What's New
Blackboard 7.3: What’s New
This What's New page contains a BRIEF overview of the changes in the Blackboard platform. For a detailed view of each area, please view the Blackboard Created Tutorial and the information pages under the link: Click Here for More Details or Example.
Platform Certication
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2 are now certified Web browsers for Microsoft Vista
(IE 6 and Safari 2 are also certified Web browsers for Windows XP and Mac OS X 10.4, respectively)
Visual Text Box Editor
The Visual Text Box Editor (VTBE) is now cross-platform compatible:
- Internet Explorer 6.0
- Firefox 1.0
- Netscape 8.0
For Mac users, the VTBE works on Safari 2.0 and Firefox 1.0.
Announcements
Click Here for More Details
Instructors can send email notification of new announcements to students.
Discussion Board
Discussion Board Overview Tutorial from Blackboard
Discussion Board Rating and Grading Statistics Tutorial from Blackboard
Discussion Board User Management & Moderation Tutorial from Blackboard
Click Here for More Details
Many Discussion Board features have stayed the same. Instructors still have to create a forum, students still use threads, and instructors and students reply to threads the same way. However, there are new features that you may find useful.
- The user can view the course discussions in a tree view .
- New icons, "Mark as Read" and "Mark as Unread" allows the instructor to classify which forums have been read or not.
- The search tool has been enhanced. The icons, "Subscribe" and "Unsubscribe" allows users to subscribe or unsubscribe to a forum. When you subscribe to a forum an email is sent when new entries are made.
- Grade and tag columns have been added to the pages, as well as a "Grade" icon that allows the user to navigate to the Modify Grade Item page and grade the student's forum performance.
- The Subscribe and Flag indicators columns have been added, allowing the user to see the subscribed and flagged forums.
- The date column includes the exact time of the latest change to the forum.
- The number of unread posts in the Unread Posts column is a clickable icon that directs the user to the text of these unread posts.
- Within a post, a user can now rate a post based on a star rating system.
- The user can also navigate to both the "Previous Post" and the "Next Post".
- Tagging messages: tags are created by the instructor and allow students to group threads based on the tag name similar to a key word.
- Forum managers or instructors can create and apply text labels of their own choosing to messages in a forum allowing students to easily become a moderator.
- Within the Modify Forum page, there are a number of new, available forum settings.
Spell Check
You will be able to Spell Check your work wherever email is present as well as tools such as the Glossary tool and Assignment comments to/from instructors.
Early Warning System - Overview
Early Warning System tutorial from Blackboard
Click Here for More Details
The Early Warning System is a tool used to communicate warnings to Students that a performance problem is beginning to appear or has become more serious or when students exceed expectations. Warnings can be generated based on graded performance, late or missing course work, or attendance within the online course. The Instructor can use the default message or modify it to more accurately communicate the seriousness of the situation. Instructors can also use it to target students who are achieving for peer leadership or tutoring responsiblities.
Assessment and Gradebook
Multiple Attempts and Self Assessment Tutorial from Blackboard
Click Here for More Details
Some of the new features include:- Assessments may now be set to unlimited attempts or a specified number of attempts. The Gradebook can be set to record the last attempt, first attempt, highest score, lowest score, or an average of all scores.
- Assessments may be deployed as self-assessments and not included in gradebook score calculations. Questions may be designated as "Extra Credit" in assessments. The points possible for the assessment will not include the points for the extra credit question.
- Instructors will have the option to import and export assessments in the Test Manager. Instructors can also copy a single assessment from one course into another.
- Assessment will not include the points for the extra credit question.
- Instructors will have the option to import and export assessments in the Test Manager. Instructors can also copy a single assessment from one course into another.
- Instructors will have the ability to add additional comments to assessments.
Managing Groups
Instructors have been waiting for this feature for an eternity. A Forum is automatically created in the Group Discussion Board area elliminating the third step in the Group creation process! You will still need to create the group and add members to the group.
Learning Objects: Podcasts
In the updated version, instructors will be able to place a link to a podcast from an outside source. Students can view the podcast by clicking on the link.
