{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Blackboard Help for Staff - University of Reading","provider_url":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/tel-support","author_name":"andyturner","author_url":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/tel-support\/author\/andyturner\/","title":"Blackboard Blogs and Journals - Blackboard Help for Staff - University of Reading","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"oZ7XlKjtuc\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/tel-support\/2020\/07\/14\/blackboard-blogs-and-journals\/\">Blackboard Blogs and Journals<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/tel-support\/2020\/07\/14\/blackboard-blogs-and-journals\/embed\/#?secret=oZ7XlKjtuc\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Blackboard Blogs and Journals&#8221; &#8212; Blackboard Help for Staff - University of Reading\" data-secret=\"oZ7XlKjtuc\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(c,d){\"use strict\";var e=!1,o=!1;if(d.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(!(t.secret||t.message||t.value));else if(\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret));else{for(var r,s,a,i=d.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),n=d.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),l=0;l<n.length;l++)n[l].style.display=\"none\";for(l=0;l<i.length;l++)if(r=i[l],e.source!==r.contentWindow);else{if(r.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message){if(1e3<(s=parseInt(t.value,10)))s=1e3;else if(~~s<200)s=200;r.height=s}if(\"link\"===t.message)if(s=d.createElement(\"a\"),a=d.createElement(\"a\"),s.href=r.getAttribute(\"src\"),a.href=t.value,!o.test(a.protocol));else if(a.host===s.host)if(d.activeElement===r)c.top.location.href=t.value}}},e)c.addEventListener(\"message\",c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),d.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",t,!1),c.addEventListener(\"load\",t,!1);function t(){if(o);else{o=!0;for(var e,t,r,s=-1!==navigator.appVersion.indexOf(\"MSIE 10\"),a=!!navigator.userAgent.match(\/Trident.*rv:11\\.\/),i=d.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),n=0;n<i.length;n++){if(!(r=(t=i[n]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\")))r=Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,10),t.src+=\"#?secret=\"+r,t.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",r);if(s||a)(e=t.cloneNode(!0)).removeAttribute(\"security\"),t.parentNode.replaceChild(e,t);t.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:r},\"*\")}}}}(window,document);\n<\/script>\n","description":"What are Blogs and Journals? A Blog is a simple web-publishing tool that allows users to make entries to a web page that are displayed in date order. These entries, known as posts, are made up of textual content with weblinks, and they can combine pictures, video and audio. You can create blogs inside a Blackboard course for the whole course for each student for specific course Groups. Blackboard Blogs are visible to all course users. A Blackboard Journal is a blog which can only be viewed by the individual author, and staff on the course. See more on the uses of blogs and journals in teaching and learning on the TEL website: Blogs Journals Assessed Blogs and Journals If you are using a course or individual Blog for summative assessment, please read the relevant article: EMA Integration: Blogs EMA Integration: Journals &nbsp; How do I add a Blog or a Journal to my courses? By default, a course does not have any blogs or journals. As instructor you need to create the blogs that you would like to use on your course. There are three different types of Blog and one type of Journal: Course Blogs i.e. a single Blog for the course. All enrolled users are able to post Blog Entries. All enrolled users can also post Comments to Blog entries. Individual Blogs i.e. a blog for each student on the course. Only the owner of the Blog is able to post Blog Entries. All other users enrolled in the Course are able to view and add Comments. Group Blogs i.e. a blog created within one or more Groups on the course. If the instructor enables the Blog tool for a Group, all Group members can post entries to that Blog. Any course member can view and comment on other Groups\u2019 Blog posts. Journals These are Individual Blogs which are private to each student. They can only be viewed and commented on by the student and the instructors of the course. See the Journals section below for how to set up a Blackboard Journal. &nbsp; To create a Course Blog or an Individual Blog Click on Control Panel &gt; Course Tools &gt; Blogs and then Create Blog. On the next screen, enter a name for the blog, and any instructions for your students. Under Blog Participation you need to choose Individual to All Students (i.e. a separate blog for each student) or Course (i.e. one blog for the whole course). Other options should be self-explanatory but for further help click on More Help at the top of the page. Note that you can choose to mark the Blog, if appropriate. If you tick &#8216;Mark&#8217; additional options appear. &nbsp; Creating a Group Blog If you have Groups set up on your course, you can create a blog for use by the Group members. You can specify the tools you want to be available when setting up a Group. If you have already set up your Groups but did not enable Blogs, go to\u00a0Control Panel &gt; Users and Groups &gt; Groups Click on the editing chevrons next to the Group name, and choose Edit Group. Scroll down to Section 2 Tool Availability, tick the box next to Blogs and then Submit. If your groups are created as part of a Group Set, there are certain settings that can be applied to the Group Set as a whole: creating a Blog for each group in the set setting these blogs to be gradable However the due date and points possible have to be edited for each Group by editing the Group Properties or by editing the column created for the Blog in the Grade Centre For more on managing Groups see\u00a0Blackboard: Groups \u2013 Getting Started Peer Assessment Scenario If you need groups to access other&#8217;s blogs (read only) you will need to link to the Blogs tool using &#8216;Link to the Blogs Page&#8217;. Students can then access all blogs created on the Blackboard Course. &nbsp; Creating a Journal A Journal is a tool for self-reflection. By default only the individual student and course Instructors are able to view and comment on Journal entries (although it is also possible for an Instructor to make a Journal visible to all enrolled users on a course). Creating a Journal is very similar to the way you create a blog. Go to Control Panel &gt; Course Tools &gt; Journals then Create Journal. Enter a name and instructions, and choose the appropriate settings. When entering instructions, you may wish to specify how often students should post to the Journal (e.g. at least once a week) and the format which entries should take (e.g. following the What? So What? Now What? model). &nbsp; Viewing and editing Blog and Journal settings At any time if you go to Control Panel &gt; Course Tools &gt; Blogs you will see a list of all the blogs which exist on the course. To enter a blog, simply click on its name. To edit a blog\u2019s settings, click the chevrons to the right of the name and choose Edit. &nbsp; Making your Blog or Journal available to students Group Blogs If you are using Group Blogs, then students will be able to access these from the My Groups panel at the bottom of the main course menu. &nbsp; Course or Individual Blogs and Journals Add a link to a specific Blog or Journal through a course content area The best way to enable students to access a course or individual blog or journal, is to link to the item from within a content area. You can create a link to a specific blog or journal from any content area. To do this, go into the content area and select Tools &gt; Blogs\u00a0or\u00a0Tools &gt; Journals. You can then link to a list of all Blogs or Journals link to a specific Blog or Journal create a new Blog or Journal and link to it. When you create links in this way, students...","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/tel-support\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/30\/2020\/07\/Blog-Link.jpg"}