2. Agenda: Day Two
0 Introduction to the Course and to You!
0 Communication Tools
0 Announcements
0 Email
0 Folder/Unit Instructions
0 Video files
0 Audio files

3. Introduction to the course
0 Begin by writing an introduction to the course that
sets the tone for what you hope to accomplish.
0 Be somewhat upbeat but clear about your
expectations.
0 Provide students with a simple task or two to verify
that they can navigate the course.
0 Post the introduction in Announcements and on the
course home page.
0 Send introduction via email.

4. Topics to consider for the course
introduction
0 In addition to your name
and contact info, discuss
the best ways and times for
students to ask questions. 0 Provide some basic
0 Encourage students to instructions about
contact you early with submitting work or
concerns about technology sending emails.
or course requirements. 0 Address the issue of
0 Explain how course content academic integrity.
will be delivered online. 0 Discuss problem of
procrastination.

5. Video Introduction?
0 Can cover the same ground as the
written introduction.
0 Provides the students with a sense of
connection.
0 Can be very brief!
0 Tape it while in a brick-and-mortar
class session.
0 Consider setting up a Skype session
or two for a brief meeting with new
students.

6. Communication Tools: Announcements
Blackboard includes an Announcements bar in the left-side menu of
all courses. Click there to open the Announcements function.
Then click on Create Announcement to create a new announcement.

7. Announcement creation page
Type the announcement title and text in the top boxes.
Then select the dates you want the announcement to be
visible.
Also, consider emailing the announcement to the students.

8. Communication Tools: Email
One marvelous aspect of Bb is that your students can
never say that they did not receive your email. Bb is a
closed system with all contacts already entered for you.
In your emails to students and theirs to you, try to keep
a few guidelines in mind.
0 Write descriptive Subject lines
0 Keep it short
0 Be clear about what you want
0 Use numbers if you have more than one topic
0 Be civil-No all caps and no irony
0 Let them know you got it

9. Communication Tools: Email
Consider asking students in your syllabus or introductory email to
follow the same guidelines.
Also, remind students that they are responsible for following up on
questions, requests, and submissions. So here are three more
guidelines for student emails.
0 Give your professor 24 hours to respond or 48 if you send a
weekend email.
0 Do not send emotional emails. Ask politely for if you want extra
time or make an appointment to discuss your grades.
0 Follow up-remember that your professor may have over 100
students this semester. Your email may have gotten lost in the
deluge.

10. Communication Tools: Email
Mail is another tab that Bb automatically includes in your
course menu.

11. Email
Bb does not currently allow for the creation of sub-folders. The only changes
that you can make to emails in the Inbox are to mark them as read or unread.
To contact the class , individual students, or groups of students, begin by
clicking the blue Create Message button.

12. Email
0 Once you have opened a new message, click the To
button to see a list of students.
0 Click on each name you want, and then click the arrow
in the center of the To box to move the name to the
recipients list.
Note that the
Compose Message
box at the bottom of
the screen offers you
options similar to
Outlook.

13. Email
The icons I circled represent
the attachments you can add
to an email: document files,
images, audio and video files,
and hyperlinks.
0 Sending hyperlinks via email will allow students to link to YouTube
videos—something the content pages block.
0 The other attachment options require that you import the file into
your course library before attaching them to the email.

14. Email
In the next few slides, I will take you
through the process of attaching a file to
an email.
The screen to the right is the first one
you will see when you click to add an
attachment to an email.
Click the Browse Course button in the
Insert content Link box (above), then
the Select File or Folder box will
appear (on left).
You will click the blue Upload button.

15. Email
The 3rd box that will appear is the
Upload Multiple Files and Folders (on
right).
Click the Browse button.
Browse your computer to select the
correct file.
Once your have selected that file, the
box will list your file by name. You may
upload more than one file. Then click
Submit.

16. Email
You file will be uploaded to your file
library (see image to right).
Click the box to the left of the file Name
to select the file. Then click Submit.
Another box will appear: the Insert
Content Link box. Check that your file is
listed there and then click the blue
Submit button.

17. Email
You are still not finished!
The Add Content Link box (below) will appear.
Click Submit.

18. Email
Several minutes later . . .
You have an attachment imbedded in
your email.

19. Files again
The one upside is that the file is now in your library,
making it much easier to send to the next student.

20. Communication Tools: Folder and Unit
Instructions
Think of each unit of study in terms of the time you would spend
on that unit in a brick-and-mortar classroom. How would you
introduce and structure that unit for your face-to-face meetings?
For an online class, you still need to provide those instructions—
either in writing or as an audio or video file.
0 Email and/or post as an announcement the instructions for each
unit.
0 Include dates in the instructions or require students to look at
and copy the course calendar to their blog.
0 Provide a weekly “to do” list.
0 Use the file folder text to include instructions.
0 Include an “Instructions” file in each unit or week.

21. Folder and Unit Instructions
Due this week!

22. Folder and Unit Instructions
Instructions in unit folder—also emailed to students a week before each
unit starts.

23. Video files
Converter: http://video.online-convert.com/convert-to-
mp4 (Converts to .MP4)
Windows
- Windows Media Audio/Video Files (.WMV)
- Most PCs have a windows media player
File compatibility
- Try to run your files on both PC and Apple devices
- Apple devices usually run the following file types:
.FLV, .AVI, .MOV, .MPG, .3GP
- Check what kinds of files are supported by
windows Media Player at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316992

24. Audio files
Every PC and Mac has some sort of audio recording program—like
Sound Recorder
As with the video files, compatibility is an issue. This free
converter allows you to use any recording software and then
convert the file to a more widely used format like .MP3.
Converter: (converts to .MP3)
http://audio.online-convert.com/convert-to-mp3
We will return to audio files when we discuss lectures, but it is a
good idea to play with them a bit before starting to record lectures.

25. Afternoon Review
Agenda
Tasks
0 Record audio and video intros
0 Write and post course intro
0 Create an announcement
0 Send an email with an attachment
0 Create unit Folders
0 Write weekly or unit instructions and post
on Content Folder and in Instructions
0 Convert video and audio files