Overview

Blackboard has upgraded it's interface in keeping with recent Web 2.0 technologies incorporating more drag and drop type functionality as well as integrating controls into task-specific contexts within the course management environment.

New Interface

Control Panel functionality available from left menu area

Instructors can now access the Control Panel functionality directly from the a course page. Located just beneath the Course Menu, instead of clicking a Control Panel button to go off to a dedicated screen, the Control Panel now expands to reveal its functionality.

Blackboard has also reorganized and relabeled some of the functions within the Control Panel. For example, "Assessments" is no longer a category in the Control Panel. "Tests and Surveys" can now be found under "Course Tools" and the "Grade Center" is its own category.

Contextual menus make adding content a more efficient process

Buttons for "Build Content, Create Assessment, Add Interactive Tool, Assign Textbook" are exposed at the top of a course page when "Edit Mode" is turned "ON". When moused over, each button expands to expose available options for adding content, tools, and assessments. Included in this version are some additional content, page, and tool types (e.g. syllabus, module page, journal).

Contextual menus associated with the Course Menu make adding content areas a more efficient process as well.

New "Drag and Drop" functionality added

Drag and Drop functionality makes changing aspects of the course easy and efficient. With "Edit Mode" turned ON, instructors are able to reorder the course menu and content items directly by dragging content up or down to a desired location.

New Content Types

Syllabus

Blackboard's "Syllabus" is essentially a template that instructors can use to structure, present, and modify their syllabus in a Blackboard course.

Lesson Plan

A Lesson Plan is a special content type that combines information about the lesson itself with the curriculum resources used to teach it. The default lesson plan sections include the instructional level, grade level, objectives, and subject area of the lesson. Additional sections can be added to the Lesson Plan, arranged to display in any order and optionally displayed to students.

Module Page

Blackboard provides several informational and web application resources (modules) that can be added to a Module Page. Module Pages present/organize these information sources and web applications in discrete boxes or modules. Instructors can select and arrange modules on a Module Page for students to access. Currently the available modules include: Alerts, Calculator, Dictionary, Announcements, Calendar, Tasks, Report Card, Textpad, Thesaurus, To Do.

New Grade Center Features

Additional Default Grade Center Views

Blackboard 9.1 provides 3 default Smart Views of the Grade Center directly from the Control Panel: the original "Full Grade Center" view and the new "Assignment" view and "Test" view. Instructors can use these new views to efficiently view and navigate the Grade Center spreadsheet data.

Multiple Attempts

An "Allow Additional Attempt" option is new in that it provides instructors with a way to give more than one additional attempt to a specific student or for assignments and tests.

Group Assignments and Grades

Instructors can create and grade group assignment(s) and can give one grade to a group which is then applied to all individual members of the group automatically.

New Tools

Journals

A Journal is a self-reflective tool for students. Only the student and the instructor are able to comment on journal entries. However, journals can be made public by the instructor so that all enrolled users can read entries on a topic. Group journal entries can be read by all group members and the instructor.

Blogs

Blogs are a lightweight tool for facilitating student interaction and provide an easy way for students to share ideas. By default Blogs are open to all enrolled users in the course, but instructors have some options for controlling this setting.

Wikis

A Wiki is a tool that facilitates collaboration and provides students with an easy way to contribute and modify one or more pages of course-related content online.

Rubric

A Rubric is a tool that lists evaluation criteria for an assignment. Rubrics can help students organize their efforts to meet the requirements of an assignment. Instructors can use Rubrics to explain their evaluations to students.

Added Functionality for Groups

More options for enrolling students into groups

Instructors can use the "random enroll" function to form groups randomly or provide the option for students sign up to self-enroll and form their own groups.

Added functionality for creating group assignments and grading group work

Instructors are now able to assign group assignment(s) to specific groups in Blackboard 9. The group assignment will be shown in the related group page under the Group Assignment section. Also, the instructors can give one grade to the group which will be applied to all group members automatically.

File exchange, blogs, and journals available for groups

Instructors can set up additional tools to support group work with file exchange, blogs, and journals.

Where did it go?

Digital Dropbox is No Longer Available; Use Assignments Instead

Instead of using the Digital Dropbox, which did not organize or associate submissions with student information in the Grade Center, Instructors can now use the Assignments tool which does help with organization, association of student submissions with the student name, and with an easier way to download, provide feedback, and upload student work.

When an instructor creates an "Assignment," a Grade Center column is added automatically to the spreadsheet. Students can access the assignment through the content area where the instructor added the assignment and the instructor can monitor student submissions through the Grade Center spreadsheet view.