Embedded content in BlackBoard Learn

Why embed?

What is an embed code and where do I put it in BB?

The "embed code" is a block of HTML which allows a web tool to be embedded within your BlackBoard course.  It's similar to a hyperlink but it allows you to interact with the linked tool whilst staying inside the BB course.

Embed codes look similar to this:

However, you don't need to worry about writing the code.  You can find them by looking out for icons such as these...

...and then copy-paste them into the HTML editor tab of an item in BB.

BB's own embedding tools:

1. Insert image inside textbox, not as an attachment. 

2. Add an audio track with a QuickTime player suitable for the iPad.

3. Add a YouTube video using the Mashups tool.

4. In Google Chrome, use the Record from Webcam tool to make an embedded video.
 

How do you embed a video from YouTube?

Locate a video that you want to use and seek out its embed code. Paste the embed code into the HTML tool. This video explains how: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnuwB35GYMY

 

Now you know what embed codes look like, you can start to seek them out:

1. Make a basic hyperlink more engaging by turning it into an Embedly card. 

This website turns any web address into an embed code: http://embed.ly/code

This is an example of an Embedly card: Socrative

 

2. Add clocks and timers.

http://www.zeitverschiebung.net/en/clock-widget?timezone=Asia/Dubai&type=city&id=292672

Current local time in
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

© Time Difference

http://ipadstopwatch.com/

http://ipadstopwatch.com/countdown-widget-generator.html

 

The problem of Flash/Shockwave content

There are many lovely embeddable tools that, unfortunately, don't work on iPads  because they use Shockwave or Flash.  These tools will embed and work on teacher computers in the classroom but will not show up on the students' iPads:
http://www.online-stopwatch.com/download-stopwatch/ 
http://popplet.com/app/#/310
http://voicethread.com/

Five good tools that you can embed

Here are some lovely tools that can be embedded in BB and be accessed through the iPad:
1. Quizlet http://quizlet.com/16664310/theme-6-ls-7-1-flash-cards/ 
 

2. Padlet http://padlet.com/rachel_scott/jx17h2fa9ee6

Created with Padlet

3. Listly http://list.ly/list/XUR-listly-idea

Listly idea

 

4. Educreations https://www.educreations.com/#_=_
(On the iPad, the embedded video will take the student to their educreation app and open the video in their app)

5. FlipQuiz http://flipquiz.me/u/anrim/module-2-people

 

Please let us know in the comments if you find any more good embed codes, especially if they are iPad compatible.  Thanks!