Introduction to blackboard: a tutorial · This tutorial provides an introduction to the basic features of Blackboard. This tutorial does not cover every feature Blackboard has to

INTR ODU CTI ON TO BLACKB OARD: A TUT ORIA L

Introduction to Blackboard:A Tutorial

Stefan

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Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Who is this tutorial for? ............................................................................................................................................. 3

What will this tutorial teach me? .............................................................................................................................. 3

How is this tutorial organized? .................................................................................................................................. 3

What materials do I need? ........................................................................................................................................ 3

Lesson 1: Editing personal information ....................................................................................................................... ..4

Navigating to the Edit Personal Information page .................................................................................................... 4

Updating name and email address ............................................................................................................................ 5

Saving changes ........................................................................................................................................................... 5

Summary .................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Review ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Lesson 2: Sending an email through Blackboard ........................................................................................................... 7

Navigating to the Send Email page ............................................................................................................................ 7

Selecting email recipients .......................................................................................................................................... 8

Typing contents of email ........................................................................................................................................... 8

Sending email ............................................................................................................................................................ 9

Summary .................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Review ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Lesson 3: Creating a thread on the discussion board .................................................................................................. 11

Navigating to the Discussion Board page ................................................................................................................ 11

Creating a new thread and typing contents ............................................................................................................ 13

Posting your thread on the discussion board .......................................................................................................... 14

Summary .................................................................................................................................................................. 15

Review ..................................................................................................................................................................... 15

Lesson 4: Submitting an assignment ........................................................................................................................... 16

Navigating to the Assignments page ....................................................................................................................... 16

Creating a file for your assignment .......................................................................................................................... 17

Submitting the assignment ...................................................................................................................................... 18

Summary ................................................................................................................................................................. 20

REVIEW ...................................................................................................................................................................... 20

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................... 21

AL G O N Q U I N C O L L E G E 2

Stefan

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Introduction

Blackboard is a learning management system which allows course instructors and students to communicate and interact through email, discussion boards, and chat sessions. Blackboard allows students to view and access course information for all courses in one learning environment.

WHO IS THIS TUTORIAL FOR? This tutorial is designed for Algonquin College students with little or no experiencing using Blackboard. Students should be familiar with basic computer use, such as navigating the Windows environment and performing basic web searches.

WHAT WILL THIS TUTORIAL TEACH ME? This tutorial provides an introduction to the basic features of Blackboard. This tutorial does not cover every feature Blackboard has to offer; rather, it serves as an introduction to the basic features students will need to begin navigating through course material and interacting with the instructor and other students. The lessons in this tutorial teach you how to:

• Edit personal information• Send an email through Blackboard• Create a thread on the discussion board• Submit an assignment

HOW IS THIS TUTORIAL ORGANIZED? This tutorial is organized into four exercises, one exercise dedicated to each feature. Each exercise will take no more than 20 minutes to complete. We recommend that you complete the exercises in sequence.

WHAT MATERIALS DO I NEED? To complete this tutorial, you need the following:

• Your Blackboard user name and passwordo Find your user name and password under “Network Account Info” in ACSIS

• A computer with internet accesso Although not required, we recommend using either Firefox or Chrome web browsers

Let’s get started!


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Lesson 1: Editing Personal Information

This lesson introduces you to the Edit Personal Information page in Blackboard. Accessing the Edit Personal Information page allows you to edit personal information such as your name, email address, home address and birthdate. This information will be available for the course instructor and other students to view. In this lesson you will learn how to:

• Navigate to the Edit Personal Information page• Update name and email address• Save changes

NAVIGATING TO THE EDIT PERSONAL INFORMATION PAGE When you first sign in to Blackboard, the Blackboard Homepage appears.

1. From the Tools menu, click Personal Information (Figure 1).

The Personal Information page appears.

2. Click Edit Personal Information, the first link on the Personal Information page.

The Edit Personal Information page appears.

Figure 1. Click Personal information


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user

Sticky Note

Accepted set by user


UPDATING NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS Now update your name and email address. This ensures that your instructor and classmates have your

up-to-date information and can contact you successfully.

1. Update your name and email address by typing in the appropriate fields (Figure 2).

SAVING CHANGES Your changes won’t be saved unless you press the Submit button prior to leaving the page.

1. Save your changes by clicking the Submit button located in the top right corner of the screen.

Note: You may return to the Edit Personal Information page at any time to make changes or update other pieces of personal information (e.g. birthdate, home address, etc.). Keep in mind other Blackboard users can see this information.

Figure 2. Update name and email address


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SUMMARY In this lesson, you learned how to update your name and email address by navigating to the Edit Personal Information page from the Blackboard Homepage.

Congratulations! Your instructor and classmates can now see your name and contact you by email.

REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. How do you navigate to the Edit Personal Information page?

2. How do you save changes made to your personal information?

3. True or False: You are the only one who can view the personal information you enter.

REVIEW ANSWERS 1. From the Blackboard Homepage, navigate to the Personal Information page and then the

Edit Personal Information page.

2. You can save changes by clicking the Submit button.

3. False. The personal information you enter is visible to all users.


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Lesson 2: Sending an Email Through Blackboard

This lesson teaches you how to send an email through Blackboard. You can use Blackboard to email other students registered in your class and/or your course instructor. You can choose to email as many or as few contacts as you want. In this lesson you will send an email to your course instructor confirming that you are completing this tutorial; you will learn how to:

• Navigate to the Send Email page• Select email recipients• Type contents of email• Send an email

NAVIGATING TO THE SEND EMAIL PAGE Begin by signing into your Blackboard account, you will be directed to the Blackboard Homepage. If you are already signed in, navigate to the Blackboard Homepage by clicking My Institution on the top right corner of the screen.

1. From the Tools menu, click Send Email (Figure 3).

The Send Email page appears.

Figure 3. Click Send Email link


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SELECTING EMAIL RECIPIENTS You may only send an email to members of one course at a time; however, you may send an email to multiple members of that course.

1. Select which course your email message concerns. For this activity, you will be sending an emailto the course instructor of Technical Writing 1. Click Technical Writing 1 (Figure 4).

2. You now see a list of the users you can include in your email. Choose All Instructor Usersfrom the list of users.

TYPING CONTENTS OF EMAIL Enter the details of your email (Figure 5).

1. In the subject line, type the subject of the email. For example: “Blackboard IntroductionTutorial.”

2. In the message box, type the body of your email. For example: “Hello, I have received theIntroduction to Blackboard Tutorial and I am currently in the process of completing theexercises.”

Figure 4. Select the appropriate course


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SENDING EMAIL Your email will not be sent to the recipients until you press the Submit button.

1. When you are satisfied with the contents of your email, press Submit to send the email tothe specified recipents. A copy of the sent email is also be sent to your email inbox.

Repeat this process for each course to inform each of your instructors that you are completing the Introduction to Blackboard Tutorial.

Note: You can discard you email message prior to sending it by pressing Cancel.

Figure 5. Enter email subject and body text


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SUMMARY In this lesson, you learned how to send an email to your course instructor by navigating to the Send Email page from the Blackboard Homepage.

Congratulations! You can now communicate with your instructor and classmates through email.

REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Where can you find the Send Email link?

2. How do you select the recipients of your email?

3. True or False: You will receive a copy of your sent email.

REVIEW ANSWERS 1. The Send Email link is located on the Tools menu on the Blackboard Homepage.

2. Select the recipients of your email by navigating through the Send Email pages. First you selectthe course, then you select which participants you would like to email.

3. True. You will receive a copy of your sent email in your email inbox.


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Lesson 3: Creating a Thread on the Discussion Board

This lesson teaches you how to create a thread (a group of messages) on the Blackboard discussion board. You can use the discussion board to communicate with your instructor and classmates by replying to a pre-existing thread or by creating your own thread. In this lesson you will introduce yourself to your instructor and classmates by starting a thread on the discussion board; you will learn how to:

• Navigate to the Discussion Board page• Create a new thread and type contents• Post your thread on the discussion board

NAVIGATING TO THE DISCUSSION BOARD PAGE Begin by signing into your Blackboard account, you will be directed to the Blackboard Homepage. If you are already signed in, navigate to the Blackboard Homepage by clicking My Institution on the top right corner of the screen.

Before navigating to the Discussion Board page, select a course from your list of courses. Each course has its own discussion board.

1. From the My Courses menu, select Technical Writing 1 (Figure 6).

The Announcements page of the Technical Writing 1 appears.

Figure 6. Select a course from the My Courses menu


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2. From the Navigation menu, click the Discussion Board link (Figure 7).

The main page of the Discussion Board appears.

3. Open the Welcome and Introductions discussion forum by clicking the forum title (Figure 8).

Figure 7. Click the Discussion Board link

Figure 8. Open the Welcome and Introductions forum


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CREATING A NEW THREAD AND TYPING CONTENTS Now create a new thread on the discussion board and add contents to the thread.

1. Click the Create Thread button located below the title of the page – Forum: DiscussionForum Welcome and Introductions (Figure 9).

The Create Thread page appears.

2. The Create Thread page allows you to type the subject and message of your post (Figure 10).

Figure 9. Click the Create Thread button

Figure 10. Write the subject and contents of your thread


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POSTING YOUR THREAD ON THE DISCUSSION BOARD Once you post your thread on the discussion board, your instructor and classmates can see and respond

to your posts.

1. When you are satisfied with the contents of your thread, click Submit.

Your instructor and classmates can view your thread and post comments in response. You can review comments and the number of times your thread has been viewed by clicking on the Subject line of your thread (Figure 11).

Complete this process for each course to introduce yourself to your course instructor and classmates.

Note: If you begin creating a thread or post and want to complete your message later, you can save your message as a draft by pressing the Save Draft button on the Create Thread page (beside the Submit button).

Figure 11. Click Subject line to review message, view replies and number of views.


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SUMMARY In this lesson, you learned how to post a new thread on a course discussion board. You navigated to the discussion board from the Blackboard Homepage, created a new thread and added contents, and posted the thread to the discussion board. You also reviewed the message, comments and number of views.

Congratulations! You can now communicate with your instructor and classmates by creating a thread and posting on the discussion board.

REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Where is the Discussion Board link located?

2. How do you view replies to your discussion post?

3. True or False: You can save your discussion thread as a draft prior to posting it on the forum.

REVIEW ANSWERS 1. The Discussion Board link is located on the Navigation menu on the course Announcements page.

2. You can view replies to your discussion post by clicking on the subject line of the thread.

3. True. You can save your post as a draft by pressing Save as Draft on the Create Thread page.


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Lesson 4: Submitting an Assignment

This lesson teaches you how to submit an assignment by uploading it to Blackboard. Your instructor will let you know if they want you to submit assignments using an alternate method. The Assignments Tool

must be used to submit assignments identified with the clipboard and checkmark icon . In this lesson you will submit a sample assignment; you will learn how to:

• Navigate to the Assignments page• Create a file for your assignment• Upload the assignment for grading

NAVIGATING TO THE ASSIGNMENTS PAGE Begin by signing into your Blackboard account, you will be directed to the Blackboard Homepage. If you are already signed in, navigate to the Blackboard Homepage by clicking My Institution on the top right corner of the screen.

Before navigating to the Assignments page, you will select a course from your list of courses. Each course has its own Assignments page.

1. From the My Courses menu, select Technical Writing 1.

The Announcements page of Technical Writing 1 appears.

2. From the Navigation menu, click the Assignments link.

The Assignments page appears. You can see a list of assignments that must be completed for the course. The first assignment listed is the sample assignment for this tutorial (Figure 12).

Figure 12. View your assignments


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CREATING A FILE FOR YOUR ASSIGNMENT Create a file for your assignment and save it to your computer. When it’s time to submit your assignment, you will relocate this file and upload it to Blackboard.

1. On your computer, create a new Word document.

2. Press File, Save As.

3. Navigate to the folder where you will be storing your assignments. Make sure this folder iseasily accessible to you.

4. Name the file using the following convention: Last name and first initial, course title, theassignment number and title.

5. Press Save to save your assignment file to your computer (Figure 13).

Figure 13. Save your assignment file to your computer


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SUBMITTING THE ASSIGNMENT Now upload your assignment to Blackboard.

1. Click the Assignment 1: Blackboard Tutorial Sample Assignment link (the title of theassignment).

The Upload Assignment page appears.

The Upload Assignment page provides details about the assignment and allows you to upload your assignment for submission.

2. Scroll down the page to the Assignment Materials section (Figure 14).

3. To attach your assignment file, click the Browse My Computer button.

4. Browse your files until you locate your saved assignment.

5. Press Open to upload your assignment (Figure 15).

Figure 14. View the Assignment Materials section


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6. Clicking the Submit button to submit your assignment for grading, located in the lower rightcorner of the screen.

Note: You can upload and save your assignment as a draft by pressing the Save as Draft button, located next to the Submit button on the Upload Assignment page.

Figure 15. Upload your assignment to Blackboard


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SUMMARY In this lesson, you learned how to submit an assignment by uploading it to Blackboard. You navigated to the Assignments page from the Blackboard Homepage, created and saved an assignment file to your computer, and submitted the assignment for grading.

Congratulations! You have submitted your first assignment using Blackboard.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What does this icon mean ?

2. What naming convention must you use when saving your assignments to your computer?

3. True or False: You cannot save your assignment as a draft prior to submitting it for grading.

REVIEW ANSWERS 1. The clipboard and checkmark icon means that the assignment must be submitted using the

Assignments Tool.

2. Name the file using the following convention: Last name and first initial, course title, theassignment number and title.

3. False. You can save your assignment as a draft by pressing Save as Draft on the UploadAssignment page.


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Conclusion

Congratulations! You have completed the Introduction to Blackboard tutorial.

This tutorial was designed to provide you with a brief introduction to the basic features of Blackboard. Now that you have completed the tutorial, you should be able to perform the following tasks successfully:

• Edit your personal information• Send an email through Blackboard• Create a thread on the discussion board• Submit an assignment for grading

Thank you for completing the tutorial!


For more help and information about how to use Blackboard, visit The official Blackboard Help Site at https://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_SP_14.

Stefan

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https://help.blackboard.com/en-us/Learn/9.1_SP_14

Documents

Introduction to blackboard: a tutorial · This tutorial provides an introduction to the basic features of Blackboard. This tutorial does not cover every feature Blackboard has to