Blackboard

Tech’ top tips – #32. Assessment round up

Ian Pettit

This tip is provided by the Centre for Enhancing Learning through Technology (CELT). The images in this post will expand when clicked.

As its assessment season for undergraduate students, here’s a recap of a few assessment tips when using the learning technology at DMU. Full online help can be found by clicking the UserGuide link in Blackboard or dropping in to a CELT student drop-in session, Kimberlin Library Collaboratory, Wednesday lunchtime.

TurnItIn – it is really important that students obtain a digital receipt from TurnItIn. After you have uploaded your submission, please make sure you click the final Confirm button and this will ensure TurnItIn sends you an email with your digital receipt. If you do not receive this email please report this to your module leader or tutor. The TurnItIn Confirm button

 

A TurnItIn digital receipt notification
DMU Replay – when submitting multimedia files please make sure the file is rendered with an audio track, even if there is no audio. Also, as with TurnItIn, if you do not receive the email confirming that your upload has been processed please contact the module leader or tutor.
Online tests – unless told otherwise, please only use the installed version of the Internet Explorer web browser when taking online Blackboard tests in labs. If you need/are able to move back to previous questions please do not use the Back button in Internet Explorer, there are buttons within the test for navigating around if you need to. The Blackboard Test navigation buttons

Tech’ top tips – #13. (Blackboard) Home is where the heart is

Ian Pettit

This tip is provided by the Centre for Enhancing Learning through Technology (CELT).

The Blackboard Home pageThe Blackboard Home page provides links to services and help for students and staff at DMU. As well as the Module shells that we are enrolled on we can use the Add Resource button to add and remove widgets from this page. For example, the Organisation Catalogue widget enables us to find open shells that cover topics we may be interested in.

Along the top of the page, the StaffGuide and UserGuide links provide access to staff and student help for using the learning technologies that are provided by the university and the Information panel includes quick links to popular help guides.

Beneath the information panel, the My Communities panel is where we access shells that we have found in the Organisation Catalogue.

Tech’ top tips – #7. DMU Replay, where are the recordings?

Ian Pettit

This tip is provided by the Centre for Enhancing Learning through Technology.

DMU policy stipulates that all ‘staff led activity’ should be recorded using DMU Replay or an equitable alternative to recording be provided. But where do students find these recordings and/or equitable alternatives to help them revise, review and revisit?

The answer is – in Blackboard!

Each module shell will have a Learning Materials area and links to DMU Replay content can be found within.

A DMU Replay linkRecordings that were made using the DMU Replay system will look like the picture opposite. To view the recordings, click the bold text and the recording will play in the web browser.

On the occasion that an Equitable Alternative has been used links may look different. For example, it may be a link to a publically available web video or a PowerPoint file that contains timed audio narrations in sync’ with the slide content. Either way, this type of multimedia content will be housed in the Learning Materials area and this all contributes to providing the DMU Replay service for students.

Tech’ top tips – #4. So what’s Blackboard for then?

Ian Pettit

This tip is provided by the Centre for Enhancing Learning through Technology.

Blackboard is DMU’s Virtual Learning Environment and every module should have an area or ‘shell’ that students can use to engage with their studies online.

There is a Blackboard module shell policy and as a minimum students can expect to see the following sections within each shell.

 

 

Announcements is where any important announcements about the module will appear. All announcements will also be delivered to students via email to their studentid@my365.dmu.ac.uk address

 

Blackboard Content Areas

Staff contacts – this section will tell students who is teaching/working on the module along with their contact details and working hours

 

The Module information section holds information such as the module handbook and a summary of the timetabled sessions

 

Learning Materials. This is where students will access lecture notes, lab sheets, DMU Replay recordings and any other online materials that support the module

 

Assessment will provide details of the assessment activities, the mark descriptors and any marking grids that may be used

 

Turnitin is where links to the online submission tool ‘TurnItIn’ can be found. All written work is submitted through TurnItIn and it can be used to submit other file types, size permitting

 

In the picture there is also a Discussion Board section. This is not a standard section but colleagues are encouraged to use the collaborative and other tools in Blackboard and place links etc. in an intuitive manner. Students should speak to their module leader about specific tools that might be used in Blackboard alongside the required sections that have been described here.

Colleagues can brush up on the Blackboard module shell policy via the LLS pages of DMUconnect (login required).

Tech’ top tips – #2. HELP! is at hand

Ian Pettit

Number two in the series of tech’ top tips draws your attention to the StaffGuide and UserGuide links in Blackboard.

For colleagues, the StaffGuide link will take you to the CELT Hub where you can read about all the important things you need to do in Blackboard as well as how to create content and collaborative tools. Use this information in conjunction with the Blackboard Module Shell policy to ensure your shell is accessible and consistent with other shells that your students will engage with.

Blackboard Staff and User Guide linksFor students, the UserGuide link will take you to the student help pages where you can get help with using the following technologies:

  • Blackboard;
  • DMU Replay;
  • TurnItIn;
  • Social Media tools;
  • Blackboard Collaborate; and
  • The DMU Commons.

 

Also on this page you will see links to information about DMU’s Universal Design for Learning implementation and a link to ‘current issues’. The current issues link will tell you about any known bugs or issues that exist with the current installed version of Blackboard; for example, any browser issues that may require a specific web browser to overcome.

 

This tip is provided by the Centre for Enhancing Learning through Technology.

Tech’ top tips – #1. The Continue page

Ian Pettit

Hello and welcome to the new tech’ top tips series. This is the first in a weekly series of blog posts for students and staff members relating to technology.

This week, have you noticed the Continue page when logging in to Blackboard? If not, it’s worth pausing on this page as it provides a wealth of information and links to important tools.

 

 

Along with the permanent link to Out Of Hours support information, other important information will appear here as and when appropriate.

 

This might include details of planned maintenance or downtime to enable you to plan.

 

Clicking either the Browser Checker or Browser Support link will take you to a page where you can use different tools. Use the Check your browser tool to make sure your browser is set up correctly to deliver the best experience when using Blackboard.

 

Of course, once you have used the tools, please ‘continue’ to Blackboard by clicking the Continue button.

 

This tip is provided by the Centre for Enhancing Learning through Technology.