Comprehensive Tools List Added to Support Website
Nov. 10, 2015—Have you ever run across a tool in Blackboard and wanted a quick explanation of what it does? Or are you a Blackboard power-user, determined to master every feature of our Learning Management System? If you have ever found yourself wondering about one of the more (or less) obscure tool offerings in Blackboard, the Comprehensive...
SafeAssign integrated into Blackboard assignments
Nov. 3, 2015—Using SafeAssign is easier than ever now that it is integrated directly into the Blackboard assignments feature. SafeAssign is a tool used to prevent plagiarism and to create opportunities to help students learn to properly attribute sources. How does SafeAssign work? SafeAssign’s proprietary algorithm analyzes submission text and compares the words and terms against multiple...
Save the Dates: November/December Drop-in Support
Oct. 30, 2015—We are excited to announce our November/December schedule of drop-in support hours. Drop-in support hours will take place on Mondays 1-3pm in the CFT workshop space from November 2nd – December 14th, with the exception of November 23 when we will be observing Thanksgiving break). During drop-in hours, faculty and staff who have Blackboard-related questions...
Respondus LockDown Browser now available for Blackboard
Oct. 27, 2015—The Vanderbilt academic community has access to a useful online testing tool for the 2015-2016 academic year. The Respondus LockDown Browser is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within Blackboard during online quizzes and tests. When students use Respondus LockDown Browser they are unable to print, copy, go to another URL, or access other...
Save the Dates: Fall Drop-in Training/Support
Sep. 3, 2015—We are excited to announce our September/October schedule of drop-in support hours. During drop-in hours, faculty and staff who have Blackboard-related questions can stop by the workshop space of the CFT (even without an appointment) and find a team of specialists ready to assist. We can get you up to speed with Blackboard’s new features,...
Fall Blackboard News: New Features, New Support
Aug. 16, 2015—As the new administrative home for Blackboard, the Center for Teaching (CFT) is excited to announce a number of developments for Vanderbilt’s primary course management system, all part of Vanderbilt’s strategic investment in the use of technology to support student learning. New Features A number of platform upgrades were rolled out this summer providing new...
Profile Photos Now Available in Blackboard
Aug. 15, 2015—We’re happy to announce that Profile Photos (also known as “avatars”) are now available within Blackboard. Instructors and students can upload a photo to their Blackboard account by following the steps outlined in the Profile Photo guide. Photos will be visible in all of your Blackboard interactions across all of your courses. This tool is a...
Drop-In Support Sessions at the CFT
Aug. 14, 2015—The CFT has added a new way to access Blackboard support at Vanderbilt. During our drop-in hours, faculty and staff who have Blackboard-related questions can stop by the library area of the CFT (even without an appointment) and find a team of specialists ready to assist. We can get you up to speed with Blackboard’s...
Blackboard Downtime and Update, June 6-7
May. 29, 2015—On June 6-7, Blackboard will be updated to a more recent version of the system. This update will provide several feature enhancements, but the user interface will be largely unchanged. We are updating from the October 2012 Blackboard release to the April 2014 release. See below for a list of new and enhanced features. Please...
Rubrics Now Available in Blackboard
May. 1, 2015—We’re happy to announce that the Rubrics course tool is now available within Blackboard to instructors. The tool is available by default in new courses. For existing courses, instructors can turn on the tool from the Customization > Tool Availability menu. This tool has been requested by many instructors in recent years. Read on for...