Blackboard Training and Certification
UA Fort Smith requires faculty members to take Blackboard Learn 9.1 training and obtain the training certification before they can teach online courses.
Blackboard Online Course Development Training
The online course development training at UA Fort Smith teaches how to use Blackboard Learn to create online courses based on the online course design and development principles and online teaching pedagogies.
The training consists of one unit for each training session. Each unit introduces specific BLS features. The training also includes one final session for project presentation during which instructors, who are attending the training, present the online courses they have developed during the training.
Topics covered during the training are:
- Online Course Design, Blackboard File Structure, and Home Page Development
- HTML Files, Folders, and Learning Modules
- Assessments: Tests, Quizzes or Surveys
- Assignments, Discussions, Grading Forms, and Course Manager
- Communication and Content Enhancement Tools
- Learning Results:Grade Center
- Monitoring and Managing Student Learning Activities: Tracking, Group Manager, and Selective Release
- Course Content Import and Export, Troubleshooting, and General Housekeeping
Certification
There are two ways to obtain the online teaching certification at UA Fort Smith: One way is to complete the training and present an online course developed during the training. The other way is to take a competency test if you have significant Blackboard Learn 9.1 teaching experience elsewhere, and demonstrate the online course(s) you have developed before joining the UA Fort Smith faculty.
