Handouts

MCCCD's ePortfolio

Inspiration

Creating hyperlinks

Publishing to your PVCC Website

Understanding Internet Files

Inspiration & ePort Information

Planning for Integration Template

Instructional Design Tips adapted from Humboldt

Activities

Integrating Technology

Planning for Integration

Planning for On-line

Blackboard is a course management tool which allows instructors to post and organize course materials on the web with little or no knowledge of html. Blackboard is used at PVCC for online courses and also to “web-enhance” traditional instructor led courses. Blackboard features include: announcements, course calendar, posting of content and assignments, discussion board, real time chat, send email, digital dropbox for submitting assignments, ability to put students in electronic groups, online testing and anonymous surveys, online gradebook – students have access to view their own grades. Currently, Blackboard does not interface with our Student Information System “SIS. Instructors must enroll students into their Blackboard course or allow students to self-enroll. However, the Blackboard 6 Enterprise edition that we expect to use possibly as early as next spring, will provide integration with SIS.

Blackboard training:
workshops are scheduled each fall, spring, and summer semester and consist of three 3-hour workshops: Blackboard Course Setup (required), Blackboard Communication Tools, and Blackboard Gradebook & Assessments.

Requesting an Instructor Account
This can be done by contacting Sam Fraulino at 77786 or by email at sam.fraulino@pvmail.maricopa.edu. You can also request an account online at http://www.pvc.maricopa.edu/irts/requestforms.html. In order for an account to be created in Blackboard for an instructor we must get First and Last name and an email address. We must have a contact email address so we can contact users to report Blackboard downtimes, upgrades, and standard maintenance.

Blackboard Course Creation
If you need help creating your course on Blackboard, you can request this online at http://www.pvc.maricopa.edu/irts/requestforms.html or by contacting Sam Fraulino directly at 77786 or by emailing at sam.fraulino@pvmail.maricopa.edu. When requesting an account please have ready the Course Name / Course Prefix Number / and Section Number. Example would be: First-Year Composition, ENG101, 5555. This information is required by the system in order for the course to be created. Courses that will be used from semester to semester do not need to be redeveloped. We can copy the course and all its content to a new name so the course can be rolled over.

If you are leaving PVCC and want to use your Blackboard courses at another college or location that uses Blackboard, we can archive your course to a CD for you by making an appointment with Sam Fraulino at 77786.

Blackboard Naming Conventions for Student and Instructor Accounts
Blackboard uses a standard naming convention for student accounts. The convention is an automated process that is done when the student registers at PVCC. This is an example of how John Smith’s account name would be designated in Blackboard.
PVC.JSMI5555

PVC is for the college, first initial, first 3 letters of last name, and the last 4 digits of the social security number. Passwords are automatically created with the account and is the full social security number with no spaces or dashes. These passwords can be changed by the students after they first log into the Blackboard system. Students who lose passwords can have the account reset to the default of the social security number. (Note, some special issues with accounts are handled specifically such as if a student has only 2 letters in last name, etc.)

If you have any problems regarding issues with student accounts, contact Sam Fraulino. Please do not attempt to create a student account on your own UNLESS you keep to the naming standard in use by the college.

Instructor Accounts
Instructor accounts for Blackboard are created with the first initial and full last name. An example of an account for Sam Fraulino would be sfraulino. The password is set to a default password that is emailed to you upon creation of the account.

MIDAS is primarily used at PVCC in the open-entry, open-exit courses as an electronic gradebook tool. Grades are posted online so students can log in and view their own grades. The MIDAS gradebook interfaces with SIS, allowing for automatic enrolling and withdrawing of students in Midas courses and posting final grades to SIS. MIDAS also has course management tools similar to those found in Blackboard including course calendar, posting of content and assignments, discussion board, real time chat, send/receive email, ability to place students in electronic groups, online testing and surveys, progress letters, online gradebook.

Midas Training: Training materials for Midas are available from PVCC Technology Training. Training workshops for the Midas gradebook and course management tools are scheduled regularly at Glendale Community College. PVCC instructors are welcome to attend the GCC training workshops. Contact Chrystle for Midas training manuals and for information on how to register for Midas training workshops.

Requesting Access to MIDAS
If you are a faculty member in the open-entry/open-exit program and you wish to use MIDAS, please contact Patti Marsh, the Open Entry-Open Exit Area Coordinator (email to patti.marsh@pvmail.maricopa.edu) for access and information as it relates to this program.
If you are a faculty member in any other discipline and wish to use MIDAS gradebook or course management system, please contact Sam Fraulino (email to sam.fraulino@pvmail.maricopa.edu) at (78)77786 for more information on how to set this up.