We are excited to announce the rollout of a new tool, named Ally. Ally provides instructors a tool set to make sure Blackboard courses are useable and accessible. The first training session is scheduled for July 22 from 9am to 1030am CDT/10am to 11:30am EDT. Registration is limited to twenty. It will be recorded for… Read More
We’ve compiled some tips and basic steps for novice Blackboard Learn instructors who want to learn how to create content in a course. We want to help you with the high-level principles and processes involved when you build a course from the ground up. As you work through this topic, choose what fits your teaching style and the needs of your students.
The TLC will be offering four tracks in the 2022-2023 Teaching Excellence Institute. These year-long programs combine monthly live sessions (via Zoom) with online activities throughout the year. Instructors who successfully complete the requirements will receive a certificate from the Chancellor and a $500 stipend. More information can be found at https://uthsc.edu/tlc/programs-and-events/teaching-excellence-institute/. Next year’s tracks… Read More
Blackboard Learn (Original View) allows you to download the whole Grade Center for a course, or selected columns, which can then be opened and worked on in a spreadsheet application such as Excel, and later re-uploaded into the Grade Center.
The Grade Center is an interactive grading tool that allows instructors to record data, calculate grades, and monitor student progress.
Exam data provides students with important feedback, but exam creators can also use post-exam data to improve test questions and exams as a whole. The word “psychometrics” can be daunting to some educators, but ExamSoft’s item analysis report makes psychometrics easy. We provide an explanation of how your questions are performing and how to make them even stronger to assess your students more accurately.
Volume 5, Issue 1 In this issue: The Teaching Scope: Educating Students about Mental Health Teacher’s Toolbox: Using Equity Mapping Did You Know?: Learning about the Blackboard Ultra Conversion Pedagogy Podcast: What Inclusive Instructors Do Research Bytes: Connecting Students with Online Icebreakers
Now is an excellent time to evaluate whether students are on track to succeed in your course. Use Blackboard’s “Best Practices”, summarized below, to identify issues and provide an effective framework for success.
Give instructions up-front
Before your first poll, tell your audience that you will be asking them to participate using their mobile devices or laptops. Giving clear instructions upfront sets expectations and will encourage participation.
Do a practice poll
Start your session with a practice poll. We recommend a fun icebreaker poll. “What is the weather like today?” Doing so gives your audience…
Consistent and effective communication is vital in all learning environments. There are various options available for synchronous and asynchronous communication, one valuable and available tool is Blackboard Announcements. It allows instructors to post relevant information such as project due dates, course events, material changes, and more to a specific section within the course site. This one-way communication tool also allows announcements to be emailed to all students, immediately and simultaneously.
Author: Steven D. Brookfield Now available in the TLC. Students say the best teachers get them excited about learning, stretch their thinking, and keep them actively involved in class. But with increasingly diverse classrooms and constantly changing technology, each semester throws up new challenges for engaging students. Discover how to keep your teaching, and your… Read More
