New Blackboard training resources for students

In this story:

• New tutorial videos and resources help students more easily understand and navigate CMU’s learning management system, Blackboard Ultra.
• The resources were funded through the Go Grants initiative.

When the Go Grants initiative launched last fall to support projects aligned with Central Michigan University’s priorities and goals, the Office of Curriculum and Instruction Support saw an opportunity to inspire student and scholarly success.

One year after introducing Blackboard Ultra, the CIS team utilized Go Grant funding to create tutorial videos and resources that help students acclimate to CMU’s teaching and learning management system.

“The goal was to create a higher level of comfort and confidence in their use of Blackboard,” said Marnie Roestel,  director of the Office of Curriculum and Instructional Support’s Learning Systems Support team. “If you’re not comfortable with the technology, you’re going to struggle. And if you’re going to struggle, then that means it’s going to affect your academic performance and your ability to meet deadlines and accomplish learning outcomes.”

CIS set out to create a Quick Start Guide and three tutorial videos that were simple to understand, yet comprehensive and intuitive. Topics covered include:

1. Getting Started with Blackboard: An overview of Blackboard, including how to access and navigate through the most frequently used menu items.
2. Communicating and Collaborating: How to connect and interact with others in your course, from  viewing announcements to discussion forums and interacting with classmates on group projects.
3. Completing Assessments and the Gradebook: How to complete graded activities through various tools within Blackboard and understanding your academic standing in the course.

All three videos are available for viewing within each student’s Blackboard course shell and voiced by CIS’s Faculty and Course Support Coordinator Karen Rintamaki.

Roestel says she hopes the videos help students better understand the system, allowing them to focus on what’s most important: learning the content and completing assignments.

“We’re going to build that confidence and build that comfort level and really help students see it’s pretty user-friendly and intuitive,” she said.

Go Grants in Action is a year-long series that shares the stories of how CMU students, faculty and staff are making a positive impact on the people and communities we serve through the Go Grants initiative.