Are you a UMass Boston student new to the Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS)? Seeking a comprehensive guide, well Look no further! This article provides a detailed overview of Blackboard, including its features and how to use them effectively. Blackboard Learn is a web based LMS that enables instructors to create and manage course content, communicate with students, and assess student performance. Blackboard Learn Original is the version of the LMS used by UMass Boston. UMass Boston is a public research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the only public research university in Boston and is the third-largest campus in the five-campus University of Massachusetts system. UMass Boston is known for its diversity and ranks as the third most diverse university in the United States. While most UMass Boston students are Massachusetts residents, international students and students from other states comprise a sizable portion of the student body.
Effective Learning
At UMass Boston, Blackboard Learn™ Original is the Learning Management System (LMS) of choice, providing instructors with various options to create engaging and effective learning experiences in and beyond the classroom. Blackboard is a powerful and versatile system enabling communication, collaboration, and assessment through various features.
Blackboard space
With Blackboard UMass Boston, instructors can easily manage all course materials online, making them immediately available to students. Documents, announcements, and e-mails can all be posted within the system. The Course Menu and other features allow students to navigate within their Blackboard space and find course materials easily. Blackboard Ally provides accessible course content, including the readable text for screen readers, picture captions, and other options to ensure that all students have equal access to coursework.
Collaboration
Instructors can use Blackboard to facilitate communication and collaboration in ways. Blackboard Collaborate Ultra is a video conferencing tool to allows for chatting, screen sharing, attendance tracking, and group work, with the ability to see up to 25 attendees at a time. Synchronous text chat features are available through Pronto, while Google Workspace allows for collaboration with other Google Drive users using UMass Boston credentials.
Technical support
Technical support for Blackboard and related educational technology is available to faculty and students through UMass Boston’s Learning Design Services. The IT Service Desk is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; additional resources are available through the Official Blackboard Help Site for Faculty and Students. Learning Design Services also provides various teaching and learning services to the UMass Boston community, including course development and design, accessible learning materials, and open educational resources.
Learning Community
An instructor must ensure that all students have equal access to coursework. UMass Boston is committed to providing an inclusive learning community accessible to all students. The instructor is responsible for proactively employing best practices in course design to achieve this goal. By utilizing the wide range of features and resources available through Blackboard, instructors can create engaging, effective, and accessible learning experiences for all students.
Use Blackboard UMass Boston
To start with Blackboard, you must first log in to your account. You must contact your institution’s support desk for login credentials if you are a student. Once logged in, you will see a dashboard displaying your courses and other relevant information. You can create a system and add content if you are an instructor.
Creating a course in Blackboard Learn
To create a course in Blackboard, Learn, follow these steps:
- From the dashboard, click on the “Create Course” button.
- Give your course a name and a description.
- Choose the course duration and availability.
- Add content to your course, such as videos, documents, and quizzes.
- Set up assignments and assessments for your students.
Once you have created your course, you can customize it by adding your branding and colors. You can also use Blackboard’s templates to create a professional-looking system.
Adding content to your course
Blackboard UMass Boston Learn offers tools for creating and sharing content with your students. Here are the most popular tools:
Uploading files
You can upload files to Blackboard Learn, such as Word documents, PDFs, and PowerPoint presentations. Your students can then access these files and download them if needed.
Creating discussions
Discussions are a great way to engage your students in online conversations. You can create a discussion forum where your students can post comments and reply to each other.
Setting up assignments
Assignments are an essential part of any course. Blackboard Learn allows you to set up assignments and assessments for your students. You can also grade their work and provide feedback.
Creating quizzes
Quizzes are best for students’ knowledge. You can create quizzes in Blackboard Learn and set up automatic grading.
Sharing videos
Blackboard UMass Boston allows you to share videos with your students. You can upload your videos or share videos from YouTube or Vimeo.
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