20 Tips for Using NBC Learn

20 Tips for Using NBC Learn
Tip 1 NBC Learn Video Tour	NBC Learn Higher Ed (highered.nbclearn.com) is a collection of more than 21,000 videos, documents, and images that can be incorporated into classroom lectures and online modules. New to NBC Learn? A guided video tour walks you through the site’s key features. Watch the whole video or skip ahead to specific features like Creating Playlists or Sharing Videos.
Tip 2 Using the NBC Learn Video Player	NBC Learn’s video player works like a baseball card: you can flip the player over to reveal more detailed information about the media on the front. Simply click on the backwards-facing arrow in the upper right corner to view a summary, hyperlinked keywords, and a citation generator for every NBC Learn video.
Tip 3 NBC Learn Transcript Feature	Every video on NBC Learn comes with a full text transcript, allowing students to cite specific evidence from the videos in discussions or written assignments.  To access the transcript, open any video and click ‘Transcript’ on the right side of the player.
Tip 4 NBC Learn Offline Player	NBC Learn allows users to download an unlimited number of video playlists for offline use. Once you’ve downloaded the Offline App, it lives on your computer’s hard drive, and you can sync playlists any time you’re connected to the internet. When you’re not online, simply open the App to watch full videos—no need to search around or wait for videos to load!
Tip 5 Citation Generator for NBC Learn Videos	Use NBC Learn’s video archive for research and generate Works Cited entries in no time.  To create a citation: 1.      Flip over the video player by clicking the backwards facing arrow in the right corner. 2.      Click ‘Citation’ and choose from MLA, APA, and Chicago Style. 3.      Copy and Paste the citation to a Works Cited page.
Tip 6 Creating Playlists	On NBC Learn, you can save groups of videos to a Playlist for easy access.  To save videos: 1.      Click on the plus sign next to any video. The button will turn into a green checkmark once selected. 2.      Click on the ‘Tools’ dropdown menu in the right corner (underneath the search box). Select ‘Add to Playlist.’ 3.      If you want to add the videos to an existing playlist, select the playlist from the window and click ‘Save.’ 4.      If you want to create a new playlist, select ‘New,’ enter the playlist’s name and click ‘Save.’ 5.      To access your playlists, click on ‘My Playlists’ from any page. To view playlists offline, download the NBC Learn Offline App.
Tip 7 Embed videos into Blackboard	NBC Learn features thousands of 2-6 minute videos, ideal for quickly recapping a historic event or introducing a new topic.  To embed videos into an item on Blackboard: 1.      Click the ‘Mashups’ button underneath ‘Text.’ 2.      Select ‘Add NBC Content’ from the dropdown menu. This will open a pop-up window with the NBC Learn Homepage. 3.      In the pop-up window, open the video you want to embed and click ‘Embed.’ This will return you to Blackboard. 4.      Add additional directions or questions for students. Click ‘Submit’ when you’ve finished editing the item.
Tip 8 Create Discussions with NBC Learn Videos	Increase student engagement by asking them to share and analyze NBC Learn videos in Blackboard forums. Use forums to discuss: ·         Current Events related to course topics ·         Case Studies ·         Videos chosen by students to share with the class
Discovering Videos
Tip 9 Browse NBC Learn’s 40+ Collections	NBC Learn Higher Ed has more than 40 Collections, including Business Administration, Communications, and Health and Wellness. Click on the menu on the left side of the page to start exploring. Each collection contains several sub-topics, allowing you to further narrow the results. To return to a broader topic, click on the name of the collection at the top of the menu or click ‘Back.’
Tip 10 NBC Learn Advanced Search	With over 21,000 resources, NBC Learn has videos to increase relevancy and rigor for every course. After performing a keyword search on NBC Learn, use our Advanced Search to filter results by: ·         Event Date or Air/Publish Date ·         Collection (e.g. Biology, Marketing) ·         Source (e.g. Archival Film, NBC Nightly News) ·         Type (e.g. Document, Video)
Tip 11 Use Keywords to Find Related Videos on NBC Learn	Every video on NBC Learn comes with a list of Keywords on the back of the video player (click the backwards-facing arrow in the right corner to reverse the video player). Use these to generate key terms lists for students or discover related videos by clicking on the hyperlinked keywords.
Tip 12 Curriculum Alignments	With over 21,000 resources across 40 disciplines, NBC Learn is a powerful tool that can increase engagement and relevancy in your course—no matter the subject. For faculty at your school, we offer complimentary curriculum alignments so you can determine the resources that best fit your course. Email syllabi or other materials to account.management@nbcuni.com to take advantage of this free service.
Featured Content
Tip 13 Business Case Studies from NBC Learn	Ask students to apply business concepts to analyze case studies from NBC Learn’s Business Administration Collection. Topics include: ·         Current Events in Business such as United Airlines’ new plan to cut down on oversold flights  ·         Career Profiles on Steve Jobs, Marissa Mayer, and more! ·         Innovation in Business, including How Grocery Stores Are Using Algorithms to Stock Their Shelves
Tip 14 Health Innovation Videos on NBC Learn	NBC Learn can help students pursuing careers in healthcare stay up-to-date on the latest innovations in their field. The Health & Wellness Collection features hundreds of videos, including: ·         The findings of recent scientific studies—2017 Research Shows Link Between Poor Sleep and Increased Alzheimer’s Risk ·         Developments in medical technology—Can Virtual Reality Sessions Treat Chronic Pain? ·         Changing practices in healthcare—Telemedicine, Billed as the Future of Medicine, Is Here Now
Tip 15 Historic News Broadcasts from NBC Learn	NBC Learn features broadcast news archives and Universal Newsreel footage dating back to the 1930s. Share these with students to illustrate shifts in media coverage and public perception of events from history. ·         A Look at Segregated Busing (Civil Rights Moment, 1955) ·         Viet Cong Attack on US Bases at Pleiku (Vietnam War, 1965) ·         Supreme Court Hears Case of United States v. Nixon (Watergate, 1974)
Tip 16 History Mini-Docs from NBC Learn	2-6 minute mini-documentaries from NBC Learn can help students quickly review important historical topics, from Women in Medieval Times to Thurgood Marshall and Brown v. Board of Education.   Use these resources to get students up to speed before delving into more complex analysis or assigned them as review before exams. Check out NBC Learn Original Social Studies Videos or US History Collection for more videos.
Tip 17 Inspiring America and Making a Difference on NBC Learn	NBC Learn features stories from “Inspiring America” and “Making a Difference,” two series from the Nightly News that profile individuals and organizations having a positive impact on their communities. Use the videos to: ·         Discuss social entrepreneurship case studies ·         Inspire student leadership ·         Highlight underreported issues facing specific communities
Tip 18 Primary Source Videos from NBC Learn	NBC Learn offers a wide variety of primary sources for teaching and research. Featuring full text transcripts in addition to video footage, NBC Learn offers users the ability to relive key moments from American history. Collections include: ·         Speeches from the Civil Rights Movement ·         Political Ads dating back to 1952 ·         Presidential speeches
Tip 19 Science Videos on NBC Learn	Video footage and explanatory graphics in NBC Learn science videos can help illustrate complex concepts.  Popular series include: ·         Changing Planet—From melting permafrost to the spread of infectious disease, this series outlines the impact of climate change on Earth. ·         Mysteries of the Brain—Seven videos introduce students to the structure and functions of the brain. ·         When Nature Strikes—This series features striking footage of natural disasters and detailed explanations from experts who study them. ·         NBC Learn Original STEM Videos—This collection features 2-6 minute explainer videos ideal for reviewing basic concepts.
Tip 20 Writers Speak Collection from NBC Learn	NBC Learn’s Writers Speak collection features authors from all genres discussing influences on their work. Videos can be used to provide context on an author’s work or models for students’ own writing process. Videos include: ·         Ralph Ellison on “Invisible Man” ·         Junot Diaz on His Newest Novel and Being Dominican ·         Maxine Hong Kingston on “Woman Warrior”
Visit NBCLearn's online Toolkit for more teaching resources and how-to’s.

Empty Files Submitted to Assignments and Content Collection – Users of Microsoft Windows 10 and Edge Browser

Microsoft Edge File Upload Issue

A bug in the Microsoft Edge browser in Windows 10 can cause file attachments to become blank in Blackboard. So far, this issue only appears to affect Microsoft Office files (Word, Excel, PPT, etc.).

The issue occurs when following these steps when trying to add attachments (for instance on content items or assignments):

1. Click on the "Browse My Computer" button, and navigate to the Microsoft Office file you want to attach. Click Open, but do not Submit the main page you're trying to attach the file to.
2. Outside of Blackboard, use Windows Explorer to open the file you selected in step 1; then close the file.
3. Now, back in Blackboard, click the Submit button for the page you're trying to attach the file to. 

When you follow these steps, you’ll see that a file with the correct filename will be attached to the item. However, when you open the attachment, it will be blank.  

Workaround #1:
Do not open the source file after selecting it for upload into Blackboard Learn.  Users should be advised to open files for inspection before accessing the area to which they wish to upload the file.

Workaround #2:
Use a different browser such as Chrome or Firefox.

New Procedure for Merging Course Enrollments in Blackboard

Effective immediately, The self-service “Merge Course Enrollments” tool in Blackboard is no longer working or supported.

Therefore, we are transitioning to an alternative course enrollment merge tool. The new tool is not self-service, and must be activated by eLearning staff.

To have your course enrollments merged, you must submit a “Merge Course Enrollment” request via Blackboard. eLearning staff will perform the merge and send you an email when the process is completed. The form can be found in Blackboard via the ‘My eLearning’ tab (login tab) and is viewable only by faculty.

1. Click on the link for the Merge Course Enrollment request form.
2. Enter all requested information in the form fields, then click Submit. If you are requesting more than 2 'child' courses, please submit an additional form. You will receive an email from eLearning once your request has been processed.
3. After your request has been processed, the 'child' courses will be marked as unavailable and will list which course it is a child to.
    
4. If you go into edit the child course, you will see a notification at the top of the screen that says this course is the unavailable child course. Modifications to this course will not be seen by students.

Click here for additional instructions on submitting a Merge Course Enrollment Request.

Blackboard is Temporarily Down

Attention faculty and students:

Please be advised that Blackboard is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Until this issue is resolved, you may have problems logging in to courses and/or doing anything within a course if you are able to log in. Blackboard is aware of, and working to resolve the issue. We will keep you all informed of further developments as we are updated by Blackboard Inc.

Thank you for your patience.

New Blackboard Features Available for Spring 2014

Safe Assignments (SafeAssign)
SafeAssign replaces Turnitin as a plagiarism prevention service. SafeAssign helps instructors prevent plagiarism by detecting unoriginal content in student papers. In addition to acting as a plagiarism deterrent, it also includes features designed to aid in educating students about plagiarism and the importance of proper attribution of any borrowed content.

Please note that beginning with the 2014 summer semester, Turnitin will no longer be available. SafeAssign has many of the same features as Turnitin.

Differences between SafeAssign (SA) and Turnitin:

• SafeAssign comes free with Blackboard, the Turnitin license is costly.
• Peermark, which allows a peer-marking function is not available in SA.
• In-line grading is not available with SA.
• Rubrics are not available with SA.

Date Management
The Date Management tool allows instructors to easily adjust all content and tool dates in their course from one convenient location. After copying your course, you can now easily transition from old dates to new ones relevant to the new course by accessing the Date Management tool via the Control Panel under "Tools". You can choose to adjust dates (due dates, availability dates, etc) automatically or individually.


Groups Management
The Groups Management Building Block allows faculty members to:

• Easily see which students are in which groups, including which students are not in any groups.
• Easily see and modify group memberships. Avatars are now available to distinguish among users.
• Choose and manage membership for groups sets with an improved workflow.
• Import and export groups and group memberships.
• Sort columns, perform bulk actions for deleting groups, and create Grade Center smart views for one or more groups on the All Groups page.
• Optionally, manage tool availability for all groups on the All Groups page.

Setup of Spring 2014 Online Courses

Setup of Spring 2014 Blackboard Online and Hybrid Courses has begun. Online faculty that have been posted as instructors in Colleague have been enrolled into their Blackboard courses using data retrieved directly from Colleague/Owl Link.  This is a reminder that online and hybrid faculty will not be enrolled as instructors in Blackboard until they are posted as instructors in Colleague.

Procedure for Blackboard Online and Hybrid Course Setup:

1. The faculty assignment is entered into Colleague/Owl Link (by the department chair, dean or other designee).
2. Through an automated process, faculty are enrolled in their online and hybrid courses in Blackboard based on the faculty assignment entered into Colleague/Owl Link.
3. Once faculty are enrolled in their Blackboard courses, they will receive an email. The email will contain an electronic form requesting faculty to respond with any “Special Instructions” for their online and hybrid courses. “Special Instructions” include Instructor Orientation information, On-campus testing, and Special Computer Requirements that are posted on the eLearning website for student access prior to the start of the semester. All online and hybrid faculty should reply to that email even if they have no “Special Instructions” (in which case they would enter “None”).

Additional information on Online and Hybrid Course Setup