Web Assisted

Web Assisted classes are scheduled to meet mostly in-person, on-campus. These classes will require a small portion of online work using Blackboard.

Often referred to as “supplemental instruction” web-assist classes are scheduled to meet mostly in-person, on-campus, with a small portion of online work using Blackboard is recommended. The focus is on the on-campus experience and the technology supplements the classroom experience. The LMS is used provide a single point of access and document storage for course content, or to provide more time for in-class activities, group or class discussions.

Be careful to strict the balance where in the class experience is robust, while the LMS use supplements the course experience.

Instructional Materials & Learning Activities

Store syllabi, handouts, files, links, etc. in Blackboard
Store multimedia in Blackboard
Links to Open Educational Resources [OER]
Links to publisher content
Links to lab materials

Engagement

Create community in Blackboard
- Create a discussion for Ask the Faculty or Course-Related questions
Expand discussions from in-person to online in Blackboard
Design Journals or Blogs in Blackboard
Use web conferencing for communications [i.e. office hours]

Assessments

Create assignments in Blackboard for students to submit
Create, deploy, and grade tests, quizzes, surveys and quiz pools in Blackboard

Managerial

Create announcements in Blackboard
Grade all student deliverables in Blackboard
Offer students feedback in Blackboard
Manage attendance in Blackboard
Run an accessibility report and check accessibility of Blackboard content

Overall

Create a weekly calendar to share with students as to what content you will cover in which week. Note holidays, changes in schedule etc.

Tool Usage in Blackboard for Web-Assist Courses

Be careful to select a small portion of LMS use for your students with web-assist instruction.

Discussion Tool

Traditionally, discussions are minimally used in hybrid courses. However, having Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) when out of class may help keep emails to a minimum.
A Welcome Discussion can be helpful for the following three reasons: to use it as a reference to learn and remember students' names quicker, to build community and connection, and to ensure students can access and navigate Blackboard.
Additionally, if inclement weather occurs and a school closing occurs, you can jump to the discussion board and have the class discussion there that week.

Assignment Tool

Instead of printing out a homework assignment, students submit homework to Blackboard. You can track, and grade work much more efficiently. The Blackboard Assignment Grading Interface allows you to leave general comments, complete an associate rubric, and leave annotated language directly on the student paper. By entering a grade, the paperwork is electronically returned to the students.
No paper shuffling between the faculty and students.

Test Tool

Depending on your instructional goals, you may wish to have students complete pre-quizzes before entering class, or to have them take midterm/final exams online, whether in the classroom or at home.