Blackboard: The Journal Tool

Journals are a space for students to communicate privately with the instructor. Students can also use Journals as a self-reflective tool to post their opinions, ideas, and concerns about the course, or discuss and analyze course related materials. 


Create a Journal

  1. Access the course and ensure Edit Mode is ON
  2. In the Control Panel, expand the Course Tools tab and select Journals
  3. On the Journals page, click Create Journal
  4. Type a name and optional instructions. Make the Journal available to students.
  5. Select Journal Date and Time Restrictions if needed
  6. In the Journal Settings section, select Monthly or Weekly Index Entries.
  7. Optionally, select the check boxes to allow users to edit and delete entries, or delete comments.
  8. Optionally, select the check box to Permit Course Users to View Journal. If selected, the journal becomes public and all users can view the journal entries.
Name the journal and write instructions
  1. In the Grade Settings sections, select no grading or the grade option and type the number of points possible. Points possible will apply to one or more entries made by the user to the journal topic. After you enable grading, a column is created automatically in the Grade Center.  *Note – After checking the grade option, the journal is permanently gradable, and you can’t change the setting to No Grading
  2. If you choose to grade the journal topic, select the check box for Show Participants in needs grading status and select the number of entries required. If you apply this setting, the Needs Grading icon will show in the Grade Center. The entries will appear in the queue on the Needs Grading page after student activity meets this threshold. 
  3. Add a due date and rubric if wanted
  4. Select Submit
choose grading options for the journal

Add a Course Menu Link for the Journal

To make the Journals you have created easily accessible to your students you can add a tool link to your course menu for the journal. 

  1. Select the plus sign at the top of your course menu and select Tool Link
  2. Name the link
  3. Under Type, select Journals
  4. Select Available to Users and click Submit
select the plus sign from the course menu and select tool
Name the journal and select submit



Page last modified June 27, 2019