Tip #39: Compress PowerPoint slideshows for better uploading to Blackboard

Tip: You can compress PowerPoint slideshows for better uploading to Blackboard.

PowerPoint files that contain images and photos can quickly become very large files. This can cause them to take a very long time to attach and download in Blackboard. Office allows you the option to compress images allowing you to have a smaller file size for PowerPoints that will be displayed only on the screen.

Here’s how to do it:
Compressing Images in PowerPoint 2007

1. Open the PowerPoint file.
2. Navigate to the Office Button in the upper left hand corner.
3. Click Save As- PowerPoint Presentation.
4. Click the Tools drop down menu on the lower left hand side of Save As menu
5. Select Compress Pictures
6. Click Options
7. Under Options check:
   a. Check automatically perform basic compression on save
   b. Check Delete cropped areas of pictures
   c. Check e-mail for the target output
8. Click OK
9. Click OK to the Apply compression settings now dialog.
10. Change the filename (ex: unit1_compressed.ppt)
11. Click Save

Compressing Images in PowerPoint 2003 and earlier

1. Open your PowerPoint presentation
2. Click File Menu and then Save as
3. In the save dialog box, click the Tools drop down menu
4. Select Compress Pictures
5. Select All Pictures in document
6. Select Web/Screen.
7. Select Compress pictures and Delete cropped areas of pictures
8. Click OK
9. Confirm that you want to Compress Pictures (if the dialog appears)
10. Change the filename (example: unit2_compressed.ppt)
11. Click Save

Note: It’s best to keep a copy of the original PowerPoint if you intend to print high quality handouts. PowerPoints compressed for web/screen use may appear grainy when printed.

Tip #38: Subscribe to Discussion Board forums and threads

Tip: You and your students can subscribe to Discussion Board forums and threads.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to your course Discussion Boards and click the Modify button for a discussion forum. Under Forum settings, select Allow members to subscribe to: Forum and Threads. Click Submit. Users who subscribe to forums or threads will receive an email when forums or threads are updated.

NOTE: Enabling subscribing to forums and threads gives users the option to subscribe. Each user, including the instructor, can choose whether or not he/she wants to subscribe to a forum or thread. Once subscriptions are enabled users will see a Subscribe button on either the Forum or the Thread.

Tips for using subscriptions:

• Encourage all users who subscribe to forums or threads to check the SPAM filter settings on their email accounts. Some email programs may filter Blackboard emails as junk mail.
  
• Help users understand the difference between subscribing to a forum and subscribing to a thread. When users subscribe to a forum, they receive emails each time any thread in the forum is updated. When users subscribe to a thread, they receive emails each time that particular thread is updated.

Tip #37: Modify the content and layout of your Blackboard Welcome page.

Tip: You can modify the content and layout of your Blackboard Welcome page.

Here’s how to do it:
Log in to Blackboard. On your Blackboard Welcome page, click the Modify Content button located in the upper right hand corner.
Place a checkmark next to the content modules you want to add to your Welcome page. Un-check any modules you want to remove from your Welcome page. Click Submit to save your changes.
NOTE: Some modules cannot be removed from the Welcome page. These items are marked by a red checkmark.

Modifying the layout of your Welcome page:
To modify the layout of your Blackboard Welcome page, click the Modify Layout button located in the upper right hand corner.
Under Customize Page Layout, select a module and click the arrow buttons to move the module up, down, or to another column. You may also change the color scheme of your modules. Click Submit to save your changes.

Tip #36: Discussion Post Ratings

Tip: You can enable discussion post rating on your course Discussion Boards.

What is discussion post rating?
Discussion ratings allow students and instructors to rate discussion posts on a scale of 1 to 5. Ratings appear as stars in the upper right hand corner of each discussion post.

NOTE: Users are able to see only the overall rating for a discussion post. This means that students and instructors cannot see who rated which posts or how many users rated the posts.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to your course Discussion Boards and click the Modify button for a discussion forum. Under Forum settings, select Allow members to rate posts. Click Submit. Users will have a drop down menu in the upper right hand corner of the post enabling them to rate discussion posts on a 5-star scale.

Tips for discussion post rating:
The post rating tool is not a grading tool. The rating tool can be used to motivate students to read each other’s posts and to improve the quality of their own discussion posts. It is recommended that you provide a rating rubric for students. This will help students to apply appropriate lenses when reading other student’s posts and it will help students to know the standards by which their posts will be graded.

Tip #35: Web Browsers & Java affect your Blackboard experience

Tip: Web browsers and Java affect your Blackboard experience

Here’s how to do it:
As with all programs, web browsers differ in how they work with Blackboard. Often issues that arise for users can be overcome by trying a different web browser.

The three major web browsers used are Internet Explorer (primarily on PC’s), Safari (primarily on Macs) and Mozilla Firefox.

When browsers provide newer versions, it’s considered good practice to wait until it has been released for a while before updating. This wait ensures that programs working inside the browser (like Blackboard!) will have found any potential incompatibilities and update as well.

If you’re experiencing difficulties, try downloading an alternate browser and see if the issue continues. Firefox 2.0, the most compatible version of Firefox with Blackboard, can be downloaded at http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-older.html

It might not be just your web browser
Blackboard depends on the use of an internet plug-in, Java. Having an up-to-date version of Java will enhance your Blackboard experience. The most current version of Java is Version 6 update 7. There are several methods of checking your java version but the Java website will do a quick check for you and display the version. You can test if Java is working and check your version of Java by going to: http://www.java.com/en/download/help/testvm.xml?ff3
If you notice Blackboard issues and you’re running an older version of Java, you might consider updating your Java version. The Java website provides free downloads of its latest version at: http://www.java.com/en/download/

When this still doesn’t help
Call the helpdesk for assistance! Be prepared to tell them what browsers you’ve tried things in and which version of Java you’re running. This will help those troubleshooting quickly identify any problem areas or trends in issues being reported.