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Blackboard Ultra – Create a sign-up sheet

Contents

Staff Guide: How to use self-enrol groups, a Cloud Collaboration document or Microsoft Form to manage student sign ups.

Self-Enrol Groups

Guide: Self-Enrol Groups

Screenshot of the create a new group page. The group visibility is highlighted with a number 1, as this if the first setting you should change. The setting has been changed to "Visible too students". The Group students method is highlighted with a number 2, as this is the second setting you should change. The setting has been changed to "Self-enrolment".

Benefits

  • Use the Groups for more than just a sign-up sheet. Use the groups in the course to manage group access to content and shared spaces, such as discussions, assessment and cloud documents.
  • Set enrolment period start and end dates.
  • Automated reminders are sent to students to self-enrol.
  • Automatically assigns any non self-enrolled students to the groups after the enrolment period ends.

Limitations

  • Preview users will be automatically assigned to groups -remove the preview user.
  • Limited control over the timing or wording of the automated reminders.
  • Students receive announcements and must go to the course Groups area to self-enrol. You cannot add a content item or link to the self-enrol page in the course content.
Example announcement to students to join a self-enrol group. The subject is "Join a group to participate in Self Enrol Group" and the body of the announcement states "Make sure you check the enrolment deadline".
Example announcement to students to join a self-enrol group

Cloud Collaboration Document

Guide: Cloud Collaboration Document

Benefits

  • Straightforward to set up, especially if you already have an exisiting document as a template.
  • Create a new blank document or use an existing document as a template.
  • You can change the editing rights on the document at any point by updating the sharing permissions.
  • Create a sharing link so that the URL to the document can be shared by email, or with others not enrolled on the Blackboard course.
  • You can add the sheet as an item to the course content, anywhere in your course.
  • Easily print the document for reference.

Limitations

  • No enrolment period or automated reminders to complete the sign up.
  • Cloud Collaboration documents cannot be duplicated or copied from course to course.
  • Students get editing rights to the whole document.
  • Does not automatically create Blackboard groups from the self-enrol membership.
  • May be difficult to track who has or has not signed up.

Microsoft Form

Guide: Microsoft Forms

Screenshot of a Microsoft Form embedded into a Blackboard Ultra document.

Benefits

  • You can share the form as a link or use Add HTML to embed it into an Ultra document.
  • You can share a link to the form by email.
  • You can export the results as an excel sheet or PDF.

Limitations

  • Students can not see the responses from other students.
  • The form is not dynamic; you cannot set a maximum number of responses for an option to ensure an even split of sign-ups.
  • No enrolment period or automated reminders to complete the sign up.
  • Does not automatically create Blackboard groups from the self-enrol membership.
  • May be difficult to track who has or has not signed up.

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