Designing an online class on Blackboard
Whether this is your first on-line class, or you would just like to farm out a lot of the design work, help is available in designing your on-line class on Blackbaord, from beginning to end. Once your class is designed, it can be templated from semester to semester.
Welcome/class tour videos
ASU prefers that our on-line classes begin with students receiving a welcome video that orients them by showing them how to find their class on Blackboard and taking them on a class website tour. This especially helps our many freshmen (and transfer students at all levels) who often do not even know how to find their classes on Blackboard, let alone how to navigate one. The significant difference this has made in student comfort, navigation and orientation has resulted in some faculty now also providing these welcome videos for their live classes.
Keeping online students "on-track"
ASU prefers that our on-line classes have a TIMELINE. The TIMELINE tab, prominently placed on the class website, brings students to a list of the semester weeks. Clicking on a week brings students to a To-Do List for that week, with each item linked to all materials students need to accomplish that task. The significant difference this has made in helping to keep students navigate course materials and keep on track has resulted in some faculty now also offering these in their live classes.
Question Board
ASU prefers that our on-line classes have a QUESTION BOARD, and that this is used as your main line of communication with students. (A notable benefit of this for faculty is that TAs can help monitor the board and answer questions.) We will help you build your question board and discuss the options of using a redirecting email and including a virtual student lounge.