1 Blackboard 5.5x Using Small Groups Darek Sady Fall 2003

2 Setting up Groups Setting up small groups will allow students to interact with each other.

3 Choose Manage Groups Choose the Manage Group option from the Control Panel.

4 Choose Add Group Choose Add Group option.

5 Name the Group Enter a Name for the Group. You can also add descriptive information such as group participants, leader’s name, etc.

6 Set up Options Set up the options you want available to the group members.

7 Add Group Members To add group members, choose the option to modify the group.

8 Add Group Members Choose the add users option and select the students for that group.

9 Adding Discussion Boards If you want the groups to have their own discussion board, you will have to add one to each group.

10 Virtual Classroom Use the virtual classroom to schedule a chat room with the students.

11 Enter Virtual Classroom Choose the Enter Virtual Classroom option.

12 Chat You will see a blank screen with tabs at the bottom. The microphone tab is for simple chat.

13 Questions & Answers The Q/A tab allows students to send you a question.

14 File Cabinet The File Cabinet tab allows you to see the students online in the Virtual Classroom with you.

15 Slide The Slide Screen allows you to switch between various screens. The screens are either a lesson you have posted in the whiteboard or a website.

16 Incoming Questions The 5 th tab is the Incoming Question tab. You respond to questions in this area –either to the student privately or to the entire group.

17 The final tab is a control tab that allows you to control user access to the different options. Control Panel

18 You might start by using the Virtual Classroom with a small group or holding “office hours” via the chat room. Using the Virtual Classroom