FSU has upgraded our Online Course Management System

As of 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 28, 2011, FSU will be running the latest upgrade to our Blackboard system.  This is a necessary upgrade that fixes known technical issues.  In addition to the technical fixes, this upgrade will provide end users with some additional functionality.  Please note that current functions have not changed.

What's New?

• Timed Assessments - Instructors can now choose to make times assessments save and submit automatically when the time expires.  Watch a video tutorial here.
• Interactive Rubrics - Instructors will now have the ability to assign weights to categories and allow the same rubric to be used across multiple items with different points possible.  Use these video tutorials to help you:

• Needs Grading - Gradable Blogs, Journals, Wikis, and Discussion Board activity can appear in the Needs Grading status in the Grade Center and on the Needs Grading page.  When an instructor chooses to make an interactive tool gradable, they will also have the option to choose how many interactions will place the item in needs grading status.  Learn more about this new feature here.
• Test Announcements - If announcements are created for a Test, the date and time of the most recent announcement appears on the Test Options page.
  
• Paste from Word Tool - This mashup tool removes/converts all of the Microsoft Office code to standards-based HTML.  The Paste from Word tool is accessed from the Blackboard textbox editor.  This can be used when creating content, announcements, etc. 
  
• Document Unpackager - This Blackboard add-on allows a zip (.zip) file to be uploaded into Blackboard.  Once uploaded, Blackboard will unpackage the files and place them in a new content folder.
  
• iTunes U - FSU's collaboration with iTunes U allows instructor to post large media content (audio and/or video) on the iTunes server while providing private access to this information via Blackboard.  Click here to learn how to use iTunes U.

Training

The Blackboard Learn, Release 9.1 On Demand Learning Center provides comprehensive guides to help faculty, staff, and students transition to this new version of Blackboard.  Please use the links provided in the left menu to guide you through the self-help tutorials.

Ask Dr. C is a free question and answer service that is moderated by fellow Blackboard clients.  Feel free to use the Dr. C link on the left menu to ask questions or provide best practice tips and suggestions to other Blackboard clients.  Be sure to click on, "Blackboard Learn 9.1 - Overall" under the Faculty and Designer heading.

Live trainings for faculty will be provided throughout the semester.  To view and register for any of these workshops, visit the HR Training and Development site, click on "Information Technology" and follow the on-screen instructions.