Content Collection

Allows content and files to be managed, re-used and shared effectively.  Individual files and content objects can be used across multiple courses, organizations and modules without the need for duplication. Users can share their files, giving both read and write access to specific individuals, groups and institution roles (i.e. all biology teachers). For users outside of the institution, content owners can create "passes" that provide access and enable collaboration for specific time periods.
Content and File Management Demo link (some features may be unavailable during the pilot phase).

This Content Collection can also be use as a file storage area in addition to the 20 MB course quota. We recommend faculty to use the space in the Content Collection to store the course files if the course quota almost exceeds 20 MB. From a Blackboard course, faculty will use the option of “Link to Content Collection” instead of “Attach Local File”. Depend on individual faculty’s need, LMS Support can increase the quota in Content Collection. For more information, please go to Policies and Procedures and read Course Quota.

 

Posting Announcements and Sending Email

Enables instructors to deliver information to students by generating a broadcast email when creating or modifying a course announcement. Instructors will not have to rely on their students visiting the course site to see new information. This email will be sent to all users enrolled in the course, and will contain the title and body of announcement.

 

Adaptive Release

Provides the ability for an instructor to create custom learning paths through course content and activities. Content items, discussions, assessments, assignments, or other activities can be released to students based on a set of criteria including: date/time, username, group membership, institution role, grade on a particular test or assignment, or whether the user has previously reviewed another piece of content. Adaptive Release Demo link.

 

Discussion Board

Enables threaded, asynchronous discussions. Instructors can set up multiple forums around different topics and embed those forums in appropriate content areas or lessons. Instructors can determine whether students can moderate, modify, delete, post anonymously, include attachments, and other options.

Forums can be sorted or viewed by thread, author, date, or subject and are completely searchable. Discussions can be graded for a participation grade and also peer rating may be enabled as well. Discussion Board Grades are included in gradebook calculations by default. Instructors do not need to set new gradebook items of inclusion from inside the gradebook. Students are allowed to subscribe to threads via email. Lastly, there are specific statistics that report on each user’s participation level. Discussion Board Demo link.   

 

Review Status

Allows the Instructor to track user review of specific content items. Once the Instructor enables the tool for an item, each Student tracks their progress. A Mark Reviewed button appears on the item when the user opens the Content Area. After reviewing the item, the Student selects this button to mark it “Reviewed”. The Instructor may check the status of student reviews on the User Progress page. Review Status Demo link.

 

Syllabus Builder

Provides the ability for instructors to easily create a course syllabus by uploading an existing syllabus or by using the built-in syllabus creation functionality. The syllabus creation functionally is to design and develop a course syllabus and lesson plans within a Blackboard course. Syllabus Builder Demo link.

 

Performance Dashboard

Provides a window into all types of user activity in a course or organization. All users enrolled in the course are listed, with pertinent information about that user’s progress and activity in the course. It is also an overview of the gradebook in which instructors can store and manage student performance results on assignment and assessments that they have created. Performance Dashboard Demo link.

 

Advanced Assessment Tools

More Advanced Assessment Questions

• Ten additional questions types, including: Calculated, Numeric Response, File Response, Hot Spot, Multiple Fill-in-the-Blank, Jumbled Sentence, Opinion Scale, Short Response, Either/Or, and Quiz Bowl questions.
• Randomization of Multiple Choice Answers
• Extra Credit Questions can be added to quizzes/tests

New Option in Test/Survey Manager

• Test and survey import/export features have been enhanced

New Advanced Assessment Settings

• Self Assessment Quiz - Provides a way for a student to take a test and practice without having to turn in a grade to the instructor
• Multiple Attempt Quiz - Allows a student to take a test multiple times or get the best of the attempt. There are various ways an instructor can specify the numbers of the attempts and select to grade these attempts.

Gradebook  Improvements

• Allows all attempts of quizzes/tests to be posted in the gradebook
• Instructors can select – last attempt, first attempt, highest score, lowest score, or an average of scores to appear
• Self-Assessment quizzes can be used and not counted towards the final grade
• A comment can be added to any attempt associated with the grade, for example to a test submission
• All survey and quiz data, except the open-ended questions, can be downloaded in a CSV file
• Gradebook Null Option (Running Total) – Allows instructor to exclude untaken or ungraded item

Below are the demos for:

• Assessment
• Gradebook

 

Report Card Module

Can be added by the system administrator to students’ entry page to provide a total grade based on Gradebook settings for each Blackboard course they are enrolled in. Links give instant access to View Grades for each course. If My Grades has been disabled for a course, students will receive a message that says their grades for that course are not available. Report Card Demo.

 

Early Warning System

Used to communicate warnings to Students that a performance problem is beginning to appear or has become more serious. Warnings can be generated based on graded performance, late or missing course work, or attendance within the online course.

 

Visual Text Box Editor

Presents controls for entering and formatting text, equations, and multimedia files. When it is enabled, it appears throughout the system as the default editor when adding text through a text box. It now works in more browsers, including Firefox, Netscape and Safari.
Visual Text Editor Demo (slide the bar until it is in the two third of the demo)

 

Spell Check

Supports a full English dictionary and custom word lists that are stored as a cookie on a user’s local machine. The spell check feature is available wherever users can enter blocks of text, including email, glossary, and assignment comments.

 

Multi-Language Support

Enables institutions to run multiple languages on the same system. Instructors can even set the language of the course independently from the language setting of the overall system. In addition to supporting most European languages, Blackboard supports multibyte character sets such as Japanese and Chinese Multi-Language Support Demo

 

What’s New Module

Allows users to see what has happened in their course/organization since they last logged in (added/changed assessments, assignments content items, surveys, discussion board postings, calendar events, announcements, etc…) Allows users to go directly to the new items from the front login page. What’s New Module Demo (slide the bar until it is in the two third of the demo)

 

Course Design

Accessible directly from the Course Control Panel instead of appearing under Settings.