Course Menu Creation: Blackboard 9.1 (October 2014 Release)
CPCC has a Standard Navigational Template or Course Menu that is required for all fully online courses and strongly
recommended for all other courses. To create one or more of the standard menu items, follow these steps.
The completed menu should look like this:
Divider
Lines
Announcements
Syllabus & Course Info
Instructor
Coursework
Discussions
Resources
Grades
Tool Link - Announcements
Content Area
Tool Link - Contacts
Content Area
Tool Link – Discussion Board
Content Area
Tool Link – My Grades
Getting Started
1. Login to Blackboard and open the new semester shell or course master.
2. Make sure that Editing is ON
3. Click on the (+) sign located above the Course Menu on the left of the Blackboard course
4. Clicking on the (+) sign brings up the contextual menu. You will use this to add each menu item one at a time.
Continue to the next page for step-by-step instructions for each menu item
eLearning @ CPCC
Page 1 of 5
Revised 1/18/2017
Announcements
1. From the (+) contextual menu, choose Tool Link
2. Complete the fields in the Add Tool Link box
A. In the Name field, type Announcements
B. For Type, choose Announcements from the drop-down list
C. Check the box to make the link Available to Users
D. Click Submit
3. The Announcement menu item has been added to your course menu
Syllabus & Course Info
1. From the (+) contextual menu, choose Content Area
2. Complete the fields in the Add Content Area box
A. In the Name field, type Syllabus & Course Info
B. Check the box to make the link Available to Users
C. Click Submit
3. The Syllabus & Course Info menu item has been added to your course menu
Instructor
1. From the (+) contextual menu, choose Tool Link
2. Complete the fields in the Add Content Area box
A. In the Name field, type Instructor
B. For Type, choose Contacts from the drop-down list
C. Check the box to make the link Available to Users
D. Click Submit
3. The Instructor menu item has been added to your course menu
eLearning @ CPCC
Page 2 of 5
Revised 1/18/2017
Coursework
1. From the (+) contextual menu, choose Content Area
2. Complete the fields in the Add Content Area box
A. In the Name field, type Coursework
B. Check the box to make the link Available to Users
C. Click Submit
3. The Coursework menu item has been added to your course menu
Discussions
1. From the (+) contextual menu, choose Tool Link
2. Complete the fields in the Add Content Area box
A. In the Name field, type Discussions*
B. For Type, choose Discussion Board from the drop-down list
C. Check the box to make the link Available to Users
D. Click Submit
3. The Discussions menu item has been added to your course menu
* Note: The Discussions navigational menu name may be changed if you are using a collaboration tool other than–or
in addition–to the Discussion Board.
 For example, if you are only using the Blogs tool, then the appropriate menu item name is Blogs and it should
be created as a Tool Link to Blogs
 If you are using multiple tools, such as Discussions and Journals, then the appropriate navigational menu
name is Collaboration and it should be created as a Content Area
eLearning @ CPCC
Page 3 of 5
Revised 1/18/2017
Resources
1. From the (+) contextual menu, choose Content Area
2. Complete the fields in the Add Content Area box
A. In the Name field, type Resources
B. Check the box to make the link Available to Users
C. Click Submit
3. The Resources menu item has been added to your course menu
Grades
1. From the (+) contextual menu, choose Tool Link
2. Complete the fields in the Add Content Area box
A. In the Name field, type Grades
B. For Type, choose My Grades from the drop-down list
C. Check the box to make the link Available to Users
D. Click Submit
3. The Instructor menu item has been added to your course menu
Divider Lines
Use dividers to visually separate the menu into groups.
1. From the (+) contextual menu, choose Divider
2. A Divider line will be placed at the bottom of your menu
3. Repeat step one to add a total of three divider lines
4. Move your mouse over a line until the mouse icon changes to a 4-way
arrow, then click and drag the line to the proper place on the menu.
A completed menu will have divider lines bellow “Announcements”,
“Instructor”, and “Resources”
eLearning @ CPCC
Page 4 of 5
Revised 1/18/2017
Menu Icons
Multiple icons may appear on your course menu.
Symbol
Meaning
A grayish square with a dotted line
border to the right of a menu item
indicates an empty content area.
A white square with a slash through
it to the right of a menu item
indicates a hidden link.
A downward facing chevron inside
a gray circle indicates a contextual
menu. Known as the contextual
menu icon.
Double-headed arrow to the left of
a menu item indicates it is ready to
move using click and drag.
Notes
Students will not see this menu item until
you add content. The menu item also
disappears when Edit Mode is turned off.
Students will not see this menu item until
you edit it to show the link. The menu
item also disappears when Edit Mode is
turned off.
Only appears when Edit Mode is On and
you move your mouse over a menu item.
Click on the icon to reveal the contextual
menu.
Only appears when Edit Mode is On and
you move your mouse over a menu item.
Move your mouse over this icon until it
turns to a 4-way arrow, then click and
drag.
Edit and Deleting
To edit or delete an existing course menu item, access its contextual menu.
1. Move your mouse over the menu item
2. Click on the contextual menu icon
3. Choose one of the following:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Rename Link – To change the name or spelling on the menu
Hide Link – To hide from students
Show Link – To show a previously hidden link to students
Delete – To remove the menu item. Note: This may also remove content if it links to a content area.
For more information on the CPCC Standard Navigation Template (Course Menu) and a video tutorial, visit
Online Course Navigation Requirements on www.cpcc.edu/elearningcommunity
eLearning @ CPCC
Page 5 of 5
Revised 1/18/2017