In Blackboard you will begin adding content by clicking on the Content link in the Course Menu.

A. Content in Course Menu

B. By clicking on the Build Content button you can start adding content to your class.

C. Start by adding a Content Folder.

In the Content Folder you can add:

D. Items are pages in Bb.

E. Files allow you to link to documents like the syllabus for your class.

F. Images can be added but make sure they are not copyright protected.

G. Videos refer to those videos created recorded for MP3 players, or Tegrity, etc.

H. Add a web link

I. Flickr Photo is an Open Education Resource with no copyright restrictions.

J. SlideShare Presentation is also a Open Educational Resource for power point presentations, available for instructors to use.

K. YouTube Videos can be linked to through Bb and embedded

To begin Building Content the first step that will need to be taken is to add a Content Folder (C). Content Folders in Blackboard function like the manila folders you have on your desk in in a file cabinet. Their purpose is to help break your content into manageable chunks.

1. Click on the link for the Content folder ( C ).

• Give the folder a name.
• Click Submit

2. Click on the link to the right of the folder to add content to the folder.

3. Once you have opened the folder you can begin adding content to the folder.

4. One of the first things you will be adding to your folder is an Item (D). Items are the equivalent to a page going into a folder. They look like the icon at the right

• You will want to add text, images, videos, etc., to the Item. You do not want to copy and paste your syllabus into an Item
• When you create an item give it a title.
• If you do not see a tool bar with three levels, you can click on the three down arrows on the top right to expand the tool bar.

5. File links (E) allow you to take documents that you have saved on your computer and link to them in your Content Folder like syllabi, lecture notes, anything that is over two paragraphs. It is about aesthetics. Linking to a document allows student to see the whole document on a separate page. Always have links open in a new window.

6. Images (F) can be added from Building Content or they can be added into an
Item via the Tool Bar that is found on Items. It depends on where you are wanting to put the image and what its purpose is.

7. Video (G) that are added via the video link in Blackboard are those videos that are not YouTube videos. The video files you would link here would include:

• MPED/AVI
• Quick Time
• Flash/Shockwave
• Microsoft formats

More information regarding how to add videos can be found by clicking on the Video link the clicking on the More Help link that is at the top of the page.

8. Web Links (H) will always take your students to another page to view a Website, journal, links within links etc.

9. Mashups can be found under the Building Content tab or as an icon on the tool bar allowing you to embed Flickr images, Slideshare Power Point Slides
and YouTube videos. These Mashups can be used without concern for copyright infringement.