University of Southern Maine

Blackboard Support

We will post workshop materials and other valuable links here. Let us know what you need.

H1N1 concerns?

Copyright questions?

Set up a Mimimal Blackboard Site instructions / video tutorial

Online Primer - First Thoughts about your online course development.

How can the library help you?

Course Design Self-evaluation Rubric (rtf document)

Blackboard Design Strategies

Course Copy Instructions

Discussion Board Information

Grade Center information

Blackboard Manuals

Respondus - (how to use it) a USM licensed Windows software tool to assist in Blackboard test and question pool creation (PC only) Respondus Download page

Local Support Contact(s):
Mary Beth Davidson mbdavidson@usm.maine.edu
Ann Brushwein annb@usm.maine.edu

SafeAssign - a guide to using the SafeAssign building block for screening plagiarism.

To request a Blackboard Course Site:

Requests are no longer necessary.  Sites are created on the Blackboard server automatically.  Course sites are unavailable to students until you make them available.
Control Panel > Settings > Course Availability

Course Copy Instructions

Course Availability

CTEL recommends that you make your courses available at least a week before classes begin. This gives your students an opportunity to explore the site and identify any problems before the course is underway. It also allow faculty to verify that students are able to access Blackboard and use the tools.

Our office frequently gets anxious calls from students who have enrolled, but cannot find their course site. If your course in unavailable, we cannot be sure that there are no problems from the registrar's end or with their Blackboard login.

Copyright

Here is the website for UMA Libguides on Copyright

The American Libraries Association site on Distance Education and the Teach Act

and a Blackboard Hint Sheet on Copyright, Fair Use, &
Educational Multimedia FAQ (pdf)

Teach Act Checklist (pdf)

If in doubt, call Donna! The University of Maine System's Copyright Expert is Donna Bancroft, 1-800-696-1124 x3208. You can call or e-mail Donna with any questions related to copyright in your course.

For Blackboard Help

USM Helpdesk – 780-4029, helpdesk@usm.maine.edu
(request a username, login problems, other technical assistance)
The best FIRST call for any Blackboard question is the helpdesk.

Contacts (for course development assistance):
Scott Kimball
Instructional Media & Support Specialist – University College / CTEL
780-4238, scottk@maine.edu

Sue Goodrich
Instructional Technology Support Specialist
228-8001, goodrich@usm.maine.edu

Barbara Stebbins
Instructional Technologist
228-8598, stebbins@usm.maine.edu

University of Maine System UNET Account Management

http://mail.maine.edu
(change e-mail and Blackboard password, change mail forwarding, webmail access, etc.)
(see video tutorials at top right)

Browser plug-ins

(also available under Resources within Blackboard)

Apple Quick Time 7
"The free QuickTime Player is an application for playing, interacting with, or viewing any video, audio, VR, or graphics file that is compatible with QuickTime. The Pro version (an addition $29.99) allows you to capture audio and video, create movies and mpeg-4 content or save movies from the web.

Flash
Free Flash player. Play online audio and video content.

Adobe Acrobat Reader

Acrobat Pro is available through the Logic Shop and is a very valuable product for faculty. UDI compliant document creation, audio commenting directly on student papers, interactive form creation, etc.

Other Adobe downloads

Real Networks RealPlayer
Play online audio and video content.