Technical Support and Resources: Preparation for Online Teaching

Laptops and Wireless Devices

For help setting up your laptop or device, contact Wireless Support.

Blackboard

For help with Blackboard and CUNYFirst logins, student support, and other technology inquiries, please visit our Blackboard Support page or contact the Help Desk.

For technical questions about Blackboard and other technologies, please contact the IT support email address.

Note: Beginning in the summer of 2025, Lehman College will switch from Blackboard to Brightspace. New tools and support will soon be available to help you make the switch.

Email

For help setting up your faculty email address visit our Faculty and Staff Email Information Guide.

Templates

• Online Course Template and Course Planning Document. Every semester all courses are automatically given a generic Blackboard course template. This online course template can be used to modify your course. Designed by experienced online faculty, the modular design provides an attractive and organized learning roadmap that makes it easier for students to navigate the course. The template also includes additional resources such as an Online Student Orientation. Contact the Center for Teaching and Learning for more information and assistance to adopt.

Tools

• Blackboard is a learning management system (LMS) that allows you to post course materials, engage with students, and demonstrate learning goals. Available on mobile.
• Blackboard Collaborate Ultra is a real-time video conferencing tool that enables you to meet virtually, share applications, use a virtual whiteboard to interact, and create breakout groups. Explore all video and audio conferencing options.

Note: Lehman College will be switching from Blackboard to Brightspace beginning Summer 2025.

• VoiceThread is a web-based interactive tool for collaboration and discussion. Instructors can create mini-lectures with a webcam, slides and other course materials. Students can add audio and video comments as well as create multimedia presentations or e-portfolios. Available in Blackboard.
• Turnitin lets you give feedback and voice comments to your students, save time on grading, generates originality reports, and reduce plagiarism. Available in Blackboard.
• Office365 allows you to update and share files from multiple devices and work collaboratively on a document at the same time. Applications include OneDrive for Business (1 TB of free storage) and Skype for Business.
• Camtasia allows faculty to create, edit, and share more in-depth instructional videos. (Must ask Steve Castellano for access steve.castellano@lehman.cuny.edu).
• SnagIt is used to create, edit and share screen captures and recordings. (Must ask Steve Castellano for access steve.castellano@lehman.cuny.edu)
• LiveScribe Pen transforms your handwritten notes into "pencasts" by recording what you say and what you write, draw and sketch. Faculty may request a LiveScribe pen (subject to availability).

Check out this Comparison Chart for details on recording, editing, and conferencing.

Tutorials

• Complete a Blackboard (Bb) Basics Training Course to build a foundation for using Blackboard to support teaching and learning. This asynchronous, self-paced course takes 2-4 hours to complete. You will receive a certificate upon successful completion. Additionally, you may choose to review Lehman's customized Blackboard Tutorial.
• Complete an Online Course Readiness Review. This interactive form helps you ensure that essential design elements are in place for each of your courses. The Center for Teaching and Learning can provide feedback, guidance, and further assist you with your online course design.
• Ask your students to take the Lehman College Online Student Orientation “Are You Ready?” a one-hour, asynchronous, self-paced, non-credit online course, designed to help students get oriented with the Blackboard environment, and assist students in developing the necessary technology proficiency. Students receive a certificate upon successful course completion which you can ask them to submit as proof of completion.
• Weighted Grades is a step-by-step tutorial to help grade by the percentages you assign to various columns and categories.

Additional Tech Support

Review our comprehensive Reference Guide for any additional tech support.