Mastering Blackboard Learn: A Comprehensive Tutorial for YSU Students

Introduction

Blackboard Learn is a robust learning management system (LMS) used by Youngstown State University (YSU) and many other institutions to deliver online course content, facilitate communication, and assess student learning. This tutorial aims to provide a comprehensive guide to navigating and utilizing Blackboard Learn effectively, covering essential features and functionalities. This guide is designed to be accessible to users of all levels, from those new to online learning platforms to experienced users looking to maximize their Blackboard Learn experience.

Getting Started

Logging In

The Blackboard Learn login page does not use frames. To log in:

Navigate to the Blackboard Learn login page.
The cursor is automatically placed in the first field, prompting for your username. Enter your username.
The next field asks for your password. Enter your password.
Select the "Login" button.

Portal Layout

Upon logging in, you will encounter the Blackboard Learn portal, which features a two-frame structure:

Standard Navigation Frame: Located at the top, this frame contains navigation tabs. All users have tabs for "My Institution" and "Courses." Additional tabs, such as "Community," "Content Collection," "Services," and "Outcomes," may be available depending on the institution's license agreements.
Content Frame: This frame displays the content associated with the selected tab.

My Institution Page

The "My Institution" page serves as a central hub for accessing institutional information, tools, and resources. It is viewed using the same two-frame structure as described above. The menu is docked on the left-hand side of the page.

Tab Group

The Tab Group on your My Institution Page contains the tabs for your Institution, your Courses, and any other Tabs made available to you by your system administrator. This is based on your Institution's license, Tabs could include Community, Content Collection, Services, and Outcomes.

Read also: Learn about Blackboard Learn at UD

Sub Tabs

The "My Institution" page features two sub tabs:

My Institution: This sub tab contains modules for Courses, Tools, Links, Announcements, Calendar, etc. Modules are customizable, and default modules may vary.
Notifications Dashboard: This sub tab contains modules for "What's New" and "To Do Lists."

Modules

Portal modules on the "My Institution" page provide quick access to essential information and tools. Common modules include:

My Announcements
My Calendar
My Courses
My Organizations
My Tasks

Additional modules, such as "Search the Web," may be available depending on institutional licenses and customization.

How to Add a Module

Click the "Add Module" button on the My Institution page or the Notifications Dashboard.
Select a Module by "checking" the box next to the Module name. The modules are listed in alphabetical order.
Click the "Submit" button on the bottom right corner of the page.

How to Personalize Your My Institution Page

Personalizing your My Institution page allows you to change your color background. For low vision users, there is a high contrast theme that you can select if you so choose.

Click the "Personalize Page" button on the top right corner of the Content Area.
Select the "Lime" theme from the Color Palette Library.
Click the "Submit" button on the bottom right corner of the page.

Note: Only your My Institution sub tab page will appear in the set color scheme. If you would like to apply the same theme to your Notifications Dashboard you will need to follow the same steps from that page.

Read also: Learn Ultra Navigation

Tools

The "Tools" menu on the "My Institution" page provides access to various features, including:

View Grades: Allows you to view grades for courses and organizations.
Address Book: Enables you to maintain a list of contacts.
Calendar: Provides a calendar tool for managing events and deadlines.
Tasks: Helps you organize assignments and to-do items.

Address Book

You can maintain your own list of contacts with the Address Book. The main address book page has a "Create Contact" link as well as a search field to search your contacts.

How to Add a Contact

Select the "Create Contact" button.
Enter the first name and last name of your contact. From this page you can upload a personal avatar and set which links appear on your My Places page. My Places is a very useful tool as it is accessible from any page within Blackboard and will automatically link you to your preset links. My Places does not open a new window, but a "lightbox" will come to the front of the page and your screen reader should direct to it automatically.
Select a display option whether or not you wish to display a personal avatar image. If you would like to choose to upload an image your can browse for a local file and attach it.
Select "My Places Links". The options to select are "My Courses", "My Organizations", "Content Collection: Bookmarks", and "Outcomes System Places". If you DO NOT want your information listed in the Directory then DO NOT select the Directory Status section.
Submit to finish.

A confirmation page will notify you that your user information has been updated. Select "OK" to return to the Personal Information page.

Calendar

The Calendar is set to the "Day View" when selected. To ease your use of this tool, it is recommended to select "View Week". This set-up allows you to read what events are coming up by reading down the week instead of every hour of every day. Events are listed in chronological order by time under the day heading in the table. Select the title of the event, which is a hyperlink, to view the details. Select "OK" to return to the previous screen at any time. Weekdays are read in the heading and the event information is read in an unordered list in chronological order.

How to Add an Event

Select "Create Personal Event" from the menu bar to create your own event.
Enter an Event Name.
Enter a description for your event in the text box.
Enter the Event Date.
Enter the Event Start Time and End Time.
Click the Submit button to finish.

A Confirmation will appear in your receipt line with a Success message letting you know your event has been created. You can edit or delete your personal events at any time.

Read also: Drexel University LMS

How to "Jump to"

The "Jump to" tool is used to select a specific date and jump to it from the current date.

Select "Jump to" button above the calendar table.
Enter a date in the given field.
Select the type of view: Month, Week, or Day.
Click the Submit button to finish.

Tasks

Tasks are created by you or your Instructor to help you organize your assignments. Tasks are organized in a table format. You can edit the status of your task by selecting the contextual menu next to a task name and choosing one of the give options. The available status changes are, "Not Started", "In Progress", or "Completed". Selecting the link name of the Task will take you to the Task information page where you can read the details of your task.

*Please be aware that after you select the link in the table, JAWS will only read that the page has updated, it will not read the new status automatically.

How to Add a Task

Select "Create Personal Task" on the top of the Tasks table.
Enter a Task Name and Description.
Enter a due date into the given field.
Select a priority for your task: "Low", "Normal", or "High".
Click the Submit button to finish.

A confirmation will appear in your Receipt line that says: "Success: Task Created". After you create a task, you have the privilege to Edit or Delete it. If the Task was set by the Instructor, you will only have the ability to edit the status of the task.

Course Pages

Course pages within Blackboard Learn provide access to course-specific content, communication tools, and assessments.

Layout

The frame structure for Course pages is the same as the My Institution Page. The Course menu is docked on the left side of the screen and all of the Course content displays to the right of the menu. The Orientation bar is just under the standard navigation frame; it contains the breadcrumbs for you to distinguish where you have traveled to in your course.

Due to the high level of customization options available to instructors, some tools may or may not be available to you. The order can be rearranged and the names can change as well. Here is a list of the Tools and their functions that are available for instructors to add to their courses.

Please be aware that Instructors can delete the links they do not plan on using or they can rename links to fit their needs. For example, your Instructor could rename "Course Materials" and call it "Syllabus". Instructors can also change the order of the links.

Common Course Tools

Instructors can add various tools to their courses, including:

Course Announcements
Course Information
Contacts
Course Objectives
Assignments
Course Documents
Learning Modules
Collaboration Tools (Discussion Board, Blogs, Journals, Wikis, Groups)
Course Calendar
Glossary
My Grades
Course Tasks
Messages

Course Announcements

The most recent Announcement will be listed first. You have the option to view your system announcements, course announcements or all announcements. These links are located at the top right of the announcements page as links.

Course Objectives

Instructors can post any information pertaining to their course on this page. They also have the ability to modify or delete the page if they feel it does not fit their course model.

Contacts

Contacts is used for Instructors to list their contact information and office hours. If you would like to add any contacts for your own use, you will need to do so through the Address Book located on the My Institution page.

Assignments

Assignments does not appear in the Tools page list. Instructors have the option to display the Assignments tool in their Course Menu. Many different kinds of assignments could be posted to this page. Types of Assignments could include a description of a homework reading assignment and response paper or a request to turn a writing assignment in online.

Turning in an Assignment

Some assignments will be listed with a submission form. The form contains a text box, buttons to attach local files, and a comments box. When you are finished filling in the appropriate information in the form you can Submit your assignment to your Instructor.

Course Documents

Course Documents do not appear on the Tools page list. Instructors have the option to display the Course Documents tool in their Course Menu. The items on this page are at the complete discretion of the Instructor.

Learning Modules

A Learning Module is a collection of Content Items.

Collaboration Tools

Blackboard Learn offers a range of collaboration tools to facilitate interaction and communication among students and instructors.

Discussion Board: A forum for asynchronous discussions.
Blogs: Personal or course blogs for sharing thoughts and ideas.
- How to Create a Blog Entry
- How to Comment on a Blog Entry
Journals: Private spaces for reflection and self-assessment.
Wikis: Collaborative spaces for creating and editing content.
Groups: Virtual spaces for students to collaborate on projects.
- How to Sign up for a Group
Messages: A tool for sending and receiving private messages within the course.
- How to Create a Message

Mashups

Mashups are extra content that you can link to within your coursework. A button within the text box editor will display the options that are enabled at your institution for adding Mashups. The types of Mashups that you can add include Flickr photos, YouTube Videos, and Slideshare Presentations. Once you select which type of Mashup you want to include, you will search for the item you want to add. YouTube videos are displayed with accessible tools for viewing. Access these controls by clicking the Player Controls button at the top of the video when it opens. The Controls include Play, Stop, Volume Up, Volume Down, and Mute.

Accessibility Considerations

Blackboard Learn is designed with accessibility in mind.

Receipt Line: A "Receipt Line" appears just under the Standard Navigation frame to provide confirmation of success or failure for activities. ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) is used to announce these receipt messages.
Test Timer: Due to the customization options available to instructors for test creation, be aware of the test timer. If you have requested a time extension, you do not need to pay attention to the timer within the test.
YouTube Videos: YouTube videos are displayed with accessible tools for viewing. Access these controls by clicking the Player Controls button at the top of the video when it opens. The Controls include Play, Stop, Volume Up, Volume Down, and Mute.

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