GC Bb Support

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Batch Download Assignments

Q. I am trying to batch download an assignment in my course. The option for batch download comes up correctly in the Grade Center and I select the submissions I want to batch download. The screen shows a zip folder is created, but when I click on the link, I get an error. What should I do?

A. The problem is most likely punctuation marks in the assignment name. Blackboard creates filenames using the assignment name, and punctuation often causes problems in filenames.
You should rename this assignment using only alphanumeric characters. The order in which you do this matters: First rename in the content area where the assignment is posted, then rename with the exact same new name in the column for the assignment in the grade center. If you change the name in the grade center first, or vary the name even a little between the two areas in Blackboard, the link between the assignment and the student submissions in the grade center will be broken.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Welcome to the Garrett College Blackboard Support

This site will offer tips and tutorials on using Blackboard and other instructional technology. It is a place to ask questions and find answers quickly and easily. It is also a place to share your insight and knowledge with others about using Bb and other technologies. I need your help to make this site grow into a valuable tool for our instructors.

Tips for Preventing Cheating

When developing online assessments in Blackboard, it is important to consider the security of the exam and to make every effort to remove opportunities for students to cheat. The current version of Blackboard does not inherently prevent students from printing the questions of an exam or copying and pasting the questions to word processing application for printing. However, INSTRUCTORS can prevent students from saving or printing exams by following the steps for either of the following:

Disallow Printing of the Test
Disallow Printing and the Copying/Pasting of the Test

Disallow Printing of the Test

In the Control Panel click Test Manager, then click Modify (for the selected test).
This takes you to the test "canvas." Click Modify for the assessment instructions.
In order to copy the code into the proper location, click on the small down arrow to reveal the additional text options.

Click on the<html>option

Copy and paste the code into the HTML View, either before or after your test instructions.

Submit
The code will not be visible to students.

Disallow Printing and the Copying/Pasting of the Test

<SCRIPT language=Javascript src="http://www.blackboard.niu.edu/blackboard/javascript/noprintcopy.js"></script>
<STYLE type=text/css>@media print {BODY {display:none}}</STYLE>

The above code can be copied into test instructions to disable the right click and copy feature; it will also prevent students from printing the test. It has been tested on Windows XP and the following browsers: Internet Explorer 6.0, Netscape 8.0, Firefox 1.5, and Opera 8.51. The script may work differently in other browsers and on other operating systems. While users can still use the print function of the browser, a blank page is printed. Users are also prevented from copying and pasting test content.
To prevent printing and copying Blackboard tests, follow the instructions for copying the no-print code into the HTML screen. Substitute the longer script listed above:

No copy or print code

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The difference between EXPORTING and ARCHIVING

EXPORTING and ARCHIVING – What’s the difference?

Archiving a course creates a complete copy of a course in a zipped file format. All cumulative grade columns, Student grades and associated settings in the archived source course are included in the course package. The zip file can only be unzipped in Bb. You should keep an archived copy of your course for your records.

Exporting allows you to select all or part(s) of an existing course to add to a zipped file. It does not include student data. All Calculated Grade columns and associated settings in the source course are included in the course package when the Grade Center is selected as part of an export. You should export your course if you plan on reusing the course in a future semester.

HOW TO EXPORT and ARCHIVE YOUR COURSE

Exporting your course site makes a copy of your course contents so you do not have to create the course from scratch in the future. It is important to note that, unlike the Archive Course feature, Export Course does not include any user interactions with the course—it only includes the course content and the tools.

Export Course feature creates a package of the course content that can later be imported and used to teach another course with the same content. You should always export or back up your Blackboard course. Exported courses will be saved as .zip files. Exporting a course does not remove it from the Blackboard system. Instructors can export their courses at the end of every semester for future use.

Step 1

1. Log into your course.

2. Go to the Control Panel.

3. Click Packages and Utilities

4. Choose Export/Archive Course.

5. Click either Export or Archive at the top of the page.

a. If you choose Export - You will be prompted to select the materials / areas you would like to include in the export file.

b. If you choose Archive – It will save everything in your course, including enrollment and grades.

6. Select the Submit button.

7. You will be re-directed to a page that will read “This action has been successfully queued. An email will be sent when the process is complete”. Click the OK button.

Step 2
The system creates the course package. When the package is complete, the Instructor who initiated the operation receives an email. After the email is received:

1. Repeat steps 1 though 3

2. The export or archive file will be listed on the Export/Archive Manager page

3. Click on that link and you will be prompted to save or open the file

4. Click on the Save button, rename you’re the course file to something descriptive and choose a location on your computer to save the archived course **The export and archive files is a zip file and can only be used in the Blackboard environment**
**The export and archive files are compressed .ZIP files and are imported in the same format. Do not unzip an Export zip file or remove files from the zip file, otherwise the zip file will not imported correctly.

ALWAYS MAKE BACKUP COPIES (digital files and hard copies) OF IMPORTANT FILES AND SAVE THEM TO YOUR NETWORK U DRIVE.

How do I request a course shell?

Your Academic Director may request a course shell when adding your course to the schedule. However, you must be sure that you need one. You can request a course shell later by filling out the Shell Request Form. There is a link in the right hand column of this blog.

Copy a Course

Copy Contents of an Old Course Into a New Shell

The Course Copy feature copies course materials from one course site to another. For example, you may developed a course last fall that you are teaching again this fall. You can copy the entire course contents over into the new shell. You can choose what elements you would like copied.

From the Control Panel of the Source Course:

Access the Control Panel from the old course.
Click Packages and Utilities and the Course Copy link
Click Course Copy
Select “Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course”
Click on the Browse button next to the Destination course field.
Select the course you want to copy the materials into by clicking on the Select button next to the course and then click Submit
You will see the course ID listed in the Destination course field
Select the areas you want to copy.
For best results, choose all the elements of the old course that you think you may use, except the enrollment. You may not want to copy discussions or announcements as well. You may delete unwanted materials in the destination course once the copy course process is complete.
Click the Submit button.
Wait until you receive a notification via email before you access the destination course.
Check the destination course to be sure all the copied content is the.