External Examiners are able to access the Blackboard modules they are attached to giving ability to view content that has been added such as course materials, module handbooks, assignment briefs etc.
How will I see the courses I can access
When you log into Blackboard, go to the Tools option in the left hand menu and click on External Examiners. This function provides you with a list of modules that you are attached to as external examiner. Click on the module name to enter the Blackboard course.
Please note that some modules have multiple runs and so you may see multiple Blackboard courses for the same module but with different runs.
Why are some courses prefixed with ‘Archived’
Blackboard courses are prefixed with the word ‘Archived’ when the module has passed the resit run Field Board date.
What will I see in a Blackboard course?
The content of each Blackboard course is managed and controlled by the course instructors and so will differ from course to course. Each College has a specific course template to guide their instructors on course content and layout.
Your External Examiner access allows you to view any content added by the instructors if that content is available for students to see.
The Course Menu
The left hand course menu is your navigation to the content of the course.
Click on a content area from the course menu and its content will be displayed in the right hand pane. There are various types of content an instructor can attach such as Office files, images, videos, links to other websites. Depending on how the instructor has set a content item up, the item may display in the Blackboard frame or it may open in a new browser window.
Collaboration Tools
Some course instructors may have used student collaboration tools such as discussion boards, wikis, journals etc to support their teaching. You may come across links to these tools in either the left hand course menu or within a content area. You can also access these tools from the Course Tools area of the Control Panel.
Assessments
There are two main types of assessment used in Blackboard: Assignments and Tests.
Assignments
Blackboard Assignments are currently used for online coursework submissions. The student attaches their file(s) to the submission point and then submits.
With the External Examiner role, you will be able to see the submissions to the assignment via the Grade Centre.
Tests
Blackboard tests can be used by instructors to check student understanding. The instructors can set various types of questions such as multiple choice; fill in the blanks; true / false etc. Questions can be set with a points value plus student feedback for correct / incorrect answers.
With the External Examiner role, you will only be able to view the test if it is still available to students. You will be able to access the test results via the Grade Centre.
The Control Panel
The bottom left hand control panel is mainly for use by instructors and administrators. The external examiner role will be able to see and access some functions here but our advice would be to use the Course Menu above to navigate the course content and tools used.