Blackboard Quick Reference Guide
Using Building Blocks (Overview)
Building blocks are like “plug-ins,” designed to enhance the functionality of Blackboard. follows is a brief summary of the building blocks currently installed in Blackboard. What
Wimba (New)
These building blocks are a collection of tools which allow you to embed voice interactions on a page in Blackboard. Foreign language classes could benefit greatly from this tool, but it can have other useful applications as well. There are several tools in WIMBA which allow you to: a) provide a short announcement in a content area; b) attach a voice message to an email; c) add voice postings to a group discussion; d) create a “voice-over” slide presentation of web pages; e) create a podcast; and f) conduct a voice conference. Check out the separate reference guide on “Wimba – Getting Started”.
Learning Objects Campus Pack (New)
These tools provide wiki and blogging options in Blackboard, plus provide full-text search capabilities across course content. Check out these separate reference guides for using the tools: “Setting Up a Blog,” Creating a Blog Entry,” “Setting Up a Wiki,” and “Using a Wiki”.
Mobile Messaging (New)
Instructors can send text messages to student cell phones from within Blackboard. This could be useful for class announcements, schedule changes or emergency alerts. There’s also the capability of sending grades to cell phones as well. (This, of course, requires permission from students.) This tool should be available later in the fall 2007 semester.
Dictionary and Thesaurus (New)
Step 1: From the Course Tools link on the course menu, click Dictionary and Thesaurus. A separate window will display, which you can leave open indefinitely. You have the following two options for using this tool: Highlight a word on a Blackboard page, then click either the Dictionary or Thesaurus button from the separate window. In the separate window, type the word in the Dictionary or Thesaurus text box, then click Go. Step 2: When you are finished with this tool, click the the window.
Blackboard 7.1
icon at the upper right corner of
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Revised September 20, 2007
Link Checker
Web pages on the Internet disappear everyday. To check to see if the external links in your Blackboard course are still active, use this tool. Step 1: Step 2: From the Control Panel, click Link Checker (under the Course Tools section). Click Submit. The Link Checker will display all links and their status (this may take a few minutes).
The Link Checker automatically examines every link added to any content area as
an External Link. It will not check links entered into areas such as the Discussion Board or entered into Word documents, etc.
Advanced Group Management (New)
This building block provides a more streamlined method for setting up and maintaining student groups than the current Manage Groups command (under the User Management section). Namely, it allows you to view – on one page – a list of all groups and see settings and member count for each; group assignation is also easier. The only additional feature this building block has over the Manage Groups command is the ability to randomize the assignment of students in each group. Step 1: Step 2: From the Control Panel, click Advanced Group Management (under the Course Tools section). You have the following options: Create a new group Modify an existing group’s communication settings and group visibility (select the group first) Remove an existing group (select the group first) Assign students to groups, either manually or through a randomization process
Power User Enrollment (New)
This building block is an alternative to the Enroll User command (under User Management). The only advantage, however, is that you can change a user’s role from the default role of “student” to something else – without having to go to the List/Modify User command to perform that task – for this specific course. For example, this would expedite the process for adding a fellow faculty member to your course and simultaneously switching that person to an instructor. Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: From the Control Panel, click Power User Enrollment (under the Course Tools section). Search for the desired user(s). The users appear with a pull-down Role menu to the right of each. Choose a different role from the menu for a designated user. Click Submit. The user is added to the course and the role changed.
Revised September 20, 2007
Blackboard 7.1
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ThomsonNOW (New)
This is a building block that allows instructors who use Thomson publishing supplemental materials (iLrn) to access them directly through Blackboard. This provides a single-login convenience to you and your students. For more information, go here: http://www.thomsonedu.com/thomsonnow .
Revised September 20, 2007
Blackboard 7.1
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