Blackboard Resources

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New! Waypoint2 Assessment Tool

Waypoint2, a web-based assessment tool, has been added to Fairfield's Blackboard system. Watch a brief video overview of Waypoint - including its live online document markup: http://vimeo.com/30680274.

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What's New

Blackboard Learn Service Pack 8 Upgrade
On May 18, 2012, the University's Blackboard server was upgraded to the latest release (known as Service Pack 8). The location or functionality of any of your existing course tools has not changed, but there is now a new, more modern interface as well as some additional features that Blackboard users have been asking for. To learn more about this new release, take a look at C&NS's Overview of Blackboard Service Pack 8.

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Making the Transition from StagWeb

With the release of the University portal, instructors who had been using StagWeb for some basic course-related functions (e-mailing students, checking a class roster, posting a syllabus, etc.) will need to find another tool to use to accomplish these tasks.

• Blackboard is populated on a twice-daily basis with an updated list of all courses, instructors, and student enrollments in all current classes. To view the roster for one of your classes, check out our Checking Your Course Roster in Blackboard resource guide.

• Blackboard's capacity to e-mail your entire class is simple and straightforward - and you don't need to be uploading content or assigning work in the system in order to make use of this funtion. C&NS's Sending Student E-mail via Blackboard resource guide outlines the process.

• While an instructor can check a course roster or e-mail his or her students without "activating" a Blackboard course, features such as posting syllabi, using the discussion board, giving quizzes, etc., require that course are available for students to access. Making Your Blackboard Course Available to Students explains the steps necessary to do so.

• One of the first steps you'll want to take in using Blackboard is to post your syllabus. See our Posting Your Syllabus in Blackboard resource guide for the details.

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Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I get a Blackboard course set up?
  All University courses are now automatically populated via a direct connection with Banner. Simply log in to Blackboard and all of your courses will be there. No courses will be visible to your students, however, until you specific mark it as Available.
• How do I log into Blackboard? Go to http://fairfield.edu/blackboard and enter your NetID username and password.
• How are students added to my class list in Bb? The Blackboard system will update twice daily with information received from Banner. As students register for your course, they will be added to the class list during the next update. If they drop the course, they will be removed during the next update. You can view your class list by clicking on Users and Groups and then Users from within the Control Panel of your course.
• How do I make my course available to students? From within your course, click on Customization in the Control Panel on the left. Next click on Properties. Under #3, set the availability to Yes and click Submit. All of the students in your class list will now see the course in their My Courses listing when they log in.
• How do I change the name of my course? Since the courses are now coming over directly from Banner, the course name contains the term code and section information. You can change the name of the course by going into Customization in the Control Panel and then Properties. #1 is where you can change the name. Since Bb does not organize courses by term codes, it's advisable to keep the term code listed somewhere in the course name so that you’ll be able to differentiate one semester's offering of a course from another.
• How do I remove courses from the My Courses module on my Blackboard homepage?
  Now that Bb is integrated with Banner, all of your courses will be created in Bb whether you plan on using it with your course or not. If you want to remove courses from your My Courses module, click on the Manage My Courses Module Settings (the first icon in the My Courses module title bar). Under Display Course Names, uncheck the names of the courses that you want to remove from your listing and click Submit.
• How do I copy content over from an existing course into a new course?
  Go into the course you want to copy content from and click on Packages and Utilities from within the Control Panel. Select Course Copy. Under #1, click on the drop-down menu and select Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course. Under #2, click on Browse to find the new course that you want to copy your content into. Select the types of content you want to copy over and then click Submit.

Log on to Fairfield's Blackboard site

• Blackboard is available from both on and off campus at the URL http://www.fairfield.edu/blackboard
• Download Logon Instructions

Supported browsers

• List of standard Windows and Mac OS X browsers and versions that are supported by Blackboard

Logon Instructions

• Download a single-page handout for students that explains how to log on to Blackboard and what browsers will work for them

Blackboard Course Templates

• Jumpstart your course design by downloading and importing one of our templates. Choose from either the folder-based template or the learning module-based template. Either one will provide an initial framework to the organizational structure of your course.
  More information

Mobile devices

• Blackboard now has the Blackboard Mobile App on the iTunes Store for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch and on Google Play for Android phones and tablets. Students have the option of purchasing the Mobile App for one year (at $1.99 per year) or for life (at $5.99). View complete information on mobile applications.

Quick Start Documents

• Getting Started with the Blackboard Course Environment
• Getting Started with Course Content
• Getting Started with Building a Test
• Exporting Your Class Roster to Excel
• Creating An Assignment in Blackboard
• Blackboard On-Demand Learning Center
• Troubleshooting Common Quicktime Problems (for students)

WizIQ Live Interactive Class Meetings

• Setting Up a WizIQ Live Class Session in Blackboard
• An Overview of WizIQ Tools
• Reference Guide: The WizIQ Interface

Complete Documentation

• Blackboard provides a wide range of Quick Reference guides and Tutorials on their website, covering everything from assignments and grading to setting up student groups and understanding accessibility capabilities of the system.

Publisher content

• Blackboard supports digital content from a wide range of textbook publishers and digital content providers. This material is referred to as Course Cartridges in Blackboard 9.1, and it is made available to you via the publisher. To upload a cartridge into a course, you must obtain an Instructor Download Key from the publisher; this key is then used to automatically upload the content from the publisher's server to Fairfield's Blackboard site. You may also need to provide your students with Access Keys to provide a one-time authorization to use the publishers' material.