Fundamental Tools for Blackboard 9 Learning System

Taken from FIU Online (online.fiu.edu)

1)           Introductory Video:  This can be a brief (1 minute or so) recording of you.  FIU Online can facilitate this recording.  You can contact your instructional designer to discuss the process for producing this video.

2)           Discussion board: This is a place to post discussion topics for student response and interaction.  Weekly topics can help keep them engaged with the subject matter.  Both Moodle and Blackboard have discussion board capability.

3)           Turnitin.com (if you are assigning papers): Turnitin is the leading originality checking and plagiarism prevention service.  FIU has a license with Turnitin.com so there is no fee for using this tool.  Links to Turnitin.com are available in both Moodle and Blackboard. 

Other Interesting Tools:

Depending on the course content and learning outcomes, the tools listed below are available and are excellent for enhancing a student’s understanding of course material.

A)           Adobe Connect Pro: Allows faculty and students to have live online meetings. The meeting room enables attendees to share computer screens or files, as well as to chat, broadcast live audio and video, and take part in other interactive online activities. For more information click here.

B)           Camtasia Studio: Allows you to record anything that you can view on your computer screen; including software applications, web pages, and PowerPoint presentations. You can create interactive video tutorials, software demonstrations, and presentations. This program has full-motion recording capability that records the screen, webcam video and voice. The final file is small and can be posted on the Internet in all the popular file formats. For more information click here.

C)           Mimio Studio: Turns your whiteboard into a powerful interactive presentation tool. You can use drawing tools to create graphs, maps, and mathematical problems. For more information click here.

D)           Captivate: Allows a user to create simulations, software demonstrations, scenario-based exercises, and quizzes without any programming experience.  It supports the use of video formats, audio recording and editing, and PowerPoint workflow (to enhance your already existing PowerPoint slides or create new ones). For more information click here.

E)           Respondus Studymate: Allows students to access the class via mobile device like the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Blackberry, Palm Pre, Android and others devises or platforms.  It has the capacity for game development such as crosswords, and helpful aids such as flash cards with information entered by instructors.  For more information click here.

F)           Second Life:  Creates a virtual world used for situation based learning. It is also known as a Massive Multiplayer Online Roll Playing Game which utilizes immersive technology.  Currently, about 300 institutions have a Second Life presence of which 70, including FIU, have a dedicated island. For more information click here.