Join Dawna Cerney, Joe Alberti, and Rachel Faerber-Ovaska on Thursday, April 9 from 8:30–9:30 a.m. at the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor for a hands-on session exploring practical ways to integrate AI into your teaching. Participants will rotate through interactive stations focused on defining their AI approach, using tools like NotebookLM and Smartie.dev, and leveraging Blackboard’s AI features to design activities and assessments. Bring a laptop and a course in mind. Attendees will leave with a concrete, ready-to-implement AI integration plan.

Discover how Ally for Blackboard can help you to work toward accessible and inclusive course content. This session will show you how to read accessibility scores, use the Course Accessibility Report, and apply quick fixes to common issues. You’ll also see how Ally empowers students with alternative file formats to fit their learning needs. 

In this session aimed at new users, you'll create an interactive multimedia Padlet and learn how to embed it in your Blackboard course. You'll learn how to add images, documents, video and audio, and take a look at Padlet's new AI features. When we're done, you'll also have access to templates and use case ideas you can adapt to your specific instructional needs.

Knowledge Checks in Blackboard Documents make it easy to add quick, low-stakes questions directly within your content. Using the AI Design Assistant, you can generate multiple-choice questions that provide immediate feedback and reinforce key concepts.

Learn how to create and use Knowledge Checks in Blackboard: View the Knowledge Checks Guide

Online courses provide an opportunity to do more than deliver content. They shape how students think, connect, and grow. This article explores how intentional course design can support students’ social, emotional, and cognitive development even in online environments. By incorporating reflection, meaningful interaction, personalized learning, and flexible pathways, faculty can create online experiences that support deeper engagement.

Read the full article: Supporting Student Development in Online Learning Environments

Using headings in Blackboard helps organize your content and makes it easier for all students to navigate, especially those using screen readers. Headings create a clear structure, allowing students to quickly scan and understand your materials.

Instead of using bold text to create sections, apply built-in heading styles (Heading 2, Heading 3, etc.) within Blackboard Documents to ensure your content is properly structured and accessible.

Learn how to format content using headings in Blackboard

As the semester comes to a close, keep the following key dates in mind:

Faculty may choose to submit final grades to Banner directly from Blackboard. If you plan to use Blackboard for grade submission, be sure your gradebook is accurate and all grades are posted before submitting.

Need help with the process? View our YouTube Gradebook Playlist.

Have questions about Blackboard or course design? We're here to help!

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