The Blackboard learning environment (base navigation)

The Blackboard learning environment contains the online learning materials and assignments for all your courses. The learning environment consists of an interface and left-hand navigation which links to your Courses, Marks, Messages and Global Calendar

When you log in to Blackboard you are automatically directed to the Activity Stream.

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Explore the Blackboard Learning environment

Activity Stream

The Activity Stream is the default landing page in Blackboard Learn. The Activity Stream will list notifications from all your modules including announcements, due dates and upcoming events from your personal Blackboard Learn calendar.

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To access your activity stream from other areas in the Blackboard learning environment select the Activity Stream button in the left-hand menu.

Information in the activity stream is organised into categories Important, Upcoming, Today and Recent. Important shows overdue assignments, tests, and graded discussions that need your immediate attention.

NB If you dismiss an item in this section, you won't be able to view it again even if you sign out and sign in again. When you dismiss a stream item, the original content isn't affected. You just remove the notification from the activity stream.

Activity stream notification settings

You simplify the information in your activity stream by filtering and changing notification settings.

As a best practice, it is recommended to configure your Notification Settings to your desired settings by using the cog icon.

Clicking on the cog will open up the Stream Notification settings. Here you can set the type, frequency and form of notification you receive.

The first tab refers to Stream Notifications that appear in your Activity Stream.

Use the checkboxes to turn notifications on or off. The drop down arrows will reveal additional settings.

The second tab concerns email settings, you can set the frequency and type of Email Notifications:

When you are happy with your changes make sure you click on Save.

You can also use the filter in the top right corner to show just grades and feedback.

Courses

The Courses view displays the modules or programme support areas that you have been enrolled on. Use it to access learning materials and assignments for each of your modules.

Access the courses list by selecting the Courses button in the left-hand menu:

You can organise and personalise your courses list.

Finding and filtering your courses

The modules and programme support area(s) that you are enrolled on will be listed under Courses. At the top of the Courses view there are a search and filter boxes

To search for a course, type a key word in the title into the search box (A).

To narrow your search filter using the dropdown in Terms (B) or Filters (C).

Favouriting Modules

Favourite the modules you access more often than others, making a module a favourite will ‘pin’ it to the top of your Courses list.

To favourite your course, select the star icon next to the module title (indicated by the arrow in the image below):

The star icon will change colour (to purple) to indicate that the module is a favourite and the module will be pinned to the top of the Courses list in the Favourites section as shown.

Courses Tile/List views

You can change the view of your modules in tile or list view, using the view toggle button:

To see your modules displayed in list view:

Toggle the course list view button:

The modules will then appear in list view:

To see your modules in tile view, toggle the tile button:

The modules will then appear in tile view:

Global Calendar

The global Calendar page groups teaching events and deadlines from all your courses in one place.

To access the Calendar in the Blackboard learning environment, select the Calendar button in the left hand menu.

The default calendar view is by Day, any events for the day is represented by coloured dots beneath the date (greyed out dots mean their are events attached to other dates in your calendar).

You can then scroll through the timeline to find the events or assignment due-dates.

Clicking on the highlighted events such as a Live session will take your directly to the module. Clicking on a due-date will open the corresponding assignment dropbox.

You can change between Day and Month view using the toggle button in the top-right corner:

In month view you can see all your due dates and events for that month.

NB Clicking on any event or due date will take you into the corresponding day

You can also toggle between Schedule and Due Dates using the buttons in the top-left corner.

Messages

The Messages tool can be used to send and receive messages to and from course members and instructors within each module.

To access Messages, select the Messages button in the left-hand menu

If you have any new messages, it will be indicated by a pink circle next to the Messages icon.

All your modules are listed, with the number of unopened messages displayed after the module title.

When you click on a module name, you will go directly to the messages view within that module. Here you will see all the messages for that course listed.

Click on one to see the full message, you can use the arrows to step through the messages. some messages will have the ability to reply at the bottom of the message, some will have this functionality disabled.

Sending messages

Click on New Message to open up that Module's New Message window

Select a recipient from the drop-down menu either an Instructor, all Instructor or a course member.

Type your message in the editor, select whether you want an email copy sent, and click Send.

Marks

Marks allows you to view your marks from all your modules in one place.

Click on the Marks link in the left-hand navigation to view your marks for your modules.

Click on your mark or View all work to go to that module’s Gradebook. There you can look at the status of your submission, and if marked, your mark and feedback.

If you click on a late or unsubmitted assignment …

a side bar will appear. Clicking on Start Attempt will take you directly to the assignment.

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