Blackboard Tip of the Week: End of Semester Checklist

Tip: At the end of each semester, you should

1. Export the final course Gradebook
2. Archive your Blackboard course
3. Make the course unavailable

Export the final course Gradebook:

1. Access the course that contains the Gradebook you want to export
2. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Gradebook
3. Click the Download Grades button
4. Select Comma or Tab as the Delimiter Type (both file types can be opened in MS Excel)
5. Click the Submit button then click the Download button
6. Save the file to your Desktop (or anywhere on your computer that is appropriate)
7. Click OK

Archive your Blackboard course:

1. Access the course you want to archive
2. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Archive Course (located in the Course Options category)
3. Click the Archive button
4. Click Submit
5. After you receive the archive completion email, navigate to the Archive Course page again.
6. Right-click the zipped course file and click Save Target As… to save the file to your computer
   
• NOTE: If you are using Firefox, you will use the Save Link As… option instead
7. Click OK

Make the course unavailable:

1. Access the course you want to make unavailable
2. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Settings (located in the Course Options category)
3. Click Course Availability
4. Select No, and click Submit

Web 2.0 Tool of the Week: Flickr

(http://www.flickr.com)
Flickr is an online image management and sharing tool. Users can post images and short videos.

Flickr Features:

• Post pictures and short videos
• Edit pictures—crop, get rid of red eye, special effects
• Organize pictures into groups by themes or topics
  
• Content is moderated and must be flagged as safe, moderate, or restricted.
• Comment on pictures
• Two account types available: Basic (free) and Pro

Using Flickr Professionally:

• Search for Creative Commons licensed photos or video clips for presentations
• Network with others by joining groups with others who have the same interests
• Teach students about intellectual property rights by exploring the licensing types allowed on Flickr

Tell us how you’re using Flickr in this post's comments.

Ready to explore Flickr?
Sign up for an account here.

Voicemail Tip of the Week: Listening to Messages by Phone

TWU has a new voicemail system for all permanent faculty and staff. The new system integrates voicemail with e-mail, delivering all messages to both telephone and e-mail. To request an account on the new system, e-mail voicemail@twu.edu and include your name, campus, and telephone extension.

Listening to voicemail messages

• Voicemail messages are automatically delivered to your email inbox.


• Messages can be accessed by phone or by email, whichever is preferred.


• When accessing your voicemail by phone, the system will offer options to listen to voicemail messages by
• pressing (1) then
• (1) for new messages
  or
• (2) for saved messages

During message playback, there are several features available:

Save current message.......................... 1
Forward message to extension........... 2
Skip to next message............................ 3
Replay current message...................... 4
Rewind message 6 seconds............... 5
Fast forward message 6 seconds...... 6
Delete this message, play next........... 7

Features available at all times:

Return to a previous menu.................. *
Finish a key entry................................. #

Voicemail Tip of the Week: Remote phone access

TWU has a new voicemail system for all permanent faculty and staff. The new system integrates voicemail with e-mail, delivering all messages to both telephone and e-mail. To request an account on the new system, e-mail voicemail@twu.edu and include your name, campus, and telephone extension.

Remote phone access to voicemail allows you to stay connected when traveling, or to be able to change your greeting when out of the office unexpectedly.

Remote access from off campus:

1. Call the voicemail system
   
   • Denton....... (940)898-4646
   • Dallas......... (214)689-6677
   • Houston..... (713)794-2044


2. Press # (system prompt)


3. Enter your six digit mailbox number (system prompt)
   Note: Six digit mailbox numbers are a campus code (Denton: 81, Dallas-Parkland: 82, Dallas-Presbyterian: 83, Houston: 84) + the four digit extension.


4. Enter your security code

Blackboard Tip of the Week: Creating an Anonymous Survey

Tip: You can create an anonymous survey in Blackboard.

Here’s how to create the survey:

1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Survey Manager


2. Click the + Add Survey button


3. Type a name for the survey as well as any description or instructions you want to provide then click Submit


4. Add questions to the survey
   
   
   
   1. Click on the drop-down menu next to the words Add Calculated Formula
   
   
   2. Select the type of question you would like to add then click the Go button
      
      • For open-ended questions, select the Short Answer or Essay question types

Here’s how to launch the survey in your course:

1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on the Content Area where you would like to place the survey


2. Click the Edit View link at the upper right corner of the page


3. Click the drop-down menu next to the words + Select: Learning Unit


4. Select the Survey option then click the Go button


5. Select the survey you created then click Submit
   
   • To change the survey availability and settings, click the Modify the Survey options link on the following page

Survey anonymity in Blackboard:

Surveys in Blackboard are anonymous, so you will not be able to discern individuals’ survey answers. To view the full survey results,

1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Gradebook


2. Locate the survey Gradebook item, and click on the name of the survey


3. Click the Download Results link, and select your download options
   
   • NOTE: Microsoft Excel will open a .csv file or a tab-delimited file

Blackboard Tip of the Week: Weight Gradebook Items by Category or by Item

Tip: You can weight Gradebook items by category or by item.

NOTE: After you assign weight to Gradebook items or categories, you cannot remove the weighting option from the Gradebook. Therefore, add weighting to the Gradebook only if you are certain that you will continue to use weighting the entire semester.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Gradebook


2. Click the Weight Grades button


3. Select the option to Weight by Category* or to Weight by Item


4. Assign weight percentages to the desired categories or items
• Percentages must add up to 100%


5. Click Submit to save the new settings

*Weight by Category:

Weighting by category allows you to assign a weight percentage to a particular type of Gradebook item rather than to each Gradebook item. For example, you can weight all course quizzes at 30% of the students’ total grades. Each time you add a quiz, the weight percentage for each quiz will adjust so that their sum total can only affect up to 30% of the students’ grades. Remember, the total percentages across all categories must add up to 100%.

To use this feature correctly, it is important that you assign Gradebook items to appropriate categories. Here’s how to change a Gradebook item’s category:

1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Gradebook


2. Click the Manage Items button


3. Click the Modify button next to the Gradebook item you want to change


4. Select a new category for the item, and click Submit