Blogboard @ SHSU

The Blackboard Faculty Support Blog at Sam Houston State University

Thursday, August 21, 2008

BB Faculty: Finding more Real Estate in Your Grade Center


Blackboard 8's Grade Center is a powerful application that gives the person in charge of leading the Blackboard course many tools and options that increase the effectiveness of assessment in the course. That being said, there a few bugs that still need to be worked out.

The bug that seems to be the cause of most Bb faculty members' frustration, is the limit on how many students show up in the grade center without scrolling. Many Blackboard admins and faculty have brought this to Blackboard's attention, but in the meantime there are few things you can do to increase the amount of real estate in your grade center.
  • Cut Down on Toolbars
  • Go to Full-Screen View
  • Increase your Monitor's resolution
Cut Down on Toolbars

Over time, you may have noticed that you have acquired few extra friends on your Internet browser window. Places like Yahoo and Google love for you to have their toolbars on your browser so that you will use their product when searching the web. This may seem convenient for you in terms of at-your-fingertips searching, but it reduces the amount of viewing real estate you have available. (learn now to hide the toolbars)

Go to Full-Screen View


One of the least used tricks-of-the-trade in online browsing is the Full-Screen View. The full-screen view lets the user interact with the web page without seeing any of the browser buttons, pull-down menus, or toolbars. One tap on a function key (F11), and you can turn it on or off. (learn how to go to full-screen view)

Increasing your Monitor's Resolution

The last way you can increase the real estate in your grade center is by changing your monitor's resolution. This may be unfamiliar to some, but in reality it is a 3 step process. Changing your monitors resolution can shrink or grow your desktop (icons, fonts and buttons will change) depending on which way you push the slider. For instance your monitor might be set to 1024 X 768. By pushing your slider to the right you would then hit 1280 X 1024 or by pushing it to the left you would come to 800 X 600. (learn how to increase your monitor's resolution)

Hopefully, one or all of the workarounds will help you increase the amount of real estate in your Blackboard 8 grade center.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Blackboard Day 2008

Greetings!

Don't forget that tomorrow is our annual Blackboard Day event, taking place in the CJ Courtroom from 9 am to 4:30 pm.

Guest speakers include Director of Academic Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, James Vanroekel who will be speaking briefly during lunch, and Director of Library Services Ann Holder will be speaking about copyright issues.

Lunch will be provided for those who registered for it, and coffee/ice cream will be provided for everyone. Door prizes will be given away and those registered within the first 100 will receive a gift.

If you have not registered, you can still attend. Make sure to let us know at the sign-in table so we can prepare materials for you.

The event will be streamed on the website at http://www.shsu.edu/blackboardday.html if you would like to watch.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

NOTE: This event is for Faculty and Staff only.