Get Started with Blackboard For Instructors Log in to Blackboard... 2 View a Student Roster... 3 Upload a Syllabus... 4 Upload Files... 5 Set up a Discussion... 6 Create an Assignment... 7 Preview a Course as a Student... 8 Make a Course Available to Students... 9 Post an Announcement... 10 Send an Email... 11 Get Help... 12 Faculty Assistance... 12 Student Assistance... 12 1
Log in to Blackboard 1. Navigate to https://blackboard.gwu.edu/. 2. Enter your GW NetID and password and click Login. Note: Your GW NetID is the part of your GW email address before the @ symbol. For assistance with your NetID and password, please contact the GW Division of IT at 202-994-4948. 3. After successfully logging in, you will be on the My Blackboard page. 4. Click on the name of a course to open it. 2
View a Student Roster View the roster of students enrolled in your course from within Blackboard. 1. Under the Control Panel menu, click Course Tools and then More Tools (GW). 2. On the More Tools page, click Roster Information. 3. The Roster Information page will display a list of currently enrolled students. You can then download it as an Excel spreadsheet or view it in a printer-friendly format. 3
Upload a Syllabus Upload a syllabus file into your Blackboard course for your students to view. The following method also adds your syllabus to the Blackboard Syllabi Repository so that students who aren't enrolled in your course can see more information about it before registering. 1. In your course, click the Syllabus menu item, known as a Content Area. Note: You can add a syllabus file to any Content Area, not just Syllabus. (e.g., Electronic Reserves, Outline, Week 1, etc.) 2. Select Build Content and then click GW Syllabus Upload. 3. On the next page, click Browse My Computer and choose the syllabus file from your computer. 4. Type a name for the file in the Name of link to file box and click Submit when you re finished. Note: Be sure to uncheck the box to opt-out of including your syllabus in the GW Repository if you do not want to do so. 4
Upload Files You can upload file into your Blackboard course for your students to download and view. The process outlined in this section is applicable when uploading files of any type. 1. In your course, click the Content Area where you want to add the files. Note: You can add files to any Content Area. (e.g., Outline, Assignments, Week 1, etc.) 2. Select Build Content and then choose File. 3. Type a name for the file in the Name field. 4. Click Browse My Computer and choose the file from your computer. 5. Click Submit to finish. Repeat this process for each new file you want to add. 5
Set up a Discussion The Discussion Board tool can be used to hold asynchronous, threaded discussions. You must first create one or more Forums before students can start their discussion threads. 1. In your course, click Discussions on the menu. 2. Click Create Forum. 3. Enter a title in the Name field and the discussion question or topic in the Description field. Note: Students see the Description next to the Forum name on the Discussion Board page. 4. Set the Forum Availability. If you want the discussion only to be open during a specific date range, use the date and time fields to limit the forum availability. 5. Select the Forum Settings based on your specific needs. 6. When finished, click Submit. 6
Create an Assignment Collect files from students via Blackboard using the Assignment tool. Students upload their files through the link created by this process, and you can view, comment on, and grade them right in Blackboard. 1. In your course, click Assignments on the course menu. Note: You can add Assignments to any Content Area. (e.g., Electronic Reserves, Outline, Week 1, etc.) 2. Select Assessments and then click Assignment. 3. Enter a title in the Name and Color field and any other relevant information in the Instructions field. 4. Enter the Points Possible (these can be any number of points) and optionally set a Due Date. 5. When finished, click Submit. Note: You can view student submissions from the Needs Grading page found on the Control Panel under Grade Center. 7
Preview a Course as a Student Use Student Preview Mode to view your Blackboard course from a student perspective. You can review course content and experience your course exactly as your students. 1. To enter student preview mode, select the Enter Student Preview icon at the top-right corner of the course. 2. An orange bar will appear across the top of the screen indicating that you are Entering Student Preview. 3. When you successfully enter student preview, the student preview bar appears at the top of each page. 4. Student preview creates a student account for you, named the preview user account, and logs you in as that user. Note: In student preview, you can submit assignments, take tests, create discussion posts, or view student tools, such as My Grades. 5. When finished, click Exit Preview at the top-right of the screen to return to instructor view. 6. In the Exit Student Preview window, select Delete the preview user and all data and click Continue. Note: If you want to see how a student activity presents itself to you as the instructor, such as grade calculations, select Keep the preview user and all data. If you keep the data, the preview user account will appear on the course roster, Grade Center, and anywhere you did something as the preview user until you re-enter Student Preview Mode and delete it. 8
Make a Course Available to Students By default, Blackboard courses are unavailable for student viewing. Once you are ready for students to access your course and its content follow the steps below to make it available. 1. In the Control Panel menu, click Customization and then Properties. 2. Under Set Availability, click Yes. 3. When finished, click Submit. 9
Post an Announcement The Announcements page, by default, is the first page students see upon entering a course. Use this tool to post helpful updates and course information. 1. From the main course menu, click Announcements. 2. Click Create Announcement. 3. Enter a title in the Subject field and type a message to students in the Message field. 4. Optionally, select the Email Announcement check box to also send this announcement as an email to students GW email accounts. 5. When finished, click Submit. 10
Send an Email Email individual students or groups of users in your Blackboard course using the Send Email tool. Recipients receive the email messages in their GW email inbox. 1. From the Control Panel menu, click Course Tools and then Send Email. 2. From the Send Email page, choose the recipients of your message. All Users will send the message to everyone in the course (e.g., students, TAs) and Single/Select Users will provide a list from which to choose specific recipients. For Single/Select Users, select the recipients in the Available to Select box and click the right arrow to move them into the Selected box. 3. Enter the email Subject and a Message. 4. Optionally, select Attach a file to browse your computer and attach a file to the email message. Note: To attach multiple files click Attach Another File. 5. Click Submit to send your message. You will receive a copy of the email in your GW email inbox. Note: Blackboard keeps no record of your email, whether you send or receive it. You should keep a copy of important messages in your GW email inbox in case you need them at a later date. 11
Get Help Faculty Assistance Instructional Technology Lab Gelman Library, Room B05 Phone: (202) 994-0485 Email: itl@gwu.edu Web: https://itl.gwu.edu/ Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:30 am 5:30 pm Online Support Instructor Blackboard FAQs: https://itl.gwu.edu/general-overview Blackboard s Help Site: https://help.blackboard.com/learn/instructor Blackboard Guides page at the top of the My Blackboard page in Blackboard Student Assistance Division of IT Support Center Academic Center (Rome/Phillips Hall), Room B154 Phone: (202) 994-4948 Email: ithelp@gwu.edu Web: https://it.gwu.edu Walk-in Hours: Monday through Friday, 10:00 am 6:00 pm Phone Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:00 am - 10:00 pm Online Support Student Blackboard FAQs: https://itl.gwu.edu/student-blackboard-faqs Blackboard s Help Site: https://help.blackboard.com/learn/student Blackboard Guides for Students on the right side of the Courses page in Blackboard. 12