Adding a Folder to a Content Area
Learn how to add folders to organize your material.

Adding Tests to Content Areas
Learn how to add tests to content areas.

Printing Files
Learn how to print files from course documents.

What is Adaptive Release of Content?
Learn about Adaptive Release and how it can be used.

Adaptive Release - Advanced
Learn how to setup multiple rules for single content items or folders.

Adaptive Release - User Progress
Track which students have viewed which files.

Adding Assignments
Add an assignment to your course.

Grading Assignments
Grade an assignment.

Office 2007 Compatibility
Office 2007 files cannot be opened by Office 2003. This tip sheet includes instructions for students.

Digital Drop Box - Disabling the Digital Drop Box
Learn how to disable the drop box.

Horizon Wimba - Overview
Use Wimba Voice Tools.

Horizon Wimba - Voice Announcement
Create voice announcements.

Horizon Wimba - Voice Discussion Boards
Use voice messages in Discussion Boards.

Respondus - Importing a Test from MS Word
Learn how to import a test from Microsoft Word into Respondus.

Respondus - Publish to Blackboard
Learn how to publish Respondus content to Blackboard.

Assessment - Overview
A brief overview of the "Assessments" Control Panel area.

Creating Tests
Learn how to create tests.

Question Test Banks from Publishers
An overview of how to use test banks from publishers.

Assessments - Questions Overview
A brief overview of assessment question types.

Calculated Numeric Response
Learn how to create calculated numeric response question.

Creating File Response Questions
Learn how to create questions which require files to be uploaded.

Creating Jumbled Sentence Questions
Create questions that use drop-down menus to display the answer.

Creating Hot Spot Questions
Learn how to create questions that require certain areas of an image to be marked.

Creating Quiz Bowl
Create questions where the student is shown the answer and gives the question.

Collaboration Tools - Overview
Learn about Collaboration tools.

Collaboration Tools - Creating Sessions
Learn how to create Collaboration sessions for your students.

Discussion Board - Using a Discussion Board
An overview of starting new threads and posting on your board.

Discussion Board - Managing Postings
Learn how to manage discussion board postings.

Discussion Board - Hiding Discussion Board Forums
Learn how to hide (make unavailable) a discussion forum.
(Note: You can also use Adaptive Release to control the availability of forums.)

Discussion Board - Hiding Discussion Board Threads
Learn how to hide discussion forum threads or make them unavailable.

Discussion Board - Grading Forum s& Threads
Learn how to grade discussion forum threads or forums.

Discussion Board - Peer Review using Ratings
Learn how to use discussion board ratings for peer review.

Sign Up for TXT Messaging
Receive Important Campus Announcements on your Cell Phone!

Exporting/Importing Courses
Learn how to export & import courses in Blackboard. Exporting courses is useful to create a backup copy of your course content to use from semester to semester.
(Note: Only run the import once to prevent multiple copies of content from being imported into the destination course.)

Modifying Items
How to modify items within the Blackboard 8 Grade Center.

How to Remove NO SHOW Students
Learn how to prevent students marked with NS in PeopleSoft from being displayed in the Blackboard 8 Grade Center.

Add a Course Banner
Add custom banners to your site design.

Removing a Course Banner
Remove banners you have added.

Quick Editing
Learn how to use "Quick Edit".

When I add grades or change a column, the Grade Center doesn't seem to save my changes. How do I correct this?

This problem is caused by Internet Explorer's cache setting.

Here is how to fix this issue in IE:

1. Click the "Tools" menu and then "Internet Options"
2. Then click on the "Settings" button for "Browsing History" or "Temporary Internet files".
3. Next, make sure "Every time I visit the webpage" is selected for "Check for newer versions of stored pages".

Note: You may also want to switch to using Firefox as your preferred browser since the Grade Center loads faster and doesn't have the inherent problems that affect IE.

I can't see the scroll bar in the Grade Center with Firefox or IE.

The problem is related to the scroll bar setting in Windows XP. This can be fixed by changing the Windows XP scroll bar size back to 20 or smaller.

Here is how to change the scroll bar setting in Windows XP:

1. Open the Windows Control Panel, Display Properties
2. Click the Appearance tab
3. Click the Advanced button
4. Select "Scrollbar" from the Item: drop-down list and change the size to < 20 (the default is 17)

Why does the new Grade Center show a due date from last semester or earlier?

Unfortunately, the upgrade from Bb 7 to Bb 8 inadvertently set the due date for an item to the item's creation date. The only workaround thus far is to modify these items in the Grade Center. (A ticket has been filed with Blackboard Support.)

Here is how to change the due date setting for items in the Grade Center:

1. Open the Grace Center
2. Click the double arrow drop down box on a column for an item in your gradebook.
3. Click Modify Item
4. Choose None for the option for Due Date.
5. Submit.

Finally, yet another option is to tell students to disregard this column in their My Grades view.

When I run a course copy, my assignments, assessments, and discussion board grade settings don't seem to copy. Why is this?

Because assignments/assessments/graded discussion boards have a link to the Grade Center, if the setting for Grade Center is not selected when a course copy is run, these items will not copy.

Here is how to ensure assignments/assessments/graded discussion boards get copied during a copy procedure:

1. Access Course Copy from the Control Panel.
2. Select the areas to Copy
3. Ensure that "Grade Center Columns and Settings" is selected if you are using assignments/assessments/graded discussion boards.
4. If copying assignments/assessments ensure also that the content area is selected in which they are deployed.
5. If copying graded discussion forums, ensure that "Discussion Boards " is selected.
6. If copying assessments, ensure that "Tests, Surveys, and Pools" is selected.

Graded Discussions Forums that have been copied (using course copy) display the error message: "The connection for the gradebook has been lost."

There is a bug in the course copy process that effects graded discussions that have a specific setting in the modify forum settings area. Specifically, in step 3 in the Forum Settings, if "Allow Author to remove own posts - [x] All posts" is selected, the graded discussion in the destination course will display "The connection for the gradebook has been lost." error message.

This error message can appear in a destination course as a result from either:

1) not selecting both the Grade Center and Discussion Board during the course copy process,
2) and/or for those forums with the "Forum Settings" (under Modify Forum) with "[x] All Posts" selected in a source course that is copied.

The workaround is to ensure that all of the graded discussion forums in the source are marked with the setting "Allow Author to remove own posts - [x] Only posts with no replies". Once this setting is set (in all of your graded discussions), the courses' graded discussion forums will copy correctly, assuming that during the course copy process that the Grade Center AND the Discussion Board options were selected.

Opening PPT from Blackboard doesn't seem to work. A blank page is displayed.

The issue is caused by MS Office trying to open the remote file via non-standard methods, rather than downloading it and opening it from your PC.

Here are several workarounds:

1. right-click the link and choose to download the file to your system, then open it normally from there, e.g. by double-clicking or via PowerPoint's File>Open dialog
2. use another browser than Internet Explorer - the file will be downloaded to your browser's Internet Cache and opened from there, circumventing the problem
3. set the PPT file type to NOT be opened in the browser window: Windows Explorer > Tools > Folder Options > File Types > PPT > Advanced > Browse in same window (must be UNchecked)

• A brand new gradebook called the GRADE CENTER.
  Instructors can: enter scores much more efficiently, select from a dual display of gradebook data, access audit/grade history changes, provide gradebook comments, freeze names for easier scrolling, upload multiple columns at once, build custom views, drop lowest scores, provide more effective comments, print progress reports, and easily email students right from the gradebook. This brand new, easy-to-use gradebook increases instructor efficiency and enables new customization, powerful analysis, and flexibility capabilities.
• Several DISCUSSION BOARD user interface, navigation, and feature enhancements.
  Originally introduced in 7.3, the new discussion board enhancements provide: enhanced workflow, faster navigation, better collection views, forum level subscription, reply with quote, tagging, and the ability to mark messages read or unread. It's much easier to act on information more quickly and navigate more efficiently with streamlined discussion board.
• A brand new EARLY WARNING SYSTEM feature.
  Originally introduced in 7.2, this new feature allows instructors to proactively measure, monitor, and communicate student performance with students, advisors, and other academic support personnel. Combined with the new Grade Center, Performance Dashboard, and Course Statistics, monitoring student engagement and enhancing student retention is more effective.
• A brand new SELF AND PEER ASSESSMENT tool.
  This new feature allows instructors to give students more individualized feedback, as well as to focus on critical thinking skills. Self-assessment tools give students better insight as to what the evaluation criteria is and help build critical thinking skills, as well as promote active learning. Peer assessment tools give students the opportunity to provide constructive feedback to their peers and help faculty easily manage group assignments.
• Blackboard SCHOLAR included.
  Scholar provides self-directed research and student contributions to course resource collections. It allows students and faculty to share resources, develop relationships, and collaborate across institutions across the globe.
• Blackboard SAFEASSIGN included.
  Plagiarism prevention tools help instructors detect plagiarism, protect the originality of work and educate students on proper citation and attribution.
• WHAT'S NEW is now available.
  The What's New feature was originally introduced in 7.1. However, it was unable to be used since the performance of the tool impacted the response time of the server. With Bb 8, the module can be loaded asynchronously so that the My Bb page loads much more quickly for students and instructors. The What's New tool is an effective way for students and faculty to increase awareness of new content, gradebook, discussion, and announcements items that have been posted in their courses.
• EMAIL ANNOUNCEMENTS is a new feature.
  This allows instructors to easily create an announcement and also email their students with 1 action. This improves communication with students and is especially helpful in critical and timely messages.