Blackboard Basics Course for CUNY Faculty

Blackboard Basics is a self-paced online course introducing CUNY instructors to the various features and tools of the Blackboard platform for their teaching. The course includes the following topics: 

  • Module 1: Getting Oriented
  • Module 2: Creating Course Content
  • Module 3: Communication & Interaction
  • Module 4: Assessment
  • Module 5: Collaboration

Aside from how-to instructions and tutorials, the course includes prompts for instructors to practice their new skills, and optional quizzes to receive a certificate of completion. 

BB Admins: Creating the course site for your campus

  • Create a new (empty) course shell on Blackboard
  • Name the course “Blackboard Basics (Campus Name)”
  • Make sure that the course is in your node
  • In the newly created course, Quick Enroll and remove all menu items before you import the zip file
  • Download the course’s zip file from Dropbox: DOWNLOAD LINK
    • Important: Clicking the link will start the file download to your device immediately.
    • Don’t open the zip file after download!
  • Then, import the zip file into the new course shell:
    1. Go to Control Panel and click on Packages and Utilities
    2. Select Import Package/View Logs
    3. Click on Import Package
    4. Click the Browse My Computer button, find and select the zip file
    5. Click Select All and Submit. This will upload and expand the workshop materials in your new course shell.

Customizing the course for your campus

After uploading the course, consider the following to adapt the course content for your campus. These items are also posted in the course site, for your reference, as a hidden announcement.

  • Edit the Welcome Announcement with any campus-specific information you’d like to add. Review the highlighted parts and either edit or delete them, as needed (and remove highlights).
  • Add relevant campus-specific information under “Faculty Support at your campus” (see link on the course menu) and unhide the menu link after.
  • Have a staff member subscribe to the Q&A forum on the discussion board to receive notifications for any questions posted there. Alternatively, delete the forum and the menu link if you decide not to allow for this option. If so, edit welcome announcement accordingly.
  • Optional if your campus has a VoiceThread license: make the VoiceThread folder in Module 3 available, and review for any campus-specific information and resources you might want to add.
  • Optional: Add information about any additional tools or LTIs available at your campus for instructors and students to the respective modules, as well as relevant contact details for assistance under the “Faculty Support at your campus” link.

Attribution

The Blackboard Basics workshop was developed by the Office of Faculty Development and Instructional Technology (OFDIT) at CUNY School of Professional Studies, using curated resources from a variety of sources plus original materials created by our staff. For any inquiries please contact us at facultysupport@sps.cuny.edu.