Teaching with Blackboard at NIU

Known Blackboard Issues

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 07:44:19 -0500

The ITS Helpdesk is aware of the following known issues with Blackboard and is working with Blackboard to resolve.

Instructors should NOT use the File Response type question in their Blackboard assessments this semester. Since the File Response questions require attachment of a file, submission of the file attachment while connected to server 3 or 4 results in the HTTP Status 500 error. Attempts to correct the issue have been unsuccessful, so it is likely that a fix will need to wait until after the end of the semester during a scheduled outage.

Blackboard assessment imports fail when the instructor is connected to server 3 or 4. Attempts to correct the issue have been unsuccessful, so it is likely that a fix will need to wait until after the end of the semester during a scheduled outage.

The default view of the Bb Grade Center is sorted by last name, but not by first name within last name. Although an instructor can temporarily change the sort order, it is not reflected when downloading grades. This issue should be resolved when we are able to upgrade to the next service pack.

Internet Explore 8 still not certified compatible with Blackboard. As previously reported, Blackboard is still not certified as being compatible with Internet Explorer 8. Several issues still exist when attempting to use Blackboard in Internet Explorer 8 and users are encouraged to not upgrade to IE 8 or use a different browser.

If you experience any additional issues with Blackboard, please contact the ITS Helpdesk at 815-753-8100 or helpdesk@niu.edu

Course Removal: Spring 2008 Courses

Fri, 2 Oct 2009 13:13:55 -0500

The processes to remove old Blackboard courses from the system will begin October 15, 2009.

Following the removal process, only courses taught within the last 13 months will appear among Faculty Members' lists of courses. Course ID numbers are used to identify courses taught within the last 13 months. Shell courses will not be affected.

The process is scheduled to run according to the following schedule.
Removal Date: October 15 , 2009
Semesters Removed: Spring 2008

You will need to archive any courses you wish to retain before the course removal process begins. Faculty members are responsible for archiving their own courses.

The archival procedure should be a two-step process:

Download all grade centers that need to be retained. Downloaded grade center files can be saved and accessed in Excel. Instructions are online at http://www.niu.edu/blackboard/gradecenter/downloading.shtml
Archive course materials and save them on a zip, CD or hard drive. Visit the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center online documentation for instructions at http://www.niu.edu/blackboard/coursecontent/archive.shtml

If you have any problems archiving a course or have other concerns, please contact the ITS Helpdesk at 815-753-8100 or helpdesk@niu.edu

Timesaving Tips Using the Blackboard Grade Center

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:56:40 -0500

Beginning with Blackboard 8.0, the former Gradebook has been rebuilt and includes many new features for managing student grades and feedback. Timesaving tips are available at http://www.niu.edu/blackboard/gradecenter/tips.shtml for using the newest features in the Blackboard Grade Center.

Internet Explorer 8 Issues

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:42:58 -0500

Several known issues exist when using Internet Explorer 8 (IE 8) when attempting to access a number of web sites, including Blackboard. Reported IE 8 issues with Blackboard include:

Slower loading of pages
Shrinking data fields and buttons
Inability to run Wimba Setup Wizard or enter a Wimba Classroom
Error messages prompting for a valid file type when uploading an Assignment

Microsoft is distributing IE 8 via Automatic Update as a high priority update. NIU Blackboard users are recommended to NOT upgrade to this latest version of Internet Explorer as it is not certified for use with Blackboard or many other enterprise applications. It is recommended to continue to using a previous version of Internet Explorer or another browser, such as Mozilla Firefox or Safari.

To avoid potential problems an IE 8 Blocker Tookit, available from Microsoft, can be installed. This will prevent the IE 8 installation through Automatic Update. To uninstall IE 8, follow instructions provided by Microsoft available here.

Click here for more updates and additional information from ITS on Internet Explorer 8 as it becomes available.

NIU Blackboard Notices Now Available on Twitter

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:19:52 -0500

Twitter users can now receive NIU Blackboard notices of new Blackboard workshops, tutorials, resources, and new features via Twitter. Simply go to http://twitter.com/niublackboard and follow @niublackboard.

Reminder to Backup Your Blackboard Gradebook

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 08:08:51 -0500

Periodically during the semester, it is prudent to backup your Blackboard Gradebook by simply downloading a copy o your computer. It is highly recommended that faculty members download the Gradebook after entering each major course grade into the Gradebook. The downloaded Gradebook will be an XLS (tab delimited) file that can be opened in Excel or other spreadsheet programs. To download the Gradebook from a Blackboard course, complete the following steps listed at http://www.blackboard.niu.edu/blackboard/gradebook/downloading.shtml

Go to the Control Panel, click Gradebook, then click Download Grades and then select the delimiter type. (tab delimited is recommended)
Click Submit.
Click Download and then click Save. By default, the file will be named gb_export.xls.
After downloading the file, open it using a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel. When opening the downloaded Gradebook file it will launch automatically in Microsoft Excel.
Save the downloaded file in a desired folder, perhaps the folder holding other files for the course.

Teaching with Blackboard Podcast

Thu, 21 Sep 2006 11:31:15 -0600

The new podcast entitled, " Teaching with Blackboard at NIU" now offers tips, ideas, suggestions, and examples of best practices of teaching with the Blackboard learning management system. The goal of this podcast is to discuss the pedagogy of online teaching and learning and share ideas and tips for how faculty can leverage the Blackboard learning management system to improve the teaching and learning experiences the offer for their students. More details...

Workshop Schedule

Wed, 1 Nov 2006 14:59:59 -0600

Schedule of upcoming Blackboard workshops for NIU faculty / staff