BlackBoard Question of the Week

Q. I would like to set up a mostly essay test, where the student answers several questions and then attaches a pdf of the article they are reviewing. It appears that there is a way to allow the student to attach a pdf to the test, however when I try to do this it does not seem to be working.  Please advise.

A. Instead of adding an Essay question to the test, add the one right below it in the list: a File Response question. That will allow students to reply with an attachment.

Also, make sure that in Test Question Settings you have checked the box for “Add images, files, and external links to answers.”

Q. I posted an announcement in my Blackboard course.  Why did I receive an email of that announcement?

A. Announcements are sent to students in your course, and a copy of the announcement is emailed to you, automatically, by default. At the bottom of the email that you receive you will see this message:
“This is a system notification sent based on your personal settings and should not be replied to. Click here to view and edit your Notification Settings.”

To change this setting for your course, click on Notification Settings in the email, select your course, then uncheck the Email box next to Announcements. You can also change these settings in Blackboard by clicking on My Places at the top of the Blackboard window, then on Notification Settings Dashboard in the My Places window.

Be aware that students in your course can do the same thing when they receive emailed announcements from your course, i.e., they can choose not to receive those announcements. To be sure they will receive an announcement, even if they have made the choice not to in their Notification settings, be sure to check the “Override User Notification Settings” box under the Message box when you create a new announcement.

Q. I am trying to provide a URL to a website students need for my course and Blackboard is saying “cannot navigate to page, the content is outside of the blackboard learn environment.” What can I do to make sure students have access to the link?

A. Because of the way Blackboard 9 works with Internet Explorer 8, the easiest solution is to change the settings for the URL in Blackboard so it opens in a new window. To set the URL to open in a new window, follow these steps:

1. Log into Blackboard.
2. Click on the chevron beside the URL you want to open in a new window.
3. Select Edit.
4. On the Edit URL page, scroll down to 4. Options.
5. Select “Yes” for Open in New Window.
6. Click Submit.

Q. Where do I put information about the faculty -  office hours, contact, etc. – in Blackboard 9?

A. In Blackboard 9, instructors can create a personal profile that includes contact information and office hours. For instructions, please visit Creating a Faculty Profile .