Summer and Fall semester Blackboard shells have been created

The new Blackboard shells are ready. If you don't see your summer or fall 2011 course in your courses list, check with the your department curriculum person. Each night, the Blackboard courses are updated from Banner.

These are some of the changes to the Blackboard shell:

• The color scheme and banner have been updated to the new UAA colors.
• The new hidden content area, Instructor Help Pages, includes how to do a course copy, a checklist for setting up your course, how to make your course available and how to login as a student.
• The UAA Resources area, a general help area for students, has been updated.
• A Start Here section that reminds students to be prepared for class has been added. It includes a video as well as text.
• Blogs and wikis have been removed from the communications area. You can add them to any content area.
• SafeAssign is turned on by default.
• You can change any of these features. Just contact the Call Center or the Faculty Technology Center if you're not sure how to do this.

Also, look for an online quiz for faculty on Blackboard in April -- complete with prizes.

The Blackboard shells have been updated by a team from the eLearning Workgroup. Thank you to Katie Walker, Cindy Trussell, Debora Summers, Coral Sheldon-Hess, Heather Swanson and Tina Coulston for working with me on this project. - Lee Henrikson