Blackboard FAQ: Content Management

How can I get my syllabus(or any other file) in Blackboard?
How can I copy/move specific course content within a course or to another course?
How can I move everything from my last semester course to this semester?
Can I reorder my permanent announcements?
What is the difference between a Folder and a Learning Unit?
When I am adding course items, what is the difference between "Smart Text", "Plain Text", and "HTML"?
What does it mean to make a course area "Secure"?
What is a "Course Cartridge" and how do I use it?
How do I add an assigment?
How do I access an assignment file submitted by a student?
A student has uploaded a file and it will not open.

How can I get my syllabus (or any other file) in Blackboard?

You can attach your files directly to any content item within Blackboard for your students to download. Create a new item in any content area. Option 2 in your item when you create it will be Content Attachments. Under the File to Attach field click on the Browse button and go to where you saved the document and select it. Under Special Action , make sure it says " Create a link to this file " and then click on submit.

How can I copy/move specific course content within a course or to another course?

View your specific content item via the Control Panel. In between the Modify and Remove buttons is the new Copy button. Click on the Copy button then choose your destination course and browse to the folder you would like it copied. That will make a copy of the item show up in your destination folder. Within the Copy page there is a checkbox for delete the item after copy. When this is checked it removes the item from its original location which in effect moves the item to its final destination.

How can I move everything from my last semester course to this semester?

In previous versions of Blackboard this ability was left in the administrator's hands. With 6.0 the instructor can now take last semester's course and copy it into the current semester.

**You need to be in the original course you want to copy from for this to work.

In the Course Options Section of your Control Panel , select the Course Copy link. On the Course Copy page, select the Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course link. Under the Destination Course ID field click on Browse to locate your course. You will then see the Course Copy Search box:

Make sure the Instructor radio button is selected, then type your USERNAME without the @shsu.edu and click on the Search button. Once you have clicked the search button, a listing of your courses will be displayed. Click on the Select button of your destination course (the course where you want your material to be copied).

You can then choose the areas of the course you want copied into your destination course.

Can I reorder my permanent announcements?

The display order of non-permanent announcements is based on their start-display-date, with the most recent at top (but below permanent announcements). When you modify an announcement you will notice that it has "Start display on ..." set. If you modify that date/time, you can control the order of announcements. Or simply clear the checkmark, which means the start-display-date will default to the current date and time, and hence the announcement will be considered the newest one.

What is the difference between a Folder and a Learning Unit?

Both of these are "containers" useful for organizing a set of items within Blackboard, and they are both created in the same way. The primary difference concerns the presentation of the contents (items).

In a Folder , all items are displayed on a single page. Students can quickly see all of the contents of a Folder.

In a Learning Unit , each item appears on its own page. Students use arrow buttons to navigate from one item to another.

When I am adding course items, what is the difference between "Smart Text", "Plain Text", and "HTML"?

Smart Text - Displays carriage returns and understands HTML tags. It will also automatically make a URL "HOT" or lclickable.

Plain Text - Displays no formatting. All of your text will show up in one big paragraph.

HTML - Formats text based on HTML tags only.

What does it mean to make a course area "Secure"?

When you secure an area within Blackboard, it will be accessible only to people officially enrolled in or associated with your course.

Guests (unenrolled visitors) will not be able to view secured areas.

All communication areas within a Blackboard course are automatically secured from guest view. If your course contains copyright-protected materials, you should secure these areas from guests. The default of each course is to allow guest access.

If you do not want to allow non-enrolled users to visit any material from your course, disable "Guest Access" from the "Settings" area of your "Control Panel". If you want to allow guests to view some areas of your course selectively, choose which areas to "Secure" in the "Manage Course Menu" area of the "Control Panel".

What is a "Course Cartridge" and how do I use it?

Course Cartridges are collections of publisher-created content, available for import into Blackboard course sites. Content in Course Cartridges includes slides, documents, quiz banks, lists of relevant links, and other materials. Typically, publishers require instructors to order a new edition of specific textbooks for their students. Not all textbooks have course cartridge material (see the list of available textbooks at: http://cartridges.blackboard.com ).

When you've ordered the appropriate textbook, you must contact the publisher (via their website, or by locating their local sales representative) to submit your request for course cartridge material. The publisher will contact Blackboard to arrange transfer of the material behind the scenes; the publisher will provide you with a special Download Access Key number, which you'll need to download the cartridge material into an existing course site.

You can add a course cartridge to your course through "Control Panel > Import Course Cartridge" . Here you must enter a valid access key.

Students must have an access code number to view publishers' course cartridge material. These access code numbers are available in new editions of the selected textbook. Some publishers allow instructors to order student access codes alone, which might be helpful to students who purchase a used edition of the textbook. Contact your publisher's sales representative for more information.

How do I add an assignment?

Select a Content Area in the Control Panel , then click the Add other content type drop down menu form the top left and select Assignment , then click GO to bring up the Add Assignment page.

Below are explanations of the fields on the Add Assignment page.

Content Information
Name: Enter the name of the assignment
Color: Click Pick and select a color for the assignment name.
Points Possible: Enter the maximum number of points possible for this item.
Instructions: Enter instructions for completing the assignment.

Availability Options
Do you want to make the assignment visible?: Select Yes and users will view the Assignment. Select No
and the assignment will not be visible to users.
Do you want to track number of views?: Select Yes and the system will track the number of times Students open this Survey. Select No and this information will not be recorded.
Availability Dates: Select the range of dates that the assignment will appear. Select dates using the drop-down lists or click on the icon for a calendar interface.

To display an assignment from a date forward, select a date in the Display After: field but do not select the Display Until option. To display an assignment for a specific amount of time select a date in the Display After: field, check Display Until , and select a date below.

Assignment Attachments

File to Attach: Click Browse and select a file to attach.
Name of Link to File: Enter a name for the file to appear in the Assignment.
Currently Attached Files: Lists the files that are currently attached to the Assignment.

Viewing an Assignment
After the Assignment is created it will appear in the Content Area. To preview files from the Content Area that have been attached to the Assignment, click Upload File next to the Assignment. The attached file will appear.

How do I access an assignment file submitted by a student?

When a Student submits an Assignment it will appear in the Gradebook, where Instructors can access and grade it. Instructors can review the Student's Assignment on the Grade Assignment: Assignment Name page. Instructors can modify a single Student grade on the My Grades page, make notes and add comments for the Student. Students access their grades and comments from the Instructor through the Course menu.

To access and grade an individual submission, select Gradebook on the Control Panel , then click on the exclamation point (!) under the assignment heading next to the name of the student on the Spreadsheet page. The My Grades page will appear.

To view the Assignment and add comments click View to open the Grade Assignment page. This page enables the Instructor to view the Assignment submitted by the Student. Instructors may enter a grade, submit comments for the Student, and upload files.

Below are explanations of the fields on the Grade Assignment page.

Assignment Information
Name: The name of the Assignment.
Instructions: The instructions for this Assignment appear as entered by the Instructor on the Add Assignment page.
Assignment Files: Files uploaded by the Instructor when the Assignment was created.
Clear Attempt: Click Clear Attempt to delete the Student's Assignment. The Student will be able to re-submit the Assignment once this option is chosen.

Student's Work
Student's Comments: Comments entered by the Student when the Assignment
was submitted.
Student's Files: Files uploaded by the Student when the Assignment was submitted.

Instructor Comments
Grade: Enter a grade for the Assignment.
Comments: Enter comments for the Student to view when they access the grade for this Assignment.
File To Attach: Click Browse and select a file to add as an attachment for the Student to view with their grade. Click Add to add the file selected.
Currently Attached Files: Lists the files currently attached to the Instructor Comments. The Student will be able to access these files when they access their grade for the Assignment.

Instructor Notes
Notes: Enter notes for this Assignment. These notes are only viewed by the Instructor.
File To Attach: Click Browse and select a file to add as an attachment. Click Add to add the file selected. These files are only viewed by the Instructor.
Currently Attached Files: Lists the files currently attached to the Instructor Notes. These files are only accessed by the Instructor.

How do I access an assignment file submitted by a student?

Below are explanations of the fields on the Grade Assignment page.

Student's Work
Student's Comments: Comments entered by the Student when the Assignment
was submitted.
Student .s Files: Files uploaded by the Student when the Assignment was submitted.

A student has uploaded a file and it will not open.

Be sure all file uploads do not contain the character #. This will result in an error when the file is viewed. Remove all instances of # and upload the file.