Online/Internet courses allow for flexible, asynchronous instruction.

Online/Internet Instruction Defined

Online/Internet courses are delivered online, asynchronously. While online courses may require proctored exams, there are no other place-bound requirements. Regular interactions between students and instructor are a part of the teaching and learning process.

Course content is delivered online. While online courses may require proctored exams, there are no other place-bound requirements. Regular interactions between students and instructor are a part of the teaching and learning process. Although not all student-instructor interactions will be synchronous, faculty are discouraged from using a solely asynchronous online platform. Distance courses offered by the College of Continuing Studies or other units (e.g., graduate programs in nursing) in which there has historically been no face-to-face instruction are exempt from this rule.

Set up Your Blackboard Course

Blackboard Learn will serve as your main tool in providing course content for students.

Instructor Quick Start for Blackboard Learn
Tips for Teaching Online – from the experts at the College of Continuing Studies (CCS)


Lecturing Asynchronously

Online/Internet courses offers asynchronous instruction. Record your presentations so students may watch them in their own time. Several tools are available for lecture capture, review the options below.

Teaching and Presenting Tool Comparison Chart
Record Your Lecture from Your Home or Office with Panopto
Getting Started with Zoom


Ensure Access

Accessible course content makes it easier for everyone to read and access your materials and can help improve overall quality and usability. Visit the Accessibility Resources page for more in-depth guidance on how to create accessible documents, images, audio, video, and web content or contact the technology accessibility team for help.


Ensure Course Material Security

When making course content available online, it’s important to know who has the ability to access and download those course materials. Review these tips to enhance the security of your course materials.


Encourage Communication

Offer the opportunity for instructors and students to meet with one another virtually.

Hosting Virtual Office Hours with Zoom
Communication Features in Blackboard Learn webinar (Recorded Mar 27, 2020)


Track Attendance

Using the Blackboard Attendance Tool
View Zoom meeting participant details
View Panopto Session Statistics for participation information
Online Polling with PointSolutions Pro
Blackboard Retention Center


Class Interaction and Collaboration

Encourage interaction and collaboration among students in your course.

Hypothes.is – Collaborative annotation tool integrated with Blackboard
UA Box – Collaboration tools for sharing, storing, and editing documents
One Drive Cloud Storage – Sharepoint for collaboration
Flip – Interactive, asynchronous video and voice notes
Blackboard Discussion Boards – Asynchronous discussion for introductions and prompts
PeerMark Turnitin Assignments – Peer review essays & research papers


Assessment

You can use Blackboard tests to measure student knowledge, gauge progress, and gather information from students. Use online tests to give students quizzes and exams during a specified window of time. Best practices for testing include:

  • Share our Testing Tips for Students with your class to help them avoid typical technical problems.
  • Prepare a practice test, in Blackboard, that has similar types of questions and settings to graded tests for your course.
  • We do not encourage the use of the Force Completion test option. Any issues with Internet connectivity can cause the student’s test attempt to submit before they have completed the test.
  • Be aware that Blackboard has a 3-hour inactivity time limit. Ask students to save their answers after answering each question, and save essay questions frequently to avoid timeout
  • A Submission Report shows after students submit their test. You may ask the student to print or email you a screen capture of the report in case of a technical issue.

Blackboard Test Security

  • When creating or editing a question, there is a Randomize Answers checkbox for question types with multiple options.
  • Utilize these settings in Test Options:
    • Set a timer for the test.
    • If using a timer, turn on Auto-Submit.
    • Use Display After and Display Until to control when the test link is available to students. Note: It does not have to be available for the duration of the test. If the test should last from 9AM-10AM, and your link is also available, students can start the test at 9:59 AM.
    • Uncheck all boxes under Feedback to Students to show only the score after an attempt.
    • Check the option to Randomize Questions.

For more test security, you may use Respondus Lockdown Browser & Monitor. Respondus Lockdown Browser closes all computer programs while testing in Blackboard. Respondus Monitor is an add-on feature that requires students to use a webcam while testing to remotely proctor the assessment.