SR Induction Quiz 1 Study Guide

Blackboard Learn User Manual

System Administrators have the ability to disable certain tools within Blackboard Learn. If you
encounter tools that you are unable to access contact your System Administrator.

Blackboard Learn Tools

Topic
Navigation

Language Packs
Course Menu

Course Map

Math and Science Notation Tool

Description
Move throughout Blackboard Learn. Only the
material in the content frame changes when moving
to a new area or page. The tabs and header frame
are always available for quick access to the
navigation features.
Set a language preference for an individual user.
Navigate within a Course. Appears on the left side
of a Course and contains links to materials and
tools within the Course.
Collapsible tree directory that is used for
navigation within a Course. It may be opened from
the Detail View and the Quick View of the Course
Menu.
General purpose equation editor. Enables users to
use mathematical and scientific notation.

Discussion Board Content

The Discussion Board is a tool for sharing thoughts and ideas about class materials. The
Discussion Board is made up of Forums that may appear in the Course but are also all centrally
located in the Discussion Board tool. Course Groups can have their own private Discussion Board
with Forums available only to those users that are a part of the group.
Managers have full control over the Forum. Managers can change the Forum settings, moderate
posts, and assign grades. The role of Manager should only be assigned to the Course Instructor or
somone with similar responsibilities. Users with a Course role of Instructor or Teaching Assistant
are granted this Forum Role by default. A Student must be appointed the Manager of a Course
Group unless the Instructor is a member of each of their Course Groups.
When creating a Forum, the Forum Manager has the option of allowing or not allowing users to
start threads.

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Moderated, graded Forums used to evaluate Student performance will usually tightly
controlled. In this case, it would not be appropriate to allow users to create threads.
o It is safe to allow users to create threads in Forums designed for users to share opinions
and thoughts on tangential or unrelated topics.
Moderators review posts before they are made available to all users in the Course. Moderators
may also delete and modify all posts in any Forum, even if the Forum does not use the
Moderations Queue. Make sure that Moderators are responsible and understand the criteria for
appropriate posts. Users with a Course role of Course Builder are granted this Forum Role by
default.

Practices in Online Communication

Use formatting wisely in e-mail and Discussion.

o Typing in all capital letters is equivalent to shouting. Shouting at your readers makes
them more likely to skim over what you have to say, or ignore you altogether.
o Use bold and italics sparingly in e-mail to idicate urgency; otherwise, you dampen their
visual impact. Consider surrounding words and phrases with *asterisks* as an alternative
means of providing emphasis.
Include identifying informatin on all emails.
Pay attention to spelling and grammar.
Keep your responses concise.
Use the subject line.
Be professional, respectful, and thoughtful in all communication.
Think Global Community
o The online classroom is a global community. You may be communicating with people
from different countries, cultures, and who speak different languages. Please keep
cultural judgments out of the language that you use in the classroom.
Exercise humor in moderation.
o Without the benefit of body language and hearing tone of voice, jokes may be viewed as
criticism. Subtler forms of humor, such as sarcasm and irony, are especially difficult to
convey online.
Read your message carefully before sending it.
Do not solicit.

Being a Successful Online Learner

The module guide should be the first item you read. It includes important information about the
module structure, topics, activities, and due dates.

2012 Laureate Education, Inc.

Characteristics of Online Learners

Expect people in the online classroom to be different from you, even if you speak the same native
language or come from the same country. It is easy to misjudge or misinterpret the intent or tone
of communication in an online community.

Tips for Quality Online Discussion

Online discussions will be a main component of your module.

Since the best group discussions are genuine conversations rather than a series of disconnected
monologues, frame your comments as a response to something that has already been said.
o When framing your comments, it is usually best to name both the person and the idea
youre responding to.
It is fine to change the conversations direction; however you should indicate explicitly that you
are doing so. If you try to change the subject without indicating you are doing so, your comment
will come across as irrelevant.
It is important to be aware of your tone and choice of words when disagreeing with someone in
an online discussion so that the disagreement of ideas does not become a personal attack.

2012 Laureate Education, Inc.