Chapter 1 – Welcome to the Blackboard Learning System

Introduction

The Blackboard Learning System is a comprehensive and flexible e-Learning software platform that delivers a complete course management system. While the Blackboard Learning System, the Blackboard Learning and Community Portal System, and the Blackboard Learning System - Basic Edition are all course management systems, the Blackboard Learning System and the Blackboard Learning and Community Portal System include advanced integration tools and APIs to seamlessly assimilate the Blackboard Learning System with existing institution systems. Furthermore, the Blackboard Learning System and the Blackboard Learning and Community Portal System include additional customization features and the ability to build out the platform with Blackboard System Extensions. Finally, the Blackboard Learning and Community Portal System includes a customizable institution-wide portal with online communities.

BlackboardBuildingBlocks allows institutions to integrate external applications, tools, content, and services into the Blackboard Learning System.

The following are some things to keep in mind when using the Blackboard Learning System:

·          Due to the fact that the Blackboard Learning and Community Portal System and the Blackboard Learning System are highly flexible and customizable platforms, which can integrate third party applications, there may be certain tools that are not documented. 

·          System Administrators have the ability to disable certain tools within the application.  If you encounter tools that you are unable to access contact your System Administrator.

·          The openness of the platform allows Instructors and Administrators to be very creative; therefore, the names for items users see in the application may differ from those in the documentation.

The Blackboard Learning System environment

The Blackboard Learning System environment includes a header frame with images and buttons customized by the institution and tabs that navigate to different areas within the Blackboard Learning System. Clicking on a tab will open that area in the content frame. Web pages containing specific content, features, functions, and tools are accessed from the common areas.

Header frame

The header frame contains a customizable institution image and navigation buttons that allow the user to access the institution home page, access the Blackboard help, and logoff of the Blackboard Learning System.

The table below details the buttons that appear in the header frame and their functions.

Common Areas

Blackboard Learning System and Blackboard Learning System–Basic Edition include two common areas for users:

·          My Institution: The My Institution common area contains tools and information specific to each user’s preferences. Tools and information are contained in modules, which users can add and remove from their My Institution common area. While users can choose which modules appear, the Administrator may restrict access to or require specific modules.

·          Courses: Courses are listed by role: courses that a user teaches as an Instructor and courses that a user takes as a Student. Users click on a course from the Courses common area to access the course Web site.

Users also have access to the following common areas with the Blackboard Learning and Community Portal System:

·          Community: The Community common area lists organizations specific to each user, the Organization Catalog for the institution, and institution-wide Discussion Boards. User organizations are listed by role: organizations that a user administrates as a manager and organizations that a user participates in as a member. Users simply click on an organization from the Community common area to access the organization Web site.

·          Services: The Services common area contains links to other institutional offerings outside of the Blackboard Learning System. The links are set by the System Administrator and cannot be modified by an individual user.

In addition, the Blackboard Learning and Community Portal System enables the institution to create custom tabs and present a different environment, or Portal, to users based on the User’s role at the institution.

Tabs

The tabs are navigation tools that access the common areas of the Blackboard Learning System. Tabs also appear in search boxes as a means of changing the search parameters.

Click on a tab to access that common area.

Content frame

The content frame always contains one of the following pages:

·          Common area: The area that appears in the content frame when a tab is clicked. Common areas hold broad information and allow the user to access Web pages containing specific content and features.

·          Web page: A Web page appears in the content frame when accessed through one of the navigational tools described below. Web pages contain specific content or features and originate from common areas.

Navigating within the Blackboard Learning System

The Blackboard Learning System contains several ways to move from one area or page to the next. Only the material in the content frame changes when moving to a new area or page. The tabs and header frame are always available for quick access to those navigation features.

The table below describes each navigation tool available in the Blackboard Learning System.