Customizing Your Course Menu in Blackboard Original

Blackboard’s Course Menu provides users access to a course's content.  The menu items and the order in which they appear are fully customizable and can be arranged based upon the preferences and priorities of the faculty member.  Menu customization takes place within the Course Menu by clicking on the action links located along the sides and top of the Course Menu.

Note: These features are only accessible when Edit Mode is ON.

Note: Course Menu items remain hidden from students until content is added to the Content Area. This is indicated by an empty gray box next to the menu item.

Overview of Course Menu

menu menu2

  1. Add Menu Items – Faculty have the option to customize the Course Menu by clicking the "plus" icon (+), which opens up a list of resources that can be added to the Course Menu.
  2. Course Menu Action Bar – The icons located across the top of the Course Menu allow users to adjust the view of the menu.
    • From left to right:  Display Course Menu in a New Window, Refresh, and Keyboard Accessible Reordering: Menu Items. 
  3. Action Links – Indicated by the round drop-down icon, action links allow users to access menu item options, expand or collapse menu items, or launch a selected menu item.
  4. Drag-and-Drop Reordering – The double-headed arrow will allow faculty to reorder menu items up or down. Click and hold the left mouse button to enable the reordering feature.
  5. Reorder Without Drag-and-Drop - The Course Menu also includes simple button controls for reordering items, which can be used instead of the drag-and-drop method. They can be found by clicking the up and down arrow icon above the Course Menu. From the panel that pops up, select the item you wish to move, then click on the small up or down arrow buttons to move the item to the desired place in the list. When done, click the Submit Button. 

Note:  Reordering menu items, access to menu item options, and the ability to add a menu items is limited to users with the role of Instructor, Teaching Assistant, Grader, or System Administrator.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add a Home Page link to the Course Menu?

If your Blackboard course does not have a Home Page, or if you deleted it and would like to restore it, you can add a Home Page by clicking the + sign in the upper left corner of the Course Menu and selecting Module Page.  Once a Home Page link has been added, you can add a variety of modules by clicking on the Add Module button. To access the Add Module button, you will need to click the Home Page manu link, and it will display in the adjacent window.  You will also be able to reorder your Home Page link by dragging it to your preferred location. 

To make your Home Page the course entry point, go to the Control Panel and click on Customization and select Style.  From here you will go to Option #4, "Select Course Entry Point" and choose Home Page from the drop-down menu.

I created a Content Menu item and marked it available to students, but they still can't see it. How can I correct that?

Customizing your Content Menu in the left-hand navigation is very helpful for students to be able to easily find content within the course. The default menu contains Information, Content, Assessments, Contacts and other links. As you build out the Blackboard Course Menu, you will notice 2 types of gray boxes next to the menu items. One is a simple gray box and as you hover over it "This link has no content" will appear. Course Menu links are not visible to students until content is added to the area. This reduces the clutter of student finding empty content areas that may not be used. The other is a gray box with a line through it "This link is hidden from students" will appear. Show links when you have created the content and are ready to share it with students. The two gray boxes will not be present when students can see the content area the Course Menu is linked to. 

The menu can be customized to meet the needs of any course design. Visit the Customizing Your Course Menu page for more information.


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