In preparation for the Spring 2011 semester, please review the Prepare Your Course for the Semester information which can be found at https://www.hvcc.edu/deptweb-dlweb/preSemesterPrep.html.
Make Your Course Available
Once the semester begins, students will have access only to a course that has been made available by the course instructor. You must set the availability of your course(s)in Blackboard. To set the course availability, follow these steps:
– Enter the Control Panel of the course.
– Click on the Settings link.
– Click the Course Availability link to set user availability.
– Next to Make Course Available, “Do you want this course available to users?” click the radial button for Yes.
– Then click the Submit button. Your course will be available for student access.
Important notes for things that can occur with the export/import process
After you import your course, in some cases you may find that some course tools are no longer available for you to add which are usually located at the top-right-hand side of the page and includes adding a test, an assignment, Wimba Tools, etc. To turn these tools back on, please follow the directions provided in the tutorial called: “Tool Availability under Manage Tools.” (It also can be found at end of this e-mail).
Deleting/hiding columns in the Grade Center:
Blackboard 8 adds extra total and weighted total columns every time you export/import. If you hide these columns using the hide function in the Grade Center, you are hiding them from yourself but not from your students. You can delete them by selecting the chevron – ‘ in the column header and selecting ‘remove Column.’
Organizing the Grade Center
During the import/export process Grade Center columns become rearranged. You will need to reorganize the columns or you may decide to re-arrange how items are organized in the Grade Center. To organize the Grade Center:
In your course, select Control Panel.
– Select Grade Center.
– Select Manage from the tools menu.
– Select Organize Grade Center from the menu.
– Locate the Shown in Selected Views only area.
– Locate the item you want to move.
– Locate “grey line” (hash marks) area next to the item.
– An up/down arrow will appear when your cursor is over the grey lines.
– With that arrow showing, hold down the left mouse button.
– Drag the item to where you want it located.
– Let go of the mouse button when the item is where you want it.
Repeat Steps above to move additional items.
Note: Unfortunately, at this time you cannot select more than one item at a time to move.
Select Submit (located at the button of the list) when finished moving items.
Note: If don’t select submit your changes may not process.
Manage Tools
In your course:
– Select Control Panel.
– Select Manage Tools.
– Tool Availability Course Tools appear directly on the Course Menu of the Courses tab or within areas of the Course Menu (such as under Tools). Instructors can manage the availability of all of these Tools, such as Collaboration Tools, the Drop Box, and E-mail through the Manage Tools page.
Select Tool Availability
– Under the Available column, check/uncheck the box(es) next to the Tool(s) you want available/unavailable.
– Select Submit.
– Select OK and OK again on the next screen.
Content Type Availability
A Content Type is a new format for content that can be added to a Course. On this page, the Instructor may choose which types of content may be included in the Course. Content Types that are enabled can be added throughout the Course.
– Select Content Type Availability.
– Check/uncheck the box(es) next to the Content Type you want available/unavailable.
– Select Submit.
– Select OK and OK again on the next screen.
Please contact the Center for Distance and Online Learning if you need assistance at 518-629-7070 or e-mail DLHelp@hvcc.edu.
Have a great semester!
Published: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000 by s.gallagher