Welcome to the Beginning Blackboard Workshop!

Part I. We will be covering these functions of Blackboard during this workshop:

• Customizing your course site
• Creating Announcements
• Editing your "Staff Information" page
• Uploading documents
• Creating Discussion Boards
• Creating and effectively using groups

Help sheets on Blackboard at UMBC are located at http://blackboard.umbc.edu

All Blackboard Course sites at UMBC are located at : http://blackboard .umbc.edu

• You will need to use your UMBC login and password to get through the WebAuth process. (Note: if using Internet Explorer, you may have to refresh a couple of times, and use the back button. We are working on this glitch. To be safe, Netscape Version 4.0 or higher)
• Online directions can be found in any course under Control Panel/Assistance/Online Manual

To get started, please enroll yourself in the Blackboard Users Group Community. To do this ( take note, this is the procedure your students will follow!):

• Click on Communities
• Click on the Course Catalog
• Type in BUG (short for Blackboard Users Group!!)
• Find the appropriate course & click on the "Enroll" button on the right side of the screen (You may have to scroll to the right).
• Click on "Continue" & "OK". Now the Blackboard Users Group Community should show up on your main page when you click on communities. We use this coommunty site to share documents with you, and ask for your feedback on workshops. We have also created a training group for you that will be explained later.

Part II. -- Log into your Course site---

IT IS SUGGESTED THAT YOU OPEN UP A SECOND BROWSER WINDOW FOR YOUR COURSE SITE. WE WILL BE GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TWO WINDOWS.

• To enter your course site log into http://blackboard.umbc.edu using the same process as before. Click on the name of your course on the main page. If it is not listed, then send email to rarmstro@umbc.edu with the name of your department, course name , section #, and semester being taught. Then check back after you have received notification the course has been created.
• Before you leave today, please complete the evaluation survey Assignments/Surveys. The survey has a link on the Announcement page.