Course Menu Tools

This page describes the tools and links you will find on the Course Menu in the New Instructor Template.

If there is an item on the left menu that you will not be using, please hide it or delete it. To do this, click on the action link (gray arrow) that appears, and choose Hide Link or Delete.

Other tools:

1. Messages This is an internal messaging tool within your course. Messages sent through the Messages tool will not go to your, or your students’, external email. These messages will be saved in Blackboard Learn within your course. If you choose to use the Messages tool to communicate with your students, we strongly suggest that you let your students know that they need to check their massages for the course each time they log in, using the link. Alerts will appear in each participant's What's New section.

2. Announcements Shows announcements that have been posted to the course. You can post new announcements by clicking Create Announcement. 

3. Discussions This is a link to the class Discussion Board. The Discussion Board is the umbrella location for all of your Discussion Forums. A Discussion Forum is a place to discuss a particular topic. A thread is a response to a Forum. The term "post" is used to describe a thread, or a response to a thread.
4. Assignments This is a blank page (also called a "content area") where you can place links to your assignments. We suggest that you create the assignment in the folder where you want students to find it, then place a link to it in this Assignments area, because it is useful to have this central spot where students can find all Assignments. If you do not use assignments in your course or if you choose not to use this area, please delete it or hide it to avoid confusion.

5. Tests This is a blank page (also called a "content area") where you can deploy your tests. We suggest deploying your tests in this area, and then creating a link to the test in the appropriate weekly folder. If you do not use tests in your course, or if you choose not to use this area, please delete it or hide it to avoid confusion.

6. My Grades This is the area where your students will be able to see all of their graded items, if you have made them visible. This area will likely always be blank for you as the instructor.

Information on navigating a Blackboard course from the student perspective can be found on the Navigating Your Course Student Orientation and Resource page. Please share this resource with your students.