Quick semester prep steps

As you prepare for the upcoming semester here are some tips to get you started:

If you would like to combine sections, use the Section Merge Tool.  See the How to Merge Course Sections Quick Start Guide for directions.  We recommend combining sections before copying content from a previous semester.

If you plan to copy course content from a previous semester into the current semester shell, follow the directions in the How to Copy Courses Quick Start Guide.

Each semester you must make the course available to students before they can access it. Follow the instructions in the How to Make Course Available  Quick Start Guide.  Keep in mind, this option allows you to delay access to a course, but you are not able to provide access prior to the first day of classes.

To request a teaching assistant be added to a course, please email STaR (star@ualr.edu) and include the course name and NETID of the TA.

Working with grades

The period between semesters is always a good time to update the grade book in your online courses. Below, we’ve collected some helpful resources to answer some frequently asked questions about the Grade Center :

• Getting Started with the Grade Center – Whether you’re wrapping up the semester or getting ready for the next one, this short guide summarizes everything you need to know to get started.
• Adding Extra Credit to the Final Grade- This workaround lets allows you to add extra credit points to the automatically calculated columns in the Grade Center.

• Downloading the Grade Book – Find out how to download a copy of your grades for Excel.

Assigning an incomplete

In the new Blackboard Learn, you no longer need to request an incomplete course shell from our office. Instead, by assigning an “I” as the final grade in Banner the course will automatically remain available to the student until the grade is changed.

Learn more about assigning an incomplete for your online courses.

Designing a course with the Quality Matters rubric

The Quality Matters Rubric (QM rubric) can be used as a tool for designing or evaluating one’s own course. The rubric, which every few years is updated based on the most current research, instructional design principles and best practices, contains eight general categories that can help guide you in designing an online course.

The student view application, available under Course Tools on the course management menu in your Blackboard courses, is a quick and convenient way to look at course content from the perspective of a student.