How to Use Blackboard for Collaborations

A link to this information is provide with each Collaboration.

How Does Blackboard Work with Discussions That Are Moderated. 1

Why Use a Moderated Discussion for Collaborations?. 1

Why Do You Need to Participate Early in the Collaborations?. 1

How Can You Tell If Someone Has Already Posted on a Concept?. 2

How Long Does It Take for Your Instructor to Decide Whether Your Post Will Be Published or Returned?. 2

How Do You See Your Instructor’s Instructions on a “Returned” Post?. 2

What Happens After a Unit (and Its Concepts) End?. 2

 

How Does Blackboard Work with Discussions That Are Moderated

With a moderated discussion, you can see others' posts automatically. You can’t see your own post, however, until the instructor “publishes” it.

The instructor has to read and decide on your post before it is "published," or made visible to the class. The instructor has to click either Return (and I’ll give you guidance on how to fix it) or Publish:

·         With posts such as the dictionary definition for one of the listed concepts

·         With replies such as saying that you read a post and will use it

Why Use a Moderated Discussion for Collaborations?

If one of you writes a false definition and others see it, many students could misunderstand history and also miss points on the test. Once posted, it is impossible to be certain that everyone who might have seen the post knows not to use the false definition.

Why Do You Need to Participate Early in the Collaborations?

Don’t wait to do your first posts in the last two days of the Unit when the tests are occurring. The rubric and its description (provided with the instructions) states the consequences to grades. The reason for that lowering of grades is a definition posted in the last two days is not useful for other students who are trying to study efficiently.

FYI: Your instructor does not publish late postings until after she has graded all timely postings. That way it is easy to distinguish the people who only posted in the last two days and to grade accordingly.

How Can You Tell If Someone Has Already Posted on a Concept?

 

You can sort posts to see whether someone else already did that concept. For example, the screen capture on the right shows how all of the concepts are grouped together in alphabetical order so you can tell if some has already posted on a concept.

You can sort by a column by just clicking on the column heading such as the word Thread in the screen capture. Try it.

FYI: Because Blackboard lets student sort is the reason I asked you to type at the front of the subject line:

·         Concept:  - If you are providing a definition of a listed Concept

·         Question: - If you are asking a question

 

How Long Does It Take for Your Instructor to Decide Whether Your Post Will Be Published or Returned?

Monday through Friday, your instructor usually reads all collaborations each afternoon.

Caution:  Check during the 12-14 hours after you post. If you don’t see your posting “published,” do this:

1.       Use the instructions above to sort the postings alphabetically to find out if another person has already successfully posted on the concept you tried.

2.       If not and you can still post on that concept, follow the directions below to see what your instructor has said to fix.

3.       Fix it quickly and resubmit.

How Do You See Your Instructor’s Instructions on a “Returned” Post?

1.       Go to the Collaboration discussion.

2.       Look at the right hand corner for the button that says “Display.”

3.       Click Show All.

4.       You will see your own posts that I have returned to you as well as any published posts

5.       Fix your post per the instructions.

6.       Click Submit.

What Happens After a Unit (and Its Concepts) End?

The moderated topics close at the time the test opens. In other words, if the Unit’s exams open at 12:00 AM, then the Unit’s collaboration closes at 11:59 PM on the prior day.

After a concepts discussion ends, I change the settings so you can still read postings but you can't post anymore. That way you can—for example—still use a Unit 1 definition if you need it in Unit 3.