

create a new Collaboration Session

Create Collaboration Session. The Create Collaboration Session page will open.

filter the sessions listed on the page

the arrow next to the drop-down list and select the type of session to display. Click Filter. The filters include:

  • Show All – The default filter that displays all of the Collaboration Sessions.
  • Open Rooms – Displays all of the sessions that are currently being used.
  • Rooms with Archives – Displays completed sessions that have an archive.
  • Rooms Available in the Future – Displays sessions that are scheduled to take place in the future.

search for a session

the Session Name, Start Date or End Date option and then enter a value in the field. Click Search.

enter a session

Join next to the session. The Virtual Classroom or Chat for that session will open.

access the archives for a session

Archives next to the session. The Session Archives page will appear.

change the name, availability, or tools used during the session

Manage next to the session. The Modify Collaboration Session page will appear.

delete a session

Remove next to the session. This action is irreversible.

View an animated demo (01:07) about the Collaboration Tools, Lightweight Chat and Virtual Classroom: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Collaboration%20Tools%20Overview.htm

Create/Modify Collaboration Session

Instructors create new Collaboration Sessions using the Virtual Classroom or the Chat from the Create Collaboration Session page.

Instructors can schedule sessions for specific dates and times and choose how long the sessions will be.

Follow the steps below to open the Create Collaboration Session page or the Modify Collaboration Session page.

The table below details the fields on the Create Collaboration Session page and Modify Collaboration Session page.

Field Description

Name Your Session

Session Name:

Enter the name of the session.

Schedule Availability

Select Date(s) of Availability:

A Start and End date and time for the Collaboration Session can be set, but is not required. If these are not selected then the session is always open and available for participants. There is also the option to choose either a Start or an End date and time.

  • Click the Start After check box to choose a date and time to begin the Collaboration Session. The date can be selected by choosing from the drop-down lists next to the date or by clicking the calendar icon and selecting the date. Select the time to begin the session from the drop-down lists.
  • Click the End After check box to choose when the session will end. The date can be selected by choosing from the drop-down lists next to the date or by clicking the calendar icon and selecting the date. Select the time to begin the session from the drop-down lists.

Available:

Select Yes to make the session available to Students.

Select No and the session will not be visible to Students.

Collaboration Tools

Choose a collaboration tool for this session:

Select the tool that will be used during this session from the drop-down list. The two types of Collaboration Tools are:

  • Virtual Classroom - Allows users to enter a real-time discussion with Instructors, Students, and colleagues, access the Web, and engage in question and answer sessions.
  • Chat - The Chat is part of the Virtual Classroom, but can also be accessed separately. It allows users to open just the chat function of the Virtual Classroom.

View an animated demo (01:13) to create a Collaboration Session: http://otel.uis.edu/blackboard/tutorial/Creating%20a%20Session.htm

Session Archives

Session Archives allow Instructors and Students to review the discussions and questions raised during a Collaboration Session. Sessions are archived by date and the option to remove an archive is available.

Follow the steps below to access the Session Archives page.

The table below describes the functions available on this page.

To . . . click . . .

search for an Archive in the Collaboration Session

the Archive Name or Creation Date option in the Search by: field. Enter the name of the archive or the date it was created in the field and click Search.

open an archive

the archive under the Archive name column.

change the name or availability of an archive

Manage. The Archive Properties page will appear.

remove an archive

Remove. This action is irreversible.