Blackboard is a web courseware which can be used to easily create online content and add online interaction and collaboration to a course. This page describes the basic layout of the Blackboard website and lists some of its main features.
Contents:
Welcome Page
Course Homepage
Welcome Page
The welcome page is shown after you have successfully logged into the Blackboard website.
- The tabs at the top are used to switch between different views in Blackboard:
- My Institution displays your tools, your courses, and recent announcements.
- Courses displays your courses and allows you to enroll in courses through the course catalog.
- Scholar displays Blackboard's social bookmarking service.
- The Tools on the left are used to access grades, change personal information, and do other things:
- Change password - Personal Information > Change Password > Fill out form.
- Enter contact email - Personal Information > Edit Personal Information > Fill out form.
- Set privacy options - Personal Information > Set Privacy Options > Fill out form.
- My Courses, on the right, displays the classes you are teaching or are enrolled in as a student.
- My Announcements, in the middle, displays recent announcements that are made by your instructors.
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Course Homepage
The course homepage is shown when you enter a Blackboard course.
- Announcements: read announcements from your teachers, which may include a welcome, schedule changes, new assignments, and etc.
- Faculty Information: find information about your instructor(s).
- Syllabus: get your class syllabus from this section.
- Course Documents: read handouts, articles, and other course material.
- Assignments: check class assignments, tests, and quizzes in this section.
- Communication: send emails, post on the discussion board, chat with your teacher and classmates, view the class roster, and do group work.
- Discussion Board: use the class forum.
- External Links: find links to course-related websites outside of Blackboard.
- Tools: check grades, use the Digital Dropbox and calendar, and more.
- Control Panel: is only visible to teaching assistants to help instructors in managing a course.
NOTE: The instructor can customize the course so some features listed above may be omitted.
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