What is Blackboard ?

www.pharmacy.ac.uk

blackboard.pharmacy.ac.uk

- It is our course web site -

Others: WebCt – Moodle - Sakai

Blackboard is a (VLE) program that controls part of the SoP web site

What can we do with Blackboard ?

http://blackboard.pharmacy.ac.uk

Send messages

Timetables

Aims and objectives

Policy documents

Official forms

Course notes

Tutorials

Animations

Podcasts – audio files

Video files

Email users

Quizes and tests

Surveys

Work submission

Have discussions

What makes Blackboard special ?

• The user logs on – Blackboard knows who they are.

• File organisation is appropriate to the user• Communication can be facilitated• Loading of files is simplified

All of Blackboard

Site

Blackboard Course

FilesEmail

Students

Instructors

Announcements

• Files and users are grouped into ‘courses’ – organisation. • Loading files is made simple – ease of use.

What does it look like ?

What does a course look like ?

http://blackboard.pharmacy.ac.uk

Title

Text

Link

Text linesMore text

Link

The browser and the world wide web

http://blackboard.pharmacy.ac.uk

IE 6,7 – Firefox - Netscape - Opera - Safari

User -- > Browser < -- > window < -- > WWW

www.website.comTitle

Text

Link

Text linesMore text

Link

Title

Text

Link

Text linesMore text

Link

Title

Text

Link

Text lines

Title

Text

Link

Text lines

<h1>Title</h1>

<p>Lines of text</p>

<a http:www.website.com>Link</a>

<img picture >

How does the web work with Blackboard ?

Browser can only interpret HTML text files and images - gif, jpeg, png.

• Browser (IE) controls all interactions • Requests the file.• Interprets the file and makes up the page

- Text + Images - Links (more file requests).

* Calls local program for other types: .pdf, .doc, .ppt, .swf….. *

Server gets request --- delivers file to browser

• Server = blackboard.pharmacy.ac.uk - has a store of files

HTTP

Getting documents: What does the browser do ?

Sends the file

HTML

Server finds fileUser clicks Link = web page Address

Browser displays page

BB: Interpret link -> Request file -> Receive file -> Then what ??

Decide

.htm

.txt.doc.rtf .ppt.pdf .wpd

NormalDisplay

OpenWord

OpenPowerpoint

UseAcrobat

? Don’t Know? Save

.swf

FlashPlayer

Use the mouse to save the file directly

Saving files from blackboard

.rtf = a wordprocessor file type that is application independent can contain text, images, tables, formatting

Rich text files

To make:Write the document as normal in any word processorUse: File->Save As: (rtf)

Advantages:• Can be opened or saved with any wordprocessor or version.• Cannot contain virus code.• Files are ASCII text – easier management and editing.

The ending rtf is added automatically

Using computers is all about files

Text Document:.txt, .doc, .rtf, .wpd

Special:.zip, .pdf, .exe, .dll, .ini, .eps

Bit map:.gif, .jpg, .png, .cpx, .bmp

Vector:.drw, ai, .cgm .wmf, .tiff

Web:htm, .asp, .php, .swf, .css, . js, .vbs

Other Media:.cpa, wav, .wmf, .mp3, .mp4

Graphic and Image:

Application:.ppt, .xls, qpw, .odt,

Knowing about your files

Ext

Title

View Details

e-Learning -- What it is

• Management Function– Course enrolment

• Communication – Announcements Email

• General Information– Aims, Sylabus

• Teaching Material – Notes, PowerPoint

• Assessment– Tests, Essay submission

• Structured

• Guided

• Interactive

• Discussions

• Standalone

Electronic support for conventional teaching

Electronic teaching

Blackboard HTML, FlashPowerPoint

Login to Blackboard:

http://blackboard.pharmacy.ac.uk

http://www.pharmacy.ac.uk