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.

More Blackboard 8 Tip Sheets are on the way...

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

Adding Announcements
Add announcements to a course.

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.

NEW! 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.

Text Box Editor - Spell Checker
A look at spell checking in the Text Box Editor.

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.

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

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

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

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

NEW! 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.

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Receive Important Campus Announcements on your Cell Phone!

Exporting/Importing Courses
Learn how to export & import courses in Blackboard. Exporting courses is usuful 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.)

Adding Items
Learn how to add items to gradebook.

Downloading Grades/Gradebook
Download grades/gradebook for use in Microsoft Excel. It is recommended to download your gradebook frequently as a backup copy.

Printing the Gradebook
How to print a copy of the gradebook using Microsoft Excel.

Uploading Items into Gradebook
Upload items directly onto Gradebook.

Performance Dashboard
Learn how to quickly view a students performance.

How to Remove NO SHOW Students
Learn how to prevent students marked with NS in Peoplesoft from being displayed in the Bb Gradebook.

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 using the Grade Center with IE6 or 7, it isn't refreshing. How do I correct this?

IE users go to "Tools"->"Internet Options" and click on the "Settings" button for "Browsing History". Make sure "Every time I visit the webpage" is selected for "Check for newer versions of stored pages". This fixes a lot of problems that users have with IE.

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

This can be fixed by changing the Windows XP scroll bar size back to 20 or smaller .

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)

• 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.