Recent Enhancements to Blackboard's Learning System 6.3
Adaptive Release of Content (New!)
Instructional Designers have long wanted "adaptive release" of information, to permit instructors to create customized learning paths through course content and activities. Adaptive release permits course content, assessments, assignments, and other activities to become available to students, based on a variety of criteria including: date and time, group membership, course or test grades, or successful completion of a previous activity. Instructors create and manage Adaptive Release rules from the new Manage button now associated with all content items.
Take Advantage of Electronic Reserves
Articles, chapters and other material can be scanned and made available to students over the campus network. Access is limited to students enrolled in specific courses each semester. The Library will scan and link items into courses created in Blackboard through the ITRC. Photocopied or reproduced material must be provided by the faculty member for scanning. All copyright laws apply. Please allow extra time at the beginning of each semester for processing. For additional information contact Lisa Karle or check the online Library information. < http://www.saintmarys.edu/~library/Course Reserve/cr30_faq.htm >
Automatic System for Reviewing Student Progress
Previously, instructors had no way of knowing whether students have completed online content or activities. Now there are several ways instructors can track student progress. The simplest technique allows the instructor to turn on a "Mark Reviewed" button next to each content item they wish to track. Then, after students have completed their review of each item, they can be instructed to click the Mark Reviewed button. This indicates that their review of the material is complete, and are prepared to be held accountable for this material. Instructors can use the new Performance Dashboard in the Control Panel, to montor student's progress. The Performance Dashboard also allows the instructor to see key information and outcomes for all students (including the last time the student logged in, what content has been reviewed).
New Question Types and Gradebook Enhancements
Instructors can now choose from ten additional question types. Previously gradebook Total and Weighted Total calculations included all items in calculations, including items that have not been completed and which then contributed a "0" to the total. Instructors can now exclude ungraded (optional) items when calculating totals. Instructors also have the ability to randomize the answers in multiple choice questions as well as the order of the questions.
The Blackboard Gradebook can now be downloaded and the data can be massaged in Excel before being uploaded.
New Glossary Tool
Each course now has its own glossary tool, that can be used by an instructor to generate a course specific glossary of terms. Each entry consists of the term and an accompanyiong deinition. The Glossary is constructed from the Control Panel, using Settings > Course Tool s> Glossary Manager.
Fully Customizeable Course Design
"Any Content Anywhere!" is Blackboard's goal. The Blackboard Learning System puts instructional design decisions in the hands of the instructor. Any type of content, including folders, items, assessments, surveys, and internal course links, can now appear in any content area. Instructors have complete control of the architecture of their course menu to make it easier for students to navigate and find relevant course information.
- instructors can easily create and remove menu items and rename course elements
- instructors can link from the Course Menu to any content item, URL, Discussion or other Blackboard tool, for maximum visibility
- Course links connect to content or tools in other areas
- Flexible placement of URLs allows for external links to be placed anywhere in content areas
Assignment Manager
The Blackboard Learning System includes a new paperless system for managing Assignments, each one consisting of one short essay question - and a text box in which students type an essay response. Instructors can use this system to post assignments fror a limited time, to evaluate the student response and assign grades that appear in the gradebook.
All content management options (including time-release) are supported
• Instructors can "download" student assignments for grading offline. There is provision for instructors to provide feedback to each student, and for students to add comments to their assignment. Responses are viewed and graded in the Blackboard Grade book
New Sources for Web-based Learning Objects and Web Enhanced Curriculum
All major education publishers create content and supplementary course materials in a Blackboard Course Cartridge format. Many of these are available at no cost as an educational supplement to the users of their textbooks. The course content may contain rich media content, assessments, pools of questions suitable for use with Blackboard quizes, and links to additional resources, such as interactive learning applications, that supplement the textbook reading. Cartridge materials can be customized once downloaded into a course site. In addition to these Course Cartridges, some enhancements are made available to Blackboard schools by developers to offer value to all classes. Several of these add-ons have been added to our system.
Two items in particular, Merlot Content and Books and Materials, can be used to create useful enhancements to course curriculum. An instructor will find them on the Select pull down menu in the EDIT VIEW. The Merlot Content tool allows instructors to search a data base of high quality peer-reviewed Learning Objects created by faculty and instructional designers at other colleges, that can easily be added to your Blackboard course. The "Books and Materials" tool allows instructors to add a picture of a recommended book cover, complete with prices and links to Amazon and used books websites.
