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• Course Syllabus: Use item, attach syllabus as a document.  If changes are made to the syllabus you replace the file. Never use the Blackboard Syllabus Tool.

  
  

• Organize Material:  Folders or modules, put like items together and be consistent. Use Weeks, Modules, or Units depending on how the course is organized already.

  
  

• Make Available  / Unavailable: If learners should not see content or folder yet, make it unavailable. Instructors may wish to set a calendar alert for themselves to be sure to return to the item and make it available when learners should see it. Instructors may also choose to use the adaptive release feature in Blackboard so that learners who complete certain tasks and/or submit certain assignments are allowed to see and to engage with the next material.

  
  

• Adding Items / Files / Modules: The best practice for instructors and learners is to add materials into folders, to follow a consistent relevant naming convention, and to provide a set of clear directions for how learners will engage with the material and the tasks that they should complete. For each item, instructors should clearly communicate Purpose, Task, and Criteria for Success to learners.

  
  

• Due Dates: Online learning works best when instructors use Due Dates and maintain a consistent format. For example, “this assignment is due at 11:50:59 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.”

  
  

• Adaptive ReleaseDate Restriction: A powerful tool to maintain learner progress through determine what materials are available in an online course. Instructors may open reveal all course folders materials in advance, but this practice may increase learner anxiety and cause frustration. Adaptive release allows Date restrictions allow instructors to keep folders closed until learners need the material. Adaptive release can also be linked to For advanced users, it is possible to link assessments and assignments so that learners must complete an assessment or assignment before they can move ahead to the next material. Using adaptive release for complex concepts can be particularly useful, as learners can be prevented from proceeding until they have a solid grasp of the initial stages in the material.  If a student require time accommodations or will need to take a test, a quiz, or submit a paper at a different than the original due date exceptions can be added to the assessmentsection. In addition to date restrictions, the Test Options allow instructors to give extra time on these assessments for certain students or groups. 

  
  

• Access to Blackboard, Blackboard App, MySlice: Some materials such as tests and quizzes do not work on mobile devices. Mobile devices switch towers and lose signals. While on a call or using text, a user may not notice these brief interruptions or may be able to recover without severe challenge. Blackboard, however, may lock a learner out of a test, recording that the learner has completed an exam when that is not the case. This action is meant to prevent learners from taking tests in multiple sessions or making multiple attempts on a single assessment. For these reasons, instructors should provide directions to learners to take exams on a computer with a stable connection. Instructors should also provide information to learners regarding whom to contact should learners find themselves locked out of an exam.
  
  
• Course Performance Feedback through Orange SUccess: Instructors are encouraged to continue using Orange SUccess to provide feedback (Kudos and Alerts) to learners throughout the course. This system activates support systems to encourage learners to perform at their best levels. In online courses, this support is an essential element to successful learner completion of courses. Instructors should continue to attend to the Kudos options and attend to Low Participation, Assignment Concerns, Low Quiz/Test Scores, and In Danger of Failing flags.

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