• Rename a folder: Click on the Week 1 folder to open it. Click on the down arrow to the right of the title Week 1 (it's at the top of the page in blue). Change the name of the folder to Module 1, then click the Submit button.
• Rename an item: Inside the Module 1 folder, find the item Week 1 Preparation. Click on the down arrow to the right of the title, then click edit. Change the name of the item to Module 1 Preparation.
• Edit text in an item: Delete the text in brackets in the overview and add your own. Under learning outcomes, highlight outcome 1 and replace it with your own text.
• Edit a link to a website: Click on one of the hyperlinks in the reading and preparation section. Find the Insert/Edit Link tool on the toolbar (it looks like a chain link) and click it. In the box that pops up, notice the Link Path. This is the URL (website address) that the link points to. This is what you would delete and replace if you needed to fix a link. You'd then click the Update button. You can practice this by replacing the link with another link or you can just click Cancel.
• Add a link to a website: Click the the right of the bracket on the last bulleted item, then hit enter. This will create a new bullet. Type Library of Congress Catalog. Highlight this text and click the Insert/Edit link tool on the toolbar. In the Link Path box, type in this URL: https://catalog.loc.gov. Find the Target box just below the link path. Use the down arrow to change its setting from "Open in this Window/Frame" to "Open in New Window." Click the Insert button.
• Add a link to an attachment: Click on the Week 2 folder to open it. Find the item Week 2 Preparation. Click on the down arrow to the right of the title, then click edit. Change the text that says "Resource 1 link" to "Week 2 PowerPoint." Highlight this text and click the Insert/Edit link tool on the toolbar. Under the Link Path box, find the Browse My Computer button and click it. Navigate to a PowerPoint file on your computer (it can be any file really since this is just practice) and select it. Click Open. This adds the file to your content collection. You can link to this file in any course you teach without having to upload it again. Change the Target setting from "Open in this Window/Frame" to "Open in New Window." Click the Submit button.
• Add an image: Click on the Week 2 folder to open it. Find the item Week 2 Preparation. Click on the down arrow to the right of the title, then click edit. Delete the meme of Captain Picard . Use the Insert/Edit Image tool to add a different image. Read Add Images in the Editor for more information.
• View the changes you've made in the sandbox in the Student Preview mode. Test out your links.

Click on the Week 2 folder to open it. Find the assignment "Research Plan". Click on the down arrow to the right of the title, then click edit.

• Change the Due Date: Scroll down to Due Dates. Change the due date to the following week.
• Change the Grading and Submission Options: Scroll down to Grading. Change the Points Possible to 75. Click on the "Submission Details" link. Set the number of attempts to be "Multiple Attempts." Click on the "Display of Grades" link. Notice the options for displaying grades as score, letter, text, percentage, or complete/incomplete. You can read more about these grading schemas if interested.

There are two parts to edit if you want to change a discussion assignment. Part one is where the detailed directions are in the content area. Part two is the settings of the discussion.

• Edit a discussion assignment- directions: Inside the Week/Module 1 folder, find the assignment Discussion 1. Click on the down arrow to the right of the title, then click edit. Notice that you can rename the discussion by changing the text in the Link Name box. Notice that the Color of Name can be set to blue instead of black to make it clear that it's a link that must be clicked. Read the text inside the assignment, including the notes in red. Edit the text and add some text of your own. Click Submit when finished.
• Edit a discussion assignment - settings: Click on Discussions in the main course menu. Find Discussion 1. Click on the down arrow to the right of the title, then click edit. Notice that you can change the name of the discussion. Changing it here does not automatically change it in the assignment directions, though. Keep the discussion name the same in both places. In the Description box, write a short (1-2 sentence) description of the discussion prompt. Scroll down through the Forum Settings. Change the Grade Discussion Forum: Points possible to be 10 points. Change the due date to the following week. Under Associated Rubrics, find the Edit rubric tool and click it. Change some aspects of the rubric such as the weights or descriptor language, then click the Submit button. Change the Show Rubric to Students setting from No to Yes (With rubric scores). Click the Submit button.

Click on the Week 3 folder to open it.

• Click on the Demonstration Test link to preview the test. You'll see what students see when taking a test or quiz. Several different question types are shown, including fill in the blank, multiple choice, matching, and calculated numeric. At the end, you'll see feedback for your responses.
• Edit a test or quiz: Go back to the Week 3 folder. This time, use the down arrow next to the Demonstration Test link and select "edit the test." You'll see the Test Canvas, a place where you can add, edit, and reorder questions. You can also change the point values of questions. There's a down arrow next to each question. Click the down arrow for a question and select edit. Practice editing some of the options and language. You'll want to try editing a few different types of questions since each has slightly different options. When finished, click "OK" at the bottom right of the screen.
• Add a question: View the video below:

Click on the Week 3 folder to open it. Mouse over "Build Content," then click on Create > Item.

• Name the item: In the Name box, type "Week 3 Preparation."
• Add text: In the text area, add sections for Overview, Learning Outcomes, and Reading & Preparation. You can copy and paste information from here or you can make it up. Use bulleted lists for the outcomes and Reading & Preparation. Change the font from the default Arial to Verdana and increase the font size to 14 point or whatever looks good to you. Make sure that your 3 subtitles are bold font. It's a nice touch to add a line under each title. Do this by clicking on the line tool in the toolbar. Review editor icons and options if you need a refresher about what all the buttons do.
• Add a hyperlink: Under Reading & Preparation, create at least one resource that is hyperlinked to a website or a file on your computer.

Click on the Week 3 folder to open it. Mouse over "Assessments," then click on "Assignment."

• Name the item: In the Name box, type "Week 3 Paper."
• Change the link color: Click the down arrow next to the word black. Select the shade of blue that has the color value #0000FF. Click the Apply button.
• Add text: In the text area, add sections for Purpose, Overview, Tasks, Submission Instructions, and Grading Criteria. You can copy and paste information from here or you can make it up. Format the text as you did in Activity 4.
• Set a due date: Scroll down to Due Date. Set a date and time.
• Set the points: Scroll down to Grading. In the "Points Possible" box, type 75 points possible .
• Create a rubric: Watch the short video below, then experiment with the rubric tool.

You can assign grades to student work in Blackboard. Even if you have your own tool or method for keeping grades, you'll probably want to use the Blackboard Grade Center to communicate grades to students. You can get very, very detailed in setting up grading options, but we'll cover the basics here. Let me know if you have specific needs or want to learn about more in-depth options.

To do this activity, you'll go into student preview mode and submit an assignment as if you are a student. You'll then exit the preview and save the data. That gives you a submission to view and grade. There are a few steps but you can do it! Let's take it from the top. Start by reading Assign Grades in the Grade Center.

Part 1: As a student, submit an assignment

• Click the "Enter Student Preview" button on the top right corner of your screen. Click on Course Content in the main course menu, then open the Week 3 folder. Click on the link for the assignment "Final Paper." Notice that you can view the rubric.
• Scroll down to the Assignment Submission section. Since this is just for practice, submit any Word document you have saved on your computer. You can submit other file types but let's keep it simple! Click "Browse My Computer," choose a file, and click open. Your attached file will be displayed in the Assignment Submission area.
• This assignment requires that students submit their work to SafeAssign plagiarism checker. Check the box next to "I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database." Notice that there is a space for students to add comments along with their submission. Click the Submit button on the bottom right of the screen.
• Click the "Exit Preview" button in the top right corner of the screen. Important! In the window that pops up, check "Keep the preview user and all data," then click the Continue button.

Part 2: As an instructor, find and grade the assignment

• Find the Grade Center. It's in the main course menu toward the bottom in the Course Management section under Control Panel. Click on "Full Grade Center."
• You'll see YourLastName_PreviewUser listed as a student. Find the assignment "Final Paper" on the row for that student. Notice the icon indicating that it needs grading. Click just to the right of that icon. You could quickly enter a score here, but don't. Instead, click on the down arrow in that box. Choose "View Grade Details". On the page that pops up, click "View Attempts." If the assignment allowed more than one attempt, you'd be able to use the left and right arrows to move between attempts. This paper just had one attempt.
• The student's submission appears on the screen. Notice that you can also click on the down arrow next to Assignment Instructions to view the instructions. Use the pencil tool to draw on the submission and the click the comments tool to leave a comment on any part of the paper. Watch this video to see how:

You can also assign grades to discussions, journals, blogs, and wikis. In this activity, you'll grade a journal entry. As before, you'll go into student preview mode and do the journal assignment as if you are a student. You'll then exit the preview, save the data, and grade the assignment as an instructor.

Part 1: As a student, create a journal entry

• Click the "Enter Student Preview" button on the top right corner of your screen. Click on "Course Content" in the main course menu, then open the Week 1 folder. Click on the link for the assignment "Journal 1." Click on "Course Reflections Journal," then "Create Journal Entry." Type a title for your entry. Type some text in the Entry Message box. Click the "Post Entry" button in the bottom right corner.
• Click the "Exit Preview" button in the top right corner of the screen. Important! In the window that pops up, check "Keep the preview user and all data," then click the "Continue" button.

Part 2: As an instructor, find and grade the journal assignment

• Go to the Grade Center. Click on "Full Grade Center."
• You'll see YourLastName_PreviewUser listed as a student. Find the assignment "Course Reflections Journal." Notice the icon indicating that it needs grading. Click just to the right of that icon. Click on the grey box under the assignment title. Click the down arrow and choose "View Grade Details". On the page that pops up, click "Grade User Activity."
• Since this assignment has a rubric, you will use it to grade. Click the "Journal Rubric" link. Check "Show Descriptions" and "Show Feedback". Click the radio button for the performance level you wish to assign each criteria. Notice that you can type feedback for each criteria. You can also type feedback at the end of the rubric.
• Click the "Save Rubric" button. You'll see that the Current Grade Value reflects your selections on the rubric. You'll see yet another box to leave feedback and a link to add notes about the grade. Remember that these notes are private; the student will not see them.
• Click the "Submit" button. Well done!

Banner: You can add or change a banner image that appears at the top of the course home page. Adding a banner is a great way to personalize your course and make it inviting.

• Create your banner using PowerPoint, a graphics tool like Canva, or a banner creation site like Banner Fans. Your banner should be no larger that 1000 pixels wide and 150 pixels tall. Blackboard recommends 480 by 80 pixels. It should be a .gif or .jpg file.
• Upload your banner. In the control panel in the main course menu, click "Customization," then "Teaching Style." Scroll down to "Select Banner." If there is an existing banner, you will see it and a box you can check to delete it. You will also see the option to add a new banner image. Click the "Browse My Computer" button and select the banner image saved on your computer. Click "Open." You'll see the file name listed. Click the "Submit" button. Read Creating Banners in Your Blackboard Course for detailed instructions.

Video: You can embed a video so that it plays right in your course.

For a video that is on the web (On YouTube or Flipgrid, for example):

• Copy the link for the video you want to embed.
• Open the Week 1 folder. Click on "Build Content" and select "Create Item." Name the item Welcome. In the text box, click the "Insert/Edit Embedded Media" button. It's on the 3rd row, fourth from the left. In the General tab, where it says "Type", use the arrow to change the type from "Flash" to "iFrame." Paste the link to the video in the File/URL box. You can change the size of the video by changing the numbers in the "Dimensions" box. Be sure to leave "Constrain Proportions" checked or your video will be distorted.
• Click the "Insert" button on the bottom right, the click the "Submit" button.

For a video file you created using Screencast-O-Matic or another tool:

• Do the same steps as above, except instead of pasting in the link, click "Browse My Computer" and select the video file.

You can give audio and video feedback on student submissions in assignments that don't have rubrics. You must use Chrome or Firefox as your browser. Audio and video feedback is excellent for social/instructor presence and for helping students understand how to improve their work. Some options for doing it:

• You could choose to not build a rubric into the assignment and just share the rubric with students as an attached file or link.
• You could also keep the rubric in the assignment and use Flipgrid or Screencast-O-Matic to create video feedback. You could email the link to the student or paste it in the rubric comments.

To practice giving audio and video feedback:

Read Record Audio and Video.

Part 1: As a student, submit an assignment

• Click the "Enter Student Preview" button on the top right corner of your screen. Click on "Course Content" in the main course menu, then open the Week 2 folder. Click on the link for the assignment "Research Plan." Submit any Word document to the assignment.
• Click the "Exit Preview" button in the top right corner of the screen. Important! In the window that pops up, check "Keep the preview user and all data," then click the "Continue" button.

Part 2: As an instructor, find and grade the assignment, give audio/video feedback

• Go to the Grade Center. Click on "Full Grade Center."
• You'll see YourLastName_PreviewUser listed as a student. Find the assignment "Research Plan." Notice the icon indicating that it needs grading. Click just to the right of that icon. Click on the grey box under the assignment title. Click the down arrow and choose "View Grade Details".
• On the page that pops up, click "View Attempts." In the right side menu, use the down arrow in the blue part to expand the panel. At the bottom of the "Feedback to Learner" text box, click on the "A" button. This opens the full editor. Find the microphone icon on the far left of the third row and click it.
• A box will pop up asking you to allow use of your camera and microphone. Click "Allow." If you want to record audio only, click the red record button. If you want to include both audio and video, click on the video camera icon, then click the record button. You'll be given a countdown and then it will start recording. You have up to 5 minutes. When finished, click the button again. You can play the recording. If you don't like it, click "Delete Recording." If you like it, click "Save and Exit," then click "Insert Recording." To finish, click "Submit." You'll see the recording in the "Feedback to Learner" box. You can also add text to this box. Enter a grade for the assignment in the purple box. Click "Submit" to post the grade and feedback.
• If you want to see how this appears to the student, click on "Student Preview," then click "Grades" from the main course menu on the left. Find the Research Plan assignment. Click on its blue link. You'll see the feedback recording on the right. Click it to play it. Exit the Student Preview, keeping the preview user and all data.

Blackboard provides lots of information to help you monitor your students' activity and progress in the course.

Retention Center: Identify students who are at risk and communicate with them

Read The Retention Center in Action.

• Under the Course Management section of the main course menu, find "Evaluation." Click its arrow to expand the choices under it. You'll see course reports, performance dashboard, and retention center. Click "retention center". You won't see real data since this is just your sandbox, but look around to see all the cool things that are here.
• At the top of the page is a place where you'll see students who are at risk. Define your "at risk" criteria by clicking the "Customize" button at the top right. There are four default rules. Click the ones you want to use. You can modify each rule, too. Click its down arrow and select "edit." You can create a new rule by clicking "Create Rule," then choose the type of rule you want to add.
• Practice modifying and adding rules.