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 - To add content or an assignment to a folder, enter the Control Panel and then the Assignments section. Then click on the name of the folder. To inform students of the objective of the assignments inside the folder, for example, or to add other text content to the folder such a reading assignments or a study guide, click on the "Add Item" icon to add information. A new folder will display the message, "Folder Empty," while a folder whose content you are modifying will display the content.
- When the "Add Content" page appears, enter a name to create a boldfaced heading to introduce the text or choose a name from the select box. You can even choose a color of the text. If your folder is not available, for view, you can make the contents visible but they will not be visible to students until you modify the folder and make the folder itself visible.
- You have three options for entering text in the text box: smart text, plain text, or HTML:
- Option 1 - Smart Text: You can either paste text that you have copied from your word processing program into the text box, or you can enter text into the text box just as you would with any word processor. Press the Enter key twice at the end of each paragraph so that you will have a blank line between each single spaced paragraph. With this option, you can add HTML tags for boldfacing, and you can also add hypertext links.
- Option 2 - Plain Text: This option works just as the "Smart Text" option does, but you cannot add any HTML tags for boldfacing or bulleted items.
- Option 3 - HTML: With this option you can copy the source code of HTML documents and paste into the text box to created HTML tables, sound, or any other HTML features. You can use an HTML editor such as Arachnophilia, Netscape Composer, Dreamweaver, or Microsoft FrontPage to create an HTML document. You can also use Microsoft Word and then save your Word document as a Web page. If you use either Composer or Word to compose your HTML document, the text you will see on the screen will look like any other word processing document. To use this new HTML document in Blackboard, you will need to view the HTML code for the document. You will click on View on the menu bar of Composer or Word and then click on View Page Source or "HTML Source." You will then copy and paste the code into the text box as indicated below. When you have finished entering or pasting your information, scroll down and click on the HTML radio button if you have used HTML in your document. Otherwise click on "Smart Text." Smart Text will maintain spacing between each paragraph.
- Then choose whether you want to add a link to a file. Be cautious with this process. Your students must have the same program installed on their computer if they are to view or use the file that you have created with your program.
- Next, check the appropriate buttons. If you want students to view this document, click the first option to make the document visible. Check the next option if you want Blackboard to track which of your students are using the documents you have assigned. Later you can return to the Control Panel and enter the section where you created this document. You can click on the "Tracking" icon to learn which students have viewed the document and on what date. "Metadata" means "data about data." Use this option if you want to list the author of the document or copyright. Next, if you have date restrictions for viewing the document, select those from the select boxes. Finally, scroll to the bottom of your screen to click on the "Submit" button.
- You will then receive a message that the new content has been received.
- If you then click on the "OK" button at the end of the image above, you would be returned to the "Module One: Introduction to Nutrition" folder where you can add new content such as another "item," a hypertext link to another Web site ("URL"), a link to another part of your course, a test, or a learning assignment. Notice the row of hypertext links at the top of the image shown below. At the far right of the links you see the words "MODULE ONE: INTRODUCTION TO NUTRITION," which is the name of the folder where you have just added content. If you click on the "Assignments" link, you will be returned to the "Assignments" area of the course where you can create or modify other folders. You can also return to the Control Panel to work on other parts of your course, or you can return to your course itself by clicking on the "CUL 112: Nutrition for Food Service Professionals" link. If you click on the "Courses" link, you will be returned to your Blackboard home page to access other courses that you are teaching. If you have completed your work, you can click on the "Logout" icon at the top of your screen to exit from Blackboard so that other people who may use your computer cannot access your Control Panel.
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Introduction