2007 Blackboard Hands-on Workshops

Blackboard hands-on workshops are offered at the beginning of Fall term. One-on-one Blackboard training is offered throughout the year. Contact Kathy Keairns at x14156 to schedule an individual Blackboard consultation or to request a customized workshop for a group.

Workshop Schedule and Registration

Prerequisite: You must know your DU ID and Passcode to attend all Blackboard workshops. Instructors new to Blackboard must complete the Blackboard Basics workshop before attending intermediate or advanced workshops.

Workshop Descriptions

Blackboard Courseware Basics (1.5 Hours)

This hands-on workshop is designed for instructors, graduate assistants, and staff with limited or no prior Blackboard experience. Learn the fundamentals of teaching with Blackboard including how to:

• add and manage content
• use the communication tools
• customize your Blackboard course container
• manage your Blackboard course (course copy, archiving, course display, etc.)

Note: You will have an opportunity to upload course materials to your own Blackboard course container during the workshop so plan to bring electronic copies of your syllabus and other teaching resources to the session.

Register

Blackboard 7.1 - What’s New? (1 Hour)

This hands-on workshop is designed for experienced Blackboard instructors who would like an overview of what has changed in Blackboard.  This workshop will update instructors on some of the new tools and building blocks now available in Blackboard.   This workshop will review the following tools in Blackboard 7.1:

• New discussion board interface & features
• Testing & gradebook changes
• Respondus - 3rd party tool for creating Blackboard exams and surveys
• StudyMate – 3rd party tool for creating Interactive Games & Activities
• Learning Objects Campus Pack (Wiki, Blogs & Podcasts)

Visit the web site below for an overview of What's New in Bb 7.1:

What's New

Blackboard Communication Tools (1 Hour)

This hands-on workshop will review the collaboration and communication tools available in Blackboard. Participants who attend this workshop will learn how to use the following tools:

• Announcements
• Messages
• Discussion Board
• Blackboard Group Pages
• Wimba Live Classroom
• Blackboard Virtual Classroom/Chat Tools
• Wikis & Blogs

Register

Blackboard Gradebook (1 Hour)

This hands-on workshop is recommended for instructors who want to learn how to use the online gradebook in Blackboard. Instructors will learn how to:

• add and modify gradebook items
• post student grades
• download the Blackboard gradebook
• use the Blackboard assignment manager
• manage and navigate the Blackboard gradebook

Blackboard Tests and Surveys (1 Hour)

This hands-on workshop is recommended for instructors who want to learn how to use the testing tools in Blackboard. Instructors will learn how to:

• create tests and surveys
• deploy and mange test options
• use the pool manager
• download and use Respondus

Participants will also learn about the problems and challenges associated with online tests and tips for delivering online tests.

Beyond the Basics: Multimedia (1 Hour)

This hands-on workshop is for instructors who have experience teaching with Blackboard or who have completed the Courseware Basics workshop.  Participants in this workshop will learn how to add the following multimedia to Blackboard:

• Audio
• YouTube and DU VAGA video clips
• Images
• PowerPoint
• Podcasts

Participants will also and learn how to resize images and optimize PowerPoint and audio for the web.

Register

Beyond the Basics: Creating Activities & Games using StudyMate (1 Hour)

This hands-on workshop is designed for instructors who want to incorporate self-assessments for students within their Blackboard courses. StudyMate is an authoring tool that lets you create 10 non-graded activities and games including crosswords, flashcards, matching, and fill-in-the-blank. These activities can be published directly to Blackboard.

Beyond the Basics: Wikis, Blogs and Podcasts (1 Hour)

Learn to use Blackboard's interactive wiki, blog, and podcast tools. Wikis allow students to create online, collaborative websites without knowing a web programming language or using a web design software. Blogs are websites with reflective entries about a particular subject such as urban development, global warming, or 20th century literature. Blog entries include text, images, multimedia, and links to other websites. Podcasts are audio recordings an instructor posts to Blackboard for listening to by students. Students can listen to podcasts directly from their computer, or they can download them to a portable music player, PDA, or mobile phone.