UTO Training
Workshop: Blackboard-Introduction
Technical Assistance:
 Website: http://help.asu.edu (ASU Help Desk is in the upper right corner)

Email Help Desk: http://help.asu.edu/contact

Help Desk Phone: 480.965.6500 (24/7 support)

Blackboard manual: Control Panel | Manual
1. Course requests:

For development courses: http://my.asu.edu/courserequest

For credit courses (with SLN): http://my.asu.edu/ | log in | click Bb+ icon right of the
course name in My Classes section.

Services that can be added to Blackboard are:
o
iTunes U
o
Sakai
o
To add these services, click the Additional Options link next to the Cancel button
after the Instructor/TA selection step

Credit courses can contain multiple sections

A new course must be requested each semester using the appropriate SLN

Content from a previous course can be copied to a new course

If you were not listed as the instructor of record, then you will need permission for this
content to be copied

TAs cannot request courses for instructors
2. Student Test Account:

You may set up an alternative/secondary ASURITE ID to view your myASU course from
the student's perspective – this is ideal for testing your Blackboard links

You can access the request for at http://www.asu.edu/go/blackboard/forms/request-teststudent.html

You must have you ASU Affiliate ID, which is the 1000 or 1200 number on your Sun
Card
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UTO Training
Workshop: Blackboard-Introduction
GENERAL INFORMATION
3. Course Enrollment

Students automatically enrolled

TA’s must be added manually; you will need to first add the user, then modify his or her
role:
Add User:
Control Panel | Enroll User | enter ASURITE ID | choose Username | click Search |
click checkbox next to name(s) | click Submit
Modify Role:
Control Panel | List/Modify Users | click List All tab then List All button | click
Properties button next to name | scroll to bottom of page and choose role (i.e. Teaching
Assistant) | click Submit
4. Documents and Naming

Document type – any kind of file can be uploaded (i.e. – .pptx/.ppt, .zip, .docx/.doc,
.xlsx/.xls, .jpg, etc.)

Document size – 10 mb upload limit; email Help Desk if you need more space; or use
an Instructor Volume for larger files

Movies – you can use Media Manager, Google video, You Tube or Instructor Volumes
to stream video (Help Wiki has information); do not upload directly to Blackboard as
they will be too large

File Naming
o
Do not use spaces or special characters in file names:
~ ` ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) - = + / ? ; : ’ ” [ { ] } \ |
o
Use underscore ( _ ) and dashes ( - )
o
Also avoid excessively long names
o
Best practice is to give the students a standard format for all assignments:
Format: LastName_FirstInitial_AssignmentName.doc
Example: Smith_M_ResearchPaper.doc
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UTO Training
Workshop: Blackboard-Introduction
GETTING STARTED
Blackboard enables you to customize your environment.
5. Managing My Courses Module
Courses are never deleted, but you can hide them
Home Tab | My Course Module:
Click Pencil icon | deselect what you don’t want visible | click Submit
Note: The Courses tab will not reflect the changes made in the Home tab – you will need to
modify that list separately using the pencil icon
6. Manage Course Menu
This area is where you can change the order of menu items, and add, change or delete
content areas and tool links
Add Content Area:
Select your course | Control Panel | Manage Course Menu | +Content Area | choose
name from choice list or type specific name in text box | click Submit
Add Tool Link:
Tool links are links to course tools like My Grades or Group Pages.
Select your course | Control Panel | Manage Course Menu | +Tool Link | choose the tool
from choice list | option to rename link in text box | click Submit
Modify or Hide Link:
Select your course | Control Panel | Manage Course Menu | click Modify next to the menu
item | change the name or hide from students | click Submit
Remove Link:
Select your course | Control Panel | Manage Course Menu |click Remove | warning
dialogue box appears asking you to confirm removal | click OK
7. Course Design
Instructors have the option of changing the menu design (buttons vs. text and colors), and
adding a course banner
Course Menu Design – Text Menu:
Select your course | Control Panel | Course Design | Course Menu Design | choose Text
menu style | choose background and text color in section 2 by clicking Pick | choose the
color block from the color palette | click Submit
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UTO Training
Workshop: Blackboard-Introduction
Course Menu Design – Button Menu:
Select your course | Control Panel | Course Design | Course Menu Design | choose Text
menu style | in section 2, click Gallery of Buttons | choose between Solid, Striped or
Pattern | each option will display the buttons available | click the button style you wish to
use | click Submit
8. Settings
This area allows you to change course name & description, Enrollment Options and Course
Entry Point.
Course Name & Description:
Select your course | Control Panel | Settings | Course Name and Description | make the
desired edits | click Submit
Enrollment Options:
This are is not applicable for credit courses because enrollment is managed by CEM.
Select your course | Control Panel | Settings | Course Enrollment | you have the option of
choose Self Enrollment and setting an access code | click Submit
Course Entry Point:
Select your course | Control Panel | Settings | Course Entry Point | choose the page you
want displayed when the course is accessed | click Submit
9. Adding Content
All content delivered to students (documents, presentations, assignments, tests and external
links) are deployed in content areas. There are a variety of content that can be added to
content areas.
Add Item

Items are added for one-way delivery materials like a syllabus, lecture notes, etc.
Click the content area from the course menu | click Edit View in the upper right corner |
+Item | enter Name | add a description or instructions in the Text field| to upload a file,
click Browse and choose file | choose Options | click Submit
Note: you can also access the content areas from the Control Panel
Add Folder

This helps you organize your content in folders much like you manage your files on your
computer
Choose content area from menu | click Edit View | +Folder | enter Name | add a
description or instructions in the Text field | choose Options | click Submit
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UTO Training
Workshop: Blackboard-Introduction
Add External Link

This allows you to provide an external link (must include http://)
Choose content area from menu | click Edit View | +External Link | enter Name | Enter
URL (or copy/paste from webpage) | add a description or instructions in the Text field |
option to upload file | choose Options | recommend choosing Open in new window |
click Submit
Add Course Link

This allows you to provide a link to a section of the course site (i.e. – Discussion Board
located under Communication)
Choose content area from menu | click Edit View | +Course Link | enter Name | add a
description or instructions in the Text field | click Browse to access the course map |
choose the area or tool within Blackboard that you want to link to | choose Options |
Click Submit
Note: If you want to access a sub-area, click the plus icon next to the main area to
display all sub-areas
Add Test

The +Test icon in the content area is the final step in deploying a test.

You must first create your questions in the Test Pool, create the test in Test Manager,
then deploy the test via a Content Area

This will enable you to create questions one time and reuse them in multiple tests (quiz,
chapter test, midterm and final)

When a test is added, a Grade Center item is automatically added for recording the
grade

A separate workshop is available for tests (Blackboard-Tests) where you learn how to
create a variety of question types, create tests from a pool, use random blocks, deploy a
test, view/grade completed tests, and other tasks related to managing tests.
Add Assignment

The assignment tool allows instructors to distribute and collect assignments in one place
– the assignment link is attached to a Grade Center column that stores the students’
submissions

A Safe Assignment works in the same manner with an added feature – a plagiarism
check.

Both assignment types are added from the drop-down list in the upper right corner of the
content area
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UTO Training
Workshop: Blackboard-Introduction

A separate workshop is available for assignments (Blackboard-Assignments) where
you learn how to create assignments, see how students submit assignments, view/grade
submitted assignments, and other tasks related to managing assignments.
10. Communication
Send an Email

Instructors can send email from the Control Panel or from Grade Center

A copy of an email sent via Blackboard is automatically sent to your inbox

It is important to tell your students that all email sent from Blackboard goes to their
GMAIL account, and you have no control of this setting

They are responsible to forward it to the address they wish to use; they can do this
under Settings at the top of the page in their GMAIL account
From Control Panel:
Control Panel | Send Email | can choose to send to All Users (all users automatically
added) or Select Users (will need to choose names) | enter Subject and Message |
attach file (optional) | click Submit
From Grade Center:
Control Panel | Grade Center | for All Users, click the checkmark at the top of the
leftmost column and choose Select All | to choose individuals, click the checkbox to the
left of each name | hover over Email | choose Email Selected Users | enter Subject
and Message | attach file (optional) | click Submit
Announcements

You can post announcements regarding deadlines, class meeting times, or any
important communication

The message will show on each student’s Home tab, as well as on the main page when
they enter your course shell
Control Panel | Announcements | +Add Announcement | enter Subject and
Message | choose options | option to add course link (link to related assignment or test)
| option to email announcement to all users | click Submit
Note: Permanent announcements remain at the top of the page at all times and force
current announcements to sit below – do not recommend using this setting.
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UTO Training
Workshop: Blackboard-Introduction
Discussion Boards

Discussion Boards are available to the entire class or to specific Groups

Discussion Boards have the option of being graded, which can be done from within the
Discussion Forum

Discussion Forums can be added in content areas so that students are guided through
course work chronologically

A separate workshop is available for discussion boards (Blackboard-Discussion
Boards) where you learn how to create discussion forums, how to use the various
features available, how to collect/view student threads, how to grade student threads,
and how to use discussion boards with groups.
11. Grade Center

Can review an assignment uploaded to grade center, comment on it electronically and
deliver it back to the student via the Grade Center

Discussion Boards (if graded), Assignments, and Tests automatically have a grade
center column added

A separate workshop is available for grade center (Blackboard-Grade Center) where
you learn how to create/modify columns, how to manage the student view of My Grades,
sort columns, manage grading schemas, and much more.
12. Workshop Registration

There are several workshops available, which you can register for at
http://dlt.asu.edu/workshop.

Additionally, many of the workshops have been recorded via Adobe Connect and are
available for your viewing pleasure at http://help.asu.edu/node/1188. Each of the
workshops listed is a link to a page with a link to a hand-out and recording for the
workshop.
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