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Blackboard for Dummies
More and more schools, colleges, universities and business organizations – and even government training agencies – are taking their classes online. Blackboard is the leading platform for managing online classes, but surprisingly, there are no books telling instructors how to use it. Most places have a general hands-on introductory online
course for new faculty that says, here is Blackboard, here is our course template, here are “best practices” in teaching online, here is what we expect from you, here are our policies and procedures, here’s the link to library services, now go get a ready to start. And it usually takes place over 5-6 weeks, leaving faculty somewhat bewildered and overloaded with information. Blackboard provides an online manual with each classroom, and instructors have access to it, but it’s not especially teacher-friendly. This book is intended to tell potential and current instructors, OK, you've been told to take your class online with Blackboard, now what? Here's what you need to know to get it online successfully.
The book is organized to follow the order of concerns that an instructor would be likely to have, and then in the order in which the instructor would begin using the features. It is specific, detailed, with step-by-step examples to the common issues facing all teachers using Blackboard to set up a classroom. The book also discusses using Blackboard as an adjunct to a face-to-face classes. When learning theory or instructional design theory is presented, it is in the context of “best practices” with applications, rather than as theoretical discussion. Readers will be able to go from class notes to developing a ready-to-go online class, and then on to actually running the class successfully.
Introduction.
Part I: What's Blackboard All About?
Chapter 1: Your First Look at Blackboard.
Chapter 2: The Course-Development Process.
Part II: Easing into Blackboard.
Chapter 3: Got Learners? (Getting People into Your Course).
Chapter 4: Making the Course Your Own.
Chapter 5: Building Your Class Materials.
Chapter 6: Connecting with Learners.
Part III: Earning Your Blackboard Black Belt.
Chapter 7: Getting the Most from Blackboard.
Chapter 8: Assessing Learner Progress.
Chapter 9: Course Implementation.
Chapter 10: Course Management.
Part IV: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 11: Ten Superimportant Think Abouts for Building Your Course.
Chapter 12: Ten Strategies for Organizing an Outstanding Course in Blackboard.
Chapter 13: Ten Ways to Keep Learners Involved by Using Blackboard Communication Features.
Chapter 14: Ten Ways to Assess Learning.
Chapter 15: Ten Questions to Ask Your Blackboard System Administrator.
Chapter 16: Ten Things to Look Forward to in Blackboard Learning System 7.1.
Part V: Appendixes.
Appendix A: Real-Life Issues in Teaching with Technology.
Appendix B: An Overview of the Blackboard Content System.
Appendix C: A Blackboard Course-Building Checklist.
Appendix D: Additional Resources on the Web.
Glossary.
Index
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