Overview of
Tests in Blackboard
Benefits of
Blackboard Testing
Objective tests are automatically scored
 SERVE STUDENTS
BETTER
Provides instant
feedback for students
 SAVE TIME!
Remove a substantial
amount of grading
overhead for the instructor
Blackboard tests are paperless
 Eliminate the need to make photocopies, obtain
Scantron forms, or distribute Bluebooks.
Limit the potential for academic
dishonesty
Testing best practices promote a
secure testing environment:
 Random Blocks and Question Sets can be used to
facilitate the delivery of multiple test versions.
Limit Access to Tests with:
Date/time access
Test passwords
Test Options
 In the content area Edit Test Options
 Set test available
 Set date restrictions
 Force Completion
 Timer options
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Timer options, students who “Save All Answers” and leave or
turn off their computer; they will come back to the timer still
counting down.
If any student comes back to the test and no answers are saved,
it is the error on the student for not saving correctly.
Students should expect to start the test and complete in one
sitting and when completely done click “Save and Submit”.
 Force completion
 Due date
 Feedback options
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Reuse tests
 Blackboard test results remain on the system for the
life of the course shell in which the exam resides.
 You can export a test into a different course in Bb –
that way you don’t have to create the test if you teach
another section of the class.
 Grading data can easily be downloaded.
Benefits of Blackboard Testing
 Content from publishers can generally be imported
into Blackboard and used for testing purposes.
 Various test generators can output a file format that
can be imported into Blackboard.
Hands-on Tasks
Take the "Sample Questions" Test
2) Create a 4 question test in your Practice Course
1)
HANDS ON
Review the various types of questions available through
Blackboard by taking the "Sample Questions" Test
1. Login to your Blackboard
account via WebCampus at
2. Access the Blackboard
Training and Support course
https://webcampus.wilmu.edu/
3. Click
 Bb Advanced Training
 Lesson Nine – Assessments
 Tasks to Complete Before Moving to Lesson Ten
 TASK: Take the "Sample Questions" Test
HANDS ON – create a test from
scratch in Blackboard
1.
Create a test – publish it to the
Assignments section, week 1 folder.
2.
Create a 4 question test
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Matching
Multiple choice
True or false
Fill in the blank
3.
Modify Test Options
4.
Publish the test - Make sure to mark it as available.
*Please note – the test will not appear in the Grade Center
until it is linked to a content area.
Now…Deliver the Assessment
 Go to a content area
 In the Action Bar, click on the Assessment tab
 Select Test or Survey
 On the Create Test page, select the assessment, link to
assessment, click Submit
 On the Test Options page, set options, click Submit
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Grading Assessments
 Full Grade Center
 Navigate to the Test column
 Some test questions show immediate scoring
 Essay tests need further viewing and grading
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Technical Tips for Students During
a Bb Test
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Students should not double click when starting a test. The first click takes the students into the test. A double click
causes the system to read the first click as an attempt to take the test and the second click as a second attempt and
therefore will block access. Students should click once on the link and wait until the test is fully loaded. Students
should not click more than once on submit, next or save. Click once and wait for the system to process. Clicking more
than once can cause test errors.
If an instructor sets up ‘no backtracking’, students who click outside the test are during an exam, to go back into a
content area of the course will be kicked out of the exam before they finish the test.
Do not click the back arrow, forward arrow, or hit the refresh button on the browser. This may cause you to lose your
test. Students can scroll up and down the page or navigate the test by clicking on the arrow keys within the test.
Firefox may be a more reliable browser with tests
“When a student is taking a quiz and the quiz is not set to allow multiple attempts, the student must be careful!
Anything which occurs that causes the quiz window to no longer be the active window, even for a second will kick the
student out of the test. So, students should be wary of things like clicking around in other areas of the course, or sitting
idle until their browser times out or screen saver comes on, or even getting a pop-up email notifier. Automated
functions of that nature should be turned off during testing time.
Using a scroll wheel may change answers, always click on an empty portion of the test before scrolling. After selecting
an answer, click on the page before scroll navigating.
Can students print out a quiz? If a quiz “Allows Multiple Attempts” then a quiz can be returned to after printing. If
multiple attempts is not an option, the students who prints the quiz and leaves Blackboard without actually answering
any questions, the system will consider the quiz taken.
Some students who take tests on a wireless access may be kicked out of the test. Some wireless connections are timed,
and the user can be dropped from the network. Students can always use campus computers with a wired connection if
problems at home persist.
Also the student’s Internet Service Provider may have a time out feature.
A student may experience a “time out” - if the server detects inactivity after 20 minutes, it may kick the student out of
the test… Students should save their exam every 10 minutes or so or even every question, as this will prevent a loss of
answers.
Student Errors at Submission
 If errors occur for the student when submitting, instructors
can submit for students
 Go to Full Grade Center
 Click the action button for the student’s attempt
 Select the “in-progress attempt from the menu.
(marked with a date)
 Click Test Information link
 Click Submit Attempt button
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Additional Test Options
Blackboard Course Copy Request
2) Test Banks
1)
Blackboard Course Copy Request
Form
 Faculty and staff may request that content from fully
developed online courses be copied into f2f and hybrid
sections.
 To see if a course has been developed online, please go to
the main page of the website and click on "Academics" and
then "Degree Programs". Select your Degree Program and
look for this icon . Courses developed in the online format
will be marked with this icon.
 The content for 100% online courses will be automatically
loaded into Bb sites. Instructors do not need to request
content for online courses.
 Complete the form at:
http://wilmu.edu/onlinelearning/coursecopyrequest.aspx
Import from Test banks
Respondus
 www.respondus.com/testbank/
Publisher
 Online publishers (register for a free account online, you
will need the ISBN of the book you’re using for that
class)
Devise a Test –
Using Publisher’s Test Bank
 You can import a test bank provided by your textbook
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publisher.
See publisher's instructions to use a test bank
compatible with Blackboard
http://www.eztestonline.com/mycourses.tpx
Search test banks www.pearsonhighered.com
Save the .zip, Import under Pools
Then go to Tests and select the button Build Test,
Reuse Question, Find Question
 Select Questions from the Pool Bank
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Additional Resources
 The Blackboard Training and Support course.
 Email facultytraining@wilmu.edu to set up a one-on-
one training session with an instructional
technologist.