Recent Blackboard Q&A

I would like to insert internal links in this HTML with the a href command to files (doc, pdf) I have placed on another Handouts page. Is there an easy way to find the link to such a file?

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:14:14 -0500

Answer:
Yes, this is technically possible in Blackboard. However, it is someone arduous to do so. The process involves:

1) Creating a folder and uploading the files you want to internally link to.

2) Mouseover the link of each file you want to internally link to, then either select to "Open in a New Window" or "Open in a New Tab" (Internet Explorer) or "Copy Link Location" (Firefox). I've found it much easier to use the Firefox browser when attempting to copy URLs like this.

Basically...you want to acquire the URL of the file as it sits in your Blackboard course.

Doing this for each item will achieve your goal. It's incredibly cumbersome however. And...keep in mind...if you reuse the content of this course in the future, links created this way within a single item WILL BREAK when you copy the content to another course section and you'll need to fix all your links. If you are simply doing this for a course schedule however, that little bit of extra effort may certainly be worth it.

I there a way to automatically assign letter grades based on total points earned in the gradebook?

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 12:05:38 -0600

Answer:
Yes, provided that the instructor has configured the letter display options in the Gradebook.

1. Go to CONTROL PANEL> GRADEBOOK> GRADEBOOK SETTINGS> MANAGE DISPLAY OPTIONS.
2. Click "Modify" next to "Letter"
3. Ensure that the grading scale in Blackboard matches the desired grading scale for the course.
4. Then...go to the Gradebook and click on RUNNING WEIGHTED TOTAL and then ITEM INFORMATION.
5. Set the running weighted total item to display as a letter.
6. Choose whether to "Exempt items that have not yet been graded"...selecting "Yes" will give a running total letter grade excluding items that the student has no score yet, while "No" will give a true final letter grade assuming that any item in the gradebook where the student has no entry that student earned a "0".
7. Click SUBMIT and then OK.

Blackboard will then display a letter grade for the running weighted total that reflects the grading scale that the instructor has established.

The computation of some of the students' total scores are incorrect! If students have several scores ending in ".5", such as scores of 9.5, then the total is higher than the actual sum of the scores. It seems to round several of them up, producing an inflated score! What can be done about that?

Wed, 6 Dec 2006 08:59:48 -0600

Answer:
The rounding of partial point values in Blackboard is a known issue reported in the current version of Blackboard (version 6.3) that we currently use here at NIU. If you are going to use partial points, you will want to make the Total invisible to your students, then download the Gradebook and create a new Total using the Sum function, make sure it looks correct, and then upload the new total as a new item in the Blackboard Gradebook for your students to view.

More details regarding the Blackboard Gradebook are at: http://www.blackboard.niu.edu/blackboard/gradebook/

I would like to print out a copy of my gradebook. I can't seem to get the entire spreadsheet on a page -- even in landscape mode. How can I adjust it to print out?

Wed, 6 Dec 2006 08:59:48 -0600

Answer:
The Gradebook within Blackboard (version 6.3) currently doesn't have a built-in print feature. The best approach for printing the Gradebook is to download a copy of the Gradebook to your computer from Blackboard. The copy of the Gradebook can then be opened using Microsoft Excel and can then be printed. Excel will allow you to resize the columns as well as specificy the print formatting options you desire.

I have tried to copy from my shell course to my actual course and keep getting errors... and when I tried to export, I also got errors. I am using a course cartridge from Course Technology, but I really don't want to have to start all over.

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 15:07:30 -0600

Answer:
When upcoming semester starts, you only need to make the master section available, not the other sections. You can just ignore the other sections in your course list. The enrollment for all 4 sections should show up in the master course roster and be updated automatically by R&R when there are add/drops. Once you set it to be available, all the students in the roster will see the master course.

I have made the master course for my spring courses available. Do I also have to make the other three available for those students to get into the master?

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 11:28:08 -0600

Answer:
Most course cartridge content is intentionally copy-protected so you cannot copy it. Unless the cartridge manufacturer has specifically told you that you should be able to copy it from one course to another, you will need to get another cartridge import key and use that to import to the actual course before any other changes are made to the actual course. Once the cartridge has imported into the actual course you can add other content and make other changes.

I tried using weighting in my course gradebook but have decided not to use it. How can I turn off weighting?

Thu, 9 Nov 2006 12:04:27 -0600

Answer:
Instructors cannot just remove grade weighting once it has been turned on in a course. You can use this workaround, though, to remove it.

1. In Add Item, create an item worth zero points and set it to be unavailable for students and not included in calculations.
2. Go to Weight Grades and change all weights to zero.
3. In the Weight by Item column, give the temporary item 100% of weighting and click Submit.
4. Go to the Manage Items area and remove the temporary item to get it out of your gradebook.

I need to put mid term scores in for my online course. The exam was worth 100 points, but II have decided to curve it. How should I deal with this in the gradebook? It is valued at 100 points but now I am suggesting the top score should be 90 as only 1 person scored in the 80's.

Thu, 2 Nov 2006 09:07:15 -0600

Answer:
Here are two possibilities that come to mind immediately.

1) Adjust the point value of the item in the gradebook from 100 down to 90.

2) Add a bonus 10 points to each students' score in the gradebook for that item. For example, if your highest score on the test was an 87, that person's score becomes a 97 and then everyone else in the course also receives a bonus 10 points.

Either way you choose to proceed, you are in effect curving the scores upward by 10 points. If you weight your grades, option 2 may be a better choice as then you won't skew the weighting you've configured.

I just tried to access the Digital Dropbox in my shell course. It said I had to access it via the Control Panel. Is this how students enrolled will access it? It was my understanding that they do not have access to a Control Panel. I was going to try to submit a .java file as if I'm a student as a test.

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 12:58:26 -0600

Answer:
You're better off NOT using the Digital Dropbox and rather using the Assignment Manager to create an assignment that students can then submit their java file to you. The Digital Drop Box is being phased out in future releases of Blackboard.

Details about the Assignment Manager are at:http://www.blackboard.niu.edu/blackboard/assessments/assignments.shtml

I recently had two students drop my course and all of their gradebook entries disappeared upon their drop. Is there a way to recover these? Obviously, I/we would like to keep complete records of whoever was ever enrolled in the course for future reference.

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 12:48:47 -0600

Answer:
Gradebook entries can't be recovered once the student has dropped. We recommend that faculty download their gradebook items regularly for their own backup purposes. Details are provided at: http://www.blackboard.niu.edu/blackboard/gradebook.htm#download

When I had the course cartridge installed in Blackboard it put a huge picture of the text, the name of the text and the names of the authors over my announcements section. How do I remove it?

Tue, 3 Oct 2006 10:59:57 -0600

Answer:
Go to CONTROL PANEL > COURSE DESIGN > COURSE BANNER. Click the box next to "Remove this banner" Finally, click "Submit" and then "OK."

Is there a way that I can print out student postings organized by thread?

Tue, 3 Oct 2006 09:48:28 -0600

Answer:
Take a look at the information on "Viewing Options" regarding the discussion board provided at: http://www.blackboard.niu.edu/blackboard/communications/viewing.shtml

You can select certain threads and then "COLLECT" them. Once collected, you can copy/paste to Word to print or just print directly from within Blackboard.

I want to excuse a student from an assignment because he was allowed to join the class late. How do I do this in the gradebook?

Mon, 2 Oct 2006 10:28:31 -0600

Answer:
If you want to in effect "excuse" a student from an assignment, you could give him the full credit for that assignment in the Gradebook. You unfortunately can't exclude an individual student from an assignment posted in the Gradebook but you can always give extra points to prevent an individual student from being penalized.

Today I've posted a new, very important announcement for my course. Unlike all the others, this one did not appear at the top of the list, it is at the bottom and students may miss it. Can't figure out what I've done wrong.

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 13:32:29 -0600

Answer:
This is a rather simple fix. It's a matter of going to your CONTROL PANEL> ANNOUNCEMENTS and checking 2 things:

1) Making sure that none of your announcements are set as "Permanent"
Look to see if your see "permanent" listed next to the title of any of your announcements in your list. A permanent announcement is one that will always force itself to the top of your list of announcements. Click MODIFY next to any announcement that is showing as permanent and make sure that under #2 Options that "NO" is selected next to "Permanent announcement?"

This will likely fix the issue you are having. Otherwise, here's one other thing to check.

2) Check announcement display dates
Make sure that your announcement display dates include the current day. When you click MODIFY next to each of your announcements, you'll see options to select a date range. It's best to leave this the default settings and not to check any of the boxes or select any dates. In doing so, Blackboard will always add your most current announcement at the top of your list.

Is there anyway I can give check, check plus or check minus on some assignments I post to the Gradebook?

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 14:45:15 -0600

Answer:
Blackboard doesn't have a built-in check, check plus, or check minus feature in version 6.3. However, by adding a text item to the Gradebook and using the square root sign in place of a check mark, it is possible to in effect assign these values.

To do so, begin by adding an item to the Gradebook, making sure to enter "0" for points possible, display as "Text" and "No" for "Include item in Gradebook score calculations."

Next, click on the entry in the Gradebook to enter the score for the student. To enter a square root sign on a Windows PC, ensure that Num Lock is ON and then hold down the Alt key and type 251 using the number pad and then let off the Alt key. Then, a - or + can easily be entered after the square root sign.

I am trying to manually enroll a student into my course but cannot locate her even though I know she has a zid in Blackboard. How can I get her enrolled?

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 08:29:49 -0600

Answer:
Sometimes a student's zid gets blocked in a roster. This usually is the result of a student previously dropping the section you are trying to manually enroll them into. Contact the ITS Helpdesk by calling 815-753-8100 or sending e-mail to helpdesk@niu.edu. Include the course you are trying to enroll the student into (name, number, and section) and the student's full name and zid (if you know what it is).is selected in the drop-down pick list just under where the name of the column is entered.

I'm trying to figure out how to best set up my Gradebook in Blackboard. In my class, all regular assigments are worth 40% of the students' grades and then tests and quizzes are 60%. Then, of course, I have extra credit for both types, i.e., assignment e.c. and test e.c. Any suggestions on how to set this up?

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 08:42:56 -0600

Answer:
What you will want to do is setup weighting by categories. If you haven't already done so, start by taking a look at the information at http://www.blackboard.niu.edu/blackboard/gradebook/weighting.shtml

The weighting setup process in Blackboard is comprised of three steps: 1) Creating the desired categories; 2) Designating category weighting in Blackboard; 3) Adding/editing items in the Gradebook and ensure that each item in the Gradebook is applied to the proper column.

Step 1 - Creating Categories
Go to CONTROL PANEL> GRADEBOOK> GRADEBOOK SETTINGS> MANAGE GRADEBOOK CATEGORIES and make sure that any categories that you would like to weight your grades by are created. Blackboard offers a wide assortment of categories by default, but you can add any others by clicking the ADD CATEGORY button from within "Manage Gradebook Categories."

Step 2 - Weighting by Categories
After you have established your categories, then go to CONTROL PANEL> GRADEBOOK> WEIGHT GRADES and select "Weight by Category." Then, assign the proper percentage to each category. *NOTE - Remember that every item in a category needs to be worth the same proportionate point value. If it is required to have items with varied point values in a category, create multiple categories and keep the different point values separate (e.g. Assign. - 10pts.; Assign. - 50 pts.; etc.

Step 3 - Assigning a Category to Each Item
As you begin adding items (ie: columns) to the Gradebook, make sure that when the item is created the proper category is selected in the drop-down pick list just under where the name of the column is entered.

When I try to follow the online instructions to prevent a student from printing and/or copy and pasting an exam, the instructions state script can be copied and pasted into the HTML. However, when I go to the HTML as instructed in the 'test instructions' area, a window pops up that does not have any method for 'copy-paste'. Am I doing something wrong? Do I need to type the script in myself?

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 16:27:13 -0600

Answer:
You'll have to use the keyboard shortcut to paste.

After copying the code, click in the HTML window and then hold down the Control Key and the letter V if your are using a PC, or the Apple key and the letter V if you are using a Mac.

Can students record a group chat session? If so, how?

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 09:09:58 -0600

Answer:
Yes, after joining a group collaboration session (either Chat or Virtual Classroom), one of the group members can start recording the session at any time by clicking the record button in the upper-right corner of the chat window. Within the group collaboration sessions, students have the same abilities to start, pause, and stop recording of the session as the Faculty Member does in the class collaboration sessions.

A pop-up window will prompt for a name for the recorded session. The student should click OK to allow the timestamp for the start of the archive to serve as the name for the recording. Or, some other descriptive name for the recorded session can be entered before clicking OK.

To stop a chat recording at the end of the session, a group member should click on the stop chat button.

How do I record a chat session?

Tue, 19 Sep 2006 09:07:17 -0600

Answer:
Instructors or TAs, after joining a chat session, can start recording the session at any time by clicking the record button in the upper-right corner of the chat window.

A pop-up window will prompt for a name for the recorded session. Click OK to allow the timestamp for the start of the archive to serve as the name for the recording. Or, enter some other descriptive name for the recorded session and then click OK.

To stop a chat recording at the end of the session, click on the stop recording button in the upper-right corner of the chat window.

Is there a way to include the extra credit in weighted total calculation?

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 10:42:41 -0600

Answer:
Yes. A weighted total score involves calculating the percentage of the points possible for the item in relation to the total possible points the student has earned. For example, you can grant students a certain percentage of increase of their total course grade as extra credit completing a particular task or set of tasks. Here is one possible solution to assigned extra credit while weighting grades.

Create an item in the gradebook that has a "points possible" value of 1. Then, weight the item or the "Extra Credit" category so that it is worth 1 percentage point of the total grade. Give all students 1 point in the extra credit item for simply being in the course, thus avoiding any complaints that only 99% was possible without the available extra credit. Then, give students deserving of extra credit additional points in the extra credit item corresponding to the number of percentage points increase that you desire to award.

I have course cartridge materials that I would like to import into a master course. What special steps must be taken to ensure that the import process is successful?

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 13:10:35 -0600

Answer:
Faculty who intend to import cartridge materials into a master course, should specify a shell to be matched that is completely empty. Once the master course has been created, the cartridge materials should be imported before any other materials are added to the master course. Otherwise, the cartridge import is very likely to fail.

I'm looking for a free graphic editing software that I can use to create a banner. Do you have any recommendations?

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 09:39:44 -0600

Answer:
It is true than any software that allows for cropping and exporting of graphics can be used to create a banner for use in Blackboard. You need not spend a lot of money to purchase a high-end editing package. One free software worth downloading and trying is Serif Photo Plus 6.0 available as a free download from http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/PhotoPlus

We are trying to find out how to schedule an on-campus online course. What steps are necessary to create the linkage between an on-campus course to Blackboard?

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 09:11:03 -0600

Answer:
Currently, the instructor of record for an course section listed in the R&R course catalog can request a corresponding Blackboard course section be created. This request process is simply a matter of the faculty member completing the online form at: https://webcluster.niu.edu/BlackBoard/servlet/blackboard_signon_servlet2

Requests are processed before the end of the next business day. Additional details are provided at: http://www.blackboard.niu.edu/blackboard/gettingstarted/index.shtml

As long as the course is one which is already listed in the R&R course catalog, it makes no difference whether the course is offered on-campus or off-campus...a Blackboard section can be requested in either circumstance using the process detailed above.

I want to get a report on the percent correct per question in a quiz. Can I see this individually or by class?

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 08:38:19 -0600

Answer:
Yes, it is possible to view percent correct on a quiz either for an individual student or for the class in general. To view a breakdown of percent correct for the class, go to CONTROL PANEL > GRADEBOOK and click on the title of the item in the Gradebook (ie: column) that contains the scores for your quiz. Then, click on the option to VIEW ASSESSMENT ATTEMPT DETAILS. This will display each question of your quiz and the corresponding percentages of students selecting each possible answer. *Note - If you happened to use question pools to build your test, you won't see this aggregate summary as not all students answered identical questions.

To view a the percentage correct and the specific questions answered correct/incorrect for an individual student, go to CONTROL PANEL > GRADEBOOK and click on the score in the Gradebook column for the assessment that you'd like to view individual student results. Then, click the VIEW button to see each question that student answered and whether the response entered was either correct or incorrect.

How do I add a "Gradebook" button for my students to my course navigation menu?

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 11:46:51 -0600

Answer:
Click CONTROL PANEL > MANAGE COURSE MENU. Then, click on the TOOL LINK button at the top to add a link to a Blackboard Tool, such as My Grades. Then, in the drop-down pick list on the next page, select "MY GRADES." You can then customize the name of the button to change it to "Gradebook" if you'd like. Click SUBMIT and then OK. Finally, you can reorder your list of buttons at the MANAGE COURSE MENU area.

I have a video that I use in class for instructional purposes. It is ok to select segments that I want students view and use for an assigment and add just those segments to my Blackboard for the course? Or would this be a copyright infringement problem?

Fri, 8 Sep 2006 15:53:44 -0600

Answer:
The issues surrounding copyright and material use within education are complex, with each individual instance unique. Instructors seeking to use small segments of copy written materials need to be aware of the acceptable instances for doing so. Several helpful resources include the article entitled, Copyright basics for the Academic Classroom by Rebecca P. Butler and the NIU Libraries Copyright Information site.

Does the Blackboard server support the use of .NET active server pages (i.e., web pages ending with the .aspx extension)?

Thu, 7 Sep 2006 13:04:40 -0600

Answer:
The NIU Backboard servers are not configured to support ASP.NET at the moment as the Blackboard product does not require it. If they were to support ASP.NET it would be only to support Blackboard application extensions known as Building Blocks. The Blackboard servers cannot be used to host user applications or scripts.

I would like to embed an RSS feed into a page in Blackboard. Is this possible?

Wed, 6 Sep 2006 15:59:57 -0600

Answer:
Yes. While Blackboard currently does not automatically create, syndicate, or aggregate RSS feeds, it is possible to have the contents of one or more RSS feeds automatically appear within your course. Feed2JS is one free utility that allows for the contents of an XML file to be converted into javascript that can be embedded into Blackboard to display feed content.

Using Feed2JS simply copy & paste the URL of the XML file you'd like to post the contents of to Blackboard and then fellow the steps to generate the javascript code for your feed. Then, navigate to the location in the course where you'd like to have the contents of the feed displayed. Add a new item. Give the item a name and then in the HTML view of the text box, copy & paste the javascript generated by Feed2JS.

How do I send an email to my entire class from within Blackboard?

Tue, 5 Sep 2006 10:09:10 -0600

Answer:
To send an email to the entire class, take the following steps:

1) Click on "Communication" in your course navigation menu
2) Click "Send Email"
3) Click the first option, "All Users"
4) Enter a subject and message for your email. If you'd like to also attach a file, you can add an attachment.
5) Click "Submit" to send your email to everyone in your course. Blackboard will send you a copy of your email for your records.

Can a TA also be a student in my class?

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 13:40:03 -0600

Answer:
Any user within Blackboard can only be assigned one role at any given time. The TA role includes access to most features of the Control Panel. However, the default view of the content of the course for any user logging in is the display view (ie: student view). Therefore, both instructors and TAs have the ability to preview course content to see how it will appear to the students in the course.

Is there any way I can see what students will see in my Blackboard course site? Does the instructor have a fake or temporary ID to log in as a student?

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 13:38:03 -0600

Answer:
The default view when you login to your course is that of your students. The only exception is that you will see a "Control Panel" button (that they don't) as well as an "Edit View" in the right-hand corner of a content area (that they don't see either). Anytime you want to preview a certain portion of your course to see it as your students see it, just click on that link in the course navigation menu.

I used Macromedia Fireworks to create a banner for my course? What do I need to do to save my image in a format that I can upload as a banner into Blackboard?

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 11:56:54 -0600

Answer:
After you've created your banner following the guidelines posted, the final step prior to loading it into Blackboard is to export your banner to a web-friendly image format like .jpg or .gif. To do this, within Fireworks simply click "FILE> EXPORT WIZARD" and follow the step-by-step instructions to exporting your image. You can then upload your banner to your course.

What file format(s) will Blackboard accept for a course banner image?

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 11:38:10 -0600

Answer:
Blackboard will accept a variety web-friendly image formats. It is recommended to use banner image files in either .jpg or .gif format.

Do you have any background on how students FERPA rights with respect to nondisclosure are handled in Blackboard?

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 16:21:14 -0600

Answer:
Faculty have the ability to make the roster unavailable, and students have some control over what information is displayed. This has been discussed on the major Blackboard listserv.

How can I see what my students see when they log into the course?

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 16:21:14 -0600

Answer:
The default view when you login to your course is that of your students. The only exception is that you will see a "Control Panel" button (that they don't) as well as an "Edit View" in the right-hand corner of a content area (that they don't see either).

Anytime you want to preview a certain portion of your course to see it as your students see it, just click on that link in the course navigation menu on the left.