Blackboard Training

The Online Learning and Technology team hosts workshops, labs and presentations throughout the year to provide faculty development on instructional technology. The goal of these sessions is to educate, inform, and inspire faculty on how today's learning environment can be enhanced through technology.

Upcoming Events:

Medial Support Lab Sessions | Warwick Campus CIT Rm 4100. Every Wednesday or Thursday in November from 11am-1pm (excluding Thanksgiving). See also step-by-step Medial Embed guide and drop-in details below:

IMPORTANT MEDIAL UPDATE!

Online Learning and Technology wants to inform you of an important change in Blackboard’s support for the Medial building block tool. As part of a Blackboard system-wide update, the Medial B2 Mashup tool integration will be retired on December 31, 2024. After this date, the existing videos placed via the Medial mashup tool will no longer play, and only nonfunctioning thumbnail images will remain. Please know that although the Medial-Blackboard integration will no longer be available, there is a straightforward workaround for embedding Medial content into your course.

You will still have continued use of the Medial platform outside of Blackboard by logging directly into: medial.ccri.edu.

URGENT FACULTY ACTION REQUIRED

To ensure uninterrupted access to your Medial videos, please  re-embed each video using the updated  Build Content → Item method. You will also need to delete the old Mashup versions to avoid confusion.

Get Started: For detailed instructions, please refer to the "Embed a Medial Video" article.

ABOUT OLT DROP IN LAB SESSIONS:

Online Learning and Technology team would like to invite all CCRI faculty who couldn't attend our Blackboard drop-in lab sessions for one-on-one support. No appointments necessary – just pop over during scheduled times with your laptop or use one of our provided desktop computers to meet with a Blackboard expert. The lab sessions will be held at the Center for Institutional Technology Center (CIT) Room 4100 at the beginning of each term so please check back here frequently for date updates (see graphic below for details).

Whether you are a seasoned veteran or new to Blackboard, our team can assist with course copying, content management, gradebook configurations, tool navigation, media creation, and more. As always, Online Learning and Technology also offers alternate virtual and in-person Blackboard Consultations upon request. Be sure to check out our Blackboard Semester Start Reminders infographic for quick tips before you stop by one of our sessions.

Setting Up Your Blackboard Course

Register for our online, self-guided, self-paced course to learn the basics of Blackboard. Get your course up and running with a solid foundation. Topics include; understanding course navigation and menu, identifying various tools, setting up assessment items, organizing delivery of course content and course file management best practices.

Faculty will earn 3 - 7 CTE Knight Points for each workshop and/or webinar attended. The course will also be a handy tool to refer back to while working in your course(s).

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Past Events:

Blackboard Essentials Summer Series

Overview:
This three-part workshop series is designed to prepare CCRI faculty for the upcoming semester by providing the necessary skills to effectively set up and manage Blackboard courses. Each one-hour session focuses on specific aspects of course preparation and management, ensuring faculty can confidently use Blackboard to enhance student learning and engagement.

Session Details:

Session 1: Course Setup and Content Management

Date: Tuesday June 4, 2024 Time: 11:00 am-12:00pm Room: Knight Campus Rm. 4104

Topics Covered:

Introduction to Blackboard: Course navigation basics.
Copying content from past courses and creating new course materials.
Updating the course syllabus and modifying due dates.
Organizing navigation tool links and course view options.

Outcome: Participants will learn how to set up their course shell and manage course content efficiently.

Session 2: Ensuring Accessibility and Communication

Date: Wednesday June 5, 2024 Time: 11:00 am-12:00pm Room: Knight Campus Rm. 4104

Topics Covered:

Reviewing and updating course hyperlinks.
Ensuring videos have appropriate captioning and transcription.
Using Ally to run accessibility checks on content.
Setting up communication tools like discussion boards and establishing guidelines for student interactions.

Outcome: Faculty will be equipped to ensure their courses meet accessibility standards and are prepared to establish effective communication channels with students.

Session 3: Final Checks and Student Engagement

Date: Thursday June 6, 2024 Time: 11:00 am-12:00pm Room: Knight Campus Rm. 4104

Topics Covered:

Managing content files and deleting unwanted materials.
Hiding future content items and adding optional welcome videos.
Verifying course textbooks and integrated publisher links.
Making the final course available to students and verifying everything in "Student View."

Outcome: Attendees will perform final checks to ensure their course is ready for the semester, focusing on student engagement and readiness.

Registration and Additional Information:

Please register for one or more sessions in the series:

Who Should Attend: This series is ideal for any faculty member new to Blackboard or those looking for a refresher on its features. It is also beneficial for administrative staff involved in course setup processes.

By participating in all three sessions, faculty will be fully prepared to navigate Blackboard, providing a structured, accessible, and engaging course setup for students.

POST SESSION LAB HOURS

Following the live in-person sessions the Online Learning and Technology team would like to invite participants and any other faculty who couldn't attend the live sessions to our Blackboard drop-in lab for one-on-one support. No appointments necessary – just pop over during scheduled times with your laptop or use one of our provided desktop computers. The lab sessions will be held at the Center for Institutional Technology Center (CIT) Room 4100 at the beginning of each term so please check back here frequently for date updates.

Other Past Events:

Getting Started with Blackboard

Need to get your course up and running or just a refresher? These professional development workshops will be made up of demonstrations to help you build your online course.

Class Collaborate Ultra

A real-time video conferencing tool built for education. You have both a dedicated course room and the ability to schedule as many new sessions as you want within each of your Blackboard courses. Thanks to robust collaboration and conference tools, everyone feels like they’re in the same room together, regardless of their location or device. Learn all the Collaborate basics as well as taking attendance, creating breakout groups, recording sessions and sharing the recordings.

Medial and MediaLecture

Medial is CCRI's video streaming server and MediaLecture is CCRI's screen capturing app. Learn all the various options in which you can record your classroom lectures. The Workshop will also cover editing, adding titles to your video within MediaLecture as well as linking your videos to your Blackboard courses.

Discussions, Blogs, and Journals

Online discussions provide unique benefits. A sense of community among students is crucial for a successful online experience. With online discussions, course members can replicate the robust discussions that take place in the traditional classroom. Learn how to properly select the tool which is best suited for your course and teaching style. Also learn about the Groups tool... group work improves critical thinking, problem solving, adaptability, and communication among students.

Assignments, Inline Grading and Tests

Learn how to use the Assignments tool to efficiently create assignments that assess students in a variety of meaningful ways and decide on the best way to present the assignments you create. Learn how to effectively create Tests to engage your students. You will also learn how to deploy tests within content areas of your courses.

Blackboard Tests

Learn how to effectively create Tests to engage your students. You will also learn how to deploy tests within content areas of your courses.

Mastering the Grade Center

This workshop provides a comprehensive introduction to the Grade Center tool. Use this valuable tool to help understand student progress and make informed decisions on how to improve educational performance. This workshop assumes you are already familiar with Assignments, Tests, and other Blackboard tools.

Introduction to VoiceThread

Learn how to upload, share and narrate documents, presentations, images, audio files and videos to create effective engagement and discussions.