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In Part 3, when we uploaded the Orientation Unit for students to your training template,
it changed the way the blank course template looked. If you click the "Home" button on
the course menu in your training template, you will see that your course menu is now
a beige color, and several duplicate links appear on the menu. You will need to rearrange
some of the links on the menu, and delete duplicate links. Don't worry—this is exercise
is designed to teach you how to customize the course menu; nothing is on the menu by
accident.
Turn on Edit Mode First, make sure your edit mode is marked
"on." The on/off switch is located at the top right of the screen. If it is off, click
it and it will turn on.
Symbols on the Course Menu Blackboard uses many symbols as clues for
instructors. In the course menu, there are several clues. For example, a small grey box
next to a course menu item means there is no content in the menu item (which is ok right
now—you are still building content in your training template). Students will not see
these menu items, since they are, in essence, blank.
Another symbol on the course menu is a white box with a line through it, also located to
the right of certain menu items. This means that the instructor has purposely hidden this
content from students—instructors see the link, and its contents, but students do not.
Moving Course Menu Items To rearrange course menu items, click the
up/down arrows next to the item you want to move, then drag the item to the place where
you want it in the menu.
Dotted lines appear in places where you can "drop" the menu item.
Deleting Items from the Course Menu
To delete items from the course menu, click the drop-down link to the right of the item
you want to delete, then select "delete."
Assignment: Arrange your Course Menu Now that you know how to rearrange and delete
items on your course menu, it is time to configure your menu for your training template. First,
delete duplicate items in the menu. You should only have ONE of each of these on your menu—delete
everything else.: • Home
• Course Content • Course Documents
• Syllabus and Policies • Announcements
• Messages • Tools • My Grades
• Support Services • Student Blackboard Help
• Groups • Instructor Help
• Discussions • Getting Started
Now, rearrange all items (even the horizontal lines) until your course menu looks like this:
Other information to Know about Course Menus:
Hiding Course Menu Items To hide a course menu item from student view,
use the drop-down menu next to an item, then choose "hide link."
Adding Course Menu Items To add items, such as content areas and Web
links, to the course menu, click the plus sign at the top of the menu. A list appears
with options for possible items to add.