Blackboard

Issue: “How Do I…” Create a SafeAssign Assignment in Blackboard So I Can Check for Plagiarism?

Resolution:

SafeAssign is a plagiarism detection tool available for use in Blackboard courses. SafeAssign can be used to check drafts or final papers so they can be checked against the Global and/or Institutional database. A report is produced indicating the level of “matching”, which indicates the level at which a student’s work may be plagiarized.

Creating a Safe Assign Assignment:

1. Login to Blackboard

2. Click on the course link where you want to create a SafeAssign assignment

3. Enter the Control Panel

4. Click on the link to the area of the course where a SafeAssign assignment is to be added

5. Select SafeAssign from the Select drop-down list at the top right side of the screen

6. The Add SafeAssign assignment page appears –

*Enter the title of the assignment

*Enter the point total for the assignment

*Enter assignment instructions (optional)

*Leave default Availability setting to “Yes”

*Set availability dates (optional)

*Set Draft availability (allows students to validate paper without submitting it to institutional database)

*Set Student Viewable availability (determines whether students can see report generated when papers are submitted)

*Set Urgent Checking availability (sets papers to high priority in the queue)

*Scroll down and click the Submit button and then the OK button

7. The new SafeAssign assignment will be listed in the area where it was created. Use the Modify, Manage, Copy or Remove buttons located to the right of the assignment to make changes as needed, similar to the process used for non-SafeAssign assignments

Issue: Adding identical materials to multiple sections of the same Bb course without having to upload the materials multiple times.

Resolution:

1. Enter the course where the materials were initally added to Blackboard
2. Click on the Control Panel link
3. Choose the content area that contains the item that is going to be copied. The (Standard content areas are Assignments Course Information Course Material and Resources.)
4. Locate the item to be copied and click on the associated “Copy” button that is located on the right side of the screen. A New Screen will open.
5. Use the drop-down arrow next to the Destination Course combo box to select the Blackboard course that will receive the item that was copied in step one. (Note: You can only access courses in which you are a designated instructor.)
6. Click on the Browse Button next to the Destination Folder combo box. A dialog box should open.
7. Click on the folder that will receive the copy of the item.
8. Determine if you would like to delete the item from the original folder by selecting the yes or no radio button located next to Remove Item After Copy (Generally select No)
9. Click the Submit button.
10. Click the OK button.

Repeat as necessary until all of you Bb course sections have had the material being copied added to your courses

Issue: How can I convert my tests saved as Word documents into online tests that can be used in Blackboard?

Resolution: You have several options:

Option 1: Use Respondus.

Respondus is a purchased piece of software available in F124 that allows you to take already created electronic files and convert them into Blackboard test files. We have a single copy of this license on workstation F124W14 on campus in F124.

Option 2: Use the Blackboard Quiz Generator.

This is a free online test question converter that can be found at http://www.csi.edu/blackboard/bbquiz/ . This tool can be used for both objective and subjective questions. If you choose to use this free tool, you will need to resave your question file as a .txt file first, and then perform some minor editing to fit the requirements for uploading (see http://www.csi.edu/blackboard/bbquiz/doc.asp for more information). While editing the text file takes a little bit of time, this is certainly less time-consuming than copying/pasting into the Blackboard Pool Manager or rekeying the questions into Blackboard.

Option 3: Retype Questions.

You can rekey your questions and answer selections one-at-a-time into the Blackboard Test Manager tool.

For more information please contact CII Blackboard Faculty Tech Support
847-925-6090
bbtechsupport@harpercollege.edu

Issue: There are students listed in my Bb course who are not on my SIS roster. How can I remove them?

Please note: You should be very sure that you want to remove a student from your course before you follow these directions, as the removal of a student also removes any grades already assigned to them in Blackboard.

Resolution:

1. Enter your course
2. Enter the control panel
3. Click on the link Remove Users from Course located in the upper right hand corner of the Control Panel screen
4. In the search box type the last name of the student you would like to remove from the course and click on the Search button
5. On the next page click in the check box to the left of the student’s name
6. Type Yes in the text box located at the bottom right corner of the screen (be sure to capitalize the letter Y)
7. Click on Submit button located below the text box in the lower right corner
8. A warning pop up box will appear stating “This action is final and cannot be undone. Continue?”. If you are sure that you want to remove the student click YesThe student has now been removed from your course site

Issue: How can I be sure I am legally covered when using materials in my Blackboard course sites that may be copyrighted?

Resolution:

As a first step, insert the following Copyright Statement into your Course Materials area as an item. Many faculty place it at the top of the list to be sure students can view it easily. You are welcome to copy and paste the recommended text below:

“The materials on this course website are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated. For more information, please visit the Harper College Copyright and Fair Use site at http://dept.harpercollege.edu/library/copyright/index.html .”

Issue: I want to change the order of the columns in the Grade Center. How do I do that now?

Resolution:

1. Enter your Blackboard course site
2. Click on the Control Panel link
3. Click on the Grade Center link
4. Mouse over the Manage tab and click on Organize Grade Center
5. Locate the row you want to move and hold down the left mouse button in the striped area at the beginning of that row
6. Keeping the left mouse button down, drag the row to where you want it displayed and then release the left mouse button
7. Scroll down and click the Submit button at the bottom right side of the window

Issue: My Blackboard course list is too long and has course sites listed there that I am not currently using.

Resolution:

You can easily manage your Blackboard course list by doing the following:

1. Login to Blackboard
2. On the Welcome page, locate the My Courses box
3. Click on the Edit icon (pencil in round circle) located in the top right corner of that box
4. In the Courses You Are Teaching area, uncheck any courses you do not want to show in your current course list
5. Click the Submit button to save your changes

Issue: My Course is listed as “Unavailable”

If your course is indicated as “Unavailable” this means that only students will not have access to the course. As the instructor you will always have access.

Resolution:

In order to make your course available to students follow these instructions

1. Login to Blackboard and the select the course you would like to make available
2. Enter the Control Panel
3. Click on the link “Settings” located in the lower left hand corner of the Control Panel
4. On the next Page click on the link “Course Availability”
5. On the next page select the “Yes” radio button
6. Click on the “Submit” button located at the lower right hand corner of the page
7. Your course is now available for student access

Once a course has been completed and students no longer need access to the content follow the same directions but select the “No” radio button and click “Submit” in the lower right hand corner of the page

Issue: How Can I Add My Syllabus to Blackboard?

Resolution:

1. Login to Blackboard
2. Click on the link to the appropriate course
3. Enter your Control Panel
4. Click on the Course Information link (in the Content Areas box)
5. Click on the Item button
6. Type in a title for your syllabus (example: Fall 2009 MTH165 Course Syllabus)
7. Enter information in the text box if you wish
8. Click the Browse button to locate the syllabus document
9. Double-click on the syllabus document to add it into the Attach Local File box located next to the Browse button
10. Type Access Syllabus Here in the Name of Link to File box
11. Click the Submit button to complete the upload process
12. Click the OK button on each of the following two screens to return to your Control Panel

Issue: How do I have a student submit an assignment directly to
the Grade Center in Blackboard?

A new feature in Blackboard allows you to create and add assignments directly in any content folder. Assignments created in this manner will automatically be assigned a link (View/Complete Assignment: Your Assignment Name) for direct student submission to the online gradebook, where a Grade Center entry category will also be automatically generated.Direct assignment submission rather than Digital Dropbox use is recommended for the following reasons:

 

• assignments can be sent directly to the online gradebook from the document specifying the assignment requirements through the automatically generated link
• an online gradebook entry category is automatically generated for each assignment created
• assignments are automatically associated with each enrolled student for easy submission identification, viewing, and assignment return via the online gradebook
• bulk download of all assignments by category is available via the online gradebook
• bulk download of all ungraded assignments by category is available via the online gradebook
• bulk deletion of selected assignments is available via the online gradebook

Resolution:

Assignments created with this process contain the assignment name, point value, and a description of the requirements (if added), as well as any other file attachments desired. Students complete each assignment in a separate file and submit their work via an automatically generated link that goes directly to the online gradebook.Note: Assignments added to content folders in this manner will not be sent to the Digital Dropbox.

 

1. Create or Add an Assignment
2. Click on the link to which you want to add content from the Content Areas section of the Control Panel
3. Create a new folder to hold your content, or click on the folder name link to open that folder
4. Select Assignment from the drop-down arrow menu located next to the words Learning Unit at the right side of the window
5. Click the “Go” button
6. Enter a name for the assignment
7. Enter assignment points
8. Enter specific assignment information in the textbox
9. Set options as appropriate
10. Click the “Submit” button and then the “OK” button

For more information on working with Linked Assignments please visit

http://dept.harpercollege.edu/cii/faculty/assign_tut.html#assign01

Issue: How do I Clear Quiz or Exam Attempts in the Grade Center?

Resolution:

• Enter the course that needs to have the quiz/exam attempt cleared
• Enter the Control Panel
• Click on the Grade Center Link
• Scroll down to locate the name of the student who needs to have a quiz/exam attempt cleared
• Scroll across to the column for the quiz/exam
• Maneuver your mouse cursor to the cell in which the quiz/exam attempt needs to be cleared – a down pointing “chevron” will appear in the right of the cell
• Click on the chevron
• From the drop down menu, click on Grade Details
• On the next page scroll down to Attempts
• Look to the right side of the Attempts row in the Actions column and click on Clear Attempt
• A dialog box will appear asking “Remove this attempt? This action is final and cannot be undone.”
• Click “Ok”
• The student’s quiz/exam attempt has now been cleared and the student can attempt the quiz/exam again

Issue: How Do I Add Extra Credit to the Grade Center

Resolution:

If you are not using a weighted grading scheme in the Grade Center, you can add Extra Credit items and have them included in the computation of the Grade Center Total column by doing the following:

1. Create a column for the extra credit item by clicking on the Add Grade Column icon in the Grade Center Action bar.

2. In the Add Grade Column page, give your extra credit column a name, e.g., Extra Credit, assign it a Primary Display value, e.g., Score, and assign a value of 0 for the Points Possible.

3. Click on Submit.

4. You will be taken back to the Grade Center. In the Grade Center, locate your Total column, click on the chevron icon, and choose Modify Column.

5. In the Modify Grade Column page, navigate to the third step and instead of leaving the setting as All Grade Columns click on the Selected Grade Columns, Calculated Columns and Categories radio button.

6. Add each of the columns, with the exception of the Weighted Total column, to the area in the Columns to Select: box to the Selected Columns area (CTRL click will allow you to select more than one at a time) and then click on the arrow icon to the right of the Columns to Select box. NOTE: Essentially this is the same as using All Grade Columns since you are using all of the columns, but this method allows you to include the Extra Credit column, something that Blackboard will not do if you leave the selection at All Grade Columns.

7. Click on the Submit button.

NOTE: If your Total column is set to be a running total then you will only see the extra credit included in the Total if at least one graded column has a score. If the Total is not a running total then you will see the extra credit in the Total even if no other grades have been entered.

Issue: Points Show Up When I Try to Add a Letter Grade in the Grade Center

Resolution:

To have a letter grade show up in a Grade Center column:

• Enter your Control Panel
• Click on the Grade Center link
• Create a new column by clicking the Add Grade Column button
• Give the new column a name in the Column Name text box
• Select the Letter option in the drop-down menu for the Primary Display area
• Enter the total number of points for your course in the Points Possible text box
• Select the No radio button next to Include This Column in Grade Center Calculations
• Select the Yes radio button next to Show This Column in My Grades
• Click the Submit button

Now you will be able to enter a letter grade for each student in the Grade Center without it reverting to a point score.

Issue: Can’t See All Student Names At Once in the Grade Center

Resolution:

You have several options to fix this issue:

1. Remove (or hide) any unnecessary tool bars from the browser display, or
2. If you are using a Windows PC, press the F11 key on the keyboard to see a full browser screen display. To return to the regular display, press F11 again, or
3. Adjust the screen resolution on your computer monitor. You must have your screen resolution set to 1024 by 768 pixels in order to see more than one person in your Grade Center view.

To set your screen resolution on a PC:

• Click on the Start button on your Desktop page.
• Choose Settings > Control Panel.
• In the Control Panel, click on Display.
• In the Display dialog box, click on Settings.
• In the Settings dialog box, locate the Screen Resolution bar and move the marker until you see the 1024 by 768 pixels appear under the marker arrow. Click on Apply.
• You will receive a message that your desktop has been reconfigured. Click on Yes.
• Your new settings will be put into place. Refresh your Blackboard browser window and you should now see more than one student appearing in the Grade Center.

To adjust screen resolution on a Mac:

• Select System Preferences from your Dock or within Applications.
• Under Hardware, select Displays.
• Select the highest available resolution.

Timed Quiz Issue and Fix

There is a known issue with Internet Explorer 8 and Blackboard when a student is taking a quiz or exam. In normal IE8 mode, the Submit button will be obscured by the Elapsed Time Clock. This blocks the ability to record student responses and move on to the next exam question.

Please see the resolution below, as well as continue to recommend that students use Firefox.

How to Set Compatibility View Settings in Internet Explorer 8

1. Launch Internet Explorer

2. Select Tools

3. Select “Compatibility View Settings”

4. Type harper.blackboard.com in the “Add this website:” text box

5. Click Add

6. Click Close

7. Restart Internet Explorer

How to Set Trusted Sites in Internet Explorer 8

1. Launch Internet Explorer

2. Select Tools

3. Select Internet Options

4. Select Security Tab

5. Click on Trusted Sites

6. Click on Sites

7. Type blackboard.com in the “Add this website to the zone:” text box

8. Click Add

9. Click Close

10. Click Ok

11. Restart Internet Explorer

Five New Tools for Blackboard

Five new tools are available for your use in Blackboard for the spring semester! These tools include:

• Messages (current student email addresses no longer needed)
• Discussion Board grading (now built in)
• Adaptive Release (require specific performance levels before providing further course materials)
• Early Warning System (set up rules that measure individual student performance based on attendance and items in the online gradebook)
• Performance Dashboard (track course site access, view discussion board posts, view grades, access early warning system and more by individual student)

Online Tutorials: visit http://harperdoit.net/bb_tutorials/index.html for video tutorials