Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Blackboard Best
Practice Guide
ADL
Contents
Getting started...................................................................................................... 3
Example of a Structured Module.........................................................................3
Module Structure Basics........................................................................................ 5
Module Structure: By Week................................................................................ 6
Module Structure: By Lecture/Session................................................................7
Module Structure: By Activity............................................................................. 8
Module Structure: By Case Study.......................................................................9
Module Structure: By Unit.................................................................................10
The Module Home Page....................................................................................... 11
How to create your own Module Home Page....................................................13
The Left Hand Menu............................................................................................. 16
How to edit the left hand menu........................................................................16
Left Navigation Tool Guide................................................................................ 19
How to add items to the left menu......................................................................22
How to add a content area............................................................................... 22
How to add a Blank Page..................................................................................22
How to add a tool link....................................................................................... 25
How to add a Course Link.................................................................................26
How to add Weblinks........................................................................................ 27
How to add module page link...........................................................................27
How to add menu Subheaders..........................................................................29
How to add menu Dividers.............................................................................. 30
Blackboard content containers............................................................................30
Adding content to modules..................................................................................31
Blackboard Content Types................................................................................... 31
How to add content to a module area..............................................................33
Creating usable Blackboard content....................................................................34
Chunking content for readability/usability......................................................34
Use consistent formatting for usability.............................................................35
Capitalising text................................................................................................ 35
Do not underline text........................................................................................ 36
Careful use of italics......................................................................................... 36
Use bold sparingly............................................................................................ 36
1 | Page
2 | Page
Getting started
Planning a meaningful structure for your module content will help users quickly
find the module information they need.
Organising how your content is structured in Blackboard Learn is very flexible.
You can create links to your content using the left menu, module home page
and folder pages.
A meaningful module structure is logical, helping participants comprehend and
retain the content as well as helping them quickly find the content they need. A
clear, logical structure will reduce the chances of participants becoming bored,
disinterested or frustrated.
3 | Page
Note the use of headers e.g. Module Content and the grouping together of
related content links such as Module Tools and Module Assessments. Further
suggestions for module structures and the methods for organisation will be
provided in the following sections.
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5 | Page
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The following sections explain how to customise Blackboard Learn structure, lefthand menu and create a module home page.
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The default module home page can be changed via the Course Entry Point
option to point to any tool item or content of your choice.
We usually change the Course Entry Point to point to the Content area and
rename the original module page giving it a suitable name such as e.g. Module
Reminders, Useful Tools, Dashboard, Notifications, My Course Info, etc.
To change the Course Entry Point:
1. Login to Blackboard Learn
2. Choose the module you will be working in from the Course List.
3. Under Control Panel in the Course Management menu select the
Customisation link. The Customisation menu will expand.
4. Select the Style link.
5. The Style window will open. Scroll to Section 4: Select Course Entry
Point. This section allows you to select the first page users see when
entering the Course from a drop-down menu.
6. From the Entry Point drop-down menu select the preferred starting point
for your course. e.g. Most Instructors choose the Content entry point.
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In the Content area we then create a Content Item and use this to create our
own module home page. Full instructions on how to do this are provided later in
this section.
Information you may wish to provide on your module home page includes:
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Note: You can toggle the Edit button OFF, to view the content as a student
would.
You will be using a Blackboard Learn Content Item to create a Module Home
Page. To do this:
1. From the left hand menu select the modules Content link. This will take
you to the modules content area.
2. Rollover the Build Content button and select the Item link.
3. Complete the Name field in the Content Information page that opens
e.g. Module Welcome.
4. Use the built-in WYSIWYG Content Editor (What You See Is What You
Get) to create and edit the homepage text. The controls and icons should
be familiar to anyone who has used a word processor.
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Note: The first time you use the content editor it will be in Simple Mode:
To enable the content editor Advanced Mode select the Show More button
. This will expand the content editor:
Tip: A sample Module Home Page template is available from the attached file
examplehomepage.rtf (2.55KB).
You will need to copy and paste the contents of this file into the content editor
while in HTML Code View. To enter HTML Code View, select the HTML Code
View button:
The HTML Code View window will open. Paste the contents of the template into
text box and select the Update button. You will then be returned to the main
content default and can edit the text there.
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Style Guide: It is recommended that you left align all content and images, to
ensure the consistent presentation of information. If you are familiar with editing
HTML, you can fully control the content by switching to HTML Code View. In
this view you can change the mark-up, adding or removing any HTML tags.
You can also switch off the default icons on the home page by selecting the
Action Menu next to the page title and selecting Show Text Only from the drop
down list:
Tool links
Learning Modules
Web links
Headers/Separators and
Individual content items
The menu appears on the left hand side of every page within a module.
Tip: Be aware that users have the option to hide/show the left hand menu.
Refer to the Module Home Page section for more information.
Useful links you may wish to consider providing via the left hand menu include:
Information on how to add items to the left-hand menu will be provided later.
The left menu is completely configurable and can be structured and adapted to
address your specific needs. The left menu is available on every page within the
module (unless hidden by the user). You should organise the left menu content
links in an order that outlines how the participant should progress through the
module.
Tip: Quick video showing how users can hide/show the left menu in Blackboard
Learn: http://screencast.com/t/mbAqmAP6P3q
Make sure edit mode is ON so that you can create or edit your left navigation
pane. Remember you can toggle the Edit button OFF to view the content as a
student would.
Important:
NEVER DELETE left navigation links. You can lose your learning modules,
content and structure.
INSTEAD hide the link, it will remain visible to staff but will not be visible to
students. To hide a left menu link, rollover the menu item, select the drop-down
arrow
students. To reveal a hidden link, rollover the menu item, select the drop-down
arrow and choose Show Link.
Note: If the menu is too long e.g. because you need to create a link to each
week, consider grouping the weeks in content folders e.g. Weeks 1-3, Weeks 4-7,
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etc. Remember to keep the naming of content links the same throughout the
module.
In the example below, some of the menu links in the left-hand image may not be
immediately visible to those using a low-resolution screen or a laptop. However,
the links in the right-hand image will be more visible or at least require less
vertical scrolling to be visible.
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A range of tools and content links can be added in the left menu. These include
Content Area, Blank Page, Tool Link, Course Link, External Link and a
Module Page. These content links can be organised under menu titles
(Subheader) and Divider lines.
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Blank Page
Description
Content Areas are top-level module
areas. If you want to add a link to a
new content area on the Left
Navigation Menu you should use the
Create Content Area option. It
provides a link to a new folder to store
all necessary module materials,
multimedia, tests and communication
tools. You can name it as required, and
after creation select the link and
beginning using the Build Content
menu options to add content to the
Content Area. Typically, Content Areas
contain include items, files, Learning
Modules and Content Folders and tools
etc.
You can use the Blank Page option to
link to a new empty page in the left
navigation menu. The Blank Page can
be called anything you like and using
the content editor you can add files
such as module handbooks - images
and text to this page. To avoid
confusing users remove those Blank
Pages that are no longer required. To
delete a Blank page rollover the link in
the left hand menu, select the dropdown arrow
beside the link and
choose Delete.
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Tool Link
Course Link
Web Link
Module Page
Subheader
Divider
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Area.
3. Enter a Name for the content area, select the Available to Users
checkbox, and then select the Submit button.
4. After you create the Content Area link, you can move it to the appropriate
functionality.
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4. The link to the Blank page will appear at the bottom of the left hand menu.
5. An Edit Blank Page window will appear in the main content area. Use
Blackboards built-in content editor to add text, images and mashups.
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functionality.
3. Ensure you tick the Available to Users box and select Submit.
Tip: It is recommended that you add a link to the Tools Area and perhaps name
it All Tools. It would also be useful to add the E-mail tool (external e-mail), My
Grades, Contacts, the Roster (showing a list of all students on the module) or
Glossary tool.
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You can link to any other Blackboard tool e.g. Blogs, Discussion Boards etc.
however, these are more likely to be individually added throughout your content
alongside items in folders so that they are in context to the learning design.
3. To choose the location of the course link select Browse. This opens up a
pop-up window showing all the content links in your module. Browse to the
relevant section in your content and select it by clicking on the course
items name.
4. Try to keep the defaultname selected for you - to avoid confusion - or at
least provide names consistent with the titles for each content section,
e.g. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, etc.
5. Tick the box so that the content is Available to Users and then select
Submit. Repeat this for each section of content by adding additional
course links.
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functionality to order
the drop down menu. This opens a box called Add Web Link.
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2. Enter a Name for the link and the URL of the website in full. Select the
Available to Users checkbox, and then select the Submit button. The
External Link will appear immediately at the bottom of the left-hand menu.
3. To move the External Link to a new position on the left menu, click and
Tip: It is recommended that you add a link to Blackboard Learn Support Wiki
using the address: http://wiki.ulster.ac.uk/display/VLESUPPORT
1. To create a module page on the left menu go to the Add Menu Item
and
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2. You should give this page a suitable name, e.g. Module Reminders, Useful Tools,
Dashboard, Notifications, My Course Info, etc.
3. Tick the make Available to Users box and select Submit.
4. The menu link should be available at the bottom of your left menu.
5. Select the link and choose the Add Course Module
link at the top of the blank page.
6. Selecting this button displays all the available Modules
(tools/widgets).
7. Click the Add button to select any modules you require
then select OK at the bottom of the page. The modules are automatically added
to the page.
8. The Modules can be moved by dragging and dropping the items and can be
removed by clicking the X button to the top right of the module.
Role
Staf
Useful Modules
Needs Attention and Alerts (including
Students
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button and
to the right
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, and select
Delete.
You can make content relevant and interactive by combining several different
types of learning materials and experiences. For example, you can provide online
lectures, multimedia, and assessments.
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The following table describes the different content types available in the Build
Content drop-down list.
Content Type
Item
File
Audio
Image
Video
Web Link
Learning Module
Content Folder
Blank Page
Module Page
Mashups
Description
A general - single- piece of content,
such as a file, image, text, or link to
which a description and other items
may be attached.
A HTML, Word, PDF, PowerPoint or any
file that can be used in the module.
With the correct browser plug-in these
files can be viewed as a page within
the module.
Upload these multimedia files from
your computer and incorporate them
into a module area to add interest and
variety to the content.
Link to an outside website or resource.
A set of content that includes a
structured path for progressing through
the items. Presents the user with a
navigable table of contents to navigate
through the structured path
A module area that contains content
items. Folders allow content to be
structured with a hierarchy or
categories. Unlike Learning modules,
no table of contents is generated.
The Blank Page tool allows you to
include files, images, and text as a link
in a module area. Blank pages present
content in a different from items . No
description appears below the title of
the page. Users see your content only
after selecting the link.
A page containing dynamic
personalised content modules that help
users keep track of tasks, tests,
assignments and new content created
in the module.
Mashups allow you to include content
in a module from an external website.
Four types of Mashups are currently
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available:
Lesson Plan
Syllabus
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Tip: All these features are available in the Blackboard Learn content editor. For
detailed instructions on using the content editor please see Blackboard Help at:
http://help.blackboard.com/Blackboard-Learn/9.1/SP10/ENUS/NAHE/Instructor/Content/_instructor_interface/ui_content_editor.htm?
SearchType=Stem&Highlight=Editor|editor|Editors|editors
Tip: To protect against losing work if an Internet connection loss or software error
occurs, you may choose to type in an offline text editor, such as Notepad or
TextEdit, and copy and paste your work into Blackboard Learn.
Alternately, before submitting or saving, you can select and copy all of the text
typed in Blackboard Learn. Select the text and right-click to copy it. You may also
use key combinations for copying and pasting:
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Windows: Ctrl+A to select all the text, CTRL+C to copy, and CTRL+V to paste.
Mac: COMMAND+A to select all the text, COMMAND+C to copy, and
COMMAND+V to paste.
Tip: Pick a format, font-size and colour scheme and stick to it throughout the
module. It may be worthwhile writing a Faculty Style Guide for Blackboard Learn.
Tip: Blackboard Learns content editor has a built-in Format tool that helps you
consistently style Headings and text. Simply highlight the text and select the
Format you want to apply from the drop-down menu.
Capitalising text
Capitalised text is the least effective method of adding textual emphasis. It is the
equivalent of shouting at the user. Whether you choose capital or lowercase
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letters has a strong effect on the readability of your text. All capitals should
generally be avoidedexcept perhaps for short headings.
However, selecting the More Colours... option allows the use of almost any
colour.
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Keep in mind that those with vision difficulties such as colour blindness may have
problems with certain colours. Always check that the background colour and the
text colour have enough contrast so that the text remains readable to someone
with vision problems. Although contrast is particularly important for visionimpaired users, all users will benefit from greater readability.
Tip: Use WebAIMs web tool to test colour contrast:
http://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/
Use the online Vischeck tools to see how your content would look to someone
who is colour blind: http://vischeck.com/vischeck/
Although the use of colour is another option for differentiating type, coloured
text, like underlining, has a special functional meaning in web documents. You
should avoid putting coloured text within text blocks because readers will
assume that the coloured text is a hypertext link and click on it. Avoid using
colours close to the default web link colours of blue and violet.
Tip: For more information on Copyright please see the Blackboard Learn module
Copyright Information for Staff.
Image format
Certain formats are more suited to one type of graphical data than another, so
you should make an informed choice about what format to use. Most browsers
support the following formats:
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG or JPG) - Use JPG images for
photographs and other images that have millions of colours. It uses what
is called lossy compression because some of the image information is
lost when the image is saved as a JPEG. The JPG format is not suited to
images with text, large blocks of solid colour or simple shapes with crisp
edges. This is because when the image is compressed the text, colour, or
lines may blur resulting in an image that is not as sharp as another format.
Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) - The GIF format is not suitable for
photographic images or images with gradient colours. The GIF format has
a limited number of colours so gradients and photographs will end up with
pixelation and artefacts when saved as a GIF file. GIFs offer the ability for
animation.
Portable Network Graphics (PNG) - The PNG format was developed as
a replacement for the GIF format when it appeared that GIF images would
be subject to a royalty fee. PNG graphics have a better compression rate
than GIF images which result in smaller images than the same file saved
as a GIF. PNG files offer alpha transparency as well as animation
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Accessible Images
One of the easiest ways to make your images more accessible to those using
assistive technologies such as screen readers is to supply alt tag information.
The alt attribute is meant to be an alternative for non-visual browsers when they
come across images. The text is meant to be used when the image is not visible
on the page. Many browsers also display the alt text when the customer rests
their mouse on the image. This means that the text should be clear and easy to
read.
Tips for alt tags:
Be brief
Some older browsers will actually break if the alt text is too long. Describing what
is exactly in the image is not purpose of the alt tag. Instead, it should be filled
with exactly the words needed to put the image in context and no more.
Be clear
Don't be so brief that the context is confused. Remember, some people will ONLY
see the text in your alt tags, so if it's too brief they might not understand what
you're trying to show them. For example:
a tree good
an oak tree better
a 20-foot tall oak tree with heavy branches and possibly something wrong with
its bark - too much
Insert an image with an alt tag
In Blackboards content editor:
1. Select the Insert Image
button.
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Quicktime (.MOV)
Windows Media Video (.WMV)
MPEG-4 (.MP4)
Flash Video (.SWF or .FLV)
Real Media (.RM)
When embedding videos we recommend using .MOV, MP4 or SWF/FLV files for
compatibility with most operating systems.
We also recommend that all Blackboard users download and install:
QuickTime Player: QuickTime Player is available for download here:
http://www.apple.com/uk/quicktime/download/
Flash Player: We recommend that all Blackboard users download and install
Flash Player. Flash Player is available for download here:
http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/
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Video
Format
MPEG, AVI.
MP4*
http://windows.microsoft.com/enUS/windows/products/windowsmedia-player
VLC Media Player
MPEG,AVI,MP
4
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/
QuickTime Player
QuickTime/.m
ov
KLite_Codec_Pack_770_S
tandard codec pack.
MP4 &
QuickTime
http://download.cnet.com/K-liteCodec-Pack-Standard/3000-13632_4157171.html
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>> KATHLEEN: OK, the first section on the framework is called Knowledge or
Recall of Information.
0:00:07.430,0:00:11.600
In order to score well in this domain you will need to:
0:00:11.600,0:00:14.009
Show that you have knowledge of the subject using the literature and the
module content.
0:00:14.009,0:00:15.889
[pause]
A transcript file, on the other hand, just contains the text of what was said in
the video. A transcript file must be saved as a plain text file without any special
characters. Here's what a transcript might look like:
>> Kathleeen : OK, the first section on the framework is called Knowledge or
Recall of Information.
In order to score well in this domain you will need to:
Show that you have knowledge of the subject using the literature and the
module content.
[pause]
While it is possible to manually create transcript and caption files using a simple
text editor, there are a number of ways to automate the process:
Dragon Naturally Speaking requires that you take some time to train
the software to your voice, but can be used to automatically create
transcripts from audio (http://www.nuance.co.uk/for-individuals/byproduct/dragon-for-pc/home-version/index.htm)
Googles CaptionTube tool helps you create captions for your YouTube
videos. It is a free service (http://captiontube.appspot.com/ ). Youll need a
Google or Gmail account or to login.
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PDF
Overview
Portable Document Format (PDF) is an open standard for document
exchange. This file format, created by Adobe Systems, is used for representing
documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and
operating systems. These files are typically opened with the Adobe Reader
Application (http://get.adobe.com/reader/)
Notes on using PDFs in Blackboard Learn
1. While PDFs can have table of contents, bookmarks etc. creating these
requires the author to correctly format and set-up the original source
documents beforehand and be familiar with programs such Adobe Acrobat.
2. The PDF will load inside Blackboards browser window but will be inside
Adobes proprietary container with its own additional - set of navigational
controls. These extra controls may be confusing to users as well as restrict
the amount of the PDF that is visible on-screen.
3. The PDF will often have been formatted for paper and may require
horizontal scrolling (left-to-right) and zooming in and out to view an entire
page.
4. PDFs are great for printing documents. Paper is superior to computer
screens in many ways, and users often prefer to print documents that are
too long to easily read online.
5. PDF is not recognised by the W3C as a standard format.
6. For online reading, PDFs should be avoided.
7. If possible set the Open in a New Window option to Yes when adding a
PDF to Blackboard Learn. This will open the file outside the main
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Blackboard window, this will minimise scrolling and give students a larger
reading area.
3. Word is also great for printing documents and making editable documents
available to users. Paper is superior to computer screens in many ways,
and users often prefer to print documents that are too long to easily read
online.
4. For online reading, bulky Word Documents should be avoided.
5. Large, un-optimised images can quickly add to a Word documents file
size.
6. Using Word document features such as Word Art etc. can quickly bloat
the documents file size. Be aware of this - as a user on a slow internet
connection may experience long download times for large files.
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PowerPoint
Overview
Microsoft PowerPoint is a communication tool to present views and ideas
effectively using diagrams, photos, clip arts, sounds, designs and animated
special effects. It was developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Office
suite, and runs on Microsoft Windows and Apple's Mac OS X operating system.
Notes on using PowerPoint in Blackboard Learn
1. PowerPoint files will not load inside Blackboards browser window, the user
will instead be prompted to Save or Open the document and be required
to view the presentation outside of the browser. This may be confusing for
Blackboard Learn users.
2. Video, transitions, images and audio all contribute to the PowerPoint file
size. A PowerPoint file can very quickly become a document of many
megabytes in size. We have seen some large un-optimised presentations
come in at 80MB. Be aware of the student on slow network connection
trying to download such a file.
3. Consider porting the PowerPoint slides into Blackboard Learn items.
Blackboard presents content in serial/page-by-page format similar to
PowerPoint. You can add value to the Blackboard version of this content by
inserting quizzes, discussion forums and other tools between sections of
the content.
4. Page-to-page navigation and accessibility may be an issue for students
with disabilities. See JISC Techdiss excellent articles on creating accessible
PowerPoint files:
http://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/AccessibilityEssentials/index.html
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When updating and maintain module content youll be editing and uploading
content collection files.
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Just as you considered the structure of your module, take a moment to consider
the structure of your content collection to make the process of maintenance
easier.
The screenshot to the right is from an actual Blackboard Learn module. What
you are seeing are 118 individual module items there are no folders uploaded to the content collection. Little or no thought has been given to
structure. Imagine what this will look like after two or three academic years of
migrations and additional uploads.
When the module designer returns to the module to make corrections or update
the existing files, they are going have great difficulty finding the file they need.
Keep in mind that the by default content collection paginates in blocks of 25
items. In the example to the right there will be 5 pages to navigate through just
to find a single item.
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4. Type a Folder Name in the field that opens below the Action Bar.
Description
Blackboard Learn
Tool/Functionality
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Regular tasks
Communication &
Collaboration
Assessment &
feedback
Communication tools
Discussion Board, Journal,
Blog, Wiki, Groups, Chat,
Virtual Classroom, Wimba
Voice Tools.
Assessment tools
Test, Survey, Assignment,
Self and Peer
Assessment, Turnitin.
Assessment tools
Test, Survey, Assignment,
Self and Peer
Assessment, Turnitin
Communication tools
Discussion Board, Journal,
Blog, Wiki, Groups, Chat,
Virtual Classroom, Wimba
Voice Tools
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Reflection
Engaging content
Group work
Multimedia (images,
audio, video, web links,
tables etc.) added via
the Content Editor or
Action Menu Bar,
Mashups Flickr,
Slideshare, YouTube.
Groups
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File Type
.aam
Multimedia
.aif
.asf
.au
.avi
Audio
Multimedia
Audio
Video
.doc
Text
.exe
.gif
Executable
Image
.html, .htm
Web page
.jpg, .jpeg
Image
.jif
Image
.mp3
.mpe
.mpg, .mpeg
.moov, .movie
.mov
.pdf
Audio
Audio/Video
Video
Movie
Video
Text
.png
Image
.ppt, .pps
Slide show
Programs Associated
with the File Type
Macromedia
Authorware plug-in
Note that the .aam file is
the starting point for a
series of files that must
be enclosed in a .ZIP file.
Audio program
Microsoft .NET Show
Real Audio Player
Video player (not
Macintosh compatible)
Microsoft Word or
other word processor
Executable file
Graphics program or Web
browser
HTML editor or Web
browser
Graphics program or Web
browser
Graphics program or Web
browser
Audio program
Audio/Video program
Movie or media player
QuickTime movie
Movie or media player
Adobe Acrobat
Reader
Portable Network
Graphics
Microsoft PowerPoint
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.qt
.ra
.ram
.rm
.rtf
.swf
Movie
Audio
Video
Audio
Text
Multimedia
.tif, .tif
Image
.txt
Text
.wav
.wma
.wmf
.wmv
.wpd
Audio
Audio
Graphic
Video
Text
.xls
.zip
Spreadsheet
Text
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