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Orientation: Adding Content
Adding
Content
Content can be added to content areas in BlackBoard.
You can customize these by adding, removing, or changing the link labels (see
“Customize Course Menu” module).
Adding
Course Cartridges
Course cartridges are collections of material
created by publishers to complement textbooks. Be sure to load the cartridge
before you start building your course.
To add a course cartridge:
1. Find
the Instructor Download Key included with your copy of the Instructor’s textbook,
or contact your textbook sales representative to get it. (You can also search
for the key in the Course Cartridge screen on BlackBoard).
2. Go
to the Control Panel and select Import Course Cartridge.
3. Type
in the Key and click Submit.
4. Within
24 hours, the course cartridge will be added to your course.
5. You
will receive an email when the installation is complete.
Adding
Your Own Content
Edit View allows direct access to buttons for
adding items to a content area of your course. Click on the “Edit View” link
(fig. 1) on the right side of your screen. To return to the student view, click
on “Display View” in the same spot. You can also add content through the
Control Panel.
Figure
1. “Edit View” link at upper right on content pages (except on Announcements
and Staff Information)
Once in Edit view, you will see the Add
toolbar, with different types of content to add:
Figure
2. Add toolbar, left side
Also on the far right hand side is a pull down menu
with additional choices:
Figure
3. Add toolbar, right side. More selections from the drop down menu
Item
– add content using Item when you want to post information for read
only. Item content is non-interactive.
Folder –
create a folder to organize your course material into units.
External Link –
provide a direct link to an external web page.
Course Link -
link within BlackBoard from one content area to another.
Test -
create a new test from another test or pool. For more details, see the
Assessment module.
Survey -
make a survey, which is an anonymous, unscored assessment.
Assignment –
use the Assignment feature to create a private conduit between instructor and
student, where you can provide individualized feedback and exchange files that
stay associated with the assignment. The Assignment is automatically added to
your Gradebook. See the Assignments module for more information.
Learning Unit enables
the Instructor to set a structured path for progressing through the content
within a course.
LRN Packages - Microsoft
LRN Content enables Instructors to create course content presentations that
have a hierarchical structure and sequential navigation. It is only compatible
with Internet Explorer 5.x and 6.x Web browsers.
Content can be added
in three ways. A mix of approaches is often best, as each is effective for
different things. The three ways are:
·
Adding directly into a BlackBoard page
·
Attaching a document
·
Linking to a web page created in FrontPage
Adding
Content Directly
BlackBoard has a Textbox Editor for typing and formatting content directly into
your course.
Figure
4. Textbook with editing tools
Features include:
·
Formatting buttons
·
Spell checker
·
Math Formula Editor WebEq- Square root symbol
·
Math ML (Math Markup Language) Editor - Division
symbol - for more information go to http://www.dessci.com/en/support/tutorials/mathml/
Printing Content
Printing can
be challenging for students. This is because BlackBoard opens the content
inside a "frame" of the web page. When students print something, they
need to:
1. Use
the right mouse button (right-click) on the link to that document.
2. Select
Open in New Window from the menu that appears.
3. Print
the document from the new window.
Attaching
a document
It is often more effective to attach a document
rather than enter the text directly into BlackBoard. This is especially true
when:
·
The document is one that students will need to
print.
·
The content is a worksheet, handout, or tip-sheet
that students will need to save for future reference or that may be used in
multiple courses.
Make sure that the file formats you use are
accessible to your students. We recommend that you use Rich Text Format (RTF),
HTML or PDF files. See the addendum at the end of this document for a
discussion of appropriate file formats.
Instructional
Design Note:
PowerPoint documents can create printing
difficulties. Often students have to print slides one page at a time. If you
want your students to print PowerPoint files, we recommend printing them 6 to a
page, then copying and handing them out in class, giving students explicit
instructions on how to print 6 slides to a page, or saving your PowerPoint
document as a PDF file (best practice).
To attach a document for read-only or printing:
1. Click
on the "Item" option on the toolbar.
2. Type
in a name for the item, or select from the pull-down menu
3. Locate
your file on your computer using the Browse button.
4. Select
the display options, available times, etc.
5. Click
"Submit"
Note that documents also can be posted using the Assignment feature or
as an attachment on the Discussion Board or to an email. Also note, BlackBoard
restricts you from uploading any files larger than 50 mb. See “Managing large
files” below for more information.
Printing linked documents
can be challenging for students in the same way that in-line content is. See
the note above for tips to print more successfully.
Linking
to a web page
You can also link students to a web page that
you've created on Flightline. This is often useful when:
·
An assignment or document is used in multiple
classes
·
A document will be updated or changed frequently
·
A document contains many images or other media
To link to a document on your web site:
1. Click
on the "External Link" option on the toolbar.
2. Type
in a name for the item, or select from the pull-down menu
3. Find
the item in your web browser (Internet Explorer or Mozilla/Firefox)
4. Copy
and paste the URL
5. Select
the display options, available times, etc.
6. Click
"Submit"
Managing
large files
Keep large files "friendly"
Powerpoint
presentations, video, and audio files are often very large. They can be slow to
load, which is a problem for students, and space-hogs on Highline's BlackBoard
server.
- An 11MB PowerPoint file takes 4 minutes
to load over a cable or DSL connection.
- That same file converts to a 1.5MB PDF
(Portable Document Format), which takes less than a minute to download
- A 6MB PowerPoint file takes 2.5 minutes
to load over a cable or DSL connection.
- That 6mb file converts to a 0.3MB PDF,
which takes around 15 seconds to load.
Put the files on Flightline, then link from BlackBoard
Use your
faculty web site on Flightline as storage for your course content. (See the demonstration movie and step-by-step
instructions).
- Flightline transfers files faster than BlackBoard,
so students get materials faster
- It keeps these large files off the BlackBoard
server, which has less capacity than the Flightline server.
- Files can be used in multiple courses
or from quarter to quarter. It is easier and faster to link to them versus
importing them into BlackBoard. If it is a file that needs to be updated
quarterly, it's faster to update it on Flightline; the link in BlackBoard
will still work.
Convert files to PDF
Convert
PowerPoint presentations and read-only documents to PDF. (See the step-by-step
instructions).
- PDF files are smaller in size so much
quicker to load.
- Most computers have PDF readers already
installed. If not, the plug-in is free and quick to install.
- Unless the student has PowerPoint,
presentations will be printed one slide per page. PDFed presentations can
be set up 3 slides per page, with handy note-taking lines included.
Consider streaming video and audio
If you
have a short video for students, consider having it streamed over the web
instead of using a great big download. This delivers the video over the web as
the student views it; less wait, more watch. Contact Media Services for details.
This
information is available online at http://flightline.highline.edu/blackboard/bp/manage.large.files.html.
Notes
on Adding and Modifying Content
Posted content may be modified by clicking the
"Modify" button next to an item. The fields on the “Add” page and “Modify”
page are the same. The Add form opens with empty fields. The Modify form opens
with fields already filled. You can change any of the options, including the
title, description, or display options.
Note:
Pay attention to the following options when adding or modifying content.
|
Do you want to make content
visible? |
Select Yes to indicate
that the item will be available to students. |
|
Do you want to track number of
views? |
Select Yes to track the
number of times users access this item. Use the Course Statistics page
to view a report. |
Selecting
Document Formats
Word
processing programs that are used for creating a syllabus, assignments, or
other course information can be imported into BlackBoard using the procedures
outlined above. However, the documents should be saved using a file type such
that students will not have to depend on a certain word processor to view them.
Below
are common file types, along with advantages and disadvantages for each.
Word or WordPerfect Document
If you
choose to use a Microsoft Word or WordPerfect document, your students must also
have that program on their computers to view it. Different versions of Word may
also conflict and restrict a student’s view. Many users have the latest version
of Word, so this may not be an issue for your course. With some exceptions,
they will see the same format that you do on your screen.
Rich Text Format (.rtf)
Your
original Word document may lose some formatting as an .rtf file, but usually any
differences are minor. Your students will be able to view the content no matter
what word processor they have. You can convert Word documents (.doc) to Rich
Text Format (.rtf) by opening the document, choosing File and selecting Save As,
then changing Save as type: to Rich Text Format. Once you
have saved the file as .rtf, you are ready to import the document into your
course site.
Portable
Document Format (.pdf)
PDF
files require that you convert the document using the Adobe Acrobat or a
comparable program. The resulting file will preserve the layout of your document,
as if you'd taken a picture of the page and sent that. Students will need a PDF
reader (usually Adobe Acrobat Reader), which is freely available. The Acrobat
conversion program is available in the MIDS lab on the 6th floor of the
library, or on some newer office computers.
HTML
Format
Your
original Word document may lose some formatting as an HTML file, but your
students will be able to view the content no matter what word processor they
have. Compared to Rich Text Format, HTML formatting will preserve more of the graphics. You can convert Word
documents (.doc) to HTML (.html) by opening the document, choosing File and
selecting Save As HTML... Once you have saved the file as .html, you can import
the document into your course site.
ID Note: You can also use this to add content
directly to a page. Use Front Page to create the content, then copy and paste
the HTML. Click on the HTML tab in the lower left corner of the FrontPage
screen. Begin copying at the word <body> and copy until you get to </body>.
If you are using HTML, don’t forget to select the HTML button at the bottom of
the BlackBoard text box.