The Assignment Tool and Firefox 3

If you are using the assignment tool for students to submit work please be aware that the process won’t work if the student is using Firefox 3 as their web browser. Firefox 3 will produce an error message saying ‘Please enter a valid file’ when an attempt is made to upload a file.

At the current time, you should advise students to use Internet Explorer (or at least avoid Firefox 3) when submitting work through the assignment tool in Blackboard.

Please see the following posts for more information about the assignment tool:

Assignment tool vs digital drop box

Creating assignments in Blackboard

Submitting assignments

Copying Package Files Between Courses

Question: How do I copy a Package File from one Course to another Course?

Answer: There are two ways of doing this.

Method 1

i) Go to the first Course and navigate to the page with the Package File,

ii) enter edit mode by clicking Edit View (near the top-right of the screen),

iii) click the Modify button next to the Package File to open it,

iv) right-click on the zip file and select Save target as,

v) save the zip file on your computer,

vi) now go to the second Course and upload the zip file where you want it and select Unpackage this file.

Method 2

i) Go to the first Course and navigate to the page with the Package File,

ii) enter edit mode by clicking Edit View (near the top-right of the screen),

iii) click the Copy button next to the Package File,

iv) select the second Course (called the destination course) and the destination folder in that course. Please note however that the second Course needs to already exist to use this method.

v) click on submit to perform the copy action.

Blackboard Release 8

UEA are, as mentioned in an earlier post, introducing the Blackboard Content System and upgrading the Blackboard Learning and Community Systems over the summer. Further information about Release 8 in brochure, webinar and video format is now available on the Blackboard website.

Please note, however, that UEA will not be using Blackboard’s plagiarism detection software – SafeAssign. UEA has adopted iParadigm’s Turnitin service instead.

Mouse problems in a Blackboard Test

There has been a problem in Blackboard tests with the new computer mice in the IT computing labs.  These mice have forward and back buttons on the left hand side of the mouse.  Recently a few students taking a Blackboard test inadvertently hit these buttons and found themselves exited from the test.  Given that they were only allowed one attempt to take the test they could not complete the test. 

While it is not possible to switch off this forward/back mouse functionality and it not feasible to replace all ‘mice’ in a lab, it is possible for a number of old style ‘mice’ (without the forward/back buttons) to be made available for exam purposes and these could be used by any student who would like to use them.  In addition to indicating clearly at the beginning of the exam that students must be careful using their mouse and should save after each question unfortunately that is all that can be done.  If you would like to have a number of old style ‘mice’ do contact Alan Wilson in ITCS.

Blackboard Learning System: Year End Procedure 2008

Over the summer an enormous amount of work goes into getting the Blackboard Learning System ready for the next academic year. Part of this work involves creating new Blackboard Courses, deciding what to do with existing Blackboard Courses, and ensuring that both staff and students have access to the system.

Details of what you need to do if you are an Instructor on a Blackboard Course are now available. Please read this information carefully and return the relevant forms, if possible, by Friday 25th July 2008.

Please note that this information applies to the Blackboard Learning System (i.e. Courses found under The Portal’s Academic tab) and not the Blackboard Community System (i.e. Organisations found under The Portal’s Faculty tab). No action is needed for the Blackboard Community System.

Please contact us if you are at all unsure about what to do and we will be happy to advise you.

Blackboard Downtime: 22nd to 31st August 2008

The Blackboard Learning System and the Blackboard Community System will be unavailable from Friday 22nd August until Sunday 31st August 2008 to upgrade both systems and introduce the Blackboard Content System.

Sorry for any inconvenience this causes. More information about the various changes and associated events and materials will be published here over the next few weeks.

Blackboard Downtime: Tuesday 1 April 2008

The Portal, the Blackboard Learning System and the Blackboard Community Systems will be unavailable for approximately 15 minutes between 7 and 9am (the at-risk period) on Tuesday 1 April to add new Search functionality and to restart the server.

Sorry for any inconvenience this causes.

Blackboard Downtime – Sunday 30th March 2008

ITCS will be conducting a number of low level system backups on Sunday 30th March 2008. This will affect all ITCS Services including the Blackboard Learning and Community Systems. It is anticipated that services will be unavailable from 8am until mid-afternoon. Apologies for any inconvenience this will cause.

Digital Dropbox – Action Unsuccessful Message

Question: I’ve added a link to the Digital Dropbox on the Course/Organisation menu and in a Content Area but, when I click the link, I get the message “Action Unsuccessful”. Why is this?

Answer: Only Students/Participants can access the Digital Dropbox from the Course/Organisation menu and Content Areas. Course Instructors and Organisation Leaders need to access the Digital Dropbox through the Control Panel. There is a link in the Course/Organisation Tools section on the Control Panel to the Digital Dropbox.

Reusing a Survey

Question: I would like users to take the same survey each week for the duration of my course. What is the best way of doing this?

Answer: There are three options:

i) A survey could be set-up to allow multiple attempts and to record results from the last attempt made. Please note, however, this would be the last attempt made even if that last attempt was several weeks ago.

ii) A survey could be manually recycled each week. This would involve the Instructor or Leader downloading the results and clearing the attempts each week.

ii) A seperate survey could be made for each week. Surveys can be recreated quite quickly when done from a Question Pool. This is probably the better option.