Blackboard Training Schedule

To register for a course, please go to the HR Training page and click the title of the course(s) in which you are interested. (NOTE: The course list on the right side of the training page only shows 15 days of classes at a time. To see all scheduled Bb courses, click the Training Calendar link on that page and expand the Bb category and each course title.) For each course, you must click the Enroll button, provide your NetID and NetID password, and confirm your request in order to complete enrollment.

You must register in order to attend the Blackboard training sessions. (However, you do not have to register for open workshops.) Please note other sessions will be offered in the future if you cannot make these dates.

Location

The location for all training sessions is GEB B107

Minimum Class Size

Beginning with the October 2008 schedule, all classes must have a minimum of five (5) people registered the day before the class in order for that class to be held in GEB B107. If it does not, the registered users will be notified that the class is being moved to another location or possibly canceled.

September 2009 Training Schedule

• Tuesday, September 29, 12-1p: What's New in Blackboard V8 in GEB A304
  *NOTE* - Teleconferencing will be available for affiliates not on main UTHSC campus for this 9/29 date

October 2009 Training Schedule

• Thursday, October 1, 2-3p: What's New in Blackboard V8 in GEB A103

Course Descriptions

One-on-One Training Session

Class length: 1.5 hours
HR128 credit: 1.5 hours
Level: Various

This session is for a single faculty or staff member who has specific questions about our version of Blackboard who has not been able to attend a group training session. REQUIREMENT: It is strongly suggested that you have past practical experience using Blackboard before signing up for this session. Or, if your assigned duties now include Blackboard, this would be the setting to ask questions about how to perform those duties.

You will have an opportunity to ask specific questions and practice in Blackboard during the session.

 

What's New in Blackboard Version V8
Class length: 1 hour
HR128 credit: 1 hour
Level: Advanced

Come and join us as we display some of the updates that will affect your Blackboard experience when we upgrade to V8 later this year. The changes are so extensive to the Gradebook, that it has been renamed the Grade Center. REQUIREMENT: It is strongly suggested that you have past practical experience using Blackboard before taking this course.

In this course you will learn the following:

- How to enter a grade with one click
- How to freeze columns for better viewing
- How to add comments – for students and fellow instructors
- How to send email from the Grade Center
- How to exempt a grade

Introduction to Blackboard

Class length: 2 hours
HR128 credit: 2 hours
Level: Basic (basic computer skills required)

This course is for faculty and staff members who have little or no experience with Blackboard or those who want a refresher in the basic use of the course management system. REQUIREMENT: You have past practical experience using Blackboard before taking this course.

In this course you will learn the following:

- How to access Blackboard
- How courses are created and students and others are added
- How to add Microsoft Office documents, PDFs, and other content
- How to use the basic Blackboard tools, such as announcements, discussion board, and email
- How to set basic course options
- How to "clean up" and preserve your course(s) at the end of the term
- Best practices for incorporating Blackboard into your teaching
- Where to get support and find documentation

You will have an opportunity to ask specific questions and practice in Blackboard during the session.

Using the Blackboard Assessment Tools

Class length: 1.5 hours
HR128 credit: 1.5 hours
Level: Advanced

This course is for faculty and staff members who already have experience using Blackboard’s basic functions and want to learn the more advanced skills of creating and managing tests, surveys, and question pools in Blackboard. Anyone who is thinking of using these features or has questions about prior use of these tools should attend this course. REQUIREMENT: You must complete the Introduction to Blackboard course (or, in rare cases, receive a waiver) before taking this course. RECOMMENDATION: It is strongly suggested that you have past practical experience using Blackboard before taking this course.

In this course you will learn the following:

- How to create a test, survey, and question pool
- How to use the random block feature with question pools
- How to add an assessment to a content area and set options
- How to remove an assessment from a content area or course
- Where to get support and find documentation

You will have an opportunity to ask specific questions and practice in Blackboard during the session.

Managing the Blackboard Gradebook

Class length: 1.5 hours
HR128 credit: 1.5 hours
Level: Advanced

This course is for faculty and staff members who already have experience using Blackboard’s basic functions and want to learn the more advanced skills of managing the gradebook. Anyone who wants to store grades in Blackboard or has questions about prior use of the tool should attend this course. REQUIREMENT: You must complete the Introduction to Blackboard course (or, in rare cases, receive a waiver) before taking this course. RECOMMENDATION: It is strongly suggested that you have past practical experience using Blackboard before taking this course.

In this course you will learn the following:

- How to add items manually to the gradebook
- How to properly calculate and display grades
- How to weight grades
- How and when to reset a student’s grade in the gradebook
- Where to find statistics and details for each gradebook item
- How to download and upload the gradebook
- Where to get support and find documentation

You will have an opportunity to ask specific questions and practice in Blackboard during the session.

Open Workshop

Class length: Variable (see session listing for length)
HR128 credit: None
Level: Workshop

This is NOT a training session. I will not teach any specific skills or pass out training materials. Instead, the open workshop is an opportunity for Blackboard instructors to address specific questions or problems in their real course sites. During the session, instructors can log on and work in their courses, and the Blackboard Support Specialist will be available to answer questions, recommend solutions, and comment on any work you'd like to do. Advanced registration is not required -- instructors can drop in anytime during the workshop's scheduled time and leave when they are done.

PLEASE REMEMBER: The open workshop is not about learning broad topics. That is the purpose of the basic and advanced training sessions. For example, if you want to use the gradebook and have no idea how to set it up, you need to attend the gradebook course and learn these skills. However, if you have set up your gradebook and can't determine why students' final grades are not tallying correctly, you can come to the workshop to address this specific problem. Additionally, you may come to the workshop to ask questions about topics that are not addressed in the training sessions (ex. how to edit your course menu).

Contact Us

UTHSC Blackboard Support
407 Hyman Building
Memphis, TN 38163
Administrator: Keisha Houston
Phone: (901) 448-1927
Email: bb@utmem.edu