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What's New in QUT Blackboard |
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Full-featured Discussion Board
Why is it useful: The new Discussion Board is searchable and gives you the ability to moderate posts before they are published as well as lock individual forum threads. It also gives students the ability to rate posts and includes integration with the Online Gradebook to make assessing forum participation simpler. How to use it: Within your Unit Site, go to Communication > Discussion Board and click + Forum to create a new forum. Unit Statistics
Why is it useful: Being able to view details statistics on which areas of your unit are being accessed the most may help you determine which resources your students are finding most useful. It can also help you identify students who have not accessed the unit in some time and allow you to intervene. How to use it: From your unit site, go to Control Panel > Unit Statistics (located under Assessment). Select the report you would like to view and define the filter options then click Submit to view the report. You can print the report or download the data produced for further analysis in a spreadsheet. Built-in Blogs and Wiki
Why is it useful: The Blog and Wiki tools provide spaces in which student can develop content which can be made available to all students within the unit. The also allow teaching staff to get involved in guiding content development and monitor what each student is contributing. Both Blogs and Wikis can be restricted to specific groups or teams of students. Wikis can be linked to assessment items with detailed reporting on what each student contributed. How to use it: From your unit site, go to the content area in which you wish to add a Blog or Wiki to. Click Edit View, then select either Blog or Wiki from the drop-down menu and click Go. Configuration and assement options can be accessed via the Control Panel under Student Tools. Online Gradebook
Why is it useful: The Gradebook lets you input students' grades to allow them to view their own interim grades through the Student Tool, My Grades. Students will see only their grades as well as a class average to allow them to compare themselves against the rest of the class. The Gradebook also collects grades from online tests and other pieces of online assessment such as Forum posts. How to use it: Within your unit site, go to Control Panel > Gradebook (under Assessment). The Gradebook is pre-populated with all the students enrolled in your unit. Powerful Online Test and Survey tools
Why is it useful: The Test, Survey, and Pool Manager tools allow you to create interactive tests and quizzes within your unit site. Tests can include comprehensive feedback to students, making them very useful revision and self-assessment tools. There are 17 question types available as well as options to randomise questions to reduce likelyhood of collusion. Many questions types are automatically graded with the results being collated in the Gradebook. The Pool Manager allows you to build up your own question banks or utlise those produced by some publishers. How to use it: Within your unit site, go to Control Panel > Test Manager, Survey Manager, or Pool Manager (under Assessment). Ability to Copy and Move Content
Why is it useful: This functionality allows you to easily copy or move content from one location within a unit site to another. You can also copy whole folders of content from one unit site to another you are teaching. This is helpful if you have built up a section of resources in one uni that you would like to use in another, for example, a list of industry websites. How to use it: Within your unit site, click Copy next to the piece of content or folder to be copied or moved. Time-Release Content
Why is it useful: When adding content, you can specify a time and date on which the content will become visible to your students. The content will remain invisible to students until the specified time. This is useful for controlling availabiliy of time-sensitive content such as assessment information or for preparing material in advance. How to use it: When adding or modifying content, check the Display After and/or Display Until boxes and select a date and time. Adaptive Release
Why is it useful: This functionality lets you control and direct the path your students take through content and activities within your unit. It also lets you monitor individual students' progress through a learning path and require a certain level of completion of one activity before commencement of the next. For example, you can direct students to revision material or further reading depending on their score on a review quiz. How to use it: Once you have designed and planned how learning paths will be created within your unit, click Manage > Adaptive Release or Adaptive Release: Advanced next to pieces of content or activites to define rules for them. To monitor student progress, go to Control Panel > Performance Dashboard (under Assessment). |
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What is it: The Discussion Board allows you to create multiple forums and provides a range of configuration options.
What is it: Unit Statistics provides a series of reports and charts showing you how frequently your unit is being accessed, what areas are being accessed, and by who.
What is it: Blogs allow students, either alone or in groups, to maintain a blog within the unit site. Wikis allow students to collaboratively develop content within the unit site using wiki-style tools.
What is it: The Gradebook provides a way to store and communicate grades to your students.
What is it: Ability to copy and move content and folders within a unit site as well as between your unit sites.
What is it: Adaptive Release allows you to create individual paths through content and activities and set requirements for completion of one activity before commencement of the next.