Blackboard
Faculty members can build an online learning environment for any subject - from Biology to Medieval Literature. Instructors and students can access Blackboard sites anytime*, anywhere, and from any web browser.

Easy to learn and to use
Blackboard requires no knowledge of HTML or other programming languages. Faculty simply point and click to automatically incorporate learning materials from word processing, audio and video, and presentation files. In addition to powerful course authoring tools, Blackboard provides administrative options for customizing and managing: course content, advanced communication, and assessments online.

For Instructors and Students, Blackboard Provides:

• Content Management and Content Sharing
• Assessment Management
• Gradebook
• Collaboration and Communication
• Assignment and Portfolio Management

Blackboard Release 6 New Features:

Course Management
New! Customizable Course Menu

• Easily create and name course navigation elements
• Link from the Course Menu to any content item, to a URL or to Blackboard tools
• Option of text-based navigation in a range of colors.

Change! Course statistics now show averages per month not details per month.

Course Content
New! Content Anywhere

• Content can easily be copied and/ or moved to another place in the course
• Course links connect to content or tools in other areas
• Flexible placement of URLs allows for external links to be placed anywhere in content areas.

Assessment and Evaluation
New! Test Canvas

• Build and edit assessments, then deploy them in any content area.
• Use the Creation Settings to set default point values for questions, enable individualized feedback for answers, and define categories/keywords for location of specific questions.
• Attach images and links to questions and to feedback.
• Built-in math and science notation.

Better! Test Manager

• Choose the method for delivering assessments (e.g., question by question or all at once).
• Edit deployed assessments without clearing existing grades.Tests & surveys are now deployed through content areas instead of through the test and survey managers.

Announcements for tests must now be separately created by the instructor.

New! Assignment Manager

• All content management options (including time-release) are supported
• Download one, some, or all completed assignments for grading offline
• Feedback opportunities for instructors and students to add comments to an assignment.Files are organized, viewed and graded in the Blackboard Gradebook.

Better! Gradebook

• Use raw scores, letter grades and/or percentages to display grades
• Assign weighted values to grades by category or by item
• Export and import grades for advanced grade analysis and use of third-party tools
• Multiple disparate views have been collapsed into one central spreadsheet view.

Collaboration
New! Lightweight Chat

• Send private messages to participants.
• Breakout Sessions can be created for group work.
• Section 508 compliant.
• Instructors control archiving of sessions, allowing for more privacy of online meetings. The archive can be started and stopped throughout the session.

Better! Virtual Classroom

• Use math equations and scientific notation in the whiteboard.
• Instructors and students can respond to questions from session participants.
• View course materials i.e. PowerPoints in the whiteboard.Snapshots can be made ofcontent in the Whiteboard and added to the session archives. Ability to grant privileges to users based on their passive or active status.
• Option to have multiple Collaboration sessions available, controlled by time/date release.

You can request creation of a Blackboard site for your course by visiting our Blackboard Request a Course online form.

Please note: Before posting copyrighted materials on your course web site, please review the North Dakota Higher Education Computer Network Policy and Procedures.

*Regular availability of Blackboard at the University of North Dakota will be at all times except on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-7 am, when scheduled system backups and maintenance will be performed.