The Create Web Link feature allows you to place links to outside websites within any content area of a Blackboard course site. Students click on the link and are taken directly to the linked website. Some students may not yet have had experience using the Internet for research purposes, this feature allows you to provide them a list of approved reference sites. Adding URL’s can also be used to provide online “field trips” where you send your students to a particular business or organization to look around or participate in online activities.
To add a web link to a Content Area
1. Navigate to a content area
2. Hover over the Build Content button and click Web Link
3. Type a name for the link and type/paste the complete address for the website in the URL field. Add a description for the link.
5. Add any file attachments
6. Set the link to Open in New Window – [Why?]
7. Click the Submit button.
FAQ
Q: Why should I set the URL to open in a new window?
A: There are two main reasons you should set the web site to open in a new window: copyright concerns and ease of navigation. Opening a website within the framework of another is called framing and is not considered best practice from a copyright perspective. Many sites do not mind being framed, and educational institutions usually have more leeway than commercial organizations, but asking permission first is considered best practice. To be safe, always choose to open the site in a new window. [More information on copyright at DMU]
Opening a website in a new window also allows users to more easily move back and forth between sites without losing their place.
Q: What would be the benefit of including links in the content areas instead of listing them all together in one ‘web links’ section?
A: The ability to add links anywhere in your course site allows you to link together multiple items of content in some kind of cohesive learning structure. For example, you could have your students read an article about a certain company or organization, then have students visit the company’s website to gather additional information, then have them complete a test on Blackboard about the information on the website.