Using the Messages Function in Blackboard

The Messages function in Blackboard is an alternative way to communicate to your students instead of using the Send Email function. Say you want to filter out the messages students are sending to you from each class. A way you can check messages from students related to that particular course is by using Messages. Here’s a brief over view of how to set up Messages for your course. Please note, Messages is not connected to your email, so you will need to check Messages on a daily basis if you make it a means of communication for your course. You will need to read new messages and respond to them. It will not forward to email either. Here’s how Messages works:

1. Your students will go to Communication–>Messages

2. Students will click on the new message button.

3. A page similar to email appears. They will click on the To: button to send a message to you or other classmates (this is an alternative to email so they need to check Messages to see if you sent them a reply).

4. They will fill in the Subject and Body text boxes. Then click submit.

You can check and reply to your messages by going to the Control Panel–>Course Tools–> Messages. Click on the Inbox to read the messages from your students and reply to them.

Please note you can only access these messages inside Blackboard and in this particular course. Nobody outside the course can have a message sent to them and it will not go to their email.

-Angel Brady

Clearing An Attempt for a Quiz Deployed by Blackboard: Brief Tutorial

Instructors that use Blackboard to create and deploy test like the way Blackboard handles the grading of the quizzes. Another advantage of deploying a test online is that it is a great to assess a distance learning course. Sometimes, an instructor will have a student that, in some way, shape, or form, was unable to finish the quiz. The student can not get back in and finish their quiz because the instructor set the quiz/test to 1 attempt only. If this happens to you and one of your students, there is a simple way to clear the attempt and the student can re-take the quiz/test.

1. Click on Control Panel-Gradebook

2. In the Gradebook, click on the grade that student received on the quiz.

3. You will be taken to the Modify Grade page in Blackboard. Across from the grade and the students name on the far right side, there is the Clear Attempt button.

4. Click the Clear Attempt button.

5. Blackboard will prompt and ask you if you are sure you want to remove this attempt. Click Ok.

-Angel Brady

“Why is my one group not showing up when I click on “Send Email” in Blackboard?”: Brief Solution

If you try to send an email to a student that is not enrolled in your course using the Blackboard function “Send Email”, their name will not appear. This principle applies to emailing groups using the Blackboard “Send email” function. If users are not assigned to that group in Blackboard, the group’s name will not appear under “Send Group Email”. Here a brief way to check if you have users enlisted in a group.

1. In the Control Panel, under User Management, click Manage Groups.

2. Click on th Modify button next to the group that is not appearing in the Send Group Email function in Blackboard.

3. Click on the List Users In Group link.

4. Click on the List All tab. If no users show up, you will need to add users to your group (Manage Group—>Modify—>Add Users to Group, List all Tab)

5. If user names do show up in the group, check to see if you allowed Group Email to occur for the group. Go to Manage Groups—>Modify–>Group Properties. Make sure Group Email Available is checked off under Group Options.

If you still have problems with the group email function, please feel free to contact the Blackboard Helpline at x7489.

-Angel Brady

Using Bookmarks to Extract a Clip of Media Using VLC: Brief Tutorial

This is a brief tutorial on how to extract a clip of media (video/audio) using the open source media player VLC.

1. Open a video clip in VLC (drag and drop the clip into the playlist window).

2. Click on the Window menu and choose “Bookmarks”

3. Move the video scrubber to the beginning of the clip you want to extract.

4. Click the “Add” button in the Bookmarks window.

5. Play the video to the end of the clip you want to extract.

6. Click the “Add” button again in the Bookmarks window.

7. In the Bookmarks window, highlight the two clips (click and hold down shift at the same time).

8. Click the “Extract” button in the Bookmarks window.

9. Click the “Existing playlist item” button. Click Next.

10. Choose the video and audio formats you want to transcode the clip in. Click Next.

11. Choose the Encapsulation format (MPEG TS is usually good). Click Next.

12. Choose were to save your file and the name to save it (by clicking the “Choose” button). Click Next.

13. Click “Finish” (or to edit a setting, click the “Back” button).

14. Your video will encode that part of the clip you designated with the Bookmarks.

*Try different settings for file formats to ensure a proper transcoding of your clip.

-Angel Brady

Adding Calendar Entries to Your Moodle Course: Brief Tutorial

This is a brief tutorial on how to add a Calendar and add entries into that calendar for your Moodle course. This is a great tool to organize and display when assignments and projects are due.

1. Log into Moodle.

2. Choose the course you want to add the calendar. Click on the course name link.

3. Click the “Turn Editing On” button.

4. In the block titled “Blocks” on the right hand side of your course, choose “Calendar” from the drop down menu.

5. In the Calendar block, click on the month title to add events and entries. To choose another month, click the blue arrows on each side of the month title (the left arrow goes back a month, the right arrow goes forward a month).

6. Click the “New Event” button.

7. Choose the type of event: User event, or Course event, or Site event

8. Fill out the name, description, choose the date and time, duration, and if the entry repeats.

9. Click the “Save Changes” button.

10. Depending on the type of event you chose, your entry will appear in that color. (Global events are Green, Course events are pink-orange, User events are blue, and Group events are yellow).

11. If you role over the date you added an entry to in your Calendar block, you will see the title of the event and you can click on that title link to view the entry description.

-Angel Brady