Teaching Online | Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning

What Steps Can I Take for a Successful Online Teaching Experience?

Transitioning a course to an online format can be a complex process that holds tremendous teaching and learning potential. Selecting online learning activities and assessments that effectively support the course learning outcomes requires a great deal of planning. The following resources have been created to assist you with planning for your online course.

How to Access a Sample Blackboard Template?

View a Sample Basic Blackboard Site with Resources and/or Upload a Basic Blackboard Course Template

View a site. All faculty are invited to view and explore our Sample Basic Blackboard Site.
1. This site models the basic information you would want to provide for your students, in a clear and accessible structure.
2. Please note that guest access gives you just a preview, but you cannot edit or even view all sections.
View and download advice and resources. On the Sample Basic Blackboard Site you can view our folder of resources and advice for faculty that you may find helpful: see "Facilitation Toolbox" in the left-hand green menu (you may need to click-and-drag this menu over if you're using a mobile device or other small screen).
OPTION A: Remodel your Blackboard site to match the Sample by uploading our Template. If you are opening a new Blackboard site right now or refreshing a Blackboard site that you have not already modified much, you can download a ZIP file and install the FULL Sample Blackboard Site Template directly into your course.
1. Follow the instructions in the Sample Basic Blackboard Site >> Facilitation Toolbox >> Copy this Template
2. Use this link to download the ZIP file you need.
  1. Depending on your browser, the file will arrive in your Downloads folder, on your Desktop, or to some other location you have set.
  2. Note that depending on your browser settings, the ZIP file may automatically convert to a folder (with a folder icon rather than a square gray ZIP file icon and a .zip suffix). If this happens, do not use this folder but either try a different browser or change your browser settings to stop this conversion:
    1. Change Safari settings
    2. Change Firefox settings
    3. Chrome doesn't usually do this, but if it does, disable its extensions and retry
  3. Update your course site menu: Once you install the template, all the new sections will appear at the bottom of your left-hand menu. In Edit Mode, you can click to the left of a menu item to drag it up toward the top of the menu; you can click on the gray chevron to the right to rename, hide, or delete any item
3. This template will NOT delete any of your current Blackboard materials. Everything you see in the template will be available when you import the .zip file into your own course, including assignments and the quiz access in the weekly lessons.
OPTION B: Add a FEW Sample resources to your Bb site. If you have already developed a working Blackboard site but would like to have easy access to some basic resources, you can take a look at our Minimalist Site Outline and then follow the directions on this handout to install a set of basic instructor resources (about Collaborate, Discussions, and other basic tools) that are part of the Minimalist Site directly into your Blackboard course.