Tip #102: End of the Semester Checklist

Tip: At the end of each semester, you should

1. Make courses unavailable
2. Backup each course Gradebook
3. Archive each Blackboard course

Make courses unavailable:

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

Backup the course Gradebook:

1. From the Control Panel, click on Grade Center and select Full Grade Center.
2. Click Work Offline on the right side and select Download.
3. 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.
4. Click Submit. A file containing the Grade Center data will be created.
5. 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

1. From the Control Panel, click Packages and Utilities and select Export/Archive Course.
2. Click Archive.
3. On the Archive Course page under Select Copy Options, select Include Grade Center History.
4. Click Submit.
5. 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.
6. Click the Archive File of the course to save to computer.

Tip #101: Backing up the Grade Center

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:

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


2. Click Work Offline on the right side and select Download.


3. 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.


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


5. 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

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 #98: How to Copy a Wiki

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

1. From the Course Menu, click Tools.


2. Click Campus Pack Collaboration Space.


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


4. On the right, click Copy from Existing.


5. 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.


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


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


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

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

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.

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


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


3. Under Type, select Campus Pack Collaboration Space.


4. Check the box next to Available to Users.


5. Click Submit.


6. 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

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:

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


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

Your options are:

• 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

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

Importing Tests from a Previous Course

Part 1: How to Export a Test

1. Under the Control Panel, click Course Tools and then Test, Surveys, and Pools.
2. Click Tests to retrieve a list of tests in your course.
3. Click the down arrows next to the test you want to export.
4. 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.

1. Under the Control Panel, click Course Tools and then Test, Surveys, and Pools.
2. Click Tests and then Import Test.
3. On the Test Import page, click Browse My Computer to locate the .zip file.
4. Click Submit.
5. 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

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

1. From the course menu, click Discussion Board.
2. Click a discussion board forum.
3. Select all posts by clicking the box next to Date. Click Collect, next to Thread Actions.
4. 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

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)

1. Open Test in New Window: No. Popup blockers may prevent students from being able to even open tests that open in new windows.
2. Make Link available: Yes
3. 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.
4. Do not check Force Completion. Students are only “locked out” of tests when Force Completion is set. We recommend setting a timer instead.
5. 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.
6. If setting release dates and times for a test, you must select both Display After and Display Until.
7. 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.
8. 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)

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

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.

1. In a new post, make sure the Visual Editor in the upper right corner of the message box is On.
2. Select the Attach File icon on the bottom of the message box toolbar.
3. 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.

1. In a new discussion board post, type message.
2. Underneath Attachments, next to Attach File, select Browse My Computer.
3. A new window will open with files available to attach.
4. 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:

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

Tip #90: Enrolling and Removing Students from a Course

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.

1. Access your course
2. Click on the Users and Groups area of the Control Panel and select Users
3. Click on Enroll Users
4. 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.

1. Access your course
2. Click on the Users and Groups area of the Control Panel and select Users
3. Select the students you would like to remove from your course
4. 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.

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

Tip #89: Beginning of Semester Checklist

Tip: Beginning of semester tasks

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

Enhance the course design and menu options:

1. Access your course
2. 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
3. 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):

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

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

1. Access the course from which you want to move users
2. On the Control Panel, click on Packages and Utilities and then select Course Copy
3. Select Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course from the Select Copy Options dropdown
4. 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
5. Place a checkmark next to Tasks
6. Place a checkmark next to Include Enrollments in the Copy
7. Click Submit
NOTE: You will receive an email notification when the enrollments copy is complete

Make the course available:

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

Tip #88: Announcing the 2011 Blackboard Exemplary Course Program

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
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 2011 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 2011 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 #87: End of the Semester Checklist

Tip: At the end of each semester, you should

1. Export the final course Gradebook
2. Archive your Blackboard course
3. Make the course unavailable

Make the course unavailable

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

Backup the final course Gradebook:

1. Access the Grade Center from the Control Panel.
2. Click Work Offline on the right side and select Download.
3. 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
4. Click Submit.
5. Click link to download grade center backup.

Archive your Blackboard course:

1. Go to the Control Panel and click Packages and Utilities.
2. Click Export/Archive Course.
3. Click Archive.
4. On the Archive Course page:Select Copy Options, check Include Grade Center History
5. Click Submit.
6. 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.
7. Click the Archive File of the course to save to computer.

Tip # 86: Sending Email from Grade Center

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:

1. Access the Grade Center from the Control Panel.
2. Check the boxes next to the name or names to send emails to.
3. On the bottom of the grade center below student names, click the drop-down menu Email.
4. Click Email Selected Users.
5. A Send Email screen will open, importing all selected user emails and providing text boxes to insert the subject, message, and any attachments.
6. 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

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:

1. In Blackboard, create a new item (i.e. Discussion Board, Announcement, or Course Module), or reply to a discussion board thread.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Copy and paste text.
Note: Only spacing and bullets will be kept in Blackboard, not bold, underline, or italics.
5. Click Preview (on the bottom right of the text box) to see how the post will look before submitting it.
Note: Do not turn on the text editor before submitting text, or all text will be removed.
6. Once finished, click Submit.
7. 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

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:

1. From the Control Panel, access the Grade Center.
2. 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.
3. Underneath the desired assignment column, click on the cell of the first student.
   
4. Type in grade and hit enter.
5. The next cell will automatically enter edit mode where you can type in the grade.

How to enter grades with feedback:

1. From the Control Panel, access the Grade Center.
2. Locate the desired assignment column and click cell of the first student.
3. Click the down arrows on the right side of this cell and select View Grade Details.
4. Select Edit Grade, which is located on the right-hand side underneath Actions.
5. Type in the number grade under Current Grade Value and insert comments in the text box underneath Feedback to User.
6. Click Save.
7. 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

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:

1. Access the Grade Center from the Control Panel.


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


3. Select Assignment File Download


4. Select the student(s), click Submit


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


6. 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

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:

1. Log into your course and ensure Edit Mode is ON.


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


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


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


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


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


7. 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.