Okay, So I know that is last minute and all, but in light of the University suspending classes on Friday, I am going to be going over this topic this afternoon, Thurs the 28th, at 2:30 - 3:30 pm in the LI Classroom. Hope to see you there.

With Gustav spinning toward the gulf, are you suddenly regreting not attending any of the Library’s Blackboard workshops over the last few weeks? Well, in the spirit of everyone deserving a second chance, we have set up an additional training session in the Library’s LI classroom on Friday afternoon from 1:30 until 5:00 pm. So please feel free to drop by any time in that window, and we can get you up to speed on the basics of the system, and how to make the best of a hiatus for you and your students.

Dear Faculty:

This year, we’ll be piloting the new blog / wiki tool in Blackboard. If you plan on utilizing either of these tools in your course(s), please contact me for information regarding our evaluation plan. Next spring, we’ll use your input and suggestions to decide whether to keep this program or seek out alternatives.

Best wishes for the new semester!

Many thanks,

-Brad Petitfils, Instructional Technologist (x. 7132 / bpetit@loyno.edu)

So, what exactly is Scholar?

…I am so glad you asked. Scholar is the new social bookmarking service from Blackboard that allows all users of Blackboard systems across the globe connect and share research resources, favorite sites and Ideas. For an idea on what Social bookmarking actually is, take a look a Wikipedia’s entry here.

The first time that you click on the Scholar tab, you will be prompted to create an account; a few pieces of information and you are in. Blackboard will save your account information and automatically log you in to scholar each time you log into Blackboard. Here is the great thing about Scholar, your account is completely transferable. If you continue your studies at another institution, you can simply associate your scholar account with that institution’s blackboard server, or even if they don’t use blackboard, you can simply sign into your account directly at scholar.com.

If you want more information about Scholar, you can visti their website at http://www.scholar.com.

So get tagging, and let me know how it goes.

Learn how to use Wikis and Blogs in your classes, best practices for grading and online assessment, and how to create a course that bridges the gap between online and oncampus education. Not quite sure what this ‘Blackboard’ thing is? we have that covered too. For a full list of this fall’s Blackboard workshops, go here.

Fast on the heels of our website re-design, We are very excited to introduce the new Blackboard Center Blog. Over the coming months we will be using this space to introduce new features, offer tips, and answer questions from our users (namely, you) to help make your experience using our Blackboard system as easy, enjoyable, and edifying as possible.

Please feel free to ask questions in the comment area of any post, or to contact me directly at jgallawa@loyno.edu. Also take a moment to explore the new Blackboard Center, complete with updated Frequently asked questions, tutorials and polices.

Thanks, and happy Blackboarding.

Jonathan Gallaway, Blackboard Manager

If there is a topic you’d like us to write about, leave a comment here. We will write about any research or technology related questions you have.