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Student

Blackboard Course Navigation for Students

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The menu bars at the top and left of the course page are what you use to navigate the course content, including course information, announcements posted by the instructor, as well as course readings and assignments that you need to complete. 

Students who are able to navigate Blackboard Ultra are able to manage course deliverables and complete submissions in a timely manner. 

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Top Navigation Bar

The top navigation bar will be visible in Blackboard Ultra courses. The seven menu items are important to note, since these will be the same in all Blackboard courses and guide you to information that is necessary for your semester's journey. 

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Navigation menu top bar of Blackboard page with options for Content, Calendar, Announcements, Discussions, Gradebook, Messages, and GroupsImage Added


Content

The course content page displays four critical areasis the homepage you will be taken to every time you open the course. The Content page contains modules and folders containing the readings, assignments, etc provided by your instructor. Other important features visible on the Content page include: the top navigation bar, the name of your instructor(s) (Course Faculty), and information on your progress, attendance, additional tools, etc (Details & Actions), and the Course Content homepage that showcases your course modules, readings, assignments, etc. 

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as shown in the screenshot on the right.

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Details & Actions

  • Roster: you can see who is in your class

  • Progress Tracking: your instructor may or may not turn this feature on for your course. If so you can track your course activity

  • Attendance: you can check your attendance record in the course. 

  • Books & Tools: you can access Kaltura, PlayPosit and other tools your instructor has linked to the course through this link. 

Screenshot of Content page with highlighted boxes around Course Faculty, Details and Actions, and Course ContentImage Added

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Course Content

You can access all the materials your instructor has made available in Blackboard under the Course Content area. Please view Course Content Info from Blackboard Help to further inform and guide you on the types of course content and how to access them. 

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Calendar

The calendar section provides an opportunity to sort and organize your assignment deliverables. Course dates entered by your instructor such as deadlines for assignments, labs, discussions, tests, quizzes, etc., are compiled automatically in the Calendar. 

You can select between Schedule and Due Dates to determine the number of upcoming items, or the closest due items in the Day or Month.

  • Due Dates will give you a vertical scrolling list of items and their due dates

    closest to today's date

    starting with the current date on top.

  • Schedule provides you with a daily or monthly view of all

    your items and their respective due date. 

    course items that have a date entered by the instructor, including assignment due dates, class/lab meetings, events, etc.

For more information see the Student Calendar page. 

Blackboard calendar in Due Dates (list) viewImage RemovedCourse calendar due dates view Image Addedcourse calendar schedule view by monthImage Added

Blackboard calendar in schedule (month) viewImage Removed


Announcements

Announcements are used by instructors to alert students about new information that pertains to the course. New announcements will pop up the next time you open the course. 

To check for all announcements you can click the Announcement tab in the top navigation bar. 

new course announcement pop-up dialogue box.Image RemovedNew Course Announcement pop up with announcement named Faculty Listening Session Blackboard AI Design AssistantImage Added


Discussions

The Discussions section presents area contains all the peer discussion activities that your course entails. To join a discussion  or add a post, click on the Discussions tab at the top navigation. for your course. Discussions may also be cross-listed in the Content area along with other readings, assignments, etc. Click on the discussion to view the instructions, read responses by your classmates, and write your own replies.

When there are unread posts in a discussion, you will see a blue or purple notification icon next to the discussion title. When you open a discussion, new posts will be highlighted purple until you click/scroll over them.

View the Discussion Board Participation Guide from Blackboard Help to learn how to navigate the discussions board.

An example discussion assignment prompt within a course. Image RemovedDiscussions area showing one discussion named 'Daily Food Plan'Image AddedDiscussion 'Week 1 Reflection' with unread posts icon next to the titleImage Added


Gradebook

The Gradebook section provides you with key information regarding your academic progress in the course. All graded items in the course will be listed here. You can click on any item in the gradebook to go straight to that assignment in the course content area (note: your instructor may have placed a date restriction or other conditions on some assignments that will prevent you from opening them right away)

View the complete Answers guide to Gradebook for Students for more in-depth information on the gradebook and feedback features for student success. 

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Item Name: the name of your assignment, discussion, or projects that you should complete. This area also includes if and when you submitted/participated.

Due Date: the deadline for submission of items.

Status: indicates when an item has been submitted and/or graded.

Grade: displays the points or letter grade for each item.

Feedback: written feedback from the instructor is found here by clicking on the purple comment bubble icon.

example of a student Gradebook layout. Image Removed

Gradebook showing student grade viewImage Added


Messages

You can send and receive email messages to other members of the course, and also receive messages from your instructors by clicking on the Messages tab. Unlike announcements, new messages do not pop up when you open the course. If you have an unread message(s), you will see a colored number icon appear next to the Messages tab in the top menu bar.  

New message alert in the Blackboard menu barImage RemovedMessages tab with red icon indicating 1 unread messageImage Added


Groups

If your instructor uses groups in Blackboard, you can view and send messages to your other group members, and access group assignments under the Groups tab.