Blackboard Journals create a place for students to privately communicate with the faculty member/instructor of the course. According to Blackboard, students can also use journals as a self-reflective tool to post their opinions, ideas, and concerns about the course, or discuss and analyze course-related materials. This article explains how to create a Journal in Blackboard.

1. Access your Course

2. Ensure Edit Mode is ON

3. Click on a content area where you want students to access the journal. Ex. Course Materials

4. Click Tools

5. Click Journals

Note: If you do not see Journals, click More Tools at the bottom. This will expand the list and show you all the tools.

6. You are creating a link to the Journals area (all of your Journals will be listed here)

7. Give the link a name and any Text to explain the link to your students

8. Set the options you want for the Link:

a. Make the link available by selecting Yes

b. Decide if you want to track the number of views

c. Set any Date Restrictions using Display After and Display Until

10. You will now need to create the journal settings.

Click on the name of the link to the Journals area

15. Adjust the Journal Settings:

a. Index Entries either Monthly or Weekly - This will organize entries by the chosen time-frame

b. Check the box if you want to allow users to edit and delete entries

c. Check the box if you want to allow users to delete comments

d. Decide if you want to permit course users to view the journal. NOTE: This makes the journal public

16. Enter any Grade Settings

a. Grade Journal = No Grading or Grade

If you select grade, enter Points Possible

b. Add a due date, and associate a rubric (if desired)