What's New with Blackboard 8?

    On August 29 starting at 2:00 MCCC will be upgrading to the newest version of Blackboard, version 8. This will necessitate the system being shut down for the day. While we regret any inconvenience this may cause, this date was chosen to cause the least disruption in the academic schedule. The new version has a number of new features, outlined below, but the basic look and feel, as well as the navigation, remain the same. All courses and all content on the system will be retained.

    • The Grade Book has become the Grade Center. New features include in-cell editing, customized views, drag and drop editing, grading periods, smart views, a redesigned tool bar called the Action Bar, grading schemas and student’s progress reports.
    • Facilitating Self and Peer Assessments- these new features help facilitate student group work. Self Evaluation enables students to review and grade their own work by following criteria set by their instructor. With Peer Evaluation, students can review work submitted by their peers using specific criteria, compare their responses and offer constructive criticism.

    For a look at these new features, go to http://www.blackboard.com/release8/
    For more detailed documentation on how to use these features, go to the Mcadam documentation page. https://mcadam.mc3.edu/documentation.htm#course
    Please look for notification on workshops on these new features later this summer in your email and on the CTL schedule. http://www.mc3.edu/aa/facdev/ctl/sch.htm

     

    navigation menu

    New Blackboard Course Menu for Student Success

    When you access your Fall 2008 courses, you will notice a change in the default course menu.  This change was instituted to provide easy access to both your course materials and college services and student support needed for student success.  To the left is the new menu.  Outlined below is suggested content for the new Read this First link.  The Student Support, College Policies and Information and College Services links have already been populated with related links and information.  Please login to your Fall courses, which will be available July 29 to see the new menu!

    Read This First

    • Information about how to get started in the course – what to do first (Hybrid Courses explain requirements for online and face-to-face)
    • General course overview
    • Calendar of Course Assignments, Activities, Projects Due, etc.
    • Textbook Information
    • Information on instructor response and availability (response time for email, grading, etc)

    Changing the Navigation

    The navigation has been modified to promote student success, and we hope that you will use it as-is.  However, should you want to make a change, you can do so by following the instructions here

     

     

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