Blackboard course-building guides

Every topic from the Blackboard course, as a standalone reference. Search or filter to find exactly what you need. Want the full path and a certificate? Take the course.

Design your courseStart with backward designPlan your course from outcomes, not from the files you happen to have.Design your courseWrite measurable learning objectivesTurn fuzzy goals into objectives you can observe, teach to, and grade.Design your courseSketch your course mapLay out the whole term on one page before you build anything.Set up your LMSYour course and its navigationGet oriented in an empty course and decide what students see.Set up your LMSCourse availability and key settingsThe handful of settings important to set before students arrive.Set up your LMSYour entry point and syllabusGive students a clear front door and a syllabus they can use.Build contentOrganize for your modalityChoose how to organize your course based on how you teach it.Build contentBuild with Learning Modules and DocumentsBuild your course body with structured units instead of decontextualized files.Build contentPace with release conditionsDecide what students can see and when, and guide them through it in order.Assess and quizCreate assignmentsCreate assignments with clear instructions and the right submission settings.Assess and quizBuild testsBuild assessments that are fair and aligned to your objectives.Assess and quizDiscussions and rubricsSet up discussions for real interaction and rubrics to grade fairly and fast.Set up the gradebookChoose your grading schemeSet up an honest grading scheme before any grades post.Set up the gradebookAdd gradebook items, including work done outside the LMSCreate the columns your course needs, including for in-person and offline work.AccessibilityHeadings, structure, and link textStructure pages with real headings and write link text that makes sense on its own.AccessibilityImages, color, and contrastMake images and color choices that work for every student.AccessibilityCaptions and accessible documentsCaption your media and make the documents you upload accessible too.AccessibilityCheck your work before you publishBuild accessibility in as you go, then confirm it with the built-in tools.Set up communicationSet up announcementsPlan announcements in advance and schedule them to post on their own.Set up communicationMessages and CalendarSet up in-course messaging and let due dates fill the calendar.Set up communicationSet up automated alerts and messagesLet the LMS watch for trouble and reach out, so you do not have to track it by hand.Maintain across termsStudent Preview and availabilitySee your course as a student, then make it visible with confidence.Maintain across termsReuse a course and shift datesBring a course into a new term, import one from another system, and move every date.Maintain across termsEnd-of-term housekeepingClose out a term cleanly and set up the next one for success.