Blackboard Features: Weekly Tips Archive

Tip #102: End of the Semester Checklist

2011-05-11T15:13:00.002-05:00

Tip: At the end of each semester, you should

Make courses unavailable
Backup each course Gradebook
Archive each Blackboard course

Make courses unavailable:

From the Control Panel, click Customization and select Properties.
Underneath Set Availability, check the box next to No.
Click Submit.

Backup the course Gradebook:

From the Control Panel, click on Grade Center and select Full Grade Center.
Click Work Offline on the right side and select Download.
On the Download Grades page under Data, select Full Grade Center, and under Options, select the Delimiter Type as Tab. Under Save Location, select Download Location as My Computer.
Click Submit. A file containing the Grade Center data will be created.
Click the Download button and choose where to save the file.
NOTE: The file will be downloaded with an *.xls extension which will open in Excel.

Archive your Blackboard course

From the Control Panel, click Packages and Utilities and select Export/Archive Course.
Click Archive.
On the Archive Course page under Select Copy Options, select Include Grade Center History.
Click Submit.
An email will be sent when the archive has been completed.
NOTE: Refresh the screen to view the zip file. The course archive may take up to 15 minutes to generate.
Click the Archive File of the course to save to computer.

Tip #101: Backing up the Grade Center

2011-05-04T15:07:00.002-05:00

Tip: You can back up your Grade Center by downloading a copy of it in spreadsheet format.

Here’s how to back up your Grade Center:

From the Control Panel, click on Grade Center and select Full Grade Center.

Click Work Offline on the right side and select Download.

On the Download Grades page under Data, select Full Grade Center, and under Options, select the Delimiter Type as Tab. Under Save Location, select Download Location as My Computer.

Click Submit. A file containing the Grade Center data will be created.

Click the Download button and choose where to save the file.
NOTE: The file will be downloaded with an *.xls extension which will open in Excel.

Tip #100: Best Practices for Student Test Taking in Blackboard

2011-04-27T14:46:00.004-05:00

Tip: You can help students reduce the chances of technological mishaps while taking exams by encouraging them to follow a few best practices. Please share these tips with your students.

Tips for instructors setting up tests can be found here.

Best Practices for Students Preparing to Take a Test in Blackboard

Allow adequate time to take the test. Last minute testing leads to frustration!
Do not start a test until you are ready to complete it. If a test is timed, the clock will start counting down from the moment you enter the test. If you exit the test, it will continue to count down until the test is submitted.
Take tests during hours that the IT Helpdesk is open. This will allow you to get help quickly if needed.
IT HelpDesk Regular Hours (940-898-3971 or helpdesk@twu.edu)
Monday - Thursday 7:30 am - 9:00 pm
Friday - 7:30 am - 5:30 pm
Saturday - 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Sunday - 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Do not take a test on an iPad, iPhone or other smart phone device.
Do not take tests at public schools, hospitals, or other places of work that have heavy firewalls.
Use only Internet Explorer 8 or Firefox to take tests.
Disable pop-up blockers on your browser.
Clear your internet browser cache before beginning a test.

Best Practices for Students While Taking a Test in Blackboard

If a Java or certificate popup appears asking for permission, grant permission by clicking Yes.
Do not open any other browser window or application for the duration of your test session.
Look at the Instruction box at the top of the test for test settings.
- If Force Completion says “This Test can be saved and resumed later,” be sure to save answers regularly.
- If Force Completion says, “This Test must be completed now,” do not click Save Answer or Save All Answers.
Do not click outside of the test—including the navigation on the left side panel in Blackboard.
Do not click on any browser navigation such as the Back, Forward, or Home buttons.
Do not let test pages remain static for too long. If a question needs to be thought out, be sure to make some mouse movements to make sure the browser detects that you are still active in the test.
Do not use the scroll wheel on your mouse as this may inadvertently change answers.
Do not double click the Save button.
When ready to submit, click the Submit button only once. Look at the page load progress bar to determine if the submission page is loading. Wait at least 2-5 minutes for a confirmation that your quiz was received. The quiz must be sent, scored, and the results returned to you.

Note: For test security, Instructors or Teaching Assistants are the only ones who can reset tests. If you are locked out of a test, follow their procedures to request a reset.

Tip #99: YouTube Mashups

2011-04-20T15:13:00.003-05:00

Tip: Embed a video into your course shell by searching for Youtube videos using the Mashup tool.

Go to the Course Menu and select the content area where you would like to embed the video.

Click Build Content, and select YouTube Video on the right side under Mashups.

Enter your search terms in the Search bar, and click Go.

Click Preview to watch a video.

Click Select to choose a video.

Once a video has been selected, a screen will open with the following options for your video:

Add YouTube Content to Course

Name – The name of the video will automatically be entered into this line and can be changed.
Description – Any text entered will appear underneath the embedded video.

Mashup Options

View – The video can be embedded in three ways:

Embed Video to allow students to view the video directly in Blackboard.
Thumbnail posts a small image of the video in Blackboard and opens the video in a popup.
Text Link with Player posts a link for students to click to open the video in a popup.

Show YouTube URL – Select yes to create a link to the video’s YouTube page.
Show YouTube Information – Select yes to display the length of video, name of creator, and date the video was added.

Complete items 3 (Attach or Link Content) and 4 (Options) as desired.

Click Submit to save and embed video.

Tip #98: How to Copy a Wiki

2011-04-06T16:20:00.001-05:00

Tip: The copy wiki tool allows the instructor to retain the content and permissions from a previous wiki for use in a new wiki.

From the Course Menu, click Tools.

Click Campus Pack Collaboration Space.

On the right side under the Content section, click the Add Content button at the end of the box.

On the right, click Copy from Existing.

Select the course name from the list in the first column. A list of all Campus Pack wikis, blogs, journals, and podcasts will load in the second column. Select the wiki to be copied.

In the Title box, enter the title for the copied wiki. The title of the original will stay the same.

To retain the permissions from the original wiki, check the box under Copy sharing settings.

Select Copy to save. The copied wiki will open automatically.

Tip #97: Using the Collaboration Space to Link Wikis and Blogs

2011-03-30T16:18:00.007-05:00

Tip: By creating a link on the course menu you can provide students with quick access to all wikis and blogs in the course. Students will see the wikis and blogs that are available to them.

Hover over the plus sign (+) icon at the top of the Course Menu to show the drop down menu. Select Create Tool Link.

Enter the name of the link that will appear on the course menu.

Under Type, select Campus Pack Collaboration Space.

Check the box next to Available to Users.

Click Submit.

Once students enter the Campus Pack Collaboration Space through this link, they will see all wikis, blogs, journals, and podcasts that have been made available to them in the course. Students will also see a list of course members and recent activity in the blogs and wikis.

Many thanks to Christopher Johnson in Distance Education for sharing this tip with us!

Tip #96: Score Options for Multi-Attempt Exams

2011-03-23T16:39:00.005-05:00

Tip: After deploying an exam with multiple attempts, you can specify which grade (or combination of grades) will be used by the Grade Center for scoring.

To specify the grade to be used for scoring multi-attempt exams:

In the Grade Center, click on the action link in the exam’s column header cell and select Edit Column Information.

In the dropdown box next to Score attempts using, select which grade you would like to use and then click Submit.

Grade of Last Attempt
Highest Grade
Lowest Grade
Grade of First Attempt
Average of Attempt Grades

***TWU TECHNOLOGY INVITATION***

The Division of Technology and Information Services invites your input! Please click the link below to fill out a short survey and help us represent you better.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QYBB35N

Tip #95: Importing Tests

2011-03-09T16:53:00.003-06:00

Tip: Tests can be imported from previous tests created in Blackboard.

Importing Tests from a Previous Course

Part 1: How to Export a Test

Under the Control Panel, click Course Tools and then Test, Surveys, and Pools.
Click Tests to retrieve a list of tests in your course.
Click the down arrows next to the test you want to export.
Click Export. A .zip file will download to your computer.

Part 2: How to Import a Test from a Previous Course
Note: The original test must be exported using the directions above.

Under the Control Panel, click Course Tools and then Test, Surveys, and Pools.
Click Tests and then Import Test.
On the Test Import page, click Browse My Computer to locate the .zip file.
Click Submit.
Once you receive a message that the test has been imported, click OK and you will be returned to your updated list of tests.

Note: If the test contains a random block from pools, then you will also need to export and import that pool.

Test questions may also be created in Word and uploaded using a Test Generator. Click the following link for directions: http://www.twu.edu/downloads/blackboard/BB9-1_Test_Generator.pdf.

Tip #94: Collecting Discussion Board Posts

2011-03-02T13:50:00.003-06:00

Tip: A feature in Blackboard allows instructors and students to pull up a one-page view of all discussion board posts.

This feature can be used for printing posts or viewing all posts on one page.

Collecting Posts

From the course menu, click Discussion Board.
Click a discussion board forum.
Select all posts by clicking the box next to Date. Click Collect, next to Thread Actions.
All posts, including replies, will open on one page. Scroll down to read all posts.

Sorting and Marking Collected Posts

Scroll over the box next to Sort by to view and select an option for sorting posts. Posts can be sorted by Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name, Subject, Date of Last Post, and Thread Order.
Note: When sorting by name you may receive an error messaging stating that not all names could be detected and some posts may appear out of order. This message usually occurs when an anonymous post is included.

Posts can be marked as read or unread by clicking Mark, found underneath Sort by. To mark posts as read or unread, select posts by selecting individual boxes next to posts or by clicking All. Click Read or Unread from the Mark menu. Posts can also be marked by clicking the Mark as Unread or Mark as Read button in the bottom right corner of each post.

Tip #93: Recommendations for Deploying Tests

2011-02-23T11:32:00.003-06:00

Tip: There are many options when a test is deployed in Blackboard. Following are recommendations for and explanations of test settings options.

Check out the Instructor Tips for Testing and Student Tips for Testing for more recommendations.

Deploying a Test (Test Options)

Open Test in New Window: No. Popup blockers may prevent students from being able to even open tests that open in new windows.
Make Link available: Yes
Multiple Attempts can be beneficial for students, but is not necessary. You can select to allow multiple attempts or restrict to a set number of attempts to allow for possible issues.
Do not check Force Completion. Students are only “locked out” of tests when Force Completion is set. We recommend setting a timer instead.
Set timer allows the instructor to see how long a student spent on a test, regardless of how many times they closed their browser, had a connection time out, or were boosted by their Internet service provider. Since force completion is off, the student can reenter the test. The test timer continues to record time even if the student has exited the attempt.
If setting release dates and times for a test, you must select both Display After and Display Until.
Passwords for tests are especially useful when testing students in groups (eg: class of 120, testing 30 at a time in a proctored setting). Passwords should be changed after each group is tested.
Do not check Hide Results for this Test Completely from Instructor and the Grade Center. This setting will not allow the instructor to ever see the scores on a test and should not be used for a test that needs to be graded.

Note: When deploying a test, do not use Adaptive Release to set date and time restrictions for the test. Instead, use the Display After/Display Until feature on the test options.

Tip #92: Announcing the Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series (BITS)

2011-02-09T11:22:00.001-06:00

Tip: The Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series, offered through Blackboard Corporate, aims to help faculty adopt pedagogy that harnesses technology to improve learning outcomes and educator efficiency.

These four, 30-minute “snack-sized” webinars will be taught by faculty from higher ed institutions across the US and supported by Blackboard corporate experts.

Sessions include:

Strategies to Engage Student, February 22, 1-1:30 CST
Ten Ideas to Help Students be More Engaged in Online Classes, March 1, 1-1:30 CST
Assessing Student Engagement for Continuous Course Improvement, March 8,
1-1:30 CST
Efficient Collaboration and Team Building in the Distance Learning Environment, 1-1:30 CST

This is a valuable learning experience for even the most seasoned instructor or designer.

To learn more about these sessions or to register, visit http://bb.syncslate.com/ and http://us.meeting-stream.com/blackboardinc_bitsseries/.

Tip #91: Adding Images and Files to Discussion Boards

2011-01-26T16:59:00.000-06:00

Tip: Instructors and students should follow these specific guidelines to upload and view attachments in discussion boards due to a current issue affecting discussion board attachments.

Please share the student directions with your classes to ensure that student submissions are viewable.

INSTRUCTORS: Attach a file to a discussion board post.

In a new post, make sure the Visual Editor in the upper right corner of the message box is On.
Select the Attach File icon on the bottom of the message box toolbar.
Select Browse My Computer to retrieve the file or image to attach.

STUDENTS: Attach a file to a discussion board post.
Note: Students should not embed images directly into a post.

In a new discussion board post, type message.
Underneath Attachments, next to Attach File, select Browse My Computer.
A new window will open with files available to attach.
Click Submit to attach the file.

Note: Instructors may need to enable Attach File for students.

INSTRUCTORS: To enable Attach File on discussion boards for students:

Under Control Panel, select Course Tools and Discussion Board.
Click on discussion board that contains the forum to edit.
Click the dropdown menu next to the forum name and select Edit.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to find Forum Settings and select Allow File Attachments if the option is not checked.
Click Submit.

Tip #90: Enrolling and Removing Students from a Course

2011-01-19T15:13:00.000-06:00

Tip: You can enroll students, remove students, and limit a dropped student’s access

NOTE: Official university student rosters can be obtained from WebAdvisor and compared with Blackboard rosters.

Enrolling a student:
You can enroll students who are on the official university student rosters but not on the Blackboard roster.

Access your course
Click on the Users and Groups area of the Control Panel and select Users
Click on Enroll Users
On the Add Enrollments page, enter the student’s username and click on Submit

Removing students from a course:You can remove students who are not enrolled in the course per your WebAdvisor roster. Keep in mind that all student data will be removed including grades, assignment submissions, and course statistics. If a student has dropped the course, consider limiting their access so that you may retain their student data.

Access your course
Click on the Users and Groups area of the Control Panel and select Users
Select the students you would like to remove from your course
Click on Remove Users from Course

Limiting a student’s access and retaining student information:If a student has dropped the course, you can limit their access to the course while retaining all student data, including grades, for that student.

Access your course
Click on the Users and Groups area of the Control Panel and select Users
Click on the action link next to the student’s username and select Change User’s Availability in Course
Select No from the dropdown next to Available (this course only)
Click on Submit

Tip #89: Beginning of Semester Checklist

2011-01-12T14:46:00.000-06:00

Tip: Beginning of semester tasks

Enhance course design and menu options
Customize course entry by setting a new course entry point (e.g. Announcements, Discussions, Groups, Tools)
Combine multiple course sections into one shell (if applicable)
Make the course available

Enhance the course design and menu options:

Access your course
On the Control Panel, click on Customization and then select Style where you can:

choose a course menu style
manage how the menu is displayed
add/change the course banner

On the Course Menu, you can:
- re-arrange the order of menu items by clicking on the double-headed arrow to the left of the menu item then dragging and dropping the item to its new position on the Course Menu
- rename, show/hide, or delete a menu item by clicking on the action link next to the item
- add a content area, a link to a course tool, a link to a course area, or an external link to the course menu by clicking on the Add symbol on the Course Menu

Customize course entry by setting a new course entry point (e.g. Announcements, Discussions, Groups, Tools):

Access your course
On the Control Panel, click on Customization and then select Style
Scroll down to the Select Course Entry Point section and select your entry point form the dropdown
Click on Submit

Combine multiple course sections into one shell (if applicable):

Access the course from which you want to move users
On the Control Panel, click on Packages and Utilities and then select Course Copy
Select Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course from the Select Copy Options dropdown
Click on Browse and, in the pop-up window that appears, select the Destination Course then click on the Submit button in the lower right-hand corner of the pop-up window

NOTE

Place a checkmark next to Tasks
Place a checkmark next to Include Enrollments in the Copy
Click Submit

NOTE

Make the course available:

Access the course you want to make available
On the Control Panel, click on Customization and then select Properties
Under Set Availability, select Yes to Make Course Available
Click Submit

Tip #88: Announcing the 2011 Blackboard Exemplary Course Program

2011-01-05T14:32:00.000-06:00

Tip: The Blackboard Exemplary Course Program aims to help faculty use e-Learning technology more effectively by identifying and disseminating best practices for designing engaging online courses.

Using a rubric, instructors and course designers are able to evaluate how well their own course conforms to best practices for Course Design, Interaction & Collaboration, Assessment and Learner Support.

Consider participating in the 2011 Exemplary Course Program by submitting a course of your own or volunteering to be a reviewer or both!

There are many benefits to participating in the Exemplary Course Program:

Learn course design best practices to improve the engagement, collaboration, assessment and learner support within your own courses
Develop a fresh perspective by seeing how other instructors and designers from your discipline or area of interest are developing their courses
Apply lessons learned from the Exemplary Course Rubric to your own courses or those you are helping to develop
Receive detailed feedback on your own course development on the best practices you are employing or areas in which it can be improved

This is a valuable learning experience for even the most seasoned instructor or designer.

To learn more about the 2011 Exemplary Course Program, visit http://www.blackboard.com/ecp where you will find information on how to:

We encourage you to consider participating in the Exemplary Course Program. If you have questions, please send an email to: ecp@blackboard.com

Tip #87: End of the Semester Checklist

2010-12-15T10:00:00.000-06:00

Tip: At the end of each semester, you should

Export the final course Gradebook
Archive your Blackboard course
Make the course unavailable

Make the course unavailable

Go to the Control Panel and click Customization.
Click Properties.
Underneath Set Availability, check the box next to No.
Click Submit.

Backup the final course Gradebook:

Access the Grade Center from the Control Panel.
Click Work Offline on the right side and select Download.
On the Download Grades page:

Data, select Full Grade Center
Options, select the Delimiter Type as Tab
Save Location, select Download Location as My Computer

Click Submit.
Click link to download grade center backup.

Archive your Blackboard course:

Go to the Control Panel and click Packages and Utilities.
Click Export/Archive Course.
Click Archive.
On the Archive Course page:Select Copy Options, check Include Grade Center History
Click Submit.
An email will be sent when the archive has been completed.Note: Refresh the screen to view the zip file. The course archive may take up to 15 minutes to generate.
Click the Archive File of the course to save to computer.

Tip # 86: Sending Email from Grade Center

2010-12-08T11:38:00.000-06:00

Tip: Emails can be sent to students directly from the Grade Center.
This feature imports student emails into an email form directly from the grade center.

How to send emails from Grade Center:

Access the Grade Center from the Control Panel.
Check the boxes next to the name or names to send emails to.
On the bottom of the grade center below student names, click the drop-down menu Email.
Click Email Selected Users.
A Send Email screen will open, importing all selected user emails and providing text boxes to insert the subject, message, and any attachments.
Complete information in the Subject and Message boxes and click Submit.
Note: A copy of the email will be sent to the instructor.

Tip #85: Copy and Paste from Word

2010-12-01T11:58:00.000-06:00

Tip: Some formatting of text can be preserved by changing the options in visual text box editor.

Pasting copied text from Word into Blackboard can sometimes cause formatting problems. Changes made to the visual text box editor can preserve spacing from Word.

How to copy and paste from Word:

In Blackboard, create a new item (i.e. Discussion Board, Announcement, or Course Module), or reply to a discussion board thread.
On the right side of the visual text box editor is a button that says Visual Editor: On. Click On to change the selection to Off.
When the Visual Editor button says Off, the text editing tools are removed. Instead, three options on the bottom will appear. The Smart Text option should be selected.
Copy and paste text.

Note

Click Preview (on the bottom right of the text box) to see how the post will look before submitting it.

Note

Once finished, click Submit.
Bold, underline, and italics may be added by using the text editing toolbar after a post has been submitted. Click to Edit post. [If the visual editor is still off, click to return to on mode and text from Word will be retained.]

Tip #84: Entering Grades

2010-11-17T16:22:00.000-06:00

Tip: You can enter grades with or without feedback.

This feature allows movement from one student to the next within the options to submit grades with or without feedback.

How to enter grades without feedback:

From the Control Panel, access the Grade Center.
Click on Edit Rows Displayed in the lower-right hand corner, underneath all student names. Here you can adjust how many students you can see at once.
Note: The more students displayed, the longer it takes Grade Center to load.
Underneath the desired assignment column, click on the cell of the first student.
Type in grade and hit enter.
The next cell will automatically enter edit mode where you can type in the grade.

How to enter grades with feedback:

From the Control Panel, access the Grade Center.
Locate the desired assignment column and click cell of the first student.
Click the down arrows on the right side of this cell and select View Grade Details.
Select Edit Grade, which is located on the right-hand side underneath Actions.
Type in the number grade under Current Grade Value and insert comments in the text box underneath Feedback to User.
Click Save.
Above the Current Grade box, click on the forward arrow next to the current user name to view grade details for next student.

Tip #83: Bulk Downloading Assignments in the Grade Center

2010-11-03T14:05:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can download all submissions for an assignment as one .zip file.

This feature is available when the assignment feature is used to issue an assignment. Blackboard automatically creates a column in the grade center. The grade center column will collect the assignments.

How to bulk download assignments:

Access the Grade Center from the Control Panel.

Locate the assignment column to download and click the down arrow next to the name of the assignment

Select Assignment File Download

Select the student(s), click Submit

Click the link provided to download the assignment files titled Download assignments now.

The file will download as a .zip file.

For information on creating assignments in Blackboard, see Creating Assignments.

Tip #82: Backing up the Grade Center

2010-10-27T13:56:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can back up your Grade Center by downloading a copy of it in spreadsheet format.

Here’s how to back up your Grade Center:

Log into your course and ensure Edit Mode is ON.

Click on the Grade Center area of the Control Panel then select Full Grade Center in the expanded menu.

On the Grade Center page, click on the Work Offline button and select Download.

On the Download Grades page under Data, select Full Grade Center.

On the Download Grades page under Options, select Tab as the Delimiter Type.

Click Submit. A file containing the Grade Center data will be created.

Click on the DOWNLOAD button and choose where to save the file.
NOTE: The file will be downloaded with an *.xls extension which will open in Excel.

Tip #81: Grade Center Text Columns

2010-10-20T13:40:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can use text columns in the Grade Center to remember non-grade information such as a student’s preferred name or which class section they’re in.

Here’s how to create a Grade Center text column:

Log into your course and ensure Edit Mode is ON.

Click on the Grade Center area of the Control Panel then select Full Grade Center in the expanded menu.

On the Grade Center page, click on the Create Column button.

Type a Column Name, Grade Center Display Name (optional), and Description (optional).
• NOTE: The Grade Center Display Name will only be displayed in the Grade Center.

Select Text for the Primary Display.

Enter zero for the number of Points Possible.

Select No for Include this Column in Grade Center Calculations as well as Show Statistics.
• NOTE: If you do not wish students to see the information in this column, select No for Show this Column to Students as well.

Click Submit.

Enter the students’ new non-grade information in the new Grade Center column.

Tip #80: Known Issues

2010-10-08T10:13:00.000-05:00

Tip: As with most new software, Blackboard 9 has a few bugs. In order to track these and help faculty be aware of potential problem areas, we have created a known issues list.

The complete known issues list can be found at http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/13251.asp

The following known issues are pervasive issues across campus which many users have experienced.

Blogs, Journals, and Wikis

Some users receive error messages and experience intermittent access when attempting to connect to blogs, journals, and wikis. Blackboard has applied a patch which has resolved the issue. If you continue to receive an error message, this issue can be resolved by clearing your browser cache.

To do so:
Close all browser instances then launch a single instance.
For IE8: Tools >> Internet Options >> Browsing History… >> Delete >> check Temporary Internet files, Cookies, and History >> uncheck Preserve Favorites website data >> Delete

For Firefox 3.5 or greater: Tools >> Clear Recent History >> set Time range to Everything >> check Cookies and Cache >> Clear Now

For IE7: Tools >> Internet Options >> Browsing History… >> Delete >> Delete files… >> Delete cookies… >> Delete history…

Safari: Tools >> Reset Safari >> check Empty the cache and Remove all cookies >> Reset
Exit and then re-launch the browser.

For other browser directions, see: http://www.bnl.gov/itd/webapps/browserCache.asp

If, after following these steps, the 404 error continues to occur, send an email to blackboard@twu.edu to let us know.

Discussion Board Attachments

Students are unable to view files that instructors have attached, and instructors are unable to view files that students have attached using the Visual Text Box Editor.
Instructors should use the "Attach File" icon on the Visual Text Box Editor toolbar.

Students should use the "Browse My Computer" button in the Attachments section below the Visual Text Box Editor.

HTML

Inserting HTML in areas of the course where HTML is not expected can cause parts of the course to be inaccessible or to not function. We suggest that HTML only be incorporated in text areas that have a related Visual Text Box Editor available.

Announcement, Assessment, Assignment, Discussion Board

If an item is setup with a start date but no end date or with an end date but no start date, the item cannot be modified.

For this reason, it is important to either set both a start date and an end date (even if the end date is dated far in the future) or set neither. Also, do not use both availability dates and adaptive release.

Know of other issues?
If you know of an issue that is not currently on the complete known issues list, please let us know at blackboard@twu.edu.

Tip #78: Naming Files for Blackboard

2010-09-29T12:49:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can reduce the number of error messages you and students receive when opening files by appropriately naming files uploaded to Blackboard.

How to do it:

There are several file name characters that may lead to error messages when instructors or students upload or download files. To reduce the occurrence of those errors, follow these naming conventions:

Use only letters, numbers, underscores, and hyphens in file names
Use hyphens or underscores in place of spaces in file names
Do not use periods in a file name, except before the file extension (e.g. “Name_test1.doc”)
Do not use spaces, commas, pound signs (#), question marks, equal signs, ampersands (&), asterisks (*), or any other special characters in file names
Keep file names under 60 characters in length

NOTE: You may recommend to students that they follow these same naming conventions. Suggest that they make their filenames as short, descriptive, and unique as possible. Having them use their last name along with the assignment name is a useful strategy. This is helpful when you are downloading multiple students’ files at once (e.g. downloading students’ completed assignments).

Tip #79: Freezing Grade Center Columns

2010-09-22T16:49:00.000-05:00

Tip: In Blackboard 9’s Grade Center, you can freeze the leftmost columns in place so they do not move while horizontally scrolling through the Grade Center. For example, the columns containing the students’ first and last names are frozen by default.

Here’s how to Freeze Columns:

Log into your course and ensure Edit Mode is ON.

Click on the Grade Center area of the Control Panel then select Full Grade Center in the expanded menu.

On the Grade Center page, click on the Manage button and then select Column Organization from the dropdown menu.

Drag the row related to the column you would like to freeze above the dark grey bar that states “Everything above this bar is a frozen column”.

Click Submit.

Here’s how to Unfreeze Columns:

Log into your course and ensure Edit Mode is ON.

Drag the row related to the column you would like to unfreeze below the dark grey bar that states “Everything above this bar is a frozen column”.

Click Submit.

Tip #78: Blackboard 9 Grade Center's Smart Views

2010-09-15T11:38:00.000-05:00

Tip: In Blackboard 9, you can create different views of your Grade Center which allow you to filter which students you view, the columns you view, or a combination of both which you can then switch to using the Current View dropdown.

Smart Views are useful for sorting groups of students. For example, if you have assigned individual graders specific students, you can create a different Smart View for each grader. If you have combined multiple sections into one Blackboard shell, you can create a Smart View for each section.

Here's how to create a Grade Center Smart View:

Log into your course and ensure Edit Mode is ON.
Click on the Evaluation area of the Control Panel then select Grade Center in the expanded menu.
On the Grade Center page, click on the Manage button and then select Smart Views from the dropdown menu.
On the Smart Views page, click on the Add Smart View button.
On the Create Smart View page, enter a name (required) and description (optional) then select a Type of View from one of the following:
- Group (select individual groups)
- Benchmark (select users based on performance criteria)
- Focus (select individual users)
- Investigate (a combination of the first three)
Select the criteria you would like to use to limit users.
- NOTE: If you would like to create a view that only limits which columns you view but includes all students, select Benchmark for your view type and then make the criteria "Grade on Total Greater than or Equal to" 0.
Use Filter Results to choose which columns you would like to view.
Click Submit then OK. Your new Smart View will now be an option on the Current View dropdown located on the the light blue filter bar.
- NOTE: If you do not see the Current View dropdown, click on the Filter button on the bottom right of the Grade Center header field.
- NOTE: You can make your commonly-used Smart Views favorites by clicking on the star in the Add as Favorite column so that it is green rather than grey. It will then appear in the Grade Center dropdown of the Control Panel.

Tip #77: Copying Course Materials by Exporting and Importing

2010-09-08T11:05:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can copy materials into a Blackboard 9 course from previous courses by Exporting and Importing (from BB7 to BB9 and from BB9 to BB9).

NOTE: This process does not overwrite your Blackboard 9 course entirely but rather add the material you are importing into it. You may need to rearrange or remove some items after the import process has fully completed.

Here’s how to Export and Import:

Part I Export

Log into the source course from which you will be copying the material.

Go to Export/Archive page.
- Blackboard 7: Click on Control Panel then on Export Course under the Course Options section
- Blackboard 9: Click on the Packages and Utilities section of the Control Panel and then on Export/Archive Course

Click on the Export button and select all Course Materials that you would like to export.
- NOTE: Do not select Settings as this will cause some parts of your Blackboard 9 course to be disabled.
- NOTE: If you select any Assessments, Assignments, or graded Discussions, then you must also select Gradebook Items (Grade Center Columns in BB9).
  
  Likewise, if you select Gradebook Items (Grade Center Columns in BB9), then you must select Assessments, Assignments, and Discussions.

Click Submit. At this point, you should receive a message that states “This action has been successfully queued. An email will be sent when the process is complete.”

NOTE: You should receive this email within 2-3 hours. If that does not happen, please contact Blackboard Support (blackboard@twu.edu).

Once you receive the confirmation email, return to the Export/Archive page then right-click and save the new Export file to a location where you can easily find it such as your desktop.

Part II Import

Log into the destination course.

Click on the Packages and Utilities section of the Control Panel and then on Import Package/View Logs.

Click on the Import Package button.

Under Select a Package, click on the Browse button, browse to where you saved the Export file on your computer, select the file, and click on Open.

Select all Course Materials that you would like to import.
- NOTE: Do not select Settings as this will cause some parts of your Blackboard 9 course to be disabled.
- NOTE: If you select any Assessments, Assignments, or graded Discussions, then you must also select Gradebook Items (Grade Center Columns in BB9).
  
  Likewise, if you select Gradebook Items (Grade Center Columns in BB9), then you must select Assessments, Assignments, and Discussions.

Click Submit. At this point, you should receive a message that states “Success: This action has been queued. An email will be sent when the process is complete.”
- NOTE: You should receive this email within 2-3 hours. After you receive this email, it could take up to another 8 hours for the new content to fully display. If either part does not happen, please contact Blackboard Support (blackboard@twu.edu).

Tip #76: Enrolling and Removing Students from a Course

2010-09-01T10:56:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can enroll students, remove students, and limit a dropped student’s access

NOTE: Official university student rosters can be obtained from WebAdvisor and compared with Blackboard rosters.

Enrolling a student:
You can enroll students who are on the official university student rosters but not on the Blackboard roster.

Access your course

Click on the Users and Groups area of the Control Panel and select Users

Click on Enroll Users

On the Add Enrollments page, enter the student’s username and click on Submit

Removing students from a course:
You can remove students who are not enrolled in the course per your WebAdvisor roster. Keep in mind that all student data will be removed including grades, assignment submissions, and course statistics. If a student has dropped the course, consider limiting their access so that you may retain their student data.

Access your course

Click on the Users and Groups area of the Control Panel and select Users

Select the students you would like to remove from your course

Click on Remove Users from Course

Limiting a student’s access and retaining student information:
If a student has dropped the course, you can limit their access to the course while retaining all student data, including grades, for that student.

Access your course

Click on the Users and Groups area of the Control Panel and select Users

Click on the action link next to the student’s username and select Change User’s Availability in Course

Select No from the dropdown next to Available (this course only)

Click on Submit

Beginning of Semester Checklist

2010-08-25T15:30:00.000-05:00

Tip: Beginning of semester tasks

Enhance course design and menu options
Combine multiple course sections into one shell (if applicable)
Make the course available

Enhance the course design and menu options:

Access your course
On the Control Panel, click on Customization and then select Style where you can:
- choose a course menu style
- manage how the menu is displayed
- add/change the course banner

On the Course Menu, you can:
- re-arrange the order of menu items by clicking on the double-headed arrow to the left of the menu item then dragging and dropping the item to its new position on the Course Menu
- rename, show/hide, or delete a menu item by clicking on the action link next to the item
- add a content area, a link to a course tool, a link to a course area, or an external link to the course menu by clicking on the Add (plus) symbol on the Course Menu

Combine multiple course sections into one shell (if applicable):

Access the course from which you want to move users
On the Control Panel, click on Packages and Utilities and then select Course Copy
Select Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course from the Select Copy Options dropdown
Click on Browse and, in the pop-up window that appears, select the Destination Course then click on the Submit button in the lower right-hand corner of the pop-up window
- NOTE: The Destination Course is the course to which the enrollments will be copied
Place a checkmark next to Tasks
Place a checkmark next to Include Enrollments in the Copy
Click Submit
- NOTE: You will receive an email notification when the enrollments copy is complete

Make the course available:

Access the course you want to make available
On the Control Panel, click on Customization and then select Properties
Under Set Availability, select Yes to Make Course Available
Click Submit

Tip #75: Naming Files for Blackboard

2010-05-26T14:40:00.000-05:00

Use only letters, numbers, underscores, and hyphens in file names
Use hyphens or underscores in place of spaces in file names
Do not use periods in a file name, except before the file extension (e.g. “Name_test1.doc”)
Do not use spaces, commas, pound signs (#), question marks, equal signs, ampersands (&), asterisks (*), or any other special characters in file names
Keep file names under 60 characters in length

NOTE: You may recommend to students that they follow these same naming conventions. This is helpful when you are downloading multiple students’ files at once (E.g. downloading students’ completed assignments).

Tip #74: Copying Course Materials by Exporting and Importing

2010-05-19T13:59:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can copy materials into a Blackboard 9 course from previous courses by Exporting and Importing (from BB7 to BB9 and from BB9 to BB9).

NOTE: This process does not overwrite your Blackboard 9 course entirely but rather add the material you are importing into it. You may need to rearrange or remove some items after the import process has fully completed.

Here’s how to Export and Import:

Part I Export

Log into the source course from which you will be copying the material.

Go to Export/Archive page.
- Blackboard 7: Click on Control Panel then on Export Course under the Course Options section
- Blackboard 9: Click on the Packages and Utilities section of the Control Panel and then on Export/Archive Course

Click on the Export button and select all Course Materials that you would like to export.
- NOTE: Do not select Settings as this will cause some parts of your Blackboard 9 course to be disabled.
- NOTE: If you select any Assessments, Assignments, or graded Discussions, then you must also select Gradebook Items (Grade Center Columns in BB9).
  
  Likewise, if you select Gradebook Items (Grade Center Columns in BB9), then you must select Assessments, Assignments, and Discussions.

Click Submit. At this point, you should receive a message that states “This action has been successfully queued. An email will be sent when the process is complete.”

NOTE: You should receive this email within 2-3 hours. If that does not happen, please contact Blackboard Support (blackboard@twu.edu).

Once you receive the confirmation email, return to the Export/Archive page then right-click and save the new Export file to a location where you can easily find it such as your desktop.

Part II Import

Log into the destination course.

Click on the Packages and Utilities section of the Control Panel and then on Import Package/View Logs.

Click on the Import Package button.

Under Select a Package, click on the Browse button, browse to where you saved the Export file on your computer, select the file, and click on Open.

Select all Course Materials that you would like to import.
- NOTE: Do not select Settings as this will cause some parts of your Blackboard 9 course to be disabled.
- NOTE: If you select any Assessments, Assignments, or graded Discussions, then you must also select Gradebook Items (Grade Center Columns in BB9).
  
  Likewise, if you select Gradebook Items (Grade Center Columns in BB9), then you must select Assessments, Assignments, and Discussions.

Click Submit. At this point, you should receive a message that states “Success: This action has been queued. An email will be sent when the process is complete.”
- NOTE: You should receive this email within 2-3 hours. After you receive this email, it could take up to another 8 hours for the new content to fully display. If either part does not happen, please contact Blackboard Support (blackboard@twu.edu).

Tip #73: Copying Course Materials

2010-05-12T14:00:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can copy materials into a Blackboard 9 course from previous courses by using Course Copy (from BB9 to BB9 only).

NOTE: This process does not overwrite your Blackboard 9 course entirely but rather adds the material you are importing into it. You may need to rearrange or remove some items after the copy process has completed.

How to Course Copy:

Log into the course from which you will be copying the material.

Click on the Packages and Utilities section of the Control Panel and then on Course Copy.

Under Select Copy Options, click on the Browse button next to Destination Course ID. In the Course window that pops, select your destination course, and click Submit.

Select all the Course Materials that you would like to copy.

NOTE: Do not select Settings if you are copying from a course which was formerly on BB7 as this will cause some parts of your new Blackboard 9 course to be disabled.
NOTE: If you select Assessments, Assignments, or graded Discussions, then you must also select Grade Center Columns.

Likewise, if you select Grade Center Columns, then you must select Assessments, Assignments, and Discussions.

Click Submit. At this point, you should receive a message that states “Success: Course copy action queued. An email will be sent when the process is complete.”

NOTE: You should receive this email within 2-3 hours. After you receive this email, it could take up to another 8 hours for the new content to fully display. If either part does not happen, please contact Blackboard Support (blackboard@twu.edu).

Tip #72: Blackboard 9 Upgrade Frequently Asked Questions

2010-05-05T17:27:00.000-05:00

Tip: We will begin using Blackboard 9 for all classes beginning June 2010. Summer, Summer 2 and Summer 3 classes will be available on the new version of Blackboard. Summer 1 (formerly Maymester) will be taught on the current version of Blackboard. Here are the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions about Blackboard 9

Can I see what BB9 looks like before summer?

The new Blackboard server is available at http://twupilot.blackboard.com. You are also invited to attend the BB9 classes being offered to faculty, staff, adjuncts and GA’s. See our upcoming classes.

When will we start using Blackboard 9?

Blackboard 9 will be used beginning in June with Summer, Summer 2 and Summer 3 courses.

When will all my old courses be moved from BB 7 to BB9?

Courses containing content from the following semesters have been moved and should be visible on the new server:

08SP

08SU – all terms including maymester

08FA

09SP

09SU – all terms including maymester

09FA

10SP courses have not been moved so that all content can be included and will be moved once grades have been submitted. They should be available by the end of May.

You should be able to view all these courses on the BB9 server (http://twupilot.blackboard.com). If you are not seeing courses please contact Blackboard Support at blackboard@twu.edu.

When will my Spring 2010 courses be moved to the BB9 server?

In order to ensure that your entire course is moved, Spring 2010 courses should be available to you by the end of May.

Is it possible to move my Spring 2010 class earlier?

You can use the Export function in the course to export your course and then use the Import function in Blackboard 9. For more complete directions see: http://www.twu.edu/downloads/blackboard/BB9_Importing_a_Course_from_Blackboard_7.pdf

Will I need to give this address (http://twupilot.blackboard.com) to my students?

No, on June 4 all existing links (http://twu.blackboard.com, http://online.twu.edu) to Blackboard will automatically go to the new server.

I usually send e-mails to my students before the semester starts. Can I still do this?

Yes, you can send an e-mail from your course in Blackboard 9 (http://twupilot.blackboard.com)

Will organizations be moved to Blackboard 9?

Yes, we are in the process of moving all organizations with content to Blackboard 9. All organizations should be available in BB9 by the end of May.

Will I still have access to Blackboard 7?

Yes, it will be available through the beginning of Fall 2010; the exact date will be announced via e-mail. We will send a link to the BB7 location in June.

When will students have access to the new Blackboard?

Students will have access to Blackboard 9 beginning June 4.

Tip #71: Upcoming BB9 Classes

2010-04-28T17:02:00.000-05:00

Tip: You now have more opportunities to learn about Blackboard 9 and receive a sandbox course by attending a Blackboard 9 class.

TWU will begin using Blackboard 9 for Summer, Summer 2 and Summer 3* session courses. Faculty and staff wanting to orient to the new interface prior to June may access Blackboard 9 at http://twupilot.blackboard.com

You can register for classes or request a small group session for your department at http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/13232.asp

What’s New in Blackboard 9

Blackboard 9 has a completely revised web 2.0 user interface and many exciting new features. This facilitated, hands-on workshop will introduce participants to the most significant changes and new features of Blackboard 9.

Tuesday, May 4 – 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. SH 307
Wednesday, May 19 – 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. ACT 503
Thursday, June 3 – 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. SH 307
Tuesday, June 8 – 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. SH 307

What’s New in BB9 Webinars

Blackboard 9 has a completely revised web 2.0 user interface and many exciting new features. Join us online in an Adobe Connect Session to explore the most significant changes and new features of Blackboard 9.

Thursday, May 20 – 12:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 27 – 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 10 – 10:00 a.m.

The Blackboard 9 Grade Center Webinars

This Adobe Connect Session will introduce participants to the new Grade Center. Join us online to learn how to access the Grade Center to add score columns and to enter and manage student grades. Participants will also be introduced to new features such as Smart Views, Grade History, and Calculated Columns.

Friday, May 7 – 10:00 a.m.
Friday, May 21 – 1:00 p.m.
Friday, May 28 – 12:00 p.m.
Friday, June 10 – 10:00 a.m.

*Summer Semester Names

Old	New	Description
Maymester	Summer 1	14-day May classes
Summer 1	Summer 2	June classes
Summer 2	Summer 3	July classes
Summer 3	Summer	All summer long (beginning June)

Tip #70: Blackboard 9 Grade Center's Smart Views

2010-04-14T16:48:00.000-05:00

Tip: In Blackboard 9, you can create different views of your Grade Center which allow you to filter which students you view, the columns you view, or a combination of both.

Here’s how to create a Grade Center Smart View:

Log into your course and ensure Edit Mode is ON.
Click on the Evaluation area of the Control Panel then select Grade Center in the expanded menu.
On the Grade Center page, click on the Manage button and then select Smart Views from the dropdown menu.
On the Smart Views page, click on the Add Smart View button.
On the Create Smart View page, enter a name (required) and description (optional) then select a Type of View from one of the following:
- Group (select individual groups)
- Benchmark (select users based on performance criteria)
- Focus (select individual users)
- Investigate (a combination of the first three)
Select the criteria you would like to use to limit users.
- NOTE: If you would like to create a view that only limits which columns you view but includes all students, select Benchmark for your view type and then make the criteria “Grade on Total Greater than or Equal to” 0.
Use Filter Results to choose which columns you would like to view.
Click Submit then OK. Your new Smart View will now be an option on the Current View dropdown located on the yellow action bar.

Tip #69: Viewing the course roster in Blackboard 9

2010-04-07T16:39:00.000-05:00

Tip: In Blackboard 9, you can access your course roster through the Control Panel.

Here’s how to drag and drop:

Log into your course and ensure Edit Mode is ON.
Click on the Users and Groups area of the Control Panel.

Click on Users in the expanded menu.
In the Search bar, select the Not blank search option.

Click on Go, and your course roster will appear.

Tip #68: Drag and Drop in Blackboard 9

2010-03-31T16:16:00.000-05:00

Tip: In Blackboard 9, you can use drag and drop to arrange and reorder items.

What can you drag and drop?
You can drag and drop any item that has either a double-headed arrow or a four-headed arrow to the left of it. Here are some prominent places you will see them:

the Course Menu
Content pages
the Announcement page
the Column Organization page

Here’s how to drag and drop:

Use your mouse to left-click and hold on the arrows next to an item you would like to move.

NOTE: Your mouse pointer will turn into a four-headed arrow when your mouse is properly positioned over the arrows.

Drag the item up or down to the spot where you would like to place it.
Release your left mouse button to drop the item in place.

Tip #67: Hiding the Course Menu in Blackboard 9

2010-03-24T14:56:00.000-05:00

Tip: In Blackboard 9, you can temporarily hide your Course Menu so that it’s easier to read content on a small screen

NOTE: Toggling Course Menu availability affects the display for all of your courses and only your courses. Hiding or Showing the Course Menu will not affect whether it’s viewable to the students in your course.

Hiding the Course Menu:
Click on the button that is to the right of the Course Menu as indicated below to hide the course menu.


Click to Hide	Click to Unhide

Showing the Course Menu:
Click on the button that is on the left edge your browser as indicated above to show the course menu.

Tip #66: Blackboard 9 Edit Mode

2010-03-10T14:34:00.000-06:00

Tip: In Blackboard 9, you can make changes to content from within the course view by turning Edit Mode: ON. When viewing a course with Edit Mode: OFF, you will have the same view as student, viewing only available menu items and content areas.

Edit Mode On:
Toggle Edit Mode to On by clicking the Edit Mode Button on the upper right-hand side of the screen. When in edit mode:

the button will read Edit Mode: ON
the background of the course will display grey diagonal lines

Edit Mode Off:
To toggle Edit Mode to Off, you click the same Edit Mode Button on the upper right-hand side of the screen. When edit mode is off:

the button will read Edit Mode: OFF
the background of the course will be clear of grey diagonal lines

Tip #65: Blackboard 9 Classes

2010-03-03T14:23:00.000-06:00

Tip: You can learn about Blackboard 9 and receive a sandbox course by attending a Blackboard 9 training session.

You can access Blackboard 9 at http://twupilot.blackboard.com

You can register for classes or request a small group session for your department at http://www.twu.edu/professional-development

What’s New in Blackboard 9

Blackboard 9 has a revised user interface and many exciting new features. This facilitated, hands-on workshop will introduce participants to key changes and new features of Blackboard 9.

Thursday, March 4 – 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. SH 307
Tuesday, March 9 – 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. SH 308
Wednesday, March 10 – 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. SH 307
Tuesday, March 30 – 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. SH 307
Friday, April 2 – 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. SH 307
Monday, April 5 – 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. SH 307
Thursday, April 8 – 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. SH 307

What’s New in BB9 Webinars

Join us for a What’s New session online from the location of your choice. Upon registering for the webinar, you will receive a link to access the session.

Friday, March 5 – 10:00 a.m.
Friday, March 12 – 11:00 a.m.
Friday, April 9 – 12:00 p.m.
Friday, April 30 – 1:00 p.m.

The Blackboard 9 Grade Center

This hands-on, facilitated workshop will introduce participants to the new Grade Center.

Wednesday, April 7 – 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. SH 307
Tuesday, April 13 – 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. SH 307
Thursday, April 15 – 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. SH 307
Wednesday, April 28 – 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. SH 307
Thursday, April 29 – 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. SH 307

Enhancing Communication

This hands-on, facilitated workshop will focus on how to use select Blackboard 9 communication tools effectively to increase student engagement within a course.

Wednesday, April 14 – 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. SH 307
Monday, April 26 – 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. SH 307

Creating Assessments & Assignments

This hands-on, facilitated workshop will emphasize the features and functions of Blackboard 9’s assessments and assignments tools.

Monday, April 12 – 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. SH 307
Monday, April 27 – 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. SH 307

Tip #64: Grade Discussion Board Forums or Threads

2010-02-24T14:16:00.000-06:00

Tip: You can grade Discussion Board forums or threads.

Here’s how to enable grading:

Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Discussion Board

Choose the specific Discussion Board containing the Forum you would like to grade

Click the Modify button for the Forum you would like to grade

Under Forum Settings, select Grade Forum or Grade Threads
1. Grade Forum will allow you to assign grades for students’ posts to that forum
2. Grade Threads will allow you to assign grades for students’ replies to each thread in a forum

Here’s how to grade:

Click the Grade icon next to the forum or thread you would like to grade

Click the Grade button next to a student’s name
1. The student’s posts to the forum or thread will display
2. You can filter, sort, and print the student’s posts

Type a grade in the Grade box and click the Submit button

Discussion grading and the gradebook:

It is important to note that when you enable grading for a forum or thread, columns for those forums or threads are automatically generated in the gradebook.

When you enable grading by forum, a column for that forum is created in the gradebook
When you enable grading by thread, a column for each thread in a forum is created in the gradebook

Keep this in mind when choosing whether to grade by forum or thread. Gradebook management can become cumbersome if you choose to grade a large number of threads.

Tip #63: Partial Credit Test Questions

2010-02-17T16:21:00.000-06:00

Tip: When creating a test, you can set some questions to allow for partial credit by following a two-step process that includes first enabling the option on a test level, and then setting the option on a question level.

Question types:
While all manually-graded questions can be assigned partial credit, only the following automatically-graded questions allow it:

Calculated Formula
Fill in Multiple Blanks
Jumbled Sentence
Matching
Multiple Answer
Multiple Choice
Opinion Scale/Likert
Ordering
Quiz Bowl

Here’s how to do it:

Part 1 — Enable the option on the test level:

Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Test Manager.
Click on the Modify button to the right of the test containing the questions you plan to make partial credit. This will take you to the Test Canvas page.
Click on the Creation Settings link.
Scroll down to the Scoring subsection, and check the box correlating to “Specify partial credit options for answers”.
Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click Submit and then OK.

Part 2 — Set the option on the question level:

Click on the Modify button to the right of the question you plan to make partial credit.
Scroll down to the Options subsection, and check the box correlating to “Allow Partial Credit”.
Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click either Submit or Next until you are able to click Submit.

Please note:

Partial credit scoring for automatically graded questions must be set up before students have taken the test.

If you choose to disable partial credit scoring, you must first disable the option on the question level before doing so on the test level.

Tip #62: Best Practices for Student Test Taking

2010-02-10T14:10:00.000-06:00

A Blackboard Tip of the Week: Best Practices for Student Test Taking

Tip: You can help students reduce the chances of technological mishaps while taking exams by encouraging them to follow a few best practices.

Best Practices for Students Preparing to Take a Test:

Students should view Blackboard using Internet Explorer 7 or Firefox 3.5

Students who have already updated to Internet Explorer 8 should enable Compatibility View by clicking on the Compatibility View button located to the right of the Address Bar

Students should run a System Check at least 30 minutes before an exam

On the TWU Blackboard system front page under the Getting Started Guide, they should click on System Check

Students should disable pop-up blocking in their browsers

In Firefox, they should:

Go to Tools > Options > Content
Uncheck Block pop-up windows
Click OK

In Internet Explorer, they should:

Go to Tools > Pop-up Blocker
Click on Turn Off Pop-up Blocker

Students should close all other applications and browsers before starting their test, and not open any others for the duration of their exam session
Students should check for possible firewall issues before choosing their test taking location—especially if they plan on taking an exam at their places of employment

Students can make sure their test submission will not be blocked by a corporate or home firewall by submitting the Sample Exam in the Blackboard Sample Course
1. Go to http://online.twu.edu and log in with “online” as the username and password
2. Click on TWU Sample Course and click on Exams
3. Take the Sample Exam (choose to “take the assessment again” if given the option)
If, after agreeing to submit the exam, the student receives “Assessment successfully submitted” message, then there should not be a test taking firewall problem on that location’s connection

Best Practices for Students While Taking a Test:

Students should not open any other browser window or application for the duration of their exam session
Students should not click outside of the test—including the navigation on the left side panel in Blackboard
Students should not click on any browser navigation such as the Back, Forward, or Home buttons
Students should not use the scroll wheel on their mouse as this will sometimes inadvertently change answers
Students should click the Save button every five questions to save their answers unless questions are being delivered one at a time—in which case, they will need to press save on every question
When ready to submit, students should click the Submitbutton just once

Tip #61: Alter Assessment Settings

2010-02-03T15:43:00.000-06:00

Tip: You can alter assessment settings even after you’ve initially released an assessment. This ability allows you to release results, answers, and feedback after students have completed the assessment.

Here’s how to do it:

Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on the Content Area where the item is located

Click on the Modify button to the right of the assessment

This will take you to the Modify Test page

Click on Modify the Test options

Scroll down to the Test Feedback subsection, and check boxes correlating to the kind(s) of test feedback you want to make accessible
- Score
- Submitted Answers
- Correct Answers
- Feedback

Tip #60: Copying an item from one course to another

2010-01-27T10:04:00.000-06:00

Tip: You can copy an item from one course to another without having to use the Course Copy function on the Control Panel.

Here’s how to do it:

Access the course from which you want to copy an item
Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on the Content Area where the item is located

For example, if you want to copy a folder that is located in Course Documents, click on the Course Documents course menu link

Click on the Copy button next to the item you want to copy
On the next screen, select the destination course from the drop-down list of courses
- NOTE: Only courses for which you are an instructor are listed in this drop-down list
Click Browse to find a destination folder within the destination course
Select whether you would like the item to be removed from the current course after it is copied to the destination course
Click Submit
When you receive confirmation via email that the item copy was successfully completed, navigate to the destination to confirm that the item was successfully copied

Tip #59: Limit Dropped Student Access to Blackboard Courses

2010-01-20T13:40:00.000-06:00

Tip: When students drop a class and are not automatically removed from Blackboard, you can limit their access to the course.

Limiting access to students who drop the course mid-semester

Students who have dropped a course mid-semester will not be removed from your Blackboard course roster. This is designed to allow instructors to keep records of all students in the course. Removing a student from the Blackboard course will delete all information, including grades for that student.

Here’s how to limit access and retain student information:

Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on List/Modify Users
Type the student’s last name, or click search to list the whole class roster
Select properties next to the student’s name
Scroll down to Section 4: Role and Availability
Under Available (this course only) select No
Click Submit

NOTE: Limiting access to students will not remove them from your grade book. However, the student will no longer be able to log into the course.

Removing students from a course

If a student is not enrolled in the course per your WebAdvisor roster, removal of the student may be appropriate. Keep in mind that all student data will be removed including grades, assignment submissions, and course statistics.

NOTE: Blackboard roster updates occur several times a day through the twelfth class day. It is possible that during these first days of the semester, students removed from a course will be added back into the course when the roster updates occur. Removing students after the twelfth class day will be permanent.

Here’s how to permanently remove a student from the course:

Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Remove Users from Course
Type the student’s last name, or click search to list the whole class roster
Place a checkmark next to the student’s name
Type the word Yes
Click Submit

NOTE: Official student rosters can be obtained from WebAdvisor and compared with Blackboard. Students who are not listed in Blackboard but listed in WebAdvisor should call the Help Desk at 940-898-3791 for assistance.

Tip #58: Beginning of Semester Checklist

2010-01-13T09:37:00.000-06:00

Tip: Beginning of semester tasks

Enhance course design and menu options
Combine multiple course sections into one shell (if applicable)
Make the course available

Enhance the course design and menu options:

Access your course
Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Course Design where you can:
- choose a course menu design
- manage how the menu is displayed
- manage the tool panel
- add/change the course banner
Return to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Manage Course Menu
- To re-arrange the order of menu items, click the number next to an item and select a new number order for the item
- To modify or remove a menu item, click the Modify or Remove button next to an item
- To add a content area, a link to a course tool, a link to a course area, or an external link to the course menu, click the appropriate button at the top of the page
Click OK

Combine multiple course sections into one shell (if applicable):

Access the course from which you want to move users
Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Course Copy (located in the Course Options category)
Click Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course
Type or Search for the Destination Course ID

NOTE: The Destination Course is the course to which the enrollments will be copied

Place a checkmark next to Tasks and next to Enrollments
Click Submit
- NOTE: You will receive an email notification when the enrollments copy is complete

Make the course available:

Access the course you want to make available
Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Settings (located in the Course Options category)
Click Course Availability
Select Yes, and click Submit

Tip #57: End of Semester Checklist

2009-12-16T16:16:00.000-06:00

Tip: At the end of each semester, you should

Export the final course Gradebook
Archive your Blackboard course
Make the course unavailable

Export the final course Gradebook:

Access the course that contains the Gradebook you want to export
Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Gradebook
Click the Download Grades button
Select Comma or Tab as the Delimiter Type (both file types can be opened in MS Excel)
Click the Submit button then click the Download button
Save the file to your Desktop (or anywhere on your computer that is appropriate)
Click OK

Archive your Blackboard course:

Access the course you want to archive
Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Archive Course (located in the Course Options category)
Click the Archive button
Click Submit
After you receive the archive completion email, navigate to the Archive Course page again.
Right-click the zipped course file and click Save Target As… to save the file to your computer

NOTE: If you are using Firefox, you will use the Save Link As… option instead

Click OK

Make the course unavailable:

Access the course you want to make unavailable
Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Settings (located in the Course Options category)
Click Course Availability
Select No, and click Submit

Tip #56: Creating an Anonymous Survey

2009-12-14T10:32:00.000-06:00

Tip: You can create an anonymous survey in Blackboard.

Here’s how to create the survey:

Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Survey Manager

Click the + Add Survey button

Type a name for the survey as well as any description or instructions you want to provide then click Submit

Add questions to the survey
1. Click on the drop-down menu next to the words Add Calculated Formula
2. Select the type of question you would like to add then click the Go button
  - For open-ended questions, select the Short Answer or Essay question types

Here’s how to launch the survey in your course:

Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on the Content Area where you would like to place the survey

Click the Edit View link at the upper right corner of the page

Click the drop-down menu next to the words + Select: Learning Unit

Select the Survey option then click the Go button

Select the survey you created then click Submit
- To change the survey availability and settings, click the Modify the Survey options link on the following page

Survey anonymity in Blackboard:
Surveys in Blackboard are anonymous, so you will not be able to discern individuals’ survey answers. To view the full survey results,

Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Gradebook

Locate the survey Gradebook item, and click on the name of the survey

Click the Download Results link, and select your download options
- NOTE: Microsoft Excel will open a .csv file or a tab-delimited file

Tip #55: Weight Gradebook Items by Category or by Item

2009-12-14T10:12:00.001-06:00

Tip: You can weight Gradebook items by category or by item.

NOTE: After you assign weight to Gradebook items or categories, you cannot remove the weighting option from the Gradebook. Therefore, add weighting to the Gradebook only if you are certain that you will continue to use weighting the entire semester.

Here’s how to do it:

Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Gradebook

Click the Weight Grades button

Select the option to Weight by Category* or to Weight by Item

Assign weight percentages to the desired categories or items

Percentages must add up to 100%

Click Submit to save the new settings

*Weight by Category:
Weighting by category allows you to assign a weight percentage to a particular type of Gradebook item rather than to each Gradebook item. For example, you can weight all course quizzes at 30% of the students’ total grades. Each time you add a quiz, the weight percentage for each quiz will adjust so that their sum total can only affect up to 30% of the students’ grades. Remember, the total percentages across all categories must add up to 100%.

To use this feature correctly, it is important that you assign Gradebook items to appropriate categories. Here’s how to change a Gradebook item’s category:

Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Gradebook

Click the Manage Items button

Click the Modify button next to the Gradebook item you want to change

Select a new category for the item, and click Submit

Tip #54: Add/Remove users to the Instructor role

2009-11-18T09:43:00.000-06:00

You can add users to the instructor role in your course as well as remove users from the instructor role from your course.

Here’s how to add users to the instructor role:
1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Enroll User
2. Search for the instructor’s username by typing their last name and clicking on the Search button
3. Place a checkmark next to the appropriate username then click Submit
4. Return to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on List/Modify Users
5. Click the Search button then click the Properties button next to the appropriate username
6. Under Role and Availability, select the Instructor role then click Submit

Here’s how to remove users from the instructor role:
1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on List/Modify Users
2. Click the Search button then click the Properties button next to the appropriate username
3. Under Role and Availability, select the Student role then click Submit
4. Return to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Remove Users from Course
5. Search for the instructor’s username by typing their last name and clicking on the Search button
6. Place a checkmark next to the appropriate username
7. Type Yes in the confirmation box then click Submit

NOTE: You must type Yes, with a capital

Using the Add Users by Role feature: If you know the Blackboard username of the instructor you want to add, you can use the Add Users by Role feature.
1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Add Users by Role
2. Select the appropriate user role from the drop-down box
3. Type the Blackboard username(s) in the username box

NOTE: You can add multiple users at once by separating each username with a comma

4. Click Submit to add the user(s)

Tip #53: Grading Discussion Board forums or threads

2009-11-11T09:30:00.000-06:00

You can grade Discussion Board forums or threads.

Here’s how to enable grading:
1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Discussion Board
2. Choose the specific Discussion Board containing the Forum you would like to grade
3. Click the Modify button for the Forum you would like to grade
4. Under Forum Settings, select Grade Forum or Grade Threads
· Grade Forum will allow you to assign grades for students’ posts to that forum
· Grade Threads will allow you to assign grades for students’ replies to each thread in a forum

Here’s how to grade:
1. Click the Grade icon next to the forum or thread you would like to grade
2. Click the Grade button next to a student’s name
· The student’s posts to the forum or thread will display
· You can filter, sort, and print the student’s posts
3. Type a grade in the Grade box and click the Submit button

Discussion grading and the gradebook:
It is important to note that when you enable grading for a forum or thread, columns for those forums or threads are automatically generated in the gradebook.
· When you enable grading by forum, a column for that forum is created in the gradebook
· When you enable grading by thread, a column for each thread in a forum is created in the gradebook
Keep this in mind when choosing whether to grade by forum or thread. Gradebook management can become cumbersome if you choose to grade a large number of threads.

Tip #52: Embedding YouTube videos

2009-11-04T18:35:00.000-06:00

You can embed YouTube videos in your Blackboard course.

Recommended use:
Due to copyright terms and YouTube’s Terms of Service requirements, we strongly recommend you only embed videos that you have created and uploaded to YouTube.

Here’s how to do it:
1. Open the YouTube page containing the video you would like to use, and copy the Embed code

This is located in the video information to the right of the video
If you click in the Embed field, it will highlight all of the code for you to copy

2. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on the Content Area where you would like to place the video

3. Click the Add Item button

4. Click the Toggle HTML Source Mode button on the WYSIWIG text editor

5. Paste the Embed code into the Blackboard text editor

If you toggle your view back to normal mode, the content area will appear to be blank but the video will appear when you look at it in the Content Area

6. Fill in any other information as you normally would then click on Submit

Tip #51: Copy/Paste content without including MS tags and formatting

2009-10-28T18:50:00.000-05:00

You can copy and paste content from Microsoft Word documents into Blackboard without accidentally including Microsoft tags and formatting.

Here’s how to do it:

Open your Microsoft Word source document as well as the editing location in Blackboard where you plan to paste it
Open a new blank Notepad document in Windows
- Press the Windows Start button and then go to Programs > Accessories > Notepad
In Microsoft Word, highlight the text you want to paste and copy as you normally would
Paste the highlighted text into the blank Notepad document
In Notepad, use Ctrl-A and then Ctrl-C to copy the now formatting-free version of your text
Paste this text into the Blackboard editor as you normally would

Tip #50: Setting Partial Credit on Assessments

2009-10-21T06:51:00.000-05:00

When creating a test, you can set some questions to allow for partial credit by following a two-step process that includes first enabling the option on a test level, and then setting the option on a question level.

Question types:
While all manually-graded questions can be assigned partial credit, only the following automatically-graded questions allow it:
· Calculated Formula
· Fill in Multiple Blanks
· Jumbled Sentence
· Matching
· Multiple Answer
· Multiple Choice
· Opinion Scale/Likert
· Ordering
· Quiz Bowl

Here’s how to do it:
Enable the option on the test level:

1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Test Manager.
2. Click on the Modify button to the right of the test containing the questions you plan to make partial credit. This will take you to the Test Canvas page.
3. Click on the Creation Settings link.
4. Scroll down to the Scoring subsection, and check the box correlating to “Specify partial credit options for answers”.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click Submit and then OK.

Set the option on the question level:

1. Click on the Modify button to the right of the question you plan to make partial credit.
2. Scroll down to the Options subsection, and check the box correlating to “Allow Partial Credit”.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click either Submit or Next until you are able to click Submit.

Please note:
· Partial credit scoring for automatically graded questions must be set up before students have taken the test.
· If you choose to disable partial credit scoring, you must first disable the option on the question level before doing so on the test level.

Tip #49: Student self-assessments tool

2009-10-14T10:39:00.000-05:00

You can use Blackboard’s Test tool to create student self-assessments with grades that only the student may see. This capability is useful when you want students to be able to assess their current knowledge and skill level while setting aside any fears they might have that this score will be used towards their grade.

Best practices:
· Use the test’s description to assure students that you will never have the capability to view their score for this particular self-assessment.
· Because only the student is able to view their grade and answers, use only question types that do not require manual grading. Otherwise, those questions will be left ungraded.

Here’s how to do it:
1. Go to the Blackboard Control Panel and click on the Content Area where the assessment is located.
2. Click on the Modify button to the right of the assessment. This will take you to the Modify Test page.
3. Click on the Modify the Test options link.
4. Scroll down to the Self-assessment Options subsection, and check the box correlating to “Hide the score of this test from the Gradebook”.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click Submit.

Please note:
· Once the “Hide the score of this test from the Gradebook” option is enabled for a test, only the student will be able to see their results for that particular assessment. Disabling the option afterwards will only result in the complete loss of their scores and answers.

· If the “Hide the score of this test from the Gradebook” option is accidentally enabled for a test, please contact us at blackboard@twu.edu before doing anything else.

Tip #48: Best Practices for Student Test Taking

2009-10-07T16:13:00.000-05:00

A Blackboard Tip of the Week: Best Practices for Student Test Taking

Tip: You can help students reduce the chances of technological mishaps while taking exams by encouraging them to follow a few best practices.

Best Practices for Students Preparing to Take a Test:

Students should view Blackboard using Internet Explorer 7 or Firefox 3.5

Students who have already updated to Internet Explorer 8 should enable Compatibility View by clicking on the Compatibility View button located to the right of the Address Bar

Students should run a System Check at least 30 minutes before an exam

On the TWU Blackboard system front page under the Getting Started Guide, they should click on System Check

Students should disable pop-up blocking in their browsers

In Firefox, they should:

Go to Tools > Options > Content
Uncheck Block pop-up windows
Click OK

In Internet Explorer, they should:

Go to Tools > Pop-up Blocker
Click on Turn Off Pop-up Blocker

Students should close all other applications and browsers before starting their test, and not open any others for the duration of their exam session
Students should check for possible firewall issues before choosing their test taking location—especially if they plan on taking an exam at their places of employment

Students can make sure their test submission will not be blocked by a corporate or home firewall by submitting the Sample Exam in the Blackboard Sample Course
1. Go to http://online.twu.edu and log in with “online” as the username and password
2. Click on TWU Sample Course and click on Exams
3. Take the Sample Exam (choose to “take the assessment again” if given the option)
If, after agreeing to submit the exam, the student receives “Assessment successfully submitted” message, then there should not be a test taking firewall problem on that location’s connection

Best Practices for Students While Taking a Test:

Students should not open any other browser window or application for the duration of their exam session
Students should not click outside of the test—including the navigation on the left side panel in Blackboard
Students should not click on any browser navigation such as the Back, Forward, or Home buttons
Students should not use the scroll wheel on their mouse as this will sometimes inadvertently change answers
Students should click the Save button every five questions to save their answers unless questions are being delivered one at a time—in which case, they will need to press save on every question
When ready to submit, students should click the Submitbutton just once

Tip #47: Alter Assessment Settings

2009-09-30T16:44:00.000-05:00

You can alter assessment settings even after you’ve initially released an assessment. This ability allows you to release results, answers, and feedback only after all students have completed the assessment.

Here’s how to do it:
1.Go to the Blackboard Control Panel and click on the Content Area where the assessment is located.

2.Click on the Modify button to the right of the assessment. This will take you to the Modify Test page.

3.Click on the Modify the Test options link.

4.Scroll down to the Test Feedback subsection, and check boxes correlating to the kind(s) of test feedback you want to make accessible.
•Score
•Submitted answers
•Correct Answers
•Feedback

5.Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click Submit.

Archiving your course in Blackboard 7

2009-09-20T12:15:00.000-05:00

Archive your Blackboard course:

Access the course you want to archive
Go to the Blackboard Control Panel, and click on Archive Course (located in the Course Options category)
Click the Archive button
Click Submit
After you receive the archive completion email, navigate to the Archive Course page again.
Right-click the zipped course file and click Save Target As… to save the file to your computer

NOTE: If you are using Firefox, you will use the Save Link As… option instead

Click OK

Tip # 46: Limit dropped student access to the course

2009-09-10T16:19:00.000-05:00

When students drop a class and are not automatically removed from Blackboard, you can limit their access to the course.

Limiting access to students who drop the course mid-semester
Students who have dropped a course mid-semester will not be removed from your Blackboard course roster. This is designed to allow instructors to keep records of all students in the course. Removing a student from the Blackboard course will delete all information, including grades for that student.

Here’s how to limit access and retain student information:
Navigate to your Control Panel and click the List/Modify Users link. Type the student’s last name, or click search to list the whole class roster. Select properties next to a student’s name. Scroll down to Section 4: Role and Availability. Under Available (this course only) select No. Click Submit.

NOTE: Limiting access to students will not remove them from your grade book. However, the student will no longer be able to log into the course.

Removing Students from a Course
If a student was never enrolled in the course per your WebAdvisor roster, removal of the student may be appropriate. Keep in mind that all student data will be removed including grades, assignment submissions and course statistics.

NOTE: Blackboard roster updates occur several times a day through the twelfth class day. It is possible that during these first days of the semester, students removed from a course will be added back into the course when the roster updates occur. Removing students after the twelfth class day will be permanent.

How to permanently remove a student from the course
Navigate to your Control Panel and click the Remove Users from Course link. Type the student’s last name, or click search to list the whole class roster. Place a checkmark next to the student’s name. Type the word Yes in the box and click Submit.

NOTE: Official student rosters can be obtained from WebAdvisor and compared with Blackboard. Students who are not listed in Blackboard but listed in WebAdvisor should call the Help Desk at 940-898-3791 for assistance.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/faculty-support.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard, or call: (940) 898-3706.

Tip #45: End of Semester Checklist

2008-12-11T16:39:00.000-06:00

Tip: End of Semester Checklist

End-of-semester checklist:
1. Export the final course gradebook.
2. Archive your Blackboard course.
3. Make the course unavailable.

Exporting the Blackboard Gradebook
1) Access the course that contains the Gradebook you want to export
2) Click the Control Panel link
3) Click Gradebook
4) Click the Download Grades button
5) Select Comma or Tab as the Delimiter Type (both file types can be opened in MS Excel)
6) Click the Submit button and then click the Download button
7) Save the file to your Desktop (or anywhere on your computer that is appropriate)
8) Click OK

Archiving a Blackboard Course
1) Access the course you want to archive
2) Click the Control Panel link
3) Under the Course Options category, click Archive Course
4) Click the Archive button
5) Click Submit
6) After you receive the archive completion email, navigate to the Archive Course page again. Right-click the zipped course file and click Save Target As… to save the file to your computer
7) Click OK

Making a Course Unavailable
1) Access the course you want to make unavailable
2) Click the Control Panel link
3) Under the Course Options category, click Settings
4) Click Course Availability
5) Select No
6) Click Submit

Tip #44: Weight Gradebook items by category or by item

2008-12-03T17:01:00.000-06:00

Tip: You can weight Gradebook items by category or by item.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to your course Control Panel and click Gradebook. Click the Weight Grades button. Select the option to Weight by Category or to Weight by Item. Assign weight percentages to the desired categories or items. The percentages must add up to 100%. Click Submit to save the weights.

NOTE: After you assign weight to Gradebook items or categories, you cannot remove the weighting option from the Gradebook. Add weighting to the Gradebook only if you are certain that you will continue to use weighting the entire semester.

Weighting by Category:
Weighting by category allows you to assign a weight percentage to a particular type of Gradebook item, rather than to each Gradebook item. For example, you can weight all course quizzes at 30% of the students’ total grades. Each time you add a quiz, the weight percentage for each quiz will adjust accordingly.

To use this feature correctly, it is important that you assign Gradebook items to appropriate categories. You can change a Gradebook item’s category by clicking the Manage Items button in the Gradebook and clicking the Modify button next to the Gradebook item you want to change. Select a new category for the item and click Submit.

Tip #43: 2009 Blackboard Exemplary Course Program

2008-11-24T12:22:00.000-06:00

Tip: Announcing the 2009 Blackboard Exemplary Course Program

The Blackboard Exemplary Course Program aims to help faculty use e-Learning technology more effectively by identifying and disseminating best practices for designing engaging online courses.

Using a rubric, instructors and course designers are able to evaluate how well their own course conforms to best practices for Course Design, Interaction & Collaboration, Assessment and Learner Support.

Consider participating in the 2009 Exemplary Course Program by submitting a course of your own or volunteering to be a reviewer or both!

There are many benefits to participating in the Exemplary Course Program:

Learn course design best practices to improve the engagement, collaboration, assessment and learner support within your own courses
Develop a fresh perspective by seeing how other instructors and designers from your discipline or area of interest are developing their courses
Apply lessons learned from the Exemplary Course Rubric to your own courses or those you are helping to develop
Receive detailed feedback on your own course development on the best practices you are employing or areas in which it can be improved
Gain professional development experience and recognition for your accomplishments and participation in the program

This is a valuable learning experience for even the most seasoned instructor or designer.

To learn more about the 2009 Exemplary Course Program visit http://www.blackboard.com/ecp where you will find information on how to:
Volunteer to be a reviewer
Download the Exemplary Course Rubric and explore best practices
Learn about how to participate in the 2009 Exemplary Course Program

We encourage you to consider participating in the Exemplary Course Program. If you have questions please send an email to: ecp@blackboard.com

Tip #42: Test Generator

2008-11-19T10:26:00.000-06:00

Tip: You can upload tests from Word to Blackboard using a test generator.

A test generator created by BYU-Idaho allows instructors to type their test in Word and then upload into Blackboard. Tests must be formatted for the generator to work correctly. This program is designed for simple test designs including essay, multiple answer, multiple choice and true/false questions. Question options can be modified once the test is imported into Blackboard.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Type in your test and format it in Word:

Number your test questions. Do not put number/letters next to the responses.
Skip one line between test questions.
Place an asterisk (*) in front of the correct answer.

Multiple choice questions: Type your question, and on the very next line start your answers. Put an asterisk(*) directly in front of any correct answers.

Example:
1. Which one of these is not another name for sugar?
sucrose
*sodium
glucose
maple syrup

Multiple answer questions: Type in your question, press Enter, on the very next line enter your answers. Put an * directly in front of any correct answers.

Example:
1. Whole grains are an important part of a healthy diet. The three parts of a grain kernel are:
Exoskeleton
*Bran
*Germ
*endosperm

Essay questions: Type your question and give no answer. Move on to the next question number.

Example:
1. What should you consider when selecting food from the fruit group?

True/False questions: Type your question, and on the very next line type True. On the next line type False (T and F won’t work). Put an *asterisk directly in front of the correct answer.

Example:
1. The meat and beans food group includes only beef and lima beans
True
*False

2. Convert the test using the test generator:
Copy the test from the Word document. Open the test generator located at: http://www.byui.edu/insttech/bbtest.asp and paste (CTRL-V) your test into the text box. Click Save as text file. Note the location of the saved file.
Open the saved file. This will open the file in Notepad and you can perform a quick check to see if there are any obvious errors. If there are no errors, it will look similar to the first example. If there are errors, it will have question marks in the left column as seen in the second example. Go back and check the formatting in Word. If the correct number of questions is not listed, check that Enter was pressed between each question in Word.

3. Upload questions into a test.
From the Control Panel, select Test Manager. Click the Add Test Button. Name your test. Description and Instructions are optional at this point (they can be changed later). Scroll to the bottom and click Submit. Click the drop down menu next to Add Question and select Upload Questions. Click GO. Click Browse to find the file you saved from the test generator. Click Open. Set the number of points possible per question. Click Submit. A Question Upload Complete screen should appear. Click OK to proceed.
The questions will appear in the test.

NOTE: If an Error message appears, the Word document was not formatted correctly. Make changes and copy past it again into the Test Generator. Repeat the steps again from Section 2.

NOTE: Questions can also be added to a test pool by selecting Pool Manager and following the same steps for uploading questions.

Tip #41: Adding and removing instructors in your course

2008-11-12T10:02:00.000-06:00

Tip: You can add instructors to your course and remove instructors from your course.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to your Control Panel and click Enroll User. Search for the instructor’s username by typing the last name and clicking the Search button. Place a checkmark next to the desired user’s name and click Submit. Return to the Control Panel and click List/Modify Users. Click the Search button and click the Properties button next to the instructor’s name. Under Role and Availability, select the Instructor role and click Submit.

To remove an instructor from your course, navigate to the Control Panel and click List/Modify Users. Click the Search button and click the Properties button next to the instructor’s name. Under Role and Availability, select the Student role and click Submit. Return to the Control Panel and click Remove Users from Course. Click the Search button and place a checkmark next to the instructor’s username. Type Yes in the confirmation box and click Submit.
NOTE: You must type Yes, with a capital Y.

Using the Add Users by Role feature:
If you know the Blackboard username of the instructor you want to add, you can use the Add Users by Role feature. Navigate to your Control Panel and click Add Users by Role. Select the role for the user from the drop-down box. Type the Blackboard username(s) in the username box. NOTE: You can add multiple users at once by separating each username with a comma. Click Submit to add the user.

Tip #40: Grade Discussion Board forums or threads

2008-11-05T16:57:00.000-06:00

Tip: You can grade Discussion Board forums or 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 Grade forum or Grade threads. Grading a forum will allow you to assign grades for students’ posts to that forum. Grading a thread will allow you to assign grades for students’ replies to each thread in a forum.

After you have enabled grading, click the Grade icon next to the forum or thread you want to grade. Click the Grade button next to a student’s name. The student’s posts to the forum or thread will display. You can filter, sort, and print the student’s posts. To submit a grade for the posts, type a grade in the Grade box and click the Submit button.

Discussion grading and the gradebook:
It is important to note that when you enable grading for a forum or thread, columns for those forums or threads are automatically generated in the gradebook. When you enable grading by forum, a column for that forum is created in the gradebook. When you enable grading by thread, a column for EACH thread in a forum is created in the gradebook. Keep this in mind when choosing whether to grade by forum or thread. Gradebook management can become cumbersome if you choose to grade a large number of threads.

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

2008-10-29T16:14:00.000-05:00

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

Open the PowerPoint file.
Navigate to the Office Button in the upper left hand corner.
Click Save As- PowerPoint Presentation.
Click the Tools drop down menu on the lower left hand side of Save As menu
Select Compress Pictures
Click Options
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
Click OK
Click OK to the Apply compression settings now dialog.
Change the filename (ex: unit1_compressed.ppt)
Click Save

Compressing Images in PowerPoint 2003 and earlier

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

2008-10-22T15:28:00.000-05:00

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.

2008-10-15T11:24:00.000-05:00

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

2008-10-08T13:10:00.000-05:00

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

2008-10-01T13:05:00.000-05:00

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.

Tip #34: Adding a Course Banner

2008-09-25T13:02:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can add a banner to your course.

Here’s how to do it:
A course banner is an image that appears at the top of the Announcements page of your course. To add a banner to your course, navigate to the Control Panel. Click Course Design and then click Course Banner.

Click the Browse button to locate the desired image on your computer. Select the desired image file and click Open. Click Submit to upload the image as your course banner. NOTE: You must upload image files in .jpeg or .gif formats. Blackboard does not recognize other image formats.

Cautions when adding course banners:
Some course banners may create accessibility issues for course users. To avoid these issues, we recommend the following guidelines for course banners:

Avoid uploading banners that contain moving images. Moving images may increase students’ page loading time and may interfere with students’ browsers.
Avoid using large images. Keep images within 500 x 500 megapixels.
Avoid uploading image files that are too large. The file size for any image uploaded to Blackboard should be no larger than 5 MB.

Tip #33: Helping students troubleshoot

2008-09-17T12:59:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can help students to troubleshoot their Blackboard issues.

Here’s how to do it:
Consider posting a series of technical tips in Blackboard for your students. You might consider adding these tips to a Technical Support discussion board, allowing students and teaching assistants the chance to share concerns and solutions.

Students can follow a series of steps or procedures to troubleshoot their Blackboard issues. We recommend the following troubleshooting steps:

Log out of Blackboard and shutdown the computer. Restart the computer and re-log into Blackboard. Some issues may only require logging out and logging back in to Blackboard.
Clear out your browser cache. If you use Internet Explorer as your browser, click the Tools menu option on your browser. Click Internet Options and select the option to delete your browsing history, temporary files, and cookies. Click OK. Close the browser entirely and re-start the browser. Log in to Blackboard.
Try using another browser. Some issues may be caused by browser errors or incompatibility. Consider using another browser, such as Firefox or Safari (Mac users), to see if the issue persists in multiple browsers.
Try using another computer at a different location. Some problems that you experience may actually be related to your personal computer or to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Make sure that the problem is occurring in more than one location and on one computer.
Turn off pop-up blockers while using Blackboard. Remember to enable them again once you’re done with Blackboard.
Check the Known Issues website to see if the issue you are having is a known issue. This webpage describes fixes or work-around for several known issues in Blackboard. http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/known_issues.asp

What to do if none of the troubleshooting steps work:
If the students’ issues persist after they have tried the troubleshooting steps, ask them to contact the TWU Help Desk. The Help Desk is available via phone, 940-898-9371 or via email, helpdesk@twu.edu. They also have a chat room in which students and faculty can discuss their Blackboard issues with Help Desk personnel. Students should be able to tell Help Desk their course information, instructor information, any troubleshooting steps they have tried, and as much detail as possible about what they do when the problem occurs, including any error message numbers.

Tip #32: Contingency Planning

2008-09-11T12:23:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can create a contingency plan and develop back-up procedures for your Blackboard course.

Here’s how to do it:
Because of the volatile nature of technology, it is advisable that instructors who use Blackboard develop contingency plans and back-up procedures. Blackboard has several features that can assist instructors with this. We recommend that faculty consider the following procedures:

Archive your course periodically. Archiving a course allows you to save course content and user data to your computer or an external drive.
Use the Gradebook Export feature to save a copy of your Gradebook to your computer. We recommend that instructors export their Gradebooks at least once a week. For instructions on exporting your Gradebook, view the Blackboard Tip #18.
Develop and communicate to students a back-up plan in case Blackboard is not accessible.

Considerations for contingency plans:
When creating your contingency plan, consider the following questions:

What are TWU’s policies regarding contingency plans?
Does your department recommend or require any specific contingency procedures?
Do you have multiple methods by which you can communicate with students in case of an emergency (e.g., email + phone + emergency website)?
Will you be flexible with the course calendar and due dates if necessary?
What contingency recommendations will you make to students (e.g., print your course syllabus, keep back-ups of all files submitted to Blackboard)?
What back-up spaces could you use to continue your course if access to Blackboard or to the TWU campus was not possible?

Tip #31: Managing Student Access to Blackboard Courses

2008-09-03T12:19:00.000-05:00

Tip: When students drop a class and are not automatically removed from Blackboard, you can limit their access to the course.

Limiting access to students who drop the course mid-semester
Students who have dropped a course mid-semester will not be removed from your Blackboard course roster. This is designed to allow instructors to keep records of all students in the course. Removing a student from the Blackboard course will delete all information, including grades for that student.

Here’s how to limit access and retain student information:
Navigate to your Control Panel and click the List/Modify Users link. Type the student’s last name, or click search to list the whole class roster. Select properties next to a student’s name. Scroll down to Section 4: Role and Availability. Under Available (this course only) select No. Click Submit.
NOTE: Limiting access to students will not remove them from your grade book. However, the student will no longer be able to log into the course.

Removing Students from a Course
If a student was never enrolled in the course per your WebAdvisor roster, removal of the student may be appropriate. Keep in mind that all student data will be removed including grades, assignment submissions and course statistics.

NOTE: Blackboard roster updates occur several times a day through the twelfth class day. It is possible that during these first days of the semester, students removed from a course will be added back into the course when the roster updates occur. Removing students after the twelfth class day will be permanent.

How to permanently remove a student from the course
Navigate to your Control Panel and click the Remove Users from Course link. Type the student’s last name, or click search to list the whole class roster. Place a checkmark next to the student’s name. Type the word Yes in the box and click Submit.

NOTE: Official student rosters can be obtained from WebAdvisor and compared with Blackboard. Students who are not listed in Blackboard but listed in WebAdvisor should call the helpdesk at 3791 for assistance.

Tip #30: Learning Objects

2008-08-27T12:17:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can add Learning Objects to your Blackboard course.

What are Learning Objects?
Learning Objects are tools that can be used in your Blackboard course to facilitate interaction. There are 3 tools that instructors can use in their courses:
1. Blog tool: The blog tool allows users to contribute to and/or comment on course blogs. For additional information on the blog tool, visit our support website.
2. Wiki tool: The wiki tool allows users to collaborate in constructing shared web spaces. For additional information on the wiki tool, visit our support website.
3. Podcast tool: The podcast tool allows instructors to upload podcasts to their Blackboard courses or link to podcasts from other sources. For additional information on the podcast tool, visit our support website.

Activating Learning Objects in your course:
Before you can use the learning objects, you need to first activate them in the course. Navigate to the Control Panel and click Manage Tools. Select Building Block Tool Availability and check the tools you plan to use. Click Submit. Then from the Manage Tools menu select Content Type Availability. Check the tools you plan to use. Click Submit.

Adding Learning Objects to your course:
Learning Objects can be added to your course in the same way that Assignments are added to courses. Navigate to the content area to which you want to add a Learning Object. Click the Edit View link in the top right corner of the page. Click the drop-down box next to the words Select: Learning Unit and select the Learning Object you want to add. Click the Go button. To configure the options for that Learning Object, navigate to the Control Panel and click the appropriate Configure/Manage option for the tool.

Tip #29: Beginning of the Semester Tasks

2008-08-20T12:15:00.000-05:00

Beginning of semester tasks:
1. Enhance course design and menu options.
2. Combine multiple course sections into one shell (if applicable).
3. Make the course available.

Completing the beginning of semester tasks:

Enhancing the course design and menu options
1) Access your course
2) Click the Control Panel link
3) Click Course Design
In the Course Design area, you can choose a course menu design, manage how the menu is displayed, manage the tool panel, and add/change the course banner.
4) Return to the Control Panel and click Manage Course Menu
5) To re-arrange the order of menu items, click the number next to an item and select a new number order for the item
6) To modify or remove a menu item, click the Modify or Remove button next to an item
7) To add a content area, link to a course tool, a link to a course area, or an external link to the course menu, click the appropriate button at the top of the page
8) Click OK

Combining multiple course sections into one shell (if applicable)
1) Access the course from which you want to move users
2) Click the Control Panel link
3) Under the Course Options category, click Course Copy
4) Click Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course
5) Type or Search for the Destination Course ID (the Destination Course is the course to which to enrollments will be copied)
6) Place a checkmark next to Tasks and next to Enrollments
7) Click Submit; you will receive an email notification when the enrollments copy is complete

Making the course available
1) Access the course you want to make available
2) Click the Control Panel link
3) Under the Course Options category, click Settings
4) Click Course Availability
5) Select Yes
6) Click Submit

Tip #28: Discussion Board Changes

2008-08-13T12:11:00.000-05:00

In response to faculty and student feedback, some of the features of the discussion boards have changed.

What changes will I see in the Discussion Boards?
You will see improvements to the Discussion Boards. Users will have the option to mark posts as “read” by selecting threads and clicking a Mark as Read button. Users can also see the number of unread posts in a forum and click the number to view those posts.

Users will be able to choose a view setting for their Discussion Board: Tree View or List View. The List View is the view setting currently available in Blackboard. The Tree View is similar to the view setting that was previously available in Blackboard before 2008.

Instructors can enable new discussion forum settings. Instructors can enable tagging, which allows users to tag discussion posts with searchable keywords. Instructors can allow users to subscribe to discussion forums and/or discussion threads. Instructors can also enable replying with a quote, which allows users to embed a quote from the discussion thread to which they are replying.

Tip #27: Creating Assignments

2008-08-01T10:37:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can create Assignments to which students will submit their work.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to the content area to which you will add your Assignments. For example, if you want to add your assignments to the Assignments content area, click the Assignments link on the course menu.

Click the Edit View button at the top right corner of the page. Click the drop-down menu next to + Select: and select Assignment. Click Go.

Name the assignment, type the points possible for the assignment, and type instructions for students. You can also attach a file for students to download. Select the dates you want to make the Assignment available and click Submit. NOTE: A Gradebook column for the Assignment will automatically be generated.

Assignments versus Digitial Dropbox:
We recommend that instructors use the Assignments feature, rather than the Digital Dropbox, to collect students’ work. Some benefits of using the Assignments feature are:

· The Assignments feature generates a Gradebook item. This means that, when students submit work to an Assignment, a completion indicator (!) is placed in the Gradebook column for that Assignment. Students’ submitted work can be viewed and graded within the Gradebook. Students’ assignments can be downloaded all at once and saved to the instructor’s computer, for grading at a later time (see Tip # 20).
· The Assignments feature is intuitive and easy for students to use. To submit their Assignments, students click the View/Complete Assignment link underneath the Assignment name and description. Students can then attach their files and click Submit to complete their Assignment.
· Instructors can provide feedback with students’ grades using the Comments box or by attaching a file for the students.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #26: Using tables to organize VTBE content

2008-07-23T13:13:00.000-05:00

Tip: Use tables in the Visual Text Box Editor (VTBE) to organize your content and images.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to a content area in your course (e.g. Course Documents) and click the Edit View link in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Click the + Item button to add a new item. Name the item and then click in the text box below. This is where you will add your table.

On the Visual Text Box Editor (VTBE), click the Create Table button.
Select the number of columns and rows for the table. Click Submit to add the table to the text box.

Add text or images to your table. After you have added your content, click the Submit button to save your content. Below is an example of how you might use tables to organize your content:

How to remove the table outlines:
To remove the table outlines, you will need to modify the HTML code for the table. Click the < > button on the VTBE to open the HTML view. You will see the following format code for the table:

To remove the table outlines, you will need to modify the HTML code for the table. Click the < > button on the VTBE to open the HTML view. You will see the following format code for the table:

In the part of the code that says “border=1”, change the 1 to a 0. Click the < > button again to switch back to your standard view. You will see that the table borders have disappeared. Click Submit to save your changes.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #25: Adding audio, video, or Flash using the VTBE

2008-07-21T08:58:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can add audio, video, or Flash to a Blackboard item using the Visual Text Box Editor (VTBE).

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to a content area in your course (e.g. Course Documents) and click the Edit View link in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Click the + Item button to add a new item. Name the item and then click in the text box below. This is where you will add the audio, video, or Flash.

On the Visual Text Box Editor (VTBE), click the Add button for the component you would like to add (from left to right, those buttons are Add MPEG/AVI content, Add QuickTime content, Add Audio content, and Add Flash content):

Click the Browse button to locate the file on your computer or external drive. Select the file options you would like and click the Submit button. On the preview page, click Submit again to add your content.

Caution regarding adding audio, video, or Flash files:
Be aware of the file size of the audio, video, or Flash file you add to your course. The larger the file size, the more difficulties students will experience in viewing that file and the Blackboard page on which the file is located. We recommend that any file uploaded to Blackboard is no larger than 5 MB.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at:

http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #24: Adding an image using the VTBE

2008-07-09T10:43:00.000-05:00

Tip: Add an image to your course using the Visual Text Box Editor (VTBE).

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to a content area in your course (e.g. Course Documents) and click the Edit View link in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Click the + Item button to add a new item. Name the item and then click in the text box below. This is where you will add the image.

On the Visual Text Box Editor (VTBE), click the Add Image button.

Click the Browse button to locate the image file on your computer or external drive. Select any image options you would like and click the Submit button. Resize the image by clicking on the image and dragging the corners in or out, depending on whether you want to enlarge or shrink the image.

What to do if you do not see the VTBE:

Check to make sure that your VTBE is enabled. On your Blackboard welcome page (where your courses are listed), click the Personal Information link on the left-hand Tools menu. Click Set Visual Text Box Editor Options and make sure that the VTBE is enabled. Click Submit. You will need to log out and log back in to Blackboard to see your changes.

The VTBE for Safari users does not have the Add Image button. Macintosh users should use the Firefox browser to enable the full version of the VTBE.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at:

http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #23: Creating an anonymous survey

2008-07-08T09:46:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can create an anonymous survey in Blackboard.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to the Control Panel of your course and click Survey Manager. Click the + Add Survey button. Type a name for the survey and type any description or instructions you want to provide. Click Submit.

Add questions to the survey by clicking the drop-down menu next to the words Add Calculated Formula. Select the type of question you would like to add and click the Go button. For open-ended questions, select the Short Answer or Essay question types. Continue adding questions until you have completed your survey.

To launch the survey in your course, navigate to the course area to which you would like to add the survey. Click the Edit View link at the upper right corner of the page. Click the drop-down menu next to the words + Select: Learning Unit and select the Survey option. Click the Go button. Select the survey you created and click Submit. To change the survey availability and settings, click the Modify the Survey options link on the following page.

Survey anonymity in Blackboard:
Surveys in Blackboard are anonymous, so you will not be able to discern individuals’ survey answers. To view the full survey results, navigate to your course Gradebook. Locate the survey Gradebook item and click name of the survey. Click the Download Results link and select your download options. NOTE: Microsoft Excel will open a .csv file or a tab-delimited file.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #22: Adding a course tool link

2008-06-26T11:45:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can add a course tool link to a content area in your course.

Here’s how to do it:
Enter your course and click the course menu link for the content area to which you would like to add a tool. For example, if you want to add a tool link to your Course Documents content area, click on Course Documents.

Click the Edit View link on the top right corner of the page. Click the drop-down menu next to the Select icon and select the Tool option. Click Go.

Select the tool link you want to add and click the Next button.

Using tool links:
Consider adding tools to content areas to facilitate students’ navigation of the course. For example, if the students’ first task in the course is to create a Blackboard homepage, consider adding a homepage tool link to your First Tasks, Syllabus, or Assignments content area.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at:
http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #21: Adding a glossary

2008-06-24T13:34:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can add a glossary to your Blackboard course.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to your course Control Panel and click Glossary Manager. Click the +Add Term button to add a new term and its definition. Click Submit to save the term and definition. Follow the same steps to add more terms to the glossary.

You can create your glossary in Excel or in Notepad and upload it into your Blackboard shell. Click the Upload Glossary button and Browse for the glossary file you created. Click Submit to upload the glossary.

Creating a glossary in Excel or Notepad:
Create your glossary in Excel by creating a column for the terms and a column for the definitions. Save the Excel glossary as a tab-delimited file or .csv file.
To create your glossary in Notepad, type the term and definition in quotation marks and separate the term and definition with a comma: “term”,“definition” (do not type any spaces between the characters). Save the Notepad file as a .txt file or .csv file.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #20: Downloading students' Assignments all at once

2008-06-12T14:12:00.000-05:00

Tip: Download students’ Assignments to your computer all at once through the Gradebook.

Here’s how to do it:
The Blackboard Assignments feature gives instructors several options for viewing students’ work. Create an Assignment to which students can submit their work. When you are ready to download students’ work, navigate to your course Gradebook.

Click the name of the Assignment in the Gradebook and click Item Download. To download all the students’ Assignments, click the Select All link at the top of the page and click Submit. The students’ assignments will be packaged as a .zip file that can be downloaded to your computer. Right-click the link provided, select “Save Target As…” and save the file to your computer.

Errors when downloading students’ assignment files:
Some instructors may receive an error when attempting to download students’ Assignments all at once. To reduce the incidence of this error, recommend to students that they follow Blackboard-appropriate naming conventions (see Tip # 19). If you still encounter the problem, download the students’ Assignments individually.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #19: Naming files for Blackboard

2008-06-06T13:54:00.000-05:00

Tip: Reduce the number of error messages you and students receive when opening files by appropriately naming files uploaded to Blackboard.

Here’s how to do it:
There are several file name characters that may lead to error messages when instructors or students upload or download files. To reduce the occurrence of those errors, follow these naming conventions:

• Use only letters, numbers, underscores, and hyphens in file names
• Use hyphens or underscores in place of spaces in file names
• Do not use periods in a file name, except before the file extension (e.g. “Name_test1.doc”)
• Do not use spaces, commas, pound signs (#), question marks, equal signs, ampersands (&), asterisks (*), or any other special characters in file names
• Keep file names under 60 characters in length

You may recommend to students that they follow these same naming conventions. This is helpful when you are downloading multiple students’ files all at once (e.g. downloading students’ completed assignments)

Uploading multiple files into Blackboard:
When you upload multiple files into Blackboard, they are automatically organized numerically then alphabetically by the name of the file. If you want a specific order in which your files will appear, name the files accordingly. For example, you may name a file 1_Hill_article and another file 2_McCubbins_article so that they appear in numerical order.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #18: Downloading/uploading your Gradebook

2008-05-22T09:58:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can download your Gradebook into Microsoft Excel and upload your Gradebook into Blackboard from Excel.

Here’s how to do it:
To download your Blackboard Gradebook to Excel, navigate to your course Gradebook. Click the Download Grades button. Select the Tab filter type and click Submit. Right-click the Download button and select Save Target As…

Name the file and select the location on your computer to which you want to save the file. Click the Save button. Locate the file you saved, double-click the file, and it will open in Microsoft Excel.

NOTE: We recommend that instructors periodically download their Gradebooks to an external drive for record-keeping purposes.

Upload your Gradebook from Excel into Blackboard:
Navigate to your Gradebook and click the Upload Grades button. Click the Browse button to locate the Excel file on your computer hard drive. Click Submit. Select the Excel column you want to import. Select the column to which you will import the Excel information or select the option to create a new Gradebook column. NOTE: You can import only one column at a time. Click Submit.

On the next page, select which students’ grades you want to upload or click the Select All button to upload all students’ grades. Click Submit.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #17: Beginning of semester checklist

2008-05-22T09:52:00.000-05:00

Tip: Beginning of semester tasks

Beginning of semester tasks:
1. Enhance course design and menu options.
2. Combine multiple course sections into one shell (if applicable).
3. Make the course available.

Completing the beginning of semester tasks:
Enhancing the course design and menu options
1) Access your course
2) Click the Control Panel link
3) Click Course Design
In the Course Design area, you can choose a course menu design, manage how the menu is displayed, manage the tool panel, and add/change the course banner.
4) Return to the Control Panel and click Manage Course Menu
5) To re-arrange the order of menu items, click the number next to an item and select a new number order for the item
6) To modify or remove a menu item, click the Modify or Remove button next to an item
7) To add a content area, link to a course tool, a link to a course area, or an external link to the course menu, click the appropriate button at the top of the page
8) Click OK

Combining multiple course sections into one shell (if applicable)
1) Access the course from which you want to move users
2) Click the Control Panel link
3) Under the Course Options category, click Course Copy
4) Click Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course
5) Type or Search for the Destination Course ID (the Destination Course is the course to which to enrollments will be copied)
6) Place a checkmark next to Tasks and next to Enrollments
7) Click Submit; you will receive an email notification when the enrollments copy is complete

Making the course available
1) Access the course you want to make available
2) Click the Control Panel link
3) Under the Course Options category, click Settings
4) Click Course Availability
5) Select Yes
6) Click Submit

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #16: End of Semester Checklist

2008-05-01T15:23:00.000-05:00

Tip: End of Semester Checklist

End-of-semester checklist:
1. Export the final course gradebook.
2. Archive your Blackboard course.
3. Make the course unavailable.

Completing the end-of-semester tasks:
Exporting the Blackboard Gradebook
1) Access the course that contains the Gradebook you want to export
2) Click the Control Panel link
3) Click Gradebook
4) Click the Download Grades button
5) Select Comma or Tab as the Delimiter Type (both file types can be opened in MS Excel)
6) Click the Submit button and then click the Download button
7) Save the file to your Desktop (or anywhere on your computer that is appropriate)
8) Click OK

Archiving a Blackboard Course
1) Access the course you want to archive
2) Click the Control Panel link
3) Under the Course Options category, click Archive Course
4) Click the Archive button
5) Click Submit
6) After you receive the archive completion email, navigate to the Archive Course page again. Right-click the zipped course file and click Save Target As… to save the file to your computer
7) Click OK

Making a Course Unavailable
1) Access the course you want to make unavailable
2) Click the Control Panel link
3) Under the Course Options category, click Settings
4) Click Course Availability
5) Select No
6) Click Submit

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #15: Filtering and sorting the Gradebook

2008-05-01T15:20:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can sort and filter items in your Gradebook.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to your course Gradebook. You can sort Gradebook items by Position, Category, Date Added, Date, Points Possible, Title, and Weight. Select your sort criteria and click the Go button. Sorting is useful to locate specific columns in the Gradebook and to minimize scrolling to find these columns.

Filtering your Gradebook allows you to view only the items you specify. You can filter your Gradebook by Category or by users’ last names.

Filtering Items by Category:
Categories are created automatically for all Gradebook items. To manually categorize items or change categories in the Gradebook, click the Manage Items button and click the Modify button next to an item for which you would like to change the category. Select a category from the drop-down list and click Submit.
After categorizing the Gradebook items, select the category by which you would like to filter the items and click the Go button. To view all Gradebook items again, select All as the filter category and click the Go button.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #14: Locking Discussion Board threads

2008-04-17T08:02:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can lock Discussion Board threads so that students cannot edit their posts or add to the thread.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to the Discussion Board area in your course. Click on the discussion forum in which you would like to lock threads. Place a checkmark in the boxes to the left of the threads you would like to lock. If you want to lock all threads, click the Go button next to the Select All drop-down menu at the bottom of the page.

After selecting the threads, click the Lock button at the top of the page. Notice that the status of the locked threads will change from Published to Locked. A locked thread is still readable by users but can no longer be added to or modified.

Unlocking Discussion Board threads:
To unlock a Discussion Board thread, place a checkmark in the box next to the thread and click the Unlock button.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #13: Early Warning System Rules

2008-04-10T14:24:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can assess students’ progress in your course by creating Early Warning System rules.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to your course Control Panel and click the Early Warning System. You can add a Grade Rule, a Due Date Rule, or a Last Access Rule.

A Grade rule identifies when student performance is equal to, below, or above a defined level.
A Due Date rule identifies students who do not complete work by the due date.
A Last Access rule identifies the last time a student accessed the course.

Example: Adding a Grade rule
In this example, an instructor chooses to receive Early Warning System notification for every student who scores lower than a 70 on the Midterm exam. Click the + Grade Rule button and type a name for the rule. Select a Gradebook item for which you would like to be notified; in this example the instructor selects the Midterm exam. Define the criteria (e.g., less than or equal to) and the score (e.g. 70). Click Submit to save the rule.

Place a checkmark next to the new rule and click the Refresh button. Exit the Early Warning System and return to that area to view the updated page. To view a list of the students who meet the criteria, click the name of the rule. NOTE: The rules do not automatically update; you must Refresh the rules to see if any new students meet the criteria.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #12: Adding Gradebook comments

2008-04-03T10:11:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can add comments to any Gradebook item.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to your course Gradebook and click the name of Gradebook item. Click Item Grade List and enter students’ scores (if scores have not already been submitted for the item). Click Submit to save the scores. NOTE: A grade must be submitted for a Gradebook item before you can add comments to the item.

Click the name of the Gradebook item again and click Item Grade List. Click the Modify Comments button next to a student’s grade. Type or paste in your comment in the Comment box. If you want the student to be able to see the comment, make sure the Is Public box is checked. Unchecking the Is Public box will hide the comment from the student. Click Submit to save the comment. Click Submit on the Item Grade List page to save your changes.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #11: Turning on/off course tools

2008-04-02T09:25:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can turn on or turn off course tools in your Blackboard shell.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to the Control Panel of your course. Click Manage Tools. Click Tool Availability to choose the availability of course tools such as Email, Groups, Messages, and Roster. Click Building Block Tool Availability to choose the availability of Advanced Group Management and Add Users by Role tools. Click Content Type Availability to choose the availability of content types that can be added to content areas.

Communication tools:
You can make communication tools available or unavailable by navigating to the Control Panel and clicking Manage Course Menu. Click the Modify button next to the Communication menu item. Select the availability of the listed tools and click Submit.

Turning off tools:
You may want to turn off some of the tools that you will not be using so that students do not use those tools. For example, if you are using Email instead of Messaging, you may consider turning off Messaging so that students do not try to use that tool to communicate with you.

Want more information?
A step-by-step tutorial is available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #10: Enabling Review Status

2008-03-26T10:22:00.001-05:00

Tip: You can enable Review Status for course items.

Here’s how to do it:
Enter your course and navigate to the item to which you want to add Review Status. Click the Edit View link on the top right corner of the page to bring up options for that item. Click the Manage button for that item.

Click Review Status and select the Enable option. Click Submit. Click OK to return to the main content area page. Click the Display View link on the top right corner of the page to view what the students will see.

Using Review Status:
Review Status may be helpful if you have a document or course item that you want to verify whether or not students have viewed it. For example, you might add Review Status to a document containing course policies so that students can acknowledge that they read the document.

Review Status tracking is available through the Performance Dashboard. Navigate to the Control Panel and then click Performance Dashboard. In the Review Status column, you will see the number of course items each student has marked as review. Click on a number in that column to view specific information about what a student has and has not marked as reviewed.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #9: Copying Discussion Board forums

2008-03-18T11:09:00.000-05:00

Tip: You can copy a Discussion Board forum within a course or to a group in a course.

Here’s how to do it:
Enter the course in which you would like to copy a forum. Click the Discussion Board course menu link. Click the Copy button next to the forum that you would like to copy.

On the next screen, type a Name for the copied Discussion Board forum. Select whether you would like to copy the Entire forum or just the Forum Settings. NOTE: If you copy the Entire forum, all posts will be copied with the forum. If you copy only the Forum settings, no posts will be copied.

Select the location to which you would like to copy the Discussion Board forum. You can select to copy the forum into the course Discussion Board area* or to one of the course groups, if you enabled groups in your course. Click Submit to submit your copy request. You will receive confirmation via email that the forum copy was successfully completed.

*NOTE: The course Discussion Board area is designated by your course ID. If you do not have any groups in your course, only the Discussion Board area will be listed in your Location box.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #8: Create and manage groups with Advanced Group Management

2008-03-10T13:17:00.000-05:00

Tip: Create and manage groups using the Advanced Group Management tool.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to the Control Panel of your course and click Advanced Group Management. Click Add Group to add a new group. Name the group and select the communication tools for that group. Click Submit.

Add users to your group by placing a checkmark next to the group name and clicking View/Assign Users. Click Modify and place a checkmark next to the users you want to add to the group. Click Submit.

Discussion Forums in groups: When you enable the discussion board tool in a group, a forum for that group is automatically created. You can create additional forums in a group and copy those forums to other groups using the Copy button for each forum. NOTE: Every graded discussion forum in a group will automatically generate a Gradebook item.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #7: Multiple attempts on tests

2008-03-03T14:07:00.000-06:00

Tip: When allowing multiple attempts on a test, you can choose which of the students’ attempts will be counted as the final score for that test.

Here’s how to do it:
Add the test to a content area and click the Modify button and then click Modify Test Options. Click Allow Multiple Attempts and select whether you will allow unlimited attempts or a specific number of tests. Make the test available and select dates for availability. Click Submit.

Click Control Panel and click Gradebook. Click the name of the Gradebook item for the test you added. Click Modify Gradebook Item.

Click the drop-down menu next to the words “Score Attempts Using” and select one of the following options:
(1) Grade of last attempt
(2) Grade of first attempt
(3) Highest grade
(4) Lowest grade
(5) Average of grades

Click Submit to save your changes.

If you do not select one of the options above, the Gradebook will default to Grade of Last Attempt. This means that, when students take a test multiple times, the Gradebook will record their last attempts as the final scores for that item.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706

Tip #6: Broadcasting announcements

2008-02-25T09:15:00.000-06:00

Tip: You can broadcast course announcements via email to your students.

Here’s how to do it:
Navigate to the Control Panel of the course in which you want to make an announcement. Click Announcements and click the Add Announcement button. Type your announcement subject and message. Select the display dates for the announcement, if any, and select whether or not the announcement will be permanent. NOTE: Non-permanent announcements disappear from the main announcements page after 7 days and they are listed after permanent announcements in the course view.

Check the box next to Email this announcement to all course users. Click Submit. A copy of the announcement will be sent to the email addresses listed by users in Blackboard. By default, the email addresses for Blackboard users are their Portal email accounts. However, if a user chooses to change his or her listed email address in Blackboard to an alternate account (e.g. yahoo, hotmail, gmail), the announcement email will be sent to the user’s alternate account.

NOTE: Some email accounts may categorize Blackboard emails as SPAM. We recommend that you confirm with students that they are receiving your emails that are sent through Blackboard.

Want more information?
Step-by-step tutorials are available at: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard/Bb72Tutorials.asp
Visit our website: http://www.twu.edu/blackboard,
or call: (940) 898-3706