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Human and Health Sciences

Blackboard staff help

Tutorials

Setting up Turnitin

Blackboard basics

This section covers the basics of Blackboard use:

Managing files

One of the main uses of Blackboard is to share files and other information with students and other staff. This section contains all the information you will need to:

Managing users

Although attaching students to Blackboard module spaces takes place automatically  at the start of each academic year, there may be instances when a student has “fallen through the net” and needs attaching manually, or when colleagues need attaching to a module. This section will show you how to

Communication tools

Blackboard offers a variety of tools for staff to facilitate interaction with, and between, students. This section demonstrates how to:

Advanced Blackboard

  • Online tests and quizzes provide the perfect facility not only for summative assessment, but also for formative assessment, for instance to review student knowledge of a particular topic, or as a revision resource.
  • The TurnitinUK tool offers a quick, convenient and easy to prepare way to monitor plagiarism.

Introduction to Blackboard

Blackboard is a virtual learning environment (VLE) which the University of Huddersfield has implemented as its institutional e-learning platform. It is used by all schools within the university and is used by many UK FE and HE institutions. A VLE can be thought of as an electronic system for managing and delivering a variety of content — from lecture notes though learning resources to assessment tools — to students.

Students sitting at computers

How do teaching staff and students use Blackboard?

A Blackboard account is set up for all members of teaching staff and students by Central Computing Services, who will notify you of your username and password. The Blackboard login page is accessed at the following web address:

http://virtual.hud.ac.uk

Once you have logged into Blackboard you will notice that ‘module spaces’ have been set up to mirror the modules that you will be teaching or contributing to. If for any reason you do not see all the module spaces listed that you were expecting, or there are any changes to your teaching schedule please contact the School Blackboard Support with details of any amendments (please quote module codes as well as module titles).

Blackboard module spaces contain specific areas that are accessed by using a set of links that appear down the left-hand side of the page. These give access to resource areas such as ‘course documents’ or ‘assignment’ information as well as communication tools and other functions. Members of staff have access to something called the ‘Control Panel’ which allows them to add and delete materials or make any amendments to module spaces.

Please explore the rest of this site for guidance and information on how to use Blackboard. This site is designed to be used as a complement to a one-to-one Blackboard induction session with the School Learning Technology Advisor.

Blackboard Induction

Blackboard Staff Induction Session

All new staff can receive a one-to-one Blackboard induction session as part of their induction programme. The Learning Technology Advisor should be contacted to arrange this. Existing members of staff can request a ‘refresher’ session at any time during the academic year.

The Blackboard induction session will cover the following:

  • Overview of what Blackboard is and how a module space is typically used;
  • Adding a module announcement;
  • Uploading documents from your computer to Blackboard (includes Word and PowerPoint documents);
  • Add external links from your Blackboard module space to other web sites;
  • Communication options available in Blackboard including email.

Blackboard Student Induction Session

A short, animated presentation has been prepared to provide new students with an overview of Blackboard and how it is typically used by module tutors. This includes:

  • Logging into Blackboard
  • Exploring a Blackboard module space
  • Accessing documents on Blackboard

There is also a student guide to Turnitin. Follow this link to find the Blackboard and Turnitin presentations  Please note that the student induction session takes approximately 20 minutes and requires use of a PC and data projector.

Blackboard

School Policy

The School Teaching and Learning Committee has implemented a minimum usage policy in relation to Blackboard, for all current modules offered by the School of Human and Health Sciences. This requires that:

  • All current modules should have a module space on Blackboard
  • The module space must contain the following (as a minimum):
  • Module specification (this will be added automatically);
  • Module handbook;
  • Teaching schedule;
  • Assessment strategy and guidance;
  • A permanent announcement to inform students of how the Blackboard module space will be used to support the delivery of the module.

However, there is huge scope to explore innovative approaches to learning and teaching using technologies such as Blackboard and the School is very keen to promote and support such developments. The School Learning Technology Advisor is available to discuss and help develop e-learning projects, from small-scale localised initiatives to larger scale cross-departmental, collaborative work. A rolling programme of learning technology support sessions, called ‘LiteBYTES’, take place within the School and these are useful for brushing up on specific areas, filling any gaps in knowledge, or learning about new innovations and developments.

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