Tip #54: Add/Remove users to the Instructor role

You can add users to the instructor role in your course as well as remove users from the instructor role from your course.

Here’s how to add users to the instructor role:
1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Enroll User
2. Search for the instructor’s username by typing their last name and clicking on the Search button
3. Place a checkmark next to the appropriate username then click Submit
4. Return to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on List/Modify Users
5. Click the Search button then click the Properties button next to the appropriate username
6. Under Role and Availability, select the Instructor role then click Submit

Here’s how to remove users from the instructor role:
1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on List/Modify Users
2. Click the Search button then click the Properties button next to the appropriate username
3. Under Role and Availability, select the Student role then click Submit
4. Return to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Remove Users from Course
5. Search for the instructor’s username by typing their last name and clicking on the Search button
6. Place a checkmark next to the appropriate username
7. Type Yes in the confirmation box then click Submit

• NOTE: You must type Yes, with a capital

Using the Add Users by Role feature: If you know the Blackboard username of the instructor you want to add, you can use the Add Users by Role feature.
1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Add Users by Role
2. Select the appropriate user role from the drop-down box
3. Type the Blackboard username(s) in the username box

• NOTE: You can add multiple users at once by separating each username with a comma

4. Click Submit to add the user(s)

Tip #53: Grading Discussion Board forums or threads

You can grade Discussion Board forums or threads.

Here’s how to enable grading:
1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Discussion Board
2. Choose the specific Discussion Board containing the Forum you would like to grade
3. Click the Modify button for the Forum you would like to grade
4. Under Forum Settings, select Grade Forum or Grade Threads
· Grade Forum will allow you to assign grades for students’ posts to that forum
· Grade Threads will allow you to assign grades for students’ replies to each thread in a forum

Here’s how to grade:
1. Click the Grade icon next to the forum or thread you would like to grade
2. Click the Grade button next to a student’s name
· The student’s posts to the forum or thread will display
· You can filter, sort, and print the student’s posts
3. Type a grade in the Grade box and click the Submit button

Discussion grading and the gradebook:
It is important to note that when you enable grading for a forum or thread, columns for those forums or threads are automatically generated in the gradebook.
· When you enable grading by forum, a column for that forum is created in the gradebook
· When you enable grading by thread, a column for each thread in a forum is created in the gradebook
Keep this in mind when choosing whether to grade by forum or thread. Gradebook management can become cumbersome if you choose to grade a large number of threads.

Tip #52: Embedding YouTube videos

You can embed YouTube videos in your Blackboard course.

Recommended use:
Due to copyright terms and YouTube’s Terms of Service requirements, we strongly recommend you only embed videos that you have created and uploaded to YouTube.

Here’s how to do it:
1. Open the YouTube page containing the video you would like to use, and copy the Embed code

• This is located in the video information to the right of the video
• If you click in the Embed field, it will highlight all of the code for you to copy

2. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on the Content Area where you would like to place the video

3. Click the Add Item button

4. Click the Toggle HTML Source Mode button on the WYSIWIG text editor

5. Paste the Embed code into the Blackboard text editor

• If you toggle your view back to normal mode, the content area will appear to be blank but the video will appear when you look at it in the Content Area

6. Fill in any other information as you normally would then click on Submit