Adding an Academic Support Link

You can readily create a left menu item that will take students to the university’s web page containing information about and links to Academic Support office. The addition of this link to your Blackboard course provides students with ready access to the Library, Math Center, Writing Center, and Career Services. All newly created “from scratch” Blackboard master courses automatically include this item. However, the vast majority of existing Blackboard offerings do not have this valuable link. Please review the document, Adding an Academic Support Link, for instructions. If you require additional assistance, remember that you can always contact your designated Instructional Designer (ID) directly or contact the Support Center to have a help ticket created and assigned to your ID.

Broken Course Evaluation Links

The Support Center and UCT’s Course Development & Support Team have received numerous reports that some Course Evaluation links in Blackboard are no longer working.

UHCL changed the location (URL) of the course evaluation tool in 2016 and, although the old links to the online evaluation tool may be working through a process known as a “re-direct,” they will eventually stop functioning. We recommend that all instructors who use the online course evaluation tool in their Blackboard classes update to the link in their courses new URL as soon as possible to ensure student access to the course evaluation tool. The instructions on how to do so (Editing a Course Evaluation Link) begin on page 2 of the handout, Adding or Editing a Course Evaluation Link.

If you have any questions about this procedure, please contact the Support Center and your inquiry will be routed to your designated Instructional Designer (ID) or the next available member of our Course Development & Support Team. You may reach the Support Center at 281-283-2828 or SupportCenter@uhcl.edu.

Blackboard Integration with Pearson Revel Materials Now Available

UHCL’s Blackboard Learn system has been updated to include integration with publisher-provided contents from Pearson’s Revel system. For more information about Pearson Revel, faculty should visit Person’s Getting Started web site.

As a reminder, UCT personnel do not have access to external systems that are operated by textbook publishers; therefore, our support for those systems is limited to ensuring that they are configured to work with our Blackboard system Neither the Learning Technology Administrators (LTAs) or Instructional Designers (IDs) can provide end-user support for deploying publisher-based contents from those sites or elated technical support for faculty and students. Additional blog posts about publisher-based integration, including cautions include the following:

• Using Publisher Building Blocks in Blackboard
• Blackboard Building Block (B2) Evaluation Process
• Update – About Publisher Building Blocks (B2s) in Blackboard
• Building Block Support Resources