Blackboard for Faculty/Staff

The MSU Bb server is located at http://blackboard.montclair.edu

For more information on Bb, please consider attending one of our monthly training sessions. You can get more detailed information about classes and workshops by clicking on Training and Events.

MSU is using Blackboard version 7.3 Blackboard Copyright Information

• What is Blackboard?
• What does Blackboard provide?
• Who is using Blackboard?
• Getting Started with Blackboard
• Support for Blackboard

What is Blackboard?
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Blackboard is a server-based Internet tool that facilitates the creation of sophisticated web-based educational environments. Simply put, Blackboard creates an online classroom - quickly and easily. Blackboard (Bb) provides a web interface for designing the course. Unlike traditional web-publishing tools, Bb walks an instructor through the presentation format of the course, including color schemes, page layout, and other elements of the “electronic classroom”. Bb provides tools for both the instructor and the student in order to assist in creating and managing the web course structure. Bb is designed to be used as a complete distance learning solution, but it can also be used as a course enhancement. Bb is especially good at improving communication between students and instructors and creating opportunities for collaboration among students outside the physical classroom environment.

What does Blackboard provide?
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Some of the tools of Bb…

• Discussion Board - bulletin boards or discussion groups that happen asynchronously
• Electronic Mail - class specific e-mail
• Chat Tool - live discussion areas
• Whiteboard Tool - a method for “drawing” on a board in real-time with all active participants viewing the board
• Student Assessment Tool - multiple choice, fill in the blank, true/false, matching, and ordering questions are automatically scored by the system, entered and tabulated in the Electronic Gradebook, and the results are given immediately to the student
• Timed On-Line Quizzes - quizzes can be created and released on a specific date/time; these quizzes can be discontinued at a specific date and time
• Grade Tool - students can view their overall performance in the course without having to contact the instructor
• Calendar Tool - a course calendar can be created with assignments, due dates, and more

Who is using Blackboard?
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There are more than 4.6 million student accounts being used at more than 1000 educational institutions.
At MSU as of Fall 2004, Bb is being used by 55% of full-time instructors.

Getting Started with Blackboard
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1. Attend an informational hand-on workshop on Bb. Please check the Training & Events schedule, or contact 973-655-5449 for dates/times and to register.

2. Both students and faculty have a Blackboard account. Login to Blackboard using your MSU NetID and password.

3. Meet with a representative of IT or take a hands-on Bb course for specific skills and information.

Support for Blackboard
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Please contact the Technology Training and Integration Group at http://oit.montclair.edu/tsc/training/.

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