Tutorials on Bb Tools LKRyder Bb Achievements
Now that you understand the complex role of badges and gamification in teaching and learning, you are ready to learn the technical nuts and bolts of using Blackboard Learn 9.1 Achievements tool.
Blackboard Tutorials
To use the Achievements tool in Blackboard Learn there are several sets of technical skills you must have.
For those who are casual users of Blackboard or new to LMS (Blue Path), I have included links to some of the tools you might need to learn before you take on Achievements. See the section on Related And Prerequisite Blackboard Skills. If these skills seem beyond your current ability, you can either skip them and go back to the general information about badges and gamification, or use the tutorials to learn the prerequisites. Once you have tried using the prerequisite skills in your course, and feel confident in their use in a live course, come back and try the Achievements tool tutorials. These tutorials are not meant to intimidate, but rather to make you aware that the successful use of the Achievements tool does require some very real experience in the Blackboard system.
For those who are experienced users of Blackboard (Red Path), I have provided a section specifically on the Achievements tool itself that you can go to directly. See the section on How To Use The Achievements Tool In Blackboard.
Be sure to at least review the ones you think you already know so you can verify your skill set before starting the building process.
Related And Prerequisite Blackboard Skills
Adding a link to the course menu (you will be adding an Achievements link to your menu): The Course Menu is the main navigation point for your course. Providing direct access to frequently used or important content through the menu is a good way to create an efficient experience for your students. You will want to add a link to Achievements earned by the student to your menu.
Adaptive Release skills: Many of the criteria you will use for your badges or certificates in Achievements will be based on rules. Some will also be based on results and criteria from Adaptive Release rules. The Achievements tool uses criteria in much the same way as the Adaptive Release tools. If you have used Adaptive Release extensively, you can skip these, however, a quick review might reveal some features and tricks new to you.
Best Practice: Explaining Content Release
Best Practice: Approaches to Adaptive Release
Basic and Advanced Adaptive Release
Examples of Advanced Adaptive Release
Grade Center: both Achievements and Adaptive Release rely on data that is recorded in the Grade Center. The Grade Center tracks student activity, calculates grades, records attempts, and can generate reports. Setting up the Grade Center to support your Achievements tool activities will be imperative. This link will take you to Blackboard's documentation on the Grade Center. Use the tutorials on this page to learn how to set up calculated columns, use column settings, and navigate the tool.
Student preview setup: Before making your course available to students or while you are testing out various new tools, be sure you view your work in the Student Preview mode. This will show you exactly what a student will see, and make sure you are actually creating the experience for the student that you intended.
How to set up the Student Preview
How To Use The Achievements Tool In Blackboard
Printable Tutorial on setting up the Achievement Tool: Create and Manage Achievements
Achievements (student experience): How students see and use Achievements
Video on creating an Achievement from K12DigitalSolutions: Creating an Achievement (video 10min)
Once you have reviewed and/or completed the tutorials, follow your learning path by clicking on the path color below.
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