Helpful Resources for Getting Started
Here are links to some helpful resources that will help you get everything ready to go for the semester.
- How to Export/ Import a Course
- Software Recommendations
- Getting Started with Blackboard Course Design
- Customizing the Course Menu
- Post Your Syllabus
- Adding Extra Time to a Quiz/Test
Important Updates
ARI Tool Change
One important update that you’ll want to note for the spring term is that you will no longer be able to enter a final grade without first entering a midterm verification. Make sure you enter your verifications at midterm so that when it comes time for final grades you are already set and ready to go!
Ultra Pilot
In LT news, we are currently piloting Ultra, Blackboard’s latest LMS platform. Select faculty and students will be using Ultra courses during Summer Term and will provide valuable feedback and information that will help us more effectively roll out Ultra to the College at large. A larger move toward Ultra will be starting in the fall. We will have training and information sessions throughout the summer, however, if you’re looking to get a head start!
Zoom Blackboard Integration
You will also notice that Zoom is now integrated into your Blackboard courses. Starting with Summer Term 2024, Zoom will be replacing Blackboard Collaborate as the integreated web conferencing tool in Blackboard.
The Zoom meetings Blackboard integration allows instructors to schedule and link meetings right from Blackboard course shells, and has very similar functionality to Collaborate. To support you in using this new tool, we have a new knowledge base article: Quick Start Guide for Zoom Meetings for Blackboard. If you have additional questions, please contact us!
Blackboard Integration Change for Summer and Fall
Faculty teaching in the Summer and Fall Terms will need to use the new LTI version of Pearson and McGraw-Hill, which provides a more modern and secure method for integrating with Blackboard.
Current integration links will break as of June 24. Please be sure to create new links and remove any old links from your course.
Reminder: Course Removal Deadline Approaching
Due to data storage caps on the Blackboard SaaS system, IT will be removing courses from the Spring 2023 Term from our system.
Removal will begin on June 7, 2024.
This means that if you have courses and/or content from the Spring 2023 Term that you want to use or save going forward that have not already been exported, backed up, or copied into more recent courses, you will need to export your courses and/or download any files prior to the deletion date.
Learning Technologies recommends that all faculty export course package files for the courses at the end of each term and save them to OneDrive. OneDrive ensures a seamless and user-friendly file experience and is built to grant users instant access to their data from anywhere, on any device.
For more information on exporting and importing course packages, and saving them to OneDrive, check out these articles from our Learning Technologies Knowledge Base:
- Enable Recording Downloads in Collaborate
- Watch a video on enabling and downloading Collaborate Ultra Recordings
- Upload a Video to YuJa
- Creating and Sharing Folders in YuJa
For any questions, contact LT!
