Blackboard is our Course Management System. The best way to think of it is as a file management system for your course files, and as a robust multifaceted communications system.
In the MD Program, we use Blackboard to structure our courses.
A few thoughts about Blackboard at EVMS:
- The students are accustomed to it, and so posting course documents and assignments there is a low-labor high-yield proposition.
- Blackboard could be said to provide too many options for posting content. Always think of your students first when you consider how to structure your course site.
- Make sure your learners have a clear path to the discussion boards. Instructors differ on their preferences here: you can make the discussion an ongoing thing that is accessible from any part of the course site, or you can place it within a folder for a specific class session. The key is to make sure the students know where it is.
- Consider using content folders that are:
- Presented in the order the student will use them
- Identified by the date of the class to which they pertain or the date you expect the assignment to be completed, and
- Identified by the topic name
Helpful Links to Blackboard How-To Information
