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 and Lincoln Campus CIT Rm FL2331. Wednesday and Thursday drop-in lab sessions in November and December (holidays excluded). 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 tool Blackboard integration will be retired on December 31, 2024.
Here's what to expect:
- Existing Blackboard Medial videos will no longer function.
- The Medial tool will disappear from the Blackboard menu.
If no action is taken, existing Medial videos which were placed via the Medial 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, you will still have continued use of the Medial platform outside of Blackboard by logging directly into: medial.ccri.edu. To avoid disruption, please follow our workaround found in the step-by-step Medial Embed guide to re-embed the Medial content into your courses.
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:
The Online Learning and Technology (OLT) team invites all CCRI faculty to our Blackboard drop-in lab sessions for one-on-one support. No appointment needed—just bring your bagged lunch and laptop, or use a desktop computer available in the lab. Sessions are held at the Center for Institutional Technology (CIT), Room 4100, at the start of each term. Check back often for updated dates and times! (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.