Overview
Queensborough Community College recommends faculty be prepared to utilize CUNY's Learning Management System - Blackboard - for delivery of course material online.
The Office of Academic Affairs has developed this document to support faculty to be proactive in planning for a possible transition to online course delivery. The document has the following components:
Current Technology Support
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All faculty members at Queensborough Community College have an active Blackboard account. Faculty and students can login using their CUNYFirst credentials through the CUNY Login page
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All active courses have a Blackboard course shell generated automatically at the beginning of the semester. Courses are hidden from the student view until they are made “available” by the instructor. Here are the step-by-step instructions to make the courses “available”.
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As an alternative method of communication, faculty can use their QCC email to communicate with their students. Faculty and Staff email.
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In the event of closing, faculty can set their Collaborate virtual classrooms to switch from face-to-face instruction to online instruction.
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Training sessions on Blackboard and Blackboard Collaborate will be offered online to anyone interested in learning how to use these technologies. Register for Blackboard and Blackboard Collaborate Training
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Recorded Webinars are also available to anyone interested in learning more about Blackboard.
Blackboard
What is Blackboard? Blackboard is a web-based platform that allows faculty to develop and deliver education. This platform provides a user-friendly way for faculty to place course materials, interactive and collaborative activities, and assessments into a password-protected online environment.
What is a Blackboard course? A course in Blackboard is a self-contained area that is comprised of course content, assignments, online activities, students, and instructors. Blackboard provides students with an intuitive way to interact and collaborate with other students along with course materials.
Blackboard offers a wide variety of tools and third party-integrations that support both synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Here is a short list of the most common tools in Blackboard.
Synchronous Tools
Synchronous tools enable real-time communication and collaboration.
Tool | Description |
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Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Video Conferencing/Application Sharing |
Collaborate allows for the sharing of presentations and information. Permits in-depth discussions with higher-touch interactions |
The University has secured an enterprise license for the use of ZOOM. The license covers all CUNY faculty and staff (up to 49,000) and all students (capped at 320,000). If you wish to use Zoom for your online classes or online office hour, go to cuny.zoom.us, click on Sign In and sign in using your CUNYFirst credentials. |
Asynchronous Tools
These tools allow people to connect together at each person's own convenience and own schedule.
Tool | Description |
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Announcements are an ideal way to post time-sensitive information critical to course success. |
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The Assignment tool in Blackboard allows you to collect and grade student assignments electronically. |
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In discussions, you can share thoughts and ideas about class materials. |
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A learning module is a container for organized collections of content. |
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The tools enable you to create online tests and surveys using different question types such as multiple-choice, opinion scale,True/Falseor short answer. |
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Video Lectures/Camtasia Micro-lectures |
Video lectures are considered an effective means for delivering course content and infusing teaching presence in the virtual environment. Note: Videos should not be uploaded directly to Blackboard. Videos should be hosted in any external video hosting environment, such as YouTube. The link can be shared through Blackboard. |
VoiceThread is a Blackboard third-party application that allows you to place collections of media like images, videos, documents, and presentations at the center of an asynchronous conversation |
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Zoom University Licenses |
The University has secured an enterprise license for the use of ZOOM. The license covers all CUNY faculty and staff (up to 49,000) and all students (capped at 320,000). If you wish to use Zoom for your online classes or online office hour, go to cuny.zoom.us, click on Sign In and sign in using your CUNYFirst credentials. |
Additional Training and Support
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Faculty are encouraged to complete the QCC's online Blackboard Training course at their earliest convenience.
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If you have never used Blackboard before, we advise you to review the following instructional material: Introduction to Blackboard
Course Development - Quick Transition to Online Instruction
The “Transition to Online Instruction" checklist has been designed to assist instructors in the transition to a quick conversion from face-to-face to fully online instruction.
Support at a Department Level
Designated Lead Instructors
Each Academic Department will appoint a Designated Lead Instructor. The Designated Lead Instructor will serve as the first tier for Blackboard support. They will also be available during the Open Lab Hours to assist other instructors in the transition to a quick conversion from face-to-face to fully online instruction.
Set up remote access to essential resources
Academic Departments can utilize Blackboard Organizations as a repository site for courses with multiple sections. These organizations can be configured for student self-enrollment. Contact the Office of Educational Technology (OET) for more information. Email: bbsupport@qcc.cuny.edu
Contact and Resources
- Faculty and students are encouraged to use the Office of Educational Technology's Blackboard Support Page as a critical resource to expand their Blackboard knowledge base
- All faculty should become familiar with Blackboard and other instructional technology platforms. Here is the list of workshops available through the Office of Educational Technology (OET).
Office of Educational Technology (OET)
The Office of Educational Technology (OET) provides faculty consultation, training and support for a wide range of educational applications.
Contact OET to:
- Learn more about existing educational technology resources and support
- Learn more about the additional training and workshop opportunities
- Schedule a one-on-one consultation
- Learn more about the pre-steps for this plan.
Email: bbsupport@qcc.cuny.edu
Training Material
These User Guides provide useful information on how to get the most out of Blackboard. The information presented in a variety of text and video formats will help you perform many common Blackboard tasks.