About Blackboard
Blackboard is a web-based learning management system that can be accessed through the Web anytime and from anywhere. Researches and statistics have proven that instructors’ use of Blackboard has extended connection and communications between instructors and students beyond the classrooms, and increased interactions among instructors and students.
Instructors at Bloomfield College utilize Blackboard to create and deploy online and hybrid courses, and post supplemental materials for face-to-face classes. It offer a rich set of course management tools to facilitate teaching and learning inside and outside classrooms. Benefits of Blackboard include:
Promote access to learning
Nowadays, our students are used to accessing information from anywhere at any time over the Internet. To maximize student’s exposure to the knowledge and learning materials, instructors can post course syllabus, lecture notes, presentation materials, and assignments on Blackboard and release materials according to the teaching schedule. This way, students can preview class materials and be prepared for class before even coming to the classroom.
Engage Students in Learning Through Online Discussions
Discussions are one of dynamic components in the learning process. Blackboard discussion board provides a place for students to share and reflect their ideas and learning, and get feedback from peer classmates and from instructors. Using discussion in classroom teaching will extend learning outside classroom and continue learning through the connected discussion. Discussion board provides equal opportunity to all students in the classroom so shy students can "speak out" in discussion, and slow speakers have time to say all they want to say.
Enhance Communication and Promote Collaboration
Blackboard provides several tools that can enhance communication during the course process. Instructors can post important class announcements such as materials updates, new assignments, reminder of assignment due dates, class cancellation, and etc. The announcement can also be sent to student email as well. Email in Blackboard can be handy when instructors need it. Instructors can send email to the entire class, or selected individual students. Instructor can also set up online office using online chat and online classroom.
Blackboard’s Collaboration tools allow an instructor to create and participate in real-time lessons and discussions with students.
Group feature in Blackboard allows students to learn and collaborate with other students. Each group can have its own discussion board, chatroom, journals, blogs, and wikis, as well as document sharing.
Online Assessment with Blackboard
Blackboard's assessment features allows instructors to build online assessments using 16 different question types. These assessments provide students with immediate feedback, are automatically graded, (with the exception of essay questions), and scores are recorded in the online Grade Center. Instructors can use the Assessment features to test student knowledge, conduct pre- and post- tests to measure students' learning and progress. Online practice tests allow student to review important knowledge and concepts and check mastery of the learning content.
Keep Students on Track
Instructors can use course dashboard and course reports to monitor students’ activities through Blackboard. Instructors can also use the Grade Center to post grades for student to view their own grades for each assignment and assessment.
Collecting Assignments
With Blackboard Assignment feature, students can submit an assignment electronically within each course which shows up immediately in the gradebook, ready for instructors to review and grade.
Enhance Academic Integrity and Detect Plagiarism
Blackboard SafeAssign tool allows instructors to collect papers and check plagiarisms in students' writing at the same time. Instructors can set up SafeAssign so that students can check their writing and ensure to use other people’s work appropriately.
Each successful submission through Assignment and SafeAssignment is confirmed with a time stamp, which eliminates guess work for missing deadlines or missing assignments; and avoid the confusion and frustration some students experience when sending paper by email attachment.
Blackboard App
Blackboard App is available for iOS, Android, and Windows mobile devices: Blackboard Instructor and Blackboard App for Students.
Blackboard Instructor is a mobile app that enables you to view course content, connect with students in discussions, and interact with your class in Blackboard Collaborate.
More info for Blackboard Instructor
Feature Guide for Blackboard Instructor
The Blackboard App for Students is designed especially for students to view content and participate in courses.