FOR ALL USERS: HOW TO

 

Obtain a Blackboard user account

 

  1. Go to the Blackboard home page (http://courses.utmem.edu).
  2. Click the "request an account" link and fill out the form. Please read the form in its entirety. It provides all the necessary instructions for getting an account.

 

Back to list

 

Change your password (must already know the password to do this)

 

REMEMBER: Changing your NetID password does NOT automatically change your Bb password, or vice versa.

 

  1. Log on to Blackboard.
  2. Click the Personal Information link under the Tools section on the left side of the page and choose Change Password. (If you are already in a Blackboard course, click the Tools button on the course menu and choose the Personal Information link and then Change Password.)
  3. Provide a password of your choice twice and then click Submit.
  4. Log out and log back in with the new password to test it.

 

Back to list

 

Reset a forgotten password

 

  1. Go to courses.utmem.edu and click the Login button.
  2. On the next page, click the “Forgot your password?” link, located under the password field and to the left of the Login button.
  3. On the next page, fill out either section 1 or section 2 and click Submit. Do not do both. Please note the first name and last name fields are case-sensitive. You MUST type them in with the first letter of each name uppercased and all other letters lowercased in order for Blackboard to recognize your account. Ex. Barry Rose.
  4. An email will be sent to the address that is associated with your Blackboard account. In the email click the link to go to the password reset page.
  5. On the password reset page provide a password twice and click Submit.
  6. Go back to courses.utmem.edu and log in.
  7. Please send a help request to bb@utmem.edu if this procedure does not work.

 

Back to list

Print discussion forum postings

  1. In your course, click the Discussion Board button in the course menu in the left frame (or click the Communication button and choose Discussion Boards).
  2. Click the title link of the forum whose postings you want to print. (A forum is a broad topic area your instructor has set up for you to enter and post. There may be multiple forums on your course’s discussion board.)
  3. Click the Expand All link.
  4. Click the Show Options tab. If your tab says "Hide Options," skip this step.
  5. Click the Select All button and then click Collect. This will open all of the postings.
  6. Click the Print button in your browser (or choose it from the browser's File menu) to print the postings. If the postings’ text runs off the page, resize the window (make it narrower) and print again.

Back to list

Clear your browser's cache and change the page update option

  1. In Internet Explorer (Windows): Go to the Tools menu and choose Internet Options. Click the Delete Files button in the “Temporary Internet Files" section. Then click the Settings button in the same section and choose the “Every visit to the page” option for “Check for newer version of the stored pages.” Close all IE windows in order for the changes to take effect.
  2. In Internet Explorer (Macintosh): Go to the Edit (or Explorer menu in Mac OS X) menu and choose Preferences. Highlight “Advanced” under the “Web Browser” section. In the Cache section of that page, choose the “Always” option for “Update pages” and click the Empty Now button to delete the cached files. Close all IE windows in order for the changes to take effect.
  3. In Netscape Navigator (Windows and Macintosh): Go to the Edit menu (or Explorer menu in Mac OS X) and choose Preferences. Highlight “Cache” under the “Advanced” section. Choose the “Every time I view the page” option for “Compare the page in the cache to the page on the network” and click the Clear Cache button to delete the cached files. Close all Netscape windows in order for the changes to take effect.
  4. In Safari: Go to the Safari menu and choose Empty Cache. (I have not found a page update option in Safari.)
  5. In Firefox: Go to the Tools menu and choose Options. In the left frame, choose Privacy, and then highlight the Cache option in the right frame. Click its Clear button. (I have not found a page update option in Firefox.)

Back to list

FOR STUDENTS: HOW TO

 

"Hide" a course in your course list that you no longer need to use

 

  1. Log on to Blackboard.
  2. On your welcome page (the first page you see after logging on), click the pencil icon to the right of the words "My Courses".
  3. Uncheck the "Show Course" checkbox for any courses you do not want to see and click Submit at the bottom of the page. (Please remember that should you ever need to get back into hidden courses, you have to go back into the pencil icon and recheck the "Show Course" box.)

 

Back to list

 

Ensure a successful test/survey (assessment) attempt

 

  1. DO make sure to click the Submit button after completing your assessment. Clicking Save or Cancel does not submit your answers.
  2. DO set your pop-up blocker or firewall program to allow access to Blackboard (http://courses.utmem.edu).
  3. DO check your firewall's cookie control method if you can access certain parts of Blackboard but not others (consult your firewall program's documentation or customer service for help if necessary).
  4. DO NOT double-click to open or submit a test or survey. This could corrupt your attempt and lock you out of the assessment, even if multiple attempts are allowed.
  5. DO NOT resize the Blackboard window or the frames within the window after an assessment has been opened. Again, this could corrupt your test attempt.
  6. DO NOT wait until the last minute to attempt an assessment.
  7. DO NOT go over the assessment time limit (if one is set).
  8. D0 NOT panic if you have technological problems. Call your instructor and explain the situation.
  9. Take assessments on campus if you continuously have problems from home.
  10. Follow the steps to ensure best access to Blackboard from off-campus.

 

Back to list

 

Ensure best access to Blackboard from off-campus

 

  1. DO set your pop-up blocker or firewall program to allow access to Blackboard (http://courses.utmem.edu).
  2. DO check your firewall's cookie control method if you can access certain parts of Blackboard but not others (consult your firewall program's documentation or customer service for help if necessary).
  3. DO NOT use the browser that is included with AOL. Instead, log on to AOL to get your internet connection and then use the Internet Explorer or the Netscape Navigator that is installed on the computer separately from AOL. You may have an icon for these programs on your computer's desktop. If so, just double-click the icon, and this will open a browser window for you. If there is no icon for these programs on the desktop and you are on a Windows computer, then check the Start Menu (bottom left corner of screen) or the Programs folder, which is also located on the Start Menu. They may be listed there.
  4. DO NOT store your AOL password. We have seen this cause problems with Blackboard.
  5. DO check your broswer if you suddenly cannot access Blackboard but could previously. Clear your browser’s cache and set your browser to update web pages every time you visit them (see steps below). After making these changes, close all browser windows and try accessing Blackboard again.
    1. In Internet Explorer (Windows): Go to the Tools menu and choose Internet Options. Click the Delete Files button in the “Temporary Internet Files" section. Then click the Settings button in the same section and choose the “Every visit to the page” option for “Check for newer version of the stored pages.” Close all IE windows in order for the changes to take effect.
    2. In Internet Explorer (Macintosh): Go to the Edit (or Explorer menu in Mac OS X) menu and choose Preferences. Highlight “Advanced” under the “Web Browser” section. In the Cache section of that page, choose the “Always” option for “Update pages” and click the Empty Now button to delete the cached files. Close all IE windows in order for the changes to take effect.
    3. In Netscape Navigator (Windows and Macintosh): Go to the Edit menu (or Explorer menu in Mac OS X) and choose Preferences. Highlight “Cache” under the “Advanced” section. Choose the “Every time I view the page” option for “Compare the page in the cache to the page on the network” and click the Clear Cache button to delete the cached files. Close all Netscape windows in order for the changes to take effect.
    4. In Safari: Go to the Safari menu and choose Empty Cache. (I have not found a page update option in Safari.)
    5. In Firefox: Go to the Tools menu and choose Options. In the left frame, choose Privacy, and then highlight the Cache option in the right frame. Click its Clear button. (I have not found a page update option in Firefox.)

 

Back to list

 

Enroll yourself into a course (do this at your instructor’s request ONLY)

 

  1. Log in to Blackboard and click the Courses tab.
  2. Type part of the course’s name into the “course search” field and click Go.
  3. Find your course in the list and click the "Enroll" button to the far right of the course's title. (Note: If you don't see the "Enroll" button, make sure that you have scrolled as far right on the page as possible. If there still is no “Enroll” button, this means the course is not set for self-enrollment. Please contact the course instructor to be enrolled.)
  4. Click the Submit and OK buttons on the next two pages. This will take you to the course's front page.

 

Back to list

 

FOR INSTRUCTORS: HOW TO

 

Remove a course

 

  1. Only a system administrator can delete a course. Send your request for deletion, along with the name and courseID of the course to be removed, to bb@utmem.edu.

 

Back to list

 

Create a course

 

  1. Click here for instructions.

 

Back to list

 

Change a course's Course ID -- ex. ANAT000? (You cannot change the ID; you'll have to copy the course's content into a new course that has the correct Course ID.)

 

  1. Go into the control panel of the course whose ID you want to change and choose Course Copy.
  2. Choose Copy Course with Users (Exact Copy).
  3. Type in the correct Course ID into the destination field and click Submit.
  4. You will receive an email letting you know when the copy has completed successfully. (If the copy is not successful, repeat steps 1-3.)
  5. Once the copy is complete, go into the new course and check to make sure your content, students, and grades (if there were any) are there.
  6. Send an email to bb@utmem.edu requesting that the old course be removed.

 

Back to list

 

Prevent students from copying or printing a Blackboard test (solutions provided by Wytheville Community College and Boise State University)

 

We found two scripts that successfully prevent copying and printing of Blackboard-generated tests. While neither is completely foolproof, they will cause great inconvenience to casual cheaters. Test the scripts each time you use them by previewing the assessment and trying all of the functionality of the script. You should not be able to click and drag your mouse to select text, nor should the "select all" function work. If you try printing, you should not receive the body of the test itself on the printed page.

 

CAUTION! Please note that each script has been known to lead to at least one error for students. The errors are listed with the scripts, along with the circumstances under which they occurred. (We do not know if these errors will occur with every use of the scripts). Choose the script that will work best for your assessment. If they cause problems, remove them from your test and report the problems to bb@utmem.edu.


SCRIPT 1 (provided by Wytheville Community College): If you use this script, students cannot edit their essay answers. Also, if essay questions are present, students may not be able to scroll back to questions that appear before the essay question.

Example: A student types in an essay answer that is 12 lines long and then decides to make a change on line 2. He places his cursor on line 2 and then all the text to the right of the cursor and on all lines after line 2 starts to disappear character by character. Other essays below the one he is trying to edit may disappear as well.

DO NOT use this script in tests with essay questions. (It has not been found to create problems with other question types.)

  1. In the first question of your test, copy and paste the following two lines of code (starting with <script ….) AFTER the question text. Start it on a separate line from the question text.

    <script language="Javascript"
    src="http://www.wcc.vccs.edu/services/Blackboard/nocopy.js"></script>

  2. Change the text setting to HTML, add any other information that is necessary to complete the question (such as answers and feedback), and click Submit.


SCRIPT 2 (provided by Boise State University): If you use this script, students will not be allowed to cancel a submission and return to the questions if necessary.

 

Example: A student clicks the Submit button to complete his test and is notified that he left question #3 blank. When he clicks the Cancel button to cancel the Submit action, Blackboard acts as if the student clicked OK to continue the submission. The test is "turned in" instead of returning the student to the test canvas to provide an answer for #3.

 

IMPORTANT! If you use this script, please warn students that they must answer all of their questions and absolutely be ready to submit the test when they click the Submit button. (I would recommend NOT using this script unless it is of the utmost importance to prevent copying and printing AND you have an essay question. If there is no essay question in your assessment, use the Script 1 above.) Developers also warn that the script does not seem to work as well on Macintosh computers.

 

  1. In the first question of the test, copy and paste the following three lines of code (starting with <SCRIPT ....) AFTER the question text. Start it on a separate line from the question text.

    <SCRIPT language=Javascript
    src="http://blackboard.boisestate.edu/noprintcopy.js"></script>
    <STYLE type=text/css>@media print {BODY {display:none}}</style>

  2. Change the text setting to HTML, add any other information that is necessary to complete the question (such as answers and feedback), and click Submit.

Back to list

 

Import questions into an assessment from a question pool or another assessment

 

  1. Enter the assessment into which you are importing questions by clicking its Modify button either in the Test Manager or in the content area in which the test is deployed.
  2. Change the “Add Question” field to "From a Question Pool or Assessment." It is the last option in the drop-down box.
  3. Highlight the test or pool that contains the questions you want to import. Under Question Types, choose All and then click Search.
  4. Click the check box for all questions you want to import. (Please note you can only import 20 questions, or one full page, at a time. If you need to import questions beyond 20, you'll have to repeat the above steps and choose the next 20 until you have them all.) Click Submit.
  5. The imported questions will be appended to the end of your test. Re-order them if necessary.

 

Back to list

 

Allow students to modify their discussion board postings

 

  1. In the Control Panel, click Discussion Boards.
  2. Click the Modify button for the forum you want to change (do not actually enter the forum).
  3. In the forum settings (under the title and description), click the check box for the option "Allow author to edit message after posting" and then click Submit at the bottom of the page.

 

Back to list

 

Enroll a user into a course (default role will be student)

 

  1. In the Control Panel, click Enroll User.
  2. Type in the user's last name, user name, or email address (choose the appropriate radio button below the field) and click Search.
  3. Click the check box beside the user’s name and click Submit. (Note: If the user is not found, first make sure the user is not already enrolled. Users that are already in your course will not show up in a search. If this is not the case, please email bb@utmem.edu to have the account created.)
  4. To change the user’s role, see the steps to make a user an instructor, teacher’s assistant, course builder, or grader.

 

Back to list

 

Change a user's role to instructor, TA, course builder, grader, or guest

 

  1. If the user is not already enrolled, follow the steps to enroll a user into a course. If already enrolled, go to step 2.
  2. In the Control Panel click List/Modify Users.
  3. Type in the user's last name, user name, or email address (choose the appropriate radio button below the field) and click Search.
  4. Click the Properties box for the user, scroll down to the “Role and Availability” section and change the user’s role, and click Submit. (Note: This changes the user’s role for this course only.)
  5. If you are assigning the role of guest to a user, please click here to learn how to enable guest access in your course.

 

Back to list

 

Use the guest role in a course

Click here for a complete overview of the guest role and the benefits and disadvantages of using it in your course.

 

  1. Enroll the user to whom you want to grant guest access and change his role to guest. (See the steps for enrolling a user and changing his role if you don't know how to do this.)
  2. Enable guest access for your course as a whole: Control Panel-->Settings-->Guest Access.
  3. Check to make sure that guest access is enabled in the specific areas of your choice: Control Panel-->Manage Tools-->Tool Availability-->click the “Allow Guest” checkbox for any areas you want guests to see. (Make sure to click the guest checkbox for “Content Area” if you want users to see materials in Course Documents, Course Information, Assignments, External Links, etc.)
  4. If you enabled guest access for content areas in step 3, you can still hide individual content areas if desired. For example, you may want your guests to see what is in Course Documents, Course Information, and External Links but not what is in the Assignments area. If so, do the following: Control Panel-->Manage Course Menu-->click the Modify button for the content area you want to hide from guests and uncheck the "Allow Guest access" checkbox.

 

Back to list

Remove a user from a course

 

  1. In the Control Panel, click Remove Users from the Course.
  2. Type in the user's last name, user name, or email address (choose the appropriate radio button below the field) and click Search.
  3. Click the check box beside the user’s name, type in Yes, and click Submit. (Note: This removes the user from this course only).

 

Back to list

Use the assignment feature (different from the assignment content area)

 

Summary: This assignment feature allows you to post an assignment (a type of assessment) that students can download, complete, and then re-upload to Blackboard as a way of turning it in to you. You can then download every student’s submission to your computer in a single zipped file to grade.

 

It is similar to the way many instructors use the Digital Drop Box. However, it has some distinct advantages. For example, each student’s submitted assignment automatically will be renamed to reflect ownership. Additionally, instructors have the ability to retrieve assignments in bulk. Finally, since the assignment is a type of assessment, a gradebook item is automatically generated for it (though you still will have to manually grade them and enter the grades in the Gradebook).

 

To use this feature, do the following:

 

  1. Create an assignment (in Word, PowerPoint, etc.) or scan in an existing one if it is in hard-copy format.
  2. In Blackboard choose the content area (such as Course Documents, Assignments, etc.) where you’ll place the assignment. Click on that content area in the Control Panel.
  3. In the drop-down box on the "Add" line, choose Assignment from the list of choices and click Go.
  4. Complete the "Add Assignment" page that follows, making sure to attach your assignment in section three (3). Click Submit when done.

 

Students retrieve and turn in the assignment in the following way:

 

  1. Students should go to the assignment’s location and click on its View/Complete link. On the "Upload Assignment" page that follows, download the assignment in section one (1). (NOTE: If students click the View/Complete link after submitting their assignment, they will only be able to view what they submitted but not make changes. You will have to clear the attempt before a student can re-submit the assignment.)
  2. After downloading the assignment to their computer, students should either click the CANCEL or SAVE button on the "Upload Assignment" page. DO NOT CLICK SUBMIT, as this will submit an empty assignment! Please emphasize this to your students in order to minimize the number of attempts you will have to clear.
  3. After a student completes the assignment, he should go back to Blackboard and click the assignment’s View/Complete link again. Then attach the file in section two (2) and click Submit.

 

You can download the assignments to your computer to grade them and then enter the grades in the Gradebook. Do the following:

 

  1. In the Control Panel go to the Gradebook. Click on the assignment’s title.
  2. Choose Item Download. On the “Download Assignment” page in section one (1), you'll see a check box beside the name of each student who has completed the assignment. You can choose to Check All to choose all students who have completed the assignment, Check Ungraded to choose all students for whom there is no recorded grade yet (during subsequent downloads), or Uncheck All. Click Submit.
  3. On the next page click the "download assignments now” link. Save the zip file to your computer.
  4. Double-click the zip file to unzip it (WinZip, StuffIt Expander, or another decompression program required). You will see all the downloaded assignments, each with a different username appended to indicate the student to whom it belongs.
  5. Grade the assignments and manually enter the grades into the Gradebook.

 

Back to list

 

Download a copy of your gradebook

 

  1. In the Control Panel, click Gradebook.
  2. Click Download Grades.
  3. On the next page, choose your delimiter type and click Submit. (The comma option is the standard, placing the gradebook in a spreadsheet format readable by Excel.)
  4. On the next page, click the Download button (Mac users: hold down the Control key and then click Download) and save the gradebook to your computer. It is recommended that you append a date or course designator to the generic gradebook name that is offered.
  5. If you want to use your downloaded gradebook to add new grades into your Blackboard course, click here.

 

Back to list

 

Clear an assessment attempt so that a student can re-take it

 

  1. In the Control Panel, click Gradebook.
  2. Click the grade (or lock symbol) that you want to reset.
  3. On the next page click View.
  4. On the next page click Clear Attempt.
  5. Click OK when asked, “Are you sure you want to remove this attempt?”

 

Back to list

 

Add item to the gradebook (to record grades for assessments or assignments not taken through Blackboard)

 

  1. In the Control Panel, click Gradebook and choose Add Item.
  2. Fill in or choose the following information in section 1: Name, category, description (optional), points possible, and grade display option. In section 2, choose whether the item and its grades should be visible and included in gradebook score calculations. Then click Submit.
  3. To then add grades, click the item’s title in the gradebook.
  4. Choose Item Grade List and enter the grades for each student. Click Submit.

 

Back to list

 

Add items or grades to the gradebook using the Upload Grades feature

 

IMPORTANT: Never upload a gradebook spreadsheet that was not first downloaded from Blackboard.

 

  1. Download your gradebook.
  2. Open in Excel the gradebook you just downloaded and add grades either to an existing column or to a new column (to create a new item in Blackboard when uploaded).
  3. In the Control Panel, click Gradebook and choose Upload Grades.
  4. On the next page click the Browse button, locate your gradebook on your computer, and click Open and then Submit.
  5. Set the following information on the next page:
    1. Imported item – the column that contains the newly added grades
    2. Existing item – the destination column in the Blackboard gradebook for the newly added grades. Choose “Create new gradebook item” to add grades for an item that you just created in the downloaded gradebook that is not yet in your Blackboard gradebook.
    3. Click Submit.
    4. If creating a new gradebook item, fill in or choose the following information for the new item on the next page: Name, category, description (optional), points possible, grade display option, visibility, inclusion in gradebook score calculations. Then click Submit. If you are not creating a new item, this page will not appear. You will be taken directly to step 6.
  6. On the next page, click Select All to check all the students' names. Click Submit and then OK on the next page to be returned to the gradebook. You should now see your new grades in the Blackboard gradebook.
  7. Please note you can only upload one column of new grades at a time. Repeat steps 3-6 for each column of grades you added to your downloaded gradebook.

 

Back to list

 

Create a test, survey, or question pool 

  1. In the Control Panel, choose Test Manager, Survey Manager, or Pool Manager.
  2. Click the Add Test, Add Survey, or Add Pool button.
  3. Type in a name, description, and instructions (last two are optional). Click Submit.
  4. In the Test/Survey/Pool Canvas, set your options and add questions:
    1. Click the Creation Settings link and check any options you want to use. Click Submit and OK. This returns you to the canvas.
    2. Add questions by highlighting a choice in the Add drop-down box and clicking Go. You can create a question from scratch (choose a question type), pull questions from other pools or assessments in the course (choose that option), or make a random block that pulls a set number of questions randomly from a question pool of your choice (choose that option). The Random Block option is available for tests only. Follow the instructions that each option provides.
    3. Repeat step b for each question you want to add to your test, survey, or pool. You also can modify, remove, and re-order questions.
  5. Click OK to exit the Test/Survey/Pool Canvas once you are done with your questions. Should you ever need to get back into the canvas again, go to the appropriate Manager and click the Modify button for the test, survey, or pool.
  6. You are now ready to add your test or survey to a content area (ex. Assignments) and set its options so students can access it. (Students do not access pools, which simply hold questions that can be pulled into tests or surveys.) Important: Students cannot access a test or survey until it is added to a content area and the availability option is set to Yes.

 

Back to list

 

Add (deploy) a test or survey to a content area

 

  1. In the Control Panel, choose the content area where you want to add the test or survey (ex. Assignments).
  2. To add a test, click the word “Test” on the “Add” line. Go to step 3 if adding a survey. Otherwise, go to step 4.
  3. To add a survey, choose Survey in the drop-down box at the end of the “Add” line and click Go.
  4. On the next page, highlight the name of the test or survey in the list and click Submit. Then click OK.
  5. Choose “Modify the Test/Survey options.” Set the options and click Submit. Keep these tips in mind when setting options:
    1. The availability option must be set to Yes in order for students to take the test or survey.
    2. Set the "Display After" and/or "Display Until" dates if you want to restrict when students can access the test or survey. The availability option should be set to Yes if you are going to use date restrictions. Blackboard will make the test/survey link appear and disappear for students according to the restrictions. (You as the instructor can always see the test or survey if you enter the content area in which it is located via the Control Panel.)
    3. Leave the "Open Test/Survey in new window" option set to No to avoid pop-up blocker problems.
    4. Should you need to modify your options at a later date, go to the Control Panel, enter the content area in which the test or survey is located and click its Modify button, and choose “Modify the Test/Survey options.”

Back to list

 

Remove (undeploy) a test or survey from a content area only (remains in course for re-use)

 

IMPORTANT: Undeploying a test or survey does not remove it from the course; it simply detaches it from the content area, making it available to be deployed elsewhere. An important fact to remember about undeploying: A warning will appear if grades are attached to an assessment that is about to be undeployed. You have the option of removing the grades or preserving them. Make sure to read carefully and choose the correct option before proceeding.

 

  1. In the Control Panel choose the content area where the assessment is deployed.
  2. Click the assessment’s Remove button.
  3. Click OK when asked “Are you sure you want to remove this item?”
  4. If students have taken the assessment, a warning will appear with two options for handling the grades. Make the correct choice and click Submit. 

Back to list

Remove a test or survey from a course

 

  1. If the assessment has been attempted and grades recorded, first undeploy the assessment . Otherwise, skip to step 2.
  2. In the Control Panel, click Test Manager or Survey Manager.
  3. Click the assessment’s Remove button and click OK when asked “Are you sure you want to remove this item?”

 

Back to list

 

View assessment attempt details (breakdown by percentage of students' answers on tests/surveys) -- can be done only with tests or surveys created and taken in Blackboard

 

  1. In the Control Panel, click Gradebook.
  2. Click the title of the test or survey whose attempt details you want to view.
  3. On the next page choose Assessment Attempt Details.

Back to list

 

Remove an item (column) that was manually added to the gradebook

 

  1. In the Control Panel, click Gradebook and choose Manage Items.
  2. Click the assessment’s Remove button and click OK when asked “Are you sure you want to remove this gradebook item and all grades associated with this gradebook item?”

 

Back to list

Modify your course's name and/or description (CANNOT change CourseID)

  1. In the Control Panel, click Settings (in the Course Options section).
  2. Choose Course Name and Description on the next page.
  3. Make your changes and click Submit.

Back to list

Change your course's availability

  1. In the Control Panel, click Settings (in the Course Options section).
  2. Choose Course Availability on the next page.
  3. Choose the correct setting and click Submit.

Back to list

Add a group to your course and enroll users in it (users must be enrolled in course before being enrolled in group)

  1. In the Control Panel, click Manage Groups (in the User Management section).
  2. Click the Add Group button.
  3. On the next page, give your group a name and optional description and select the options you would like the group to have (works within the group only). Click Submit and then OK on the receipt page.
  4. On the Manage Groups page, click the Modify button for the group to which you want to add users.
  5. Choose Add Users to Group. (FYI: If you ever needed to remove a user from the group, choose Remove Users from Group at this point instead).
  6. On the next page, you can either search for a particular user (type their name in the field and click the Search button) or bring back a list of all users in the course (do not type anything in the field and click the Search button).
  7. Click the "Add" checkbox for each user you want to add to the group and then click Submit. Do this one page of users at a time.

Back to list

Compress (Reduce) file size of pictures in a PowerPoint presentation (Windows computer)
  1. Select one (or more) pictures in your presentation.
  2. In the picture toolbar, select the Compress Picture icon. (If you don't see the picture toolbar, go to View-> Toolbars -> and click Picture.)
  3. Select the options that you want. (Selecting "All pictures in document" will prevent you from doing these steps more than once for each presentation.)

Back to list

Compress (Reduce) file size of pictures in a PowerPoint presentation (Macintosh computer)

  1. Select one (or more) pictures in your presentation.
  2. From the File menu select "Save As", click the "Options" button, then check the "Compress graphics files" box.
  3. Click the "Ok" button.
  4. Save the document.

Back to list

Convert a PowerPoint presentation to a zip file to display as htm/html in Blackboard (Windows only -- WinZip or other compression program required)

  1. Create new folder on your computer (right-click and choose New Folder).
  2. Open your PowerPoint file in Microsoft PowerPoint.
  3. In the file menu, choose Save As Web Page and save the file to the folder you created in step 1. Two items will save to the folder: filename.htm, and a folder called filename_files. (“filename” represents the name of your PowerPoint presentation.)
  4. Right-click the folder you created in step 1 and choose “Add to foldername.zip”. (“foldername” represents the name of the folder you created in step 1.). This will create a zip file of the items in the folder (foldername.zip).
  5. Add the zip file to Blackboard as you would any other document EXCEPT:
    1. On the Add Content page, change the Special Action field to "Unpackage these files" and click Submit.
    2. On the File Options page, select frame.htm (Office XP) or filename.htm (Office 2000) as the entry point and click the Submit button.

Back to list

Remove all students from a course (recycle users)

  1. In the Control Panel, choose Recycle Course (in the Course Options section).
  2. On the next page, click the checkbox for Users in section 2, type the word "Remove" in section 3, and click Submit.

(FYI: You also can use this page to remove other types of materials from the course. Just click the appropriate checkboxes. Be careful to make the correct choices, as this process is irreversible.)

Back to list

Add content (ex. Word document, PowerPoint presentation, picture, etc.) to your course: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU CONVERT POWERPOINT TO PDF FIRST.

  1. In the Control Panel, choose the content area where you would like to add the document (ex. Course Documents).
  2. Click "Item" on the gray "Add" action bar.
  3. On the next page, type in a name and description (optional), either copy and paste your document into the text box OR attach the document, set your options, and click Submit.

Back to list

Edit a document's text after it has been added to a Blackboard course as an attachment

  1. Find the original document on your computer.
  2. Open it and make your changes. Save your changes and close the document. Now you can replace the old document with the revised one in Blackboard.
  3. In Blackboard, go into your course's control panel and enter the content area in which the old document is located.
  4. Click on the document's Modify button.
  5. On the next page, go to the Content section and remove the Currently Attached File. Then click the Browse button and locate your newly-revised document. Fill in the Name of Link to File: field (optional) and scroll to the bottom of the page and click Submit.

Back to list

Remove documents and other non-assessment content from your course (To remove tests and surveys, see Remove an assessment from a content area only (undeploy) and Remove an assessment from a course)

  1. In the Control Panel, choose the content area where the document is located (ex. Course Documents).
  2. Click the Remove button to the right of the document.
  3. Click OK to verify the deletion.

Back to list

Archive discussion forum postings:

  1. In the discussion board, enter the forum that you want to archive.
  2. Scroll to the bottom and click the “Click Here for Archives” link.
  3. Click the Add Archive button.
  4. Give the archive a title and (optional) description and uncheck the availability setting if you do not want students to be able to access the archive. Click Submit.
  5. On the next page, click the Modify button for your archive.
  6. Check the threads that you want to move into the archive. Once you click Submit, these threads will be removed from the discussion forum and will only be available via the archive.

Back to list