Users have reported that the question text in Blackboard tests does not wrap over to the next line when the test is taken in Internet Explorer.  However, this issue only affects Internet Explorer.  In addition, as the Respondus Lockdown Browser is based off Internet Explorer, this issue will also occur in tests that require the lockdown browser.  It is suggested that instructors remove the requirement to use the lockdown browser for any test in which it is enabled, and encourage students to take tests using a web browser other than Internet Explorer, such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.  If instructors and students do not have another browser installed on their machine, it is recommended to go to http://www.utoledo.edu/dl/main/downloads.html to download an alternative browser to use.

If you have any questions about this issue, please contact us at utlv@utoledo.edu or at 419-530-8835.  This issue has been reported to Blackboard and we are awaiting a fix for the issue.

Instructors and students are receiving the following message when attempting to copy or paste text within the Blackboard text editor:  “Your web browser currently does nto support this behavior. Use the following keyboard shortcuts instead. Cut: Control + X (Command + X) Copy: Control + C (Command + C) Paste: Control + V (Command + V).  This message appears if users copy and paste text into the text editor by using the buttons in the text editor toolbar or by using the right click menu to copy and paste text.  A workaround for this issue would be to use the keyboard shortcuts that are described in the error message above. (Mac users can use the commands within the parentheses).

If any user has any questions about this, please contact us at 419-530-8835 or at utlv@utoledo.edu

Faculty members have reported that they have not been able to publish tests and surveys to Blackboard using Respondus 4.0 since UT has upgraded to Blackboard Service Packs 8 and 9.  In order to restore the ability to publish to Blackboard using Respondus, faculty must go to Respondus’s web site and download the latest patch.  On the site, click on the link labeled “campus-wide version.” to install the patch. Once the patch has been installed, tests and surveys can be published to Blackboard successfully.  This patch does not apply to Respondus Lockdown Browser.

If you have any questions or comments about using Respondus or installing the patch, please contact us at utlv@utoledo.edu or by phone at 419-530-8835.

If instructors have deleted the “public area” link in their course, or wish to make other links available, instructors can follow the instructions below to make a content area in Blackboard available to course guests and the general public.

Enabling Guest Access on a Content Area

These instructions will demonstrate how to make a content area in Blackboard available to course guests and the general public.

To enable guest access, log into your blackboard course, and locate the content area in the course menu you wish to make available to the public. Click the chevron next to the link and choose Permit Guests. All content posted on the link is now publicly available.

Enabling Guest Access for the Course, Part 1

If you do not have the option to permit guests as shown in the step above, you will need to allow guest access to the course. To allow guest access, go to the control panel, and click on Customization. Select Guest and Observer Access.

Enabling Guest Access for the Course, Part 2

1. Locate the item labeled Allow Guests and select Yes.
2. When you are finished, press Submit.

You will now be able to specify which content areas you wish to make available to guests.

Our licenses for Respondus and Studymate are purchased on a yearly basis.  Our previous license expired on July 31, 2012.  When users sign into Respondus, they will receive a message informing that their Respondus license has expired.  To continue using Respondus, users will need to update their license code.  The license code can be accessed by logging into Blackboard, and clicking on Faculty Resource Center in the course list. Once in the Faculty Resource Center, click on Software in the left course menu, and click on the folder labeled Respondus.  The new license code is contained in the document labeled Respondus 4 2012 – 2013 License Documentation.  Copy and paste the license key into the provided space on the license dialog box when you first open Respondus.

Our current license is paid through July 31, 2013. Please do not distribute this license key.

Please contact us at utlv@utoledo.edu if you need any assistance with accessing the documentation for Respondus, installing Respondus on your computer, or using Respondus to generate tests or surveys.

To use SafeAssign, your browser must be configured to accept third-party cookies.

If you receive a popup error after attaching the file or if you are notified of a red “Instance Not Found” error, you will need to configure your web browser to enable third-party cookies. If you have any further difficulties after doing so, please let Learning Ventures know. Thanks

Please follow the browser-specific instructions below to enable third-party cookies:

Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE)

To enable cookies in IE 8:

1. Click Start > Control Panel. (Note: with Windows XP Classic View, click the Windows Start button > Settings > Control Panel).
2. Double-click the Internet Options icon.
3. Click the Privacy tab.
4. Click the Advanced button.
5. Select the option ‘Override automatic cookie handling’ under the Cookies section in the Advanced Privacy Settings window.
6. Select the ‘Accept’ or ‘Prompt’ option under ‘First-party Cookies.’
7. Select the ‘Accept’ or ‘Prompt’ option under ‘Third-party Cookies.’ (Note: if you select the ‘Prompt’ option, you’ll be prompted to click OK every time a website attempts to send you a cookie.)
8. In the Internet Options window, click OK to exit.

Mozilla Firefox

To enable cookies in Mozilla Firefox (9, Windows):

1. Click Tools > Options.
2. Click Privacy in the top panel.
3. Set ‘Firefox will:’ to ‘Use custom settings for history’
4. Select the option ‘Accept cookies from sites’ and ‘Accept third-party cookies’.
5. Click OK.

To enable cookies in Mozilla Firefox (Macintosh):

1. Go to the Firefox drop-down menu.
2. Select Preferences.
3. Click Privacy.
4. Under Cookies, select the option ‘Accept cookies from sites’ and ‘Accept third-party cookies’.

Safari (5.1 for Macintosh

1. Go to the Safari drop-down menu.
2. Select Preferences.
3. Click Privacy in the top panel.
4. Under ‘Block Cookies’ select the option ‘Never.’

Several instructors have just brought to our attention the fact that when they calculate students’ grade averages using both a “Total Column” and and “Average Column” (when both are set to display a percentage), the results are numerically different.

As an example, let’s say that you have two quizzes worth a maximum of 10 points each and two tests worth 100 points each. Let’s also assume that a particular student’s scores on these 4 items were 9, 8, 80, 70.

There are two ways to calculate a grade “average” in Blackboard depending on your intention:

(1) If you use a “Total Column” and set the Primary Display to Percentage–this will take the sum of the the total points earned and divide it by the sum of the total points possible.

The result for our example above would be (9 + 8 + 80 + 70)/(10 + 10 + 100 + 100) =  167/220 = 0.7591 = 75.91%

(2) If you use an “Average Column” with the Primary Display set to Percentage–this will take the total number of percentage points for each column, add them up and then divide by the total number of columns.

The result, once again using our original data, would be (90% + 80% + 80% +70%)/4 =  320%/4 = 80%

(In other words, this options treats each assessment as being of equal importance or weight regardless of how many total points the original assessment was worth.)

Whether you choose to use a “Total Column” or an “Average Column” to calculate your students’ “average” grades is strictly up to you as long as you are aware that your results will depend upon which type of column you choose to use.

Another potential source of confusion in using calculated columns (including Total or Average) involves deciding whether or not to check the radio button next to “Calculate as Running Total” during column setup. If the running total option is selected, any assignment or test for which a grade has not been entered will not be used in the calculation. You can, however, avoid this problem by either not checking this option or enter a “0″ for any missed assignments or tests to force the system to include this grade in the calculation.

Hopefully, this will clarify how Blackboard calculates a grade “average” depending upon which type of column you choose. If you have any question or need any assistance with this, please contact UTLV@utoledo.edu or call 419-530-8835 for assistance.

When Blackboard courses are created, the instructor listed in the course site is the instructor that is listed as the instructor of record in Banner.  When the instructor of record is changed in Banner after the Blackboard course is created, the new instructor is then given access to the course site, but there is no process to remove the old instructor (and their student account) from the course.  If you are the only instructor listed as the instructor of record, and there is another instructor listed, you can make the other instructor unavailable by following the steps listed below:

To make a user unavailable, go to the control panel and click on Users and Groups. Select Users. Locate the user you want to make unavailable, and click the chevron next to their username. Select Change Availability in Course. Set the availability to No and Click Submit. Please see the video tutorial at the link below for more details.

http://utvideotutorials.weebly.com/deleting-a-student.html

These steps can also be used to make the other instructor’s student account (the .s account) unavailable in the course site as well.

Learning Ventures and Academic Support are investigating alternate solutions for the future.  If you see a user listed in your course site, and you are not sure of their role, please feel free to contact Learning Ventures for assistance at utlv@utoledo.edu