A Virtual Classroom might contain:

Class activities

Group and individual learning activities

Discussions and chats with students, parents and guests

Quizzes and surveys

Homework activities and assessment documents

Full online courses with modules of work

Forums and synchronous chat sessions

WebQuests, Hotlists, Scavenger Hunts, etc.

What is a Virtual Classroom?

A Virtual Classroom is private online space in Blackboard that teachers can use to support student learning. It is accessible via the Internet, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Just like your face-to-face classroom, a Virtual Classroom is a busy place.

Class organization

Important information for students and parents

Calendar and timetables

Unit overviews

Student grade/mark book and criteria sheets

Student homepages

Virtual Classrooms (or private courses) are not listed on the Learning Place. The only participants are your own students or the staff at your school or place of work.

Virtual Classrooms are not quality assured by the Learning Place. This means that the content and design is chosen at the local level. The copyright and IP should be checked at the local level to ensure all material is clear of infringement.

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Why use a Blackboard Virtual Classroom?

Many of the activities listed here are possible to provide in other online contexts. School websites, school intranets, and personal websites are all places where staff and students can access online content. So, why use Blackboard?

You do not need web authoring skills. Content such as lesson overviews, assessment tasks, criteria sheets, links to web resources, downloadable files, worksheets, tutorials and mark books can all be easily created through the site control area of Blackboard using templates.

Curriculum resources for students are available during and outside school hours, unlike most school intranets.

Students can only access their own Virtual Classroom via a unique Learning Place username and password.

.Teachers absent on sick leave or attending a professional development activity can leave work for their students in their Virtual Classroom and check progress. Students on holidays can also check in with their class.

Assessment items can be tracked through the use of self-marking quizzes and short answer items in the grade book.

Students' progress during collaborative projects can be tracked. Students can work together conveniently after class hours.

Students can submit drafts, plans and assessment items through the digital drop box.

Promote substantive conversations and deeper understanding through discussion with invited guests.