Dickinson College Library & Information Services

Blackboard Version 6 Questions for Instructors

Getting Started

1. What is Blackboard?
Blackboard is an online course management system used by Dickinson College faculty to supplement traditional, on-campus instruction. Most of the Dickinson faculty who use Blackboard post course materials (e.g., syllabi, handouts, links, etc.) to this online environment. Other faculties employ Blackboard more extensively, using it to administer exams, to host class discussions, to facilitate group projects and grades.

2. How do I create/request a course?
Click here to request a course. You will be sent an email when the course is created and ready to use. We are often able to create the course within 24 hours of receiving your request, but it may take up to 48 hours during busy times at the beginning of a semester. A course can be copied from an active course. Click here for instructions.

3. Where do I get my Blackboard Username and Password?
Your Blackboard username and password are the same as your email username. In other words, your Blackboard username is both your username and your password. If you are unsure what your username is, it is the part of your email address that is before the @ sign. You can also call the LIS Helpdesk at (717) 245-1000 for assistance. We suggest you change your password after you log in by clicking on Tools, and then Personal Information.

4. How do I log into Blackboard?
After navigating to http://blackboard.dickinson.edu/ click on the Login button located at the top left of your screen. Enter your username and password. If you forget your password click on the Forgot Password? link, fill out the form and you will be emailed to your Dickinson email account a link to change your password.

5. Does Dickinson provide Blackboard training for faculty?
Yes. In the Control Panel of your course is also an online manual. All instructors can contact their liaison from Academic Technology by clicking here. If you have any questions about Blackboard please contact the LIS Helpdesk at x 1000 or (717) 245-1000 or you can email helpdesk@dickinson.edu.

6. Do I have to enroll my students for each course or is self-enrollment an option?
You can enroll students by going into the Control Panel, click on Enroll users, then put the student’s username or last name and search for the student. If you get the message None it could mean that the student is already enrolled. To check on the students enrolled in your course, click on List/Modify Users and click on List All. If the student still does not show up on your list it could also mean that the student is not in the database. Email helpdesk@dickinson.edu with the students first, last name and username and we will create a profile for this student.
Self enrollment is done by going into the Control Panel, clicking on Settings, Enrollment Options, then check Self Enrollment. You can even make it enrollment with an access code or by a certain date. I don't think you will have to do this as not many students are trying to self enroll. All students can then enroll themselves into your course. Click here for a pdf file to give students.

7. How do I add or remove a student from a course?
In the Control Panel, there is a button under User Management that says Enroll Users and a button that says Remove Users. This will allow you to add or remove any students for your course.

8. Does my course have an on/off option?
Yes. You will find this in the Control Panel, select Settings,and then select Course Availability.

9. When I email the class, can I view this email later?
There is no archive of emails sent in Blackboard so whenever you send a message, you should choose the send yourself a copy when you create it so that you have a record of it in your own in box. Click in the box Send a copy of Message to myself.

10. How do I change the name or design of a course I created?
If you want to change the design or title of your course, go to your Control Panel and click on Settings. This is the place to change the title, description, and design of the course. Click on Course Design to select the color, type and style you like.

11. Can I change the main menu buttons in my Blackboard course?
Yes. As an instructor, you have control over the main menu buttons in your course, how many buttons, word/s on the button, placement, color and design. To see what your options are in terms of adding new main menu buttons, altering the names of main menu buttons, or removing main menu buttons, access the Control Panel, select the Manage Course Menu option, and then click on the Modify button.. You can also create a new button by clicking on Add Content Area.

Course Development

12. What file format should I use for documents posted to Blackboard?
Because all files posted to Blackboard must be read using the proprietary software in which the files were created, it's best to save files in some kind of universal file format so that your students are able to access them regardless of the word processor they use or the platform of their computer. We recommend saving documents in one of the following four file formats: Microsoft Word, HTML, RTF (rich text format), or PDF (portable document format). Most word processors will allow you to save files in the first two formats quite easily. At Dickinson College we support the Microsoft suite of programs which works well in Blackboard.

13. How do I add files to a course from my drop folder on Dickinson's network? Click here.

14. How do I move an existing Blackboard document into a folder?
Right-click (Windows), or hold down the mouse button (Mac), and select "Save Target As". Navigate to the folder you wish to save in and click Save.

15. How do I view the homepages that my students create in Blackboard?
To view student homepages, click on the Communication main menu button, then select Roster,then search for all the students in your course by clicking the List All option. The list will appear and you can click on the name of each student to view his/her individual homepage.

16. Why am I not getting files from my students in my digital drop box?
Some students do not understand the difference between the Add File function and the Send File functions within the digital drop box. The Add File function simply allows a student to add a file to their drop box, similar to putting something into a holding tank. Once a file is added in this way, the computer will show that it is posted on this date and this time, but the file itself will not have gone anywhere. Basically, it just sits in that student's digital drop box until the student does something else with it. If a student wants to send a file to their instructor, they must use the Send File function and not the Add File function. Only then will a file be transferred from their computer to the instructor's drop box. Click here for students instructions and here for instructor step by step details.

17. What's the fastest way to read discussion board messages?
Discussion board postings do not have to be read individually. Here's a faster way to read those messages: enter the discussion forum in question and click on the Show Options tab in the upper right-hand corner of your screen to reveal a row of expanded option icons. Place a check in the box next to all the messages you'd like to read, and then select the Collect icon from the row of expanded options. Doing so will open up all the checked messages on your screen at once for your quick review. Click here for a tutorial on using the Discussion Board for students.

18. Is there an easy way to reduce clutter in the discussion board area?
Not really. Unlike other areas within Blackboard, there is no way to turn off or hide discussion board forums without deleting them and losing all postings. Clutter and chaos within the discussion board area may be reduced to some extent by planning in advance. Some instructors create a forum for each major unit of the course, some create a forum for each week of the course, some color-code forums, and some rearrange the order of forums so that the live ones are positioned near the top of the screen and old ones are positioned near the bottom.

19. How does the chat room work and why would I use it?
First there are 2 types of chat rooms, Lightweight and Virtual Classroom. Both chat rooms can be recorded and the archives can be available to students if needed. Virtual Classroom can be used to teach, show a Power Point presentation, provide access to web sites, draw, and move around within the course to select documents and assignments.

During the Semester

20. How can I prevent my students from cheating on a Blackboard test?
If your Blackboard tests are unsupervised, then there is no way you can prevent students from cheating. Instructors should assume that all unsupervised Blackboard tests and exams are open book. Cheating, however, may be reduced if you have your tests proctored, or if you set a time limit for your tests.

21. How do I allow a student to re-take a test or exam?
To reset a test, access the Control Panel and click on the Grade book link. Next, select Spreadsheet View. After the grade book loads, locate the numerical score for the test and student in question. Clicking on that score (the numerical score is a hidden link) will pull up a copy of your student's completed exam. In the upper right-hand corner of the exam, locate the button that reads, Clear Attempt. Clicking on that button will allow your student to take that particular test over.

22. How do students access copies of an exam after they've taken it?
To retrieve a copy of a completed exam, students should click on the Tools button, select the Check Grade option, and then click on the numerical score (that is, on the actual number) received for the particular exam they would like to view. Clicking on that score will display the completed test. Note that this procedure only works if you as an instructor check the box next to Show detailed results when you make the exam available in the first place.

23. How do I print a copy of the online grade book?
the grade book cannot be printed in its entirety, just a screen shot. If you want a full print-out of the grade book, the best way to get that is to export the grade book to Excel using the Export Grade book function (see Spreadsheet View), reformat the document, and then print the grade book from Excel.

24. Is there a time stamp for documents submitted to the drop box?
Yes, there is a date and time stamp for documents submitted in the drop box. More details here.

25. How do I open and make changes to documents submitted through the drop box?
Click the link in your drop box and the document should open. To make changes, you must first save it to your hard drive and then make your changes. More details here.

26. I created a test now how do I make it visible to students?
To make a test visible, go to the content area of the course where you want the students to access the test (i.e. Assignments) in the Control Panel and click Add Test. You should see the list of your un deployed tests and you can select the test from there.

27. Can I make changes to a test after I have made it available?
Yes, you can make changes to the test in Blackboard. Go to Control Panel, Test Manager where the test is located (i.e. Assignments) and click the Modify button. You will see a screen with the restrictions on making changes. You can change the text of any question or answer from here.

28. How do I make a test unavailable?
By default, once a test has been taken, it is unavailable for that student unless you checked the Allow multiple times option when creating it. In Blackboard you have the ability to hide a test without making it available. To do this, follow these steps:
1. From the control panel select Assignments, or whatever section you have the test posted.
2. Select modify on the test you want to hide.
3. Select No for the Do you want this Information Available Immediately option. The test is now hidden and the Grade book entries are still intact.

29. Can a student take a test multiple times?
Yes, if you select Allow Multiple Attempts when you are creating the test. Only the most recent attempts results will appear in your grade book.

30. How do I view Survey Results?
Answers to survey questions may be viewed in the online Grade book.
1. Go to the Control Panel
2. Click to Grade book
3. Click the Name of the survey in the column heading
4. Click Assessment Attempt Details

31. If I allow students to see their grades, do they see only their grades and not any other students grades?
Yes. Students only see their grades only.

32. How do I view results of tests?
To view the results of student tests go to the Control Panel then click on the button for Grade book. To see an individual's answer, click on the Score and their test will appear. To see more detailed information, click the test name at the top of the column to bring up the Item Information menu.

33. How do I save my students grades?
Go into the Control Panel, click on the Grade book button. Once you download the grades then can be opened in Excel. Open Excel then find file to open. Click here for step by step instructions.

34. Is there an Instruction Manual that I can use?
Yes, go to the Control Panel and then under Assistance click on On-Line Manual for instructors. The Students Manual can be found under Student Tools.

35. Which web browser is recommended?
We recommend using Internet Explorer on PC computers and Safari on Mac computers. There are some features of Blackboard that do not work with Netscape.

36. What is the location of the free Adobe Reader download that all students must have to view PDF files?
In the Blackboard menu there is a button called Resources that has a link at the bottom for the free Acrobat reader which can be downloaded.

37. How do you add a Power point presentation to a Blackboard course?
Click here for step by step instructions.

38. PDF files opening with blank pages on a Mac OS X computer, what should I do?
First download the files onto your desktop. If you hold the Option button down while clicking on the file it will download. Once downloaded select one file. Go to the menu and click on File, Get Info. Under Open with: choose Acrobat reader. Click the Change All button under Use this application to open all documents like this. Now whenever you get a PDF file it will open with the Acrobat reader.

39. I get "Challenge Token Null" error when I try to log into Blackboard.
This is usually caused by book marking the logon page instead of the Blackboard entry page. You need to start your blackboard session at http://blackboard.dickinson.edu click the "Login" button on that page. When you do that, Blackboard then opens the logon screen and begins what is called a "session" that will permit you to log in without the "Challenge Token Null" error.

40. How do I delete a course I no longer need? Click here and fill out his form. An email will be sent to confirm the information.

41. My Power Point slide show is too large for computers to open, what should I do?
Open slide show into Power Point program.
Select any picture of any image on any slide,
Choose Format, Picture on Toolbar,
A Format Picture dialog box appears, go to the Picture Tab,
Press the Compress button,
A Compress Pictures dialog box appears, Under Apply to, choose All pictures in document,
Under Change Resolution choose Web screen,
Under Options Choose Delete cropped areas of pictures & Compress Pictures,
Click OK
A Compress Pictures dialog box appears, click Apply
It might take a minute or two, once it is done then re save the Power Point slide show.

42. How do I export or download grades?
To download the grades from a course that you can then have as an excel file do this:
1. Go into the course Control Panel of the course.
2. Select "Grade book".
3. Select "Download Grades".
4. Select Delimiter of Comma, click on the "Submit" button.
5. Download Gradebook page click on the "Download" button.
6. A "File Download" dialog box appears, choose "Save"
7. On the "Save As" dialog box, indicate where you want to save
the grade book file, then click the "Save" button.
8. To view the grade book, start by opening Excel, File, Open,
then navigate to this file.

43. How do I make grades show up as a letter grade instead of a number?
If you are just starting to add an item, in the Add/Modify Grade book Item choose Text in the Display As option area. If the grade has already been added go into the Control Panel, Grade book, then click on the name of the item in the grade book. You will then go into the Item Information and in the Display As options choose Text.

44. What are the procedures for archiving and how do I keep the grade book information?
I archive all courses after each semester. Archiving retains information posted to the following course areas:

- Announcements
- Course Information
- Course Materials
- Course Documents
- Assignments
- External Links
- Resources
- Faculty Information

Archiving DOES NOT retain:

- Names of students enrolled
- Blackboard's Online grade book
- Discussion board contents

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you want to retain a copy of the grade book information from your course before we archive follow the instructions below. You can then open it using Microsoft Excel.

1. Go into the course Control Panel.
2. Select "Grade book"
3. Select "Download Grades"
4. After reading the instructions, click on the "Download" button.
5. On the "Save As" dialog box, indicate where you want to save
the grade book file, then click "Save"
6. To view the grade book, start by opening Excel, File, Open,
then navigate to this file.

Once a course has been archived and removed, we cannot restore its grade book information.

45. I have a specific question that wasn't answered here. What can I do?
Your first stop would be to send an email to helpdesk@dickinson.edu or you can also call the helpdesk during business hours at x1000 or (717)245-1000. If you would like to request a personal appointment for help with your liaison with the Academic Technology Department contact the helpdesk or click here.

Last updated on: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 11:24 AM
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