General Information about Blackboard
Best Practices for Blackboard Users
System requirements for Blackboard - hardware, software, browsers, plug-ins
Creating courses in Blackboard
Instructor of record on Blackboard class
UTC Online policy on making courses "available"
Get a Blackboard course assigned to me
Request multiple sections and co-listed courses be combined into one section
Student Enrollment - UTC Online Access, Class Rolls, Add and Drop from Blackboard classes
Schedule of Blackboard courses (when courses appear and disappear)
Responsibilities of the different roles in Blackboard (instructor, leader, participant, teaching assistant, etc.)
How do I enable observer access for my Blackboard class?
How do I put the UTC Course Evaluations/Student Rating of Faculty in my Blackboard course?
Is Blackboard Sync enabled for UTC Online?
Access to UTC Online (Blackboard) for:
- support staff and additional faculty
- a non UTC affiliated user
- student and faculty groups (organizations)
How are courses created on UTC Online (Blackboard)?
Courses are automatically created in the UTC Online system based on the UTC class listing catalog at http://www.utc.edu/Public/ClassFind/.
Instructor of record on UTC Online (Blackboard) class
Faculty are assigned to courses on the system based on the course listings on the UTC class listing web page (http://www.utc.edu/Public/ClassFind/). If an individual instructor has been assigned to a class s/he is not teaching, a request can be made to correct this by completing the appropriate online form listed at http://utconline.utc.edu/allForms.php. Faculty can also use these online forms to request assignment to a class that may be missing from their list.
UTC Online system administrators will ONLY add the faculty of record to courses. If other faculty need to be added to courses, the faculty of record should add them to the class and provide those faculty with the access to the materials. For information on how to do this, see http://utconline.utc.edu/FacultyFAQ.php#additional
When are courses made "available?"
Courses are created on the Blackboard system as "unavailable," which means that only instructors can see the courses. Faculty are responsible for making the course available for students.
How do I get a Blackboard course assigned to me and how do I request multiple sections and co-listed courses be combined into one section?
Faculty can request to have courses assigned and co-listed and multiple sections be combined by completing the online request form found at http://utconline.utc.edu/allForms.php. Combined classes must be requested each semester they are needed.
Student Enrollment - UTC Online Access, Class Rolls, Add and Drop from UTC Online classes
The UTC Online enrollment is based on the official class rolls in WebASIS. UTC Online class rolls are NOT considered the official class rolls. Students are automatically enrolled in their registered classes within 24 hours of their enrollment through UTC Automated Student Information System (ASIS). Instructors may, at their discretion, provide full access to their course site(s) to currently enrolled UTC students who are not yet registered for the course, or who are in the process of adding the course to their schedule. It is the instructor's responsibility to add these students to the appropriate class.
Students who drop classes are NOT automatically removed from the courses online. Removing students from a course removes any record of that student and any documents related to the removed students from the course. Instructors should remove or “deactivate” these students ONLY after they are certain the students have permanently dropped the course.
When do my Blackboard courses appear and disappear?
At least four weeks before classes begin, upcoming semester courses are pulled into the system from the WebASIS course listings. Faculty are assigned to classes as listed in the schedule of classes.
- At least four weeks before classes begin, classes for the upcoming semester are made available for faculty. New classes are added as they are added to the online course listing.
- At least one week before class begins, current class rolls (including new students) are uploaded to the system and assigned to classes.
- Students are uploaded and enrolled in classes on a daily basis throughout the semester.
- Five weeks into the semester, the previous semester classes are deleted from the system.
- Two weeks after a semester is completed (finals are done and grades are submitted), all previous semester classes are made unavailable for students.
NOTE: For UTC Online purposes, all summer sessions are considered one semester. All summer classes are loaded and assigned at the same time at the beginning of the earliest summer session.
How do I get access to UTC Online (Blackboard) for my support staff and additional faculty?
Additional faculty may be added to any class by the faculty of record. If faculty wish to have staff or student assistants help them with online course design, they must enroll the users into the appropriate course and give them the appropriate access. Please limit access to the control panel function to only individuals competent on use of the system. Since certain student data is protected by federal law, NO ONE should have access to the control panel and protected student information unless they have been trained on Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). All users should follow best practices outlined in the UTC AUP and NEVER give their ID/password to anyone. Faculty, staff or students who are found to have shared their UTC ID and password with others may have their access to the UTC Online system terminated.
If you want another person enrolled, from the Control Panel, select Enroll User in the appropriate course.
In the box, type the last name or UTC ID (select username) and press the search button.
Place a check mark next to the name and click Submit. This person is now enrolled as a student and now you must modify his/her role.
Go back to the Control Panel, select List/Modify Users and search for the person. Click Properties on the side of the page next to the person. In section 4, select the role of the person. Click Submit.
How can I get a UTC Online account for an non UTC affiliated user?
Users that are not officially affiliated with UTC (guest discussants or mentors, for example) may be provided an account (a username and password) at the request of a UTC “sponsor” (faculty or staff member). These users accounts (referred to as “exceptions”) are considered temporary. Such accounts are assigned only to individuals who are working with UTC faculty/staff on officially recognized activities on the system and are deleted at the end of each semester, project or at designated times during the year. The default setting for the system is to NOT allow guest access. To set up a temporary account, you must also provide a valid email address.
How can I get access for student and faculty groups on UTC Online?
UTC Online organizations (communities) are created upon request for student groups, faculty groups, UTC committees, etc. Approved organizations are also used for groups that need to have access to communication and documents over multiple semesters. All student communities MUST be recognized as official campus organizations and have an identified faculty or staff sponsor before they will be created on the system. Users of UTC Online and the Blackboard system should be guided by all applicable rules and policies, including the UTC Acceptable Use Practices (http://www.utc.edu/AUP/).
To set up the initial organization, please send an Excel spreadsheet listing all of the initial UTC IDs for organization membership (names are not necessary). This spreadsheet can be sent as an attachment to Karen-Adsit@utc.edu. In the body of the email, include the organization's name, and the name and UTC ID of the faculty/staff sponsor. The initial creation of an organization includes a batch upload of the organization members provided on the initial request.
After the creation of the organization, the UTC sponsors/faculty are responsible for maintaining a current list of participants and for ensuring that the organization space is used in accordance with the Acceptable Use Practices (AUP [http://www.utc.edu/AUP/]) and that any content posted is appropriate for posting on this university resource. It is the responsibility of the organization faculty/staff sponsor to ensure proper communication and content appropriate to UTC’s policies as well as to ensure proper usage among members. Mis-use of state resources may result in loss of access to the system for the group.
Facilitators/sponsors have the capability to add and remove participants. If a large number of users must be added or deleted, those requests should be made to the email address listed above and must include the organization's name and directions on what to do (add new, delete all, etc.). If a new set of users should be uploaded, a new Excel spreadsheet should be included in the request (as an attachment) that includes the UTC IDs of the new users. Adding a new list will only add users, it will not replace one set of users with another. Once created and made available to the users, the organization will be listed under the organization tab on UTC Online.
Participants may "opt out" of an organization by e-mailing the faculty/sponsor or the system administrator (Karen-Adsit@utc.edu).
NOTE: Groups funded by external grants may be charged for their use of the UTC Online system.
All policies pertaining to acceptable use apply to organization/community sites.
What are the responsibilities of the different roles in Blackboard?
Student/Participant: User is able to access all available course content and will be graded on Assessments. Students do not have access to any Control Panel features.
Instructor/Leader: User is able to control all aspects of the course through the Course Control Panel.
Course Builder/Organization Builder: User is able to add content to the course through the Content Areas and the Course Tools on the Course Control Panel. Course Builders do not have access to some Course Tools, such as Online Attendance. Course Builders are not listed on any of the email lists and are NOT seen by students as being a part of the course. Course Builders do not have access to the Gradebook, Gradebook Views, Course Statistics, or modifying user roles.
Grader/Grader: User is able to access all areas under Assessment area of the Control Panel, as well as some Course Tools such as Online Attendance and Online Journal. Graders can also list users but can not make any other changes to user management. No other areas of the Control Panel are available to Graders. Graders are not listed in the grade book or class role, but they are included in email lists.
Guest/Guest: User is able to view areas of the course, but cannot participate in any way. Guests can not see the course listing upon login to the system, but may access the class through the Catalog. Guests can only access portions of the class that have been designated for Guest Access.
Teaching Assistant/Assistant: User is able to control most aspects of the course through the Course Control Panel. TA's have very limited access to the User Management area of the Control Panel. They can only list users. TA's can not copy a course.
How do I enable observer access for my Blackboard class?
Observer users are persons who are assisting a student with a disability by helping them within UTC Online. “Observers can view the same content as users but cannot modify or interact with content intended for the observed users” (Blackboard Academic Suite [Release 7.3] Administrator Manual). If you have a student with a disability in your class who has an associated observer and they request you enable observer access for your class on UTC Online, here are the steps to enable observer access.
1. Control Panel > Course Options: Settings > Observer Access. Set “Allow Observers” to “Yes” and click submit.
2. Control Panel > Course Options: Manage Tools > Tool Availability. Check “Allow Observer” (far right-hand column) for appropriate tools (e.g., Announcements) and click submit.
3. Control Panel > Course Options: Manage Course Menu. Select “Modify” for each menu item (e.g., Announcements) and check next to “Allow Observer access” for each menu item observers should be able to see.
How do I put the UTC Course Evaluations/Student Rating of Faculty in my Blackboard course?
Directions on how to import the UTC Student Evaluation of Faculty Rating questions
- Log on to Blackboard and go into the UTC Online Blackboard Info class. You should be enrolled in this course. If you are not enrolled in this course, call the WTRC at 425-4188 for assistance.
- Once you have entered this course, click on the UTC Course Eval button and click on Course Evaluation Questions folder. Then click on Exported Pool [link], which is under the UTC Course Evaluation Question Pool heading. Save the file to your desktop. This will download the zipped questions to your hard drive. Make sure you know where the zip file is being saved on your hard drive. If you are teaching your course online, you need to import both the UTC Course Evaluation Question Pool and the UTC Course Evaluation Questions for Online Classes pool.
- Go into the class where you want to put the questions/survey. Click on the Control Panel.
- Click on Pool Manager
- Click on Import, browse to find the file: UTCcoureeval.zip and click Submit. If you need to import the Online questions, do that now.
- Go back into the Control Panel and select Survey manager
- Select Add Survey and give the survey a name. Click Submit.
- From the "Add" drop down box select "From a Question Pool or Assessment". Click Go.
- Select Basic UTC Course Evaluation Questions and check next to the "ALL" button (under question types).
- Click Search. Click in each box next to each question. Click Submit. Click OK. If you need to add the online questions, do that now by selecting modify next to the survey you just added. Then select Add "From a Question Pool or Assessment" again and continuing through the steps for these questions.
- You will probably need to put the questions in some kind of order that makes sense to you.
- When you are ready you will need to deploy the survey by going to the area that you want to put it and deploying it there. Open and read the Instructions for Course Evaluation (PDF). This will provide you with the proper instructions for your students and the settings for the survey.
- Once your students have completed the survey, download and print the results. Forward them to the Office of Planning and Institutional Research (Mail code - 4654).
Is Blackboard Sync enabled for UTC Online?
No, UTC Online has chosen to opt out of the Blackboard Sync application within Facebook. For more information on this decision, go here.
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