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- How
do I get to Blackboard?
Go to the Blackboard
Access page for complete instructions.
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- How
do my students get into Blackboard?
All students are enrolled into Blackboard courses corresponding with
all JSU courses on the registration system. For more
information, review the information under "Registered
Users" on the Blackboard
Access page.
For workshop type Blackboard courses, you must provide us with a
list of participant information. The information needed will
be sent to you after your request for a workshop type Blackboard
course is received by the Office of Distance Education.
To learn more, go to the following links: Blackboard User Names &
Passwords, Email in Blackboard,
How
to Access Blackboard
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- What
kind of technical skills do I need to teach in this method?
The more the
better, but the necessary ones are as follows:
* Basic knowledge of computer software and tools
* Capable of using a word processor, email, an Internet browser, and search engines,
copy and paste tools and switching between windows and applications
* HTML knowledge is not necessary but is useful in some areas.
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- How
long does it take to transfer a traditional class to an online format,
and what is involved?
Much of this
depends on the current format of the information you will
use in the online course. It is NOT enough to simply paste word
documents for lecture notes into a course. Prior to teaching an
online course, many instructors assume this format is easier. However,
depending upon various factors, the initial time demand can be greater than
traditional classroom delivery methods. You will need to organize your
materials into a user-friendly form and layout a basic design for the
course, including communication methods (virtual chat, discussion
board, email) assignments and projects that are compatible
with online teaching methodology. We suggest you attend both the Introductory and Advanced Blackboard Training
Workshops to prepare you for teaching via this method. The preparation
time, then, largely depends on your current course document status, your
motivation level and your familiarity with computers.
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- Who
is responsible for initial contact, the student or the instructor?
The instructor is responsible for making their course available on the first day of class.
However, the student is responsible for accessing their course on
the first day of class. Similar rules
apply within online courses in regard to absences; missing a long
period of online class with no contact could be considered over cutting.
You may also consider establishing contact with your students via
email, either by contacting them by the first day, or requiring
that they contact you (or both). Once the students are
enrolled, you can send email to all of
your students at once using features available on your Control
Panel.
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- Can
I assign and collect homework in Blackboard?
Yes; using "Assignment" type items, you can post
assignments and receive documents submitted by students. You may
also post assignments in other areas of Blackboard, as well as utilize
the email function, discussion board, and virtual chat.
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- What
format should my homework assignments/notes be saved in?
When possible, save text type documents in plain text or web
format. For other types of documents, such as PowerPoint or
other MS Office documents, it is best to save files in a format
viewable by older versions of the program (an option usually
available in the "Type" drop down menu in your "Save
As" box ). Online readers, viewers and converters are also available for Microsoft
PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and
Adobe Acrobat. (These are available on our Blackboard System
Requirements page.) Using a variety of formats or a basic format helps
to meet
the needs of all students.
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- How
do I administer exams?
Blackboard gives
you the option of composing and administering your exams online using
either a timed or untimed version. You can select a specific place,
day, and time to have students take the exam on campus. It is advised
that a proctor be present in this case.
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- What
about proctoring for students living too far from campus?
The Office of Distance Education has pre-arranged agreements with quite a few
schools throughout Alabama and Georgia. These schools as well as
alternate proctoring personnel, are available on our
Proctoring page.
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- Is
there a spellchecker in Blackboard?
Yes, a spellchecker is available in most areas of Blackboard with a
few exceptions. In areas where no spell check function is available,
you may type the original document in a word processor (such as
Microsoft Word) that does have a spellchecker. Then do one of the
following:
* Simply highlight the material and select "copy" in the
original document; then, select the text box in Blackboard where the
material is to be placed, right click, and select "paste"
* Save the document to your computer, and then
simply use Blackboard's "browse" function to attach the
document
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- Why
can my students not retake their exams?
You may have
forgotten to select the "allow multiple attempts" when
creating the quiz. This option allows all students to take the quiz as
many times as they choose. If you only need one of your student's to
retake a quiz (perhaps due to a browser error, or other technical
issue), simply enter into the
"online gradebook", select the student's grade (may be
displayed as an exclamation mark) for that quiz, then select the upper right
button to clear the student's attempt.
**Students CANNOT retake only parts of a quiz**
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- How
can I keep track of my students work?
You can use the "track number of views" feature within the individual
"course documents" or "assignments" (available
upon creation or modification). Also, tracking is available under the "course
statistics" section. This has several different options
available, in which you are able to see whether students have been
accessing material according to time of day, day of the week, and
several other variables.
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- What
is the cost associated with using the Blackboard method?
The Blackboard
course development platform was bought by JSU in August 2000, and the basic
course shell that you will obtain, along with all of the features, is
provided to you free upon request. However, if you choose to use a
course cartridge or other supplemental material for your online course,
this expense will be the responsibility of your department.
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- Can
I access Blackboard from off campus?
Yes; the course is available via the Internet, which you can access from anywhere with an
Internet Service Provider, including your office, home, and anywhere else you
can think of that has an ISP available. You can even work on your
course and keep in touch with your students while you are out of town
if you have access to an ISP.
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- How
do I ensure success as an online instructor?
The Advanced Blackboard workshop will cover various successful
online teaching strategies that are essential to your success. It is
important to recognize that pasting documents online is not online
teaching. This method involves constant interaction between you and
your students. Some instructors say this method actually lets them
know their students better than the traditional classroom.
Dr. Sherri Restauri, your Introductory and Advanced Blackboard Trainer, will
be available to help you each step of the way during initial
training, course creation, and course maintenance if you have any
questions.
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- How
do I obtain a permanent Blackboard account/course shell?
All JSU instructors are assigned a Blackboard account. All JSU
courses have a corresponding empty Blackboard course shell.
Other accounts and courses are created on a case by case
basis. For more information, go to the following links: Blackboard
Access, Blackboard User
Names and Passwords, Blackboard
Course Request Form, Blackboard
Account Request Form, Blackboard
Course Availability.
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- How
do I change my password?
* After you have logged in, enter your course under
"My Courses"
* Choose
“Tools”
* Choose "Personal Information"
* Choose “Change Password” and enter your new password
* Click "Submit"
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- How do I access my course after I
have logged into Blackboard?
Click the course title under "My Courses" on the
right side of the page. Please review the My
Courses Window Edit and Course ID
Legend pages for helpful tips.
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- Why can't students post items to the
discussion board in my course?
Discussion boards must be initiated by the instructor
before anyone can post comments.
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- Why can't students access my course,
even though they are logging in correctly?
You need to "make your course available".
Go to your course "Control Panel" and choose "Settings",
under "Course Options" on the bottom left. Choose "Course Availability", then
select "Yes" beside "Make Course Available".
Click "Submit".
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- What are the optimal banner and
picture sizes?
Optimal banner size: 450 x 90 pixels; Optimal picture size: 150 x 150 pixels.
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- How do I archive my
course?
Please see the information on the Blackboard
Archiving page.
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- Are my
students automatically enrolled into my Blackboard course once they
register for my class in the registration system?
The process is now automated. All students are enrolled into
Blackboard courses corresponding with all JSU courses on the
registration system. For more information, review the
information under "Registered Users" on the Blackboard
Access page. Other helpful links: Blackboard
Course Availability, Blackboard User
Names and Passwords.
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- If a
student adds late, after the last official day to add classes, what do
I need to do to get them into my Blackboard course?
Under the new automated system, there is usually nothing you need
to do. Once they register, pay their tuition and are confirmed,
activation of their account and enrollment into your course will take
place according to the information on the Blackboard
Access page.
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- How do I display
Blackboard Course ID's or hide courses in the "My Courses"
module on the "Welcome" page?
Editing
the "My Courses" Module - Go to this page to learn
how to display Blackboard Course ID's or hide courses from your course
listing.
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- Is JSU an accredited university?
Yes. Please see the
JSU
Accreditation page for more information.
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