Blackboard 9 Overview

MyBlackboard

The MyBlackboard tab is the landing page that everyone sees immediately after they login to Blackboard.  It lists the Blackboard sites (My Courses) that one has access to, along announcements (My Announcements), tools and information specific to each Blackboard user. Tools and information are contained in modules. Users can add and remove modules from their MyBlackboard tab as well as:

• Personalize Page Button (allows for color palette adjustments)
• Reorganize MyBlackboard Space & Configure Modules
• Add Modules: “Add Module” button
• Reorganize Modules: drag and drop existing modules
• Delete or Minimize Modules: corner “X” button or underscore, respectively
• Reorder Modules Button (second option for organization of MyUIC space)
• Tools: update personal information, view grades etc.

Edit Mode ON/OFF

The Edit Mode toggle allows a user to change the way they are viewing the content on screen. Switching the Edit Mode to ON allows users with certain Roles in the system to add, remove, and edit content and tools in the Course. Switching the Edit Mode to OFF displays the Course as students would see it. The Edit Mode toggle will only appear to those users who have permission to use it.

Course Site: General

The Primary Navigation / Menu Area contains navigation elements that allow the user to access specific areas of a course or other parts of Blackboard Learn. The menu area changes depending upon where the user is in Blackboard Learn. Toggle the entire navigation left panel on/off (open/shut) with the drop down menu indicated by two downward facing arrows.

View the navigation as a list, folders (expand/collapse) or display nav in a separate window. These options are all available through the icons located just above the primary navigation.

With the edit mode activated you have the ability to re-order your navigation list by dragging and dropping appropriate navigational elements with the arrow icons on the left.

Add new content areas (navigational sections) by clicking on the “Plus Sign” in upper left areas of the primary navigation header. Please note you must be in edit mode to see this button.

Breadcrumb navigation allows you to easily jump backwards from any areas in Blackboard by selecting the preceding section as opposed to re-navigating the entire site. Breadcrumbs are located at the top of your Blackboard course site just under the “My UIC” tab (content > quiz).

Frequently Asked Questions

Q) How do I edit my course content?

Blackboard 9 uses the Edit Mode toggle located on the top right hand side of the screen. The Edit Mode toggle allows a user to change the way they are viewing the content on screen. Switching the Edit Mode to ON allows users with certain Roles in the system to add, remove, and edit content and tools in the Course. Switching the Edit Mode to OFF displays the Course as students would see it. The Edit Mode toggle will only appear to those users who have permission to use it.

Q) How do I find the control panel?

Open the designated Course site. The Control Panel is underneath the Course Menu. All Course administration is done through the Control Panel. This area is only available to users with one of the following defined Course Roles:

• Instructor
• Teaching Assistant
• Grader
• System Administrator