One of the newest features in PowerPoint is the ability to record video using a webcam on your Windows computer. This is a great way to record a PowerPoint slide show with video and audio of yourself. The file can then be saved as an MP4, stored in your Box account, and shared with students […]
eLearning Blog
Enhanced Text Editor in Blackboard
Blackboard has introduced an improved text editor with the newest Blackboard Learn 9.1 release. This new release will be applied to our environment on November 5th. Adding content has been simplified, and it works better on both hand-held devices and larger screens. There are several improvements for accessibility and some new features, too. Here are […]
Improve Your Course Accessibility. Blackboard Ally Pilot Sign-Up.
Beginning Spring 2021, faculty and programs can sign up to enable Blackboard Ally for their courses. What is Ally? Blackboard Ally is a course accessibility tool with multiple features that can help instructors, students, and the institution. It can provide alternative formats, feedback, and accessibility reports. How does Ally help? Alternative Formats. Out of the […]
Seven Copyright Best Practices for Online Teaching
Guest Writer: Lisa Ferris, Ed.S., Instructional Designer (OED) If a video, photo, or document is on the internet, is it OK for faculty to freely use it in their course materials? Answer: It depends! Follow these seven best practices to help you legally use resources for your online teaching. #1: Know the four factors of […]
Asynchronous vs Synchronous Activities Online
The online environment enables us to use powerful tools for teaching and learning. Asynchronous and synchronous eLearning strategies have benefits and limitations and they complement each other. Asynchronous eLearning is related to activities taking place when participants are not present online at the same time. Synchronous eLearning happens when participants who are not located in […]
Grade Student Assignments with Bb Annotate
Starting with June 1st, 2020 Blackboard assignments will be gradable inline with a new tool called Bb Annotate. This tool will replace the Box tool. Old Box tool New Bb Annotate tool Instructors can access information about Bb Annotate here . A video tutorial is included in the documentation. After Bb Annotate becomes available, Box annotations will be […]
End of Collaborate Classic
Blackboard Collaborate is a web conferencing software that can be used to host meetings, guest speakers, virtual office hours, and lecture/presentation recordings. Blackboard has announced that the Classic/Original version will be discontinued on December 31, 2020. On the UAMS campus, there are two versions of Collaborate available: Classic/Original and Ultra. The most recent and preferred […]
Blackboard Testing is Easy with Respondus 4.0 (update information included)
Respondus 4.0 is a powerful tool for creating and managing exams that can be printed to paper or published directly to Blackboard and other eLearning systems. To learn more, you can visit Respondus 4.0 Resources. You can type test questions in Word, import them to Respondus 4.0, and publish them to Blackboard. The reverse process […]
Manage the Blackboard Grade Center
You can use the Blackboard Grade Center as your ally in order to manage your class and help your students succeed. First, the Grade Center must be set up to include all gradable activities posted in the Syllabus. Any gradable items you set up in your Blackboard course will have a respective Grade Center column. […]
Tips to Prepare Your Course for the Upcoming Semester
As we are gearing up for the upcoming semester, eLearning would like to offer a few tips to help you prepare your Blackboard courses. Tip 1: Make sure your course is available At the start of the semester, your Blackboard shells must be made available to students so that they can access the course content. […]