So I have learned a lot more about the Blackboard course management system since the last time I posted (and it’s been a while, I know!). One of the things I’ve been exploring is the use of the "timed release" tool. I discovered that I could set up an entire course’s worth of quizzes and exams, have them right there, but hidden from the students until a particular day. You can set a release day and specify how long the quiz or exam is available. The release day/time comes, the quiz magically appears, students have a set amount of time to take it (I generally make it available for 3 days – but they only get one attempt, and once they start they have (for a quiz) 30 minutes to finish) and then it is no longer available.

This accomplishes a number of things. First, I don’t have to remember to go back in and set up a quiz the day or so before I want to give it. This is especially handy if it’s a summer course and I happen to be in New Hampshire or something that week and don’t want to haul all of my course materials with me. Secondly, it avoids the problem (at least I think it’s a problem) of students trying to either do the whole semester’s worth of work in the first week or in the last week. It effectively forces them to pace themselves. And in a science course, even if it’s aimed at non-science majors, pacing is important if you’re going to actually learn anything.

I have each chapter set up in Blackboard as a "learning module". Once the student enters the module, they see (in order) a chapter summary, chapter goals, links to the Adobe Presenter presentations (see separate blog post on that topic), links to relevant web pages, the homework assignment, any other assignments, and finally the chapter quiz. By setting it up this way, students don’t have to click all over the place in Blackboard – everything is collected in one tidy bundle. And it makes it very hard for someone to say "I didn’t know there was an assignment for that!"

So, Blackboard continues to be extremely useful, and I continue to encourage my colleagues to use it.