Month: May 2013

New to Blackboard Learn this Summer: Profiles with pictures and privacy settings

/ TLP Chico / 4 Comments

Blackboard Learn was upgraded on May 30. One exciting new feature is the User Profiles. The new profiles display student photos in courses, and allow students to easily view a course roster.

Introducing Bb Learn Profiles

Note: All students and faculty will be invited to set up their profile the first time they log in after the May 30 upgrade – or just click “do it later” and proceed to log in. Sp 11 profile page

  • Add a picture of yourself and and an “about me” blurb
  • Set your privacy: visible to everyone at CSU, Chico, private, or hidden
  • Profiles enhance Discussions, Journals, Blogs and recent activity views
  • The new “People” tool lets you see who is in your classes.

Watch the new Profiles in action…

Each week, TLP will spotlight new Blackboard Learn functionality coming this summer.

Announcing the 2013 Exemplary Online Instruction (EOI) and Quality Online Learning and Teaching (QOLT) Awards

/ jimaird / Leave a comment

Three faculty have been recognized for excellence in technology-enhanced teaching through two awards programs, the Chico-based Exemplary Online Instruction (EOI) and the CSU-wide Quality Online Learning and Teaching (QOLT).

2013 EOI Awards
Please congratulate the following faculty members for their Exemplary Online Instruction. They will be formally recognized at the Annual CELT Conference luncheon in October, and will present their courses during a Poster Session.

  • Ben Seipel, Ph.D.  from Education, EDTE 580
  • Thomas Parker, Ph.D. from Religious Studies, RELS 332
  • Sarah Anderson, Ph.D. from the Center for Bilingual/Multicultural Studies, FLNG 254
  • And, Honorable Mention to Julie Schneider, Ph.D. from Nutrition and Food Sciences, NFSC 340

2013 QOLT Award
And join me in a special congratulations to Ben Seipel for being recognized by the CSU for Quality Online Learning and Teaching (QOLT). He is the first to apply to this new program from CSU Chico, and in the first group being recognized from Cal State for universities using Blackboard Learn in their exemplary teaching of hybrid or online courses.

Learn more about QOLT.
Learn more about Chico’s Rubric for Online Instruction or the Exemplary Online Instruction program.
For more information, contact Laura Sederberg, campus coordinator for QOLT and EOI, Lsederberg at csuchico.edu or 530-898-4326.

New in Blackboard Learn this Summer: Improved Assignment Grading & Test Analysis

/ Marjorie Shepard / 6 Comments

Blackboard Learn will be upgraded on May 30 to the latest version. Two of the new features are Inline Assignment Grading and  Test Item Analysis. Read more about the upgrade here.

*** Important note to faculty: If you are grading Bb Learn assignment submissions after May 30, you will see the new Inline Assignment Grading tool! ***

new test analysis and inline grading of assignments

Introducing “inline” assignment grading

If you’ve been downloading Word, PDF and text documents and re-uploading corrected papers back to students, get ready for a much faster way to grade!

  • View, annotate and grade file attachments directly within Blackboard Learn; no more downloading!
  • Supported file attachment formats for “inline” viewing include MS Office, text and PDF
  • Add color-coded annotations for students to read
  • You can always download the original or annotated paper for your records.

Watch inline assignment grading in action:

 

Introducing test item analysis

Blackboard Learn now provides detailed statistics on student test performance, and statistical breakdown of  individual test questions.

  • Highlights test questions that may be  too easy or difficult, or may have been scored incorrectly.
  • Lets you know which questions may be poor discriminators between students who know the subject matter and those who do not
  • Provides detailed statistical data for individual questions, including:
    • Average score
    • Standard deviation
    • Standard error
    • Number of students who skipped the question
    • Answer breakdown by class quartile

Watch test item analysis in action:

Each week, TLP will spotlight new Blackboard Learn functionality coming this summer.

New in Bb Learn this Summer: Video Everywhere & Improved Discussions

/ Marjorie Shepard / 3 Comments

Blackboard Learn will be upgraded on May 30 to the latest version. This upgrade includes a significantly improved Discussions tool and a new feature, Video Everywhere. Read more about the upgrade here.

new features: video everywhere and better discsussion

Video Everywhere!

  • Students and faculty can easily record and add video clips to assignments, posts, and tests.
  • In addition, faculty can record and add video clips to grading feedback.
  • Integrates with any YouTube account, including your CSU, Chico Wildcat Google YouTube account.
  • Reuse video across your courses.

 

 

Improved Discussions

Many of you have asked for more features and better display of the discussion boards – and Blackboard listened.

  • Read, reply to, and grade discussion posts directly from your My Blackboard page.
  • Profile photos enhance sense of community within online discussions.
  • Record video directly into discussion posts.
  • Forum descriptions are visible to students when they create new threads.
  • Faculty can require students to post before they can read what other students have posted.

Each week, TLP will spotlight new Bb Learn functionality coming this summer. Read more about each: