Welcome back to Blackboard News You Can Use, your brief monthly newsletter to help you promote student success through MATC’s online learning environment, Blackboard Learn. In this edition, we share news about new features and resources to support your teaching practice.
Best Practices and Support for Blackboard Use
See our Faculty Blackboard Support Guide for helpful resources to help you prepare your courses. All faculty are required to upload a current syllabus in their fall SP2021 sections, set up a Career Essentials Assessment, and make sections available to students. If you have questions about getting started, the Faculty Support Liaisons are your first point of contact for one-on-one consultation.
Students may refer to the Online Course Access Guide, view Student Support Website tutorials, and attend a Live Blackboard Online Orientation for information about accessing tools or courses. For questions about Blackboard navigation, they may Contact Student Support. An online readiness survey will be sent to students soon.
Frequently Asked About Tasks and Tips
- To find your spring sections, see the Guide to the Course List. Spring 2021 sections may be organized under the term “Spring – 2021” or the “Upcoming” section on the Courses page.
- To make a course available to students earlier than the start-date, see the Course Availability Guide (page 2).
Faculty Training and Support
The faculty liaisons are your first point of contact for Blackboard how-to questions and assistance. See the Faculty Liaison Schedule for their availability to meet online for consultations.
Upcoming Training Courses
Enroll in professional development’s free 1 credit online courses to learn how to use Blackboard tools. See our Spring Training Course Schedule for additional offerings and instructions for registration.
Upcoming Webinars
In addition to our training courses, faculty are invited to attend a series of free Remote Instruction Webinars that will be provided by the Blackboard Company throughout the spring term. Additional special topic webinars will be provided by the Online Learning department – see the schedule and webinar links below to join. Additional webinars will be coming soon!
Technology Resources
The following tools are available to support remote teaching and learning in Blackboard. If you have questions about using these technologies, please contact onlinelearning@matc.edu.
TechSmith Knowmia – For faculty and student use!
Faculty may use TechSmith Knowmia to support instruction and assessment. Students may log into Knowmia to record their own videos to share with you and fellow students and share videos of their own. This can be a excellent option for authentic assessments, such as speeches and projects. See these resources to learn more:
- Faculty Quick Start Guide to TechSmith Knowmia | Recorded Webinar
- Student Guide to TechSmith Knowmia | Recorded Webinar
SmarterProctoring
SmarterProctoring is MATC’s new online test proctoring tool for securing Blackboard exams. Faculty can customize an automated proctoring session with options for recording the student, locking down the browser, and verifying student identity through photo-ID.To learn more about using SmarterProctoring to protect high-stakes Blackboard exams, see these resources:
- Recorded Webinar – Available Until 2/14/21
- First Time Faculty Guide to Using SmarterProctoring | Demonstration Video
- Student Guide to Accessing a Test through SmarterProctoring | Demonstration Video
Collaborate Ultra
Faculty use Collaborate Ultra to meet with students online for synchronous lectures or office hours. Please see these resources to use this tool in your courses.
- Faculty QuickStart Guide | Recorded Webinar | Troubleshooting Collaborate Ultra
- Student QuickStart Guide
Resources to Support Your Move to Online Instruction
Faculty Support
- Blackboard Support Guide
- Key Blackboard Resources for Online Teaching
- Quick Start Guide to Open Educational Resources
- Faculty Guide to Using Collaborate Ultra
- Google Meet Training & Support Resources
