North Dakota State University

Blogs in Blackboard

What is a Blog?

A blog is a collaborative collection of information, similar to an online discussion board. Collaboration occurs as entries from multiple people collect in one place, but each participant's entry is only editable by that person. 

How do I get started?

• Creating a Blog - Video tutorial
• Creating a Blog - Acrobat tutorial
• Creating and Editing Blog Entries - Video tutorial
• Commenting on Blog Entries - Video tutorial

How do I grade blog participation?

• Grading a Blog - Video tutorial
• Grading a Blog - Acrobat tutorial

Why use a Blog?

Here are some possible uses:

• "What we did / will do in class" - created by the instructor, but students can comment. It saves instructor the time it takes to answer the question for multiple students, one by one, via Email.
• If a classroom activity isn't tied to a particular assignment, this can be a simple way to have your students hand in their work for "Class Participation" points.Then they can easily look at each others' work, too.
• Students could enter their "muddiest points" of what was covered in class. Then they and the instructor can see all the entries and know whether there is a trend or not.
• Have an online discussion about a topic. Students who don't usually participate verbally in class have a safe place to express their views.
• When the blog is embedded in Blackboard, participants can find it easily and the grades are automatically entered into the Bb Grade Center. It is also shielded from the outside world, which can be considered both a plus and a minus.