Faculty Support

One of our most common questions…

How do I make my course(s) course available/unavailable: Make Course Available or Unavailable

Course Copy and Section Merge (Collapse)

As a new semester approaches, you may want to merge/combine your sections or copy content from a past course to a current course. You can do one or both of these tasks yourself now. Many instructors merge courses that have identical content for grade center management. Are you interested in merging your own sections? It’s easy. Watch this video to learn how.   Please go to this web page to watch a video or see our FAQ’s and resources. Or, see our list of PDF tutorials below for 1) Course Copy, 2) Section Merge, and/or 3) Course Copy and Section Merge.

Good to Know…

Test Creation information and best practices

  • Blog post with test creation best practices info – see blog post
  • Assignment Tool (creates link for students) – download the PDF
  • Creating and Deploying Tests – download the PDF
  • Creating a Test From a Pool – download the PDF
  • Test-Taking Troubleshooting Tips for Instructors – download the PDF
  • Test-Taking Tips for Students – Share with Students - PDF
  • Respondus LockDown Browser - read the blog post for information
  • Rubrics with Assessments – download the PDF

Browser Info: Reminder: Blackboard works best using Firefox as the browser (for Macs also); please remind your students. The gradebook is especially noticeable (slow, not working properly) if you are using IE instead of Firefox. See Blackboard’s recommended browsers.

LockDown Browser – A Tool for More Secure Test-Taking in Bb

Introducing LockDown Browser (as of Fall 2012)… You’ll find it in your Blackboard Course > Control Panel > Course Tools > Respondus LockDown Browser. (If it does not show, go to Control Panel > Customization > Tool Availability and check the box for Respondus LockDown Browser.) See our blog post to learn more about this tool. For instructors, it is super easy to require that tests be taken in LDB, but watch the ECU training calendar for LockDown Browser training. Consider creating a simple, practice quiz (with complete/incomplete instead of a grade) that you require to be taken with LDB. That cuts down on 1) any last-minute downloading of the LockDown browser before the first real quiz and 2) last minute “help” emails from students before the first real quiz. For a good look at what LDB is about, watch this LockDown Browser for Instructors video from the Respondus people, which also gives you a view of what students will see.

For Summer, Fall, and Spring semesters:

  • Don’t forget to make your course available at the beginning of each semester. From the Control Panel in your course(s), click Customization, then Properties, to Set Availability.
  • You can also customize your menu bar, too. With color choices and text vs. button choices, create a different “look” for each section or course you teach. From the Control  Panel in your course(s), click Customization, then the “Style” button.

It’s not too early (or late) to start thinking about a little Bb gradebook housekeeping. You may have hidden columns and don’t realize that the columns are hidden from you, but not the students. Take a look at the PDF Gradebook Cleanup when you have time. Or, maybe you’d like a video – watch our virtual Grade Center tutorial.  You may need to clean up your navigation area (the menu items). Take a look at the short video on how to clean up your navigation area: Cleaning up your course navigation area.

We offer training sessions: Are you interested in our training sessions in Blackboard, Tegrity, Respondus, LockDown Browser, Yammer and/or iPad? We do most of those in Austin 309. Reserve your spot on the ECU training calendar. Keep in mind we will do small group or desk-side trainings; for more info, please contact Matt Long 328-9074, Cindy Bowers 328-9167, or Allen Dennis 328-2841. Be sure to refer your TAs and GAs to our training calendar, too. We update the calendar with new sessions often. For “virtual” training and instructions, please scroll down to see our list of videos.

Browser Info

Browser Update, per Service Pack 7 : Firefox is the preferred browser for Blackboard 9 at this time for both PC and Mac. Among other things, there are less popups, images display better, and documents often download from Firefox better than IE. Download Firefox here. Google Chrome is now a certified browser. Download Chrome here. If you use Internet Explorer and find you have frequent pop-up security messages, interface or display issues, or have trouble viewing images, we suggest you switch browsers (also good advice for your students). Mac users should also use Firefox. With future service packs, we will keep you apprised of any new browser information.

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[From the Office of IT Security, please see the blog post regarding FERPA and Blackboard.]

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Learn from our PDFs and Videos

PDFs | Blackboard 9

Virtual Training and Instruction | Blackboard 9  Overview:

Blackboard’s “On Demand” Learning Center Videos & PDFs:

Mini-Videos | Blackboard 9 Tools:

  • Digital Dropbox - Matt discusses how to use the Assignment Tool instead of the Digital Dropbox, which is no longer available in Blackboard 9. If your past course is still available or turned on, students can go here to  retrieve documents that they need for a portfolio (in case their computer crashed or they did not save it, etc.).

 Blackboard Mobile Learn

Blackboard can now be accessed on your mobile device via the Blackboard Mobile Learn app. Blackboard Mobile Learn allows students and instructors to interact with Blackboard on their Android, Blackberry, iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad device. Click here to view videos of Blackboard Mobile Learn on your mobile device.

Blackboard Mobile Learn offers a wide variety of features for easy viewing of Blackboard content on mobile devices.

Instructor Features:

  • Create and view announcements.
  • Create and view discussion board threads.
  • Post comments on students’ blogs and journals.
  • View tasks, class roster, and embedded media.
  • Favorites allow you to see only certain Blackboard pages inside Blackboard Mobile Learn.

After downloading the Blackboard Mobile Learn app and running it for the first time, search for ” East Carolina University ” then select “East Carolina University” and enter your Pirate ID credentials.” Explore the functionality of this program.

Update: Blackboard Mobile Learn is now carrier agnostic! This means that all Apple, Android, and Blackberry devices can use Blackboard Mobile Learn over their carrier’s wireless data network. All wireless carrier’s are supported by this new feature.