Niall Moran, Sociology, has made Blackboard work for him. At a brown bag discussion on October 14th, Niall shared how he uses the gradebook to keep students constantly aware of their progress.  Some of the things he does to make it easier for students are:

•    Adds a “My Grades” button to the Blackboard navigation menu
•    Removes unnecessary items on the Blackboard navigation menu

Niall has also been experimenting with quizzes on assigned readings that need to be completed before class.  He created short multiple-choice, computer graded quizzes for each reading assignment and made them accessible in Blackboard.  Students can then determine whether or not they have grasped the main points of the reading before class.

It has made a great impact on the level of discussion in class.  “I see hands, now,” he says. “Students are in a much better position to participate in class when they have completed the assigned reading.  Blackboard assignments help ensure that they read before class.”

If you would like assistance with Blackboard or would like to to share how you use it with your students, please contact Linda Farina, Blackboard Administrator at lfarina@keene.edu or  358-2381.