Faculty Options

Manage Course Menu

The Manage Course Menu tool lets you customize the navigation menu of your Blackboard course. You can create a navigation menu specifically for each course with titles and functions of your choice. You can create additional content areas and add tool functions to the navigation menu. You can also rename any of the navigation buttons or links.

Adding a Content Area Menu Item

From the Control Panel:

1. Click on the Manage Course Menu link in the Course Options section.
2. Click on the Add Content Area icon.
3. Choose an area name from the Area name drop-down menu or type an area name in the text field.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on the Submit button.
   Note: You will need to click on the Refresh button on the bottom of the menu to see any changes made.
   

Set Area Properties:

• Allow guest access – Enable this option to let guests, users who are not enrolled in the course, access this content area.
• Allow observer access – Enable this option to let users with observer accounts access this content area.
• Make available for Student/Participant users – Enable this option to let users with student or participant accounts access this content area.

Adding a Tool Area Menu Item

From the Control Panel:

1. Click on the Manage Course Menu link in the Course Options section.
2. Click on the Add Tool Area icon.
3. Choose an area type from the Area Type drop-down menu.
4. Choose an area name from the Area Name drop-down menu or type an area name in text field.
   Note: Some area types do not have a drop-down menu to select a name from, so you must type one in the text field.
5. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on the Submit button.
   Note: You will need to click on the Refresh button on the bottom of the menu to see any changes made.
   

Set Area Properties:

• Make available for Student/Participant users – Enable this option to let users with student or participant accounts access this content area.

Adding a Course Link Menu Item

From the Control Panel:

1. Click on the Manage Course Menu link in the Course Options section.
2. Click on the Add Course Link icon.
3. Type an area name in the Area name field.
4. Click on the Browse button to find the item to link to.
5. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on the Submit button.
   Note: You will need to click on the Refresh button on the bottom of the menu to see any changes made.
   

Set Area Properties:

• Make available for Student/Participant users – Enable this option to let users with student or participant accounts access this content area.

Adding an External Link Menu Item

From the Control Panel:

1. Click on the Manage Course Menu link in the Course Options section.
2. Click on the External Link icon.
3. Type an area name into the Area name field.
4. Type the address of the link into the Target field.
5. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on the Submit button.
   Note: You will need to click on the Refresh button on the bottom of the menu to see any changes made.
   

Set Area Properties:

• Launch in a new window – Enable this option to have the external link open in a window separate from Blackboard.
• Make available for Student/Participant users – Enable this option to let users with student or participant accounts access this content area.

Removing a Menu Item

From the Control Panel:

1. Click on the Manage Course Menu link in the Course Options section.
2. Click on the Remove button on the right.
   Note: You will need to click on the Refresh button on the bottom of the menu to see any changes made.
   

Reordering a Menu Item

From the Control Panel:

1. Click on the Manage Course Menu link in the Course Options section.
2. Click on the pull down number field on the left.
   Note: You will need to click on the Refresh button on the bottom of the menu to see any changes made.
   

More Information

Q: If I change the navigation items, will it be permanent?
A: No, you can modify or edit the navigation menu at any time during your course’s duration.

Q: What are the benefits of changing the names on the navigation or course menu?
A: You can change the names on the course menu to better reflect their contents. Instead of “Assignments,” you may want to call the section “Book reviews” if you are teaching a literature course or “Experiments” if you are teaching a Chemistry course.

Q: What are the benefits of adding tools or external links to the menu?
A: Your students may spend much of their time looking at specific websites for your course. You can make a direct link to the site on the navigation menu, so your students can have faster access to certain websites. For example, a public health class could have a direct link to the National Institute of Health website on the front page of the course. Adding frequently used tools to the navigation menu will also make it easier for your students to access them.