Author: Tasha Hussey

Blackboard Ultra: Setting Up a VoiceThread Activity Type

Post author By Tasha Hussey
Post date February 13, 2025

Setting Up a VoiceThread Activity Type

Once you have added VoiceThread to your Blackboard Ultra Course Content area, you will be redirected to the Activity Type menu page where you can choose one of the following:

Assignment Builder:

Individual VoiceThread: Display any VoiceThread that you have created. When students click on the link, they’ll see just this one VoiceThread. This option is the best way to create a VoiceThread discussion board or lecture. Students will not need to look through a collection of VoiceThreads to find the correct one; they will be taken straight to it.
Course View: Display the collection of all individual VoiceThreads that have been shared with your course and all graded assignments that have been set. This is a good option for allowing students to see all coursework at a glance and review past assignments.
VT Home Page: Display all of a student’s VoiceThread content in a single view. This includes all VoiceThreads and all courses that belong to them. This option is useful if you want to create a simple portal into VoiceThread without directing students to any specific content.

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This article was created and is maintained by the Office of Academic Technology.

If you have found an error in this article, or if you need assistance incorporating this article into your course, please contact the Faculty Instructional Support Specialist.

Editing Your VoiceThread

Post author By Tasha Hussey
Post date February 13, 2025

You can edit any VoiceThread that belongs to you or to which you have been given editing rights. Add more slides, remove others, and change the settings for a VoiceThread at any time. All of those edits are immediately visible to anyone who has access to the VoiceThread.

Follow these procedural steps for Editing an existing VoiceThread.

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This article was created and is maintained by the Office of Academic Technology.

If you have found an error in this article, or if you need assistance incorporating this article into your course, please contact the Faculty Instructional Support Specialist.

Blackboard Ultra: Grading a VoiceThread Assignment

Post author By Tasha Hussey
Post date February 13, 2025

Grading a VoiceThread Assignment

Click on the VoiceThread link in your Blackboard course. This will display the grader.
Click on a student’s name on the right to see that student’s submission.
You can click on each comment below his or her name individually to jump directly to it.
Enter a grade on a percentage scale (0-100), and hit “Enter” on your keyboard.

This grade will immediately be entered into your Blackboard Ultra course gradebook.

* Note: If you have set the assignment to be worth less than 100 points, still grade it on a scale of 0-100, and the score will be adjusted accordingly in your gradebook.

If you have students who have not yet submitted their assignments, click on the “Remind” button to send them an email reminder. Click “Remind all students” to send an email to everyone who has not yet submitted.

More information can be found here: https://voicethread.com/howto/grading-assignments

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This article was created and is maintained by the Office of Academic Technology.

If you have found an error in this article, or if you need assistance incorporating this article into your course, please contact the Faculty Instructional Support Specialist.

Blackboard Ultra: Creating a Graded VoiceThread Assignment

Post author By Tasha Hussey
Post date February 13, 2025

Creating Different Graded VoiceThread Assignments in Blackboard Ultra

You can require students to Create a VoiceThread of their own to submit, Comment on a VoiceThread you’ve created, or simply Watch a VoiceThread from start to finish.

Start with Assignment Builder

From any Add Content icon (+) in Course Content, select Content Market.
From the Content Market, scroll down and select VoiceThread.
You will be redirected to the VoiceThread activity type menu. Select Assignment Builder and click Continue.
Choose from one of four options:

Create: Students will be required to create and submit their own VoiceThread.

Click on Create.
When the assignment creation window opens enter a description for the assignment.
Click Create Assignment.

Comment: Students will be required to submit a comment on an existing VoiceThread.

Select Comment.
When the assignment creation window opens select a VoiceThread from your Library (or create a new one by clicking on Create new VoiceThread).
Enter a description of the assignment.
Set the number of comments.
Opt to share or moderate comments.

Watch: Students will be required to watch an entire VoiceThread.

Click on Watch.
When the assignment creation window opens select a VoiceThread from your Library or create a new one by clicking on Create a VoiceThread.
Enter a description of the assignment.
Click Create Assignment.

Reconnect to an old assignment you have already created:

Click on Reconnect Previous Assignment.
You will be redirected to a list of all VT assignments you have previously created for your Blackboard course. Click on the assignment you want to reconnect.
Click Publish. The Blackboard VT link will now direct the student to the republished assignment.

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This article was created and is maintained by the Office of Academic Technology.

If you have found an error in this article, or if you need assistance incorporating this article into your course, please contact the Faculty Instructional Support Specialist.

Distance Education Semester Prep Checklist

Post author By Tasha Hussey
Post date August 16, 2019

Getting Ready

Can you see all of your courses?

Are all your assigned courses for the next semester listed in the Online Schedule and in Blackboard? If not, please verify with your department that you are assigned the course. If you have verified you are assigned to the course and you do have missing classes, please send the synonym(s) of the missing course(s) to [email protected].

Course Copy

Have you copied your course from the previous semester or previous year to each and every section of the course you plan to teach? See Copying Course Content for step-by-step instructions.

Course Syllabus

A special adaptation of the master syllabus template has been approved for use during the current pandemic crisis while campuses are closed to students. Note that addenda and other changes will be made as the situation evolves. Visit the Master Syllabus Checklist & Template for details.

Is your current syllabus available in the Course Schedule? If not, visit Lighthouse.

Update Your Course for the New Semester

Have you made the necessary modifications and updates to your courses? If you use due dates or have ‘start and end dates’ for different assignments, have you reset these dates? Double-check course content and references (videos, hyperlinks, etc.). Make sure any course activities are active and working (quizzes, discussion forums, etc.). Is your orientation exercise ready? Check out the Teaching & Learning Knowledge Base for articles about Blackboard.

Online Testing

Testing for courses will be online. Visit the Testing Guide to find detailed instructions and procedures for all the online testing options available at ACC.

Resources for Students

The Office of Distance & Alternative Education has various resources that you are welcome to add to your Blackboard course. Here are a few helpful links:

Area of Study Advisors for Distance Education

Advisors are available for distance education students at every stage of their education journey at ACC. DE students starting their educational program are recommended to visit with an ACC Area of Study Advisor to help them get started on the right track.

Online Tutoring

Online tutoring is now available for ACC students. Find more information on the Learning Labs website and Schedule an Online Tutoring Session.

Class in Session

Blackboard Opens

Your Blackboard course should already be available to your students online. Remember: Classes need to be updated before the first day of class.

Welcome/Getting Started Message

Consider a Welcome/Getting Started message through email or on Blackboard to engage students early.

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This article was created and is maintained by the Office of Academic Technology.

If you need assistance incorporating this article in your course, please contact an Educational Technologist.

Blackboard Ultra: LockDown Browser Quick Start Guide

Post author By Tasha Hussey
Post date July 22, 2019

LockDown Browser
Quick Start Guide

LockDown Browser is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment in Blackboard Learn. When students use LockDown Browser to take a Blackboard test, they are unable to print, copy, go to other websites, access other applications, or close a test until it is submitted for grading. Tests created for use with LockDown Browser cannot be accessed with standard browsers, either.

To learn more view the Quick Start Guide here.

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This article was created and is maintained by the Office of Academic Technology.

If you have found an error in this article or if you need assistance incorporating this article in your course, please contact an Educational Technologist.

Adding a Hyperlink to a VoiceThread

Post author By Tasha Hussey
Post date January 22, 2019

Go to the Edit page.
Click on the slide to which you want to add a link.
Click on the pencil icon in the bottom-left corner of the slide thumbnail.
Enter the URL into the Links to field. Note: You need to also add a title to the slide.
Click Save.

From an open VoiceThread

Click on the postcard icon at the bottom of the VoiceThread.
Drag a slide to the Edit button on the left side of the page and drop it.
Enter a URL in the Link to field.
Click Save.

When people view your VoiceThread, the title will appear at the top of the slide. If people want to access the link you have entered, they will need to click on the link button on the right-hand side of the slide

To learn more, view the Putting an active link on a slide article.

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This article was created and is maintained by the Office of Academic Technology.

If you need assistance incorporating this article in your course, please contact an Educational Technologist.

Distance Education Area of Study Advisors

Post author By Tasha Hussey
Post date December 5, 2018

Advisor	Area of Study
Cameron Hawkins AoS Advisor – Student Services (RRC) ✉️ [email protected] 📞 512.223.0410 (office)	Business Science Engineering and Math
Bob House Academic Advising Supervisor – Distance Education Student Services (RRC) ✉️ [email protected] 📞 512.223.7768 (office)	Education Liberal Arts (Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences)
Angela Cole-Mota AoS Advisor- Student Services (HYS) ✉️ [email protected] 📞 512.262.6528 (office)	Arts, Digital Media, and Communications Computer Science and Information Technology Public and Social Services
Javier Lara AoS Advisor – Student Services (RRC) ✉️ [email protected] 📞 512.223.0412 (office)	Culinary, Hospitality, and Tourism Design, Manufacturing, Construction, and Applied Technologies Health Sciences

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This article was created and is maintained by Distance Education & Alternative Learning. If you have found an error in this article please contact Distance Education & Alternative Learning.

If you need assistance incorporating this article in your course, please contact the Faculty Instructional Support Specialists.

Blackboard Ultra: Taking Attendance Manually on Qwickly Attendance

Post author By Tasha Hussey
Post date October 30, 2018

Taking Attendance Manually on Qwickly Attendance

The following videos demonstrate how to take attendance manually using Qwickly in Blackboard Ultra.

List mode

One by One mode

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This article was created and is maintained by the Office of Academic Technology.

If you have found an error in this article or if you need assistance incorporating this article in your course, please contact Educational Technology Support.

Sending Email

Post author By Tasha Hussey
Post date August 28, 2018

You can use Blackboard’s email tool to send messages to all or selected users in your course. Any replies are sent to your ACC email address (@austincc.edu).

To learn more, view this Email article.

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This article was created and is maintained by the Office of Academic Technology.

If you have found an error in this article or if you need assistance incorporating this article in your course, please contact Educational Technology Support.