Embedding Content in Bb NG
PowerPoint
PowerPoint slide shows can be added to a Blackboard site but should be limited to 5 mb. Care should be taken to compress all contained images (to keep file size small). In addition, PPT should be provided in an alternative format, such as PDF. When creating PDF files, it is recommended that the print setting be set for 3 slides per page. This will reduce the number of pages, should a student wish to print the PDF document. The best PowerPoint format is PowerPoint 97-2003 (.PPT) rather than the newer PowerPoint 2007 (.PPTX) format, which might require students using older versions of Microsoft Office to download a special viewer.
Another option for PowerPoint slides shows is to upload your file to the online streaming slide show service Slide Share. You can use the service to add more features to your slide show, such as audio, music, narration, and then embed it in your Blackboard course site using Slide Share's embedding feature.
Video
Video can be very tricky; it is very easy to create a video file that is too large to be delivered on the web. Consider that your students may not have access to a broadband connection. Some students are still on dial-up connections, making it impossible to access large video files uploaded to Blackboard.
These are the most acceptable streaming video formats: Windows Media Video (.WMV), MPEG-4 (.MP4), Flash Video (. SWF or .FLV), Quicktime (.MOV) and RealMedia (.RM).
You can also put your video on Blackboard by uploading it to a streaming video site and then "embedding" the video right in your Blackboard course site. It is always better to stream the video from sites such as vimeo, YouTube, TeacherTube, iTunes@GVSU* or Google Video than to upload the file just to Blackboard. If you choose to upload a video files directly into Blackboard, that file should be no larger than 10-15 mb. Larger files should be uploaded to a streaming video site and then embedded in Blackboard (this makes them appear to be contained in Blackboard, but they are actually streamed from the streaming video site).
Audio
Audio files uploaded to Blackboard should be no larger than 5 mb. Acceptable formats are .MP3, .M4A, and .WMA. The best way to post an audio file to Blackboard is to make it a podcast episode - that way the player for the audio is shown right in Blackboard and the student does not have to download the audio before listening to it. Audacity is a free software that can be used for creating audio files.
Google Calendar
Google Calendar is a dynamic, interactive way to schedule your Bb course. To embed a Google Calendar in your Bb site simply copy the embed code and paste it into a permanent announcement on your homepage. Follow this tutorial for detailed steps.
Google Spreadsheet
One of the features of Google Docs, a Google Spreadsheet can be published as a web page for other users to view. Detailed tutorial here.
*iTunes U cannot be embedded, it can only be accessed by creating a link to play the video in iTunes. For more details click here.
PowerPoint slide shows can be added to a Blackboard site but should be limited to 5 mb. Care should be taken to compress all contained images (to keep file size small). In addition, PPT should be provided in an alternative format, such as PDF. When creating PDF files, it is recommended that the print setting be set for 3 slides per page. This will reduce the number of pages, should a student wish to print the PDF document. The best PowerPoint format is PowerPoint 97-2003 (.PPT) rather than the newer PowerPoint 2007 (.PPTX) format, which might require students using older versions of Microsoft Office to download a special viewer.
Another option for PowerPoint slides shows is to upload your file to the online streaming slide show service Slide Share. You can use the service to add more features to your slide show, such as audio, music, narration, and then embed it in your Blackboard course site using Slide Share's embedding feature.
Video
Video can be very tricky; it is very easy to create a video file that is too large to be delivered on the web. Consider that your students may not have access to a broadband connection. Some students are still on dial-up connections, making it impossible to access large video files uploaded to Blackboard.
These are the most acceptable streaming video formats: Windows Media Video (.WMV), MPEG-4 (.MP4), Flash Video (. SWF or .FLV), Quicktime (.MOV) and RealMedia (.RM).
You can also put your video on Blackboard by uploading it to a streaming video site and then "embedding" the video right in your Blackboard course site. It is always better to stream the video from sites such as vimeo, YouTube, TeacherTube, iTunes@GVSU* or Google Video than to upload the file just to Blackboard. If you choose to upload a video files directly into Blackboard, that file should be no larger than 10-15 mb. Larger files should be uploaded to a streaming video site and then embedded in Blackboard (this makes them appear to be contained in Blackboard, but they are actually streamed from the streaming video site).
Audio
Audio files uploaded to Blackboard should be no larger than 5 mb. Acceptable formats are .MP3, .M4A, and .WMA. The best way to post an audio file to Blackboard is to make it a podcast episode - that way the player for the audio is shown right in Blackboard and the student does not have to download the audio before listening to it. Audacity is a free software that can be used for creating audio files.
Google Calendar
Google Calendar is a dynamic, interactive way to schedule your Bb course. To embed a Google Calendar in your Bb site simply copy the embed code and paste it into a permanent announcement on your homepage. Follow this tutorial for detailed steps.
Google Spreadsheet
One of the features of Google Docs, a Google Spreadsheet can be published as a web page for other users to view. Detailed tutorial here.
*iTunes U cannot be embedded, it can only be accessed by creating a link to play the video in iTunes. For more details click here.
Page last modified October 27, 2010
