• Familiarize yourself with the textbook and resources if you have not previously used them.
• Revise and adapt syllabus and course content for online learning.
  • Use the Syllabus Generator to ensure you have included all important information.
• Align assignments and activities with course learning objectives.
• Create or adapt collaborative group projects, focusing on higher level learning.
• Create discussion topics as needed.
• Adjust quizzes and assessments for online learning.
• Check quiz and assignment tool settings for correct release dates.
• Set up your gradebook.

• Did you post an introductory announcement?
  • For help view Adding An Announcement
• Have you disabled those Course Areas and communication tools that you don't plan to use?
  • For help view Modify Your Course Design
• Are you satisfied with the current names for the Course Areas? Or, for example, would you like to change "Course Information" to "Syllabus"?
  • For help view Modify Your Course Design
• Do you like the button color and pattern?
  • For help view Modify Your Course Design
• If you plan to schedule an online discussion during the first week of class, where students can introduce themselves and begin building an online learning community, have you set up the forum and started the first thread?
  • For help view Add a Forum and Add a Thread
• Did you check each page of your course site for errors, including dead links, spelling errors, missing information or images, and improper formatting?
• Have you included participation guidelines for the online component of your course?
• When you're ready to go live, did you make the course "Available" in the "Course Options" area of the control panel? Did you check that the course is properly located in the Blackboard Course Catalog?

• Provide class orientation (syllabus, schedule, communication policies, etc.).
• Ask your students to complete the Distance Learning Online Student Orientation.
• Auto-populate your initial course roster into Blackboard (is this already done?).
• Update your student roster.
• Create and monitor a “Technical Help” discussion topic for your students.
• Create a Discussion Board Forum for students to introduce themselves and chat with each other informally – a sort of “water cooler” area for discussions not dealing with course content.

• Maintain virtual office hours.
• Create private discussion groups as needed.
• Read and respond to discussion postings frequently.
• Provide timely feedback to assignments and make suggestions for improvement.
• Release and update course content.
• Summarize units and provide introductions to upcoming weeks in your remarks.
• Grade quizzes and update quiz settings as needed.
• Grade assignments that students have uploaded to the Digital Dropbox or Assignments area.
• Update grades in the gradebook.
• Periodically ask for class feedback in order to adjust course activities as needed.

• Finalize grades in the gradebook.
• Remind students about course evaluations.
• Create and release an online final exam, if applicable.
• Answer any final questions.
• Review and assess your teaching methods. Analyze student evaluations for your strengths and areas that need improvement.

Adapted from http://teach.ucf.edu/nowwhat/logistics/timeline/index.html