Instructor Resources

Whom do I email about what?

BeADisciple is growing, and so is our staff! Refer to this guide to know whom to contact with any question you have:

Email Lisa if you have questions about:

• The best dates to schedule a course
• Building your course in Blackboard
• Problems you’re having with Blackboard (or submit an error report)

Email Melissa if you have questions about:

• Instructor Payments
• Your course description page
• Inaccuracies on the course schedule or your course’s enrollment form
• General website issues

Email Sara if you have questions about:

• Writing an effective course description
• Notification list emails
• Press releases

Email Beth G if you have questions about:

• Course enrollments
• Certificates of Completion
• Certificates of Completion replacements

Email Beth P if you have questions about:

• Building content in Blackboard
• Marketing your course

Need a refresher on Blackboard?

Lisa Buffum and instructor coach, Beth Perry, have designed an instructor resource library in Blackboard.  It should be in your Blackboard account once you have completed IFD100.  If it is not, or if you’ve lost your access to Blackboard, please email Lisa to be added.

1. Write your course descriptions right to your potential students. Use “you” instead of “participants” (i.e. – “you will learn…” instead of “students will learn…” or “participants will learn…”) in your description.
2. However, DON’T use “I” and “we” in the description which can leave the reader wondering “who?”
3. Give enough information in your course description to help potential learners know if the class is right for them.
4. Make sure you clearly state what learners will gain from the course. What ‘problem’ does your course help them overcome?  What will they gain by taking your course?
5. We’d prefer your course description be at least two paragraphs long and adequately convey what you plan to teach.
6. For help writing or editing your course descriptions, email Sara.

• Plan ahead. You should have your course submitted to us at least 6 weeks before it starts. This allows us to include a link to your course from our monthly e-newsletter, work with you on possible blog posts to raise interest in your course, and help ensure that your course is on the course schedule long enough for interested students to see it and enroll.
• Be aware of timing. Are there holidays scheduled during your course? Big events? Double-check your calendar and consider whether you will need to give students an extra day to complete a particular assignment or whether you’d like to schedule in a break during your course.  We’ve also found that it’s better to start your course after our monthly newsletter goes out on the first Tuesday of the month — i.e. if the first Tuesday is the 3rd of the month, please don’t start your course on Monday the 2nd.
• Make sure your course name is clear.  The name of your course should be clear enough that someone looking through a list of courses would know what your course is about and what it will teach them.
• Write a clear course description.  Make sure you describe what topics the course will cover and what participants will learn.  As a general rule, we try to avoid bullet points in descriptions.

• Use these handy marketing tips  to help you fill your course.
• Share your course within your networks once the course is ready for enrollments. Don’t forget to tell your friends about your course, and ask your church or conference to share a description and link to your course in their weekly newsletter.
• Print a few business cards that list your course — Email Lisa for a digital BeADisciple business card template.
• Ask Sara for a digital flyer to help you tell people about your course on BeADisciple. Email Sara for a digital postcard for your course!