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Academic Technologies and Online Learning (ATOL)

ATOL

CONTACT US

Instructional Technology & the Technology Enhancement Centers

Office Location: G-601

General Phone: 718-254-8565

Email: AtoL@citytech.cuny.edu

LAB HOURS

General G-600 Lab Hours:

Monday - Thursday Friday
10:00am - 6:00pm 10:00am - 5:00pm

Voorhees V-217 Lab Hours:

Monday - Thursday Friday
11:00am - 6:00pm 11:00am - 5:00pm

Faculty Blackboard

Guidelines Regarding Requiring the Use of Cameras during Live Classes:

Faculty utilizing Zoom, Blackboard Collaborate and other digital technology to deliver course curriculum/material must be sensitive to issues of privacy. To that end, faculty offering classes through web conferencing digital technology like Zoom cannot require that students turn on their cameras during live classes, unless there is a pedagogical need to do so. In the case of classes in which an instructor has determined that there is a pedagogical need to require the use of cameras: (1) the requirement for students to be visible on the video must be communicated to students in advance of registration and enrollment and (2) students who do not have access to cameras and therefore are unable to comply with the requirement must be accommodated. These rules must also be followed if an instructor plans to use a technology that requires students to turn on their cameras during the test-taking. Additional resources pertaining to this policy include Zoom Meetings, Zoom Help,Video Participation Privacy Options, and CUNY’s Cloud System Feature Guide for Faculty.

Per CUNY’s attendance verification policy to ensure a student's attendance in a course is verified for Title IV financial aid purposes students can meet the engagement threshold in a course by participating in an online discussion about an academic matter, engaging in an online academically-related activity, or initiating contact with the instructor to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course or course-related question; none of these criteria requires the use of a live camera.

Helpful Tips

For your protection, please close all browser windows to log out of Blackboard completely. If you fail to do so, any subsequent users of the computer might be able to access your account.

Basic Blackboard & Collaborate Help for Faculty

Below are listed videos and content for Faculty members conducting their courses through Blackboard. For more information email us at itec@citytech.cuny.edu

Faculty Blackboard FAQs

Below are listed Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Faculty members conducting their courses through Blackboard. For more information email us at itec@citytech.cuny.edu.

Since March 2023, the policy of adding a user (instructor or teaching assistant) to a Blackboard course was changed; it was implemented by EVC Hensel and CIS to ensure compliance with FERPA regulations. A teaching assistant or co-instructor needs to be added through CUNYfirst.

If the reason for adding a user is to copy materials from one course to another, the course instructor can export the course materials and share them with the other instructors. Contact iTEC for assistance, and we will be happy to help with the export/import process. Or we can create a development course so the instructors can easily share materials with each other.

Method 1

  1. Log on to Blackboard
  2. Click the course you want to make it available for students.
  3. From upper right corner of the browser window, click on the "padlock" once.

Alternative Method

  1. Make sure the Edit Mode is: ON.
  2. Click Customization.
  3. Click Properties.
  4. Under "Option 3. Set Availability", click on Yes.
  5. Click Submit.
  1. Click on Tools, then on Announcements.
  2. Click Create Announcement.
  3. Add a Subject and Text to the body with the necessary information.
  4. Click on Submit to complete the process.
  1. Click Content in the Content Area, to open the Content Page.
  2. Click Build Content to show the drop down menu.
  3. Under Create, click Item.
  4. Add Name and Instructions in the text box.
  5. Attach a File from your computer/ removable device or from a Course.
  6. Click Submit to save the page.

Note: 25 MB is the file size limit for a single file.

  1. Click Content in the Content Area, to open the Content Page.
  2. Click Build Content to show the drop down menu.
  3. Under Create, click Item.
  4. Add Name and Instructions in the text box.
  5. Click Browse Course.
  6. Click Upload Files under Upload.
  7. Either click Browse or drag and drop files or folder you want to upload.
  8. Click Submit.
  9. Select the files or folders you want to upload and click Submit.
  1. Click Content in the Content Area, to open the Content Page.
  2. Click Build Content to show the drop-down menu.
  3. Under Create, click URL.
  4. Add Name, URL, and Instructions in the text box.
  5. Change Options as needed.
  6. Click Submit to complete the process.

Note: If you do not see a tool you are looking, you need to enable it from Tool Availability under Customization.

Staff Information is no longer in Bb9. Use Contacts instead.

  1. Click on Tools, then on Contacts.
  2. Click on Create Contact.
  3. Add the necessary Contact information. Email is the only required field.
  4. Click Submit to complete the process. Students see staff information from Tools area.
  1. Click Content in the Content Area, to open the Content Page.
  2. Under the Create Assessment tab, select Assignment.
  3. Add Name and Instructions in the text box.
  4. Under Grading, add the amount for Points Possible.
  5. Edit Optional settings as desired.
  6. Click Submit to complete the process.
  1. Click Assignments under Grade Center.
  2. Locate a student, assignment column and click drop-down arrow.
  3. Click View Grade Details.
  4. Under Action column, click View Attempt.
  5. You will find the student's sent file under section Review Current Attempt.
  1. Click Content in the Content Area to open the Content Page.
  2. Add Name and Instructions in the text box.
  3. Add the amount for Points Possible.
  4. Change Optional settings as needed.
  5. Click Submit to complete the process.
  1. Click on Packages and Utilities, then click on Export/Archive Course
  2. Click on Archive
  3. Click on the small box to Include Grade Center History (optional)
  4. Click on Submit
  5. Click OK; it may take little time to appear the archived file
  6. Click on the Export/Archive Course
  7. Under File Name, there should be the archived file; and it will begin with ArchiveFile_NYT01_...
  8. Click on the ArchiveFile_NYT01_... to save it on the computer
  1. Click on Packages and Utilities, then click on Export/Archive Course
  2. Click on Export Package
  3. Scroll to the Select Course Materials section and click the materials to include in the export file
  4. Click on Submit
  5. Click OK; it may take little time to appear the archived file
  6. Click on the Export/Archive Course
  7. Under File Name, there should be the exported file; and it will begin with ExportFile_NYT01_...
  8. Click on the ExportFile_NYT01_... to save it on the computer
  1. Click Assignments under Grade Center.
  2. Locate the column of the assignment.
  3. Click the drop-down arrow next to the name of the assignment, click Assignment File Download.
  4. Click small boxes to select all students.
  5. Click Submit.
  6. Click "Download assignments now" link to save the zip file.
  1. Click Content in the Content Area, to open the Content Page.
  2. Under the Build Content tab, select YouTube Video.
  3. Search for Content. List of videos will appear on the screen. Click Preview to watch before selecting the title or click Select.
  4. Give a name in the Name field and a description is optional.
  5. Change Editing Mashup Options as needed.
  6. Click Submit to complete the process.
  1. Click on the source (course you are copying from) course
  2. Under Course Management, click Packages and Utilities
  3. Click Course Copy
  4. Click the Browse button to look for a Destination Course ID
  5. Click the radio button under Course ID and click the Submit button
  6. Check the box(es) to select materials you want to copy
  7. Make sure not to include Enrollments in the copy process
  8. Click Submit button.

Note: Allow some time to complete copy process.

  1. From Blackboard Home page, click Click Here to Create and Manage Merged Courses.
  2. Click Setup New Merged Course button.
  3. Click on square box(es) to select child course(s)
  4. Click Submit.
  5. Click on the radio button to select a parent course.
  6. Click Submit.
  7. Click OK to confirm.

Note: Make sure to enable (make the course available to students) parent section only.

  1. Click on Packages and Utilities, then click on Export/Archive Course.
  2. Click on Archive.
  3. Click on the small box to Include Grade Center History.
  4. If needed, click Calculate Size to check the file size of the course.
  5. Click on Submit.
  6. Click on the Course Name, then it will save the exported zip file to your download folder.
  1. Click Import Package / View Logs.
  2. Click Import Package button.
  3. Click Browse to locate the zip file.
  4. Check mark box(es) to select materials to import.
  5. Click Submit button. Wait for email confirmation.