…to help faculty convert courses from one version of Blackboard LMS to the next
Selected pages from a Blackboard Conversion booklet.
Description: This 12-page booklet was prepared to facilitate BYU faculty performing their own conversion of courses from one version of Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS) to the next. Both printed and Acrobat (.pdf) copies were made available to faculty, along with training and support as needed.
My Roles/Contributions: I worked out the instructions (instructional design), wrote the text (technical writing), and did the layout and graphic design of the booklet.
Instructional Details: Each major section begins with a general explanation of “how” and “why” for that process. This was followed by numbered step-by-step instructions (where appropriate) with accompanying illustrations. Illustrations were both numbered with the same numbers, and were physically close to the steps they illustrated, to make them easier to follow.
Graphic Details: All pages included as much white space as possible to give them a clean, open feel which, it was hoped, would make the instructions seem clear and straight-forward rather than elaborate and complex. A large, san-serif typeface (Futura) was used as display, heading text, and lables, and a condensed, san-serif typeface (Helvetica Neue Narrow) was used to make instructions appear shorter than they actually were. Large headings and labels were grayed-out to make them less obtrusive.
All illustrations were make from screen captures, with a step-label number that matched the typeface and color of the step in the text, and with an exaggerated pointer symbol as the cursor pointing to the critical step.
