© 2008 Blackboard Inc. Presenting Content © 2008 Blackboard Inc. K-12

© Blackboard Inc Workshop Roadmap Welcome to the Presenting Content workshop! This workshop contains five sections: –Student Experience –Planning Your Content –Creating Web-Friendly Content –Building Learning Units –Creating a Glossary

© 2008 Blackboard Inc. Student Experience

© Blackboard Inc Student Experience: Learning Outcomes After completing this section, you’ll be able to: – access a learning unit as a student – view content in a learning unit – view a glossary

© Blackboard Inc Student Experience: Accessing Learning Units Students typically access learning units from Content Areas.

© Blackboard Inc Student Experience: Viewing Content in a Learning Unit Students can view content sequentially or non- sequentially. If links are available in the Table of Contents, the learning unit can be viewed non- sequentially. For sequential viewing advance to the next page.

© Blackboard Inc Student Experience: Viewing a Glossary A glossary helps students find definitions for class- related terms in one convenient location. A glossary link can appear either: On the Class Menu or in Class Tools Within a Content Area or learning unit

© Blackboard Inc Student Experience: Hands-On Activity In the Student Class, complete the following: Learning Units – From the Class Menu, select the Units Content Area – View the Unit 2: The American Identity learning unit – Compare the two Ellis Island Fact Sheets and identify key differences Glossary – From the Class Menu, select Glossary. Search for terms starting with the letter “S.”

© 2008 Blackboard Inc. Planning Your Content

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Content: Learning Outcomes After completing this section, you’ll be able to: –write a class goal –write a class objective –analyze your students’ needs –evaluate your materials for online use –storyboard a class –create a learning unit example

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Goals & Objectives Clearly defined goals and objectives are critical to an online class. Class Goals - general statement about learning outcomes Example: Upon completion of this class, students will be able to describe the main differences between mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. Class Objectives - statement about learner behavior Example: Students will be able to use the Theory of Elliptical Functions to construct a proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem.

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Content: Hands-On Activity To help you write effective class objectives, remember the acronym SMART : S pecific M easurable A chievable R elevant T imely

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Content: Knowing Your Students If you are not in a face-to-face situation, you should carefully consider your students beforehand. You might ask: –background of related classes –types of computers and Internet connections –ESL students –assistive technology being used

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Content: Hands-On Activity Discuss similarities and differences in the content presentation for two types of classes: Scenario - You are teaching an online history class titled Emperors of Ancient Rome. Class 1 : Most students live near the school, in an urban center; none have taken an introductory history class; some have moderate learning disabilities(dyslexia, attention deficit disorder) and a few have low vision. Class 2 : Many students do not live near the school and will be logging in from rural areas; most have taken an introductory history class; some ESL students.

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Content: Gathering Materials Be certain your materials are web-ready and can be modified. Do you have: –lessons in HTML format –lessons in Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® presentations –images in digital format –permission to distribute your materials online

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Content: Hands-On Activity Determine which materials are ready to use in your online course. Indicate their current format: — Word ® document, HTML, handwritten, and so on. ResourceCurrent vs. Desired FormatNeed to CreateN/A Lecture notes External web links Reading assignments Other assignments Tests PowerPoint presentations Course Cartridge Images

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Content: Organizing Content The easiest way to visualize the flow of your class is through the storyboard. The storyboard should contain: – an overview of each page's content – linear or hierarchical flow of subject matter – steps students will take to learn the material – tools and methods connected with each objective

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Content: Storyboard Examples Example 1: Chronological Storyboard

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Content: Storyboard Examples Example 2: Subject Area Storyboard

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Content: Storyboard Examples Example 3: Content Type Storyboard

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Content: Storyboard Mapping Now take your storyboard and map it into Blackboard. You can do this using either learning units or Content Areas. In this workshop we will use learning units. First, let’s compare them…

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Content: Learning Unit vs. Content Area Learning UnitContent Area Location in a class – In Content Area– On Class Menu or in Content Area Organizing content – You can view content sequentially or non- sequentially – A learning unit can open in a new window – Content can be viewed only in random order (non- sequentially) Folders – Learning units can’t contain folders – Content Areas can contain folders Adaptive Release – Adaptive Release can be applied to a learning unit –You cannot apply Adaptive Release to an entire Content Area. If the Content Area is available on the Class Menu, it can be accessed. Table of Contents – Each learning unit has a Table of Contents – No Table of Contents

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Content: Storyboard Mapping This learning unit example can be used as a reference when planning learning units for your class.

© Blackboard Inc Planning Your Content: Hands-On Activity Create a storyboard for your class using one of the three storyboard styles discussed earlier: –Subject area –Chronological –Content type

© 2008 Blackboard Inc. Creating Web-Friendly Content

© Blackboard Inc Creating Web-Friendly Content: Learning Outcomes After completing this section, you’ll be able to: –explain the meaning of accessibility –create more accessible pages for your class –design web pages that make effective use of text, typography, layout, color and graphics

© Blackboard Inc Creating Web-Friendly Content: Effective Design Well-designed web pages can help achieve: –ease of learning –efficiency of use –subjective satisfaction –accessibility

© Blackboard Inc Creating Web-Friendly Content: Effective Design Accessibility – degree to which a system is usable by as many people as possible without their having to make changes to it Web pages should be equally usable by: –people with disabilities –people with different backgrounds and needs –people who are using older technology –people who are logging in from rural locations

© Blackboard Inc Creating Web-Friendly Content: Effective Design There are five elements common to well-designed web pages: –text written for the web –simple typography –simple layout –well-chosen color scheme –graphics that are worth a 1000 words Reference:

© Blackboard Inc Creating Web-Friendly Content: Effective Design Text written for the web: –Write brief sentences; adopt a conversational style –Avoid jargon and complex language –Keep paragraphs short and simple; break pages into sub-categories –Put important content above the fold –Avoid abbreviations and acronyms –Highlight key words –Keep external links current

© Blackboard Inc Creating Web-Friendly Content: Effective Design Simple Typography – Use no more than three different font types – Make sure the fonts you use are installed on most computers – Choose sans-serif for body text – Avoid underlining since links are underlined – Don’t over-italicize – Avoid CAPITALIZATION

© Blackboard Inc Creating Web-Friendly Content: Effective Design Simple, Straightforward Layout – Keep pages clean and uncluttered – Use lots of white space – Use block style paragraphs – Be consistent across pages – Avoid nested tables

© Blackboard Inc Creating Web-Friendly Content: Effective Design Well-Chosen Color Scheme – Use consistent color – Use light shade for background – Use different colors for each of the three link statuses: visited, active, and static – Use alternating colors in rows or columns of a data table – Consider the age of your students and choose colors that appeal to them

© Blackboard Inc Creating Web-Friendly Content: Effective Design Graphics that are worth 1000 words – Use simple graphics that mean something – Crop photos when possible – Use thumbnails to link to larger versions – Save pictures in the right format

© Blackboard Inc Creating Web-Friendly Content: Hands-On Activity In your Practice Class, complete the following: Access the content From the Units Content Area, select the Unit 1: Astronomy Overview folder. Then select the Planets folder. In Edit View, click Modify by the item Update the content Use the Visual Text Box Editor: – adjust the layout – add sub-headings – put info into bulleted lists – incorporate tables or add color so the article is easier to read online

© 2008 Blackboard Inc. Building Learning Units

© Blackboard Inc Building Learning Units: Learning Outcomes After completing this section, you will be able to: –add a learning unit to your class –add items, files, external links, and other content to a learning unit –arrange and remove items within a learning unit

© Blackboard Inc Building Learning Units: Adding a Learning Unit You can add learning units to Content Areas. Add the learning unit name, description, and choose any options

© Blackboard Inc Building Learning Units: Adding an Item An item can be: –text you enter, an attached file, or both

© Blackboard Inc Building Learning Units: Adding a File Adding a file is particularly useful if you have created content pages outside of the Blackboard Learning System™. The file’s name appears in the learning unit’s Table of Contents.

© Blackboard Inc Building Learning Units : Hands-On Activity You will begin to build a new learning unit and add it to the Units Content Area. Create the learning unit & add an item – Add a new learning unit titled Unit 3: Gas Giants – Add an item titled Introduction and enter text: Unit Overview: This unit looks at several planets. Add files – Add the following files:  Uranus.htm  Saturn.htm  Jupiter.htm  Neptune.htm

© Blackboard Inc Building Learning Units: Adding an External Link You can add an external link to any websites or Internet resources relevant to the learning unit. Tips: – URL must include the protocol, such as – Open an external link in a new window to minimize navigation problems for students

© Blackboard Inc Building Learning Units: Adding a Test or Survey A test can provide immediate feedback to a student, while a survey can provide feedback to the teacher. You can create a new test or add an existing one.

© Blackboard Inc Building Learning Units: Adding Other Content & Tools Consider adding activities and tools that promote interactive learning and collaboration, such as: – assignments or group projects to give students an opportunity to apply what they’ve studied in a learning unit – collaboration tools, such as chat sessions and discussion topics

© Blackboard Inc Building Learning Units : Hands-On Activity In the Unit 3 learning unit, add the following content: –Unit 3 Self-Test –An external link to –Unit 3 Discussion Board

© Blackboard Inc Building Learning Units: Changing Content Order Content appears in the order it was added, but you can change the order. Select a number to change the content order

© Blackboard Inc Building Learning Units: Removing Content You can remove learning unit items and files no longer needed. This process cannot be reversed.

© Blackboard Inc Building Learning Units: Hands-On Activity From within the new learning unit you just created: –remove the link to –reorder the planet pages so they display in alphabetical order

© 2008 Blackboard Inc. Creating a Glossary

© Blackboard Inc Creating a Glossary: Learning Outcomes After completing this section, you’ll be able to: –add glossary terms –upload a glossary –modify or remove glossary terms

© Blackboard Inc Creating a Glossary: Adding a Term You can add one glossary term at a time. Tips: – Make the glossary tool available so students can access it – Use the spell checker

© Blackboard Inc Creating a Glossary: Uploading a Glossary For a larger glossary, you can upload a file containing all or most of the terms, and then update it manually. –Enter terms and definitions in a spreadsheet –Save the file in CSV format –Upload the file in the Glossary Manager

© Blackboard Inc Creating a Glossary: Modifying or Removing a Glossary Term You can remove or modify glossary terms one at a time. If you need to make extensive updates, you can download the glossary to your computer and re-upload it.

© Blackboard Inc Creating a Glossary: Hands-On Activity –Add the following glossary term: Orbit - An orbit is a closed path an object takes as it revolves around another body. Orbits are generally elliptical, but may be altered by the presence of yet other bodies and even form unusual figures. –Upload the glossary file provided

© 2008 Blackboard Inc. Workshop Wrap Up

© Blackboard Inc Workshop Wrap Up: Big Picture Review From the student interface, you learned how to: –access a learning unit as a student –view content in a learning unit –view a glossary

© Blackboard Inc Workshop Wrap Up: Big Picture Review And as a teacher, you learned how to: –write a class goal and objective –analyze your students’ needs –storyboard a class –explain the meaning of accessibility –create more accessible pages –design web pages that make effective use of text, typography, layout, color, and graphics

© Blackboard Inc Workshop Wrap Up: Big Picture Review You also learned how to: –add a learning unit to your class –add items, files, external links, and other content to a learning unit –arrange or remove items within a learning unit –add, modify, or remove glossary terms –upload a glossary

© Blackboard Inc Workshop Wrap Up: Let’s Review What tool will you use if you want content to be viewed sequentially? Answer: Learning units can be set to be viewed sequentially or non-sequentially. Will your students be allowed to view material non-sequentially?

© Blackboard Inc Workshop Wrap Up: Let’s Review What is a good way to visualize the flow of your class? Answer: Storyboarding How will you organize your learning units?

© Blackboard Inc Workshop Wrap Up: Let’s Review List three of the five elements of a well-designed web page. Answer: Text written for web, simple typography and layout, well-chosen graphics and color scheme What will you do to ensure accessibility for all in your class?

© Blackboard Inc Workshop Wrap Up: Let’s Review If adding a file to your learning unit, what is the best format for it? Answer: Web-friendly, such as HTML Will you have an end-of-class survey for student feedback?

© Blackboard Inc Workshop Wrap Up: Let’s Review Where can you put a glossary in your class? Answer: On the Class Menu, within a Content Area, or in a learning unit Will you upload your glossary or add words one at a time?

© Blackboard Inc Wrap Up: Q & A Now I will answer your questions.

© Blackboard Inc Workshop Wrap Up: Resources For K-12 newsletters, user groups, and more: Support:

© Blackboard Inc Workshop Wrap Up: Feedback Workshop evaluation and feedback: – address: –Phone number: