About Customizing the User Interface >
About Customizing the User Interface
Blackboard Learn includes several tabs as part of the portal. Following are the basic tabs
included with Blackboard Learn:
l
My Organization: This tab acts as a gateway to the portal and provides users with
content from within and outside the Blackboard Learn environment.
l
Courses: An online area dedicated to learning. From this tab, users access the Web
sites for their Courses.
l
System Admin: Only accessible by users with Administrator privileges.
If the community engagement capabilities have been licensed, advanced tabs and the ability
to create new tabs will be also available. The following are the advanced tabs and tab
templates:
l
Community: An online area dedicated to clubs, Departments, and other activities.
l
Services: Typically used to connect users to other Organizational offerings.
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The Web: A tab that can be set to access a URL and display the content within the
tab. By default this tab is hidden.
l
Module tab: Administrators can create additional tabs that include modules similar
to the My Organization tab.
l
Tool tab: Administrators can create additional tabs that point to a tool within
Blackboard Learn.
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Link tab: Administrators can create additional tabs that point to a URL.
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Designating a Local Support Contact > How to Designate a Local Support Contact
Designating a Local Support Contact
Administrators provide a support contact for Instructors and Students from the Designate
Local Support Contact page. The email address provided by the Administrator will be linked to
the Support button in Course and Departments. Instructors and Students will submit questions
and requests through this button.
How to Designate a Local Support Contact
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Help, click Local Support Contact.
2. Provide an Email Address. This address will be the Organization support contact
for Instructors and Students. The Support button in Course and Departments will
be linked to this address.
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Managing Default Tab Content > How to Manage Default Content
Managing Default Tab Content
The modules are listed with check boxes in two columns: DISPLAYED and REQUIRED.
Displayed modules will be available to users and required modules will always appear to
users. Users can determine whether or not the displayed modules appear on their view of the
tab. Required modules will always appear to users.
How to Manage Default Content
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tabs.
3. In the contextual menu for the appropriate tab, click Default Content. The
following table describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
assign a
module to
appear on
the tab
the check box in the Displayed column for modules that should
appear on the tab. A check mark in the box indicates that the
module will appear on the tab. Select the check box again to
remove a module from the tab.
require a
module to
appear on
the tab
the check box in the Required column for modules that should
appear on the tab. A check mark in the box indicates that the
module will always appear on the tab. Select the check box again to
set modules to not required.
organize
module
placement
and style on
the tab
Default Layout in the instructions at the top of the page. The Default
Layout page will appear.
4. Click Submit.
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Editing Default Tab Layouts > How to Edit the Default Layout
Editing Default Tab Layouts
The style and department of modules on a tab is configured from the Default Layout page. The
Administrator can create additional module themes to change the style of modules from the
Customize Module Theme page.
How to Edit the Default Layout
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Module.
2. Click Tabs.
3. In the contextual menu for the appropriate tab, click Default Layout. The following
table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Set Column Widths
Column
Widths
Select the width of each column in the tab. To use the Default values,
select Default. The Menu Column may be specified in pixels or
percentages. The default value for the Menu Column is 150 pixels. The
Pixels and Percentages option specifies the Menu Column in pixels
and the other columns in percentages. To specify the menu column in
percentages, select Percentages and type the numeric value for each
column’s width. The total value of all percentages must be equal to or
less than 100%.
Set Header
Header
Select a module to use as a header for the tab. If the tab should not have
footer, select No Header.
Set the Topmost Module
Select the modules to be located and pinned to the top of each column. Pinned
modules will appear to all users.
Set Content Layout
Order the modules using the up and down arrows. Remove modules using the X
icon. Modules marked with asterisks are required and cannot be removed.
Set Footer
Footer
Select a module to use as footer for the tab. If the tab should not have
footer, select No Footer.
Set Module Theme
Select
Theme
Select one of the themes for displaying modules on the tab. Additional
themes can be created through the Customize Module Theme feature.
4. Click Submit.
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Creating Module Tabs > How to Create a Module Tab
Creating Module Tabs
Modules are distinct packets of information with data generated from within Blackboard Learn
and from outside sources. Module tabs added by the Administrator function much the same
way as the My Organization tab. Multiple module tabs can be created with content for specific
Organization Constituencies. The Services tab, Community tab, and Courses tab also
function as module tabs.
Any Module Tab may be created with either one or two columns of modules, in addition to the
menu column. Once a tab is created, the number of columns cannot be changed.
How to Create a Module Tab
Follow these steps to create a module tab.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tabs.
3. Click Create Module Tab. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Title
The title of the tab can be changed by editing the text that appears in
this field. The title will appear as the Tab name in the header frame.
Reference
Name
Provide a name for the tab that can be easily referenced.
Allow
users to
personalize
the tab
This field appears only when changing the properties for the My
Organization Tab or a Module tab created by the Administrator.
Selecting Yes allows users to organize the modules on the tab and
personalize the style of the modules.
Number of
Columns
Select either 1 or 2 to set the number of columns of modules.
System
Availability
Select either the Yes option or the No option. If Yes is selected, the
tab will be viewable by users. (The System Admin Tab is always
available to the Administrator.)
4. Click Submit.
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Creating Tool Tabs > How to Create a Tool Tab
Creating Tool Tabs
Tool tabs give access to a specific tool within Blackboard Learn. Multiple tool tabs can be
created to allow specific Organization Constituencies access to specific tools. For example,
users with an Organization Constituency of Student could be given access to a tab that
displayed the My Results tool. This tab would most likely not be made available to users with
an Organization Constituency of Alumni.
How to Create a Tool Tab
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tabs.
3. Click Create Tool Tab. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
General Properties
Title [r]
Provide a title for the Tool tab. The title will appear as the Tab
name in the header frame.
Reference
Name
Provide a name for the tab that can be easily referenced.
Tool [r]
Select a Tool from the drop-down list. The tool selected will be
available through the tab.
Availability
System
Availability
Select Yes to make the tab available to users.
4. Click Submit.
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Creating Link Tabs > How to Create a Link Tab
Creating Link Tabs
Link tabs display content from an outside Web page in a Blackboard Learn tab. Link tabs can
give direct access to other Organizational Web sites for specific Organization Constituencies
or allow users to access the Web site of an education partner.
How to Create a Link Tab
Follow these steps to open the Add Link Tab page.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tabs.
3. Click Create Link Tab. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
General Properties
Title [r]
Provide a title for the Link tab. The title will appear as the Tab name in
the header frame.
Reference
Name
Provide a name for the tab that can be easily referenced.
External
Link [r]
Provide the full URL for a Web page. This must be the full URL. For
example: http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com
or blackboard.com. The Web page will be accessible through the
tab.
Availability
System
Availability
Select Yes to make the tab available to users.
4. Click Submit.
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Managing Tabs > How to Manage Tabs
Managing Tabs
The tabs are organized through the Tabs page. Tabs contain links to Courses and
Departments, modules of content, user tools, and external links to additional services and
content.
Privileges can be applied to each Organization Constituency so that, for example, users with
an Organization Constituency of Alumni could have access to a completely different set of
tabs than users with an Organization Constituency of Staff or Faculty. This is controlled from
the Tab Groups page. For more information, see Managing Tab Groups.
Note When assigning the availability of tabs to user constituencies, it is important to check
that each user constituency has access to at least one available tab in the system.
Note The advanced features on this page, such as adding a Tab, are only available to those
systems that have licensed the community engagement capabilities.
How to Manage Tabs
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tabs. The following table describes the available tasks.
WARNING! Tabs cannot be added to Tab Groups from this page. Tabs can be
added to Tab Groups through the Tab Groups page. For more information, see
Managing Tab Groups.
To . . .
click . . .
create a
Module Tab
Create Module Tab in the action bar. The Add Module Tab page will
appear.
create a
Tool Tab
Create Tool Tab in the action bar. The Add Tool Tab page will
appear.
create a
Link Tab
Create Link Tab in the action bar. The Add Link Tab page will
appear.
edit a tab
Edit for a tab in the list. For the My Organization, Courses,
Community, Services tab, and any Module tabs created by the
Administrator, a Edit Tab page will appear. For all other tabs,
clicking Edit will immediately open the Tab Properties page.
preview a
tab based
on user
constituency
Select Preview Tab in the contextual menu for the tab. Select an
Organization Constituency from the list and click Preview. A new
browser window opens with the tabs as those users will see them.
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Setting Tab Properties > How to Set Tab Properties
Setting Tab Properties
The Tab Properties page is similar for each Tab. From this page, the name of the tab can be
changed, and the Organization Constituencies that can access the Tab are defined.
How to Set Tab Properties
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tabs.
3. In the contextual menu for the tab, click Edit.
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Managing Tab Groups > How to Create a Tab Group
Managing Tab Groups
System Administrators can create Tab Groups containing one or more secondary tabs. The
name of the Tab Group appears as the top level Tab and the secondary Tabs appear when the
Tab Group is activated. Tab Groups and Tabs can be reordered on the Tab Groups page using
drag and drop. The appearance of Tab Groups and Tabs can be previewed by constituency or
by selecting a user. Use this option to preview the layout of Tab Groups and Tabs for users
with multiple organization constituencies.
A Tab Group is displayed to users only when it contains at least one Tab that is available to
Users. For more information about setting Tab availability, see Setting Tab Properties.
How to Create a Tab Group
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tab Groups.
3. Click Create Tab Group.
4. Provide a Title and a Reference Name for the Tab Group.
5. Under Availability, click Yes to make the Tab Group visible to users.
6. Click Everyone to make the Tab Group available to all users.
-orClick Selected Constituencies. Click a Constituency, and then click the arrow to
move the Constituency to the Selected Items field.
7. Choose the Tabs to include in the Tab Group by selecting the Tabs and then the
arrow button to move the Tab to the Selected Items field.
8. Click Submit.
How to Preview a Tab Group
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tab Groups.
3. Click Preview and select By Organization Constituency or By User.
4. Select a Constituency to preview.
-orSelect a user by clicking Browse and selecting a user from the list in the separate
window. Click Submit. The selected username appears in the Copy
Constituencies From field. Click Go. The Constituencies assigned to that user
appear in the Selected Items field.
5. Click Preview. The Tab Group appears in a separate window. Close the window
when finished previewing.
6. Click OK.
How to Edit a Tab Group
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tab Groups.
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Managing Tab Groups > How to Rearrange Tab Groups
3. In the contextual menu for the Tab Group, click Edit.
4. Make any changes to the Title, Availability, or Membership of the Tab Group.
5. Click Submit.
How to Rearrange Tab Groups
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tab Groups.
3. Drag the Tab Groups using the mouse.
4. Drag the Tabs within each Tab Group.
5. To preview the change, see How to Preview a Tab Group.
6. Click a Tab in the Action Bar to save the change.
How to Delete a Tab Group
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. In the contextual menu for the Tab Group, click Delete.
3. Click OK.
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Managing Hot Link Content > How to Manage Hot Link Content
Managing Hot Link Content
The Links that appear on the left side of a tab are managed from the Manage Hot Links page.
How to Manage Hot Link Content
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click and Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tabs.
3. In the contextual menu for one of the following tabs, click Hot Link Content: My
Organization, Courses, Community, Services, or any module tab created by the
Administrator. The following table describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
add a link
Create External Link in the action bar.
modify a link
Click Edit in the contextual menu for the appropriate Hot Link.
remove a link
Click Delete in the contextual menu for the appropriate Hot
Link. This action is irreversible.
change the
placement of a
link
The double arrow icon to the left of the Hot Link to drag and
drop the Hot Link to the appropriate position.
4. Click Submit.
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Creating or Editing Hot Link Content > How to Create or Edit Hot Link Content
Creating or Editing Hot Link Content
Links for the left side of a tab are added and edited from the Add or URL page view. Links can
access educational partners, research tools, or any Web page relevant to the Organization.
How to Create or Edit Hot Link Content
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tabs.
3. Click Hot Link Content in the contextual menu for one of the following tabs: My
Organization, Courses, Communities, Services, or any module tab created by the
Administrator.
4. Click Create URL or click Edit in the contextual menu for an existing URL. The
following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
URL Information
Name
Provide a name for the link. The name will appear in the Hot Links
box.
URL
Provide the URL for the link. This must be the full URL. For
example, http://www.blackboard.com, not
www.blackboard.com or blackboard.com.
Description
Provide a description of the link. The description will appear below
the link name in the partnerships box.
Options
Permit Users
to View this
Content
Click Yes to make the link available.
Open in New
Window
Click Yes or No to determine if the link opens the Web site in an
external browser window.
Select Date
and Time
Restrictions
Select Display After and Display Until, and then select the range
of dates that the folder will appear.
5. Click Submit.
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Managing Hot Spots > How to Manage Hot Spots
Managing Hot Spots
Hot Spot Content can be used to display advertisements or other images relevant to the
Organization. Primary Hot Spot content appears as a header on the Community tab.
Secondary Hot Spot images appear below the Off-Campus Links in the Tool Panel on portal
tabs. Hot Spot images can be uploaded by the Administrator or the HTML option can be used
to import outside images and information.
Note The data entered on this page for the Primary Hot Spots Content automatically appears
in the Primary Hot Spots module. This module may be accessed through the Manage Modules
page. The module content may only be edited on the Manage Hot Spots page.
How to Manage Hot Spots
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click and Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tabs.
3. In the contextual menu for one of the following tabs, click Hot Spots Content: My
Organization, Courses, Community, Services, or any module tab created by the
Administrator. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Edit Primary Hot Spots Content
None
Click this option to leave the primary Hot Spot on the left side of the tab
blank.
Image
and
Link
Click this option to add a local image as the primary Hot Spot image. Enter
a file name or click Browse to search for an image file. This image will
appear as the primary sponsor if the Local Image and Link option is
clicked. Enter a URL. The URL will open in a separate browser when the
image is clicked. When entering a URL, be sure to enter the URL
completely. For example: http://www.blackboard.com, not
www.blackboard.com or blackboard.com
HTML
Sometimes when using an ad server the company running the ad server
will provide HTML code to serve the ad. Post that HTML code in this box to
display the ads.
Edit Secondary Hot Spots Content
None
Click this option to leave the secondary Hot Spot on the left side of the tab
blank.
Image
and
Link
Click this option to add a local image as the secondary sponsor image.
Enter a file name or click Browse to search for an image file. This image
will appear as the secondary sponsor if the Image Link option is selected.
Enter a URL. The URL will open in a separate browser when the image is
clicked. When entering a URL, be sure to enter the URL completely. For
example: http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com or
blackboard.com
HTML
Sometimes when using an ad server the company running the ad server
will provide HTML code to serve the ad. Post that HTML code in this box to
display the ads.
Note The Module Properties page for the Community Tab includes a third Hot Spot Content
section.
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Previewing Tabs by Organization Constituency > How to Preview a Tab
Previewing Tabs by Organization Constituency
Administrators can test how a tab appears for specific Organization Constituencies from the
Preview by Organization Constituency page. When a constituency is selected, the tab will
appear in the page exactly as it will appear to that constituency.
How to Preview a Tab
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tabs.
3. In the contextual menu for the appropriate tab, click Preview Tab.
4. Select a constituency from the Constituencies to Select field and move them to
the Selected Constituencies field.
5. Click Preview. The Tabs appear in a separate window.
6. Click OK when finished.
Note Click Browse to Copy Constituencies from specific users in the system. Select a
user and click Go and their constituencies appear in the Selected Constituencies field.
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Managing the Services Tab > How to Manage Services
Managing the Services Tab
The Services tab displays links. Most often, these links point to other services offered at the
Organization. Service Links can be organized into folders and subfolders to create an outline of
Services.
How to Manage Services
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tabs.
3. In the contextual menu for the Services tab, click Services. The following table
describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
order the links
the double arrow icon to the left of the Service to drag the Service
to the appropriate position.
follow a link
the hyperlink of an external link to follow the link to a Web site.
add a link
Create External Link.
edit a link
Edit for a particular link.
remove a link
Delete for a link to permanently remove it from the tab. This action
is irreversible.
add folder
Create Folder
view links and
folders within
a folder
the folder name. A page view will appear with all the folders and
links that appear in that folder.
remove a
folder
Delete for a folder to permanently remove it from the tab. This
action is irreversible and will also remove any links and folders
that appear within that folder.
edit a folder
Edit for a folder.
copy a folder
Copy for a folder.
4. Click Submit.
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Creating or Editing Folders for the Services Tab > How to Create or Edit a Services Folder
Creating or Editing Folders for the Services Tab
Services Folders can hold links to Services and other folders.
Folders may be added or edited by accessing the Add Folder page view or Edit Folder page
view. The fields on the Add Folder page and Edit Folder page are the same. The Add Folder
page opens with empty fields while the Edit Folder page opens with a folder already populated.
How to Create or Edit a Services Folder
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tabs.
3. In the contextual menu for the Services tab, click Services.
4. Click Create Folder or click Edit in the contextual menu for an existing folder.
The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Folder Information
Name
Provide a name that best describes the content of the
folder.
Color of Name
Click Pick to select a text color for the folder name. The
default color is black.
Text
Provide a description of the folder.
Options
Permit Users to View
the Content Item
Click Yes to make the Folder visible to users. Click No to
make the Folder unavailable to users.
Track Number of
Views
Click Yes to track the number of views.
Select Date and Time
Restrictions
Select the range of dates that the folder will appear.
5. Click Submit.
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Creating or Editing Services Links > How to Create or Edit a Services Link
Creating or Editing Services Links
Links are added to the Services tab from the Services-Add Link page view. Links may appear
directly on the tab or within a folder.
How to Create or Edit a Services Link
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tabs.
3. In the contextual menu for the Services tab, click Services.
4. Click Create External Link. Or click Edit in the contextual menu for a link that
already exists. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
External Link Information
Name
Provide a name for the link.
URL
Provide a URL for the link. This must be the full URL. For
example: http://www.blackboard.com, not
www.blackboard.com or blackboard.com
Text
Provide a description of the link.
Options
Permit Users
to View the
Content Item
Click Yes to make the Link visible to users. Click No to make the
Link unavailable to users.
Track Number
of Views
Click Yes to track the number of views of each content item
contained in the folder.
Open in New
window
Click Yes or No to open the link in an external window.
Select Date
and Time
Restrictions
Select Display After and Display Until, and then select the
range of dates that the folder will appear.
5. Click Submit.
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Managing Modules > How to Manage Modules
Managing Modules
Modules are packets of content that appear on the My Organization tab or customized Module
tabs. From the Manage Modules page an Administrator can add and edit modules as well as
control the content of modules.
To determine what modules will appear on a tab, use the Default Content page for a particular
content area.
How to Manage Modules
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules. The following table describes the available tasks.
To...
Click...
add a module
Create Module in the action bar
delete a module
The check box for the module in the list, then Delete in
the action bar.
edit a module
Edit Properties from the contextual menu for a
module in the list.
customize the content of a
module
Edit Contents from the contextual menu for a module
in the list.
view a module
The module name. The module will appear as users
see it on a tab.
3. Click Submit.
Content Collection Modules
If the content management capabilities have been licensed, an additional set of Portal
Modules is available:
l
Content Collection: Course Content
WARNING! Making this module available to Students may give them access to
Course content that Instructors may not want them to view. This module displays all
of the content in the Content Collection for the Course, regardless of Adaptive
Release settings.
l
Content Collection: Bookmarks
l
Content Collection: Organization Content
l
Content Collection: My Content
l
Content Collection: My Portfolios
l
Content Collection: Department Content
l
Content Collection: Search Content
l
Content Collection: Workflow Activities
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Module Descriptions > Content Collection Modules
Module Descriptions
The following table provides descriptions for modules and includes suggestions on how to
implement them for your organization.
Module
Descriptions
Category: My Blackboard
Alerts
This module displays notifications and early warnings for Courses that users
are enrolled in. Notification Collection must be enabled. On the
Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, select Notifications to
enable Notification Collection.
Bookmarks
This module displays links identified by the user. The user can add a
maximum of three links.
Content
Collection:
Bookmarks
This module displays the bookmarks created by the user in Content
Collection.
Content
Collection:
Interfolio Module
This module links to the Interfolio Inc website.
Content
Collection: My
Content
This module displays user My Content folders in Content Collection.
Content
Collection: My
Portfolios
This module displays user Portfolios.
Course List
This module displays the Course information for courses users ar enrolled
in. Edit the content to choose to show Course Name, Course ID, Instructors,
Announcements, Tasks, and Calendar Events.
Courses: Quick
View
This module displays links to Courses that users are enrolled in.
My Accounts
This module contains all the tools necessary for users to manage their
transaction accounts.
My
Announcements
This module generates announcements based on a user's constituency and
enrollments.
My Calendar
This module generates calendar events based on a user's constituency and
enrollments.
My Courses
This module displays links to the Courses that users are enrolled in.
My
Departments
This module displays information for Departments that users are enrolled in.
Edit the module content to suit your organization. Edit the module description
to match the content attributes selected.
My Outcomes
Evaluations
This module generates a list of submissions that are pending evaluation.
My Scholar
Bookmarks
This module displays the user's Blackboard Scholar bookmarks.
My Tasks
This module displays tasks that are created by the user and the Instructors
for the Courses the user is enrolled in.
Needs Attention
This module displays notifications for all of the items that need their attention
for the Courses they are enrolled in. Notification Collection must be enabled.
On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, select Notifications
to enable Notification Collection.
Current Results
This module displays a user's results based on the Courses they are
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Module Descriptions > Content Collection Modules
Module
Descriptions
enrolled in.
To Do
This module generates a report of what is due and past due for Courses the
user is enrolled in.
Tools My
Accounts
This module displays links to Course tools, such as Calendar and My
Results.
Tools My
Organization
This module displays links to Course tools, such as Calendar and My
Results.
What's New
This module displays notifications of what is new in the users enrolled
Courses. Notification Collection must be enabled. On the Administrator
Panel, under Tools and Utilities, select Notifications to enable Notification
Collection.
Category: Campus Information
Accessibility
This module displays information and access to resources on accessibility.
Edit the module content to suit your organization.
Alumni Affairs
This module displays links to information regarding Alumni Affairs. Edit the
module content to suit your organization.
Arts and Culture
This module displays links to information regarding arts and culture. Edit the
module content to suit your organization.
Athletics
This module displays college athletic team information. Add a Delegated
Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Campus
Bookstore
This module displays links to information regarding the Campus Bookstore.
Edit the module content to suit your organization.
College
Information
This module displays key contact information for the organization. Edit the
module content to suit your organization.
Course Catalog
This module displays the top-level categories of the Course Catalog and
selected secondary categories. Edit the module content to suit your
organization.
Course Search
This module displays a search tool that enables the end user to search for
Courses created in the system.
Cultural Events
This module contains information regarding cultural events. Add a
Delegated Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
FAQ's
This module displays answers to questions commonly asked by Students
and prospective Students. Add a Delegated Administrator to keep this
content up-to-date.
Featured
Courses
This module displays information about a featured Course. Add a Delegated
Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Honor Council
This module displays a message from the Honor Council. Edit the module
content to suit your organization.
Human
Resources
This module displays Human Resources links and information. Edit module
content to suit your organization.
Information
Technology
Services
This module displays information and links for Information Technology
Services. Edit module content to suit your organization.
Organization
Discussion
Boards
This module displays links to organization discussion boards.
Library
This module displays links to online library resources and library information.
Edit the module content to suit your organization.
Library
This module displays library resource links and information. Edit module
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Module Descriptions > Content Collection Modules
Module
Descriptions
Services
content to suit your organization.
Mobile Learning
Update
This modules displays updates from Mobile Learn. The updates are on new
devices and capabilities that allow users to access their Courses, content
and Departments from their smartphones and tablet computers.
Department
Catalog
This module displays the top-level categories of the Department Catalog and
selected secondary categories. Edit the module content to suit your
organization.
Department
Search
This module is a search tool that enables the end user to search for
Departments created in the system.
Parking
This module displays links to information regarding parking. Edit the module
content to suit your organization.
Policies and
Procedures
This module displays links to organization policies and procedures. Edit
module content to suit your organization.
Privacy Policy
This module displays links to organization privacy policy information and
resources. Edit module content to suit your organization.
School
Newspaper
This module displays links to the school newspaper headlines. Edit the
module content to suit your organization. Add a Delegated Administrator to
keep this content up-to-date.
Women's
Center
This module displays links to events and services sponsored by the
Women's Center. Add a Delegated Administrator to keep this content up-todate.
Category: Student Life
Book Swap
Meet
This module displays links to books available for trade with contact
information. Add a Delegated Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Add the Delegated Administrator contact information to the list of links for
users to contact with information on books they want to trade.
Debate Society
This module displays information and updates from the Debate Society. Add
a Delegated Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Dining Services
This module displays links to information regarding the dining services. Edit
the module content to suit your organization.
Local Housing
This module displays links to local housing available. Add a Delegated
Administrator to keep this content up-to-date. Add the Delegated
Administrator to the list of links for users to contact with local housing
information.
Residence Life
This module displays links to information regarding living in campus
housing. Edit the module content to suit your organization.
Ride Share
This module displays links to rides available for users to share with contact
information. Add a Delegated Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Add the Delegated Administrator to the list of links for users to contact with
information on rides they are posting or looking for.
Student
Association
This module displays links to information regarding the Student governing
body. Edit the module content to suit your organization.
Student Health
This module displays links to information regarding Student health services.
Edit the module content to suit your organization.
Student
Information
This module displays System Administrator messages to Students. By
default this module is only available to the constituency of Student.
Summer School
This module displays by default the admission requirements and Course
catalogue for the organization summer school. Additional information can be
added. Edit module content to suit your organization.
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Module Descriptions > Content Collection Modules
Module
Descriptions
Category: Student Services
Bursar
This module displays information and updates from the Bursar's Office. Add
a Delegated Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Career Center
This module displays information from the Career Center. Add a Delegated
Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Financial Aid
This module displays information on financial aid for undergraduate and
graduate Students. Edit the module content to suit your organization.
Job Listings
This module displays up-to-date listing of available jobs. Add a Delegated
Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Registrar
This module displays information and updates from the Registrar. Add a
Delegated Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Services
This module displays information regarding the organization services. Edit
the module content to suit your organization.
Study Abroad
This module displays information regarding study abroad programs. Add a
Delegated Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Volunteer
Opportunities
This module displays links to volunteer opportunities. Add a Delegated
Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Category: Faculty and Staff Resources
Contacts
This module displays System Administrator messages to staff. By default this
module is only available to the constituency of Staff.
Content
Collection:
Course Content
This module displays the content collection folder for the Courses that users
are enrolled in.
Content
Collection:
Organization
Content
This module displays the content collection folder for the organization.
Content
Collection:
Department
Content
The content collection folder for Departments that users are enrolled in.
Faculty
Information
This module displays System Administrator messages to faculty. By default
this module is only available to the constituency of Faculty.
Faculty
Research
This module displays links to information regarding faculty research. Edit the
module content to suit your organization.
Faculty Senate
This module displays faculty senate links and information. Edit module
content to suit your organization.
Pending
Outcomes
Artifacts and
Portfolios
This module links to the Outcomes dashboard.
Professional
Development
Opportunities
This module displays information regarding professional development
opportunities. Add a Delegated Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Note A user constituency must be given permission in order to view the
folders.
Note Users must have the appropriate permission to view content.
Note Users must have the appropriate permission to view content.
Category: Toolbox
Calculator
This module displays a calculator tool.
Choose a
Language Pack
This module displays available language packs to the end user on the login
page.
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Module Descriptions > Content Collection Modules
Module
Descriptions
Content
Collection:
Search Content
Collection
This module displays a tool that allows users to search Content Collection.
Content
Collection:
Workflows
This module displays a dashboard for Content Collection Workflows.
Course Creation
This module displays a tool that allows users to create organization Courses
by default. Another option is to allow users to email requests for Course
creation. Edit the module content to suit your organization.
Course Creation
Wizard
This module displays a tool that allows users to create Courses using a stepby-step process.
Dictionary
This module provides access to a dictionary.
Discussion
Board Creation
This module allows users to create organization discussion boards by
default. Another option is to allow users to email requests for discussion
board creation. Edit the module content to suit your organization.
Guest Deposit
This module displays a deposit tool for the eCommerce system.
Hot Links,
Community
This module displays a list of links specific to the Community tab where the
module appears, and must be managed from the Tabs tool. This is different
from a Link module, which shows the same set of links no matter which tab
the module appears on.
Hot Links,
Courses
This module displays a list of links specific to the Courses tab where the
module appears, and must be managed from the Tabs tool. This is different
from a Link module, which shows the same set of links no matter which tab
the module appears on.
Hot Links, My
Organization
This module displays a list of links specific to the My Organization tab where
the module appears, and must be managed from the Tabs tool. This is
different from a Link module, which shows the same set of links no matter
which tab the module appears on.
Hot Spots,
Courses
This module displays images or snippets of HTML specific to the Courses
tab where the module appears, and must be managed from the Tabs tool.
This is different from an Image or HTML module, which shows the same
content no matter on which tab the module appears.
Hot Spots,
Community
This module displays images or snippets of HTML specific to the Community
tab where the module appears, and must be managed from the Tabs tool.
This is different from an Image or HTML module, which shows the same
content no matter on which tab the module appears.
Hot Spots, My
Organization
This module displays images or snippets of HTML specific to the My
Organization tab where the module appears, and must be managed from the
Tabs tool. This is different from an Image or HTML module, which shows the
same content no matter on which tab the module appears.
Login Here
This module displays a login screen to the user when they are not logged in.
Used only with Direct Access.
Maps
This module displays the MapQuest tool for users to create maps.
Notes
This modules displays a text field where users can create notes that are
saved as links. Users can edit notes.
Observer
Gateway
This module generates a list of users assigned to another user to observe.
Department
Creation
This module allows users to create organization Departments by default.
Another option is to allow users to email requests for Department creation.
Note Users must have the appropriate permission to view content.
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Module Descriptions > Content Collection Modules
Module
Descriptions
Edit the module content to suit your organization.
Search the Web
This module displays a Google search tool.
Textpad
This modules displays an area users can edit using HTML.
Thesaurus
This module provides users with access to a thesaurus.
To Do
This module generates a report of what is due and past due for Courses the
user is enrolled in.
Category: News and Events
Horoscopes
This module links to horoscopes generated by Astrology.com.
Movie
Showtimes
This module displays a field where users enter their zip code to receive
movie showtime listings.
New York Times
The New York Times modules display news from the module's associated
section. For example: New York Times Art News displays links to the New
York Times Art News.
Professor
Spotlight
This module displays the achievements by faculty. Add a Delegated
Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Staff Spotlight
This module displays the highlights of outstanding staff performance. Add a
Delegated Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Student
Spotlight
This module displays the highlights of achievements by Students. Add a
Delegated Administrator to keep this content up-to-date.
Time
This module links to the weekly news and features from Time magazine.
TV Listings
This module displays local TV listings from Zap2it based on the user's zip
code.
Weather
This module links to weather.com which displays local weather based on a
user's city or zip code.
Category: Help and Support
IT Help Desk
This module displays links to IT Help Desk information. Edit the module
content to suit your organization.
IT Training
Opportunties
This module displays links to resources that will provide users with an
opportunity to learn more about the uses of information technology.
On Demand
Help and
Learning
Catalog
This modules displays a link to the On Demand Help and Learning Catalog.
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Create a New Module > How to Create a Module
Create a New Module
Modules can only be created only when the community engagement capabilities have been
licensed. Several different types of modules can be created from the Administrator Panel or
Administrators can use Building Blocks technology to create a completely new and
customized module and add it to Blackboard Learn. After modules are created they can be set
to appear on the My Organization tab or any other tab that accepts modules.
To create a module using Building Blocks technology, go to
http://buildingblocks.blackboard.com.
How to Create a Module
1. Plan the module! Decide the type of module to create and what content will be
contained in the module, what Organization Constituencies should have access to
the module, and who will manage the content of the module.
2. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
3. Click Modules.
4. Click Create Module.
5. Provide a title, module type, module category, and description.
6. Determine whether or not users can Personalize the module or Detach it.
7. Determine the System Availability.
8. Determine if the Module is available for use on Course Module Pages and
Department Module Pages.
9. Determine if the Module can be selected by users from a Module List.
10. Make the module available to Everyone or Specific Constituencies.
11. Select the Allow Asynchronous Loading check box to allow the Module to load
asynchronously. The user returns to the Portal page regardless of whether or not
this Module has loaded.
12. Click Browse to Add Administrators for the Module. If no users are selected,
only users with Administrator privileges that include managing the Portal will be
able to manage the content of the module.
13. Click Submit to create the module.
14. The Module Content page specific to the module type will open.
15. Define the content for the module or click Submit to add the content at another
time.
16. Click Edit Contents for a module to edit the content. If users are assigned to
manage the content of a module, they can edit the content from any Module Tab
where the module appears.
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Editing Module Properties > How to Edit Module Properties
Editing Module Properties
Modules and module properties are set and edited through the Module Properties page. These
pages include the same fields for configuring modules. To edit the content of a module, click
Contents for a module listed on the Manage Modules page.
Note After completing the Module Properties page and clicking Submit the Edit Module page
appears. Module content is controlled from this page. A different page will appear depending
on the type of module created.
How to Edit Module Properties
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. Click Create Module from the action bar or select Edit Properties in the
contextual menu for a module. The following describes the available fields.
Field
Description
General Properties
Title [r]
Provide or edit a title for the module.
Module Type
Select a module type from the drop-down list. Once selected, this
field cannot be changed.
Module
Category[r]
Select a module category from the drop-down list.
Reference
Name
Provide a name that can be easily referenced.
Description
Provide or edit a description of the module. The description will
appear to users when they select modules to display on a Tab.
Allow users to
Personalize
the module
Select Yes or No to allow Users to change the content of the
module. A Pencil icon will appear in the top right corner of the
module. Clicking the icon takes a User to a page where they can
edit the module content. This option is not available for Blackboard
Learn - Basic Edition clients.
Allow users to
detach the
module
Select Yes or No to allow the module to be removed from the tab
by a user.
Availability
System
Availability
Select Yes to make the module available.
Available for
Use on a
Course
Module Page
Select Yes to make the module available for use on Course
Module pages.
Available for
Use on a
Department
Module Page
Select Yes to make the module available for use on Department
Module pages.
Available for
Users to
Select from
Module List
Select Yes to allow users to select module from the module list. If
No is selected, but the module is selected as part of the Default
Content, the module will always be displayed to users. It will not
appear on the Content page where users may select modules.
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Editing Module Properties > How to Edit Module Properties
Field
Description
Available to
Select Everyone or Specific Constituencies. If Specific
Constituencies is selected, select the check boxes to determine
which Organization Constituencies have privileges to view the tab.
Allow
Asynchronous
Loading
Select this check box to allow the Module to load asynchronously.
The user will go back to the Portal page regardless of whether or
not this Module has loaded.
Date and Time
Restrictions
Date-restricted modules will be hidden from users until the start
date of the module is reached. The Module will become invisible
for users upon reaching the end date.
Delegated Administration
Delegated
Administration
Provide the Usernames for all users that should have privileges to
edit and add module content. A comma should separate each
Username. The Users selected to administer a module will see a
Module Admin button on the Tab that will allow them to edit the
content of a Module.
Note The option to Allow users to detach the module does not appear for
Content Collection modules.
4. Click Submit.
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Login Module > Authentication Types
Login Module
Portal Direct Entry skips the Gateway and Login pages when users access the URL for
Blackboard Learn. Instead, users are shown the first portal tab. When users access the
system through Portal Direct Entry, they are considered Guests until they log in. The Login
Module is a portal module that allows users to enter a User Name and Password to log in. This
module can be placed on any Module Tab to allow users to login to the system. For information
about how to add a module to a tab, see Creating Module Tabs.
If the Administrator has allowed users to create accounts and turned on Portal Direct Entry, a
Create Account link appears in the Login Module. The module is no longer available to users
after they have logged in.
For more information about enabling Portal Direct Entry or account creation, see Customizing
the Gateway Page.
Authentication Types
The portal login page will only display if one of the following authentication types is set:
Datatel, LDAP, or RDBMS.
How to Edit Login Module Properties
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. In the contextual menu for the Login Module, click Edit Properties. The following
table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Enter Tab Information
Title [r]
The title of the Login Module can be edited.
Module
Type
Login Module is automatically displayed here.
Description
Provide a description for the Login Module. This description is not
displayed to users.
Availability
System
Availability
This is set to Yes by default if Portal Direct Entry is turned on. This
option may be set to No if Portal Direct Entry is turned on. If No is
selected, the Login Module is removed from all module pages and
users must use the icon at the top of the page to access the Login
page. The Login module cannot be turned on if Portal Direct Entry is
not on.
Available
for Use on
a Course
Module
Page
Select Yes to make the module available for use on Course Module
pages.
Available
for Use on
a
Department
Module
Page
Select Yes to make the module available for use on Department
Module pages.
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Login Module > How to Edit Login Module Content
4. Click Submit.
How to Edit Login Module Content
The Login Module displays to users when Portal Direct Entry is on. Text for the Login Module
may be added from the Module Contents Login Module page. The text will appear in the
module along with the fields for entering a User Name and Password.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. In the contextual menu for the Login Module, click Edit Contents.
4. Provide Text to display to users in the Text field of the Login Module. Users may
enter HTML in this area. Users should not add <body> tags, <form> tags, or
<form element> tags. Entering these tags will cause issues when the page is
accessed by end users.
5. Click Submit.
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Login Module Contents > How to Define Login Module Contents
Login Module Contents
The Login Module displays to users when Portal Direct Entry is on. Text for the Login Module
may be added from the Module Content Login Module page. The text will appear in the module
along with the fields for entering a User Name and Password.
How to Define Login Module Contents
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Manage Modules.
3. In the contextual menu for the Login Module, click Contents.
4. Provide text to display to users in the Text field of the Login Module. Users may
enter HTML in this area. Users should not add <body> tags, <form> tags, or
<form element> tags. Using these tags will cause issues when the page is
accessed by end users.
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Course Creation Module > How to Define Login Module Contents
Course Creation Module
The Course Creation Module allows Administrators to make Course creation functions
available to users, require users to request that a Course be created, or prevent users from
creating Courses. If users are allowed to create Courses, the Course Creation Module will
appear on the Courses tab.
When the community engagement capabilities have been licensed, Administrators can make
this module available to users with specific Organization Constituencies, such as faculty
members, on the Module Properties page.
Note Blackboard recommends not allowing all users to create Courses for security reasons.
If all users are allowed to create Courses, Blackboard strongly recommends prohibiting
Instructors from editing user information. Allowing all users to create Courses and allowing the
Course Instructor, which could be the person who created the Course, to edit user information
is a serious security concern.
The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
General Properties
Title [r]
Provide or edit a title for the module.
Module Type
Select a module type from the drop-down list. Once selected, this field cannot
be changed.
Reference
Name
Provide a name that can be easily referenced.
Description
Provide or edit a description of the module. The description will appear to
users when they select modules to display on a Tab.
Allow users to
Personalize
the module
Select Yes or No to allow Users to change the content of the module. A Pencil
icon will appear in the top right corner of the module. Clicking the icon takes a
User to a page where they can edit the module content. This option is not
available for Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition clients.
Allow users to
detach the
module
Select Yes or No to allow the module to be removed from the tab by a user.
Availability
System
Availability
Select Yes to make the module available.
Available for
Use on a
Course
Module Page
Select Yes to make the module available for use on Course Module pages.
Available for
Use on a
Department
Module Page
Select Yes to make the module available for use on Department Module
pages.
Available for
Users to
Select from
Module List
Select Yes to allow users to select module from the module list. If No is
selected, but the module is selected as part of the Default Content, the
module will always be displayed to users. It will not appear on the Content
page where users may select modules.
Available to
Select Everyone or Specific Constituencies. If Specific Constituencies is
selected, select the check boxes to determine which Organization
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Course Creation Module > How to Define Login Module Contents
Field
Description
Constituencies have privileges to view the tab.
Allow
Asynchronous
Loading
Select this check box to allow the Module to load asynchronously. The user
will go back to the Portal page regardless of whether or not this Module has
loaded.
Delegated Administration
Delegated
Administration
Select the Usernames for all users that should have privileges to edit and add
module content. A comma should separate each Username. The Users
selected to administer a module will see a Module Admin button on the Tab
that will allow them to edit the content of a Module.
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Discussion Board Creation Module > How to Define Login Module Contents
Discussion Board Creation Module
The Discussion Board Creation Module allows Administrators to make the creation of
Organization Discussion Boards available to users. If users are allowed to create Discussion
Boards, then the Discussion Board Creation Module will appear on the Community tab.
Note Administrators can make this module available to users with specific Organization
Constituencies on the Properties page for the Discussion Board Creation module.
The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Creation Options
Allow users to create
Discussion Boards
Click this option to make Discussion Board creation functions
available to all users.
Allow users to email
requests for Discussion
Board creation
Click this option and provide a valid email address in the field to
allow users to request that the Administrator create a Discussion
Board.
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Tutorial Modules > Types of Tutorial Modules
Tutorial Modules
Tutorial Modules contain links to short tutorials produced by Blackboard Product Marketing
that demonstrate the capabilities of the system. If these modules are turned on they appear on
the My Organization page default. However, they may be placed on any module tab.
Types of Tutorial Modules
There are three Tutorial modules available:
l
Quick Tutorials: Links to tutorials that demonstrate the key features and functions
of Blackboard Learn.
l
Quick Tutorial Catalog: Links to the Quick Tutorial Catalog where users can
browse the tutorials that are available.
l
Quick Tutorials: New Product Enhancements: Links to tutorials about new
features that are divided based on the Release and Application Pack in which they
were made available.
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What's New? Module > Types of Tutorial Modules
What's New? Module
The What's New? module that reports on additions and changes to Course content. It is
available only when the community engagement capabilities have been licensed. The What's
New? module displays the number of new items for each content type and links to a details
page for each Course. The module displays items going back 7 days. The following content
types are reported in the module:
l
Assessments
l
Exercises
l
Content
The What's New? Module does not report to users when Adaptive Release content becomes
available. It only reports content that is made available across to all users in the Course.
The What's New? module will report changes once a day. Users will see updates the first time
they log in for the day. Any changes made after the user logs in will not be displayed in the
What's New? module until the next day unless the user clicks Refresh.
Users will only see updates for a Course if the Course is available and the user is a participant
in the Course. Keep in mind that if the Guest user is enrolled in any Courses the What's New?
module will report data on these Courses to anyone that accesses the system as Guest.
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My Courses Module > How to Edit the My Courses Module
My Courses Module
The My Courses module allows the Administrator to display different types of information
about Courses. This module is displayed by default on the My Organization tab. Like other
modules, the Administrator may display the module on any module tab.
For users with Community tab enabled for the Organization, a My Departments module is also
available. The My Departments module functions the same as My Courses, and the same
options are available.
How to Edit the My Courses Module
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. In the contextual menu for the My Courses module, click Edit Contents.
4. Select the information to be displayed from the list by selecting the appropriate
check box.
5. Click Submit.
Note If the Allow users to personalize the module option is selected on the Module
Properties page for this module, users will be able to change the information that appears
when they view the module.
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Module Contents: Course List Modules > How to Edit the Course List Module
Module Contents: Course List Modules
The Course List module allows the Administrator to display different types of information about
Courses. This module is displayed by default on the Courses tab. Like other modules, the
Administrator may add it to any module tab.
How to Edit the Course List Module
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. In the contextual menu for the Course List module, click Edit Contents.
4. Select the information to be displayed from the list by clicking the appropriate
check box.
5. Click Submit.
Note If the Allow users to personalize the module option is selected on the Module
Properties page for this module, users will be able to change the information that appears
when they view the module.
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© 2010 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. U.S. Patent No. 6,988,138. Additional Patents Pending.
Channel Module > How to Edit a Channel Module
Channel Module
Channel modules stream content from an outside source into a Blackboard Learn module. The
module content is updated at intervals.
To add a channel to Blackboard, contact a channel provider. Channels are presented to users
through Channel Modules and administered through the Manage Channels feature.
How to Edit a Channel Module
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. In the contextual menu for a Channel Module, click Edit Contents.
4. Select a Channel from the list.
5. Click Submit.
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© 2010 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. U.S. Patent No. 6,988,138. Additional Patents Pending.
HTML Module > How to Edit an HTML Module
HTML Module
HTML Modules display information according to HTML code.
How to Edit an HTML Module
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. In the contextual menu for the HTML module, click Edit Contents.
4. Provide and modify text in the Text field.
5. Click Submit.
Note If HTML is selected then the text will display as tagged. If Plain Text is selected then
the text in the module will appear exactly as written. The third row of the Text Editor may be
used to upload files to the module. If a file is uploaded, it is stored in a folder created by the
module on the server in the \blackboard\content\modules folder. This folder is deleted if the
module is removed from the system. Uploaded files are not included if a module is exported.
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© 2010 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. U.S. Patent No. 6,988,138. Additional Patents Pending.
URL Module > How to Edit a URL Module
URL Module
URL modules display Web page content from outside of the system. From this page view, the
URL of the Web page is entered. The content from the URL will appear in the module. URL
Modules should be tested before making them available to ensure that the content will display
correctly in a module.
URL Modules differ from External Links Modules because they display the actual content of
the URL instead of a link to the URL.
How to Edit a URL Module
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. In the contextual menu for the URL module, click Edit Contents. The following
table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Edit URL Information
URL
The URL entered here indicates the Web page that will populate inside
the module. The URL should be entered fully. For example:
http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com or
blackboard.com
Maximum
Hours
Cached
Select the number of hours (or days) that the Web page remains
cached. For example: If set to 12 hours, the module content will be
refreshed from the URL every 12 hours.
Refresh
Cache on
Submit
Check this box to refresh the cache immediately after clicking Submit. If
this box is not checked, the next refresh will occur at the next scheduled
refresh interval.
4. Click Submit.
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About Multi-Section Modules > How to Edit a URL Module
About Multi-Section Modules
A Multi-Section module splits the module into sections and displays different content in each
section. From this page view, sections can be added, edited, or removed. The sections will
appear in the module according to the sequence they are listed on this page.
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© 2010 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. U.S. Patent No. 6,988,138. Additional Patents Pending.
Creating or Editing Sections in a Multi-Section Module > How to Create or Edit a Section to a Multi-Section
Module
Creating or Editing Sections in a Multi-Section Module
A section is an area of a Multi-Section module dedicated to a piece of content. Content can
include HTML code, links, and images. Sections are arranged and managed from the Edit
Module page loaded with a Multi-Section module.
How to Create or Edit a Section to a Multi-Section Module
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. In the contextual menu for the Multi-Section module, click Edit Contents.
4. To create a new section, click Create Section.
-orTo edit an existing section, in the contextual menu for the section, click Edit.
The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Edit Section Properties
Title [r]
The title for the section. The title will appear at the top of the section.
Display
By
Default
This module will automatically be displayed as the default setting.
Edit Section Content
Link Title
Name of a link to another Web page. The name of the link will appear
in the section. Clicking on the link name in the section will open the
Web page identified in the Link URL field.
Link URL
URL for the link. The URL must be entered completely. For example,
http://www.blackboard.com, not blackboard.com.
Image
Source
URL
Provide the URL to display an image.
Image
ALT text
Provide the alt text that will appear to accessibility users for the image.
Image
Alignment
Select an alignment for the image from the drop-down list. This controls
where the image will appear in the section. The choices are left, center,
and right.
Image
Border
Size
Select a border size, in pixels, from the drop-down list. The Image will
appear with a border this size surrounding it.
HTML
Text that displays according to HTML code.
5. Click Submit.
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Ordering Sections in a Multi-Section Module > How to Order Sections in a Multi-Section Module
Ordering Sections in a Multi-Section Module
The sections in a Multi-Section module can be reordered easily using drag and drop.
How to Order Sections in a Multi-Section Module
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. On the Edit page, click the vertical double-sided arrow for the section that you
want to move.
4. Drag the arrow to the desired location.
5. Repeat for each section to be reordered.
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© 2010 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. U.S. Patent No. 6,988,138. Additional Patents Pending.
Opinion Poll Module > How to Edit an Opinion Poll Module
Opinion Poll Module
Opinion Polls ask a question and give users a chance to enter a full response in a text box. The
module also displays some of the recent responses to the module. The Opinion Poll should not
be used to collect information from Users that should be saved. Opinions are added, posted to
the recent responses section of the module, and disappear as new responses are added.
How to Edit an Opinion Poll Module
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. In the contextual menu for the Opinion Poll module, click Edit Contents. The
following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Opinion Poll
Question
Provide the question or text.
Allow
Multiple
Votes
Allow users to enter multiple opinions on the matter.
Reset
Existing
Poll
Remove opinions that have been entered. If Users are only allowed one
response, Users that have already responded will be able to respond
again.
4. Click Submit.
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© 2010 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. U.S. Patent No. 6,988,138. Additional Patents Pending.
Multiple Choice Poll Module > How to Edit a Multiple Choice Poll Module
Multiple Choice Poll Module
The Multiple Choice Poll module presents a question with multiple answers. Users will see the
question as well as options for selecting one of the answers. After users select an answer,
they will see the results of the poll to date within the module. The only way to see the results of
a poll is to vote.
How to Edit a Multiple Choice Poll Module
Follow these steps to open the Edit Module page with a Multiple Choice module loaded.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. In the contextual menu for the Multiple Choice Poll module, click Edit Contents.
The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Enter Poll Question
Question
Provide the question.
Answer
Provide up to five possible answers to the poll question.
Reset
Existing
Tally
Check this box to remove all votes that have been recorded. The tally
for each option will return to 0. Users that have already voted may vote
again.
Feedback
Provide text that will appear once the users complete the question in
the module.
4. Click Submit.
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© 2010 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. U.S. Patent No. 6,988,138. Additional Patents Pending.
Image Module > How to Edit an Image Module
Image Module
Image modules display a graphic in the module. From this page view, the URL of the image is
entered.
How to Edit an Image Module
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. In the contextual menu for the Image module, click Edit Contents. The following
table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Edit Image URL Information
Image
Link [r]
URL for the link. This must be the full URL. For example:
http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com or
blackboard.com
Image
alt text
Provide the alt text that will appear to accessibility users for the image.
Image
Align
Select an alignment for the image from the drop-down list. This controls
where the image will appear in the section. The choices are left, center,
and right.
Image
Border
Size
Select a border size, in pixels, from the drop-down list. The Image will
appear with a border this size.
4. Click Submit.
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© 2010 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. U.S. Patent No. 6,988,138. Additional Patents Pending.
External Link Module > How to Edit an External Link Module
External Link Module
An External Link module can display several links to outside Web sites. From this page view,
links can be added, edited, or removed. The links will appear in the module according to the
sequence they are listed on this page.
How to Edit an External Link Module
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. In the contextual menu for the My Courses module, click Edit Contents. The
following table describes the available fields.
To . . .
click . . .
add a link to the
module
Add Link in the action bar.
modify a section of the
module
Edit in the contextual menu for a section in the list.
remove a section of
the module
Remove for a section in the list. The link will be
permanently removed from the module.
set the position of links
in the module
the double arrow icon beside the Link Name and drag and
drop the link to the correct position.
4. Click Submit.
How to Add a Link to an External Link Module
1. Click Add Link from the External Link Module page. The following table describes
the available fields.
Field
Description
Edit Link
External
Link [r]
URL for the link. The URL must be entered completely. For example:
http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com or
blackboard.com
Link
Name [r]
Name of a link to another Web page. The name of the link will appear as
entered. Clicking on the link name in the module will open the Web page
identified in the Link URL field.
Text
Color
Click Pick to open the color palette. Click on a color to select it as the text
color for the links.
2. Click Submit when finished.
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Exporting Modules > How to Export Modules
Exporting Modules
The Export Module page is used to create a Building Block of modules that can be downloaded
and applied. When a package is created it is created with the name given in the Name field as
a .war file. It can then be added as a Building Block.
How to Export Modules
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Modules.
3. Click Export Modules. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Module Export Information
Name [r]
Provide the name of the Building Block.
Description
Provide a description of the Building Block.
Version
Select numbers from the drop-down list to generate the version
number of the Building Block.
Company
Name [r]
Replace the name of the company or Organization developing the
Building Block.
Company
URL
Provide the URL for the company or Organization developing the
Building Block. This must be the full URL. For example:
http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com or
blackboard.com
Company
Description
Provide a description for the company or Organization developing the
Building Block.
Modules for Export
Export
Select this check box for each module that will be included in the
Building Block.
Removable
Select this check box to allow Administrators to remove the module
from the list of available modules without removing the Building Block
(and all the other modules).
Editable
Select this check box to allow users to edit the content of the module.
Detachable
Select this check box if the module can be detached from a tab and
viewed in a separate window.
4. Click Submit.
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© 2010 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. U.S. Patent No. 6,988,138. Additional Patents Pending.
About the Tool Panel > How to Export Modules
About the Tool Panel
The Tool Panel appears in the Left Side Tool Panel of a tab. The left side of a tab can also
include Hotlinks. The Tool Panel can be renamed for each tab through the Tabs and Modules
page. The way tools appear within the Tool Panel is controlled from this page. Tools will
appear with the name as it appears on this page and in order from top to bottom as shown on
this page. The only exception is that tools that are turned off do not appear in the Tool Panel.
Besides tools, Administrators can also display external links in the Tool Panel.
Note The settings that are configured for Course Tools are distinct from the Tool Panel.
Changes made to the Course Tools or to the Tool Panel will not impact the other.
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Adding or Editing a Tool > How to Add or Edit a Tool
Adding or Editing a Tool
Tools are made available or unavailable using the Tool Panel from the Add Tool or Edit Tool
page. Both pages contain the same fields for adding or editing a Tool. The settings configured
here apply only to the tool as it appears on the Tool Panel.
How to Add or Edit a Tool
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tool Panel.
3. Click Add Tool or click Edit in the contextual menu for an existing tool. The
following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Enter Information
Title [r]
Provide or change the title of the tool.
Tool [r]
Select a tool from the drop-down list. This field may not be changed
after it has been set. On the Edit Tool page, this field is display only.
Available
Select Yes or No to make this tool available to users through the Tool
Panel.
4. Click Submit.
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© 2010 Blackboard Inc. Proprietary and Confidential. U.S. Patent No. 6,988,138. Additional Patents Pending.
About Branding > What Brand Will a User See?
About Branding
A brand is a distinct set of colors, names, and graphics for the system. Several different
brands can exist on the same Virtual Installation. Brands are displayed based on primary
Organization Constituency. Therefore, the system can appear differently to different sets of
users while those users share the same content.
Brands also use separate hostnames to help control style. This is important when Portal
Direct Entry is on because a brand can be presented to users before logging in.
Multiple brands are available only if the community engagement capabilities have been
licensed. Only one brand is available for systems without these capabilities.
What Brand Will a User See?
Brands are displayed based on hostnames and primary Organization Constituencies.
If . . .
then . . .
The user accesses the system from a branded hostname and no
constituency is required
display the brand associated
with the hostname.
The user accesses the system from a hostname, a constituency
is required, and the user has that constituency as their primary
Organization Constituency
display the brand associated
with the hostname and the
constituency.
The user accesses the system from the default hostname and
the user's primary Organization Constituency has a brand
assigned
display the brand associated
with the constituency.
a brand and a constituency are undefined for the hostname and
the primary Organization Constituency
display the default brand.
Branding with Direct Access Enabled
Branding can be applied not only to the top frame but, when Direct Access is on, the initial tabs
and modules that appear to users can be set. Setting the content to appear is accomplished by
applying an Organization Constituency to the brand content. This constituency does not need
to be the same Organization Constituency used to create the brand. Keep in mind that Direct
Access branding only works when the brand is available to everyone (because users have not
authenticated before viewing the system through Direct Access).
Set Modules and Tabs for a Brand
Follow these steps to set modules and tabs for a brand.
1. Create an Organization Constituency for the brand contents or choose an existing
brand that can be applied.
2. Select the modules and tabs that appear for the chosen Organization
Constituency.
3. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Brands and Themes.
4. Click Manage Brands.
5. In the contextual menu for a particular Brand, click Customize.
6. Click the Navigation Settings tab.
7. Scroll to Section 6, Direct Access Tab and Module Content.
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About Branding > Set Modules and Tabs for a Brand
8. Select an Organization Constituency. The tabs and modules available to that
Organization Constituency will be available to users that access that brand before
users log in. After logging in, modules and tabs will be presented based on users'
Organization Constituencies.
9. Click Submit.
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Customizing the Login Page > How to Manage the Login Page
Customizing the Login Page
Administrators can download Login Page Templates supplied with Blackboard Learn and
configure them for their system. If a Login Page Template breaks, or is not appropriate for the
Organization, the default Login page can be restored so that users can access the system with
minimal interruption.
WARNING! All the relevant styles for any custom login pages must be included within the
<head> tags of the login page to render properly.
How to Manage the Login Page
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Brands and Themes.
2. Click Customize Login Page. The following table describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
download a
template for
the Login
page
Download Login Page Template. The template download will begin.
download a
customized
Login page
Download Custom Login Page. The template download will begin.
upload a
customized
Login page
Upload Custom Login Page. The Upload Custom Login page will
appear. From this page the path to a customized Login page is
entered. The customized Login page is then uploaded and set as the
Login page.
reset the
Login page
to the
default
Reset to Default Login Page. The Login page will be set to the
default.
How to Customize the Login Page
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Brands and Themes.
2. Click Customize Login Page.
3. Click Download Login Page Template.
4. A download window Web browser will appear. Select Save File and click OK
If a download window does not appear, right-click on Download Login Page
Template and choose the Save Target As option.
The login file will be saved to the directory.
5. Open the login file with a text editor. The colors, style of text, and the text itself
can be edited. It is also possible to create a link to an image.
6. Save the login file with the same file name.
7. Log in to Blackboard Learn.
8. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Brands and Themes.
9. Click Customize Login Page.
10. Click Upload Custom Login Page.
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Customizing the Login Page > How to Customize the Login Page
11. In the File field, provide the path to the updated login file. If you do not know the
exact path, click Browse to search for the file.
12. Logout and test the new Login page. If the page fails and you are unable to login in,
type the following address in your Web browser to bring up the default login page:
http://domain_name.host_name/webapps/login?action=default_
login. After logging in, go back to Customize Login Page and click the link to
restore the default Login page. This will allow users to once again login.
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Customizing the Default Brand > How to Customize the Default Brand
Customizing the Default Brand
Customizing the brand defines its style to users.
How to Customize the Default Brand
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Brands and Themes.
2. Click Manage Brands.
3. In the contextual menu for a brand, click Customize. The following table
describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Themes and Colors
Select
Theme
Select a theme from the list. To open the theme in a preview pane, click
Preview. To download a copy of the theme to edit offline, click
Download.
Select
Color
Palette
Click the plus icon next to Color Palette Library to open the library.
Click the desired Color Palette. To download a copy of the color palette
to edit offline, click Download.
Customize Colors
UI
Elements
Use the lists beside each UI Element to select a Background Color,
Text Color, Active Tab Color, or Title Text Color. Certain UI Elements
have the option of selecting a Background Image.
Save as
New
Color
Palette
Use these fields to save the changes to the UI Elements as a new color
palette. Click the to Save as New Color Palette check box, and then
provide a Palette Name and a Reference Name. Click Apply All
Changes to save the new color palette.
Note This is the only place in the system to create and save a new
color palette.
Navigation Settings
Tabs
Tab Style: Select the shape of the tabs from the available options. Tab
Alignment: Select the justification of the tabs across the top frames
from the available options.
Set Top
Frame
Size
Click one of the following options to determine the size of the header
frame for the portal and for Course Web sites: Always Use Large
Frame, Always Use Small Frame, or Use Large Frame for Portal and
Small Frame for Courses.
Banner
Image
Click Browse to select an image file on the system. This image will
become the banner image on the top frame. The file must be in .GIF or
.JPEG format. To replace a banner image, add a new image or click
Remove. Provide a URL in the Banner Image Link field to link to an
external image. Provide Alt Text for Banner Image to improve
accessibility.
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Customizing the Default Brand > How to Customize the Default Brand
Field
Description
Designate
Home and
Support
Links
Home Link: Provide a URL that links to the Home button in the top
frame. Users clicking on the Home button will be taken to this link. This
must be the full URL.
Example:http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com
or blackboard.comSupport Link: Provide a URL that links to the Help
button in the top frame. Users clicking on the Help button will be taken
to this link. When entering a URL, be sure to enter the URL completely.
For example: http://www.blackboard.com, not
www.blackboard.com or blackboard.comLinking the Help button to
the Support section of the Blackboard Web site will give users quick
access to discussions, FAQs, and guides. The URL for the Blackboard
Support is
http://www.blackboard.com/products/services/support.htm
.
Icon Sets: Click one of the options to select an icon set.
Choose
Hot Spots
or Hot
Links
Select what will appear in the upper right corner of the header frame. If
Hot Links is selected, the links can then be set from the Manage Hot
Links page. If Hot Spots is selected, configure the style of the upperright corner from the Primary Site Sponsor page.
Direct
Access
Tab and
Module
Content
Select an Organization Constituency. The tabs and modules available
to that Organization Constituency will be available to users that access
that brand before users log in. After logging in, modules and tabs will
be presented based on users' Organization Constituencies.
Course
Name
Usage
Choose how to present the Course name to be displayed in the
orientation bar and Course Menu.
Note To return all the settings to their defaults, click Reset Navigation Settings.
4. Click Submit.
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Creating a Brand or Editing Brand Properties > How to Create a Brand or Edit Brand Properties
Creating a Brand or Editing Brand Properties
Properties define when users will see a certain brand. Properties must be defined when adding
a brand and can be changed at any time by clicking Properties from the Manage Brands page.
How to Create a Brand or Edit Brand Properties
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Brands and Themes.
2. Click Manage Brands.
To create a new brand, click Create Brand.
-orTo edit an existing brand, click Edit in the contextual menu for that brand.
The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Brand Name
Brand Name
Provide a name for the brand. The name is used to organize
brands, it does not display to users.
Host Name
Host Name
Select an existing hostname for the brand. The host name is used to
access the system. For example:
brand1.yourinistitution.com
Or enter a
new host
Provide a new hostname. Make sure that the hostname is resolved
on the network DNS server.
Availability
Organization
Constituency
Select a primary Organization Constituency for the brand. If no
constituency is selected, the brand will display to all users that use
the brand's hostname to access the system.
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Managing Brands > How to Manage Brands
Managing Brands
The Manage Brands page lists the brands on the system. Each brand is listed along with the
hostname and required primary Organization Constituency for the brand.
How to Manage Brands
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Brands and Themes.
2. Click Manage Brands. The following table describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
Sort brands
the carat at the top of a column. The list of brands will sort
alphabetically by the values in that column.
Add a brand
the Create Brand button.
Change the style
of a brand
Customize in the contextual menu for the appropriate brand.
Preview a brand
Preview in the contextual menu for the appropriate brand.
Change the
properties that
define a brand
Edit in the contextual menu for the appropriate brand.
Delete a brand
the check box for each brand to delete. Click Delete from the
Action Bar or select Delete in the contextual menu for the
appropriate brand.
How to Create a Brand
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Brands and Themes.
2. Click Manage Brands
3. Click Create Brand.
4. Provide a Brand name.
5. Select a Host Name, or provide a new host name.
6. Select an Organization Constituency to associate with this brand.
7. Click Submit.
8. Click Save and Customize to update the Theme and Settings for the Brand.
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Managing the Theme and Palette Catalog > How to Preview a Theme
Managing the Theme and Palette Catalog
This section contains information on the Themes and Palettes that are available. The Theme
and Palette Catalog is located in Brands and Themes under the Communities section on the
Administrator Panel.
How to Preview a Theme
1. In the contextual menu for the Theme, click Preview.
2. Click the right and left arrows to move through the different screens. This will give
you a picture of what your Organization will look like with its new theme.
How to Download a Theme
The themes are listed in the catalog with a short description. The following steps will explain
how to download a theme to edit it offline.
Note The theme will be downloaded from the Themes and Palette Catalog page, but it will be
uploaded from the Create Theme page by clicking the Create Theme button from the top of the
Theme and Catalog page.
1. In the contextual menu for the Theme, click Download.
2. In the Download File window, click Save.
3. Open and unzip the file.
4. Click Create Theme at the top of the Theme and Palette Catalog page.
5. Provide a Theme Name and Reference Name. The Reference Name is used to
organize the Theme files. They are required and must be unique.
6. Provide a description (optional).
7. Upload the Theme Package by attaching the file. Browse for a local file or in the
Content Collection.
8. Click Submit. Your updated theme will be added to the Catalog.
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Managing Color Palettes > How to Preview a Color Palette
Managing Color Palettes
This section contains information on the Color Palettes that are available. The Color Palette
Catalog is located on the Theme and Palette catalog page.
How to Preview a Color Palette
1. In the contextual menu for the Color Palette, click Preview.
2. Click the right and left arrows to move through the different screens. This will give
you a picture of what your Organization will look like with its new color palette.
How to Download a Color Palette
Note You will download the Color Palette from the Color Palette page. However, you will
upload the Palette from the Create Color Palette page by clicking the Create Color Palette
button from the top of the Color Palettes page.
1. In the contextual menu for the Color Palette, click Download.
2. In the Download File window, click Save.
3. Open and unzip the file.
4. Click the Create Color Palette button at the top of the Color Palettes page.
5. Provide a Color Palette Name and Reference Name. The Reference Name is
used to organize the Theme files. They are required and must be unique.
6. Provide a description (optional).
7. Upload the Color Palette Package by attaching the file. Browse for a local file or in
the Content Collection.
8. Click Submit. The updated Color Palette is added to the list of Palettes.
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Defining the Default Course Design > How to Define the Default Course Design
Defining the Default Course Design
This topic explains how to define the Course Menu and content view for new Courses.
How to Define the Default Course Design
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Brands and Themes.
2. Click Default Course Design. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Select Menu Style
Style
Select Text or Buttons. The preview will display above in the preview
area.
Text
Select the Theme colors you wish to use. You can also select a different
Background and Text color here.
Buttons
Open the Button Library and select the buttons you wish to use for the
default Course Menu design. Select or Search for the type of button that
you wish to use. You can search by button type and shape.
Course Menu Display
Default
Menu
View
Select Folder View or List View. You can also choose to permit both
views.
Default
Content
View
Select Icon Only, Text Only, or Icon and Text.
3. Click Submit when you are finished.
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Defining the Default Department Design > How to Define the Default Department Design
Defining the Default Department Design
This topic explains how to define the Department Menu and content view for new
Departments. These settings can be changed later..
How to Define the Default Department Design
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Brands and Themes.
2. Click Default Department Design. The following table describes the available
fields.
Field
Description
Select Menu Style
Style
Select Text or Buttons. The preview will display above in the preview
area.
Text
Select the Theme colors you wish to use. You can also select a different
Background and Text color here.
Buttons
Open the Button Library and select the buttons you wish to use for the
default Department Menu design. Select or Search for the type of button
that you wish to use. You can search by button type and shape.
Department Menu Display
Default
Menu
View
Select Folder View or List View. You can also choose to permit both
views.
Default
Content
View
Select Icon Only, Text Only, or Icon and Text.
3. Click Submit when you are finished.
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About Working with Language Packs > How to Define the Default Department Design
About Working with Language Packs
This documentation provides users and vendors with all of the information needed to create
and edit the Language Packs used to display Blackboard Learn in a specific language. This
document contains information on creating and editing Language Packs using the User
Interface, using Themes, and how to acquire source materials.
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About Language Packs > How to Define the Default Department Design
About Language Packs
Language Packs are sets of text files and images that are used to display Blackboard Learn in
a specific language. Language Packs are composed of three components:
l
The User Interface (UI) Text: The UI text includes course- and Organization-related
information as well as information about how to perform specific tasks within the
system.
l
The UI Themes: The UI Themes help brand Blackboard Learn for a particular
Organization. Editing the Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) of a Theme offers the
opportunity to modify system images that are not changeable by end-users.
l
The Documentation: The Documentation includes all reference materials that
accompany Blackboard Learn. These materials can be accessed through the
system as HTML-based online help or as PDF documents. In addition to English,
the Documentation is translated into the following languages:
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Spanish
Taiwanese
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About Locales and Languages > What is a Locale?
About Locales and Languages
What is a Locale?
A Locale is a set of conventions and specifications that govern the formatting of data for output
and the interpretation of user input. Such data includes date and time formats, number
formats, name presentation, sorting rules, currency symbols, vocabulary, and grammar rules.
What is a Locale Code?
Each Locale has its own particular code, formatted as follows: two lower-case letters
indicating the language used in the locale, followed by two uppercase letters indicating the
region. For example: en_US. The first two letters indicate the language is English while the
last two letters indicate the region is the United States. This is the default Locale for
Blackboard Learn. All of the important information about a Locale is contained in its Locale
Bundle.
What is a Locale Bundle?
Locale Bundles are sets of parameter strings and their values that allow User Interface
changes to be made for the current Locale. Each Locale has numerous Locale Bundles, each
of which corresponds to a specific Blackboard Learn component, such as Blogs or
Assessments.
You edit a particular bundle to change the UI elements for that component. These bundles are
stored in properties files in the following Blackboard Learn directory:
content/locale/locale_code/messages. For example, content/locale/en_
US/messages. Each property file is named as follows: bundle_name.properties. For
example, blogs.properties.
Note Each time a change is made to a Locale Bundle, Blackboard Learn must be restarted.
The changes will not appear until after Blackboard Learn has restarted.
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Uses for Language Packs > Language Variation by Locale
Uses for Language Packs
Language Packs can be used to do more than display Blackboard Learn in a different
language. The following sections provide some examples of Language Pack use.
Language Variation by Locale
Locales reflect the regional differences that occur within a language. To make users more
comfortable with Blackboard Learn, a new locale can be created for use in a particular region.
English is a good example. Many English-speaking countries and regions use different
expressions. As a result, each region requires a different locale bundle:
Locale
Description
en_US
The Locale designating English as spoken in the United States of America.
en_UK
The Locale designating English as spoken in the United Kingdom.
en_AU
The Locale designating English as spoken in Australia.
Organization Constituencies
Language Packs can be used to display instructions and procedures so that users can perform
tasks in a way mandated by a school. These instructions can be displayed for particular
constituencies. For example, a school's evaluation scheme can be displayed in the Results
Center to reinforce the use of that scheme by faculty.
Branding
Organizations can use Language Packs to brand Blackboard Learn. School colors, mascots,
and other cultural icons can replace the default images.
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About the Language Pack Catalog > How to Access the Language Pack Catalog
About the Language Pack Catalog
Blackboard catalogs a variety of user-created Language Packs and makes them available
through the Language Pack Catalog. These Language Packs can be imported into Blackboard
Learn and then modified using the Language Pack Editor.
How to Access the Language Pack Catalog
Log on to Behind the Blackboard and navigate to the Download Center. The Language Pack
Catalog is located under Building Blocks.
How to Search the Language Pack Catalog
Search the catalog by Products, Language, Pricing Type, and Keyword. Search on any one
or all of these parameters.
1. Select the appropriate Product and version from the drop-down list.
2. Select a Language from the drop-down list.
3. Select a Pricing Type from the drop-down list.
4. Enter a Keyword.
5. Click Search when all of the search parameters have been entered.
Note There are also three tabs that contain lists of the Top Ten, New Language Packs, and
High Ranked Language Packs.
About Creating and Editing Language Packs
Why Create Language Packs?
Language Packs can be created or edited to help with the branding, cultural adoption, and the
delivery of information for specific Organizations, courses, users, and constituencies.
Language Packs are made up of three components: the User Interface (UI), Themes and
Images, and the Documentation. Creating a custom Language Pack may involve editing any
or all of these components. The following table lists some typical objectives when creating a
Language Pack as well which components can be used to best fulfill the objective.
Objective
User Interface
Themes
Documentation
Teach Language Through Immersion
Yes
Yes
Yes
Display Cultural Norms
Yes
Yes
No
Provide Specific Instructions
Yes
Yes
Yes
Reinforce Cultural Adoption
Yes
Yes
Yes
Support Organizational Branding
Yes
Yes
No
User Interface
The Language Pack Editor provides access to the Locale Bundless used throughout the
system. Because the UI is the component of the Language Pack that Blackboard Learn users
are most familiar with, editing these Locale Bundless offers the most impact on the user
community for the least amount of work.
Language immersion and cultural adoption are obvious benefits, but the Locale Bundless can
be edited to include information that enforces organizational rules and best practices. For
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About Creating and Editing Language Packs > Themes
example, suppose an organization wants to reinforce its policies regarding the downloading of
Results Center data. The instructor.exportDownloadResults.instructions
field, located in the gradebook.properties Locale Bundles, can be edited to provide
specific download instructions that Instructors must follow.
Themes
The Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) that accompany Themes can be edited to support an
organization's branding campaign. Many organizations customize Themes to foster
community and give Blackboard Learn a more welcoming look and feel. Themes can also be
used to change design elements of Blackboard Learn such as fonts, color schemes, and
background images to display cultural norms.
Documentation
Blackboard provides source materials for both the printed documentation and the online help
that is embedded in Blackboard Learn. These source materials are provided in two authoring
kits:
l
Documentation Authoring Kit contains the Microsoft® Word™ files for producing
printed documentation. These files can be edited and adapted easily to suit the
needs of an Organization.
l
Online Help Authoring Kit contains the MadCap Flare™ Project files for producing
online help content. The MadCap Flare project files in the Online Help Authoring Kit
contain the same content as the Microsoft Word files. MadCap Flare is an online
help authoring tool that Blackboard uses to create and manage documentation for
Blackboard Learn. These files can be edited only with MadCap Flare 3.1 or later.
These authoring kits are available through on Behind the Blackboard in the Reference Center.
Note Users must accept an End-User License Agreement prior to downloading the
Documentation or Online Help Authoring Kit.
Using the appropriate application, these source materials can be tailored to the needs of an
organization. References to features and functions that are not currently available to the
organization can be removed, while documentation relating to a customized Building Block, or
any other type of customization, can be added.
After the source materials have been edited, the next step is to properly link them to
Blackboard Learn. By default, all of the documentation links point to the Blackboard reference
library. The documentation.properties Locale Bundles contains the URL links to
documentation provided by Blackboard. Edit the fields in this Locale Bundles to point to the
newly edited documentation. These fields can also be edited to point to documentation that
has already been created by the organization.
All Components
Editing all three components of a Language Pack produces a customized experience for the
Blackboard Learn users in a specific locale. Using a language in the UI appropriate to the
locale encourages language immersion and adoption; culturally relevant design elements can
reinforce cultural norms as well the brand identity of an organization; and editing the
documentation provided with Blackboard Learn allows an organization to provide relevant
information in the appropriate format.
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About the Language Pack Editor > How to Use the Language Pack Editor
About the Language Pack Editor
The Language Pack Editor allows users to view the Locale Bundles against a reference
language and translate the copied Language Pack text string by text string. For example, if a
user who speaks English and Gaelic would like to create a Gaelic Language Pack, the user
can choose English as the Reference Language when creating the Gaelic Language Pack.
The Reference Language can then be used as a guideline for translating the Locale Bundles.
Users may edit any Language Packs that have been imported or copied. Supported Language
Packs, the ones that are included with Blackboard Learn, may not be edited. They may be
copied and used as the reference language when creating a new Language Pack.
WARNING! Copy an existing Language Pack before using the Language Pack Editor to edit
it. Changes to an existing Language Pack can result in system errors. See Creating a New
Language Pack of User Interface Text before using the Language Pack Editor.
How to Use the Language Pack Editor
A Language Pack is made up of many *.properties files. These files are tied to specific UI
elements within Blackboard Learn, such as the Address Book and the Calendar. These
properties files are often referred to as Locale Bundles. The first step in using the Language
Pack Editor is determining which Locale Bundles need to be modified.
When a Locale Bundle is opened in the Language Pack Editor, two columns appear:
Reference Language and Edit Text. All of the code that appears in the Locale Bundles is
displayed in the Reference Language column. The content of this column is not editable, and
does not change as the Locale Bundles is translated. The editable part of the text string, also
called the text message, appears in the Edit Text column. All changes to the Locale Bundles
are made in the Edit Text column.
Users decide whether or not comments are displayed in the Reference Language. Comments
are notes within a Locale Bundles that provide additional information about a text string or
group of text strings. They may provide some context for how the text string is used in the
application, which may be helpful to translators.
The language of the text in the Edit Text column corresponds to the Language Pack that is
being edited. The system default language is the automatic default for the Reference
Language column; however the user may change this at any time.
For example, a school wants to create a new Language Pack that is similar to the French
Language Pack. Copy the French Language Pack and then open it in the Language Pack
Editor. The content in the Reference Language column automatically appears in the system
default language; the content in the Edit Text column appears in French. The Reference
Language may be changed to French or any other language in the system, in the Action Bar at
the top of the page.
Tip The help.properties Locale Bundles contain strings that can be useful in delivering
information to Instructors. The following are two important string types contained in this Locale
Bundle:
...help=
This string can be used to enter a short description of the page that appears at the top.
...help.extended=
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About the Language Pack Editor > How to Use the Language Pack Editor
This string can be used to enter additional help text about the page. This text appears in a
separate window when the user clicks More Help.
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Creating a New Language Pack of User Interface Text > How to Make a New Language Pack Available to
Users
Creating a New Language Pack of User Interface Text
All new Language Packs are created by editing and altering an existing one. Three different
workflows are available to complete this process. The workflow chosen depends on the skill
level of the translator and the extent of the translation they would like to create. This topic
explains these workflows and the pros and cons for each.
How to Make a New Language Pack Available to Users
1. Create the new Language Pack by one of the three methods described in the
following sections:
l
Copying and Editing an Existing Language Pack
l
Exporting and Editing an Existing Language Pack
l
Importing an Existing Language Pack from the Language Pack Catalog
and Editing It
2. Save the changes.
3. Return to the Language Packs page.
4. Select Manage for the new Language Pack.
5. Make the Language Pack Available.
6. Define the availability at the Course, Department, and User level.
7. Log out of Blackboard Learn.
8. Log in to test the results. For Example: If this Language Pack is meant for the
Course level, then log in as an Instructor or Course Administrator and change the
Course settings to adopt the new Language Pack.
9. View Blackboard Learn and verify that the Language Pack is in effect from the
appropriate perspective: Course, Department, or User.
How to Create a Language Pack by Copying and Editing an Existing
One
Creating a new Language Pack by this method is a good choice for users who are familiar with
the language they want to create. For example, if a user speaks both English and Spanish, and
he or she is creating a Icelandic Language Pack, exporting the English Language Pack as the
copied language is a good strategy.
Copying an existing Language Pack makes changes to the new manifest automatically and
allows the translator to use the Blackboard Language Pack Editor for editing Locale Bundles
and properties files.
The Name and Code of the new Language Pack are important considerations. The Name
should be descriptive and easily recognizable; "English (New Zealand)", for example. If you
are creating Language Packs for others to use then the Code must conform to the ISO
standards for country and language codes. Put them both together and the format is as
follows: the language code in two lower-case letters followed by an underscore and then
followed by the country code in two upper-case letters. Following this format, English (New
Zealand) would have the following code: en_NZ.
For more information about the ISO country codes and other standards, visit the ISO web site:
http://www.iso.org/iso/home.htm.
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Creating a New Language Pack of User Interface Text > How to Create a Language Pack by Exporting
and Editing an Existing One
1. Select Language Packs on the Administrator Panel.
2. Select Copynext to an existing Language Pack.
3. Enter a Name for the new Language Pack.
4. Enter a Code for the new Language Pack.
5. After the copy is complete, use the Language Pack Editor to edit the Locale
Bundles.
6. Save the changes.
Note If you are creating a Language Pack that is not going to be shared with others then the
name of a Language Pack does not have to follow the ISO country code format. For example,
consider the en_US_K12 and en_US_ProEd Language Packs. These were developed by
Blackboard to suit the needs of K-12 and ProEd departments. A custom Language Pack for
the Polish language could be developed for use by the students of State University: pl_PL_
SU.
How to Create a Language Pack by Exporting and Editing an Existing
One
Users may export an existing Language Pack and go through all of the steps using tools
external to Blackboard Learn to create a new Language Pack. When the exported package is
opened, two top level items appear. The manifest file and the locale name directory. The locale
name directory contains all of the images and Locale Bundles. The manifest file includes
metadata about the Language pack, such as the name, vendor information, and release
number.
If this method is used, the user must update the manifest. Some translators may want to
update the manifest, to change information about the vendor, release number, and other
metadata regarding the Language Pack that is not accessed through the automated process.
This is a good solution for users who would like to create a complete Language Pack or for
users who prefer to use a specific text editor for translating Locale Bundles. Once the
Language Pack is exported the images may be translated and any text editor may be used.
Here is an example of the manifest for the en_US Language Pack:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<manifest><languagepack><name value="English (United
States&amp;#x202D;)&amp;#x202C;"/><locale
value="en_US"/><leftToRight value="true"/><description value=""/><version
value="1.0.0"/><bbversion
value="9.0.351.4"/><vendor><id value=""/><name value=""/><url
value=""/><description value=""/></vendor></languagepack></manifest>
The important information can be identified by the following tags:
Manifest Tag
<name
value="" />
<description
value=""/>
<version
value="" />
Description
The name of the Language Pack.
A description of the Language Pack.
The version of the Language Pack.
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Creating a New Language Pack of User Interface Text > How to Create a Language Pack by Importing an
Existing One from the Language Pack Catalog and Editing It
Manifest Tag
Description
Blackboard Learn System Information
<bbversion
This field should not be edited.
value=""/
The version of Blackboard Learn in current use. This information is important
to the maintenance of the Language Pack. Customized Language Packs can
stop working when Blackboard Learn is updated.
Vendor Information Enclosed Within the <vendor> Tags
<id
The ID of the translation vendor.
value=""/>
<name
The name of the translation vendor.
value=""/>
<description A description of the translation vendor.
value=""/>
1. Select Language Packs on the Administrator Panel.
2. Select Export next to an existing Language Pack. This will be the copied
language, meaning that the user will work from it to create the new Language
Pack.
3. Click OK to save the ZIP package.
4. Open the ZIP package and unzip the contents.
5. Open the bb-lp-manifest.xml file in a text editor.
WARNING! The structure of this file must be preserved.
6. Make the appropriate changes to the file regarding the name of the Language
Pack, a description, version, vendor ID, vendor name, and vendor
description.
7. Open each of the Locale Bundles in a text editor and edit accordingly.
WARNING! Using an external tool to edit the Locale Bundles requires caution.
Working directly in the code provides no context for the text strings, unlike working
in the Language Pack Editor. Make sure that the text strings have been identified
before editing.
8. Save all files and add them back to the ZIP package.
9. Import the new Language Pack through the Admin Panel after the translation
process has been completed.
How to Create a Language Pack by Importing an Existing One from the
Language Pack Catalog and Editing It
Importing an existing Language Pack from the Language Pack Catalog ensures that the new
Language Pack is built on a good foundation. Because it was downloaded from Blackboard, a
translator can use the Blackboard Language Pack Editor for editing the Locale Bundles and
properties files. This method also has the benefit of changing the new manifest automatically.
1. Select Language Packs on the Administrator Panel.
2. Select Import in the Action Bar.
3. Complete the Import Language Pack page.
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Creating a New Language Pack of User Interface Text > How to Create a Language Pack by Importing an
Existing One from the Language Pack Catalog and Editing It
4. Once the Language Pack has been imported, use the Language Pack Editor to
translate the Locale Bundles.
5. Save the changes.
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Editing a Language Pack through the User Interface > How to Edit a Locale Bundles
Editing a Language Pack through the User Interface
The Language Pack Editor allows the user to select and edit one Locale Bundles at a time. A
Locale Bundles is a file that consists of a set of related text strings. For example, the
announcements.properties file includes text strings related to the announcements
feature. When a Locale Bundles is opened in the Language Pack Editor, the original text
appears alongside the editable text. The original text remains on the page as a reference once
the text string is translated, so users may always refer back to it.
How to Edit a Locale Bundles
Note Only copied and imported Language Packs may be edited in the Language Pack Editor.
After copying the Language Pack (and then renaming it so the integrity of the original is
maintained) then it may be edited.
1. Select Language Packs on the Administrator Panel.
2. Select Edit from the contextual menu for a Language Pack that can be edited.
3. Accept the Terms of Use and click Submit.
4. Select Edit from the contextual menu for the appropriate Locale Bundles.
5. Use the Hide/Show Comments button in the Action Bar to choose whether or not
to display comments included in the Locale Bundles. If turned on, these
comments appear in the Reference Language column and provide descriptive
information about the text strings.
6. Use the Reference Language drop-down list to select a different Reference
Language. The system default automatically appears, but translators may change
this at any time.
7. Add the new text for each string in the appropriate field in the Edit Text column.
8. Click Submit. All content in the New Language column is saved.
How to Search a Locale Bundles
If the user is making small modifications to an existing Language Pack, the search feature
may be helpful. This feature allows the user to select all of the Locale Bundles for a specific
word or phrase. For example, to create a Language Pack that changes the term 'Course' to
'section', use this feature to find all of the places where the term must be changed.
1. Select Language Packs on the Administrator Panel.
2. Select Edit from the contextual menu for a Language Pack that can be edited.
3. Enter the appropriate term in the Search file contents field and click Go.
4. A list of all of the Locale Bundles that include text strings where this word or
phrase appears is displayed.
5. Select Edit from the contextual menu for a file name. See the instructions above
for editing a Locale Bundles; edit each bundle one at a time.
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Setting the Name Format and Sort Order > How to Label the Name Fields
Setting the Name Format and Sort Order
The default name sorting is based on the en_US language pack, and accommodates names
such as "Cindy Williams." Depending on the Locale, the default name format and sorting will
not meet the needs of the users. Some locales have names such as "Derek Van de Trak", and
without modifying the sort order the name will be sorted by "Trak" rather than by "Van de". The
name sorting order is modified using the Language Pack Editor.
The Language Pack Editor allows the user to select and edit one Locale Bundle at a time. A
Locale Bundle is a file that consists of a set of related text strings. For example, the user_
column_access.properties file includes text strings related to the user's information.
When a Locale Bundle is opened in the Language Pack Editor, the original text appears
alongside the editable text. The original text remains on the page as a reference once the text
string is translated, so users may always refer back to it.
How to Label the Name Fields
Note Only copied and imported Language Packs may be edited in the Language Pack Editor.
After copying the Language Pack and renaming it so that the integrity of the original is
maintained, it may be edited.
1. Select Language Packs on the Administrator Panel.
2. Select Edit from the contextual menu for a Language Pack that can be edited.
3. Accept the Terms of Use and click Submit.
4. Select Edit from the contextual menu for the user_column_
access.properties text file.
5. Use the Hide/Show Comments button in the Action Bar to choose whether or not
to display comments included in the Locale Bundles. If turned on, these
comments appear in the Reference Language column and provide descriptive
information about the text strings.
6. Use the Reference Language drop-down list to select a different Reference
Language. The system default automatically appears, but translators may change
this at any time.
7. Add the new text for each string in the appropriate field in the Edit Text column.
8. Click Submit. All content in the New Language column is saved.
What Settings to Edit
l
Edit the wording associated to the lastname.default_display_title, and
lastname.display_title text strings to indicate to the user that in a name of "Derek
Van de Trak", this is the location where "Van de" is entered.
l
Edit the wording associated to the suffix.default_display_title, and suffix.display_
title text strings to indicate to the user that in a name of "Derek Von Trak", this is the
location where "Trak" is entered.
l
Edit the wording associated to the othername.default_display_title, and
othername.display_title text strings to indicate the use of the new name option at
your organization.
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Setting the Name Format and Sort Order > Using the LocaleSettings.properties File
Using the LocaleSettings.properties File
After downloading the Language Pack from the catalog, unzip the Language pack and use a
text editor to modify the LocaleSettings.properties file, then zip up the Language
Pack and import it to your server. If the Language Pack was placed onto the server using
another method, you will require access to the files on the server itself to modify the
LocaleSettings.properties file.
When looking at the following LocaleSettings.properties file, it is important to
understand the name values and the numbers associated to those name values.
l
0 - Title
l
1 - First Name
l
2 - Middle Name
l
3 - Last Name
l
4 - First Initial of First Name
l
5 - Other Name
l
6 - Suffix
Using the number associated to the various name identifiers, the
LocaleSettings.properties file can be set to sort names by any method necessary.
The number associated to the name value is placed in a curly bracket, when mentioned in the
LocaleSettings.properties file. For example, when using the Title field, place a {0} in
the LocaleSettings.properties file in the location to meet the needs of your locale. The
following is an example of an en_US LocaleSettings.properties file.
# Which name column should be used to sort when sorting a full name
# Valid values - one of: title, givenName, middleName, familyName,
otherName, suffix
LOCALE_SETTINGS.NAME.SORT_COLUMN=familyName
# Order for name columns in inventory lists (not all columns may be shown,
but the ones that are will be in this order)
# All 6 fields (title,familyName,givenName,middleName,otherName,suffix)
must be present
LOCALE_SETTINGS.NAME.COLUMN_
ORDER=title,familyName,givenName,middleName,otherName,suffix
# for these items, you will get an array in the following order:
# new String[]{ strTitle-0, strGivenName-1, strMiddleName-2, strFamilyName3, InitialForGivenName-4, strOtherName-5, strSuffix-6 }
# use the appropriate values for the given locale
LOCALE_SETTINGS.GREETING=Welcome, {1}
# FAMILY_NAME, GIVEN_NAME
LOCALE_SETTINGS.SHORT_SURNAME={3}, {1}
# Surname with any other info needed (e.g. the surname prefix in Dutch)
# This will be used whenever the surname is displayed on its own.
LOCALE_SETTINGS.EXTENDED_SURNAME={3}
# TITLE GIVEN_NAME MIDDLE_NAME LAST_NAME
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Setting the Name Format and Sort Order > Using the LocaleSettings.properties File
LOCALE_SETTINGS.LONG={0} {1} {2} {3}
#GIVEN_NAME FAMILY_NAME
LOCALE_SETTINGS.SHORT={1} {3}
#First_Initial Last_Name
LOCALE_SETTINGS.GIVEN_INITIAL_FAMILY_NAME={4} {3}
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Editing the Documentation > How to Customize the Documentation
Editing the Documentation
Blackboard provides a comprehensive set of documentation resources that can be used in a
number of ways to increase the effective use of Blackboard Learn. When planning a new
Language Pack, determine the best ways to use the documentation to reinforce the Language
Pack. There are two options to consider:
l
Customizing the documentation provided to match how your school uses
Blackboard Learn.
l
Editing the links to the manuals within Blackboard Learn to point to materials already
in existence at the Organization.
How to Customize the Documentation
By editing the source materials provided by Blackboard, Language Packs can be reinforced
with relevant content delivered to the appropriate audience. The documentation and online help
can be translated to the suit the proper locale. References to features and functions that are
unavailable can be removed and policies regarding the use of those that are available can be
reinforced. A thorough review of the existing material is recommended before customization.
The source materials are provided in two kinds of Authoring Kits: Documentation and Online
Help. For more information, see About the Authoring Kits.
How to Edit the Links to Manuals
Editing the links in the documentation.properties Locale Bundles is an efficient method
to point to materials housed on a support site created on campus to help users. For more
information, see Editing Links to Documentation Resources.
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About the Authoring Kits > File Version Information
About the Authoring Kits
Blackboard makes two different kinds of source materials available for use by our clients to
adapt Blackboard Learn to their needs. Such modifications can help speed adoption of
Blackboard Learn.
The Authoring Kits come in two different varieties:
l
Documentation Authoring Kit: This ZIP file contains Word versions of the
Administrator Guide, Instructor Guide, and the User Guide.
l
Online Authoring Kit: There are four ZIP files, each containing the Flare projects
for the Administrator Guide, Instructor Guide, Learning Content User Guide, and the
User Guide.
File Version Information
The Documentation Authoring Kits contain files created using Microsoft Word 2007. Obtain a
licensed copy of Microsoft Word 2007 to work with these files.
The Online Authoring Kits contain files created using MadCap Flare. Obtain a licensed copy of
MadCap Flare to work with these files.
How to Obtain an Authoring Kit
These kits are available on Behind the Blackboard. Log in using your client ID and password
and navigate to the Reference Center. The Authoring Kits are located under the Source
Materials Document Type, organized by software version. The Word files can be found in the
Documentation Authoring Kits while the Flare files can be found in Online Help Authoring Kits.
Note Have the correct Login ID and Password before attempting to log in to Behind the
Blackboard.
Each kit comes with its own End User License Agreement; accept the agreement during the
download process.
1. Log into Behind the Blackboard.
2. Click Reference Center.
3. Select Source Materials from the Documentation Types list.
4. Click Go.
5. Select the appropriate version.
6. Click the appropriate Authoring Kit.
7. Select the appropriate language from the Select Language list. English is the
default.
8. Click Download Document.
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Editing Links to Documentation Resources > How to Edit the Documentation Links in a Language Pack
Editing Links to Documentation Resources
The System Administrator can change the links to any of the documentation resources within
a Language Pack. By default, if the resource is available in more than one language then the
appropriately translated resource appears when the link is clicked. These links are stored in
one of the properties files that make up a Language Pack. In this case, the
documentation.properties file.
By default, the links in Blackboard Learn all point to various Blackboard web sites. These links
can be changed to any URL that points to where other versions of Blackboard documentation
resources are stored or to a school support web site.
WARNING! Do not forget to maintain the links to the documentation resources within the
Language Pack. Upgrading Blackboard Learn or just the Language Pack can result in broken
links to the documentation resources. For more information, see Broken Links to
Documentation Resources.
How to Edit the Documentation Links in a Language Pack
The following procedure details how to edit the links using the Language Pack Editor. These
links may also be edited by using a text editor.
1. Select Language Packs on the Administrator Panel.
2. Select Edit from the contextual menu for a Language Pack that can be edited.
3. Accept the terms and click Submit.
4. Select Edit from the contextual menu for the documentation.properties
file.
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Editing Links to Documentation Resources > How to Edit the Documentation Links in a Language Pack
5. Edit the following fields where appropriate:
Field
documentation.href.online_
admin
Description
documentation.href.cp_
online_manual
The link for the Instructor documentation is
located on the Control Panel for each course
under Help.
documentation.href.student_
manual
The link for the User documentation is located
under the Tools link on any Course page.
documentation.href.cs_
manual
The link for the content management User
documentation is available on the Content
Collection tab by clicking Tools and then Help.
documentation.href.online_
outcomes
The link for the outcomes assessment
documentation is available on the Outcomes tab
by clicking Discover and then Manual.
documentation.href.online_
outcomes_course_review
documentation.href.online_
outcomes_program_review
documentation.href.online_
outcomes_inst_accreditation
documentation.href.online_
outcomes_special_
accreditation
documentation.href.online_
outcomes_strategic_planning
These links are for the outcomes assessment
Success Stories, which are located on the
Outcomes tab by clicking Discover. They are
listed under Success Stories.
No longer used
documentation.href.comm_
online_admin
documentation.href.org_
online_manual
documentation.href.comm_
user_manual
The link for the Administrator documentation is
located on the System Admin panel under Help.
Note These have not been translated, so
Blackboard recommends that you do not change
these links.
These links are no longer used.
These links are no longer used.
These links are no longer used.
6. Click Submit.
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About Using Themes > How to Edit the Documentation Links in a Language Pack
About Using Themes
Themes are an important element of the User Interface (UI) to ensure a consistent look and
feel and to reflect a particular locale. Themes can be edited to incorporate cultural imagery and
fonts.
Note There are other places to add images and colors through the User Interface:
l
System Administrators can customize the default Brand to reinforce the cultural
identity of an Organization.
l
System Administrators can use the Theme and Palette Catalog to change the colors
that are used throughout Blackboard Learn.
l
Instructors can use the Course Style tool to customize their courses, including the
addition of banner images that can reinforce locale.
This section includes detailed information on how to download and edit a Theme and
suggested tools to use for editing a Theme.
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Editing Themes > Firefox and Firebug
Editing Themes
Themes downloaded from Blackboard Learn can be edited to change the look and feel of the
system. Every theme has a Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) associated with it that determines
how the UI appears. Characteristics such as font sizes and types, background images, and
other XHTML elements are described by the CSS. Using the Mozilla® Firefox® web browser,
and a Firefox add-on called Firebug®, users can easily identify individual CSS elements
directly from the UI.
Note Download and install the latest version of Firefox and Firebug before attempting the
following procedures.
Firefox and Firebug
Firefox has a number of programs that have been developed by third parties. One of these is
called Firebug and it is used to edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in
any web page. Once the elements have been identified, a CSS editor can then be used to
search for the elements and changes can be made to the Theme's CSS.
How to Install Firefox
1. Go to http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/.
2. Click the green download button.
3. Follow the installation instructions.
4. Open Firefox from your desktop.
How to Install Firebug
1. Open Firefox.
2. Open the Tools menu and select Add-ons.
3. Click Get Add-ons.
4. Enter Firebug in the search box and click Search.
5. Click the Firebug icon.
6. Click Install. Firefox will prompt you to restart the browser after install is
complete.
7. Click Yes.
How to User Firebug
Use Firebug to examine the existing CSS and identify all the elements that need to be
changed.
1. Open Firefox.
2. Click on the Firebug icon on the right side of the lower status bar.
3. Click Inspect.
4. Use the mouse to hover over the area of the page to inspect.
5. Click the area to hold your position.
6. Hover over the XHTML elements in the Firebug console.
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Editing Themes > How to Download and Edit the CSS for a Theme
7. Click on the XHTML node to expand or minimize the description of the XHTML
element.
8. View the relevant CSS class or ID for the element you have selected on the right
side of the Firebug console.
9. Copy the class or ID name by right clicking.
10. Paste the class or ID name into a CSS editor and search for that element.
11. Make appropriate changes.
12. Save the CSS when you are finished.
How to Download and Edit the CSS for a Theme
Once the CSS elements have been identified, the CSS can be edited using a text editor.
1. Click Brands and Themes from the Administrator Panel.
2. Click Theme and Palette Catalog.
3. Open the contextual menu and select Download for the appropriate Theme.
4. Save the ZIP package.
5. Open the ZIP package and extract the contents to a safe location.
6. Open the theme.css file using a text editor.
7. Make the appropriate changes.
8. Save the CSS file.
9. Move the updated Theme to the following folder:
//blackboard/docs/themes.
10. Return to the Administrator Panel and click Default Brand.
11. Select the Theme from the drop-down list.
12. Click Apply All Changes.
Example CSS
Here is a sample of the Schoolhouse Theme that is included with Blackboard Learn. The
definitions for the heading styles are shown in this example, along with the font family setting.
* {font-family: Cursive, Georgia, Times, serif;}
/* a:focus { Removes focus outline in Firefox (Mozilla) outline:none;
} */
img { /* Centers images vertically and sets borders to 0 */
vertical-align:middle;
border:0px;
}
.hideme {
display:none!important;
}
h1 { /*Equals 19px*/
font-size:148%;
}
h2 {
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Editing Themes > Example CSS
font-size:123.1%;
}
h3 {
font-size:108%;
}
h1,h2,h3 {
margin:1em 0;
}
h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,strong {
font-weight:bold;
}
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Maintaining Language Packs > How to Maintain Language Packs as Blackboard Learn is Upgraded
Maintaining Language Packs
Each time that Blackboard Learn is upgraded, any Language Pack customizations must be
made again in the upgraded Language Packs. To assist in this process, compare the contents
of the customized Language Pack to that of the upgraded Language Pack. To compare the
Language Pack bundles, use the bundle.txt file in the Blackboard Learn Updater. To compare
the documentation files, use the Microsoft Word or Madcap Lingo Compare tool. Use the
results of the comparisons to make any necessary updates to the upgraded Language Packs.
How to Maintain Language Packs as Blackboard Learn is Upgraded
To ensure consistency across releases, the Blackboard Learn Updater compares the existing
en_US language pack to the version that is being installed. The differences are noted and
output to the following file:
//blackboard/backups/date_of_backup/bundle_diff.txt
For example: //blackboard/backups/20090101-10479/bundle_diff.txt
Here is an example of the bundle_diff.txt file.
BUNDLES CHANGED:
ADDED:
metadata.properties
KEYS CHANGED:
> installer.properties:
MODIFIED:
installer.installer.bare.title
> workflow.properties:
MODIFIED:
remove_task.message.remove_success
> navigation_item.properties:
MODIFIED:
cp_list_modify_users
DELETED:
cp_course_utilities_export
ADDED:
course.archive.EXECUTE
> common.properties:
MODIFIED:
common.conversion.in.progress.text
> security.properties:
MODIFIED:
nocookies.instructions.header
> chalk.properties:
MODIFIED:
instructor.privacy.notice.prompt
DELETED:
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Maintaining Language Packs > How to Maintain Documentation
<input type
accessed. \
is \
<p style
ADDED:
instructor.privacy.notice.check boxLabel
>>exercise.properties:
MODIFIED:
title.submission.history.not.available
ADDED:
error.receipt.user.is.observer
How to Maintain Documentation
The Microsoft Word Compare Documents tool can be used to identify new features and
functions as well as changes to existing features and functions. To use this tool, open the
Microsoft Word document in the Documentation Authoring Kit associated with the upgrade
and compare it to the version currently in use. Changes are highlighted and can be either
accepted or rejected to create a new document.
For more information about this tool, consult the online help available in Microsoft Word by
pressing F1 within the application.
How to Maintain Translated Materials
MadCap Lingo is an integrated authoring and localization tool developed by the same company
that produces Flare. The Flare project files in the Online Help Authoring Kits can be opened,
compared, and edited using Lingo.
For more information about MadCap Lingo, see this web site:
http://www.madcapsoftware.com/products/lingo/.
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Troubleshooting Language Pack Issues > Broken Links to Documentation Resources
Troubleshooting Language Pack Issues
This section provides information about common issues that may occur when they are
creating, editing, and deploying Language Packs within Blackboard Learn.
Broken Links to Documentation Resources
After updating or changing a Language Pack, users cannot access the online versions of the
User, Instructor, Administrator, content management, or outcomes assessment guides. They
receive the following message:
If you can read this page, then the documentation link you were provided is no
longer valid.
Please contact your system administrator and provide them with the URL of this
page.
What has happened is that the existing links to the documentation were broken when the
Language Pack was updated.
Open the custom Language Pack and verify that the links in the
documentation.properties Locale Bundles are pointing to the appropriate material.
Collaboration Server Issues
Deploying a custom Language Pack in a load-balanced environment may result in problems
with the Collaboration Server. This issue only affects users that are using the custom
Language Pack. When a custom Language Pack is created a new jar file is also created on the
Application Server at the following location:
blackboard/apps/collab-server/http/webapps/clientlib/yourlanguagepackcollab-locale.jar
However, this new jar file is not created on the Collaboration Server itself, which leads to the
problem.
There are two solutions to this problem:
Solution #1
1. Log into the Collaboration Server.
2. Navigate to this location:
blackboard/content/locale/YOURLANGUAGEPACK/collab/
3. Run the following script:
[root@grimlock collab]# cat BuildCollabLocaleJar.sh
#! /bin/bash
## This script requires JAVA_HOME environment variable to be set
## This script takes an optional parameter for PATH_TO_COLLAB
############## BuildCollabLocaleJar.sh
#############################
#
# CHANGE THIS VALUE IF YOU COPY THIS SCRIPT FOR A DIFFERENT
LOCALE
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Troubleshooting Language Pack Issues > Page Display Issues
################################################################
###
LOCALE=en_US <-------EDIT HERE TO SPECIFY YOUR LANGUAGE PACK
LOCALE
PATH_TO_COLLAB=$1
export LOCALE PATH_TO_COLLAB
if [ "$PATH_TO_COLLAB" != "" ]; then cd $PATH_TO_COLLAB; fi
if [ "$JAVA_HOME" = "" ]; then
echo "JAVA_HOME variable not defined."
exit 1
fi
echo "Using JAVA_HOME: $JAVA_HOME"
echo "PATH_TO_COLLAB: $PATH_TO_COLLAB"
JAR_CMD="$JAVA_HOME/bin/jar -cf"
JAR_DEPLOY_DIR=../../../../apps/collabserver/
http/webapps/client-lib/
export JAR_CMD JAR_DEPLOY_DIR
JAR_CMD="$JAR_CMD $LOCALE-collab-locale.jar images messages"
echo "Building $LOCALE-collab-locale.jar"
$JAR_CMD
echo "Deploying $LOCALE-collab-locale.jar to $JAR_DEPLOY_DIR"
cp $LOCALE-collab-locale.jar $JAR_DEPLOY_DIR
rm $LOCALE-collab-locale.jar
exit
Solution #2
1. Log into the Application Server.
2. Navigate to this location: blackboard/apps/collabserver/http/webapps/client-lib/
3. Copy the new jar file (created as a result of deploying the custom Language Pack)
from the Application Server.
4. Log into the Collaboration Server.
5. Add the new jar file to the same location in the Collaboration Server.
6. Restart the Collaboration Server.
Page Display Issues
Some portal pages and the System Admin panel may experience some problems in the
display of their content. The following error message may be received: can't parse
argument number module_title. This problem is most often encountered after an
upgrade.
The solution is to apply the modifications that are outlined in the bundle_diff.txt file that
accompanies the upgrade. After the initial upgrade process is complete, make sure to bring the
custom Language Pack up-to-date with the current version.
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Troubleshooting Language Pack Issues > Themes
Open and review the bundle_diff.txt file and update the custom Language Pack
accordingly.
For more information, see Maintaining Language Packs.
Themes
Proper storage of the Themes is critical to their successful use in Blackboard Learn.
Determine if they are in the correct folders on all appropriate Application Servers.
Themes must be set as default after editing; this is accomplished through the System Admin
tab.
Care must be taken when editing the CSS file for a Theme. It is recommended that a text
editor with a validation capability be used when editing the CSS files.
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Managing Channels > How to Manage Channels
Managing Channels
Channels bring in real-time information from outside of the system for display through Channel
modules. News headlines, weather reports, sports scores, and similar data are the most
common data included in channels. Channels are usually RSS feeds from other Web sites.
Blackboard Learn provides a means for posting channel information only through portal
modules. To arrange for channel content, please contact a channel provider.
The Manage Channels page provides a list of channels that have been added to the system,
as well as a description for each. Multiple Channels may be given the same title, so the
description may be used to differentiate between them.
RSS supports the following formats:
l
RSS 2.0
l
RSS 1.0
l
RSS 0.9x
l
Atom 1.0
How to Manage Channels
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Channels. The following table describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
create a channel
Create Channel in the action bar.
modify a channel
Edit for a channel in the list.
remove a channel
Remove for a channel in the list.
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Creating or Editing Channels > How to Create or Edit a Channel
Creating or Editing Channels
Provide the information for the Channel. This information can be obtained when arranging
content with a channel provider.
How to Create or Edit a Channel
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Channels from the action bar.
3. In the contextual menu for the channel, click Create Channel or Edit. The
following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Edit Channel
Title [r]
Provide a title for the Channel.
Description
Provide a description for the Channel.
Image
Source
Provide the source for an image to place in the module.
Image Link
Provide the external link to the Channel.
Data
Source [r]
Provide the link to the data feed. This value must point to an .rss feed
(valid .rss XML file).
Update
Frequency
Select how often the Channel is updated.
Last
Updated
The date the Channel was last updated appears.
Refresh
Cache on
Submit
Select this check box to refresh the cache immediately after clicking
Submit. If this box is not checked, the next refresh will occur at the
next scheduled refresh interval.
4. Click Submit.
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Creating or Editing an External Link on the Tool Panel > How to Create or Edit a Tool Panel for an External
Link
Creating or Editing an External Link on the Tool Panel
Links to other Web pages can be added to the Tool Panel through the Create External Link
page. External Links that are already a part of the Tool Panel can be updated through the Edit
External Link page. Both pages contain the same fields for adding or editing an External Link.
How to Create or Edit a Tool Panel for an External Link
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Tabs and Modules.
2. Click Tool Panel.
3. Click Create External Link or click Edit in the contextual menu for an existing
link. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Enter Information
Title [r]
Provide or change the title of the link.
External
Link [r]
Provide or change the URL for the link. This must be the full URL. For
example: http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com
or blackboard.com
Available
Select Yes or No to make this link available to users through the Tool
Panel.
4. Click Submit.
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Managing Hot Links > How to Manage Hot Links
Managing Hot Links
Hot Links can appear in the top left corner of the header frame. Hot Links allow access to
Tools or External Links from the header frame.
How to Manage Hot Links
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Communities Settings.
2. Click Hot Links. The following table describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
add a Tool to the Hot Links
Add Tool.
add an External Link to the
Hot Links
Create External Link.
edit a Tool or External Link
Edit. The Edit Tool page or the Edit External Link
page will appear.
change the position of a
Tool or External Link
the up and down arrow next to the tool or link name
and drag it into the preferred location.
remove a Tool or External
Link from the Hot Links
Delete in the contextual menu for the Tool. The tool or
link will no longer appear on the top frame.
3. Click Submit.
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Viewing Hot Links > How to View Hot Links
Viewing Hot Links
The right side of the top frame can be set to display hot links. Links can be set to point to an
external URL or to a Tool within Blackboard Learn.
How to View Hot Links
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Communities Settings.
2. Click Hot Links.
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Adding or Editing Tool Hot Links > How to Add or Edit a Hot Link to a Tool
Adding or Editing Tool Hot Links
The settings configured here apply only to the Tool as it appears in the Hot Link section of the
top frame. For example, if the Calendar is added and given the name College Calendar it will
still be called Calendar on the Tool Panel.
How to Add or Edit a Hot Link to a Tool
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Communities Settings.
2. Click Hot Links.
3. Click Add Tool or click Edit in the contextual menu for a In the contextual menu
for the tool, click Edit. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Enter Information
Title [r]
Enter or change the title of a tool.
Tool [r]
Select a tool from the drop-down list. This field may not be changed
after it has been set.
Available
Select Yes to make this tool available to users on the top frame.
4. Click Submit.
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Creating or Editing Hot Links to an External URL > How to Create or Edit a Hot Link to an External URL
Creating or Editing Hot Links to an External URL
Hot Link External Links are added or edited from the Add External Link or Edit External Link
page. Both pages contain the same fields for adding or editing an External Link. Links added
here appear in the Hot Links area in the upper right corner of the top frame.
How to Create or Edit a Hot Link to an External URL
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Communities Settings.
2. Click Hot Links.
3. Click Create External Link or click Edit in the contextual menu for an External
Link. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Enter Information
Title [r]
Provide or change the title of a link.
External
Link [r]
Provide or change the URL for the link. The URL must be entered fully.
For example: http://www.blackboard.com, not
www.blackboard.com or blackboard.com
Available
Select Yes or No to make this link available to users through the top
frame.
4. Click Submit.
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Setting the Frame Size > How to Create or Edit a Hot Link to an External URL
Setting the Frame Size
Setting the Frame Size is managed through Brands. Administrators can set the size of the
header frame as it appears on the portal and in Courses. Using the smaller frame will remove
any images or sponsorships from the header frame and create more space in the main frame
for content and tools.
For more information, see Customizing the Default Brand.
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About Blackboard Learn and Privacy > How to Create or Edit a Hot Link to an External URL
About Blackboard Learn and Privacy
Laws protecting student privacy have been in place in the United States since the mid 1970's,
however schools have not been overly concerned about exposing their students' personal
information until the recent explosion of electronic data storage and record keeping. Students
and their families are aware that their data and records could be vulnerable and their privacy
compromised. They are asking questions about how personal data is stored, protected and
used. To respond to these questions, organizations are examining and evaluating their policies
and processes for protecting student privacy.
Because electronic data and records are easily transferable and can be manipulated and
altered, they need to be protected in ways other than locking doors and file cabinets. Serious
consequences such as the loss of federal funding can result from not complying with privacy
laws. This section provides information on what privacy laws are relevant to Blackboard
applications and the specific parts of the system users need examine to comply with US
privacy laws.
Note This is not a legal document and is not intended to answer legal questions. Legal
questions need to be directed to the organization’s legal department or counsel.
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U.S. Privacy Definitions and Regulations Relevant to Blackboard > Disclosing Student Records
U.S. Privacy Definitions and Regulations Relevant to
Blackboard
Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to select to withhold information about
themselves from people to whom they have not chosen to give the information. In the United
States, the Family Education Rights Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99), also
known as the Buckley Amendment, is a law that protects the privacy of student records.
FERPA provides a minimum basis for the protection of student privacy regarding their
education records. This law applies to all schools that receive federal funding under applicable
programs administered by the US Department of Education.
FERPA provides a benchmark for educational privacy standards. Many organizations build on
FERPA regulations when they write their own organizational privacy policies, in many cases
providing even greater and more specific privacy rights than those outlined in FERPA. Some
state laws do the same.
Blackboard develops products that support FERPA and provide information, tools and utilities
that allow organizations to configure their systems so they can meet even stricter privacy
standards. While Blackboard cannot know or anticipate all state, local, or international laws
and policies that may need to be applied to the handling of personally identifiable information,
FERPA regulations are used as guidelines to develop flexible privacy management within
Blackboard applications.
Note Unless otherwise sited, all quotations in this section are taken from the FERPA
Regulations.
Disclosing Student Records
Schools must obtain written permission from the student (or parent if the student is under 18)
to disclose any information from the student’s educational record. Educational records are
defined broadly and include results, all coursework, and personal information about the
student, such as contact information and expected graduation date. In short, the school
cannot disclose any information about the student to anyone except the student’s teachers
and other “school officials with legitimate educational interest.”
The FERPA statue (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1232g(b)(1)) defines disclosure as:
To permit access to or the release, transfer, or other communication of
personally identifiable information contained in education records to any party,
by any means, including oral, written, or electronic means.
For Blackboard, disclosure includes not only the direct release of information, but the ability to
view information through the web interface.
However, the primary exception is that the school can publish “directory information” about the
student, for example name and email address. Fields of data included in directory information
vary from school to school. For more information, see User Directory and Personal Information
Disclosure.
Defining Educational Records within Blackboard
Educational records are defined broadly in FERPA and are defined in the statute (Authority: 20
U.S.C. 1232g(a)(4)) as:
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U.S. Privacy Definitions and Regulations Relevant to Blackboard > Defining Personally Identifiable Information in Blackboard
(1) Directly related to a student; and
(2) Maintained by an educational agency or organization or by a party acting for
the agency or organization.
'Record' means any information recorded in any way, including, but not limited to, handwriting,
print, computer media, video or audio tape, film, microfilm, and microfiche.
For Blackboard, records include all information about students and their participation in
Courses and Departments. This encompasses all data and materials tied to student users in
the Blackboard system.
Defining Personally Identifiable Information in Blackboard
Personally identifiable information is any information or data that can identify a specific
student. In FERPA the statute (Authority: 20 U.S.C 1232g) reads:
Personally identifiable information" includes, but is not limited to:
(a) The student’s name;
(b) The name of the student’s parent or other family member;
(c) The address of the student or student’s family;
(d) A personal identifier, such as the student’s social security number or student
number;
(e) A list of personal characteristics that would make the student’s identity
easily traceable; or
(f) Other information that would make the student’s identity easily traceable.
For Blackboard, personally identifiable information is student record data that identifies the
specific student. There is a difference between “personal data" meaning information that is tied
to a specific person, and “aggregate data," the cumulative or summary information that does
not specifically identify any particular person. For example, “John Smith logged into the
Blackboard system at 3:25 on 11/2/2006” includes personally identifiable information, but “48
students logged into the Blackboard system between 3:00 and 4:00 on 11/2/2006” is aggregate
data. Aggregate data is generally not as sensitive from a privacy perspective and is not
protected by FERPA.
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User Directory and Personal Information Disclosure > Schools Disclosing Directory Information
User Directory and Personal Information Disclosure
Data contained in a student's educational record that is not generally considered harmful or an
invasion of privacy can be disclosed as "directory information". Typical directory information
might include a student's name, telephone number, result level, expected graduation date,
major field of study and email address. Fields of data included in directory information vary
from school to school.
The school is required to give the student or student's parents (if the student is under 18 years
old), an annual opportunity to opt-out of being listed in the directory. Furthermore, students
have the right to review their own educational records and request corrections to any records
they believe to be inaccurate or misleading.
Schools Disclosing Directory Information
Educational organizations or their agents may disclose directory information under the
following conditions under the FERPA statute Authority: 20 U.S.C 1232g (a)(5) (A) and (B):
(a) An educational agency or organization may disclose directory information if it
has given public notice to parents of students in attendance and eligible
students in attendance at the agency or organization of:
(1) The types of personally identifiable information that the agency or
organization has designated as directory information;
(2) A parent’s or eligible student’s right to refuse to let the agency or organization
designate any or all of those types of information about the student as directory
information; and
(3) The period of time within which a parent or eligible student has to notify the
agency or organization in writing that he or she does not want any or all of those
types of information about the student designated as directory information.
(b) An educational agency or organization may disclose directory information
about former students without meeting the conditions in paragraph (a) of this
section.
Although many schools choose to publish in various forms most or all of the directory
information about students listed under FERPA, the school must comply with the conditions
stated above at all times. Notification to students of the types of directory information
published and the student’s right to opt out is generally done by a student handbook or some
other reference manual, not by personal communication to the students. The notification part
of the process generally does not have an impact on the Blackboard system.
For alumni of schools that use Blackboard, note clause (b) above, which states that schools
can disclose directory information about alumni without giving alumni an opt-out notification. In
general, FERPA provides fewer rights for those who formerly attended the school than it does
for those who currently attend.
Administrators Disclosing Personal and Directory Information within
Blackboard
Organizations have several ways to control what personal information is collected and
disclosed within the Blackboard User Directory. Personal Information is collected on a form
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User Directory and Personal Information Disclosure > Users Disclosing Personal and Directory Information
within Blackboard
called User Profile. This form can be customized by an administrator. The administrator can
include or exclude any of the fields on the form as well as allow or disallow users to edit their
data in those fields. Customize the User Profile form from the Administration Panel >
Customize User Profile.
Organizations that have a process for handling privacy requests and personal information
updates outside of the Blackboard system can turn off access to the Personal Information
pages by using flexible privileges management or by turning off the Personal Information tool
under Administrator Panel > Tool Panel. Turning off the tool prevents users from making any
changes to their User Profile information.
Organizations can disable the User Directory altogether and not disclose any Directory
information using Blackboard Learn. The User Directory can be turned off system-wide under
Administrator Panel > Tools.
Users Disclosing Personal and Directory Information within
Blackboard
If the Personal Information tool is available, users can make their own privacy choices on the
Personal Information page, accessible from any tab in the Tools panel or under Tools in any
Course or Department in Blackboard Learn. On this page, the user can choose whether to be
listed in the User Directory. The user can also choose whether to display their email address,
address (Street, City, State, Zip, Country), work information (Company, Job Title, Work
Phone, Work Fax), and any other additional contact information (Home Phone, Mobile Phone,
Web Site).
These fields and the user’s name are the only personal information that is ever displayed in the
User Directory, and by default they are not included in the User Directory. Users must
deliberately opt-in to disclose their information in the directory. In this light, the Blackboard
System is more conservative in protecting privacy than FERPA regulations. FERPA calls for
an opt-out option for directory information, but Blackboard provides an opt-in option.
Blackboard also allows the user to exercise this option at any time, not just during a period of
time specified by the organization.
When users choose to make their email addresses available, whether or not they have chosen
to be listed in the User Directory, their email addresses will be displayed in the Learner List
and Group pages for all of the Courses and Departments in which they are enrolled (see
Privacy and Personal Information for Course Students and Department Participants).
If the user has opted to include their Personal Information in the User Directory, those fields
the user has chosen will display in the User Directory to other users who are logged on to the
system.
Users also have the right to confirm that their Personal Information is correct. They can review
and modify their own personal information on the Personal Information page if it has been
made available.
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Privacy and Personal Information for Administrators > System Administration Paths
Privacy and Personal Information for Administrators
Users’ personal information may, under certain circumstances itemized below, be disclosed to
other users in the Blackboard System. These disclosures and the user’s right to choose
privacy options are in keeping with FERPA regulations.
Blackboard users who have access to the Administrator Panel may be allowed to view
personally identifiable information because they are “school officials with legitimate
educational interest.” Administrators can view (and in some cases change) users’ personal
information, including student IDs, results and other education records, passwords, contact
information, and constituencies in Courses, Departments, and Outcomes System contexts.
System Constituencies can also be given privileges to access Outcomes System contexts as
well as Learning System Courses and Community System Departments, including the Course
or Department Control Panel. Organizations need to use caution and good judgment when
granting users administrative constituencies that have privileges to access the paths listed in
System Administration Paths.
Privileges can be customized by the organization to limit which System Constituencies have
administrative access to users’ personal information.
Note As a security precaution, only the System Administrator constituency can make
modifications to privileges.
Organizations can achieve a satisfactory balance between protecting privacy and giving users
with “legitimate educational interest” the information they need to do their jobs by assigning
constituencies and configuring privileges appropriately.
System Administration Paths
The paths listed below give administrators access to personal information.
(Course Catalog module) Course
Catalog Browse
> Preview course with Control Panel and Quick Enroll
links in Menu
(Department Catalog module)
Department Catalog Browse
> Preview org with Control Panel and Quick Enroll
links in Menu
Administrator Panel (Content
Management)
> Administrator Search
> Manage Content
> Portfolios
Administrator Panel (Communities)
> Domains
> eCommerce > Payment Gateway
> Payment Gateway Reports
> eCommerce > Reports > eMarketplace Reports
> eCommerce > Reports > My Accounts Report
> eMarketplace > Orders
> eMarketplace > Vendors
> Modules (delegated module administration)
Administrator Panel (Departments)
> Departments > Archive Department
> Departments > Copy Department > Copy
Department with Users (Exact Copy)
> Departments > Modify Department > Access
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Privacy and Personal Information for Administrators > Log Files
Statistics
> Departments > Modify Department > Enrollments
> Departments > Preview org with Control Panel and
Quick Enroll links in Menu
> Departments > Restore Department
Administrator Panel (Courses)
> Courses > Archive Course
> Courses > Copy Course > Copy Course with Users
(Exact Copy)
> Courses > Modify Course > Course Access Statistics
> Courses > Modify Course > Enrollments
> Courses > Preview course with Control Panel and
Quick Enroll links in Menu
> Courses > Restore Course
Administrator Panel (Users)
> Users
Log Files
Log files contain records of specific events and user actions in the system and therefore
include personal information. Organizations need to use caution and good judgment when
granting users System Constituencies that have privileges to access the paths listed below.
Access to the logs can be controlled in the User Interface (UI) through flexible privilege
management. Logs are also accessible using the command line, and only trusted users should
be granted access to command line actions.
The following paths give administrators access to personal information:
Administrator Panel (Tools and Utilities)
> Logs > Download System Logs
Administrator Panel (Tools and Utilities)
> Logs > Send System Logs
Integrated Learning Environments
Vista and CE4 Learning Systems have their own privacy and personal information options.
When these systems are integrated with the Academic Suite, the user’s privacy choices in
their native Vista or CE4 learning environment do not carry over into the Academic Suite or
visa versa. Users need to set their privacy options in each system separately.
Snapshot
Snapshot provides the ability to bulk load user data and synchronize user data with external
systems. If an organization is creating and modifying users in the system using Snapshot, any
privacy 'flags' for the user’s privacy options can be populated from an external data source.
Many organizations use this function to transfer the 'FERPA flags' that are typically stored in
the student information system directly into the Blackboard system.
Note Because Snapshot is a powerful tool with full access to user data as well as other
sensitive system data, only trusted users should be granted access to Snapshot command
line actions.
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Privacy and Personal Information for Administrators > User Selector
User Selector
When an administrator needs to select another user, to enroll them in a course for example,
they can browse for other users with the User Selector, which displays users’ names,
usernames, and email addresses. With the exception of Content Management, this function is
only available to administrators, Instructors and Leaders (and similar constituencies) in
Courses and Departments, and Managers in the Outcomes System, all of whom are generally
“school officials with legitimate educational interest.”
Content Management
One of the primary purposes of the Content Collection is for users to share content with one
another. Users can be uniquely identified only by their usernames, so the username is
displayed as part of the path in the /users directory. In order to select which people to give
permission to for sharing, a user will see a list of other users in the User Selector, which
displays the users’ names and usernames.
If the organization wants to restrict this display of personal information, they can set the
Content Collection privacy settings so that only users who have opted in to be included in the
User Directory will be included in searches in the Content System User Selector. This setting
is under Administrator Panel > Content Management > Content Management Settings >
Privacy Settings.
Users can also independently decide not to share any content that is in their /users directory
with other users in the system. This action prevents others from seeing their username in the
path for that content. Alternatively, users can send passes and permanent URLs to other
users to share content, hiding the path location of the content and protecting their usernames
from being revealed.
Community Engagement Discussion Boards
The name of a user who posts to a Community Engagement Discussion Board is displayed,
along with the posting, to all users participating in the discussion. To avoid this display of
personal information, the user can choose to post to the Discussion Board anonymously if
anonymous posts have been enabled.
The ability to create Community Engagement Discussion Boards can be turned off by making
the Discussion Board Creation module unavailable and using flexible privileges to restrict
access to Administrator Panel > Communities > Discussion Boards.
Building Blocks
Homegrown or commercial Building Blocks can be installed that access users’ personal
information, with or without the users’ consent. When a Building Block is made available, the
administrator reviews a disclosures page that states whether the Building Block accesses
users’ personal information. The administrator needs to be careful to only install Building
Blocks that are trusted, particularly if they access users’ personal information.
Building Blocks may also include links to external systems that have their own privacy
policies and settings.
Note Scholar integration with the Academic Suite is a Building Block. Chalk Titles, a type of
Course Cartridge, are similar to Building Blocks in this regard.
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Privacy and Personal Information for Course Instructors, Department Leaders, and Similar Constituencies
> Course and Department Control Panel Paths
Privacy and Personal Information for Course Instructors,
Department Leaders, and Similar Constituencies
Blackboard users who have access to the Control Panel of a Course or Department may be
allowed to view personally identifiable information because they are “school officials with
legitimate educational interest.” Users with access to the Control Panel can view (and in some
cases change) personal information for users in that specific Course or Department, including
results and other education records, passwords, constituencies in Courses and Departments,
and contact information. Therefore organizations should use caution and good judgment when
granting users Course or Department constituencies that have privileges to access the paths
listed below.
Privileges can be customized by the organization to limit which Course and Department
constituencies have access to users’ personal information. As a security precaution, only the
System Administrator constituency can make modifications to privileges. Organizations can
achieve a satisfactory balance between protecting privacy and giving users with “legitimate
educational interest” the information they need to do their jobs by assigning constituencies and
configuring privileges appropriately.
Note Course and Department constituencies cannot have separate privileges. Given the fact
that Departments may be led by individuals who are not "school officials with legitimate
educational interest" extra caution should be taken to ensure personal information is not being
disclosed without permission.
Course and Department Control Panel Paths
The paths listed below give access to personal information.
Control Panel
(Assessment)
> Course/Department Statistics
> Early Warning System
> Results Center
> Performance Dashboard
Control Panel (Content
Areas)
> Manage Content Item (Adaptive Release and Review Status)
Control Panel (Options)
> Archive Course/Department
> Archive Course/Department > Copy Course/Department with
Users (Exact Copy)
Control Panel (Tools)
> Collaboration
> Course/Department Portfolios (Content Management only)
> Messages
> Send Email
Control Panel (User
Management)
> Enroll User
> List / Modify Users
> Manage Groups
User Selector
When an Instructor or Leader needs to select another user in various parts of the system, to
enroll them in a Course or Department for example, they can browse for other users with the
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Privacy and Personal Information for Course Instructors, Department Leaders, and Similar Constituencies
> Content Management
User Selector, which displays users’ names, usernames, and email addresses. With the
exception of the Content Management, this functionality is only available to administrators,
Instructors and Leaders (and similar constituencies) in Courses and Departments, and
Managers in the Outcomes System, all of whom are considered “school officials with
legitimate educational interest.”
Content Management
One of the primary purposes of the Content Collection is for users to share content with one
another. Users can be uniquely identified only by their usernames, so the username is
displayed as part of the path in the /users directory. In order to select which people to give
permission to for sharing, a user will see a list of other users in the User Selector, which
displays the users’ names and usernames.
If the organization wants to restrict this display of personal information, they can set the
content management privacy settings so that only users who have opted in to be included in
the User Directory will be included in searches in the content management User Selector. This
setting is under Administrator Panel > Content Management > Content Management
Settings > Privacy Settings.
Users can also independently decide not to share any content that is in their /users directory
with other users in the system. This action prevents others from seeing their username in the
path for that content. Alternatively, users can send passes and permanent URLs to other
users to share content, hiding the path location of the content and protecting their usernames
from being revealed.
Results Center
Teaching assistants that will be evaluating students will have access to the same types of
personal information as instructors do with regards to student records and are considered
“school officials with legitimate educational interest". They may, however, be limited to a
subset of students enrolled in the Course. Teaching assistants need to be made aware of
FERPA regulations as part of their orientation and training for the Course.
Observers have access to view the student records, including results, of the students they are
observing. In most cases, Observers are parents of students under the age of 18, or “school
officials with legitimate educational interest" such as guidance councilors, athletic coaches, or
tutors.
Discussion Board
The name of a user who posts to the Discussion Board will display, along with the posting, to
all users in the Course or Department or within the Group (if it is a Group discussion). To avoid
this display of personal information, the user can choose to post to the Discussion Board
anonymously if this option has been enabled by the Instructor or Leader.
Virtual Classroom and Chat
The name of a user participating in a Virtual Classroom session or Chat displays to other
participants in the same session. The User Information pop-up displays the personal
information that the user has chosen to make available (see Users Disclosing Personal and
Directory Information within Blackboard).
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Privacy and Personal Information for Course Instructors, Department Leaders, and Similar Constituencies
> Email
If the moderator has turned on recording for the session, the user’s name is included in the
recording with any contributions the user made to the session. The moderator may decide to
make the recording available to all users in the Course or Department or Group (if it is a Group
collaboration). Recording is turned off by default, and if it is turned on, recordings are by default
not available to all users.
Email
The names of email recipients display on the Send Email pages. The email addresses of the
recipients do not display in either the Send Email pages or in the email that the users receive.
All email is sent by the Blackboard system as "blind carbon copy" (BCC). This means that one
user who receives the email will not see the names or email addresses of other users who
receive the same message. The name and email address of the user who sent the message
will be visible to all recipients when they receive the message.
Groups
The names of users included in a Group within a Course or Department are listed on the Group
page, which is accessible to other users included in that same Group. If the user has chosen
to make their email address available (see Users Disclosing Personal and Directory
Information within Blackboard), their email address is also listed on the Group page.
Messages
The names of message recipients display on the Compose Message page. The name of the
user who sent a message to another user is displayed to the user who receives the message.
Portfolios
The user can choose to share a Portfolio with a specific Course or Department, in which case
it will be listed under Course or Department Portfolios and be accessible by everyone in the
Course or Department. The only information available in the Portfolio is determined by the
user. The user can also choose to remove the sharing of the Portfolio from the Course or
Department at any time.
Learner List
The names of students or participants enrolled in a Course or Department are listed in the
Learner List. If the student has chosen to make their email address available (see Users
Disclosing Personal and Directory Information within Blackboard), their email address is also
listed in the Learner List.
Guests and Observers
Users with the System Constituency of Guest cannot see other users’ personal information.
Users with the Course or Department constituency of Guest cannot see other users’ personal
information.
Observers have access to view the student records, including results, of the students they are
observing. In most cases, Observers are parents of students under the age of 18, or “school
officials with legitimate educational interest" such as guidance councilors, athletic coaches, or
tutors.
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Privacy and Personal Information for Course Instructors, Department Leaders, and Similar Constituencies
> Guests and Observers
WARNING! To protect student privacy and comply with international, national and regional
laws and regulations, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) in the
United States, review organizational policy and guidelines before releasing student information
to Observers or other users.
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Privacy and Personal Information for Students and Department Participants > Discussion Board
Privacy and Personal Information for Students and
Department Participants
If the Personal Information tool is available, Students and Participants can make their own
privacy choices on the Personal Information page, accessible from any tab in the Tools panel
or under Tools in any Course or Department in Blackboard Learn. On this page, Students and
Participants can choose whether to be listed in the User Directory and choose whether to
display their email address, address (Street, City, State, Zip, Country), work information
(Company, Job Title, Work Phone, Work Fax), and any other additional contact information
(Home Phone, Mobile Phone, Web Site).
These fields and the user’s name are the only personal information that is ever displayed in the
User Directory, and by default they are not included in the User Directory unless the user
deliberately opts-in to disclose the information. Users can exercise this option at any time, not
just during a period of time specified by the organization.
When Students and Participants choose to make their email addresses available, whether or
not they have chosen to be listed in the User Directory, their email addresses will be displayed
in the Learner List and Group pages for all of the Courses and Departments in which they are
enrolled.
If the student or participant has opted to include their Personal Information in the User
Directory, those fields the user has chosen will display in the User Directory to other users
who are logged on to the system.
Users also have the right to confirm that their Personal Information is correct. They can review
and modify their own personal information on the Personal Information page if it has been
made available.
Discussion Board
The name of a Student or Participant who posts to the Discussion Board will display, along
with the posting, to all users in the Course or Department or within the Group (if it is a Group
discussion). To avoid this display of personal information, the user can choose to post to the
Discussion Board anonymously if this option has been enabled by the Instructor or Leader.
Virtual Classroom and Chat
The name of a Student or Participant in a Virtual Classroom or Chat session displays to other
participants in the same session. The User Information pop-up displays the personal
information that the user has chosen to make available (see Users Disclosing Personal and
Directory Information within Blackboard).
If the Moderator has turned on recording for the session, the user’s name will be included in the
recording with any contributions the user made to the session. The Moderator may decide to
make the recording available to all users in the Course or Department or Group (if it is a Group
collaboration). Recording is turned off by default, and if it is turned on, recordings are by default
not available to all users.
Email
The names of email recipients display on the Send Email pages. The email addresses of the
recipients do not display in either the Send Email pages or in the email that the Student or
Participant receive. All email is sent by the Blackboard system as "blind carbon copy" (BCC).
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Privacy and Personal Information for Students and Department Participants > Groups
This means that one user who receives the email will not see the names or email addresses of
other users who receive the same message. The name and email address of the user who
sent the message will be visible to all recipients when they receive the message.
Groups
The names of Students or Participants included in a Group within a Course or Department are
listed on the Group page, which is accessible to other users included in that same Group. If the
user has chosen to make their email address available (see Users Disclosing Personal and
Directory Information within Blackboard), their email address is also listed on the Group page.
Messages
The names of message recipients display on the Compose Message page. The name of the
user who sent a message to another user is displayed to the user who receives the message.
Portfolios
Students and Participants can choose to share a Portfolio with a specific Course or
Department, in which case it is listed under Course or Department Portfolios and is accessible
by everyone in the Course or Department. The only information available in the Portfolio is
determined by the user. The user can choose to remove the sharing of the Portfolio from the
Course or Department at any time.
Learner List
The names of Students or Participants enrolled in a Course or Department are listed in the
Learner List. If users have chosen to make their email addresses available (see Users
Disclosing Personal and Directory Information within Blackboard), their email addresses are
also listed in the Learner List.
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Additional Resources > Online Resources
Additional Resources
There are many resources for learning about privacy regulations and laws, both in the United
States and in other countries. An organization's main resource for interpreting and applying
laws and regulations is its legal department or retained legal counsel.
Online Resources
US Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html
This site has general information on FERPA.
Family Policy Compliance Office (FPCO): http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/index.html
This site has a mission to implement two laws that seek to ensure student and parental rights
in education: the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of
Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA)
Council on Law and Higher Education: http://www.clhe.org/
This site represents an independent nonprofit department, founded in 1998, that is dedicated to
assisting presidents, senior-level administrators, and attorneys in managing legal risk and
improving regulatory compliance.
State Commissions on Higher Education list: http://www.clhe.org/clhe/links/
State commissions on higher education act information and regulatory arms for colleges and
universities in their respective states. Financial aide, veteran's benefits, state academic goals
and funding are all detailed on these sites.
Association for Student Judicial Affairs: http://www.asjaonline.org/
This site represents a professional association that serves the needs of campus judicial
officers.
Electronic Privacy Information Center: http://www.epic.org/privacy/student/#introduction
This site represents a public interest research center in Washington, D.C. It was established
in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the
First Amendment, and constitutional values. This is a special page on student privacy issues.
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Viewing Authentication Configuration > How to View Authentication Configuration
Viewing Authentication Configuration
View the authentication configuration of Blackboard Learn from this page. For information
about editing the authentication configuration properties, see Using Blackboard Learn
Authentication.
How to View Authentication Configuration
On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Authentication. All authentication
types are listed. The green check mark identifies the currently enabled authentication type.
While it is possible to view settings for all the different Authentication Types, only one type
may be enabled at a time. The default Authentication Type is Blackboard ChallengeResponse.
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Enabling Persistent Cookies > How to Access the Authentication Settings Page
Enabling Persistent Cookies
Using persistent cookies increases the usability of WebDAV because users are not asked to
authenticate multiple times. If persistent cookies are not used, users may have to authenticate
multiple times when accessing content in Web Folders. For more information, see Configuring
WebDAV for Web Folders.
Note If persistent cookies are used, users must select the LOGOUT button to end their
session. Simply closing the browser window will not end the session.
How to Access the Authentication Settings Page
How you access the Authentication Settings page depends on whether you license the
content management capabilities.
If you do not license the content management capabilities, on the Administrator Panel, under
Content Management, click Authentication Settings.
If you license the content management capabilities, on the Administrator Panel, under
Content Management, click Technical Settings, and then click Authentication Settings.
How to Control Persistent Cookies
Click Yes to turn on persistent cookies. Click No and persistent cookies will not be used.
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Downloading the Context Encryption Key > How to Download the Context Encryption Key
Downloading the Context Encryption Key
Once a context encryption key has been created, it must be downloaded and then made
accessible to the URL that will accept data passed from Blackboard Learn.
How to Download the Context Encryption Key
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Context Encryption
Key.
2. Click Download Existing Context Encryption Key.
3. Click Submit. A Download window from the browser will appear. The context key
is always named blackboard.key.
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Creating a Context Encryption Key > How to Create a Context Encryption Key
Creating a Context Encryption Key
The only variable to consider when creating a context encryption key is the key length in bits.
Longer keys are more secure but also perform somewhat slower.
It is only possible to use one key with Blackboard Learn at a time. If the context APIs are used
to tie in more than one URL the same key will be used to encrypt communication for all the
URLs. If a key already exists, creating a new key will overwrite the existing key. Any URLs
relying on the old key to decipher context passed from Blackboard Learn will not work until the
new key is downloaded and made available to the URL.
How to Create a Context Encryption Key
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Context Encryption
Key.
2. Click Create New Context Encryption Key.
3. Select the Key Length from the list.
4. Click Submit.
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Managing Context Encryption Keys > How to Enable the Manage Context Encryption Page
Managing Context Encryption Keys
The context passing APIs allow Blackboard Learn to pass data to URLs requiring that data in a
query string. To see an example of this type of URL, simply look at the URL for any Course.
The last part of the URL is url=/bin/common/Course.pl?Course_id=unique_id
where the unique_id is a variable. It is variables such as this that can be passed using the
context passing APIs.
Context passing is especially useful when implementing Building Blocks that require content
from Blackboard Learn to generate a URL. To protect the transfer of possibly sensitive data as
part of a context passing function, context encryption using Cryptix (Blowfish) can be used to
secure the data transfer instead of the standard Base64Encoding.
How to Enable the Manage Context Encryption Page
The cryptix32.jar file must be downloaded and Blackboard Learn configured before the
features on the Manage Context Encryption Keys page become available.
1. Download the cryptix32.jar file from the Cryptix Web site (http:
//www.cryptix.org).
2. Put cryptix32.jar in blackboard/systemlib.
3. Create the directory blackboard/config/tomcat/classpath/cryptixshared.classpath.bb. The .bb file should contain the following:
@@bbconfig.basedir@@/systemlib/cryptix32.jar
4. Run PushConfigUpdates to activate the changes.
5. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Context Encryption
Key.
How to Manage Context Encryption
On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Context Encryption Key. The
following table describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
create a
new key
Create New Context Encryption Key. A new key will be created and used by
Blackboard Learn. For outside URLs to decipher context-passed data the key must
be downloaded and made accessible to the outside URL. Creating a new key will
remove the existing key. Any existing context-passing Building Blocks that rely on
the key will not work until the new key is made available.
download
an
existing
key
Download Existing Context Encryption Key. A key must be created before it can
be downloaded and shared.
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Deciphering Encrypted Context > Code Example
Deciphering Encrypted Context
To encrypt data during context passing, Blackboard Learn and the external URL must have
access to the same context encryption key. The key must be created from the Manage
Context Encryption Key feature available on the Administrator Panel. Once the key has been
created it must be downloaded and distributed to external servers that will accept context.
Code Example
After downloading a context encryption key it must be made available to the URL that will
receive encrypted data through context-passing. The code example below shows how to
programmatically decipher encrypted context data on the external URL when it is passed.
The object indicated by the target URL (in this case, index.jsp) could decrypt the context
as follows (importing blackboard.client.decryption.*):
String context = request.getParameter("context");//if isEncryptionEnabled =
false, base 64 encoding will be used instead //of encryptionboolean
isEncryptionEnabled = true;ContextDecryptor bfd =
ContextDecryptorFactory.getContextDecryptor(isEncryptionEnabled ); //
retrieve the Blackboard encryption key as a File or InputStream File key =
new File( strKeyLocation ); // or InputStream key = // implementation
detail…// to simply decrypt the context string String decryptedContext =
bfd.decrypt( context, key );// or, to get a HashMap of all key-value
pairsHashMap map = bfd.parseEncryptedContext( context, key );// then search
the HashMap for an expected value, and continue.if (map.containsKey( "user"
){ // execute…}
Resolving Multiple Keys
The code example above is useful when there is a one-to-one relationship between the
external URL and Blackboard Learn. For instances where an external URL is supporting a
Building Block for multiple instances of Blackboard Learn, the hostname of the instance can
be used to handle multiple keys.
In the example below, the key is found through association with the hostname for the instance
or Virtual Installation of Blackboard Learn. In this case the hostname is
physics.yourorganization.com. Since the client decryption code has the ability to pass in a
decryption key to the ContextDecryptor object, the client server must be able to map a
hostname to its appropriate key (usually accessed as a File, but can be an InputStream).
Building Block server developers can write a simple wrapper that:
1. Pulls the hostname off the request
2. Looks up the encryption key file in the hostname-encryptionKey map
3. Passes the encryption key to the decrypt() method
Pseudocode wrapper implemented by a client server utility object:
/**
* Utility Pseudocode
*/
decryptByHostname( HttpServletRequest request)
{
// get context parameter from the request
String context = request.getParameter("context");
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Deciphering Encrypted Context > Resolving Multiple Keys
// determine if the context is encrypted
String strEncryptInd = request.getParameter("encrypt");
if ( (strEncryptInd != null) && (strEncryptInd.equalsIgnoreCase("y")) )
{
isEncrypted = true;
}
// if isEncrypted, look up the key
key = null;
if (isEncrypted)
{
// get hostname from HttpUtils.getRequestURL().getHost();
// get key map, possibly stored as a property file in the format
// physics.yourorganization.com= /key/file/location/physics_
yourorganization_com/key.sec
// get encryption key from map as either a File or an InputStream,
// depending on client implementation detail (key is passed as null
if
// isEncrypted= false, and Base64Encoding is used instead)
}
ContextDecryptor decryptor =
ContextDecryptorFactory.getContextDecryptor(isEncrypted);
// then either return the values passed in the context as either
// a HashMap of key-value pairs
HashMap values = decryptor.parseEncryptedContext(context, key);
// or a String
String values = decryptor.decrypt(context, key);
return values;
}
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Editing the Integration Password > How to Edit the Integration Password
Editing the Integration Password
The Integration User is a special User account that is used by Snapshot and the Data
Integration APIs to process operations from a client machine using Simple Object Access
Protocol (SOAP). This page allows the Administrator to change the password for the
Integration user.
The Integration user does not have access to Blackboard Learn through the user interface nor
can the Integration user be assigned to a Course or participate in the teaching and learning
environment in any way.
How to Edit the Integration Password
On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Integration Password. The
following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Edit Password
Old Password
Provide the old password.
New Password
Provide a new password for the Integration account.
Confirm New Password
Provide the new password again to confirm.
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Configuring SSL Choice > How to Configure SSL Settings
Configuring SSL Choice
If IIS (Windows) or Apache (UNIX) is configured to support SSL, the communication between
users and Blackboard Learn can be configured using the SSL Choice feature. SSL Choice
allows Administrators to determine whether none, all, or some of Blackboard Learn is secured
with SSL.
SSL Choice is not available with Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition.
Note If SSL Choice is set to use SSL before SSL has been configured in IIS or Apache,
Blackboard Learn will not be accessible. To ensure that users can always log in, configure IIS
or Apache for SSL prior to changing the security options.
If planning to use SSL, Blackboard recommends enforcing SSL on the entire system. This
ensures that all proprietary data is secured. If the choice option is selected, it is important to
update SSL settings whenever a new tool is enabled or a Building Block is added.
How to Configure SSL Settings
On the Administrator Panel, under Security, click SSL Choice. The following table describes
the available fields.
Field
Description
System-wide
SSL Off Except when Processing
Credit and Debit Cards or Accessing
Secured Proxy Tools or Web
Services
Select this option and SSL will not be used to secure
any of the communication between users and
Blackboard Learn.
SSL system-wide
Select this option and SSL will be used to secure all
of the communication between users and Blackboard
Learn.
SSL for Selected Areas and Tools
Select this option to determine which areas of
Blackboard Learn will be secured through SSL.
Select the different areas from the check boxes on this
page.
Specific Areas
Select the check box for each area that should be secured using SSL.
Tools
Select the check box for each tool, tab, or Course content area that should be secured using
SSL.
Building Block Tools
Select the check box for each Building Block that should be secured using SSL.
Proxy Tools
Select the check box for each Proxy Tool that should be secured using SSL.
Web Services
Select the check box for each Web Service that should be secured using SSL. Web Services are
checked by default.
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Managing All Privileges > How to Search for Privileges
Managing All Privileges
The Privileges page allows Administrators to see all available privileges and the
constituencies for which those privileges are permitted. Each privilege lists the Constituency
Types and Constituency IDs that have the privilege.
How to Search for Privileges
1. In the Search box, type the search terms.
2. From the Search list, select Privileges to search all available privileges, or select
a Constituency Type to limit the search.
3. Click Go.
How to Manage Privileges
Click a Constituency ID to manage its privileges. This will take you to the appropriate Manage
Privileges page.
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Configuring Session Fingerprint Settings > How to Configure Session Fingerprinting
Configuring Session Fingerprint Settings
Session fingerprinting can help detect when a user's session has been hijacked by a malicious
attacker. A fingerprint helps uniquely identify users, for example, by using their computer's IP
address or the type of browser (User Agent) that they are using.
Session Fingerprinting is not available with Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition.
How to Configure Session Fingerprinting
On the Administrator Panel, under Security, click Session Fingerprint Settings. The
following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Enable
session
fingerprinting
Select Yes to enable session fingerprinting.
Log Location
The location to which changes to users' fingerprints will be logged. To view the
contents of the log, on the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click
Logs.
Fingerprint
Value
Choose which values to include in the session fingerprint: IP address, User
agent, or both. There are pros and cons to each item you can include:
l
IP address: The IP address is the address of the user's computer.
Generally this will not change during a session. However, certain
Internet Service Providers, such as AOL, change the IP addresses of
their users quite frequently. False positives can occur if users are
coming from such ISPs.
l
User Agent: The user agent indicates the particular browser the user
is using to access the site. This is the safest value to use in most
cases because the browser will generally not change during a
session. However, if the "persistent cookie" setting is enabled, false
positives may occur if users are using Configuring WebDAV for Web
Folders.
Filter IP
Addresses
If you select IP address or IP address and user agent in the Fingerprint Value
field, select Yes to exclude ranges of IP addresses from being included in the
session fingerprints. This is useful for excluding trusted IP ranges or IP ranges of
ISPs known to change addresses frequently, such as AOL. Customize the IP
ranges by modifying the bb-session-fingerprint-excludedaddresses.txt configuration file.
Create New
Session
When
Fingerprint
Changes
Select Yes to force a new session to be created when a user's fingerprint
changes. For valid hijacking attempts, this will cause the hijacker to see the
login page while the user maintains the current session. However, if any false
positives occur (as mentioned above in the Fingerprint value section), the user
will have to log in again. This is a tradeoff between security and convenience.
This option is not recommended if persistent cookies have been enabled or you
are using IP address as part of the fingerprint because it will force users to relogin if they attempt to use a Web Folder or their IP address legitimately
changes.
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Integrating Shibboleth > Installing Shibboleth
Integrating Shibboleth
The Shibboleth initiative is developing an open, standards-based solution to meet the needs
for Departments to exchange information about their users in a secure, and privacy-preserving
manner. This document offers a brief overview of Shibboleth and explains how it is installed on
Blackboard Learn.
Shibboleth allows Departments to exchange information about users securely and privately.
Shibboleth is designed to provide a way for a person using a web browser (for example,
Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator,) accessing a target site to be authorized to access a
target site using information housed at the user's security domain. This permits users to
access controlled information securely from anywhere without additional passwords, or
needlessly compromising privacy. For example, if a Student is taking classes at two
universities, and both schools use Shibboleth, the Student may have a single user name and
password to access information at both universities’ Web sites.
Shibboleth is fully supported as a custom authentication option for Blackboard Learn on UNIX
operating systems. Due to the experimental nature of the underlying Shibboleth technologies,
and limited operational expertise available for Shibboleth, Blackboard recommends customers
consider running a restricted, pilot implementation on a test or development server before
making this feature generally available on their system.
Installing Shibboleth
The following section explains how to install Shibboleth and how to set up Shibboleth with
Blackboard Learn. These instructions apply only to setting up Blackboard Learn as a
Shibboleth target.
Note Shibboleth has only been tested with Blackboard Learn on UNIX Operating Systems.
Part I – Installation
1. Install Blackboard Learn and enable Open SSL.
2. Configure SSL for Blackboard Learn. Save the certificate files under
blackboard/apps/httpd/conf/certs/. These are formatted as .cer,
.crt and .key.
3. Download the correct Shibboleth package for the operating system and install it.
The package is located at http://shibboleth.internet2.edu/.
4. Follow the Shibboleth v1.1 instructions to install the package. Check that the
most current libraries are installed. The Shibboleth directions contain detailed
instructions for updating libraries. The Organization needs a signed CA certificate,
for example, from Verisign. This is the same certificate used for SSL.
Part II – Configure Shibboleth and Blackboard Learn
1. Edit the blackboard/apps/httpd/conf/httpd.conf to include the
/opt/shibboleth/etc/shibboleth/apache.config file. This step must
be repeated when PushConfigUpdates is run. PushConfigUpdates may overwrite
this setting.
2. Add the following to apache.config in the Shibboleth file system. This
instructs Shibboleth to protect all files beginning with ‘/webapps’. The
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Integrating Shibboleth > Part II – Configure Shibboleth and Blackboard Learn
apache.config and .ini files are located in
/opt/shibboleth/etc/shibboleth.
<Location /webapps>
AuthType shibboleth
require affiliation ~ ^member@.+$
# This rule below accepts any valid principal name passed from the
Origin.
require user ~ ^.+$
</Location>
3. The value of the "require" directive is dependent on the Attribute Acceptance and
Attribute Release Policies for the Target and Origin, respectively. Check with the
Shibboleth federation administration for details on what attributes will be released
to your Target.
4. Add the following custom attributes to apache.config:
ShibMapAttribute urn mace dir attribute-def eduPersonPrincipalName
Shib-EP-BBUSER-NAME
If you configure AJP13 as the Apache/Tomcat protocol, you may omit this value.
5. Edit the Blackboard Tomcat server.xml to use AJP13 as the connector
protocol. This should be done using the Ajp13Connector configuration. The AJP12
protocol readers in Tomcat have a bug that prevents REMOTE_USER from being
properly propagated to Tomcat from Apache. Additionally, the Coyote connectors
have not been tested with Shibboleth. For example (make sure you’ve disabled
any other listeners that may be listening on the same port).
<Connector className="org.apache.ajp.tomcat4.Ajp13Connector"
port="8009"
minProcessors="50"
maxProcessors="100"
tomcatAuthentication="false"/>
6. Edit /opt/shibboleth/etc/shibboleth/shibboleth.ini file to point to
the correct WAYF server. Shibboleth should default to the correct location:
wayfURL = http://servername.blackboard.com 8080/shibboleth/HS
7. Point to the location of the certificate file, the key file, the calist, and the
password. Omit the line breaks after the ‘=’:
certfile= /usr/local/blackboard/apps/httpd/conf/certs/server.crt
keyfile= /usr/local/blackboard/apps/httpd/conf/certs/server.key
calist=/usr/local/blackboard/apps/httpd/conf/certs/qa-b64.cer
keypass=‘password’
8. Add PEM-encoded HS certificate to the trust.xml file in
/opt/shibboleth/etc/shibboleth. This certificate is the one created as
the signing certificate of the origin.
<KeyAuthority>
<ds: KeyInfo>
<ds: X509Data>
<ds: X509Certificate>
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Integrating Shibboleth > Certificates and keys
Add PEM-encoded HS here
.
.
</ds: X509Certificate>
</ds: X509Data>
</ds: KeyInfo>
<Subject>qamigl2.qa.dc.blackboard.com</Subject>
</KeyAuthority>
9. Change the authentication type in Blackboard the Blackboard bbconfig.properties file:
bbconfig.auth.type=shib
10. Uncomment all the Shibboleth Authentication Properties in the Blackboard
authentication.properties file.
11. Edit site.xml file under /opt/shibboleth/etc/shibboleth to point to a
valid origin server. For example:
<OriginSite Name="qamigl2.qa.dc.blackboard.com">
<Alias>Blackboard QA Testing Origin</Alias>
<Contact Type="technical" Name="John Doe"
Email="jdoe@blackboard.com"/>
<HandleServiceLocation="http://qamigl2.qa.dc.blackboard.com
8080/shibboleth/HS" Name="qamigl2.qa.dc.blackboard.com"/>
<Domain>qa.dc.blackboard.com</Domain>
</OriginSite>
12. Start the shar executable on the Shibboleth server:
/opt/shibboleth/bin/shar -f
13. Restart the Blackboard web services:
/usr/local/blackboard/tools/admin/ServiceController.sh
services.restart
Certificates and keys
The following information explains certificates that are needed for Shibboleth.
l
The certificate must be signed by an authority.
l
If a Test Certificate is used, then the Administrator must coordinate with
representatives from Shibboleth to be added to the trusted list of Organizations (this
is referred to as In Queue)
User Login
Users of a system that participates in Shibboleth will go through the following steps to login
1. Click Login on the Blackboard Learn Login page.
2. Choose the Organization from the drop-down list.
3. Provide login and password information and click Login.
4. Users may enter the URL for another Organization that participates in Shibboleth
and enter that school’s Web site.
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Customizing the Gateway Page > Bypass the Gateway Page
Customizing the Gateway Page
The Gateway page is the first page that users see when accessing Blackboard Learn (unless
the Administrator opts to use Portal Direct Entry). The Gateway page includes the following
buttons:
l
Login: Directs the user to the Login page.
l
Course Catalog: Directs the user to the Course Catalog. This button may be
removed by the Administrator.
l
Create Account: Directs the user to the Create Account page. This button may be
turned off by the Administrator. This button should be turned off unless the
Administrator wants anyone with access to the URL to create accounts.
The Gateway page also includes a default welcome message and image from Blackboard.
Bypass the Gateway Page
Portal Direct Entry is available only when the community engagement capabilities have been
licensed. The Gateway page can be bypassed completely and site visitors will be taken
directly to the portal as a Guest. Users can then login using the Login button in the header
frame. The Gateway Options page also includes an option for changing the URL that handles
User requests for lost passwords.
Customize the Buttons on the Gateway Page
Several of the buttons and options on the Gateway Page and the Login page can be
customized. The Gateway page is the first page users typically see when accessing
Blackboard Learn. It can include buttons for creating an account and allowing anyone to
browse the Catalog.
For security and data integrity reasons, it is not recommended that users be allowed to create
accounts.
How to Set Gateway Options
On the Administrator Panel, under Security, click Gateway Options. The following table
describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Start Page for Users
Start Page
This field is available only when the community engagement capabilities have
been licensed. Select Tab Page to skip the Gateway page entirely and send site
visitors directly to the portal as guests. Users can login using the button in the
header frame. If this setting is changed, restart the server to avoid experiencing
errors. The Login Module may only be turned on if Portal Direct Entry is on.
Gateway Functionality
Link to
Course
Catalog
Select Enable to display a button that links to the Course Catalog on the
Gateway page. Provide a link for an External Catalog URL in the field.
Link to
Account
Creation
Select Enable to display a button on the Gateway page that lets visitors create a
User account. The User account is created with a Organization Constituency of
Student and an Admin User Constituency of None.
Lost Password Functionality
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Customizing the Gateway Page > How to Customize the Welcome Message and Image
Field
Description
Request
Forgotten
Password
Select Enable to turn on the link that allows users to request that the password
for the account.
URL for
Forgotten
Password
Provide the URL for the link on the login page that allows users to request that
their password be mailed to the email address stored in their user information.
The default URL is /webapps/blackboard/password.
Guest Access Defaults
Allow Guest
Access to
the System
Select Enable and users who do not have an account (non-authenticated users)
may access the system, such as portal areas. Select Disable and users without
an account will not have any access to the system.
Allow Guest
Access to
Courses
Select Enable and users who do not have user accounts (non-authenticated
users) may access Courses on the system. If Disable is selected, Instructors will
not be able to make areas in their Courses available to Guests.
Allow Guest
Access to
Departments
Select Enable and users who do not have user accounts (non-authenticated
users) may access Departments. If Disable is selected, Leaders will not be able
to make areas in their Departments available to Guests.
How to Customize the Welcome Message and Image
The welcome message and image can be customized by replacing an HTML fragment in the
file system. It is possible for each Virtual Installation to have its own customized welcome
message and image. Follow the steps below to replace the HTML fragment that generates the
welcome message and image with one customized for the Organization.
1. Access the URL for the Virtual Installation and verify that the Gateway page
appears.
2. Within the blackboard file system change directories to /content/vi/vi_
ID/branding. Where vi_ID is the name of the Virtual Installation.
3. Save a copy of the gateway.bb file so that it can be restored to the default.
4. Edit or replace the gateway.bb file with another HTML fragment.
5. Access the URL for the Virtual Installation and verify that the welcome message
and image appear as desired.
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About Domains > What Domains Can Do
About Domains
Domains offer a customizable, flexible, and secure system administration model. Domains
gather Courses, Departments, users, tabs, and modules into defined sets called collections.
Each domain can have one or many collections. Once established, administration of a domain
is controlled by assigning System Constituencies to users that only apply to that domain.
For example, administration of all the users in the Law School can be assigned to Law School
staff and administration of all the users in the Business School can be assigned to Business
School staff.
The above example is a simple one. Since privileges, at the feature and function level, can be
used to define unlimited System Constituencies, there is a limitless variety to how System
Constituencies are applied to domains. The flexibility of domains means that planning the
administration model is a critical step. Please contact your account manager for information
about engaging Blackboard Global Services with assistance in planning and implementing an
administration model.
What Domains Can Do
The following lists some of the goals that can be accomplished with domains:
l
Organize users, Courses, Departments, tabs, and modules into groupings.
l
Delegate administration of users, Courses, Departments, tabs, and modules.
l
Assign different administrative responsibilities to different staff members within a
domain.
l
Control Domain Administrators' access to specific features within a domain by
defining privileges.
What Domains are Not Designed To Do
The following lists some of the restrictions on domains:
l
Domains are available only when the community engagement capabilities have been
licensed.
l
Domains are designed to be flexible and do not adhere to any hierarchy within the
system. Domains can be defined to overlap or even nest, but that structure is
applied. The domains do not have a relationship within the system.
l
New items, such as Courses and users, that meet the constraints of a domain are
included in the domain when created. Domain administrators may not control the
default attributes of items at creation. For example, a Domain Administrator cannot
require that all new Courses created in the domain adhere to specific default values.
l
Domains are designed to manage collections of Courses, Departments, users,
modules, and tabs. Domains can include one collection or many. For example, a
domain may only include Courses or a domain may include Courses, tabs, and
users. Domains are not used to manage other items in the system such as Tools
and Building Blocks.
Terminology
The following is a list of terms and definitions required to understand Domains:
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About Domains > Default Domain
Domain: A grouping of data defined for the purpose of delegating administrative
responsibilities to other staff members.
Collection: A set of data, defined by variables or selected individually, that appears in a
domain.
System Constituency: A constituency that grants administrative privileges. When applied in
a domain, the privileges are only valid when working with data in the domain. System
Administrators can define an unlimited number of System Constituencies and assign
privileges to hundreds of administrative functions through each System Constituency. Each
user may have multiple System Constituencies assigned.
Category: A variable that defines and groups Courses. Courses may be assigned multiple
categories. Categories are a logical means of assigning Courses to a collection.
Organization Constituency: A variable that defines and groups users. Users may be
assigned multiple Organization Constituencies. Organization Constituencies are a logical
means of assigning users to a collection. Organization Constituencies control what is
presented to users.
Availability: Determines access. Courses that are unavailable are only accessible by certain
users. Likewise, a user that is unavailable may not access the system.
Enabled: A flag set by Snapshot. Data is often disabled to mark it for archive or deletion.
Datasource Key: A variable assigned to data added to the system through Snapshot. When
Snapshot is used to integrate with other information systems, Datasource keys can be used to
define collections based on the source of the record.
Default Domain
Every system has at least one domain. This domain includes all the Courses, Departments,
users, tabs, and modules on the system and is referred to as the default domain. Users with a
System Constituency of System Administrator have full privileges over the default domain
(the entire system).
This concept is important when assigning System Constituencies. System Constituencies
can be applied within a domain to grant privileges restricted to the items that exist in that
domain. Or, System Constituencies can be applied directly to a user, granting privileges in the
default domain (the entire system).
Domain Administration
Administration of domains is assigned by combining a user record with System
Constituencies within the domain. Each domain administrator can be assigned any number of
System Constituencies. The privileges included in these constituencies are additive, so they
can be combined to create several different models of domain administrators. The same user
can be an administrator in multiple domains.
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Structuring the Administration Model > What are the Groupings on Campus that Require Domain Management?
Structuring the Administration Model
The most important part of using Domains is developing an Administration model that matches
the departmental needs of the Organization. This topic walks through the process of thinking
about the administrative needs of the Organization. Included are questions to ask at each
stage and a small example.
Remember that this is a tool to help you start thinking about your administration model. The
flexibility of domains and unlimited System Constituencies create the opportunity for unique
solutions to match each Organization.
What are the Groupings on Campus that Require Domain
Management?
The first step in setting up a delegated administration model is to define the groups at the
Organization that can be supported by delegated administrators with privileges limited to that
domain. Because domains can include any combination of users, Courses, Departments,
tabs, and modules the structure of the different domains is limitless. Some Organizations may
choose to use domains to separate management of users between Students, faculty, alumni,
and staff. The same Organizations can use domains to separate management of Courses
between academic departments. The same Organizations can even apply both models, and
allow the academic department domain administrators control over users in their respective
departments. Further, each department could be divided into separate domains. One domain
could be used to manage the tab and module content while another domain managed Courses
and still another domain handled users.
The flexibility of domains demands clear goals and department before creating the domains
and assigning administrative privileges. Otherwise, it is likely that domains will be created as
needed and result in a system that is difficult to define and oversee. Consider the following
questions when defining the groups on campus that require domains:
l
How is the Organization organized and managed? Does it make sense to create
domains for each functional group? Consider this question beyond just academic
departments and think about the groups on campus that support the learning
mission.
l
How are Organization Constituencies used to define users within Blackboard Learn?
For example, are users organized by major, location, year of study, or other
variables?
l
How are individuals at the Organization managed? Are the different sets of users
managed by different functional groups? For example, is there an alumni office that
handles alumni relations? Is the admissions department responsible for prospective
Students?
l
Who is responsible for the content that appears in tabs and modules? What
Organization Constituencies are used to define who can view content?
l
Are there different information systems responsible for shared data with Blackboard
Learn?
It is very likely that the groupings on campus will have subgroupings that also require
delegated administration. Subgroupings cannot be nested as domains within a domain, but
this is not a barrier to creating a hierarchical structure of domains. Because domains are made
up of collections, and a unit, such as a Course or user, can appear in multiple collections, it is
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Structuring the Administration Model > How is Each Domain Defined?
easy to define domains that consist of a subgroup of another domain. To maintain the proper
department, develop a naming convention for domains that incorporates the larger domains.
For example, the School of Liberal Arts will likely have several subdomains for academic
departments.
The domains could follow this naming convention:
SLA – School of Liberal Arts
SLA_HISTORY – History department, School of Liberal Arts
SLA_ANTHRO – Anthropology department, School of Liberal Arts
SLA_LANGUAGES – Languages department, School of Liberal Arts
SLA_LANGUAGES_FRENCH – French Courses, Language department, School of Liberal
Arts
How is Each Domain Defined?
Each domain is defined by assigning criteria to create sets of users, Courses, Departments,
tabs, and modules. Each set is called a collection. A domain can include one or many
collections. Once the domain structure is defined, items, such as users and Courses, are
grouped into collections within the domain. Adding the collections is a process of defining the
collection in such a way to encompass every item that should be included. When new items,
such as a user or a Course, are added to the system, they automatically become a part of any
domain for which they meet the collection criteria. For this reason, it is important when defining
a collection to use the criteria and the rules to determine the items that fall into the collection to
ensure that new items are added to the collection when created. There is an option to add
items individually. The ability to add items individually is useful for defining domains that are
limited and static, ensuring that no other items become a part of the domain.
It is much easier to define domains after first setting up a model for Organization
Constituencies and a model for Course and Department Categories. These variables are
completely customizable and serve as the most flexible and accurate way of defining
collections within a domain. Those Organizations that are using Snapshot to populate the
Blackboard database with data from other systems can also use data source keys to define
collections.
Finally, there is no relationship between the Users in a domain and the Courses and
Departments. That is, Users enrolled in a Course are not automatically included in the domain.
Within a domain, enrollments are controlled by Courses. Thus, a domain administrator with
privileges to edit users may not change users' enrollments in a Course. However, a domain
administrator with privileges to edit Course enrollments may include or exclude users from a
Course.
When defining collections, consider the following:
Courses and Departments
l
What categories can be used to define the Courses and Departments in this
domain?
l
Alternatively or in addition to categories, what data source keys can be used to
define the Courses and Departments in this domain?
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Structuring the Administration Model > How is Each Domain Defined?
l
Should the domain include unavailable Courses and Departments? Should the
domain include disabled Courses and Departments? This is an important
consideration as unavailable and disabled status is often used to mark Courses and
Departments that are complete and scheduled for archive.
l
Should the Courses and Departments in the domain be limited by Enrollment
Options, for example, Courses in which Students can enroll themselves?
l
Course and Department categories must be added individually, even if the category
is nested in a category that is already included in the domain.
Users
l
What Organization Constituencies can be used to define the users in this domain?
l
Alternatively or in addition to Organization Constituencies, what data source keys
can be used to define the users in this domain?
l
Users may also be defined by System Constituency. However, customized System
Constituencies are more likely to be based on privileges and thus are not usually a
good model for defining the users in a domain. System Constituency is most useful
as an attribute when using the Guest or Observer constituency.
l
Should the domain include unavailable Users? Should the domain include disabled
Users? This is an important consideration as unavailable and disabled status is
often used to mark User records for archive or removal.
l
Should the Users in the domain be limited by Privacy Options? Users that opt out of
the User Directory can be excluded from a domain.
Tabs and Modules
l
Should the domain include unavailable Tabs and Modules? This is a way to allow
users to create tabs and modules but not edit them once they are published.
Alternatively, a domain can include only available materials. In this case, the
unavailable materials that are in production cannot be edited by the domain
administrators.
l
Tabs and modules can be individually selected for inclusion in a domain.
For example, consider populating the SLA_LANGUAGES domain with a collection of Courses
and users that includes all the Courses offered in the department and all the users that work in
the department or list Languages as their major of study. In this case, the Courses collection
may be defined as:
Categories: LANG, LANG_FR, LANG_DE, LANG_ES, LANG_JP, LANG_NL
Availability: Ignore
Enabled: Enabled Only
The user collection may be defined as:
Organization Constituencies: DEPT_LANG, MAJOR_LANG
Availability: Available Only
Enabled: Enabled Only
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Structuring the Administration Model > What Admin Tasks are Required for Domain Administrators?
What Admin Tasks are Required for Domain Administrators?
After the collections are defined it is possible to confidently assign appropriate privileges to
System Constituencies. Domain Administrators are granted privileges based on a System
Constituency that is applied to that domain only. Essentially, the user and the System
Constituency (or System Constituencies) are combined to create a delegated administrator for
the domain with the privileges defined by the System Constituencies. That combination of
user and System Constituencies only applies in that domain.
System Constituencies can be created for each domain, but it is more efficient to create
System Constituencies based on like privileges that can be applied to an administrator in each
domain. Because System Constituencies are additive in the domain, it is possible to create a
System Constituency model based entirely on tasks and then use a combination of those
tasks to grant individualized privileges to specific delegated administrators.
When creating System Constituencies, consider the following:
l
What administrative tasks will be used by domain administrators?
l
What privileges are needed to accomplish these tasks?
l
How can those privileges be grouped so that each set of privileges accomplishes a
goal or goals? Are there any privileges that are not always applicable in the set?
l
How should System Constituencies be named? The naming convention should be
easily recognizable and define the set of privileges.
For example, a System Constituency named USER_MANAGER is created with full privileges
to manager user accounts. This System Constituency can then be used in each domain to
grant a domain administrator the ability to administer all user accounts in the domain. Another
System Constituency, USER_PASSWORD may be granted to a domain administrator to
allow that user to change users' password, but not edit any other details about the user record.
In the SLA_LANGUAGE domain, the Department Head may be given the constituency
USER_MANAGER, while an assistant is assigned the USER_PASSWORD System
Constituency in the domain to respond to requests to replace a lost password.
Remember that System Constituencies are additive. If a user has the System Constituency of
USER_PASSWORD, and is given another System Constituency that includes the capability
to edit some aspect of user accounts, both System Constituencies apply. That is, the user
has the sum of all the privileges of all the System Constituencies the user is assigned.
Further, if the user has System Constituencies with administrative privileges assigned on the
default domain, those privileges apply in all domains and for all data in the system.
Who are the Users Assigned to Administer the Domain?
Domains are not limited to one administrator with one System Constituency. Rather, each
domain can have an unlimited number of administrators with an unlimited number of System
Constituencies. In a domain, different administrators are assigned different responsibilities
and tasks.
When assigning users as domain administrators, consider the following:
l
What aspects of the domain require a domain administrator?
l
Are there specific System Constituencies that grant privileges to accomplish these
tasks without introducing additional unnecessary or potentially risky privileges? If
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Structuring the Administration Model > Who are the Users Assigned to Administer the Domain?
not, consider revising the construction of System Constituencies or creating a new
System Constituency to cover the exceptional case.
l
How do the required tasks form the responsibilities for domain administrators? Is
one admin required to manage users while another is assigned Courses?
l
Who should be assigned to the different domain administrator positions?
After the individuals who will serve as domain administrators and the System Constituencies
that will grant appropriate privileges are identified, the last step is to put that information
together within the domain. For example:
Domain: SLA_LANGUAGE
User: Department Head
System Constituencies: USER_MANAGER, COURSE_MANAGER, MODULE_CREATE,
MODULE_MODIFY
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Creating Domains > How to Create a Domain
Creating Domains
Creating a domain adds a new domain to the system. After creation, the domain must be
populated with collections and domain administrators must be assigned.
Domains are visible only on the Administrator Panel. Even then, only the System
Administrator can see the list of domains. Domains are invisible to users within the system,
since they are an administrative management tool. Administrators within the Domain are also
unaware of the domain. Administrators within the Domain simply access features and
functions on the Administrator Panel. The domain controls what data can be managed by the
domain administrator.
It is important to understand the difference between the Domain Name and the Domain ID.
The Domain ID is a unique identifier within the system. The Domain Name is the name of the
domain as it appears to the System Administrator.
How to Create a Domain
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Domains.
2. Click Create Domain.
3. Provide a Domain Name and a Domain ID. The Domain Name is the readable
name that appears in the user interface. The Domain ID is a permanent, unique
identifier assigned to the domain in the database. Once set, the Domain ID cannot
be changed.
4. Provide a Description for the domain.
5. Click Submit. The Domain now appears in the list of domains on the Domains
page.
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Managing Domain Administrators > How to Add Administrators to Domains
Managing Domain Administrators
Domain administrators are created by combining a user with System Constituencies within
the domain. System Constituencies are constituencies that define administrative privileges. A
user can have several System Constituencies applied within a domain. When a user has
several System Constituencies, all the privileges in each constituency are applied. If one
System Constituency allows an action, but another System Constituency does not allow the
same action, the user will be able to perform the action.
WARNING! System Constituencies attached to user records in the default domain apply to
all domains. The default domain is the entire set of data in the system. System Constituencies
may be attached to users on the Edit User page or when users are created. System
Constituencies added in this way apply to the default domain.
How to Add Administrators to Domains
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Domains. A list of
domains should appear. If no domains exist, see Creating Domains.
2. In the contextual menu for a Domain, click Manage Administrators. The Manage
Administrators page lists out all the domain administrators and their System
Constituencies. Clicking on a System Constituency will open the Manage
Privileges page for that System Constituency. Be careful when editing privileges,
the changes will be applied system wide to any user who has that System
Constituency in any domain.
3. Click Administrator.
4. Provide the Username for the new domain administrator.
5. Assign the System Constituencies that will apply in the domain.
6. Click Submit.
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Managing Domain Collections > How to Populate a Collection
Managing Domain Collections
Collections are sets of data. Domains may include one or many of the following collections:
l
Courses
l
Departments
l
Users
l
Tabs
l
Modules
Each domain may include one or many collections.
After a collection is defined, newly created items in the system will be added to the domain if
they match the collection criteria. For example, if a Course is created with the LANG category,
that Course will appear in a collection that includes all Courses with the LANG category.
It is possible to create collections that are closed to new items. Either select each item
individually for inclusion in the domain using the controls on the Edit Criteria page or use
Snapshot to add the data to the system with a unique data source (and then define the
collection to include only those items with that data source).
How to Populate a Collection
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Communities, click Domains. A list of
domains should appear. If there are no domains, click Create Domain to create
one before defining the collections within the domain.
2. In the contextual menu for a domain in the list, click Manage Collections.
3. In the contextual menu for the collection to populate, click Edit.
4. Set the criteria to define a collection. The table in the following section describes
the available fields for each collection.
5. Click Submit.
Collection Criteria
The following table describes the variables used to define each collection. The criteria all work
in concert to determine which items are included in the domain. If the criteria for the Course
collection includes Category LANG and Availability set to Yes, only those Courses that have
the LANG category and are available to users will be included in the collection. The option for
selecting specific items is independent of the other criteria. Thus, a Course that does not have
the LANG category and/or is not available may be added to the collection by specifically
identifying it as part of the collection. Remember that specifying more criteria makes the
domain narrower in scope.
Criteria
Description
General Collection Options
Define the collection of items that will be managed in this domain: All Items, No Items, or Items
according to the criteria below.
Users
Organization
Constituency
Choose to include users that are assigned specific Organization
Constituencies.
Availability
Choose to include Available or Unavailable users. If Ignore is selected, the
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Managing Domain Collections > Collection Criteria
Criteria
Description
Availability of the user will not be considered as a criterion for inclusion in the
collection.
Enabled
Choose to include Enabled or Disabled users. This refers to the status of the
user record in the database. Snapshot makes it possible to disable records but
continue to store them in the database. If Ignore is selected, the status of the
Course will not be considered.
Privacy
Options
Choose to include users based on their Privacy Settings. Users that elect not to
appear in the User Directory can be included or excluded from the collection.
Data Source
Choose to include users based on the data source key. Data source keys are
applied to any data that is added to the system using Snapshot.
Specific
Users
Select individual users to appear in the collection.
Courses and Departments
Availability
Criteria
Choose to include Available or Unavailable Courses. If Ignore is selected, the
Availability of the Course will not be considered as a criterion for inclusion in
the collection.
Disabled
Status
Criteria
Choose to include Enabled or Disabled Courses. This refers to the status of the
Course record in the database. Snapshot makes it possible to disable records
but continue to store them in the database. If Ignore is selected, the status of the
Course will not be considered.
Enrollment
Criteria
Choose to include Courses based on the method of enrollment.
Course
Catalog
Categories
Criteria
Choose to include Courses that fall into certain categories. Categories are
assigned to describe and group like Courses. Courses appear in the Course
Catalog based on Category. If Course categories are organized and applied
consistently, Category is a logical and useful means for determining which
Courses belong in a collection.
Data Source
Criteria
Choose to include Courses based on the data source key. Data source keys
are applied to any data that is added to the system using Snapshot.
Specific
Courses
Click Browse to select individual Courses to appear in the collection.
Tabs
Availability
Criteria
Choose to include Available or Unavailable tabs. If Ignore is selected, the
Availability of the tab will not be considered as a criterion for inclusion in the
collection.
Specific
Tabs
Select individual tabs to appear in the collection.
Modules
Availability
Criteria
Choose to include Available or Unavailable modules. If Ignore is selected, the
Availability of the module will not be considered as a criterion for inclusion in
the collection.
Specific
Modules
Select individual modules to appear in the collection.
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Managing Logs > How to Manage Logs
Managing Logs
Blackboard Learn generates a number of logs to help system Administrators with performance
tuning, troubleshooting, and tracking. The Logs features are a quick way to manage logs
through the interface. It is also possible to manage logs at the operating system level or
through a third party tool.
How to Manage Logs
On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Logs. The following table
describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
email log files
System Logs and then click Send Logs. The Send Logs page
will appear.
download log files
System Logs. Then click the Log link to download a log.
manage log rotation
System Logs. Then click Log Rotation.
check on Course Cartridge
import
Course Cartridge Import Status.
Check Course Copy status
System Tasks Status.
Blackboard Learn Logs
All logs are stored in the logs directory under the top-level blackboard directory. Within the logs
directory there are folders that store logs as well as an archive folder for logs that have been
compressed and stored as a means of managing the size of the log files.
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Log Descriptions > Log Descriptions
Log Descriptions
The log files that appear within the user interface are also accessible within the file system. It
should be noted that the user interface provides a more descriptive title than the names in the
file system. Also, when opening logs downloaded from the user interface, it may be necessary
to open them in Excel or a similar program—sometimes the text runs together and individual
entries are difficult to discern.
Log Descriptions
The following table lists the logs as they appear in the file system, in the user interface, and a
description of each.
File System
collabserver
User Interface
Description
DATE_Collaboration
Server_BYTES
Logs events associated with the Collaboration
Service.
contentexchange
DATE_Content
Exchange Tool_
BYTES
Logs events and errors with Course
import/export/archive/restore/copy
httpd
Logs events from the Web server (IIS or Apache™).
perlex
DATE_Perl App
Server_BYTES
Logs events associated with the Perl engine.
snapshot
Snapshot Tool
Logs snapshot events.
system-info
DATE_System
Information_BYTES
Lists hardware and software information and
settings.
update-tools
DATE_System
Update_BYTES
Logs events associated with system updates.
bb-serviceslog
DATE_Blackboard
Services (Daemons)_
BYTES
Logs services exceptions, including authentication
exceptions.
isapi_
redirect.log
DATE_Session
Manager_BYTES
Logs session exceptions.
jasper.log
This log will include additional events written by the
Tomcat Java App Server if the verbosity is set high.
servlet.log
DATE_servlet.log_
BYTES
Logs Java servlet events.
tomcat-jvmstderr.txt
DATE_Java App
Server - stderr_BYTES
Logs Java App server exceptions.
bb-sqlerrorlog.txt
This records any database-related errors, including
deadlocks, timeouts, and SQL execution issues.
bb-emaillog.txt
batch_du.txt
This logs all bb mail that goes out of the system.
catalinalog.txt
This is AS-based info coming from the Application
Server.
stdoutstderr.log
This is the Tomcat standard out log, where
everything the appserver sends to std out or error
goes.
Contains the following logs: bb-schema, collabserver, cxproc_shell, and systeminfo/tracking.
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Downloading Individual System Logs > How to Download Individual System Logs
Downloading Individual System Logs
System Logs can be downloaded and saved to another location. Downloading a log will not
remove the log. The downloaded log is a static file, it will not be updated with system events.
System events will continue to be written to the original log.
The logs that are available for download are listed as links. Logs that contain passwords or
other sensitive information are marked with a yellow triangle with an exclamation point. For
most browsers, clicking the link to a log will open a download window. If it does not download,
try right-clicking on a log and selecting Save target as from the menu.
How to Download Individual System Logs
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Logs.
2. Click System Logs.
3. Click the link for a log.
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Sending System Logs > How to Send System Logs
Sending System Logs
The Send System Logs feature is a quick way for an Administrator to view a log without having
to access the application file system on the Web/application server. The logs are emailed to
the Administrator from this page.
How to Send System Logs
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tool and Utilities, click System Logs.
2. Click Send Logs. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Recipients
To
Select the desired recipient and click the right facing arrow to move the
recipient to the Selected box.
Email Information
From
This field is display only.
Subject
This field will automatically populate but can be changed by the sender.
Message
This field will populate with the name of the server. The sender can add
a message to the System Administrator. A copy of the email will
automatically be sent to the sender.
Add Attachments
Log Files
There is a list of logs that are available to select. To select more than
one log, hold down the CONTROL key. Move the desired log files to the
Selected box by clicking the right facing arrow. The size of each log file
is displayed following the name of the log.
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Managing Log Rotation > How to Manage Log Rotation
Managing Log Rotation
The Manage Log Rotation tool creates an archive file of all logs. The entries that are sent to the
archive are set on this page. Once the logs have been rotated, the logs will consume less
space. Please note that the archive files must be moved or deleted manually or they will
remain on the Web/application server indefinitely.
Note There is a command line tool available for manually rotating logs.
How to Manage Log Rotation
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Logs.
2. Click System Logs.
3. Click Log Rotation. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Log Rotation Settings
Set
Frequency
of System
Log
Rotation
Select a number of days between log rotations from the drop-down list.
Logs will be rotated and archives created at intervals based on the
number of days set. If logs are manually rotated from the command
line it will not interrupt the regular intervals. However, the logs that
were rotated manually will not be included in the archive files created
at the regularly scheduled rotation. For example, if the log rotation is
set at 30 days and the logs are manually rotated after 15 days, only the
last 15 days of logs will be included in the archives at the next
scheduled log rotation.
Set Time
of Day for
System
Log
Rotation
Set the time of day that the logs will be rotated. The time is determined
based on the server clock. If the server is in a different time zone be
sure to take that into account when selecting a time for the rotation to
occur.
How to Manage Manual Log Rotation
The Rotate Logs tool processes a log rotation outside the scheduled log rotations configured
through the Log Rotation page. The tool stops all necessary services and starts the services
after the rotation is finished.
Windows:
\blackboard_home\tools\admin\RotateLogs.bat
UNIX:
/blackboard_home/tools/admin/RotateLogs.sh
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Managing Cartridge Import Status > How to Manage Cartridge Import Status
Managing Cartridge Import Status
Administrators can troubleshoot Course Cartridge downloads from the Cartridge Import Status
page. Downloads that do not complete correctly can be removed from the system or restarted.
How to Manage Cartridge Import Status
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Logs.
2. Click Cartridge Import Status. The following table describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
Remove a Cartridge Download that is in
progress or has failed to complete
Delete. Any Cartridge content that was
added to the Course will be deleted.
Reset a download that has failed to
complete
Reset. The download will begin again.
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Managing System Task Status Reports > How to View a System Task Status Report
Managing System Task Status Reports
The System Tasks Status page lists attempts to copy a Course or Course materials in a table.
Each attempt is a row with the following attributes (columns):
l
Title: Shows the destination (target) Course ID and the source Course ID separated
by a pipe (|).
l
Type: Course Copy is displayed.
l
Status: Displays the current state of the attempt. The options for this area include
Waiting, Complete and Running.
Reports may be sorted by clicking the carats at the top of each column. For example, to sort
completed copies from those that are still in process, click the carat above the Status column.
Administrators may view details of an attempt from this page. Reports on completed attempts
may be deleted if they are no longer needed.
Note A status of Complete means that the operation has finished, not that it was
successful. Administrators must open the Details of the Task to ensure it was completed
successfully.
How to View a System Task Status Report
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Logs.
2. Click System Tasks Status.
3. In the contextual menu for the title, click View Details. The report will show the
following details:
l
Title: Target Course and source Course separated by a pipe delimiter
l
Type: The action attempted.
l
Status: Complete or in progress.
l
User: The User Name that initiated the copy operation.
l
Start Date: Date and time the copy operation was initiated.
l
End Date: Date and time the copy operation completed.
l
Results: Successful or unsuccessful.
How to Delete System Tasks Status Reports
Tasks are deleted only through this option. They will not be purged after a specific amount of
time.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Logs.
2. Click System Tasks Status.
3. In the contextual menu for the title, click Delete, or select the check box for a title
and click Delete at the top or bottom of the list.
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Running Statistics Reports > How to Run Statistics Reports
Running Statistics Reports
Administrators track system usage through System Reports. Statistics provide information
about the number of Courses, users, overall usage, and cumulative hits. Reports may also be
exported and viewed as a text file or in a spreadsheet program.
The Event Tracking option must be set to Yes on the Auto-Reporting Options page before
Statistics will be recorded.
Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition: The database only stores data for the previous 180 days to
prevent system slowdowns. Therefore, activity that occurred more than 180 days before
running the report will not be included in the report. To increase the number of days that data is
stored, please contact Blackboard Product Support.
How to Run Statistics Reports
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tool and Utilities, click System Reporting.
2. Click Statistics Reports.
3. Select the appropriate report to run by clicking run in the contextual menu for the
report. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Select Report Filter
Select
Report
Time
period
The report options are:
l
Course Usage: Displays the average number of active Courses
and Departments per month and per day.
l
System Page Views: Displays the average number of system
views and Course page views per month and per day.
l
Overall Summary of Usage: Displays the average number of
users, Courses, and page views per month.
l
User Statistics: Displays the average number of total users,
Students, and Instructors per month and per day.
Pick a start date and an end date for the range from the drop-down lists.
Dates can also be selected by clicking the icon to bring up the calendar
interface.
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Managing Statistics Reports > How to Manage Reports
Managing Statistics Reports
The results are displayed after selecting the filters and generating a report on the Statistics
page. Included is a summary as well as graphs of all the data requested. The report lists the
total numbers as well as the number of active Users, Courses, or Departments. Active applies
to the subset of the total that have been used during the date range. For example, the total
number of Users may be 2,000, but if the date range is only one day, perhaps only 750 Users
logged in that day (considered active).
Note When viewing reports that include hit statistics, a hit is tracked every time a request is
sent. For example, a Student logs in to Blackboard Learn (1 hit), clicks the Courses tab (2
hits), clicks a Course Link (3 hits), accesses the Communication area (4 hits), clicks
Discussion Boards (5 hits), clicks a Forum (6 hits), and clicks a message to read (7 hits).
How to Manage Reports
1. Click System Reporting on the Administrator Panel.
2. Click Statistics Reports from the System Reporting menu page.
3. Select a Report to view. The following table describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
view a different set of
reports
Change Filter to go back to the Statistics page.
print a set of reports
Print.
export a file containing
report data
Export Data. The data file can be opened in a text editor
or a spreadsheet application.
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Running Database Attribute Reports > Attribute Definitions
Running Database Attribute Reports
This diagram details the shared rows in the reporting database tables. The relationship
between the tables is used to define and return customized data reports. For example, the
INTERNAL_HANDLE can be used to link the ACTIVITY_ACCUMULATOR table, the
NAVIGATION_ITEM table, and the APPLICATION table. A report could be constructed
around this relationship to show which items and tools users are accessing in a particular
Course.
Attribute Definitions
The tables below detail the attributes in each database table. Each of the tables below
includes the following columns:
l
Attribute: The name of the attribute as it appears in the database.
l
Data Type: The format of the information stored in the attribute (date, varchar, etc.)
l
Null: Indicated whether or not null values are allowed. Y indicates that null values are
allowed for the attribute, N indicates that null values are not allowed for the attribute.
l
Description: Explains the information stored in the attribute and its importance.
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Running Database Attribute Reports > ACTIVITY_ACCUMULATOR
ACTIVITY_ACCUMULATOR
Data Type
and
Constraints
Null?
Attribute
PK1
Description
INT (4)
N
Unique identifier for each record. (Primary Key)
EVENT_
TYPE
VARCHAR
(30)
N
Groups the event based on what occurred. Please see the
Event Type table below for specific information on the
possible values for this field.
USER_PK1
INT (4)
Y
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the USERS
table.
COURSE_
PK1
INT (4)
Y
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the COURSE
table.
GROUP_PK1
INT (4)
Y
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the GROUP
table.
FORUM_PK1
INT (4)
Y
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the FORUM
table.
INTERNAL_
HANDLE
VARCHAR
(255)
Y
Internal system identifier for the event. This field
corresponds to the unique ID in the NAVIGATION_ITEM
table. Not all page requests correspond to a navigation
item, so this field may often appear blank. When reading
the INTERNAL_HANDLE, the prefix helps identify the path
the user took to access the page.
l
CP_ indicates that the user went
through the Course Control Panel to
view the page.
l
PA_ is associated with portal
administrator functions
l
ADMIN_ refers to accesses through
the Administrator Control Panel
l
LIST_ indicates that the page was
requested after a search function
CUST_ refers to a Customization
interface, such as the Customize
Login Page
If this field is empty, check the CONTENT_PK1 field. If the
page accessed displayed content, the primary key for the
piece of content will appear in that field.
l
CONTENT_
PK1
INT (4)
Y
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the
CONTENT table. This field is populated when the EVENT_
TYPE is CONTENT_ACCESS.
DATA
NVARCHAR
(255)
Y
Data related to the event. This field provides additional
information on the event. Each event uses this field, if at all,
in different ways. In many instances, the data included in
this field is a value that is easily deduced. In some
instances, the value in the data field is a number, such as _
1_1 or _29_1. These are associated with an EVENT_TYPE
of TAB_ACCESS or MODULE_ACCESS. The first number
is an ID that references a tab or a module (the second
number can be ignored). The ID number that refers to a tab
can be found in the user interface by scrolling over the tab.
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Running Database Attribute Reports > ACTIVITY_ACCUMULATOR
Data Type
and
Constraints
Null?
Attribute
Description
The ID number appears as part of the URL in the status bar.
The ID number that refers to a module can be found in the
same manner. Scroll over the Maximize, Minimize, or Edit
button associated with a module. The ID number will
appear as part of the URL in the status bar. Please note
that the Detach Module button returns a different ID number
and should be ignored.
TIMESTAMP
DATETIME
(8)
Y
Date and time that the event occurred.
STATUS
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Shows success (1) and failure (0).
MESSAGES
NTEXT (16)
Y
Additional messages associated with the event.
SESSION_
ID
INT (4)
Y
Identifies the user session that initiated the action. A
session is simply a browser connection to the system
launched from an end-user machine.
Event Types
The following table lists the possible event types stored in the ACTIVITY_ACCUMULATOR
table. The Page View column shows whether or not the activity counts as a page view when
generating statistics.
Page
View?
Type
TAB_
ACCESS
Description
A browser request that causes a portal tab to change state. The name of the
tab will be returned.
Yes
MODULE_
ACCESS
Triggered when a portal module is rendered. The name of the module will
be returned.
No
LOGIN_
ATTEMPT
An attempt to authenticate to the system. Additional information on the
success is stored.
No
LOGOUT
A user's session is voluntarily ended by accessing the logout link.
No
SESSION_
TIMEOUT
A user's session is involuntarily ended because no action was taken in a
specific window.
No
COURSE_
ACCESS
Triggered when a Course frame set is loaded, or when a page is accessed
in a Course. The name of the navigation item will be returned.
Yes
CONTENT_
ACCESS
PAGE_
ACCESS
Triggered when content is displayed.
No
Triggered when a page, other than a Course, Department, content, module,
or tab is accessed on the system. The name of the navigation item will be
returned.
Yes
SESSION_
INIT
Triggered when a session is initialized.
No
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Running Database Attribute Reports > COURSE_ROLES
COURSE_ROLES
Data Type
and
Constraints
Attribute
PK1
Null?
Description
INT (4)
N
Unique identifier for each record. (Primary Key)
COURSE_
ROLE
CHAR (1)
N
One character system identifier for a Course Constituency.
B=Course Builder or Department Builder G=Evaluator
P=Instructor or Department Leader S=Student or Department
Member T=Teaching Assistant U=Guest
NAME
NVARCHAR
(50)
Y
Customized name of a Course Constituency.
DEFAULT_
NAME
VARCHAR
(50)
Y
Default name of a Course Constituency.
ORG_NAME
NVARCHAR
(50)
Y
Customized name of an Department Constituency.
ORG_
DEFAULT_
NAME
VARCHAR
(50)
Y
Default name of an Department Constituency.
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Running Database Attribute Reports > COURSE_USERS
COURSE_USERS
Data Type
and
Constraints
Null?
Attribute
PK1
Description
INT (4)
N
Unique identifier for each record. (Primary Key)
CRSMAIN_PK1
INT (4)
N
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the
COURSE_MAIN table.
DATA_SRC_
PK1
INT (4)
Y
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the DATA_
SOURCE table.
ROLE
CHAR (1)
Y
One character identifier of the users Course Constituency.
B=Course Builder or Department Builder G=Evaluator
P=Instructor or Department Leader S=Student or
Department Member T=Teaching Assistant U=Guest
LINK_NAME_1
NVARCHAR
(100)
Y
Name of a link to a Web site listed on the Users Learner
Homepage within the Course.
LINK_URL_1
VARCHAR
(100)
Y
Address of a link on the Users Learner Homepage.
LINK_DESC_1
NVARCHAR
(255)
Y
Description of a link on the Users Learner Homepage.
LINK_NAME_2
VARCHAR
(100)
Y
Name of a link to a Web site listed on the Users Learner
Homepage within the Course.
LINK_URL_2
VARCHAR
(100)
Y
Address of a link on the Users Learner Homepage.
LINK_DESC_2
NVARCHAR
(255)
Y
Description of a link on the Users Learner Homepage.
LINK_NAME_3
NVARCHAR
(100)
Y
Name of a link to a Web site listed on the Users Learner
Homepage within the Course.
LINK_URL_3
VARCHAR
(100)
Y
Address of a link on the Users Learner Homepage.
LINK_DESC_3
NVARCHAR
(255)
Y
Description of a link on the Users Learner Homepage.
USERS_PK1
INT (4)
N
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the USERS
table.
PHOTO_LINK
VARCHAR
(100)
Y
Link to a image that will display on the Users Learner
Homepage.
INTRO
NTEXT (16)
Y
Message that will display on the Users Learner
Homepage.
NOTE
NTEXT (16)
Y
Text box in the user interface filled out by the user.
PINFO
NTEXT (16)
Y
Message that will display on the Users Learner
Homepage, typically used to display personal information.
CARTRIDGE_
IND
CHAR (1) Y
or N
N
Determines whether or not the user can access cartridge
content in the Course.
AVAILABLE_
IND
CHAR (1) Y
or N
N
Determines whether or not the user can access the
Course.
SOS_ID_PK2
INT (4)
N
Not in use.
ROW_STATUS
NUMERIC
(5)
Y
Sets the value of the record to one of the following:
Enabled: Normal access to the record. Disabled: Record is
visible in some areas of the UI, but may not be changed or
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Running Database Attribute Reports > SYSTEM_ROLES
Data Type
and
Constraints
Null?
Attribute
Description
accessed. Deleted: Record is scheduled to be deleted.
ENROLLMENT_
DATE
DATETIME
(8)
Y
Date the User enrolled in the Course.
CRSMAIN_
SOS_ID_PK2
USERS_SOS_
ID_PK2
DTMODIFIED
INT (4)
Y
Not in use.
INT (4)
Y
Not in use.
DATETIME
(8)
Y
The last date the record was edited.
SYSTEM_ROLES
Data Type
and
Constraints
Attribute
PK1
Null?
Description
INT (4)
N
Unique identifier for each record. (Primary Key)
SYSTEM_
ROLE
CHAR (1)
N
One character identifier for each System Constituency.
Z=System Administrator A=User Administrator C=Course
Administrator H=System Support N=None O=Observer
R=Support U=Guest
NAME
NVARCHAR
(64)
Y
The customized name of a System Constituency.
DEFAULT_
NAME
VARCHAR
(64)
Y
The name of a System Constituency as it appeared before
modification.
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Running Database Attribute Reports > INSTITUTION_ROLES
INSTITUTION_ROLES
Data Type
and
Constraints
Attribute
PK1
Null?
Description
INT (4)
N
Unique identifier for each record. (Primary Key)
ROLE_NAME
NVARCHAR
(50)
N
Name of an Organization Constituency as it appears to
users.
DESCRIPTION
NVARCHAR
(255)
Y
Description of the constituency.
ROLE_ID
NVARCHAR
(50)
N
The unique identifier of the constituency. This is the key
that is used to identify the constituency during Snapshot
and other data management operations.
DATA_SRC_
PK1
INT (4)
Y
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the DATA_
SOURCE table.
GUEST_IND
CHAR (1)
N
This indicates whether or not the constituency serves as a
Guest constituency for a particular brand.
REMOVABLE_
IND
CHAR (1)
N
This indicates whether or not the constituency may be
removed from the system. Some Organization
Constituencies are not removable to ensure backward
compatibility.
SELF_
SELECTABLE_
IND
ROW_STATUS
CHAR (1)
N
This field is not currently used to store data.
INT (4)
N
Sets the value of the record to one of the following:
Enabled: Normal access to the record. Disabled: Record is
visible in some areas of the UI, but may not be changed or
accessed. Deleted: Record is scheduled to be deleted.
USER_ROLES
Data Type
and
Constraints
Null?
Attribute
PK1
Description
INT (4)
N
Unique identifier for each record. (Primary Key)
USERS_PK1
INT (4)
N
The primary key that identifies a user in the USERS table.
INSTITUTION_
ROLES_PK1
INT (4)
N
The primary key that identifies an Organization
Constituency in the INSTITUTION_ROLES table.
ROW_STATUS
NUMERIC
(5)
Y
Sets the value of the record to one of the following:
Enabled: Normal access to the record. Disabled: Record
is visible in some areas of the UI, but may not be changed
or accessed. Deleted: Record is scheduled to be deleted.
DATA_SRC_PK1
INT (4)
Y
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the DATA_
SOURCE table.
DTMODIFIED
DATETIME
(8)
Y
The date the relationship between the user and the
Organization Constituency was last edited.
APPLICATION
Applications are the tools and features that appear in Blackboard Learn.
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Running Database Attribute Reports > APPLICATION
Data Type
and
Constraints
Null?
INT (4)
N
Unique identifier for each record. (Primary Key)
APPLICATION
VARCHAR
(64)
N
Internal system identifier.
LARGE_ICON
VARCHAR
(255)
Y
Location of the image to display with the application if
large icons are used.
PLUGINS_PK1
INT (4)
Y
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the
PLUGINS table.
ENABLED_
MASK
SSL_IND
INT (4)
Y
Determines whether or not the tool is enabled.
CHAR (1) Y or
N
N
Displays whether or not SSL is enabled for the
application.
RELABEL_IND
CHAR (1) Y or
N
N
Displays whether or not the application can be
renamed.
LABEL
NVARCHAR
(255)
Y
Name of the application as it appears in the user
interface.
SMALL_ICON
VARCHAR
(255)
Y
Location of the image to display with the application if
small icons are used.
TYPE
VARCHAR
(20)
Y
Defines the application as a Course application,
System (Portal) application, or Shared application.
DESCRIPTION
NTEXT (16)
Y
A description of the application.
ALLOW_
GUEST_MASK
ALLOW_
OBSERVER_
MASK
NAME
INT (4)
Y
Determines whether or not Guests can access.
INT (4)
Y
Determines whether or not Observers can access the
application.
NVARCHAR
(64)
Y
This field displays the name of the function or tool.
CAN_
RELABEL_IND
CHAR (1) Y or
N
Y
Determines whether or not the name of the application
can be changed by an Instructor or Administrator.
CAN_ALLOW_
GUEST_IND
CHAR (1) Y or
N
Y
Determines whether or not the Instructor can control
Guest access to the feature or tool.
CAN_ALLOW_
OBSERVER_
IND
CAN_
CONFIGURE_
IND
CONFIGURE_
URL
CHAR (1) Y or
N
Y
Determines whether or not the Instructor can control
Observer access to the feature or tool.
CHAR (1) Y or
N
Y
Signifies if the tool is configured through an outside
Web site. This only applies to Building Blocks tools.
VARCHAR
(1000)
Y
The URL used to configure the tool.
Attribute
PK1
Description
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Running Database Attribute Reports > NAVIGATION_ITEM
NAVIGATION_ITEM
Data Type
and
Constraints
Attribute
PK1
Null?
Description
INT (4)
N
Unique identifier for each record. (Primary Key)
APPLICATION
NVARCHAR
(64)
Y
Application accessed through the navigation item
INTERNAL_
HANDLE
VARCHAR
(255)
N
Unique identifier.
ENTITLEMENT_
UID
VARCHAR
(255)
Y
Defines the entitlement required to access the item.
FAMILY
VARCHAR
(255)
Y
Top level for groupings of navigation items.
HREF
VARCHAR
(2550
Y
Address of the application in the file system.
ENABLED_MASK
INT (4)
Y
Determines if the item is enabled in a Course, the
system, or an Department.
COMPONENT_
TYPE
VARCHAR
(20)
Y
Groups items under the Sub-Group heading.
NAVIGATION_
TYPE
VARCHAR
(20)
Y
Course or System Determines whether the navigation
item is available in Courses or through the portal.
SRC
VARCHAR
(255)
Y
Image or icon connected to the navigation item.
LABEL
VARCHAR
(255)
Y
Name of the navigation item as it appears within the
system.
DESCRIPTION
VARCHAR
(3900)
Y
Description of the navigation item as it appears in the
system.
SUB_GROUP
VARCHAR
(255)
Y
Groups navigation items under the Family heading.
POSITION
INT (4)
Y
Order that the navigation item appears in the system in
relation to other items in the same grouping.
LAUNCH_IND
CHAR (1) Y
or N
Y
Determines whether or not to launch the application in a
separate browser window.
REDIRECT_URL
VARCHAR
(255)
Y
Some navigation items, such as the Lost Password
page, may be redirected. If allowed, the redirected URL
appears in this field.
USER_LABEL
NVARCHAR
(255)
Y
Customized label.
VISIBLE_IND
CHAR (1)
Y
Determines whether or not the item is visible to users.
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Running Database Attribute Reports > USERS
USERS
Data Type
and
Constraints
Attribute
PK1
Null?
Description
INT (4)
N
Unique identifier for each record. (Primary Key)
CITY
NVARCHAR
(50)
Y
City of the users address.
DATA_SRC_PK1
INT (4)
Y
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the DATA_
SOURCE table.
SYSTEM_ROLE
CHAR (1)
N
One character identifier of the Administrator Constituency
assigned to the User. Z=System Administrator A=User
Administrator C=Course Administrator H=System Support
N=None O=Observer R=Support U=Guest
SOS_ID_PK2
INT (4)
N
Not in use.
DTCREATED
DATETIME
(8)
N
Date the user was created in the system.
DTMODIFIED
DATETIME
(8)
Y
Last date that the user record was edited in the system.
ROW_STATUS
NUMERIC
(5)
N
Sets the value of the record to one of the following:
Enabled: Normal access to the record. Disabled: Record
is visible in some areas of the UI, but may not be changed
or accessed. Deleted: Record is scheduled to be
removed.
BATCH_UID
NVARCHAR
(64)
Y
Unique identifier within the database.
USER_ID
NVARCHAR
(50)
N
Username.
PASSWD
VARCHAR
(32)
N
The user's password.
FIRSTNAME
NVARCHAR
(100)
N
The first name of the user.
MIDDLENAME
NVARCHAR
(100)
Y
The middle name of the user.
LASTNAME
NVARCHAR
(100)
N
The last name of the user.
GENDER
CHAR (1) F
or M
Y
The sex of the user.
EDUC_LEVEL
NUMERIC
(5)
Y
Highest level of education achieved by the user.
BIRTHDATE
DATETIME
(8)
Y
The user's date of birth.
TITLE
NVARCHAR
(100)
Y
A title in the user's name (for example, Mr. or Dr.).
STUDENT_ID
NVARCHAR
(100)
Y
Users Student ID as assigned by the Organization.
Uniqueness is not enforced on this field, it is used to store
information only.
EMAIL
VARCHAR
(100)
Y
The Users email address.
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Running Database Attribute Reports > USERS
Data Type
and
Constraints
Attribute
JOB_TITLE
Null?
Description
NVARCHAR
(100)
Y
The users job title.
DEPARTMENT
NVARCHAR
(100)
Y
Department, section, or area where the User works.
COMPANY
NVARCHAR
(100)
Y
Company for which the user works.
STREET_1
NVARCHAR
(100)
Y
Street in the users address.
INSTITUTION_
ROLES_PK1
INT (4)
N
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the
INSTITUTION_ROLES table.
STREET_2
NVARCHAR
(100)
Y
Another line for Street in the users address.
STATE
NVARCHAR
(50)
Y
State in the users address.
ZIP_CODE
NVARCHAR
(50)
Y
ZIP code in the Users address.
COUNTRY
NVARCHAR
(50)
Y
Country in the Users address.
B_PHONE_1
NVARCHAR
(50)
Y
The user's business phone number.
B_PHONE_2
NVARCHAR
(50)
Y
A second line for another business phone number.
H_PHONE_1
NVARCHAR
(50)
Y
The Users home phone number.
H_PHONE_2
NVARCHAR
(50)
Y
A second line for another home phone number.
M_PHONE
NVARCHAR
(50)
Y
The user's mobile phone number.
B_FAX
NVARCHAR
(50)
Y
The users business fax number.
H_FAX
NVARCHAR
(50)
Y
The users home fax number.
WEBPAGE
VARCHAR
(100)
Y
The URL for the Users Web page.
SETTINGS
NTEXT (16)
Y
Text box with info about the user.
COMMERCE_
ROLE
INT (4)
Y
This field relates to a Blackboard.com value. It is only
relevant in the context of Blackboard.com.
CDROMDRIVE_
PC
CHAR (1)
Y
One character identifying the drive of the CD-ROM drive
on the user's personal computer.
CDROMDRIVE_
MAC
NVARCHAR
(20)
Y
Name of the CD-ROM drive on the user's computer, if
using an Apple® Macintosh®.
PUBLIC_IND
CHAR (1) Y
or N
N
Determines whether or not the user's personal
information is displayed in the User Directory.
ADDRESS_IND
CHAR (1) Y
or N
N
Determines if the user's home address will be displayed
in the User Directory.
PHONE_IND
CHAR (1) Y
N
Determines if home phone, fax, or cell phone numbers
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Running Database Attribute Reports > USERS
Data Type
and
Constraints
Null?
Attribute
Description
or N
will be displayed in the User Directory.
WORK_IND
CHAR (1) Y
or N
N
Determines if work contact information (company,
department, title, phone, and fax) will be displayed in the
User Directory.
EMAIL_IND
CHAR (1) Y
or N
N
Determines if the users email address will be displayed in
the User Directory.
AVAILABLE_
IND
CHAR (1) Y
or N
N
User account availability within the system.
LAST_LOGIN_
DATE
DATETIME
(8)
Y
Last date that the user logged into the system.
IM_TYPE
NVARCHAR
(64)
Y
This field is not used to store data.
IM_ACCOUNT
NVARCHAR
(64)
Y
This field is not used to store data.
CARD_NUMBER
VARCHAR
(100)
Y
The card number associated with the user's Blackboard
Transact Campus Card.
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Running Database Attribute Reports > COURSE_MAIN
COURSE_MAIN
Data Type
and
Constraints
Attribute
PK1
Null?
Description
BUTTONSTYLES_PK1
INT (1)
N
Unique identifier for each record. (Primary Key)
INT (4)
Y
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the
BUTTONSTYLES table.
CARTRIDGE_PK1
INT (4)
Y
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the
CARTRIDGE table.
CLASSIFICATIONS_
PK1
INT (4)
Y
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the
CLASSIFICATIONS table.
DATA_SRC_PK1
INT (4)
Y
References the PK1 (Primary Key) attribute of the
DATA_SOURCE table.
SOS_ID_PK2
INT (4)
Y
Not in use.
DTCREATED
DATETIME
(8)
N
Date the Course was created in the system.
DTMODIFIED
DATETIME
(8)
Y
Last date that the Course was edited in the system.
COURSE_NAME
NVARCHAR
(255)
N
Complete title of the Course.
COURSE_ID
VARCHAR
(50)
N
Short name used by the Organization to uniquely
identify the Course (for example, math101 _F99).
COURSE_DESC
NTEXT(16)
Y
Complete description of the Course.
ROW_STATUS
NUMERIC
(5)
Y
Sets the value of the record to one of the following:
Enabled: Normal access to the record. Disabled:
Record is visible in some areas of the UI, but may
not be changed or accessed. Deleted: Record is
scheduled to be deleted.
BATCH_UID
NVARCHAR
(64)
Y
Unique identifier.
ENROLL_OPTION
CHAR (1)
E,I, or S
Y
Establishes the enrollment policy for the Course.
The options are email request for enrollment, selfenroll for Students to enroll themselves, and
Instructor-enroll to allow Instructors to completely
control enrollment.
DURATION
CHAR (1)
Y
Schedules enrollment window. Options are:
Continuous: The Course is always accessible.
Range: The Course is accessible in the days
between one date and another. Either the beginning
date or the end date can be left open-ended to make
a Course accessible from a certain date or until a
certain date. Fixed: The Course is accessible for a
set number of days.
PACE
CHAR (1) S,
or I
Y
Indicates if the Course is Instructor-led or self-paced
according to the Student.
SERVICE_LEVEL
CHAR (1)
Y
Determines Course or Department.
ABS_LIMIT
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Handles the disk quota absolute limit on content.
The content in the Course may not exceed this limit.
Expressed in bytes.
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Running Database Attribute Reports > COURSE_MAIN
Data Type
and
Constraints
Attribute
SOFT_LIMIT
Null?
Description
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Handles the disk quota soft limit on content.
Instructors receive a warning email when this limit is
exceeded. Expressed in bytes.
UPLOAD_LIMIT
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Handles the disk quota limit on uploads. Expressed
in bytes.
START_DATE
DATETIME
(8)
Y
Date on which access to the Course section begins.
END_DATE
DATETIME
(8)
Y
Date on which access to the Course ends.
ENROLL_START_
DATE
DATETIME
(8)
Y
Date that enrollment may begin.
ENROLL_END_DATE
DATETIME
(8)
Y
Date that enrollment is no longer available to
Students.
DAYS_OF_USE
NUMERIC
(5)
Y
Number of days that Students may access the
Course after enrollment. Useful for self-paced
learning.
FEE
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Fee for the Course.
ENROLL_ACCESS_
CODE
NVARCHAR
(50)
Y
Password needed to enroll in the Course.
BANNER_URL
VARCHAR
(100)
Y
Link to an image that will display at the top of the
Course.
INSTITUTION_NAME
NVARCHAR
(255)
Y
The name of the Organization.
REG_LEVEL_IND
CHAR (1) Y
or N
N
This field is used for the Blackboard.com service. It
has not relevance outside of the Blackboard.com
site.
NAVIGATION_STYLE
VARCHAR
(20)
Y
Determines whether the Course Menu uses buttons
or text links.
TEXTCOLOR
VARCHAR
(20)
Y
Color used for text in the Course Menu.
BACKGROUND_COLOR
VARCHAR
(20)
Y
Color used for the background of the Course Menu.
COLLAPSIBLE_IND
CHAR (1)
N
Determines whether or not the Course Menu can be
consolidated to show just the top headings or
expanded to show subheads.
ALLOW_GUEST_IND
CHAR (1) Y
or N
N
Allows guest access to the Course.
LOCKOUT_IND
CHAR (1) Y
or N
N
Indicates if access to the Course or Department has
been restricted. If set to Y access to the Course or
Department will be restricted based on the END_
DATE and START_DATE.
DESC_PAGE_IND
CHAR (1) Y
or N
N
Determines whether or not to display description
information in the Course or Department catalog.
AVAILABLE_IND
CHAR (1) Y
or N
N
Establishes Course or Department availability.
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Running Database Attribute Reports > DATA_SOURCE
Data Type
and
Constraints
Attribute
ALLOW_OBSERVER_
IND
LOWER_COURSE_ID
Null?
Description
CHAR (1) Y
or N
N
Determines whether or not Observers are allowed in
the Course.
VARCHAR
(50)
Y
Lowercase version of Course ID used by the system
for searches (guarantee a find).
DATA_SOURCE
Data Type
and
Constraints
Attribute
PK1
Null?
Description
INT (4)
N
Unique identifier for each record. (Primary Key)
DTMODIFIED
DATETIME
(8)
Y
The date the data source was last edited.
ROW_STATUS
NUMERIC
(5)
N
Sets the value of the record to one of the following:
Enabled: Normal access to the record. Disabled: Record
is visible in some areas of the UI, but may not be changed
or accessed. Deleted: Record is scheduled to be deleted.
BATCH_UID
NVARCHAR
(64)
Y
Unique identifier.
DESCRIPTION
NVARCHAR
(128)
Y
Description of the data source.
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Running Database Attribute Reports > SYSTEM_TRACKING
SYSTEM_TRACKING
Attribute
PK1
Data Type
and
Constraints
Null?
Description
INT (4)
N
Unique identifier for each record. (Primary Key)
TIMESTAMP
DATETIME
(8)
Y
Date and time that the statistics were gathered.
COURSES
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of Courses in the system.
ACTIVECOURSES
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of active Courses in the system. An
active Course is one that has been accessed in the
last 30 days.
CARTRIDGES
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of Course Cartridges used in the
system.
DEPARTMENTS
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of Departments in the system.
ACTIVEDEPARTMENTS
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of active Departments in the system.
ACTIVEUSERS
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of active users in the system. An active
user has accessed the system within the last 30
days. Users disabled through the Snapshot tool are
still considered active if he or she has accessed the
Course in the last 30 days.
USERS
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users in the system.
USERS_Z
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Administrative User
Constituency of Z (default name: System Admin).
USERS_A
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Administrative User
Constituency of A (default name: User
Administrator).
USERS_C
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Administrative User
Constituency of C (default name: Course
Administrator).
USERS_H
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Administrative User
Constituency of H (default name: System Support).
USERS_N
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Administrative User
Constituency of N (default name: None).
USERS_O
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Administrative User
Constituency of O (default name: Observer).
USERS_R
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Administrative User
Constituency of R (default name: Support).
USERS_U
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Administrative User
Constituency of U (default name: Guest).
ACTIVE_COURSE_
USERS
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of active users (includes enrollments
as well as staff exercises). Active Course users are
those enrolled users that have accessed the Course
in the past 30 days.
COURSE_USERS_B
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with a Course Constituency of
B (default name: Course Builder).
COURSE_USERS_G
NUMERIC
Y
Total number of users with a Course Constituency of
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Running Database Attribute Reports > SYSTEM_TRACKING
Attribute
Data Type
and
Constraints
Null?
Description
(9)
G (default name: Evaluator).
COURSE_USERS_P
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with a Course Constituency of
P (default name: Instructor).
COURSE_USERS_S
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with a Course Constituency of
S (default name: Student).
COURSE_USERS_T
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with a Course Constituency of
T (default name: Teachers Assistant).
COURSE_USERS_U
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with a Course Constituency of
U (default name: Guest).
INST_USERS_1
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 1 (default name: Student).
INST_USERS_2
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 2 (default name: Faculty).
INST_USERS_3
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 3 (default name: Staff).
INST_USERS_4
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 4 (default name: Alumni).
INST_USERS_5
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 5 (default name: Prospective
Student).
INST_USERS_6
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 6 (default name: Guest).
INST_USERS_7
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 7 (default name: Other).
INST_USERS_8
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 8 (default name: Observer).
INST_USERS_9
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 9 (default name: Constituency 9).
INST_USERS_10
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 10 (default name: Constituency 10).
INST_USERS_11
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 11 (default name: Constituency 11).
INST_USERS_12
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 12 (default name: Constituency 12).
INST_USERS_13
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 13 (default name: Constituency 13).
INST_USERS_14
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 14 (default name: Constituency 14).
INST_USERS_15
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 15 (default name: Constituency 15).
INST_USERS_16
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 16 (default name: Constituency 16).
INST_USERS_17
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 17 (default name: Constituency 17).
INST_USERS_18
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 18 (default name: Constituency 18).
INST_USERS_19
NUMERIC
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
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Running Database Attribute Reports > SYSTEM_TRACKING
Attribute
Data Type
and
Constraints
Null?
Description
(9)
Constituency of 19 (default name: Constituency 19).
INST_USERS_20
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of users with an Organization
Constituency of 20 (default name: Constituency 20).
PAGE_VIEWS
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of page views to date. A page view is
any request for a page that occurs outside of a
Course or Department.
SESSIONS
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Number of open sessions.
COURSE_PAGE_VIEWS
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of course page views to date. The
Course page view is a request for a page that
occurs within a Course or Department.
SYSTEMEXTENSIONS
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of Building Blocks.
LOGIN_ATTEMPTS_
SUCCESS
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of successful login attempts.
LOGIN_ATTEMPTS_
FAILURE
NUMERIC
(9)
Y
Total number of failed login attempts.
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Running Advanced System Reports > Function
Running Advanced System Reports
Advanced System Reporting enables Organizations to do robust reporting to understand how
their system is being used. Data from predefined fields in a separate database is used to
create and tailor reports to meet specific needs. These reports assist in understanding and
analyzing use of the system and can report information such as when different types of users
access the system, how they use the system, and if the system improves Student
performance. Librarians can discover how Content Collection items are being used, including
information such as how many links exist to each item, from which Courses, the frequency of
access to those items and the last date of access.
Function
Data is transferred nightly into a separate reporting database. The name of the database is the
name of the Virtual Installation appended with stats. The base Virtual Installation that appears
in all implementations of Blackboard Learn, bb_bb60, has the stats database bb_bb60_stats to
handle Advanced System Reporting.
Schedule the data transfer so that it occurs at a low-traffic time of the night and is properly
coordinated with Snapshot loading or other integration processes. Administrators have open
access to this database so that they can develop reports to suit their Organization’s needs.
Data
The data that is transferred to the statistics database is a sub-set of the data that is located on
the production database. It has a different schema from the data on the production database.
Administrators have open access to the statistics database to use for analysis and creating
reports.
Installation and Setup
Advanced System Reporting is set up automatically when Blackboard Learn is installed.
The Enable Event Tracking option must be set to Yes on the Auto-Reporting Options page
before Statistics will be recorded.
Purging Data in the Databases
Every day an automatic process runs that synchronizes the data in the stats database with the
data in the main database and then deletes the statistical data from the main database that is
more than 180 days old. This process can be run at any time using the PurgeAccumulator tool.
The PurgeAccumulator tool can also be used to delete data from the statistics database.
Note Administrators may modify the length of time that statistical data is kept in the main
database. This is changed by editing the days_to_keep value in the config/bb-tasks.xml
file.
The PurgeAccumulator tool is installed as part of Blackboard Learn. It is run from the
$blackboard/tools/admin directory.
Syntax:
PurgeAccumulator command Virtual_Installation days_or_date
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Running Advanced System Reports > Purging Data in the Databases
Argument
command
Description
Virtual_
Installation
Provide the name of the main database (bbuid) of the Virtual Installation to be
purged.
days_or_date
The number of days (from the current date) that should not be processed by
the PurgeAccumulator tool. It is also possible to set a date in yyyy-mm-dd
format. Only data older than the date will be purged.
purge-live –Takes data from Blackboard database and syncs with tables in the
statistics database. After synching, it purges statistical data in the main
database that is older than the number of days or date set. purge-stats – goes
to stats DB and purges all data older than the last x days or older than a
specific date.
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Setting Auto-Reporting Options > How to Set Auto-Reporting Options
Setting Auto-Reporting Options
Auto-reporting sends system updates to a secure Blackboard server automatically.
Blackboard Support uses this information to assist the Administrator in maintaining
Blackboard Learn. In addition, Administrators can turn off the event tracking that generates
reports on activity in Blackboard Learn from this page.
How to Set Auto-Reporting Options
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click System Reporting.
2. Click Auto-reporting Options.
3. To automatically send system data updates to a secure Blackboard Learn server,
click Yes in the Auto-Reporting field. Following are the benefits of autoreporting:
l
Assist in capacity planning with Blackboard Learn for future growth.
l
Notification from Blackboard Learn when a patch or upgrade is available.
l
Assist system maintenance with the help of Blackboard Support staff.
Note If Auto-Reporting is turned off, no data will still be sent to the
Blackboard Learn database.
4. To turn off tracking and reporting of user actions through System Reporting and
Advanced System Reporting, select No in the Enable Event Tracking field.
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Sending System Statistics to Blackboard Support > How to Send System Statistics
Sending System Statistics to Blackboard Support
Email system statistics to Blackboard from the Send System Statistics to Blackboard page.
Blackboard Support staff use system statistics to help troubleshoot problems.
How to Send System Statistics
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tool and Utilities, click System Reporting.
2. Click Send System Statistics to Blackboard. The following table describes the
available fields.
Field
Description
Edit Statistics Message
To
Displays the email address at Blackboard that will receive system
statistics. This field is display only.
From
Displays the email address of the Administrator. This field is display
only.
Subject
Displays a subject for the message. This field populates with the default
subject 'Site Statistics Attached'.
Message
Provide a message to Blackboard to send along with the attached
statistics.
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About System Information > How to View System Information Page
About System Information
The System Information page displays the date that Blackboard Learn was installed, the last
date Blackboard Learn was upgraded, and the current version of installed components. This
information is useful in determining if the system is running the latest patch or upgrade release.
How to View System Information Page
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click System
Configuration
2. Click System Information.
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Editing Registration Information > How to Edit Registration Information
Editing Registration Information
Administrators view and edit the registration information provided at installation through the
Registration Information page. Click Submit after making any changes to send new
registration information to Blackboard.
How to Edit Registration Information
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click System
Configuration.
2. Click Registration Information from the System Configuration page. The
following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Edit Registration Information
Name
Displays the name of the Organization.
City
Displays the city of the Organization.
State
Displays the state of the Organization.
ZIP Code
Displays the ZIP Code of the Organization.
Country
Displays the country of the Organization.
Organization Type
Displays the Organization type.
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Viewing System Performance Settings > How to View System Performance Settings
Viewing System Performance Settings
The System Performance Settings page displays the server settings that determine
performance. Performance settings can be tuned by editing a properties file and running a
command line tool.
How to View System Performance Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click System
Configuration.
2. Click System Performance Settings. Each setting is listed with its value. This
information can be critical when troubleshooting performance issues. Click on a
setting to display a short definition.
3. To make changes to the performance settings, edit the
bbconfig.properties file and then run PushConfigUpdates to activate
the changes.
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Sending Email > How to Send Email
Sending Email
Blackboard Learn includes an email function for Administrators to quickly email sets of users:
l
All Instructors
l
All Students
l
All Users
After the recipients are determined, all messages are created the same way.
How to Send Email
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Email.
2. Click All Instructors, All students, or All Users. The following table describes
the available fields.
Field
Description
Enter Message Details
To
Displays the group of users to receive the message.
From
Displays the address of the sender.
Subject
Provide a subject for the email message.
Message
Provide the text of the message.
3. Click Submit.
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Managing Announcements > How to Manage Announcements
Managing Announcements
Administrators add, edit, and delete important messages from the Organization on the
Announcements page. Messages posted from the Announcements function on the
Administrator Panel can be set to appear in:
l
The Announcements section of every Course and Department
l
The My Announcements portal module
l
The Announcements tool in the portal Tool Panel
How to Manage Announcements
On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Announcements. The following
table describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
add an
announcement
Create Announcement.
edit an
announcement
Edit in the contextual menu for the announcement title.
delete an
announcement
Delete in the contextual menu for the announcement title. A confirmation
window will appear. This action is irreversible.
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Creating or Editing an Announcement > How to Create or Edit an Announcement
Creating or Editing an Announcement
The pages for adding and editing an Announcement contain the same fields and functions. The
page for adding an Announcement opens with empty fields while the page for editing an
Announcement opens with the fields populated with information on a specific Announcement.
How to Create or Edit an Announcement
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Announcements.
2. Click Create Announcement or click Edit in the contextual menu for a specific
announcement. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Announcement Information
Subject [r]
Provide a subject for the message.
Message
Provide the body of the announcement.
Web Announcement Options
Duration
Select Permanent to create a permanent Announcement. This
Announcement is automatically displayed after the time and date
it is created. Select Date Restricted to define the display dates.
Select Date
Restrictions
This field displays only if you select Date Restricted in the
Duration field. Select the Display After check box to make the
Announcement available on a certain date and time. Set the date
and time by typing the values or clicking the calendar or clock
pickers. Select the Display Until check box to stop displaying the
Announcement after a certain date and time. Set the date and
time by typing the values or clicking the calendar or clock pickers.
Show at Login
Select Yes or No to make the Announcement display on the
Login page.
Show in
Courses and
Departments
Select Yes or No to make the Announcement display on the
Courses page.
Blackboard Connect SMS Options
These options are available only when Blackboard Learn has a valid and active
integration with Blackboard Connect. Blackboard Connect is not available with
Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition.
Immediate
SMS Copy
To send the announcement as an SMS message via Blackboard
Connect, select the Send above Announcement to subscribers
via SMS check box. The SMS messages will not be sent if the
announcement is set to display on the web at a later date. SMS
messages are limited to 130 characters.
SMS
Announcement
Text
Provide the text of the SMS message.
Blackboard Connect Text-to-Voice Options
These options are available only when Blackboard Learn has a valid and active
integration with Blackboard Connect. Blackboard Connect is not available with
Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition.
Immediate
Read Aloud
Copy
To read the announcement aloud via Blackboard Connect Textto-Voice, select the Read aloud via Text-to-Voice check box. To
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Creating or Editing an Announcement > Announcement Display
Field
Description
read aloud the original announcement text, click Read
announcement text. To provide a custom message to be read
aloud, click Compose custom message and provide the text of
the Text-to-Voice message. The Text-to-Voice messages will not
be sent if the announcement is set to display on the web at a later
date.
Pronunciation
Key
The pronunciation key affects how the Text-to-Voice system
pronounces the words in the announcement subject and
message. Click either English Pronunciation Key or Spanish
Pronunciation Key.
3. Click Submit.
Announcement Display
The following is the order in which Announcements are displayed in the My Announcements
module on the My Organization tab
l
Permanent Organization Announcements are displayed first.
l
Organization Announcements that fall into the display range appear next.
l
Permanent Course and Department Announcements display next.
l
Course and Department Announcements that fall into the display range are listed
last.
Within each of the above categories, Announcements are displayed in order of creation.
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Managing the Organization Calendar > How to Manage the Organization Calendar
Managing the Organization Calendar
Administrators manage Organization events through the Organization Calendar. Upcoming
and past events can be viewed daily, weekly, or monthly. An event posted to the Organization
Calendar will display in all Calendars system-wide.
How to Manage the Organization Calendar
On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Calendar. The following table
describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
create an event
and add it to the
calendar
Create Organization Event.
view events for a
specific date and
time
Jump To to access the Calendar Quick Jump menu. From here, select a
date and time and the calendar will immediately display events for that
time.
view events by day,
week, or month
the appropriate link on the top right of the page to view events for the
current day, current week, current month, or current year.
view previous or
future events
the arrows to the left of the current day, week, month, or year. Click on the
arrows to the right to view future events.
view event details
a calendar event.
modify an event
Edit in the contextual menu for the event.
delete an event
Delete in the contextual menu for the event to remove it from the
calendar. This action is irreversible.
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Creating or Editing Calendar Events > How to Create or Edit a Calendar Event
Creating or Editing Calendar Events
The Add or Edit Calendar Event pages contain the same fields and functions almost the same
way. The Add Calendar Event page opens with empty fields while the Edit Calendar Event
page opens with the fields populated with information on a specific event.
How to Create or Edit a Calendar Event
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tool and Utilities, click Calendar.
2. Click Create Organization Event or click Edit in the contextual menu for an
event. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Event Information
Event Name
Provide the title of the event.
Event
Description
Provide a description of the event.
Event Time
Event Date
Provide the date of the event or click the icon to select a date from
the calendar interface.
Event Start
Time
Provide the time the event will begin or click the icon to select the
time from the clock interface.
Event End
Time
Provide the time the event will end or click the icon to select the time
from the clock interface.
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Using Calendar Quick Jump > How to Use Calendar Quick Jump
Using Calendar Quick Jump
The Calendar Quick Jump page allows Administrators to quickly access a portion of the
Calendar. Quick Jump is useful when looking for events planned for months in advance of the
current date.
How to Use Calendar Quick Jump
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Calendar.
2. Click Jump To.
3. In the Select a Date field, type the date to jump to or click the icon to select a date
from the calendar interface.
4. Select the Type of view.
5. Click Submit.
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About Messages > How to Use Calendar Quick Jump
About Messages
The Messages feature gives each Course a private and secure system for communication that
functions similar to email. Keep in mind that Messages cannot be sent or received outside of
the users in the Course.
Messages are usually accessed through the Communications area of a Course. Although, as
with most features, the Instructor can restrict access or change the layout of the Course Menu
so that Messages are accessible directly.
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Messaging Options > How to Set Messaging Options
Messaging Options
Administrators can choose to allow or not allow users to include file attachments with
messages and to allow or not allow users to create personal folders. Disabling these functions
may help save disk space and prevent Users from using Messages to store content. By
default, Users may not add file attachments to messages and users may not create personal
folders.
How to Set Messaging Options
On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Messages. The following table
describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Messages Tool Options
File
Attachments
Select the check box to allow users to attach files to messages.
Personal
Folders
Select the check box to allow users to create personal folders for storing
messages.
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About Notifications > How to Set Messaging Options
About Notifications
Blackboard Learn produces timely Notifications of what is happening in a user's Courses,
including newly available content and surveys, exercise and test due dates.
Notifications are not available for Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition.
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Setting Notifications Options > Prerequisites
Setting Notifications Options
Administrators can control the email format, individual or daily digest, and the number of days
before the removal of a notification.
Prerequisites
There are a few things to know about this feature:
l
The Administrator must turn on Notifications before any Course Notification data is
collected.
l
Users can decide on a Course-by-Course basis which types of Notifications they
want to receive and whether or not they want to receive them by email.
l
Users can control how long to keep old Notifications.
How to Set General Notification Options
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Notifications. The
following table describes the basic fields available.
Field
Description
System Availability
Notification
Collection [r]
Controls the availability of notifications. If set to Disabled,
notifications will be turned off completely and no events that
occur while notifications are disabled will be recorded.
Email Settings
Send email
notifications as
Send daily email
digest at [r]
Choose how the notifications are to be sent via email:
l
None: No messages sent.
l
Individual Messages: Each notification is contained
in a separate message.
l
Daily Email Digest: All notifications for a single day
are contained in a single message.
l
Allow User Choice (then choose the Default Email
Format: Individual or Digest
Provide a time for the daily email digest to be sent.
Notification Cleanup
This setting
applies to the
web modules in
the dashboard.
Remove
notifications
more than [r]
Controls the number of days to keep individual notifications on
the web modules. Notifications older than the specified number
of days will be removed. To have notifications removed from the
system more quickly, lower this setting. Use this setting with
caution. Deleted notifications cannot be retrieved, nor easily reissued.
2. If Blackboard Learn has a valid and active integration with Blackboard Connect,
which is licensed separately from Blackboard Learn, the following fields are also
available.
Note Blackboard Connect is not available with Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition.
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Setting Notifications Options > How to Set General Notification Options
Field
Description
Blackboard Connect SMS Options
SMS
delivery
enabled
If Yes is selected, SMS Messages will be sent to users who have
chosen to receive these notifications. If a notification message contains
any character not supported by SMS messaging, the entire message
will be sent in English. Users must have a valid, SMS-capable phone
number stored in their personal information to receive notifications via
SMS.
Blackboard Connect Text-to-Voice Options
Text-toVoice
delivery
enabled
If Yes is selected, Text-to-Voice Messages will be sent to users who
have chosen to receive these notifications. This option is available only
when the system default Language Pack is set to English or Spanish.
Users must have a valid phone number stored with their personal
information to receive notifications via Text-to-Voice.
Telephone
delivery
time
frame
Define the time frame in which SMS and Text-to-Voice notification
messages can be sent. Notification messages that are generated
outside of the delivery time frame will be held until the next time frame
begins. These parameters will not affect e-mail or web notifications, or
system announcements sent by telephone.
3. Click Submit.
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About the Notifications System > When Notifications are Created
About the Notifications System
The Notification System is a framework for the delivery of notifications to Blackboard Learn
users. When an event occurs in the system (such as an exercise is created, a survey is
submitted, or a test is overdue, the Notification System informs all the users that need (and
want) to know using one or more of available notification methods. For a complete list of the
available notifications, see Notification Types.
The first and most important thing to understand about this system is that all enabled
notifications are generated automatically whenever their associated event occurs. For
example, when an instructor creates an exercise and makes it available to his students, the
system automatically creates the appropriate notifications. This requires no action by the
Instructor.
Once generated, notifications are immediately visible to their recipients on the notification
modules, which are user interface elements that display notification details for individual
users. These modules appear on Course homepages where they display a user's notifications
for that particular course. If the community engagement capabilities have been licensed,
notifications across all courses display in the additional Notifications Dashboard.
The system can also distribute notifications by email and other distribution mechanisms.
Distribution is disabled by default. When enabled, it sends out notifications periodically
according to a configurable schedule. For more information, see the Notifications Distribution
Task.
Within the parameters set by the administrators, individual users can configure which
notifications they receive and choose how they want to receive their notifications.
When Notifications are Created
Broadly speaking, notifications are created under two circumstances:
1. Immediately in response to a real-time event. Such as when an exercise is
created, a test is evaluated, or a survey is submitted. Generally speaking, these
events create a single notification.
2. When a user is added to a course. This does not create new events, but instead
appends new recipients to existing events.
3. In response to some kind of content exchange event. Such as when a course is
imported or copied or users are added to an existing course using Snapshot.
These events generally lead to the creation of a multiple events, which are referred
to generally as mass notifications.
Of these, the mass notification mechanism is by far the most complex. For more information,
see Mass Notifications.
How Notifications are Made Available
Notifications can be made available to recipients in two ways:
1. Online: Notifications can appear in course home pages and, if the community
engagement capabilities have been licensed, in the Notifications Dashboard,
which is a system-level page that displays a user's notifications across all
courses.
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About the Notifications System > How Notifications are Prioritized
2. Distributions: Notifications can be sent through one or more distribution
mechanisms. In most cases, through email.
Notifications appear online in the notification modules as soon as they are available. The time
line is subject to the cache settings. For more information, see Notifications Cache.
Distributions occur on a periodic basis according to several configurable variables. For
information about those variables, see the Notifications Distribution Task.
Again, all of these notifications will be created by default and automatically. For example,
when an instructor creates an exercise with a due date, the Exercise Available and Exercise
Due notifications will be sent automatically to all students in the course.
How Notifications are Prioritized
Notifications are distributed based on three levels of prioritization:
1. Notifications for new Course enrollments. Students will receive a notification
telling them in which Course they are enrolled.
2. Notifications containing a due date, such as for an Exercise.
3. Notifications not containing a due date, such as for a Discussion Board post.
Notifications are processed in the above order, and then by due date closest to the current
day.
When Notifications are Made Available
Notifications are displayed in a user's notification modules and scheduled for distribution as
soon as their associated items are available. This means that:
l
If the item has a start date, the notification is held until that start date arrives. If the
item has an end date, the notification disappears after that date.
l
If the item (or the folder that contains it) has Adaptive Release rules associated with
it, the notification is not made available until those rules are met.
l
If the item has no start date (or a start date in the past) and no Adaptive Release
rules associated with it (or the Adaptive Release rules have already been satisfied),
the notification is immediately made available.
Who Notifications are Sent To
Notification Types lists all of the parties who receive these notifications, but keep a couple of
things in mind:
l
l
Some notifications are group-aware. When they are issued in a group context, they
are sent only to the members of that group. These include:
o
Exercise Available
o
Exercise Submitted
o
Exercise Submitted Late
All Due notifications change into Overdue notifications after their due date passes.
For information about how this occurs, see the Notifications Stale Data Task.
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About the Notifications System > Who Notifications are Sent To
l
All of these notifications can be turned off individually at two levels:
o
At the course/org administrative level, that is, for the system as a whole
o
At the individual user level
Note The Course/Department Available notification cannot be turned off at any level.
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Notification Categories > Who Notifications are Sent To
Notification Categories
Notifications are divided into several categories, each of which corresponds roughly to a
Blackboard Learn subsystem. The following table lists those subsystems and the notifications
that are generated for each.
Catgeory
Notifications
Course Announcements
Announcement Available
Exercises
Exercise Available
Exercise Submitted
Exercise Submitted Late
Exercise Due
Exercise Past Due
Content
Content Item Available
Course
Course/Department Available
Results Center
Attempt Edited
Item Evaluated
Result Cleared
Item Due
Item Past Due
Survey
Survey Submitted
Survey Due
Survey Available
Survey Overdue
Tests
Test Available
Test Submitted
Test Submitted Late
Test Due
Test Overdue
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Notification Types > Who Notifications are Sent To
Notification Types
The following table lists all of the notifications that the system can produce, along with the
users who will receive them and under which circumstances. It also lists the module in which
each notification appears.
Important
Events
Recipients
Module
Description
Announcement
Available
Course instructors
and students
No
What's
New
Issued when an announcement
is created. If the instructor
chooses to override user
notification settings when
creating the announcement, the
notification will ignore any user
settings that may preclude its
delivery and will be delivered
immediately.
Content Item
Available
Courses instructors
and students
Yes
What's
New
One of the following types of
content item is available:
l
Audio
l
Blank Page
l
Course Document
l
External Link
l
Image
l
Learning Unit
l
Lesson Plan
l
Objectives
l
Video
Survey Available
Course instructors
and students
No
What's
New
A survey has become available.
Survey Due
Course students
Yes
What's
Due
Issued when a user submits a
survey that has a due date.
Note Users will sometimes
receive both Survey Available
and Survey Due notifications.
Survey Overdue
Course instructors
and students
Yes
What's
Due
Alerts
A survey was not submitted by
its due date.
Note When the due date
passes, this notification will be
issued in addition to the Survey
Due notification.
Survey Submitted
Course instructors
No
Needs
Attention
A survey has been submitted.
Exercise Available
Course instructors
and students. For
group exercises, only
students in the group
will receive this
notification.
No
What's
New
An exercise has become
available.
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Notification Types > Who Notifications are Sent To
Important
Events
Recipients
Module
Description
Exercise Due
Course students. For
group exercises, only
students in the group
will receive the
notification.
Yes
What's
Due
Issued when a user submits an
exercise that has a due date.
Exercise Past Due
Course instructors
and students
Yes
What's
Due
Alerts
An exercise was not submitted
by its due date. This notification
will be generated after the due
date passes.
Exercise Submitted
Course instructors.
For group exercise
submissions, all
students in the group
will also receive a
notification.
No
What's
New
Needs
Attention
An exercise has been submitted
Exercise Submitted
Late
Instructors. For group
exercises
submissions, all
students in the group
will also receive a
notification.
No
What's
New
Needs
Attention
An exercise has been submitted
after the due date.
Test Available
Course instructors
and students
No
What's
New
A test has become available.
Test Due
Course students
Yes
What's
Due
Issued when a user submits a
test that has a due date.
Note Users will sometimes
receive both Exercise Available
and Exercise Due notifications.
Note Users will sometimes
receive both Test Available and
Test Due notifications.
Test Overdue
Course students and
instructors
Yes
What's
Due
Alerts
A test was not submitted by its
due date. This notification will
be generated after the due date
passes.
Test Submitted
Course instructors
No
Needs
Attention
A test has been submitted. This
notification is not generated for
tests that are evaluated
automatically.
Test Submitted
Late
Course instructors
No
Needs
Attention
A test has been submitted after
its due date. This does
notification is not generated for
tests that are evaluated
automatically.
Attempt Edited
Course instructors,
and the student who
submitted the attempt.
If this is a group
attempt, all students in
the group will receive
the notification.
No
hat's
New
The details of an existing
attempt were edited.
Item Evaluated
Course instructors
No
What's
New
A result was entered for an item
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Notification Types > Who Notifications are Sent To
Important
Events
Recipients
Module
and the student being
evaluated.
Description
represented by a Results Center
column.
Result Cleared
Course instructors
and the student who
received the result
that is being cleared
No
What's
New
A result has been cleared.
Evaluable Item Due
Course students
Yes
What's
Due
An item represented by a
column in the Results Center is
due. The column must have a
due date to generate this
notification. Exercises and tests
will not generate this notification
even if they have columns in the
Results Center.
Evaluable Item
Past Due
Course students and
instructors
Yes
What's
Due
Alerts
An item represented by a
column in the Results Center is
overdue. The column must have
a due date to generate this
notification. Exercises and tests
will not generate this notification
even if they have columns in the
Results Center.
Course/Department
Available
Course instructors
and students
Yes
What's
New
Issued as soon as a course is
created. Unlike all other
notifications in the system, this
notification cannot be turned off.
If the notification system is
active, this notification will
always be sent to everyone
enrolled in the course.
Unread Blog Posts
Instructors and
Students
N/A
What's
New
A count of unread Blog posts.
This gives a user:
l
The total number of
unread Blog posts
l
The number of unread
Blog posts per course
l
The number of unread
Blog posts per group.
Note This is not a traditional
notification. It does not generate
notification records, and the
counts are calculated
dynamically every time its
associated module is displayed.
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Notification Types > Who Notifications are Sent To
Important
Events
Recipients
Unread Journal
Entries
Instructors and
Students
N/A
Module
Description
What's
New
A count of unread journal
entries. This gives a user:
l
The total number of
unread journal entries
l
The number of unread
journal entries per
course
l
The number of unread
journal entries per
group
Note This is not a traditional
notification. It does not generate
notification records, and the
counts are calculated
dynamically every time its
associated module is displayed.
Unread Discussion
Board Messages
Instructors and
Students
N/A
What's
New
A count of unread discussion
board messages. This gives a
user:
l
The total number of
unread messages
l
The number of unread
messages per course
l
The number of unread
messages per group
Note This is not a traditional
notification. It does not generate
notification records, and the
counts are calculated
dynamically every time its
associated module is displayed.
Every notification is also classified according to whether the system considers it "important,"
which is a somewhat nebulous term that denotes a notification that receives special
treatment:
l
Important notifications are always generated, even in course import/copy/snapshot
scenarios when the system is much more restrained in the notifications that it
generates. For more information, see Mass Notification Operations.
l
The recipient records of important notifications are never truly deleted. Instead, they
are marked as Deleted and retained. All of these notifications are active by default.
For performance and usability reasons, Administrators should disable the
notifications that it does not want the system to generate. For more information, see
Notifications Cache.
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Mass Notifications > Content Mass Notifications
Mass Notifications
A mass notification is a generic term for any operation that adds a large number of notifications
to the system at one time. Most mass notifications work in the background because of the
following reasons:
l
Given the potential size of some of these imports, a mass notification can take quite
a long time to complete.
l
Almost all of the content exchange mechanisms are background tasks, so it would
not make sense to run in the foreground.
Two types of mass notification are available:
l
Content mass notifications: This generates notifications for new content in a course.
l
Enrollment mass notifications: This generates notifications for users who have just
enrolled in a course.
Content mass notifications focus on the content for which notifications must be generated,
such as exercises, surveys, results, an so on. Enrollment mass notifications focus on users
who need to be added to existing notifications. Said another way, content mass notifications
create notifications while enrollment mass notifications add recipients to existing notifications.
Content Mass Notifications
Two types of mass notifications are available:
l
First-Time: Applies to a course for which no notifications have been created, that is,
courses that have no content. First-time mass notifications generate records only for
Important notifications. For a list of all important notifications, see Notification
Types.
l
Full: Applies to a course that already has notifications, that is, courses that already
have content. This generates all possible notifications.
Example
An Instructor is importing three items into an existing course: a course document, an exercise
without a due date, and an exercise with a due date. Of these three, only the exercise with a
due is considered Important.
If the course is empty (that is, has no content), this will initiate a first-time mass notification
and only the exercise with a due date will generate notifications. Information about the other
items will be sent to each user in a digest email.
If the course is not empty (that is, it already contains content), this will initiate a full mass
notification and notifications will be generated for all three of content items.
The idea here is that content introduced into new courses, which are generally course shells
set up at the beginning of the semester, should not spam all of its users with every possible
notification. It is very unlikely that students are going to care enough about every external link,
for example, to receive a separate email about it. Content introduced later in the semester,
however, should be broadcast to everyone because it is a late-breaking occurrence that is
worthy of its own notice.
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Mass Notifications > Enrollment Mass Notifications
Enrollment Mass Notifications
Enrollment mass notifications are slightly more simple than content mass notifications
because they do not really worry about creating notifications at all. Instead, they focus on
generating new recipients for existing notifications. All enrollment mass notifications are full,
which is to say that they generate records only for Important notifications. For a list of all
important notifications, see Notification Types.
Mass Notification Originators
The following table lists the actions that prompt a mass notification and the kinds of mass
notifications that they originate:
Import Type
Mass Notification Type
Course Copy
Content / Content and Enrollment
Course Import
Content
Course Restore
Content and Enrollment
Batch Enrollment
Enrollment
Snapshot Copy
Content / Content & Enrollment
Snapshot Enrollment
Enrollment
Course Availability
Content & Enrollment
Command Line Import
Content
Command Line Restore
Content and Enrollment
Note The Command Line Import and Command Line Restore operations execute their
notifications immediately. All of the other operations run them through the Queued Task
Manager.
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Notifications System Architecture > Parts of Each Notification
Notifications System Architecture
Internally, the Notification System consists of four components:
l
Discovery: Responsible for generating notifications.
l
Notification Store: Responsible for storing and managing notifications.
l
Distribution: Responsible for distributing notifications.
l
View: Responsible for displaying a user's notifications.
Architecturally, it looks something like this:
All of these components work together. Discovery keeps its ear to the ground to create
notifications when the relevant events occur and then passes them along to the Notification
Store. The Notification Store is a sort of gardener: it plants incoming notifications, tends to
their needs, and then ruthlessly culls them when they have run their course. Distribution keeps
a watchful eye on the Notification Store and sends out any notifications that are due to be
delivered using all registered distribution mechanisms (email, SMS, etc). View is a window
into the Notification Store. It displays all of a user's active notifications to them when they log
into the system.
Parts of Each Notification
Most of the Notification System's efforts revolve around creating, maintaining, and
disseminating notifications. Internally, each notification is represented in two parts:
l
The Notification Item: This encompasses general attributes such as the type of
notification, its start and end dates, the course for which it was created, and so on.
l
The Notification Recipients: This defines who will actually be receiving it.
Typically each notification will have multiple recipients.
The distinction between these parts is invisible to the end user, of course, but it is useful to
understand them from an administrative perspective because they are handled in distinct
ways. In fact, most of the work of the framework revolves around manipulating recipient
records:
l
When users delete a notification from their dashboard, what they are really doing is
deleting a single recipient record.
l
When the system updates a notification to indicate that it has been distributed to a
particular user, what it is really doing is updating the status of a recipient.
l
Most of the notification cleanup that the system performs centers around removing
recipient records. Notifications are rarely deleted. For more information, see
Notification Cleanup.
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Notifications System Architecture > Parts of Each Notification
The bulk of the data created by the system is in the form of recipient records, and many of our
performance recommendations focus on managing and restraining those records. For more
information, see Notifications Cache.
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Notification Cleanup > Notification Items
Notification Cleanup
As mentioned in Notifications System Architecture, a notification consists of two parts:
l
The Notification Item: This encompasses general attributes such as the type of
notification, its start and end dates, the course for which it was created, and so on.
l
The Notification Recipients: This defines who will actually be receiving it.
Typically each notification will have multiple recipients.
Of the two, recipients will be, by far, more numerous.
Notification Items
Notification Items are deleted under the following circumstances:
l
When its corresponding item is deleted or made unavailable.
l
When its parent course is deleted.
So, Notification Items are not deleted very often. Blackboard Learn errs on the side of keeping
these items around for a long time, mostly for bookkeeping reasons.
Notification Recipients
Notification Recipients are deleted under the following circumstances:
l
When their associated Notification Item is deleted.
l
When the user explicitly deletes a notification from one of the views.
l
When it is replaced by overriding notification. For example, an Exercise Submitted
notification will replace the Exercise Due notification for the same user and exercise.
l
When enough time has passed that the notification is considered "stale" and can be
removed. This period of time can be configured at both the system and user level,
which is to say that the system as a whole specifies the lifetime of notifications but
individual users can choose to clear out notifications on their own timetable.
Some recipients are removed in name only. That is, their associated records actually remain
and are merely marked with a DELETED status.
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Notification Data Model > Notification Recipients
Notification Data Model
The central tables in this schema are eud_item and eud_item_recipient. They represent,
respectively, the notion of notifications and recipients, where notifications describe everything
needed to generate a notification and recipients tells us exactly who should be receiving these
notifications.
The following table describes each of the Notification System tables.
Table
Description
eud_
item
Contains more of the information required to notify users about an event: the name of
the event, its start and end dates, its parent content item, and so forth. It does not,
however, concern itself with exactly who should be receiving these notifications.
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Notification Data Model > eud_item
Table
Description
eud_
item_
recipient
Represent a user of a notification. All recipients have a parent notification record as
well as a user id. This also tracks the status of the notification for that particular use.
For example, whether it has already been distributed and whether reminders have
been sent.
eud_
item_
role
Stores the Course Constituencies to which a notification should be sent. The system
uses this constituency information to generate eud_item_recipient records when a
notification is registered and when new users are added to a Course.
eud_
item_
group
Stores the Course groups for which a notification is created. Like constituency data,
the system uses this group information to generate eud_item_recipient records
when a notification is registered and when new users are added to a group.
eud_
general_
setting
Keeps track of notification settings, such as whether the system is on or off, whether
email distribution is enabled, how long the system needs to wait to delete stale
recipient.
eud_
method_
setting
Keeps track of settings for individual notification event types, such as whether email
distribution is turned on for Exercise Available events or dashboard display is
enabled for Assessment Submitted events.
eud_item
This is the Notification System's central table. It contains all of the data that the system needs
to administer and issue notifications. The goal of the system is to know as little as possible
about the details of the items for which it is generating notifications, so this table and its
satellite tables contain the minimum amount of information necessary to do so.
The top three columns (source_id, source_type, and event_type) uniquely identify each
notification record.
Column
Required?
Description
source_id
Yes
An identifier that uniquely specifies the item generating a notification. It
is the responsibility of the individual subsystems to ensure that the
identifier is unique.
source_
type
Yes
The class of event this represents: an exercise event, an assessment
event, a content event, and so on.
event_
type
Yes
The specific type of event within the course_type that this represents:
Exercise Available or Exercise Submitted.
parent_id
No
If this notification is conceptually subordinate to another notifications,
as for example Exercise Submitted is subordinate to _Exercise Due,
this column contains the ID of the parent notification.
crsmain_
pk1
Yes
The Course to which the notified item belongs.
crs_
contents_
pk1
Yes
The ID of the Course content item to which this notification belongs. If
there is not associated content item, as with announcement
notification, this will be null.
parent_
contents_
pk1
Yes
The ID of the Course content item that is the parent of the content item
to which this notification belongs. If the content item is inside a folder,
this column identifies that folder. The system needs this information to
calculate Adaptive Release availability.
title
Yes
The name of the item to which this notification belongs.
type
Yes
Whether this is a Scheduled or an Available notification.
owner_
pk1
Yes
A foreign key reference to the user who created this item or is
responsible for it.
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Notification Data Model > eud_item_recipient
Column
Required?
Description
start_date
No
The date on which the notification period should begin, which usually
maps to the date on which the item will become available. If this is
specified, the system will not display the notification until this date is
reached.
Note This is not related to Adaptive Release rules. Those will be
evaluated separately and independently.
due_date
No
The date on which this notification is due. Internally, the due date is
used to calculate when to send reminders and when to transform Due
events into Overdue events.
end_date
No
The date on which the notification period should end, which usually
maps to the date on which the item will become unavailable. If this is
specified, the system will not display the notification until after this date
is reached.
Note This is not related to Adaptive Release rules. Those will be
evaluated separately and independently.
dtcreated
Yes
The date on which the item was first added.
data_
pending_
ind
Yes
Whether this notification is in the midst of being created. That is,
whether it is waiting for its associated recipients to be created.
important_
ind
Yes
An Important marker indicates that during a mass notification operation
this notification should always be sent to its recipients.
can_
replace_
ind
Yes
Whether this notification can be replaced by incoming notifications that
would normally override it.
override_
setting_
ind
Yes
Whether this notification should ignore any system or user
customizations that would normally suppress its distribution. This is
useful for notifications that absolutely, positively must be sent.
eud_item_recipient
Recipients are children of a single notification and identify the user to which the notification
should be sent. When a notification is created, the system calculates its recipients based on
the associated constituencies and course membership. Therefore, this table will be by far the
largest single table in the system and perhaps one of the largest tables in Blackboard Learn.
Column
Required?
Description
eud_item_
pk1
Yes
The notification with which this recipient is associated.
user_
item_pk1
Yes
The user who should receive this notification.
type
Yes
Whether this is a sender or receiver of the notification. Conceptually,
senders are the ones who created the items or circumstances that
prompted the notification. So, all Course Instructors would be the
senders of an Assessment Due event, while all students would be its
receivers.
status
Yes
The status of this notification: (1) unprocessed, (2) notified, (3) failed,
or (4) deleted.
reminded_
ind
Yes
Whether a reminder for Due notifications has been sent to this
recipient.
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Notification Data Model > eud_item_recipient
Column
Required?
Description
group_pk1
No
If the parent notification is targeted at a group and this recipient is a
member of that group, this column contains the ID of the group.
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Notifications Cache > eud_item_recipient
Notifications Cache
Retrieving notifications for the view modules could be expensive in a system with many
hundreds of thousands of notifications, especially at Notifications Dashboard level, which
cuts across all available courses. To help mitigate the burden of running this query, the
Notification System includes a per-user, per-session cache:
l
The cache stores the results of a notification query for a specific user, session, and
context. This means that the system keeps separate caches for each user for each
course that the user logs into to, and at the global, Notifications Dashboard level.
l
The user is able to manually refresh the cache. The refresh action clears the cache
of all contexts for a given session.
l
The cache will not be updated by the arrival of new notifications. The user will have
to refresh manually to see them or wait for cache timeout. See the table below for
default timeout values.
l
The cache will respond to manual notification deletions. So, if the user deletes a
notification from a particular view, it will also be deleted from the cache in all
contexts.
The cache is configured via properties in the bb-config.properties configuration file.
Default Value
Property
Max Number of Elements
Key
bbconfig.cache.nautilusCache.elements
500 seconds
Time to Live
bbconfig.cache.nautilusCache.timetolive
600 seconds
Time to Idle
bbconfig.cache.nautilusCache.timetoidle
600 seconds
Eternal
bbconfig.cache.nautilusCache.eternal
No
If the performance associated with displaying modules proves to be an issue, administrators
can tweak these settings to increase the longevity of the cached notifications. The trade off
here is that the longer the cache, the more out of date the displayed notifications may be.
Note Cache settings have no effect on notification distribution.
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Notifications Sizing > Disable Notifications that are Not Needed
Notifications Sizing
As mentioned, the notification store, left to its own devices, can grow quite large. This section
includes some strategies to prevent that.
Disable Notifications that are Not Needed
By default, the system ships with all notifications enabled, which means that every notification
that can be created, will be created, for all supported events. Depending on the size of your
organization and the ways in which courses are set up at the beginning of the semester, this
could lead to very large table sizes and associated degradations in performance.
It is a good idea to turn off notifications that are not needed. To do so, go to both the Course
Settings => Default Notification Settings, and Department Settings => Default
Notification Settings page and set these notifications to Always Off for all available
distributors.
An alternative is to suppress the particularly verbose notifications during the busiest times of
the semester, for example, when courses are being created. In particular, it may be a good
idea to turn off Content Item Available notifications while course templates are being
completed as those will most likely be responsible for the bulk of the notification load during
that period.
Reduce Notification Lifetime
Notifications are not immortal. Periodically, a sort of grim reaper task floats through the
system culling notifications who have been around for longer than a certain number of days.
The default setting is 120 days, which is roughly the length of a semester.
Administrators can control the mortality of these notifications by updating the Notifications
Cleanup interval. Lower this setting to have notifications removed from the system more
quickly. for more information, see Setting Notifications Options.
Note Use this setting with caution. Deleted notifications cannot be retrieved or easily reissued.
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Notifications Background Tasks > NotificationRemoveStaleDataTask
Notifications Background Tasks
The Notification System depends on two tasks, both of which are defined in the bbtasks.xml configuration file.
Internal
(minutes)
Task Name
NotificationRemoveStaleDataTask
DistributionSendNotificationTask
Purpose
5
60
This task has various functions:
l
Send out reminders for Due events.
Reminders are sent out x days before
the item is due, where x is a number
that can be configured by Users.
l
Turn Due notifications whose time has
passed into Overdue notifications.
l
Send out digest emails at scheduled
times. Digest emails go out once a day
at a time set by the Administrator.
l
Delete stale recipient data. Stale, in this
context, means recipient records that
have been in the system for x days,
where x is a number that can be
configured by Administrators. By
default, it is set to keep recipients for the
duration of an entire semester. This
operation is configured to run only once
a day.
Send Unprocessed notifications to all registered
distributors.
NotificationRemoveStaleDataTask
The default reminder interval can be set by the Administrators on the General Notification
Settings page. It can also be overridden by individual Users on the Edit Notification
Settings page.
All Due notifications will be transformed into Overdue events when their due date has passed.
These include: Exercise Due, Test Due, Evaluable Item Due, and Survey Due.
The last function of this task, deleting stale recipient data, executes once per day. Every time
the task wakes up, it checks whether its execution time has arrived. If it has, it runs. The
execution time is specified by the nautilus.staleDataRemove.executionTime
property in the nautilus_config.properties configuration file.
Task Periodicity
Changing the periodicity of this task will have the following effects:
1. Change how promptly Due notifications become Overdue notifications. In the
default configuration, notifications will be transformed a maximum of five minutes
after their due date has passed.
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Notifications Background Tasks > DistributionSendNotificationTask
2. Change how promptly reminders are sent out. In the default configuration, they are
distributed a maximum of five minutes after the reminder time.
3. Change how promptly the stale-data deletion task runs. In the default
configuration, it runs within five minutes of the designated time.
Performance Considerations
The notification cleanup portion of this task runs nightly at a time specified by the
nautilus.staleDataRemove.executionTime property in the nautilus_
config.properties configuration file. By default it is set to run once a day at 1:00 AM.
Note This query is extremely performance-intensive because it essentially scans the entire
eud_item_recipient table looking for out-of-date notifications and deleting them.
If you find that this task is a significant drag on your system despite all of these precautions,
there are a couple of things you can do:
1. Change its execution time. Many organizations have other maintenance tasks
that run at night, and if this task conflicts with them or conspires with them to bring
your database server to its knees, you can have it run at a different time. To be
clear: Blackboard very much recommends against running this during the day or
at any period where you expect people to be using the system heavily.
2. Take steps to reduce the size of the notification store. The fewer notifications that
you have, the faster this query will run. For tips on how to do this, see
Notifications Sizing.
DistributionSendNotificationTask
To ensure that this task does not run for an excessive period of time, it deals with only a
limited number of notifications in any given execution. Administrators can configure this
setting in the nautilus.distribution.notificationsPerDistribution property
in the nautilus_config.properties configuration file. The default setting is 10,000.
The distribution tasks sends notifications to all registered distributors. For most organizations
this means that it sends only to the email distributor. Expect performance to degrade
somewhat whenever a new distributor is added to the mix.
Task Periodicity
Changing the periodicity of this task will change how often the system sends notifications. In
the default configuration, a notification will be distributed no later than one hour after it was
introduced into the system.
The number of notifications distributed per invocation also affects when a notification will be
sent. Administrators can configure this setting in the
nautilus.distribution.notificationsPerDistribution in the nautilus_
config.properties configuration file.
Performance Considerations
This task runs fairly frequently, but it places a ceiling on the number of notifications that it
processes in a single execution. This two-pronged approach to distribution allows the system
to send notifications soon after they become available without bogging down the system when
the notification load is particularly large, for example, at the beginning of the semester when
new courses are just coming online.
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Notifications Background Tasks > DistributionSendNotificationTask
If the distribution process is deevaluation performance, reduce the periodicity, effectively
substituting performance for promptness. If distributions are taking too long, simply reduce the
number of notifications handled per execution.
Alternatively, if you find that notifications are not arriving promptly enough, reduce the
periodicity of this task and the number of notifications that it processes per execution.
Some recipients are removed in name only. That is, their associated records actually remain
and are merely marked with a DELETED status.
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Notifications Dashboard > Instructor Modules
Notifications Dashboard
If the community engagement capabilities have been licensed, notifications across all courses
display in the Notifications Dashboard.
The Notifications Dashboard displays notifications that have links to Course items or Course
information that have been changed, submitted, created, or that have impending due dates.
This allows the user to view all of the pertinent, changed information from a Course. The user
can then navigate to an individual item to view, complete, or to act on that item. Users can
navigate to the Course that corresponds to a Notification.
For all users, each Course contains a Notifications Dashboard specific to that Course. If the
community engagement capabilities have been licensed, this information may be part of a tab
on the MyBlackboard page, or modules in the MyBlackboard area. It contains information for
all Courses in which the user is enrolled or associated.
The user can customize the Notifications that appear on this page, as well as opt to have
email Notifications sent to his or her account. When Blackboard Learn has a valid and active
integration with Blackboard Connect, Notifications can also be sent via SMS message and
Text-to-Voice. For more information, see Notifications Settings.
Instructor Modules
The page displays, by default, three modules:
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Needs Attention: Notifications for items that have been submitted by Students and
require review or evaluation
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Alerts: Notifications for items that Students have not submitted that are passed
their Due Date, or Early Warning System rules that have been broken
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What's New: Notifications for items added, updated, submitted, or changed by a
user
For example, if an Instructor has posted a new Announcement, the Notification will display in
the What's New module. Or, if an Exercise has been submitted, the Notification will display in
the Needs Attention module. Or, if the Due Date for an Exercise for a User has passed, the
Notification will display in the Alerts module.
User Modules
For the user, by default, the page displays two modules:
l
l
To Do:
o
What's Past Due: Notifications for items that Students have not
submitted, and that are passed their Due Date
o
What's Due: a calendar and organized categories displaying upcoming
items and their due dates
What's New: Notifications for items added, updated, submitted, or changed by a
user or the Instructor
For example, if an Instructor has posted a new Announcement, the notification will display in
the What's New module. Or, if an Exercise's Due Date is upcoming, it will display in the To
Do module. Or, if the Due Date for an Exercise for a user has passed, then the notification will
display in the To Do module.
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Notifications Dashboard > Where Is It?
Where Is It?
For Blackboard Learn - Enterprise license users, by default, the Notifications Dashboard area
displays as the homepage for a Course. The user may be able to manage this setting. It only
displays information for that Course.
If the community engagement capabilities have been licensed, the Notifications Dashboard
can also be accessed through a tab in the MyBlackboard page or as modules in the
MyBlackboard page. The user may be able to manage this setting. The page displays
information and items for all Courses.
Who Can Use It?
The System Administrator controls the ability for users to view the Notifications Dashboard, to
configure the Notifications that display in the page, and to receive email Notifications. As well,
the System Administrator can allow or disallow Users to control any or all Notifications or
email Notifications.
How to Turn it On
The Notifications Dashboard page is on for the system by default. If it is turned off by the
System Administrator, it is not possible for the user to turn it on. To turn off the Notifications
Dashboard, navigate to the Settings page for the Notifications Dashboard. For more
information, see Setting Notifications Options.
Email Notifications
Users can select to receive email Notifications for updated, impending, or created items.
When Blackboard Learn has a valid and active integration with Blackboard Connect,
Notifications can also be sent via SMS message and Text-to-Voice. For more information, see
Setting Notifications Options.
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About System Discussion Boards > About System Discussion Boards
About System Discussion Boards
About System Discussion Boards
Organization wide Discussion Boards, called System Discussion Boards, may be created in
Blackboard Learn. These Discussion Boards are not Course or Department specific, but are
used for general campus events and information. System Discussion Boards may also be
accessed by all users at the Organization.
System Discussion Boards appear by default on the Community tab, but the System
Discussion Board module may be added to any tab.
Unlike a Course, which has one overall Discussion Board, Administrators may create multiple
System Discussion Boards. Each Discussion Board may include multiple Forums. For
example, one Discussion Board may be created for Transportation, which includes Forums on
Public Transportation and Ride Sharing. Another Discussion Board may be created for
Roommate Searches, with Forums devoted to on or off-campus housing.
Manage System Discussion Boards
System Discussion Boards may be added removed and managed through Discussion Boards
on the Administrator Panel. For information about Discussion Boards, see About the
Discussion Board.
Information on managing users in System Discussion Boards is located in the Managing
Forum Users topic.
The availability of the Discussion Board is managed on the Tools page.
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Managing Forum Users > About Forum Users
Managing Forum Users
About Forum Users
Each Forum in a System Discussion Board may be made available to some or all users at an
Organization. The Administrator controls user access through the Manage Forum Users page.
This page lists only those users who are not participants in the Forum - such as users with the
constituencies of Manager, Moderator, Reader or Blocked. This is different from a Course
Discussion Board, which lists all users in the class, regardless of Forum Constituency status.
For information about Forum Constituencies, see How to Assign Forum Constituencies.
How to Change a Participant's Constituency
Follow the steps below to give a participant a non-participant constituency (for example, that
of Moderator, Manager, or Reader):
1. On the Tool panel on the Courses Page, click Discussion Boards.
2. Click a Discussion Board.
3. In the contextual menu for a Forum, click Manage.
4. On the Display Forum Constituency menu, click Participants and then click
Go.
5. Select the check box for a Participant and then click the appropriate option in the
contextual menu for that Participant. The User's name will now appear in the
category for the new constituency that was assigned.
How to Change a Non-Participant's Constituency
Follow the steps below to give a user a participant constituency.
Note Participants will not appear on the Manage Forum User page that is accessed from the
Administrator Panel.
1. On the Tool panel on the Courses Page, click Discussion Boards.
2. Click a Discussion Board.
3. In the contextual menu for a Forum, click Manage.
4. On the Display Forum Constituency menu, click All Forum Users and then
click Go.
5. Select the check box for a User and then click the appropriate option in the
contextual menu for that User. The User's name will now appear in the category
for the new constituency that was assigned.
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Text Editor > How to Manage the Text Editor
Text Editor
The Text Editor allows users to create professional, vibrant content wherever users can create
blocks of text. Text is added through a simple editor in Blackboard Learn that nonetheless
contains several powerful options including:
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Text Editor: Allows users to create content with a simple editor that resembles a
word processor. Advanced file upload tools are also available.
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Smart Text: Automatically recognizes a link added in the Text box. Smart text
recognizes the ENTER key as a paragraph tag and accepts HTML tags, as well.
Smart Text will also prompt to load images if an image source text is used when
adding smart text as part of a content item. This option is only available if the
WYSIWYG features in the Text Editor are off.
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Plain Text: This option displays text as it is written in the text area. This option is
only available if the WYSIWYG features in the Text Editor are off.
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HTML: This option displays text as coded by the user using HTML tags.
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JavaScript: JavaScript can be added into the Text Editor.
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Spell Check: The Spell Check feature is available in most areas where users may
add blocks of text. It includes a full English dictionary, a supplemental word list
configured by the Administrator, and custom word lists that are stored as a cookie on
a user’s local machine.
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WebEQ Equation Editor: The Math and Science Notation Tool (WebEQ™
Equation Editor) is a general purpose equation editor designed for working with
equations. It permits users to use mathematical and scientific notation throughout
Blackboard Learn.
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MathMLEquation Editor: The MathML Equation Editor functions in the same way
as the WebEQ Equation Editor. Instead of opening with the symbol buttons, a blank
text box will appear where users can add XML.
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HTML Markup Validation: The Markup Validation automatically detects and
corrects malformed HTML added in the Text Editor.
Administrators manage the availability of Text Editor features through the Text Editor
Settings page.
How to Manage the Text Editor
On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, select Text Editor. The Text Editor
Settings page appears. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Text Editor On or Off
Set the availability of the Text Editor for users by selecting the option Text Editor On. If the Text
Editor is turned off, users will have limited features for adding content to the Text box. Options
for Plain Text, HTML, and Smart Text will be available. Select Require users to opt-in and users
must individually turn on the Text Editor to use it. This option is useful if some users are using
older Web browsers that do not support the Text Editor. The Text Editor will only appear to those
users that turn it on under Personal Settings.
Manage Text Editor Features
Spell Check
Set the availability of Spell Check for users by
selecting or clearing the check box.
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Text Editor > How to Manage the Text Editor
Field
Description
WebEQ
Set the availability of WebEQ for users by
selecting or clearing the check box.
MathML
Set the availability of MathML for users by
selecting or clearing the check box.
Validate HTML
Set the availability of the Markup Validation
feature for users by selecting or clearing the
check box.
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Managing Spell Check > Word Lists
Managing Spell Check
Blackboard Learn includes a robust Spell Check feature supported by a full English dictionary,
a supplemental word list for each Virtual Installation, and custom word lists that are stored as
a cookie on a user’s local machine. The spell check feature is available wherever users can
type blocks of text. It is also available as a module when the community engagement
capabilities have been licensed.
The list of words that are not flagged for correction can be expanded with a supplemental word
list for each Virtual Installation. From the Spell Check page, the supplemental word list for the
Virtual Installation may be uploaded, edited, and then downloaded to change the list of words.
Access to this feature is initially granted to users with the following Sys Admin constituencies
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System Administrator
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System Support
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Course Admin
Word Lists
Misspelled words are determined by the following three sources:
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Spell Check Dictionary: A full English dictionary of words that will not be flagged
for correction. The dictionary is also the only source for suggestions when a
misspelled word is found. This dictionary cannot be modified.
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Virtual Installation Supplemental Word List: A list of additional terms added by
the System Administrator that do not appear in the default dictionary. For example, a
medical school might wish to upload a list of medical terms so they are not flagged
as incorrect terms for their users. This word list can be edited from the Administrator
Panel.
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Personal Word List: This word list is stored as a cookie on each user’s local
machine. Words are added to this list using the Learn feature within Spell Check.
Like the supplemental word list, the words on each personal word list are not flagged
for correction and are not included as a suggestion for errors.
Note Extensive supplemental and personal word lists may slow performance of the Spell
Check tool.
Editing the Word List
After the supplemental word list has been downloaded, simply open it then add and replace
words to modify the list. The list appears in a standard text file with each word separated by a
hard return.
Keep in mind that the supplemental word list is a list of words that will not be flagged for
correction by the spell checker. In addition to the supplemental word list, spell check also
checks words against a robust English dictionary, and words that individual users have added
to their personal word lists. Personal word lists are only available on a users’ local machine.
Note Only words that appear in the Spell Check dictionary will be listed as suggestions when
a possible error is encountered. Words in the supplemental word list will not be offered as
suggestions.
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Managing Spell Check > Uploading a Word List
Uploading a Word List
Uploading a word list replaces the supplemental word list currently used by the system. Each
Virtual Installation may have a separate Word List. For information about downloading and
editing the supplemental word list, see Download Word List.
Note The name of the supplemental word list will be changed to dictionaryLocal.txt
when uploaded.
How to Upload a Word List
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Spell Check.
2. Click Upload Word List.
3. Provide the full path to a new supplemental word list or click Browse to search the
file system for the new supplemental word list. A supplemental word list must be a
.txt file with each word separated by a hard return.
Downloading the Word List
The Download Word List page displays a link that, when clicked, will begin downloading the
supplemental word list to the local machine. The supplemental word list includes additional
words that should not be flagged for correction when using the Spell Check feature in the
current Virtual Installation. A word list must be created and uploaded before the option to
download the word list appears.
Note No matter what the name of the supplemental word list file is when it is uploaded it will
always be changed to dictionaryLocal.txt and stored in a folder for that Virtual
Installation. Therefore, the downloaded supplemental word list file will always be
dictionaryLocal.txt.
How to Download the Word List
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Spell Check.
2. Click Download Word List.
Personal Word List and Cookies
The personal word list is stored as a cookie on the user’s local machine. The cookie is not user
or Virtual Installation specific. Therefore, a user’s word list will be available to them whenever
they are using Spell Check with Blackboard Learn, as long as they are on the same local
machine. Also, if another user logs onto the same machine, that user will have the same
personal word list stored on that machine applied when running spell check. Since word lists
are cookie-based, users are unable to transport them.
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Uploading a Word List > How to Upload a Word List
Uploading a Word List
Uploading a word list replaces the supplemental word list currently used by the system. Each
Virtual Installation may have a separate Word List. For information about downloading and
editing the supplemental word list, see Download Word List.
Note The name of the supplemental word list will be changed to dictionaryLocal.txt
when uploaded.
How to Upload a Word List
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Spell Check.
2. Click Upload Word List.
3. Provide the full path to a new supplemental word list or click Browse to search the
file system for the new supplemental word list. A supplemental word list must be a
.txt file with each word separated by a hard return.
Note Word lists may not be removed from the system. To ‘remove’ a word list, an
Administrator must upload an empty word list to overwrite the supplemental word list on the
system. The empty file must contain a space to be uploaded properly.
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Managing Tools > How to Manage Tools
Managing Tools
Blackboard Learn has a robust set of tools and the flexibility to add new tools to the platform.
The Manage Tools page lists each tool that is available in Blackboard Learn. Each row shows
the availability of the tool to authenticated users, Guests, and Observers.
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Check mark: The tool is available to the user type.
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Red 'x': The tool can never be available to the user type.
l
Gray block: That tool is not currently available to the user type.
Also listed for each tool is the type of tool:
l
Content Type: Items that can be displayed in a Course (or Department).
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Course Tool: A tool that may be used in a Course.
l
Department Tool: A tool that may be used in an Department. Department Tools are
available only when the community engagement capabilities have been licensed.
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System Tool: System-wide tools such as tabs.
Note Course Tools are can also be managed using the Course Tools page. For more
information, see Setting the Default Course Tools
How to Manage Tools
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Tools.
2. In the contextual menu for a tool, click Edit.
3. Select Yes or No to set the Tool Availability for each different type of user:
authenticated users, Guests, and Observers. If the option does not exist to set
availability for a type of user, that type of user cannot access the tool.
4. Click Submit.
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Managing Adaptive Release > How to Manage Adaptive Release
Managing Adaptive Release
Adaptive Release of Content provides controls to release content to users based on a set of
rules created by the Instructor. The rules may be related to availability, date and time,
individual usernames, membership in Course Groups, review status of another item in the
Course, and Results Center items such as scores, attempts, and calculated columns.
If Adaptive Release is turned on by the System Administrator, it is available to all Instructors
to use within their Courses.
If Adaptive Release is turned off, all data is saved. Content will be available based on
availability and date. Adaptive Release Rules will be ignored. If Adaptive Release is made
available again, all rules associated with items will appear and be unchanged.
How to Manage Adaptive Release
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Tools.
2. Locate the Adaptive Release Course Tool using the navigation options at the
bottom of the page. The type of Tool is noted in the second column to distinguish
between System, Course, or Department Tools.
3. In the contextual menu for the Adaptive Release Course Tool, click Edit.
4. Set the Tool Availability.
5. Click Submit.
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Managing the Performance Dashboard > How to Manage the Performance Dashboard
Managing the Performance Dashboard
The Performance Dashboard tool provides Instructors with a window into all types of user
activity in a Course or Department. All users enrolled in the Course are listed, with pertinent
information about that user’s progress and activity in the Course.
If the Performance Dashboard is on, it is on by default in all Courses.
How to Manage the Performance Dashboard
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Tools.
2. Locate the Performance Dashboard Course Tool using the navigation options at
the bottom of the page. The type of Tool is noted in the second column to
distinguish between System, Course, or Department Tools.
3. In the contextual menu for the Performance Dashboard Course Tool, click Edit.
4. Set the Tool Availability.
5. Click Submit.
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Managing Review Status > How to Manage Review Status
Managing Review Status
The Review Status tool allows the Instructor to track user review of specific content items.
After the Instructor turns on the tool for an item, each Student tracks their progress. A Needs
Review button appears on the item when the user opens it. After reviewing the item, the
Student selects this button to mark it Reviewed.
If the Review Status tool is on, it is on by default in all Courses and is available to all
Instructors to use within their Courses.
If Review Status is turned off, all data is saved. If the tool is made available again, all user
entries will appear and be unchanged.
How to Manage Review Status
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Tools.
2. Locate the Review Status Course Tool using the navigation options at the bottom
of the page. The type of Tool is noted in the second column to distinguish between
System, Course, or Department Tools.
3. In the contextual menu for the Review Status Course Tool, click Edit.
4. Set the Tool Availability.
5. Click Submit.
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About Chalk Titles > Troubleshooting
About Chalk Titles
Chalk Titles are Course Cartridges that are integrated with external applications and content
from publishers. Chalk Titles include both content and tools. Tools included in a Chalk Title
connect to an outside source to run each tool.
Chalk Titles are installed in the same way as other Course Cartridges. Like other Course
Cartridges, Chalk Titles require a download key and Student access keys.
Important features in Chalk Titles include the following:
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Integration with the Course: Chalk Titles link Courses to applications running on
the publisher's servers. These applications are often popular tools that are familiar to
Instructors. Please contact the publisher for more information about the applications
included with a Chalk Title.
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Single Sign-on: Users that are logged into the Course are logged into the publisher
applications linked to the Course. Users pass between the Course and the publisher
application seamlessly.
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Learner List synchronization: Users enrolled in the Course are automatically
enrolled in the publisher application.
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Result passing Results from the publisher application are passed to the Course.
Chalk Title tools appear in the Tools area of the Control Panel after a Chalk Title is added to a
Course. Instructors can restrict availability to Chalk Title tools in the same way that they can
restrict availability to other tools.
The System Administrator may restrict the availability of Chalk Title tools in all Courses. By
default, Instructors can use Chalk Title tools in Courses.
Chalk Title Tools can synch with the Results Center in a Course to report Student
performance. Note that Student attempts are stored on the server that runs the tool, not within
the Course. Therefore, Student attempts are not included when the Course is archived. The
reported Result is the only recorded information about a Student attempt.
Chalk Title tools will not work if a Course that contains Chalk Title tools is exported or
archived and later added to a system that does not support Chalk Titles.
Troubleshooting
Use the logs available from the Manage Chalk Titles page to troubleshoot installation
problems. Problems accessing a Chalk Title took may be a problem with the publisher's server
or a problem with an access key. If it appears that a problem is related to a Chalk Title tool,
please contact the publisher for assistance.
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Managing Chalk Titles > How to Manage Chalk Titles
Managing Chalk Titles
The Manage Chalk Titles page lists the following information about each Chalk Title in a table
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Chalk Title: The name of the Cartridge.
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Version: The version of the Cartridge. The version is determined by the publisher.
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Catalog Number: The catalog number of the Cartridge.
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Vendor: The publisher.
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Processing Time/Date: The Date and Time that the Cartridge was processed.
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Status: State of the Chalk Title in the system Installed, importing, incomplete, or
error.
The page also includes options for managing each Chalk Title.
How to Manage Chalk Titles
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Chalk Titles.
2. In the contextual menu for a Chalk Title, click Edit. The following table describes
the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
View more
details about a
Chalk Title
Properties. The Examine Chalk Title page will appear. This page
lists all the Courses that are using the Chalk Title. This page also
lists the tools from the Chalk Title that are in use.
View the log of
a failed Chalk
Title
installation
View Log. This link only appears when a Chalk Title fails to install.
The log provides details that will help identify the problem. Click
OK to verify that the steps are correct.
Retry Chalk
Title
installation
Retry. The Chalk Title will attempt to install again.
3. Click Submit.
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Standards and Alignments > How to Manage Chalk Titles
Standards and Alignments
K-12 instruction in the United States is based on meeting standards of learning that are
determined at the state level. School districts engage in a complex process of associating
curriculum resources, lesson plans, and assessment items with specific state standards to
ensure that instructional programs are in alignment with those standards.
Blackboard Learn™ clients with a K-12 license can download learning standards from the 50
U.S. states and Washington, D.C., and make them available within Blackboard courses.
Teachers and curriculum specialists can then align course items to standards to produce
standards coverage data reports. The data contained in these reports assist teachers,
curriculum specialists, and district administrators in the task of focusing curriculum
development efforts. By showing where standards are covered by course content and by
identifying gaps in coverage, programs and course content can be adjusted.
As state standards change over time, alignments to curriculum resources can be transferred
automatically to new standards, saving hundreds of hours of manual processing. School
districts have the option of adding their own custom standards to existing state standards that
have been imported into the system to demonstrate how their curriculum meets standards of
learning.
For Instructor-facing information, see About Aligning Content to Standards - K-12 Clients.
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Importing Standards Packages into Blackboard Learn > How to Manage Chalk Titles
Importing Standards Packages into Blackboard Learn
Blackboard system administrators download standards packages from Behind the Blackboard
to a local drive. Standards packages are zipped files that contain one or more XML files that
define a set of standards, including discipline (Math, Science, Social Studies and so on) and
Learning Levels (grade).
Once downloaded, the standards package is then imported to the system from the
administrator panel.
1. Click Standards Documents.
2. Click Import.
3. Click Browse My Computer to locate and select the zip file.
4. Click Submit.
Large files will take time to upload and process for display.
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Standards Documents > Learning Levels
Standards Documents
Once uploaded, a standards package unzips into a table listing standard sets and their
relevant information. Standards sets are links to associated Learning Levels, a further
categorization of the standards within a given set.
Standards Documents Display
Name
The title of the standard set as defined by the state. The year of publication is
included in parenthesis. Click to open and view associated Learning Levels.
Standards
Type
The standards set, defined by the state, has different criteria that define their type.
Types can be based on content, performance, technology benchmarks, or other
criteria.
Mapped
Standards
Number of standard sets that are connected to the existing standard set so that
alignment of course content can be transferred from one standard to the other.
Standards packages may or may not already contain this information. Standard
sets can be mapped from a previous version to a current version, from one state to
another state, and from one state to a national standards set.
Date
created
The date the standard set was uploaded to the system.
State
The state that authored the standards set.
Status
By default, all standard sets when uploaded to the system have a status of inactive.
Inactive: Alignments made to content items using these standards are not
displayed within courses, and do not appear in Standards Discovery interface.
However, if a previous alignment was made, it is not deleted and all reporting data
remains available.
Active: Standards from all visible learning levels within the set are available to all
teachers and in all courses so that content items can be aligned to them.
In Review: These standards are only available in the Standards Discovery
interface within courses that are directly associated to a specific learning level
within the "In Review" standards set.
To change the status of one or more standards sets, select each one. From the
Change Status contextual menu, click the new status.
Full
Coverage
Overview
Report
This report displays aggregated coverage information across courses for all active
sets of standards within the selected State and Standards Type. An overview of the
types of content items aligned to these standards is also provided.
Learning Levels
Learning Levels are defined by the state and may incorporate a specific grade, range of
grades, or subject classification. Learning Levels can be directly associated with courses or
organizations to identify the standards the course is focusing on. Each Learning Level links to
the individual standards and their associated sub-standards.
Learning Levels
Name
Set by the state, and defines the breakdown of standards within a given set. Click
to view the standards in the Learning Level.
Date
created
The date the standard set was uploaded to the system.
Associated
to Course
Display courses associated to a Learning Level by clicking the number in the
column. Associating one or more Learning Levels helps teachers quickly locate
the most relevant standards to align their course content to. It also simplifies the
Course Coverage report data to help determine gaps within the curriculum.
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Standards Documents > Automatically Associating Learning Levels to Courses Using Snapshot
Learning Levels
Visibility
Learning Levels are visible to users or hidden from them. Standards within visible
Learning Levels can be selected by teachers for alignment to content items within
a course. Standards within hidden Learning Levels cannot be selected for
alignment by teachers.
Discipline
Coverage
Overview
Report
This report displays aggregated coverage information across all Learning Levels
within a specific set of standards. An overview of the types of content items
aligned to these standards is also provided.
Learning
Level
Coverage
Detail
Report
Available from the contextual menu of a Learning Level, this report displays
detailed coverage information across courses for the standards within a specific
Learning Level. An overview as well as detailed breakdown of the types of
content items aligned to these standards is also provided.
Associating Learning Levels to Courses
Administrators can associate Learning Levels to specific Blackboard Learn courses to help
teachers find standards faster. Associating courses with Learning Levels helps teachers more
easily make alignments to their course content by populating the Standards Discovery table
with available standards and their Learning Levels.
When associations are not created, teachers can search using any criteria available.
However, finding what they need takes much longer because by default the Standards
Discovery table includes an alphabetical listing of all standards sets that include standards
from all learning levels.
How to Associate a Learning Level to a Course
1. Click Associate.
2. Click Add Course Association.
3. Use the search functions in the pop-up window to locate courses.
4. Select each course to associate using their respective check boxes.
5. Click Submit.
Automatically Associating Learning Levels to Courses Using
Snapshot
Learning Levels can be downloaded as a CSV (comma separated values) file and opened in a
spreadsheet program. The keys in this file are used to associate courses to appropriate
Learning Levels at the time the course is created, or in any course modification process
executed using Snapshot. Click Download as CSV to open or save the file on a local drive.
Learning Level CSV files contain:
l
Learning Level Document ID: A unique identifier
l
Name: The name of the Learning Level
l
Document Name: The name of the standard set the Learning Level is part of
l
Type: The type of standard as defined by the standard set
l
Status: The status of the standard as set by the administrator: active, inactive, in
review
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Adding Alignments to a Discussion Board Topic > How to Add Alignments to a Discussion Board Topic
Adding Alignments to a Discussion Board Topic
How to Add Alignments to a Discussion Board Topic
1. From the Discussion Board, open a topic.
2. Click Alignments on the tool bar to expand the alignments panel
3. Click Add Alignments to open the Discover Standards window. If standards
from more than one state or Learning Level have been associated with the course,
the user must select which set to display first.
4. Locate specific standards using the filtering criteria. Users can enter key words in
the top text box and use any of the other filtering options including:
l
State: only one U.S. state can be displayed at a time
l
Document Type: The name of the Standard Set
l
Discipline: The branch of learning or subject of the standard
l
Grades : The Learning Level
l
Standards Type: The classification of the standard such as “indicator”,
“outcome” or “expectation”
5. Standards that fit the criteria are displayed in the main content area. Select the
desired standards using their associated check boxes.
6. View the selected standards below by expanding the Selected Standards area.
Selected standards can be removed by clicking the X icon.
7. Click Submit.
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Standards > Aligning Course Items to Standards
Standards
Standards are specific statements defined by a state or other organization that describe the
concepts and knowledge for a specific discipline that is to be delivered and achieved through
related curriculum. Standards may have one or more levels of sub-standards that detail each
concept.
Click the downward pointing chevron to the left of the standard name to open sub-standards.
Click the upward pointing chevron to the left of the standard name to roll up sub-standards to
the next level.
Standards can be made available to teachers to align with content in their courses by selecting
Allow Alignments from the contextual menu. By allowing standards to be used for
alignments, teachers have the ability to find standards using the Standards Discovery
interface in their courses and then select those standards for alignment with content.
Aligning Course Items to Standards
Curriculum specialists and teachers can browse and search for standards that have been
imported into the system and made available. Content items, Grade Center columns, and
Discussion Topics within courses or organizations can be specifically aligned to one or
multiple standards.
Adding Alignments to a Content Item
1. Within a course, select a content item.
2. From the contextual menu, click Add Alignments.
3. The Discover Standards window opens. If standards from more than one state or
Learning Level have been associated with the course, the user must select which
set to display first.
4. Locate specific standards using the filtering criteria. Users can enter key words in
the top text box and use any of the other filtering options including:
l
State: Only one U.S. state can be displayed at a time.
l
Document Type: The name of the Standard Set. Only one document
type is displayed at a time.
l
Discipline: The branch of learning or subject of the standard.
l
Grades : The Learning Level.
l
Standards Type: The classification of the standard such as “indicator”,
“outcome” or “expectation”.
5. Standards that fit the criteria are displayed in the main content area Select the
desired standards using their associated check boxes.
6. View the selected standards below by expanding the Selected Standards area
Selected standards can be removed by clicking the X icon.
7. Click Submit.
8. The selected standards will appear under the content item, where they can be
made visible to students by clicking the Visibility icon. Standards can also be
removed by clicking the “X” icon.
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Standards > Adding Alignments to a Grade Center Column
Adding Alignments to a Grade Center Column
1. From the Grade Center, open the contextual menu for a column.
2. Click View andAdd Alignments. Any existing alignments will display in a new
area on the page.
3. Click Add Alignments to open the Discover Standards window. If standards
from more than one state or Learning Level have been associated with the course,
the user must select which set to display first.
4. Locate specific standards using the filtering criteria. Users can enter key words in
the top text box and use any of the other filtering options including:
l
State: Only one U.S. state can be displayed at a time
l
Document Type: The name of the Standard Set
l
Discipline: The branch of learning or subject of the standard
l
Grades: The Learning Level
l
Standards Type: The classification of the standard such as “indicator”,
“outcome” or “expectation”
5. Standards that fit the criteria are displayed in the main content area. Select the
desired standards using their associated check boxes.
6. View the selected standards below by expanding the Selected Standards area.
Selected standards can be removed by clicking the X icon.
7. Click Submit.
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Standards Reports > How to Run and Save Reports
Standards Reports
The data contained in Standards Coverage Reports assist teachers, curriculum specialists,
and district administrators in the task of focusing curriculum development efforts. This data
shows course content alignments and helps identify gaps in coverage of standards for a single
course or across multiple courses.
From the Administrator Panel, district administrators and others with administrator privileges
can run a series of reports that show content alignments for standards across multiple
courses. From within a course, teachers can run a report that shows covered and gap values
for curricular areas their course is associated with, as well as a breakdown of course items
that have been aligned to standards or course objectives.
Report
Name
Where Available
Data
Full
Coverage
Overview
Administrator
Panel >
Standards
Documents
Shows standards coverage across all active standards sets for
a specific state and standards type, showing both covered
standards and gaps in coverage. An overview of the types of
content items aligned to these standards is also provided.
Discipline
Coverage
Overview
Administrator
Panel >
Standards
Documents >
Learning Levels
Shows coverage overview of standards for a specific discipline
broken out across all its Learning Levels.
Learning
Level
Coverage
Detail
Administrator
Panel >
Standards
Documents >
Learning Levels
> Standards
Shows detailed coverage information across courses for the
standards within a specific Learning Level.
Standard
Coverage
Detail
Administrator
Panel >
Standards
Documents >
Learning Levels
> Standards >
contextual menu
of a standard
Shows detailed coverage information for a single standard
including data about the content aligned to the standard such
as the name and location of the course items directly aligned to
the standard across all courses in the system.
Course
Coverage
Detail
Course Control
Panel >
Evaluation >
Course Reports
Shows detailed coverage information for a single Blackboard
Learn course. Data includes both covered and gap values for
all curricular areas that the course is associated with, as well
as a breakdown of course items that have been aligned to
standards or course objectives. Also included are content
items aligned with standards that are not associated with the
course.
How to Run and Save Reports
1. Enter the report specifications. Specifications will be different for each type of
report.
2. Click Submit. Reports display in HTML and open in a new window.
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Standards Reports > Reading Standards Reports
3. Click Report Options to print the report from a PDF file or download it in
Microsoft® Excel®.
4. Save reports by downloading, or in the Content Collection when available.
Reading Standards Reports
All standards reports default to HTML and open in a new window. Reports contain clickable
areas that drill down into the supporting data, and then drill back up.
Report Area
Supporting Data Report
Standards Comparison Bars
Not Used
Covered
Not Covered
A list of standards that are not used.
A list of standards that are covered, and aligned content types.
A list of standards that are not covered.
Standards Column Numbers
Not Used
Covered
Not Covered
A list of standards that are not used.
A list of standards that are covered, and aligned content types.
A list of standards that are not covered.
Discipline Column
Name of the standards set
Name of the discipline
Discipline Coverage Report
Learning Level Column
Name of the Learning Level
Name of Standard
Learning Level Coverage Details
Standards Coverage Detail
Courses Column
Name of the course
Course Coverage Report
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Standards Maps > Creating a Standards Map
Standards Maps
Administrators can compare any two standards documents that have been uploaded to the
system and build a map between them. Maps can be created between a previous and a current
version of a standards set, a state standards set and a national standards set, or between
standards sets from two different states. Only one map can exist between the same two
standards sets, but one standards set can be mapped to many other standards sets.
A standards map is used to:
l
Equate standards in the different sets
l
Identify new standards that exist in one set
l
Identify standards that are no longer used in one set
l
Split a standard in one set among multiple standards in another.
Once standards have been mapped, existing alignments can be transferred from one set, the
base document to another, the target document.
Note Maps may be included in Standards Packages that are imported into the system.
These maps can be managed, edited, and used to copy alignments from one standards set to
another.
Creating a Standards Map
From the Standards Documents page:
1. Select two standards sets from the list using check boxes.
2. Click Map Standards. The Base document and the Target document display.
to switch the base and target, or click Select to accept the base and
3. Click
target as displayed.
Connecting Standards Using the Standards Map
Once a map has been created between two standards documents, individual standards from
the base document can be connected to standards in the target document. Once connections
are made and confirmed, the alignments can be copied from the base to the target.
1. Use the filtering criteria to find the standard in the base document to connect to the
target document.
Filter
Settings
Connection
All : Displays all standards in the base document.
1:1: Displays all standards that have a connection to only one target
standard.
No Connection: Displays all standards that have no connections to
any target standards.
Confirmed
All : Displays all standards in the base document.
Confirmed: Displays all standards with confirmed connections.
Not Confirmed: Displays all standards that do not have confirmed
connections.
Alignments
All : Displays all standards in the base document.
Automatic: Displays all standards that have connections established
to allow automatic alignments.
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Standards Maps > Connecting Standards Using the Standards Map
Filter
Settings
Manual: Displays all standards that have connections established to
require manual alignments.
Learning
Levels
All: Displays all standards in all learning levels for the base
document.
Learning Level categories: Displays only the standards that are part
of the selected Learning Levels.
Standards
Type
All: Displays all types of standards in the base document.
Standards categories: Displays only standards that are classified as
the selected types.
keywords
Display only those standards in the base document that contain the
entered keywords in the standard ID or description.
2. Click Add and then click Find Standards to open the Standards Discovery
window to locate the corresponding standard in the target document.
3. Select Allow Automatic Alignment to permit the system to transfer alignments
without manual over site.
4. Select Confirm Alignments to ensure that selections will be transferred. This
process cannot be reversed. All connections must be confirmed before alignments
can be copied from the base to the target.
5. Select the connections to transfer. Click Apply Target Alignments to transfer
the alignments from the base document to the target document.
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Custom Standard > Creating a Custom Standard
Custom Standard
Many school districts and institutions incorporate their own learning standards into their
respective states' published standards for the purpose of enhancing or extending the state
standards. With Blackboard Learn, administrators can create custom standards that are
integrated into their respective state' learning standards. Standards Maps can be inserted at
any level of the standards hierarchy to extend, expand, or clarify state defined information.
Creating a Custom Standard
Custom standards must be created from an existing standard or sub-standard.
1. Click the action link of a standard.
2. Select Create Custom Standards.
3. Enter an ID for the standard. IDs must be unique. They can contain numbers,
letters, and spaces. Follow state or institutional naming conventions as
appropriate.
4. Enter the text that defines the standard.
5. Enter a standard type. Standard types may already be established by the state or
institution. Standard types are used to classify standards and become a filter to
locate standards for alignments.
6. Select the check box to allow alignments.
7. Click Submit to save and add the custom standard to the list of standards.
Custom standards can be edited and deleted. They can be set to allow or not to allow
alignments, and they appear in Learning Standards reports.
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About Building Blocks > Creating a Custom Standard
About Building Blocks
Building Blocks are an easy and secure way to extend Blackboard Learn. Just a few of the
ways Building Blocks can be used are custom portal modules, new content tools, and new
user tools.
Building Blocks must be created by the Organization or downloaded before they can be
installed. To download a Building Block, contact the vendor or go to
http://buildingblocks.blackboard.com.
Note Many Building Blocks will not work with Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition.
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Installing and Uninstalling Building Blocks > How to Install a Building Block
Installing and Uninstalling Building Blocks
For Blackboard Learn - Enterprise Edition, Building Blocks are installed and uninstalled from
the Install Building Blocks page or using the B2Manager command line tool.
For Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition, building blocks must be installed, uninstalled, and
managed using the B2Manager command line tool.
This topic includes step-by-step instructions for installing a Building Block and for uninstalling
a Building Block from the Administrator Panel. For information about the command line tool,
see B2Manager Command Line Tool.
In some cases, installing a new version of a Building Block may require the existing version to
be uninstalled before installing the new version. If overwriting the Building Block does not
work, try this method.
Note Building Block vendors may occasionally upgrade their Building Blocks. Follow
instructions from the vendor to run an upgrade. Be aware that an upgrade will uninstall the old
version of the Building Block and replace it with the new version.
How to Install a Building Block
Before a Building Block can be installed, it must be downloaded or created.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Building Blocks.
2. Click Installed Tools.
3. Click Upload Building Blocks.
4. Click Browse and locate the Building Block .war file. The path to the Building
Block should appear in the field. This file may also be a .zip file.
Note Building Blocks can be created using Building Blocks technology or
acquired from third-party vendors. Blackboard maintains a catalog of Building
Blocks at http://buildingblocks.blackboard.com.
5. Click Submit to upload the .war file to Blackboard Learn.
6. Click OK to go back to the Building Blocks page.
7. To enable the Building Block, click Available in the Availability list for the
Building Block. When the Building Block is first made available the list of
permissions required by the Building Block is displayed. This is a security feature
to protect Blackboard Learn from dangerous content. If you are concerned about
the permissions given to a Building Block, contact the vendor and ask about the
permissions before approving the permissions.
8. Click Approve to make the Building Block available and allow it the listed
permissions.
How to Uninstall a Building Block
Note It is also possible to disable a Building Block. Disabling will keep the Building Block in
Blackboard Learn but the Building Block will not be available to users. This may be preferable
to complete removal if the Building Block will be used again in the future.
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Installing and Uninstalling Building Blocks > What Happens to Building Block Content?
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Building Blocks.
2. Click Installed Tools.
3. In the row for the Building Block to be removed, click Delete.
4. Click OK to approve the removal of the Building Block.
What Happens to Building Block Content?
Content Tools that are added as Building Blocks allow Instructors to create different types of
content and display it to users. When these content tools are removed or made unavailable, it
restricts the ability for users to access this content.
Within a Course, the links to content items created with a Building Block will not appear to
Students when the Building Block is removed or made unavailable. Instructors will see the
links to the content but will not be able to open or view the content. The content will become
available again if the Building Block is once again made available.
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Managing Building Blocks > How to Manage Building Blocks
Managing Building Blocks
For Blackboard Learn - Enterprise Edition, all Building Blocks can be managed from the
Building Blocks page or using the B2Manager command line tool.
For Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition, Building Blocks must be installed, uninstalled, and
managed using the B2Manager command line tool.
This topic provides information about the Building Blocks page. For information about the
command line tool, see B2Manager Command Line Tool.
How to Manage Building Blocks
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Building Blocks.
2. Click Installed Tools. The following table describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
Make
changes to
the Building
Block
Settings. This button will only appear if the Building Block is
configurable. Make any changes to the configuration of the Building
Block. The settings are specific to each Building Block and may
contain items such as license files, external resources, or global
settings.
Remove the
Building
Block
Delete. This action is irreversible.
Make the
Building
Block
unavailable/
available
The list in the Availability column and select one of the following
values:
l
Inactive: In this state the Building Block is registered but
cannot execute any code, including configuration scripts.
This is the default state when all Building Blocks are first
installed.
l
Available: The Building Block is available to users.
l
Unavailable: The Building Block is registered, can
execute code, but is not available to users.
Set the
default
availability
within
Courses for
a Building
Block tool
The list in the Course/Org Default column. This option determines
whether the tool is available by default within Courses.
Examine
details about
the Building
Block
View Components. This page lists the components that make up the
Building Block as well as a description, its version number, the
vendor information, and its default and available languages.
Download a
Building
Block
Find and Download Building Blocks. This links to
http://buildingblocks.blackboard.com. Building Blocks can be
downloaded to a computer and then added to the system.
Downloading a Building Block will not install it. To install a Building
Block after it has been downloaded, see How to Install a Building
Block.
Install a
Building
Upload Building Block. For more information, see How to Install a
Building Block.
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Managing Building Blocks > How to Manage Building Blocks
To . . .
click . . .
Block
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B2Manager Command Line Tool > How to Run the B2Manager Command
B2Manager Command Line Tool
For Blackboard Learn - Enterprise Edition, system administrators can manage any Building
Block using the B2Manager command line tool.
For Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition, system administrators can manage signed Building
Blocks using the B2Manager command line tool. The tool verifies that the Building Block being
managed is certified for use with the Basic Edition. If the Building Block is certified for use only
with the Enterprise Edition, the tool will return an error.
How to Run the B2Manager Command
1. From a command line, change to the following directory, where blackboard_
home is the Blackboard Learn installation location:
UNIX Syntax:
cd %/usr/local/blackboard_home/tools/admin
Windows Syntax:
cd C:\blackboard_home\tools\admin
2. From this directory, type the following to run the B2Manager command using the
desired operation, where filename is the name of the Building Block .war file
and B2_Handle is the "Handle" that identifies the Building Block. To identify the
handle of the Building Block, enter one of the List commands (-v or -l):
UNIX Syntax:
B2Manager.sh < -c VALUE | -r | -s VALUE | -v | -l > [filename |
B2_Handle]
For example:
To change the system status of the MyB2 building block to active,
type:B2Manager.sh -s AVAILABLE MyB2
To list all Building Blocks in verbose form, type:B2Manager.sh -v
Windows Syntax:
B2Manager.bat < -c VALUE | -r | -s VALUE | -v | -l > [filename|
B2_Handle]
For example:
To change the system status of the MyB2 building block to active,
type:B2Manager.bat -s AVAILABLE MyB2
To list all Building Blocks in verbose form, type:B2Manager.bat -v
Note To identify the handle of the Building Block, enter one of the List commands
(-v or -l).
Command
Description
-c
Change the default Course or Department status of the specified
Building Block. This option determines whether the tool is available by
default within Courses. Valid values:
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B2Manager Command Line Tool > How to Install or Update a Building Block
Command
Description
AVAILABLE or UNAVAILABLE
-r
Remove the specified Building Block from the system. This action is
irreversible.
-s
Change the system status of the specified Building Block. Valid values:
l
INACTIVE: In this state the Building Block is registered but
cannot execute any code, including configuration scripts.
This is the default state when all Building Blocks are first
installed.
l
AVAILABLE: The Building Block is available to users.
l
UNAVAILABLE: The Building Block is registered, can execute
code, but is not available to users.
-v
List all installed Building Blocks in verbose form. If the filename or
B2_Handle is specified, only the information for that Building block will
be listed.
-l
List all installed Building Blocks in short form. If the filenameor B2_
Handle is specified, only the information for that Building block will be
listed. Format of listing: "B2 Name" B2_Handle by Vendor
[System Status] SetupURL
How to Install or Update a Building Block
Step 1: Install the Building Block
Type the following command, where blackboard_home is the Blackboard installation
location and B2_Path & Filename is the full path and file name of the Building Block being
installed or updated:
UNIX Syntax:
/usr/local/blackboard_home/tools/admin/B2Manager.sh -i B2_Path
& Filename.war
For example: /usr/local/blackboard_home/tools/admin/B2Manager.sh
-i /usr/local/MyB2.war
Windows Syntax:
C:\blackboard_home\tools\admin\B2Manager.bat -i B2_Path &
Filename.war
For example:C:\blackboard_home\tools\admin\B2Manager.bat -i
C:\BuildingBlocks\MyB2.war
Step 2: Configure the Building Block
Note Enterprise Edition system administrators configure the Building Block using these
steps or from the Administrator Panel. Under Building Blocks, click Building Blocks, and
then click Installed Tools.
1. Type the following command, where blackboard_home is the Blackboard
installation location:
UNIX Syntax:
/usr/local/blackboard_home/tools/admin/B2Manager.sh -v
Windows Syntax:
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B2Manager Command Line Tool > What Happens to Building Block Content?
C:\blackboard_home\tools\admin\B2Manager.bat -v
2. In the verbose list, locate the Building Block being configured.
3. From the Setup field, copy the URL listed and paste it into a web browser. If
asked to authenticate, use your Blackboard administrator credentials.
4. Follow the steps provided by the Building Block provider to complete the
configuration process.
What Happens to Building Block Content?
Content Tools that are added as Building Blocks allow Instructors to create different types of
content and display it to users. When these content tools are removed or made unavailable, it
restricts the ability for users to access this content.
Within a Course, the links to content items created with a Building Block will not appear to
students when the Building Block is removed or made unavailable. Instructors will see the
links to the content but will not be able to open or view the content. The content will become
available again if the Building Block is once again made available.
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About Mashups > What Happens to Building Block Content?
About Mashups
Mashup Building Blocks allow Instructors and Students to discover, select, and embed
content from an external Web site without ever leaving the Blackboard Learn interface.
Note Mashup Building Blocks are not available with Blackboard Learn – Basic Edition.
Following are the default Mashup Building Blocks that are included with Blackboard Learn:
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Flickr: a site for viewing and sharing photographic images.
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SlideShare: a site for viewing and sharing PowerPoint presentations, Word
documents, or Adobe PDF Portfolios.
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YouTube: a site for viewing and sharing online videos.
Mashup Building Blocks are available by default, but they must be configured. For more
information, see Managing Building Blocks.
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Configuring Mashups > What Happens to Building Block Content?
Configuring Mashups
Note Before using a Mashup Building Block, review the terms of use for the external source.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Building Blocks.
2. Click Installed Tools.
3. In the row for the desired Mashup, click Settings. The following table describes
the optional settings that are available.
Field
Description
Filtering
YouTube Mashup only. Select Yes to filter out videos that have
been flagged as inappropriate by YouTube users. Be aware that
inappropriate content may still appear in search results even when
this option is enabled.
Note Because YouTube users flag content based on their
perceptions, inappropriate content may still appear in search
results even when this option is enabled.
API Key or
YouTube
Client ID
Provide your Organization's key or ID to track your Organization's
usage of the application. If left blank, the default Blackboard key or
ID will be used.
Note If this setting is changed, it will apply only to content created
after this change is made. It will not be applied retroactively to
existing content.
Shared
Secret Key
or YouTube
Developer
Key
Provide your Organization's key to track your Organization's usage
of the application. If left blank, the default Blackboard key will be
used.
Default
Language
SlideShare and YouTube Mashups only. Choose the language in
which you want to view the SlideShare or YouTube interface. This
will change only the interface, not any text entered by other users.
Note If this setting is changed, it will apply only to content created
after this change is made. It will not be applied retroactively to
existing content.
4. Click Submit.
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Open Standards Content Player > About the Content Player Building Block
Open Standards Content Player
About the Content Player Building Block
The Open Standards Content Player Building Block ships with Blackboard Learn and must be
made available by the Administrator.
Content Player Version
Content Types Played
2004.3.4
SCORM 1.2, IMS, NLN, SCORM 2004 (up to 3rd Edition)
Note The Content Player Building Block, like many Building Blocks, will not work with
Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition.
Using the Content Player in a Course
The Open Standards Content Player Building Block uploads content that conforms to
SCORM, IMS, or NLN standards to a Course. Instructors see IMS, SCORM, and NLN as
additional Content Types for adding content.
When adding SCORM, IMS, or NLN data, the Instructor can choose to add a Results Center
Item, as well as select from other standard content item options. When a user interacts with a
package, the attempt is shown in the Results Center. Additional attempt data such as total
viewing time and completion status are also recorded to assist the Instructor in evaluation.
From the users’ perspective, IMS, SCORM, or NLN Content Items are seamlessly presented
with other Course content, and can even be added to a Learning Module.
Supported Standards
The Open Standards Content Player Building Block supports the SCORM standard and the
IMS standard for Web content, as well as NLN Content, which conforms to SCORM and IMS.
IMS Content
The Open Standards Content Player Building Block supports content that conforms to the IMS
Content and Packaging 1.1.2 standard with the webcontent attribute.
Further information about the standard can be found at:
http://www.imsglobal.org/content/packaging/#version1.1.2
SCORM Content
The Open Standards Content Player Building Block supports content that conforms to the
SCORM 1.2 standard and the SCORM 2004 3rd Edition standard. The Instructor does not
need to determine ahead of time whether the content is designed as 1.2 or 2004 compliant.
The Content Player will make this determination to play the content.
Further information about the standard can be found at:
http://www.adlnet.gov
NLN Content
The Open Standards Content Player Building Block supports NLN content, which conforms to
SCORM and IMS standards. The United Kingdom NLN Materials Team is responsible for
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Open Standards Content Player > Making the SCORM, NLN, and IMS Content Types Available
commissioning and developing e-learning materials for the NLN, and offers advice on best
practices in integrating the NLN materials into teaching and learning schemes.
Further information about the standard can be found at:
http://www.nln.ac.uk/
Making the SCORM, NLN, and IMS Content Types Available
Depending on the needs of an Organization, one or all three of these Content Types can be
made available for Instructors to use in their Courses. Regardless of which Content Type is
turned on, the Building Block will do the work of determining the type of package and playing
the content properly.
Deciding which Content Type to expose in the dropdown of the Action Bar relates largely to
what term the Instructors and Course Builders use for standards-based content. For example,
If users at an Organization are more generally aware of SCORM content than NLN content,
that corresponding Content Type can be turned on and the other two turned off.
How to Make the Content Player Building Block Available on
Blackboard Learn
When updating Blackboard Learn, the latest version of the Content Player Building Block will
automatically install. The new version of the Content Player allows the playing and
modification of all content previously added. Results Center items will still be manageable
from the Results Center. No new Results Center items can be added for the previously added
content.
In Blackboard Learn, the Open Standards Content Player Building Block is automatically
updated to the latest version. The Administrator must set the Building Block to Available.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Building Blocks.
2. Click Installed Tools.
3. In the row for the Open Standards Content Player Building Block, click Available
in the Availability list. When the Building Block is first made available the list of
permissions required by the Building Block is displayed. This is a security feature
to protect Blackboard Learn from dangerous content.
4. Click Approve to make Building Block available and allow it the listed
permissions.
The Content Packages for the SCORM, IMS, and NLN Content Type tools can be managed
like other Content Types by clicking Tools on the Administrator Panel under Tools and
Utilities.
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About SafeAssign > How SafeExercises Work
About SafeAssign
SafeAssign compares submitted exercises against a set of academic papers to identify areas
of overlap between the submitted exercise and existing works. Safe Assign is used to prevent
plagiarism and to create opportunities to help students identify how to properly attribute
sources rather than paraphrase. SafeAssign is effective as both a deterrent and an educational
tool.
How SafeExercises Work
SafeAssign is based on a unique text matching algorithm capable of detecting exact and
inexact matching between a paper and source material. SafeExercises are compared against
several different databases, including:
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Internet: Comprehensive index of documents available for public access on the
Internet
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ProQuest ABI/Inform database: More than 1,100 publication titles and about 2.6
million articles from 1990's to present time, updated weekly (exclusive access)
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Organizational document archives: Contains all papers submitted to SafeAssign
by users in their respective organizations
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Global Reference Database: Contains papers that were volunteered by students
from Blackboard client organizations to help prevent cross-organizational plagiarism
Global Reference Database
Blackboard’s Global Reference Database is a separate database where students voluntarily
donate copies of their papers to help prevent plagiarism. It is separated from each
organization’s internal database, where all papers are stored by each corresponding
organization, and students are free to select the option to check their papers without
submitting them to the Global Reference Database. Students submit their papers to the
database voluntarily and agree not to delete papers in the future. Submissions to the Global
Reference Database are extra copies that are given voluntarily for the purpose of helping with
plagiarism prevention. Blackboard does not claim ownership of submitted papers.
SafeAssign Originality Reports
After a paper has been processed, a report will be available detailing the percentage of text in
the submitted paper that matches existing sources. It also shows the suspected sources of
each section of the submitted paper that returns a match. Instructors can delete matching
sources from the report and process it again. This may be useful if the paper is a continuation
of a previously submitted work by the same student.
Because SafeAssign identifies all matching blocks of text, it is important to read the report
carefully and investigate whether or not the block of text is properly attributed.
Interpreting SafeAssign Scores
Sentence matching scores represent the percentage probability that two phrases have the
same meaning. This number can also be interpreted as the reciprocal to the probability that
these two phrases are similar by chance. For example, a score of 90 percent means that there
is a 90 percent probability that these two phrases are the same and a 10 percent probability
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About SafeAssign > Results Center Integration
that they are similar by chance and not because the submitted paper includes content from the
existing source (whether or not it is appropriately attributed).
Overall score is an indicator of what percentage of the submitted paper matches existing
sources. This score is a warning indicator only and papers should be reviewed to see if the
matches are properly attributed.
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Scores below 15 percent: These papers typical include some quotes and few
common phrases or blocks of text that match other documents. These papers
typically do not require further analysis, as there is no evidence of the possibility of
plagiarism in these papers.
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Scores between 15 percent and 40 percent: These papers include extensive
quoted or paraphrased material or they may include plagiarism. These papers should
be reviewed to determine if the matching content is properly attributed.
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Scores over 40 percent: There is a very high probability that text in this paper was
copied from other sources. These papers include quoted or paraphrased text in
excess and should be reviewed for plagiarism.
Results Center Integration
SafeExercises are created with associated Results Center items. The score is then recorded
in the Results Center. For more information about the Results Center, see About the Results
Center.
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Configuring and Registering SafeAssign > How to Configure and Register SafeAssign
Configuring and Registering SafeAssign
SafeAssign enables organizations to link in to a Global Reference Database of academic
content. The Global Reference Database allows organizations to search their own data
repository as well as that of a host of other data repositories. Access to the database is
enabled by default. To connect to the Global Reference Database, ensure that the Blackboard
Application servers are allowed to access the following host and port:
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Host: https://www.safeassign.com:8443
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Port: TCP 80 (HTTP)
How to Configure and Register SafeAssign
1. From the Admin Panel, click Building Blocks.
2. Click Installed Tools.
3. Locate the SafeAssign Building Block.
4. Click Settings for the SafeAssign Building Block.
5. Enter the following information:
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Organization Name
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Local Server URL
Note The Local Server URL is for the purpose of validating the
registering system and to prevent spoofing and hacking into the central
service database.
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Contact First Name of the SafeAssign administrator contact
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Contact Last Name of the SafeAssign administrator contact
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Contact Email address of the SafeAssign administrator contact
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Contact Job Title of the SafeAssign administrator contact
6. Select a Time Zone. This will ensure that the time displayed within the SafeAssign
Building Block matches that of the Blackboard Learn server.
7. Select Show Student ID to allow Instructors to view the Student IDs in the table
that lists submitted papers. If not selected, Instructors see only the Student's
name.
8. Enter the Organization Release Statement text that appears in every
SafeExercise on the system alerting Students that their work will be checked for
plagiarism. Leave the text box blank to not provide a warning.
9. Select Global Reference Database Activity to submit SafeExercises to the
Global Reference Database and allow analysis of papers submitted from other
organizations. If not selected, this access is restricted.
10. Select I accept to accept the SafeAssign License Agreement.
11. Click Submit.
12. Click Settings for the SafeAssign Building Block to open the Settings page again.
If the connection is successful, the message “Connection Status: Established”
will appear at the top of the page.
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Configuring and Registering SafeAssign > How to Enable SafeAssign in Blackboard Learn
After successfully connection to SafeAssign, a join code is provided in the receipt. Please
take note of this join code as it is used to help identify your organization and its associated
submission data. This join code is also helpful in troubleshooting and when migrating servers.
How to Enable SafeAssign in Blackboard Learn
1. From the Administrator Panel, click Building Blocks.
2. Click Installed Tools.
3. Locate the SafeAssign Building Block.
4. Select Available in the Availability column and in the Course/Org default column.
How to Enable SafeAssign in Courses
1. From the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Course Settings.
2. Click Course Tools.
3. Filter by Building Blocks Tools.
4. Locate SafeAssign in the list and select On. Note that SafeAssign is not available
to guests or observers.
5. Click Submit.
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Creating SafeExercises > How to Create a SafeExercise
Creating SafeExercises
SafeExercises appear in courses as a new content type and are added to any course content
area. Please note that SafeExercises are different from Exercises and there is no connection
between the content types. It is not possible to make an existing Exercise a SafeExercise
without starting from the beginning. Like regular Exercises, however, SafeExercises are
integrated with the Results Center.
How to Create a SafeExercise
1. From a content area within a course, select the SafeExercise content type from
the Select drop-down list and click Go. The Add SafeExercise page appears.
2. Complete the page using the table below as a guide and click Submit.
Field
Description
Title
Type a title for the SafeExercise.
Points
Possible
Type the points possible for the SafeExercise. This value will be
shared with the Results Center Item created for the Safe Exercise.
Text
Type instructions for completing the SafeExercise.
Available
Select whether or not the SafeExercise should be visible to
Students.
Availability
Dates
Use these controls to set the date range when Students can interact
with the SafeExercise. It is possible to set only a Start date or only
an End date.
Drafts
Allows Students to validate their paper without submitting it to the
organizational database. Useful as an instructive tool to help
Students learn how to attribute papers properly.
Students
Viewable
Determines whether or not Students can see the report generated
when their papers are submitted.
Urgent
Checking
Sets papers to a high priority in the queue.
Optional Announcement
Create
Select Yes to create an Announcement about the SafeExercise.
Subject
Type a subject for the Announcement.
Message
Type a message for the Announcement.
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Using DirectSubmit > How to Submit Papers through DirectSubmit
Using DirectSubmit
DirectSubmit generates SafeAssign reports on papers submitted outside of a SafeExercise
and it may also be used to add papers to the organizational database. Because DirectSubmit
is not integrated with the Results Center, Instructors should use SafeExercises to collect
submissions whenever possible.
DirectSubmit allows Instructors to submit papers one at a time or several at once by including
them in a .ZIP file. Note that .ZIP packages should contain no more than 100 papers and
submitting more than 300 papers in a session is not recommended.
As well, papers with over 5000 phrases or that are more than 10 MB in size cannot be
submitted.
How to Submit Papers through DirectSubmit
1. From the Control Panel, under Course Tools, click SafeAssign.
2. Click DirectSubmit. A list of folders and papers will appear. This list includes
papers already uploaded through DirectSubmit. Blackboard recommends that
files not be deleted from DirectSubmit as this will delete them from the
organizational database of existing materials.
3. Navigate to a folder where the paper or papers will be uploaded.
4. Click Submit Papers.
5. Select Upload File and browse for the file. Individual papers as well as papers
that are grouped in a .ZIP package are accepted. Alternatively, select Copy/Paste
Document and add the document text in the field.
6. Select the upload options:
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Submit as Draft: A SafeAssign report will be generated however the
paper will not be added to the organizational database and will not be
used to check other papers.
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Skip Plagiarism Checking: Adds the papers to the organizational
database without checking for content copied from other sources. This
is useful if an Instructor wants to upload papers from an earlier course to
ensure that current students are not reusing work.
7. Click Submit.
Shared Folders and Private Folders
Direct Submit Shared Folders are viewable by anyone with access to the Direct Submit tool
through the course. Multiple Instructors and Teaching Assistants can view submissions
related to a course in Shared Folders Private folders can be used to manage papers for an
individual instructors. These folders follow the instructor and are available in any course where
that user has Instructor level privileges.
Supported File Types
Direct Submit supports the following file types:
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Microsoft Word document (.doc)
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Rich Text Format (.rtf)
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Using DirectSubmit > Supported File Types
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HTML (.htm or .html)
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Text (.txt)
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Zip-compressed multiple files (.ZIP)
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Submit a SafeExercise > How to Submit a SafeExercise
Submit a SafeExercise
SafeExercises appear in content areas throughout courses.
How to Submit a SafeExercise
1. From a content area within a course, select the SafeExercise and click
View/Complete. The Upload SafeExercise page appears.
2. Complete the fields using the following table.
Field
Description
Name
Displays the tile of the SafeExercise.
Instructions
Displays the instructions for the SafeExercise.
Comments
Enter any comments for the Instructor in this field.
File to
Attach
Click Browse to locate a file to upload as a SafeExercise.
Global
Reference
Database
Select this option to upload your paper to the Global Reference
Database. It will be used to check papers from other schools for
plagiarism. The paper will only be used to check for plagiarism.
3. Click Submit.
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Viewing SafeAssign Submissions > How to View a Student Submission
Viewing SafeAssign Submissions
Student submissions and the SafeAssign reports associated with submissions are viewable
by accessing the SafeExercise using the View/Complete link after submitting the paper. This
option is only available if allowed by the Instructor.
How to View a Student Submission
Open the SafeExercise by clicking View/Complete. The submission will appear with the
following columns appear for each SafeExercise:
Field
Description
Text
Select this option to view the Student’s paper and any comments from the Student.
File
Select this option to download the Student Submission.
Matching
The percentage listed is the percentage of the paper that matches other sources.
Please read the full report to determine if the matching is properly attributed.
SA
Report
Select this option to view the full SafeAssign report.
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Managing Submissions > How to View Submissions
Managing Submissions
Student submissions and the Safe Assign reports associated with submissions are viewed
from the SafeAssign link on the Control Panel, found under the Course Tools heading. The
SafeAssign area lists the SafeExercises in the course. click a SafeExercise to view and result
submissions.
How to View Submissions
1. From the Control Panel, under Course Tools, click SafeAssign.
2. Locate the specific SafeExercise in the list and click View. A list of Student
submissions will appear with the following columns appear for each SafeExercise:
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Text: Select this option to view the Student’s paper and any comments
from the Student.
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File: Select this option to download the Student Submission.
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Matching: The percentage listed is the percentage of the paper that
matches other sources. Please read the full report to determine if the
matching is properly attributed.
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SA Report: Select this option to view the full Safe Exercise report.
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Clear Attempt: Select this option to delete the submission from the
database, for example, if the Student uploaded the wrong file.
Evaluating a Submission
SafeExercises are integrated into the Results Center and may be accessed and evaluated
directly from the Results Center like other Exercises. SafeExercises are not automatically
evaluated; like existing manually evaluated Exercises they will display with a ‘!’ indicating
action required by the instructor.
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Running SafeAssign Originality Reports > Report Layout
Running SafeAssign Originality Reports
SafeAssign Originality Reports provide detailed information about the matches found between
a submitted paper and existing sources. The SafeAssign report identifies all matching blocks
of text. It is the responsibility of the instructor and student to investigate whether the matching
text is properly referenced or not. Detailing every match prevents detection errors due to
differences in citing standards.
Report Layout
SafeAssign reports are divided into three sections:
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Report Information: This section lists data about the paper, such as the author,
percent Matching, and when it was submitted. This section also includes options for
downloading the report, emailing the report, or viewing a printable version. Note that
the printable version may be the most effective view of the report for those users that
rely on assistive technologies to access Blackboard Learn.
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Suspected Sources: This section lists the sources that have text that matches the
text of the submitted paper. Users may select sources, exclude them from the
review, and process the paper again. This is useful if a source is a previous work
from the same student for the same exercise, or if there is some reason that lengthy
sections of a particular source appear in the paper. Processing the paper again will
generate a new value for the percent matching without using the excluded sources.
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Manuscript Text: This section shows the submitted paper. All matching blocks of
text are identified. Clicking a matching block of text will display information about the
original source and the probability that the block or sentence was copied from the
source.
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Managing Web Services > How to Access the Web Services Page
Managing Web Services
The System Administrator can view installed Web Services, render them available or
unavailable for use, and manage the IP addresses which access a specific Web Service.
How to Access the Web Services Page
On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Web Services.
How to Manage the Web Services Internal Secret
This secret is used by the Web Service framework to validate the security of the Web Service
session between calls. It must be between 6 and 128 characters long. Changes are applied
immediately. Any connected Proxy Tools must reconnect before continuing.
1. Click Manage Web Services.
2. In the Internal Secret field, make the necessary changes.
3. Click Submit.
How to Manage Availability
1. Select the check boxes for the appropriate Web Services.
2. Point to Availability and click Available or Unavailable.
How to Manage SSL Choice
1. Select the check boxes for the appropriate Web Services.
2. Point to SSL and click Set as required or Set as Not Required.
How to Manage Discoverability
The Discoverability setting determines whether the Web Services Description Language
(WSDL) renders upon request. It does not affect the normal operation of the Web Service.
1. Select the check boxes for the appropriate Web Services.
2. Point to Discoverability and click Make Discoverable or Make Not
Discoverable.
How to Manage Logging Type
1. In the contextual menu for the appropriate Web Service, click Edit.
2. In the Select Logging Type, click Off, Common, or Individual
3. Click Submit.
Note The Common logging sends information to a single file that contains log information for
all the Web Services that use the Common logging type. Individual logging sends information
to a specific log file for this Web Service.
How to Manage IP Filters
IP Filters are a list of individual IP addresses or IP address ranges to block or allow. These
filters are applied for all access to this Web Service. These are applied before any per-ProxyTool filters are applied.
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Managing Web Services > How to Manage Web Service Operations
1. In the contextual menu for the appropriate Web Service, click Edit.
2. In the IP Filters field, type individual IP addresses or a range of IP addresses.
Type one address per line.
Note
Type BLOCK a.b.c.d to block an IP address or range of addresses.
Type ALLOW a.b.c.d to allow an IP address or range of addresses.
Wildcards (*) are allowed in any position of the IP address.
IP address ranges are specified using a slash as follows: a.b.c.d/e.f.g.h
3. Click Submit.
How to Manage Web Service Operations
System Administrators can control the level of access for each operation associated with a
Web Service.
1. In the contextual menu for the appropriate Web Service, click Operations.
2. Select the appropriate level of access :
a. Permit Any Authorized Access: Select the check boxes for an
operation and select this option from the Change Access list. Or
select this option in the contextual menu in the Restriction column for
the appropriate operation.
b. Permit Tool-Authorized Access: Only Web Service sessions that
were authenticated using the loginTool method are allowed to call
the method. Select the check boxes for an operation and select this
option from the Change Access list.
c. Block Access: All calls to this method will fail. Select the check
boxes for an operation and select this option from the Change
Access list. Or select this option in the contextual menu in the
Restriction column for the appropriate operation.
How to View Permissions
In the contextual menu for the appropriate Web Service, click Permissions. For more
information, go to http://www.blackboard.com/Support/Extensions.aspx.
How to Download Documentation
In the contextual menu for the appropriate Web Service, click Download Documentation.
Click OK to download a ZIP file containing the javadocs for this Web Service.
Note This documentation is in the javadoc format for the sake of convenience. The javadocs
are provided to describe logical operations and arguments, not to declare an exact method of
coding. Client programs can be written in any WSDL enabled language. Use the languagespecific syntax to invoke the methods based on the WSDL contract.
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Managing Proxy Tools > How to Find the Proxy Tools Page
Managing Proxy Tools
From the Proxy Tools page, users can view existing Proxy Tools, assign properties to all
Proxy Tools on the system, manage the availability of Proxy Tools, and make other changes
to any Proxy Tool within the system.
How to Find the Proxy Tools Page
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Building Blocks.
2. Click Proxy Tools.
How to Manage Global Properties for Proxy Tools
Note Use the Proxy Tool Registration Password field to restrict access to the
registerTool method. Proxy Tools that must supply the password entered in this filed to
register themselves. The Proxy Tool cannot login as a tool until a password is specified on the
Proxy Tool configuration page. Proxy Tools cannot receive any entitlements until granted by
giving the individual Proxy Tool its own password.
Note Allowing access to Unknown Proxy Tools means that these Proxy Tools can
connect and use user-based authentication to access Web Services. A password is required
and access is restricted based on the users entitlements within the system. Access for
unknown Proxy Tools can be accomplished without explicitly granting them the right to use
Web Services.
Note Exposing the Tool Consumer Profile allows Proxy Tools to auto-discover the
capabilities of the system by using the URL /webapps/ws/wsadmin/tcprofile. Disabling this
does not disable proxy tools, but it disables their ability to perform pre-registration capability
validation.
1. Click Manage Global Properties.
2. Provide or edit the Proxy Tool Registration Password.
3. Select the Allow Unknown Proxy Tool check box if appropriate.
4. Select the Expose Tool Consumer Profile if appropriate.
5. Click Submit.
How to Edit a Proxy Tool
1. In the contextual menu for the appropriate Proxy Tool, click Edit.
2. Make changes to any of the fields. For more information, see Register Proxy
Tools.
3. Click Submit.
How to Delete a Proxy Tool
In the contextual menu for the appropriate Proxy Tool, click Delete.
-orSelect the check boxes for the appropriate Proxy Tools, and then click Delete.
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Registering Proxy Tools > How to Find the Proxy Tools Page
Registering Proxy Tools
The System Administrator can link to a Proxy Tool descriptor which registers the tool, places
access points according to defined properties, and enables access to the Web Service
through the Proxy Tool.
Before registering a Proxy Tool, there are three Global Properties to keep in mind:
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Use the Proxy Tool Registration Password field to restrict access to the
registerTool method. Proxy Tools that must supply the password entered in this
filed to register themselves. The Proxy Tool cannot login as a tool until a password is
specified on the Proxy Tool configuration page. Proxy Tools cannot receive any
entitlements until granted by giving the individual Proxy Tool its own password.
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Allowing access to Unknown Proxy Tools means that these Proxy Tools can
connect and use user-based authentication to access Web Services. A password is
required and access is restricted based on the users' entitlements within the
system. Access for unknown Proxy Tools can be accomplished without explicitly
granting them the right to use Web Services.
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Exposing the Tool Consumer Profile allows Proxy Tools to auto-discover the
capabilities of the system by using the URL
/webapps/ws/wsadmin/tcprofile. Disabling this does not disable proxy
tools, but it disables their ability to perform pre-registration capability validation.
How to Find the Proxy Tools Page
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Building Blocks, click Building Blocks.
2. Click Proxy Tools.
How to Register a Proxy Tool without Placements
1. In the Register Proxy Tool list, click Create Proxy Tool without Placements.
2. Provide the Vendor and Program information.
3. Determine the Availability of the Proxy Tool by clicking Unavailable or
Available.
Note If the Proxy Tool is not Available, then it cannot login to any Web Service
using any authentication methods in addition to having any requested placements
disabled.
4. Provide a Shared Password.
Note The Shared Password is required only for tool-authenticated Web Service
sessions.
5. Provide individual IP addresses or a range of IP addresses to allow or block in the
IP Filters field. Type one address per line.
Note Using IP Filters is optional and all IP addresses are allowed by default
(ALLOW*). Here are some guidelines for using the IP Filters:
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Type BLOCK a.b.c.d to block an IP address or range of addresses.
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Type ALLOW a.b.c.d to allow an IP address or range of addresses.
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Registering Proxy Tools > How to Register a Proxy Tool with Placements
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Wildcards (*) are allowed in any position of the IP address.
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IP address ranges are specified using a slash as follows:
a.b.c.d/e.f.g.h
6. Click Submit.
How to Register a Proxy Tool with Placements
1. In the Register Proxy Tool list, click Create Proxy Tool with Placements.
2. In the Known Servers list, select a Proxy Server and click Go.
-orProvide the registration URL for the proxy server in the Server Registration URL
field.
Note Use the full path for the URL furnished by the Proxy Tool vendor.
3. Click Submit.
How to Download Sample Tools
1. Click Download Sample Tools.
2. Click OK to accept the download of a ZIP file containing sample Proxy Tools.
What's in the Sample Tools Package
The ZIP file contains the following sample tools:
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.NET-based Proxy Tool
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Java-based Proxy Tool
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Java-based Proxy Server
Note Consult the README and the LICENSE_for_samples files before using the sample
tools. The most current information is included in these files and may supersede this
documentation.
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About Content Management > Enabling SSL
About Content Management
The features and functions described in this part are available when the content management
capabilities have been licensed.
The Content Collection is a file repository with several sophisticated features for working with
content. It is fully integrated with Blackboard Learn when the content management capabilities
have been licensed. It provides repositories for Blackboard Learn Courses and Users. This
section reviews how to manage the Content Collection through the Administrator Panel.
The Content Collection allows users to store, share, and publish content within personal user
folders, Course folders and Organization Folders. This document explains how to organize and
manage content in ways that are beneficial to them and to other users in the system.
Setting Up the Content Collection
The Content Collection is in a “disabled” mode after installation. This gives the Administrator a
chance to configure and configure the Content Collection before making it publicly available for
all to access. Turn on the Content Collection and appropriate Tools and Features. If Portfolios
are enabled, select which constituencies may use this feature.
Turn on the Content Collection and its features from:
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Feature and Tool Management >
Feature and Tool Availability
Enabling SSL
Authentication for Web Folders (also known as WebDAV) occurs in plain text. Blackboard
strongly recommends running SSL. If SSL is not used, authentication may be compromised.
How to Set up the Portal
This section is relevant only for clients who license the community engagement capabilities of
Blackboard Learn. Follow the steps below to set up the Portal:
1. If Portal Direct Entry is enabled, disable the Content Collection for Guests and
any other constituencies that should not use it, such as Prospective Students and
Observers.
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Tabs and Modules > Tab
Groups > Tab Group: Content Collection > Edit
2. Select Properties next to each Content Collection module then set the System
Availability of the module.
3. Enable Content Management Portal Modules. These include: Bookmarks, Course
Content, Organization Content, My Content, My Portfolios, Department Content,
Search, and Workflow Activities.
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Tabs and Modules >
Modules
4. Select Edit Properties next to each Content Management Module.
How to Configure Content Management Settings
The following steps explain which Settings must be initially configured:
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Setting Up the Content Collection > How to Configure Full Text Search
1. Set up Virtual Hard Drives for users. This determines which constituencies have
folders available in the users directory. The quota for these folders is setup in
Default Folder Settings.
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Content Management
Settings > Virtual Hard Drive
2. Select the availability of virtual hard drives. If virtual hard drives are made
available, select for which constituencies folders are created.
3. Set up Default Folder Settings. This determines which folders will be created by
default in the Content Collection, such as Course folders within the Courses
directory for users with specific constituencies. It also allows the Administrator to
set a quota for user folders.
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Content Area Management >
Default Folder Creation Settings
4. Select Edit next to each top level folder. Set the permissions and default quotas
for each top level folder. These options for top level folders may be changed in the
future, BUT changes will only affect new folders created.
5. Set up Privacy Settings, this determines whether the Content Collection
respects the user’s privacy. Users have the option of choosing whether or not their
user information is made public in the User Directory of Blackboard Learn. The
Privacy Settings page allows Administrators to determine whether these privacy
settings chosen by users will be respected during user searches of the Content
Collection.
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Content Management
Settings > Privacy Settings
6. Enable the Deletion Audit Trail for the Document Stores. This setting tracks
how long files will remain in the system before being permanently deleted. This log
is stored in the database; the lifetime may be set fairly high without affecting
system performance.
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Technical Settings >
Document Stores > Manage > Deletion Audit Trail Settings
7. Turn on the Deletion Audit Trail for each Document Store by entering the
number of days for the Delete Audit Trail Lifetime.
8. Enable persistent cookies. Using persistent cookies increases the usability of
WebDAV; users will not be asked to authenticate multiple times.
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Technical Settings >
Authentication Settings
How to Configure Full Text Search
Configure full text search indexing options. This sets the time of day and the duration for the
system to rebuild the Full Text Search Indexes. It is recommended that option be set to a
minimum of one hour. Administrators may also choose to use the Immediate Update option,
which will update the index as files are added to the system. This setting may impact
performance.
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Setting Up the Content Collection > How to Configure Display Options
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Technical Settings > Full Text Search
Settings
If the system has automated backup, check that the settings on the Full Text Settings page
do not interfere with the backup.
How to Configure Display Options
The Display Options allow the Administrator to set up how the Content Collection appears to
users.
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Display Options
The following areas must be configured in Display Options:
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Content List Display Options: Set which features are available in the Action Bar,
such as Add Folder and Copy. Determine which columns will appear, such as
Display Size and Display Permissions.
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Menu Display Options: Choose how the left-hand navigation menu appears to
users.
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Manage View Items: Customize the appearance of the Shortcut and Folder Views.
How to Enable Content Management Features
Follow the steps below to enable some of the features available in the Content Collection:
1. Make Portfolios available on the system. Select which constituencies have
access to this functionality.
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Portfolios > Portfolio
Settings
2. Modify Portfolio Templates to suit the Organization and make them available.
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Portfolios > Personal
Portfolio Templates
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Portfolios > Basic Portfolio
Templates
3. Set the availability of eReserves.
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Content Management
Settings > eReserves
4. Enable Web Folders.
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Feature and Tool
Management > WebFolders
5. Enable the availability of the Learning Objects Catalog.
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Learning Objects Catalog >
Catalog Availability
6. Select Catalog Managers.
Administrator Panel > Content Management > Learning Objects Catalog >
Catalog Management Options
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Setting Up the Content Collection > How to Enable Content Management Features in Courses
How to Enable Content Management Features in Courses
Follow the steps below to enable Content Management features available in Blackboard Learn
Courses:
1. Allow Instructors to check links to Content Collection items within a Course. Set
the Check CS Links tool to Available.
Administrator Panel > Courses > Course Settings > Course Tools
2. Allows Instructors to copy files from a Course to the Content Collection. Set the
Copy Files to CS tool to Available.
Administrator Panel > Courses > Course Settings > Course Tools
How to Access the Content Collection
Once enabled, the Content Collection Tab will appear when a user logs into Blackboard Learn.
The Administrator may access the Content Collection through this tab or through the Manage
Content option on the Administrator Panel.
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Setting Up Customized Authentication Page Flow > Implementing requestAuthenticate()
Setting Up Customized Authentication Page Flow
This section discusses how to customize the routing between pages in Blackboard Learn. An
Organization may customize routing by uploading a custom login page to Blackboard Learn
server (via the Customize Login Page link on the System Control Panel), or by implementing
the requestAuthenticate() method on the HttpAuthModule interface.
The Customize Login Page function on the System Control Panel allows the Administrator
to download a template for the login page and then upload a modified template to the server.
This allows the Administrator to add extra script functionality to the login page hosted by
Blackboard Learn.
Note Organizations interested in customizing their Blackboard Learn login page must not
remove the JSP tags on the page.
Implementing requestAuthenticate()
If the user wishes to redirect to a login form on a page hosted by another application, instead of
using the Customize Login Page function, the user should implement the
HttpAuthModule interface method requestAuthenticate() to do a redirect.
For authentication to function properly, any login form on a page hosted by another application
must submit the form to the login broker at the Organization’s URL (for example, a login page
hosted at “http://another.organization.com” must submit its login form to the URL
“http://your.organization.edu/webapps/login”).
Redirecting to the Original Target URL
If a user has clicked a bookmarked URL that leads into the Blackboard Learn, but they are not
currently authenticated, the application will route the user to the login broker URI with the
originally requested URL preserved. The login broker expects that the rest of the application
will preserve the originally-requested URL, in URL-encoded form, as either a hidden form
variable or a query string parameter named new_loc. Any custom Login page uploaded to the
Blackboard Learn server, or any third-party script page that requestAuthenticate()
redirects to, must keep this contract as well. If not, the Blackboard Learn will route to its
default entry page.
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Document Store Settings > How to Edit the Content Management Document Store Settings
Document Store Settings
Make sure to check the Document Store settings for the content management document store
and make adjustments based on actual usage.
How to Edit the Content Management Document Store Settings
1. In the Blackboard Learn Administrator Panel, click Technical Settings, and then
click Document Stores.
2. In the contextual menu for a Document Store, click JDBC Settings. The
following table describes the available fields.
Recommended
Setting
Field Name
Description
Connection
Expiration
Number of minutes before a live connection is expired to
release the memory used
5
Maximum
Connections
Maximum number of connections in the connection pool
This setting limits the size of the connection pool to allow
maximum performance. Depending on the database
configuration and hardware, too many connections can lower
performance.
100
The default setting of 50 means that the system can support up
to 50 connections to that particular storage location at one time
from each application server. Often it is necessary to increase
this value if images or other content is loaded regularly, such as
from the My Organization page. In this case, you would also
increase the Minimum Connections.
In rare cases, the Maximum Connections could be set as high
as bbconfig.httpd.maxclients to ensure that a connection
is available for each possible incoming client connection.
Note This should only be done for those storage databases
that are being used very heavily.
Minimum
Connections
Minimum number of connections in the connection pool
This setting limits the size of the connection pool to allow
maximum performance. Too few connections can lower system
performance.
10
For all storage databases, regardless of usage, this should not
be set below 5. This allows for some standing connections to
remain even when the system is mostly idle. Building up
connections is very work intensive, and because it is serialized
(only one new connection can be added at a time), locking
issues will occur if the minimum connections are set too low.
Dead
Connection
Timeout
Period
Number of seconds before a connection to the document store
database is considered “dead” and is deleted from the
connection pool
3. Click Submit.
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300
About the Content Collection > Accessing Content Collection folders
About the Content Collection
Administrators can manage all content in the Content Collection through the Manage Content
link on the Administrator Panel or through the Content Collection tab. Administrators are
automatically granted Manage permissions to all files and folders. This allows them to perform
any action on all files and folders. These actions include:
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Move, copy, rename, and delete all files and folders
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Create files and folders in all directories
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Manage all files and folders. This includes setting locks, quotas and permissions.
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Search all files and folders
For more information about using and managing content, see About Content Management.
Accessing Content Collection folders
All personal folders appear when the Administrator opens the Users, Courses, e-Reserves, or
Departments folders. For example, when Courses is opened, only folders for Courses in which
the Administrator is enrolled or in which he or she is the Instructor will appear.
Administrators may access and manage ALL Users, Courses, e-Reserves and Departments
folders in the Content Collection. All folders and files may be opened through the Find Folder,
Search and Go To Location tools.
When the library or Organization Folders are opened, all folders that are available in the
Content Collection appear.
Creating Course and User folders
When a new Course or user is added to Blackboard Learn, corresponding folders in the users
or Courses folders in the Content Collection are not automatically created. A personal folder in
users is automatically created the first time the user enters the Content Collection. A Course
folder in Courses is automatically created when the Instructor enters the Content Collection.
Students in a Course will not see a Course folder unless the Instructor or Administrator grants
them permissions to do so.
An Administrator will not be able to locate a user’s home folder (for example,
/users/StudentA) or a Course folder (for example, /courses/Course ID) until the user
has entered the Content Collection at least one time. When the user first enters, the Content
Collection generates all appropriate folders for the user.
Additional Notes
Administrators should keep the following in mind while managing content:
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Administrators may assign Workflow tasks through the Administrator Panel. Tasks
must be edited and tracked through the Content Collection Tab.
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Administrators may set the quota of Course folders. A quota should only be set for
these folders to manage hardware limits. If possible, leave this field blank.
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Take care when granting permissions to areas of the Content Collection, as all
folders and items inherit permissions from the parent folder. For example, if
permissions were granted in the /courses directory, these permissions would also
exist for everything in the /courses directory.
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Removing Users and Courses > How to Remove Courses
Removing Users and Courses
It is important that Administrators clean up the Content Collection on a regular basis, such as
at the end of each semester. As Courses, Departments and users are deleted from
Blackboard Learn, the Administrator must remove them from the Content Collection.
How to Remove Courses
When a Course is deleted from Blackboard Learn, the Administrator must remove it from the
Content Collection. The Course folder will no longer appear, but Administrators and Users who
have permissions to the Course folder (aside from Course User permissions) may also search
for and locate the Course.
If a new Course is created in Blackboard Learn with the same Course ID as the Course that
was deleted, issues will arise if the Course was not removed from the Content Collection. The
Course will not be created in the Content Collection because it already exists.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Manage
Content.
2. Click the Courses folder.
3. Select the check box next to the Course folder and click Remove from Display
in the contextual menu for the Course.
How to Remove Users
When a user is deleted from Blackboard Learn, the user is not automatically removed from the
Content Collection. The user’s folder will no longer appear, but it may be searched and
located. The Administrator must remove the user from the Content Collection so that issues
do not arise.
If the user is not removed from the Content Collection and a user with the same username is
added to the Blackboard Learn, a folder with this username will appear in the Content
Collection. However, this will be the folder for the original user, with all of the original contents
and permissions intact.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Manage
Content.
2. Click the Users folder.
3. Select the check box next to the appropriate user and click Remove from
Display in the contextual menu for the User.
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Managing Orphaned Content > How to Find and Manage Content Orphaned by Users
Managing Orphaned Content
Content is considered orphaned when the user that owns the content no longer has a valid
system account or if a Course or Department is removed from the system but content related
to that Course or Department still appears in the Content Collection. Orphaned content does
not include content owned by disabled or inactive users.
How to Find and Manage Content Orphaned by Users
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Administrator
Search.
2. Click Content Orphaned by Owner. The following table describes the available
options.
Option
Description
Export
Use this option to download the selected files and folders as a .ZIP
package.
Move
Use this option to move the selected files and folders to a new location
in the Content Collection.
Delete
Use this option to delete the content from the system.
Change
Owner
Use this option to change the owner of the content and move it to a
new location.
3. Click OK.
How to Find and Manage Content Orphaned by Location
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Administrator
Search.
2. Click Content Orphaned by Location. The following table describes the
available options.
Option
Description
Export
Use this option to download the selected files and folders as a .ZIP
package.
Move
Use this option to move the selected files and folders to a new location
in the Content Collection.
Delete
Use this option to delete the content from the system.
Change
Owner
Use this option to change the owner of the content and move it to a
new location.
3. Click OK.
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Organizing Content in Folders > About Organizing Content
Organizing Content in Folders
About Organizing Content
Before adding any content to the Content Collection, users should plan out how they will
manage their content. This will allow them to organize content in a way which best meets their
individual needs. Similarly, if Administrators design the folder structure according to the
Organization’s needs, more effective planning, training and messaging can be applied.
Files in the Content Collection are organized in a tree structure of nested folders up to, and
including, the content area level. This means that each folder may contain other subfolders
and files. The term "items" refers to files and folders.
A folder stores both files and other folders. Folders are automatically available to the user who
added the folder but must be shared if other users are to view the folder and its contents. It is
important to remember that all folders are contained within other folders up to the root (/) folder.
Root folders are folders in which all other folders are placed. Content areas, such as Users,
Courses, Organization, and Library, are simply folders stored under the root folder.
Note The system does not allow subfolders with the same name in a single parent folder. For
example, two folders named Group Projects may not be created in the top-level of the
username folder. The system also does not allow files with the same name to exist in a folder.
The system is case-sensitive, however, so as long as files and folders have different
capitalizations, the characters can be the same. For example, Group Project and Group
project folders can be created in the same parent folder.
Private Content Space and Public Content Space
Creating separate folders for personal content (private space) and folders that are available to
other users (public space) is very helpful. This method allows the user to have certain folders
available only to them, where they can store personal content. For example, one personal
folder may contain papers and projects that are in progress, while another contains
professional content that is not ready to be shared, such as resumes and cover letters for jobs.
Additional permissions for these personal folders are not granted to anyone else.
When a document is ready to be shared, it may be copied or moved to a public folder. For
example, if an Instructor is working on a Course document he or she can create the draft in a
personal folder, and then move it to a shared folder when it is complete. The shared folder is
shared with all users enrolled in the class (public space that is set to be available to only
Course members), and allows for collaboration.
Creating a Private Folder
A private folder is created in the same way as other folders in the Content Collection, through
the Add Folder option. The permissions granted on the folder determine whether or not it is
private.
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In the username folder, a private folder is a subfolder that is not shared with any
other users. A user may create a subfolder in his or her username folder and not
grant any other users permissions to it.
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In a Course folder, a private folder may be specifically for the Instructor, or it may
also be accessible by users with other Course Constituencies. For example, a
private subfolder may be created with permissions granted to the Instructor,
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Organizing Content in Folders > Creating a Public Folder
Teaching Assistant, and Course Builder. This folder would not be available to any
Students enrolled in the Course.
Creating a Public Folder
Similar to private folders, public folders are created in the same way as other folders, using the
Add Folder option. The permissions granted on a folder determine whether or not it becomes to
multiple users and groups of users. Any user with Manage Permissions may share the item
with a wider audience.
l
In a username folder, a public folder may be created and shared with a group of users
collaborating on a project.
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In a Course folder, a public folder may be created and shared with all users enrolled
in the Course. This folder would include Course information or articles that the whole
class needs to read.
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Setting Up Folder Permissions > Organizing Folders
Setting Up Folder Permissions
Organizing Folders
It is helpful if users organize folders in a way that allows them to manage permissions by
folder, rather than by file. For example, create a folder that contains all files used in a group
project. This way the entire folder may be shared with the group members, rather than trying to
manage permissions on separate items stored in different folders.
Only Read permission should be added to a top-level folder, for example the username folder.
Any time a Permission is added or changed on the top-level folder, check any subfolders or
files designated as Private and verify that additional permissions have not inadvertently been
added that would expose protected information.
Sharing Folders
When adding folders and files to the Content Collection, keep in mind which users and user
lists the content will be shared with. Try to create folders in which all items are to be shared
with the same users. When items shared with the same users are spread out among different
folders, it may become very difficult to manage. For example, if the user plans on creating
documents that will be applicable to all users at the Organization, they should create a folder
that will be shared with All System Users, then add the specific items to this folder.
Sharing files
Files are automatically available to the user that added the file but must be shared if other
users are to view the item.
Files inherit permissions from the folder they reside in. This means that if a file is added to a
folder that already has Read and Write permission for certain users or user lists, the those
same users will also have Read and Write permission on the newly added file.
Overwrite Option on Folders
When editing or adding permissions to a parent folder, the user has the option to force all files
and subfolders to inherit these permissions. For example, if the Read and Write permissions
are added to the folder, and an item within the folder has Read, Write, and Remove
permissions, Remove permissions would be removed from the file. All subfolders and files
within the parent folder would be granted Read and Write permissions.
If this option is not selected, the files and subfolders are automatically granted any additional
permission given to the parent folder, but existing permissions are not removed. For example,
if Read, Write and Manage permissions are added to the folder, and an item within the folder
has Read, Write, and Remove permissions, the permissions for the file would remain Read,
Write and Remove, and Manage would be added.
After editing permissions on a folder, the user may edit the permissions on an item, but these
will be overwritten the next time permissions on the parent folder are changed. This is one
reason storing items with the same purpose and audience in a single folder makes managing
permissions much easier.
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Sharing and Finding Content > About Tools for Sharing and Finding Content
Sharing and Finding Content
About Tools for Sharing and Finding Content
A number of tools are available to facilitate sharing content and searching for content that has
been shared. These options are dependent on the level of the folder shared, for example
granting permission on a top-level folder versus a subfolder. Remember that when a folder is
shared, permissions are granted to all content in the folder.
Find Folder
The Find Folder option allows users to search for top-level folders they have permissions to,
for example if another user has granted him or her Read permission on a username folder.
When a user is granted permissions to a top-level folder, the Find Folder option allows the user
to locate the folder and add it to his or her Content Collection Menu, which makes it easy to
access the folder on a regular basis.
Users may decide to share a top-level folder with another user, and then adjust the
permissions on the content within, limiting the content this user may access. For example,
grant the user Read permission on the username folder. Then open the folder and remove
Read permission for the content this user should not view. The user may still use the Find
Folder option, but they will only view specific content in the folder.
Search
Search allows users to locate all files and folders that have been shared with them. When a
search is performed only those items to which a user has permissions will be returned. If
permissions are granted on a nested folder (and not the top-level folder) the user may search
for the folder and bookmark it. The Find Folder option may not be used on nested folders.
Go To Location
Go to Location allows users to go directly to a specific folder that has been shared with them in
the Content Collection. This time-saver allows users to enter the path to open a folder and
Bookmark the location at the same time.
Bookmarks
Bookmarks give quick access to frequently used content a without having to navigate through
several folders. Bookmarks can be organized into folders and subfolders as needed by the
user. This tool is helpful when permissions are granted on a nested folder, since the Find
Folder tool may not be used.
Workflow Activities
If a user is expected to take action or respond to an item, it is helpful to send a Workflow
Activity with the item. When a Workflow Activity is created users are selected to share the
item with and permissions are granted. An option may also be selected to send an email to
these users stating that this item has been shared with them and that a Workflow Activity is
attached to it.
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Sharing and Finding Content > Passes
Passes
Passes may be used to share a file with a user for a specific amount of time. This is especially
useful for sharing files with users who do not have system accounts. When a pass is created,
the user decides whether to grant Read or Read and Write permission to the file with the pass.
When the time allotted for the pass is over, the user will no longer be able to access the file.
Portfolios
Portfolios allow users to collect and organize files into custom Web pages. These Portfolios
can then be presented to individuals and groups of users. It is important that users consider
the permissions granted to files that are linked to in a Portfolio. If another user has permissions
(other than Read) to a file that is linked to a Portfolio, the file may be edited or removed,
resulting in issues for the Portfolio users.
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Managing Course Content Folders > Organizing Course Content
Managing Course Content Folders
Organizing Course Content
Administrators often consider whether or not to make the Courses folder in the Content
Collection available to Instructors, content designers and/or Students.
Using the /courses or /departments Folders
The Courses and Departments folders can be used in several ways:
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As a sandbox for Instructors, Teaching Assistants and Course Builders to create
and share documentation amongst themselves, which may be linked to from inside
the Course for sharing with the Course members.
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As a space for Students to directly access or collaborate on some of the Course
content.
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To provide workspace and access to documents for broad user groups, such as all
the Instructors who are teaching in a department or all Instructors who are interested
in a specific research topic.
Using the /courses or /departments Folders as a Sandbox
The Course folder may be used as a sandbox for each Course’s Instructors, Teaching
Assistants and Course Builders to create and share documentation amongst themselves.
Additional permissions do not have to be applied, because these constituencies already have
default Full permission for their Courses.
After content is created in the Course folder, it may be linked to from inside the Course for
sharing with the Course members.
Allowing Students Selective Access to Course or Department Folders
Instructors may want Students to have access to the Course folder to collaborate on group
projects or write to collective documentation. For this to happen, permission should be
extended to Students in the Course on the top-level Course folder (named using the Course
ID). Sub-folders may be made selectively unavailable by removing Student permission to
these ‘private’ folders.
Providing Storage, Workspace, and Access for Content Collections
Realistically, many Organizations will have groups of users who are not members of the same
Courses or Departments who should have access to the same content.
To enable this, the System Administrator could create a Course ID or Department ID for a nonexistent Course, for example ‘BotanyLevel1’, and then enroll all users who will interact with
content for that topic as Instructors, Course Builders or Students in the Course.
The following is an example of how this Course may be set up:
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Give content managers and the constituency of Instructor in the Course to grant
them Manage permission to all content. This will allow them to link to the material
from their Courses.
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Give content creators the constituency of Course Builder in a Course and grant them
Write permission to all content (remove the default Manage permission for Course
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Managing Course Content Folders > Creating Folders in the Course Content Area
Builders, or create a new portal constituency with only Read and Write access on
the Course folder).
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If content consumers (Instructors) will link to the material directly from their
Courses, they must be Instructors in the Course. Otherwise, they only need Read
access to view the material, and can first copy the material into their own Course
folders before linking to it.
Make the Course unavailable to ensure that it can be accessed from the Content Collection
/courses area, but cannot be accessed from e-Reserves or from the Course catalog or
Courses portal modules.
As long as the Course ID is not deleted, the Course folder will appear in the Content
Collection. This model allows content to be accessible beyond the timeline of an individual
Course.
Creating Folders in the Course Content Area
The Course and Department Folders use existing IDs (Course IDs and Department IDs) to
create subfolders. For example, if a Course has a Course ID of Biology100, the Course folder
in the Content Collection is automatically named Biology100. Folders cannot be manually
added to the Courses or Departments top level folders, but subfolders may be added using
Add Folder once inside the specific Course or Department Folder.
Accessing the Course Content Area
Administrators should consider who has access to Courses folders. By default, the system is
set up to give Full permission to the Instructor, Teaching Assistants and Course Builders. This
also means that the folder is generated the first time one of these users clicks on the Content
Collection tab.
These default constituency designations may be edited clicking Content Area Management on
the Administrator Panel, clicking Default Folder Creation Settings, and then selecting Edit
in the contextual menu for the /courses folder. Selecting additional Course Constituencies
grants Full permissions to those users. If users such as Students should only have Read
access in an area, the permission must be edited on the Manage Permission folder for that
individual Course after the Course folder has been generated.
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Managing Organization Folders > Organizing the Organization Folder
Managing Organization Folders
Organizing the Organization Folder
There are two main areas found in the Organization Folder, one for Organization Content and
one for library content.
In addition or as an alternative to serve the needs of members in a broader context than just a
single Course or Department for storage and access to Course content. Folders can be
created for whole departments, for library branches, or for any group of users that exists in the
Organization’s setting.
In addition to using the Course Content area, the Organization area can be used to serve the
needs of users in a broader context than just a single Course or Department. Folders can be
created for whole departments, for library branches, or for any group of users that exists in the
Organization’s setting.
Setting up this area involves creating subfolders, then setting permission on those folders to
control access to them. The Organization area gives All System Users Read permission to the
Organization Folder. This permission is extended to all subfolders under the Organization
Folder. After creating a subfolder, use the Manage Permission page to manage access to it.
A typical use case would be to create subfolders in the Organization or Library folders, remove
All System Users Read access to the subfolder, and grant specific permission on the
subfolder so that only a specific group of users sees the folder, and a smaller subset of those
users can write to, remove items from, or manage the subfolders. Specific examples are
discussed below.
The eReserves subfolder in the Library folder has separate rules and uses associated with it.
Please see Additional Documentation below for specific eReserve information.
Creating Shared Course Content
The temporary nature of Course folders makes it beneficial to put content that is public in
nature and could be useful to many Instructors in a centralized place. In this way, folders for
types of content can be created, such as the Biology folder, the French folder, and the Algebra
folder.
The following is an example of how the permissions would be set up:
1. Remove All System Users Read access on the subfolders.
2. Grant full permissions (Read, Write, Remove and Manage) to any users or user
group who should manage this area. Users with Manage permission would create
additional subfolders, assign permissions, and set folder properties.
3. Think about which users or groups of users will be creating the content for a
subfolder, and assign Read and Write access to them.
4. Give Read access to Instructors or Course Builders who might want to use the
content. Instructors will not directly link to this content from their Course, because
they do not have Manage permission on the files. Instead, they could copy the file
into their Course or user folder and link to it there if needed.
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Managing Organization Folders > Creating Library Content in the Library Folder
Creating Library Content in the Library Folder
Similar to the example above, the Library folder can be used to set up subfolders for the Law
Library and the Medical Library, for example, and then grant the librarians of those
Organizations additional permissions. One or more librarian who manages the folder would
have Manage access, and other librarians may have Read, Write and possibly also Remove
permissions. Faculty, staff and Students who should see the content in a specific folder would
be granted Read permission based on a user list or an Organization Constituency. Remember
to remove All User Accounts Read access from folders considered protected or private for a
certain subset of the Organization community.
Creating Private and Public Folders
The Administrator may choose to create private and public subfolders within the Organization
area.
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Private Folder: Access to a private folder is limited to one or a few users. For
example, a folder may be created to which only the librarians have access. They
may use this area to manage documents about library processes and procedures.
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Public Folder: Content in public folders is usually made available to a large number
of users. For example, a folder including all of the schedules for athletic teams may
be created and shared with All System Accounts.
Note The Administrator may decide to retain the Organization area as a public information
area and not store protected content in this area
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Planning Customization > Organization Color
Planning Customization
This section is intended for Administrators to use while considering the setup and style of the
Content Collection user interface. Before customizing the interface, it is best to be able to
identify the Content Collection areas and tools. These include, but are not limited to, the
following:
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Content areas, such as My Content and Course Content
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Tools, such as Portfolios and the Learning Objects Catalog
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Actions that can be performed on an item, appearing in the action bar of the Content
List
To determine the best display options for the Content Collection, consider the user interface
elements from the perspective of the affected user groups and Organization standards.
Organization Color
Most Organizations have an established identity that includes a set of colors. Blackboard
Learn allows for color customization throughout, including the Content Collection Menu. It is
recommended to make color selections for all tools at one time, even if you plan on rolling out
the use of some tools later. This will make color selection a one-time task.
Tip Highly contrasting colors make text easier to read. If an Organization’s colors are not
easy to read against one another, consider using black or white with the colors.
Tools
Consider policy decisions that may affect the use of certain tools on the system. Portal clients
may consider making tools available to particular Organization Constituencies based on policy
decisions and rollout plans for the system.
RegulationsRegulations
Consider any regulations that your Organization has placed on file-sharing, use of certain
types of files due to copyright laws, or hard drive space and availability. Discuss these
regulations with interested parties prior to setting up the Content Collection.
Terminology
When displaying a tool for use, consider any Organization naming conventions that may be
appropriate. For example, if the Organization uses the term Section instead of Course, an
appropriate name for that area may be Class Content. If the Organization has been growing its
Learning Objects Catalog by another name, use that name for the toolbox header and shortcut
label.
Instructor, Course Builder, Librarian, Catalog Manager, Learner
Access
When setting the availability of tools, consider users who may need to access the tool before it
is ready for consumption by general system users. For example, when rolling out the Portfolio
tool, you may choose to only provide access to a pilot group of users, such as Professors.
This option is available only when the community engagement capabilities have been
licensed.
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Customizing Tools and Actions > About Tools and Actions
Customizing Tools and Actions
About Tools and Actions
Each type of activity in the Content Collection is considered an action or a tool. An action is
performed on an item in the Content Collection, such as Copy, Move, or Remove. A tool is an
operation or series of actions, and is displayed in the Content Collection Menu (the left frame
of the browser). Examples of tools include Portfolios and the Learning Objects Catalog.
Customizing Tools and Actions
Tools and actions may be customized and controlled system-wide. This table lists tools and
actions, their locations in the Content Collection, and how their appearance may be
customized.
Tool or
Action
Display Location
Customize Display Options
eReserves
Sub-folder of Library
under section with
default name
Organization Content
Rename Shortcut
Learning
Objects
Catalog
Toolbox in the Content
Collection Menu
Rename shortcut and tool. Choose color of header
and text
Portfolios
Toolbox in the Content
Collection Menu
Rename shortcut and tool. Choose color of header
and text
Virtual
Hard Drive
First area in the Content
Collection Menu, called
My Content by default
Rename shortcut and tool. Choose color of header
and text
Action bar
buttons
(ten
operations)
Action bar above the
Content List
Choose to display each button including Web Folders,
Add Item, Add Folder, Copy, Move, Remove,
Workflows, Email Items, Bookmark Items, and
Download Items
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System Availability and Display Options > About System Availability and Display Options
System Availability and Display Options
About System Availability and Display Options
All of the tools and actions in the Content Collection may be made available or unavailable
system-wide. Administrators also control which users see the tool and the style of the tool
(such as font and color).
Managing System Availability and Display Options
System availability of a tool is controlled from the tool link in the Content Management area on
the Administrator Panel. Administrators may make tools available to everyone on the system
or only to users with specific Organization Constituencies. The Display Options page allows
Administrators to control whether a tool appears on the Content Collection Menu.
Administrators may also customize the style of a tool on the menu. The following table
explains these concepts.
Concept
What is this?
How is it managed?
System
Availability
Make the tool available or
unavailable for the entire
system.
Each tool has its own link in the Content
Management area of the Administrator Panel.
Display
Options
Choose to hide or display a tool
or item and select its style
In the Content Management area of the
Administrator Panel, click Display Options.
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Content List Display Options > How to Set the Content List Display Options
Content List Display Options
Administrators may set which actions can be performed on the Content List page by users.
For example, the option to copy items may be made available, or hidden from the Content List
page. Administrators may also set which columns appear on the page.
How to Set the Content List Display Options
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Display
Options.
2. Click Content List Display Options. The following table describes the available
fields.
Field
Description
Display
Actions
Click Yes or No to select which items will appear in the Action Bar.
Actions that do not appear are hidden. They are not restricted.
Display
Columns
Click Yes or No to select which columns will be displayed in the
Content List.
Quota
Information
Select Yes or No to determine if quota information for the files will
appear.
Set Default
Items per
Page
Select the number of items that will be displayed on the page before
the user must page to the next window to view additional records.
3. Click Submit.
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Menu Display Options > How to Set Menu Display Options
Menu Display Options
Administrators may customize the presentation of the left-hand navigation menu to users. For
example, they can allow users to view the menu in only the Shortcut View or the Folder View.
They may also select a default view if both options are available.
How to Set Menu Display Options
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Display
Options.
2. Click Menu Display Options. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Menu Display Options
Content
Collection
Menu View
Select the menu view that will be available to users.
Folder View Options
Display
Expand
All/Collapse
All Icons
Select Yes for the Expand/Collapse icons to display to users. These
icons are only displayed in the Folder View of the menu. Select No
and the Expand/Collapse icons will be hidden.
Display
Refresh
Select Yes and the Refresh option will be available to users. This
option is only displayed in the Folder View. Selecting this option
permits users to update the left-side navigation menu to display any
changes that have been made to the menu. Select No and the
Refresh option will not be available to users.
User Preference
If both the Folder and Shortcut view are on, the user’s preference will override the default set
by the Administrator. For example, if the User selects the Shortcut view, the Shortcut view will
appear, even if the Administrator has set the default to the Folder view.
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Shortcut View > How to Manage the Shortcut View
Shortcut View
The Manage Shortcut View page is used to control the appearance of the Shortcut View in the
Content Collection Menu. The Shortcut View includes icons that open the content areas in the
main panel. Changes to the Shortcut view will NOT impact the Folder view of the Content
Collection.
How to Manage the Shortcut View
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Display
Options.
2. Click Manage View Items.
3. In the contextual menu for the Content Area or Tool, click the Shortcut View.
4. Edit the Shortcut Name or change the Shortcut Availability.
5. Click Submit.
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Shortcut View Properties > How to Set Shortcut Properties
Shortcut View Properties
The icons that appear in the shortcut view can be renamed and toggled on and off.
How to Set Shortcut Properties
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Display
Options.
2. Select Manage View Items.
3. In the contextual menu for the Content Area or Tool, click Shortcut View. The
following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Shortcut Name
Shortcut
Name [r]
Edit the name of the content area. The current name will display in
this field.
Shortcut Availability
Display
Tools in the
Shortcut
View
Select Yes or No to display a shortcut to the content area. If No is
selected this area will not appear on the left-side navigation menu.
This area is hidden, not disabled, in the system.
4. Click Submit.
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Folder View > How to Manage the Folder View
Folder View
The Manage Folder View page is used to control the appearance of the Folder view in the
Content Collection Menu. The Folder view displays a tree of the folders in each area of the
Content Collection. Users may expand and collapse folders and subfolders, as well as access
Tools and Portfolios. Changes to the Folder view will NOT impact the Shortcut view of the
Content Collection.
How to Manage the Folder View
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Display
Options.
2. Click Manage View Items.
3. In the contextual menu for the Content Area or Tool, click Folder View.
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Folder View Properties > How to Set Folder View Properties
Folder View Properties
Administrators may change the names of areas that appear in the Folder View as well as the
color of the header areas and the availability of the area.
How to Set Folder View Properties
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Display
Options.
2. Click Manage View Items.
3. In the contextual menu for a content area, click Folder View. The following table
describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Shortcut Name
Name [r]
Edit the name of the content area. The current name will
display in this field.
Header Options
Display Learning
Objects in the Folder
View
If Yes is selected, this area will appear in the Folder View. If
No is selected, this area will be hidden, but not disabled.
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Customizing the Action Bar > How to Change the Name of a Tool in the Shortcut View
Customizing the Action Bar
The Administrator may customize which actions are displayed on the Content List. Actions
that may be performed on items in the list appear in the Action Bar. Examples include Web
Folder, Copy, Remove, and Workflow Activities. Web Folders is a tool and an action item. The
display of this button on the action bar is selected on the Content List Display Options page,
but system availability of the tool is handled from the Web Folders link in the Administrator
Panel. For more information, see Configure WebDAV for Web Folders.
Tip If Web Folders are made unavailable on the system, it is good practice to remove that
action item from user view on the action bar.
How to Change the Name of a Tool in the Shortcut View
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Display
Options.
2. Click Manage View Items.
3. In the contextual menu for the tool, click Shortcut View.
4. In the Shortcut Name field, provide the new name for the tool.
How to Change the Name of a Tool in the Folder View
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Display
Options.
2. Click Manage View Items.
3. In the contextual menu for the tool, click Folder View.
4. In the Header Name field, provide the new name for the tool.
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About Portfolios > Portfolio Types
About Portfolios
Portfolios are an invaluable tool in academic and professional development, providing a
powerful medium for users to efficiently collect and organize artifacts representative of work
completed over time. Portfolios offer a means to demonstrate formative and/or summative
progress and achievement. Portfolio authors are empowered with tools to effectively present
their information in a cohesive, personalized format.
Portfolio Types
There are three types of portfolios available in the system:
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Personal Portfolios: Personal Portfolios feature more robust tools for authors to
give them greater flexibility for personalizing a Portfolio’s style. Users are able to
personalize colors, fonts, background images and overall content layout beyond the
classic frame-based presentation available with Basic Portfolios. With Personal
Portfolios, authors collect one or many independent entities called Personal Artifacts
which comprise the actual content presented in the Portfolio. Within the Portfolio,
Artifacts are organized through placement on Portfolio Pages. Artifacts can be
created as part of or independent of the Portfolio authoring process. Authored
Artifacts can be reused in other Portfolios.
Administrators have the ability to define whole Portfolio templates that govern
settings that apply to the entire authored Portfolio. Templates can control all aspects
of the Portfolio style and overall layout. Template designers have the flexibility to
define whether certain template settings are restricted (and cannot be altered).
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Outcomes Portfolios: Outcomes Portfolios and Personal Portfolios function
similarly. Outcomes Portfolios are integrated with Blackboard Learn and can be used
to form a standardized workflow for the review of Portfolios. Outcomes Portfolios are
always generated from a template to ensure consistency across each Portfolio.
Outcomes Portfolios are available only when the outcomes assessment capabilities
have been licensed. For more information, see About the Implementation
Documentation.
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Basic Portfolios: Basic Portfolios serve as a simple tool for quickly creating
Portfolios. Basic Portfolios have a simpler design and do not use Artifacts, so it is
more difficult to reuse content between portfolios. Administrators may turn off Basic
Portfolios. Basic Portfolio features and functions are covered in a separate chapter.
My Portfolios
The My Portfolios page is the launching point for viewing, creating, and reviewing Portfolios.
The My Portfolios page is accessible from the left-hand navigation controls within the Content
Collection tab or from the My Portfolios portal module that may appear on other tabs.
The My Portfolios page includes a search function to locate a specific portfolio. The list of
portfolios includes information on the Portfolio Type, its availability, and links to read
comments and manage the portfolio settings.
To view a portfolio from the My Portfolios page, click the Portfolio name.
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Managing Portfolios > How to Edit Portfolio Settings
Managing Portfolios
Administrators can edit Portfolio settings from the Administrator Panel. The controls for
Portfolios allow Administrators to define guidelines for Portfolio usage so that users can create
like Portfolios for comparison. As well, the Administrator can determine which types of
Portfolios are available on the system.
How to Edit Portfolio Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Portfolios.
2. Click Portfolio Settings.
3. Set the availability of Portfolios on the system. Portfolios can be turned on and off
system-wide for all users or for users with specific constituencies.
4. Set the availability of Personal Portfolios.
5. Set the availability of Basic Portfolios.
6. Click Submit.
How to Manage User Portfolios
Administrators can view and manage the Portfolios for users. Follow these steps to quickly
open the My Portfolios page for a specific user.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Portfolios.
2. Click Manage Portfolios.
3. Provide or Browse for a Username.
4. Click Submit.
5. The user’s My Portfolios page will appear. The Administrator may manage the
user’s Portfolios.
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Creating Personal Portfolio Templates > How to Create a Personal Portfolio Template
Creating Personal Portfolio Templates
Administrators can define templates for Personal Portfolios. Personal Portfolio templates
define the structure and style of Personal Portfolios, leaving it to users to populate the Portfolio
with appropriate Artifacts. Templates are useful for applying a standard structure to ensure
that user Portfolios meet the educational goals for the Portfolio.
Users can select a template when creating a Personal Portfolio.
How to Create a Personal Portfolio Template
Follow these steps to create a Personal Portfolio Template.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Portfolios.
2. Click Personal Portfolio Templates.
3. Click Create Template.
4. Provide a name for the Template. This name will appear as a choice for templates
when users create a Personal Portfolio.
5. Provide a Title for the Portfolio. The title will appear at the top of the Portfolio.
Providing a Description and Instructions is optional.
6. Define the Template Content Settings and Availability.
7. Click Submit. The Template is created.
8. In the contextual menu for a template, click Build the Template.
9. Options for editing the Template properties, defining the Portfolio Styles, and
defining the Portfolio Pages will appear. When defining the Portfolio Style or
Pages, the Administrator can determine user's ability to edit or add to those
settings.
10. Finish defining the template using the following options. The following table
describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Select Layout Theme
Layouts
Select a layout to define the position of contents and navigation items
in the Portfolio.
Allow
Recipient to
edit
If this box is checked, Portfolio Template recipients can change the
background of their Portfolios.
Design Background
Background
Color
Select a background color from the swatch menu.
Background
Image
Check the box if no image is to be displayed.
New
Background
Image
Browse for a new background image.
Allow
recipient to
edit
If this box is checked, Portfolio Template recipients can change the
background of their Portfolios.
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Creating Personal Portfolio Templates > How to Create a Personal Portfolio Template
Field
Description
Font Settings
Default Font
Select a Default Font from the drop down menu. Assign a point size
and a color.
Default Font
Preview
The Default Font Preview is display only.
Allow
recipient to
edit
If this box is checked, Portfolio recipients can change the default font
settings of their Portfolios.
Page Title
Font
Settings
Click to open the Page Title Font Settings section. Page titles
appear at the top of every page in the Portfolio unless they are
hidden. Select Use Template Defaults to use the default font for
titles. Select Customize Page Title Font Settings to change the
default font.
Page
Headings
Font
Settings
Click to open the Page Headings Font Settings section. Page
headings appear on Portfolio Pages unless they are hidden. Select
Use Template Defaults to use the default font for headings. Select
Customize Page Heading Font to change the default font.
Style Navigation Menu
Preview
Preview the Menu Items is display only.
Style
Select Text or Buttons for the Style display.
Menu Font
Select Use Template Defaults or Customize Navigation Menu Font.
If Customize Navigation Menu Font is selected, select a background
color and font options.
Allow
Recipient to
Edit
If this box is checked, Portfolio recipients can change the Style
Navigation Menu of their Portfolios.
11. Click Submit.
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Creating Basic Portfolio Templates > How to Create a Basic Portfolio Template
Creating Basic Portfolio Templates
Administrators create templates and set template availability from the Add Template page.
Note Administrators may place images and media files that are included in Portfolio
Templates, in a publicly available folder within the Content Collection. For example, they may
create a publicly available folder in Organization for Portfolio Template images.
How to Create a Basic Portfolio Template
1. Open the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Portfolios.
2. Click Basic Portfolio Templates.
3. Click Create Template. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Template Information
Name
Provide a name for the template.
Item
Create the template in this area using the Text
Box Editor. These options are available if the
Text Box Editor is on.
Template Options
Select Yes or No to make this template available to users. Administrators can create
templates and make them available at a later date using this feature.
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Managing Basic Portfolio Templates > How to Manage Basic Portfolio Templates
Managing Basic Portfolio Templates
Templates are used in Portfolios to create custom Web pages. The Administrator may create
a series of templates that users can then choose to use when creating a Portfolio. A number of
templates are included in the Content Collection. The Administrator may edit these templates
to suit the needs of the Organization.
Note Existing Portfolio pages will not be changed when a template is edited, removed, or
made unavailable.
How to Manage Basic Portfolio Templates
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Portfolio
Templates.
2. Click Basic Portfolio Templates. The following table describes the available
tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
add a
template
Create Template.
delete a
template
the check box next to each template that should be removed then click
Delete, or in the contextual menu for the template name, click Delete.
The template will be removed from the system.
make
changes
to a
template
Edit in the contextual menu for the template name. Administrators edit
the template and availability from this page.
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Configuring Portfolio Settings > How to Configure Portfolio Settings
Configuring Portfolio Settings
Administrators may make Portfolios available to users with specific constituencies on the
Portfolio Settings page.
How to Configure Portfolio Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Portfolios.
2. Click Portfolio Settings. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
General Portfolio Availability
System
Availability
Select Yes or No to make Portfolios available on the system. If Yes is
selected, select the User Constituencies that may create Portfolios.
Available
to
Note If the community engagement capabilities have not been
licensed, this field will not be available. Select the Everyone option to
make Portfolios available to everyone in the system. If the Selected
Constituencies option is chosen, only those constituencies will have
access to the Portfolio. Use the arrows to move these constituencies
into the Selected Constituencies list. Portfolios are available to users
with constituencies that appear in the Selected Constituencies list.
Personal Portfolio Settings
Portfolio
Creation
Availability
Specify the availability of Portfolio features by selecting Yes or No.
The General Portfolio Availability must be turned on for these settings
to be relevant.
Basic Portfolio Settings
Basic
Portfolio
Creation
Availability
Select Yes or No to allow or prevent users from adding Basic
Portfolios.
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Configuring Catalog Management > How to Set Catalog Management Options
Configuring Catalog Management
Administrators can determine the availability of tools related to the Learning Objects Catalog,
and make these tools and the ability to submit entries to the catalog available based on user
constituency.
Note Some of these options are only available when the community engagement capabilities
have been licensed.
The Manage Catalog tool may be set to available or unavailable system wide. If it is set to
available, users with specific constituencies are selected to manage the Learning Objects
catalog. This includes adding and editing catalog categories and managing catalog entries.
This tool appears in the Content Collection menu for all catalog managers.
Note If the community engagement capabilities have been licensed, specific constituencies
may be selected to manage the Catalog. If these capabilities have not been licensed, only
Administrators may act as catalog managers.
How to Set Catalog Management Options
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Learning
Objects Catalog.
2. Select Catalog Management Options. The following table describes the
available fields.
3. In the System Availability field , click Yes to make the Manage Catalog tool
available on the system. If No is selected, this tool will be available only to
System Administrators. If the community engagement capabilities have been
licensed, select which constituencies in the Items to Select list have access the
Manage Catalog tool and use the arrows to move these constituencies into the
Selected Items list.
4. Click Submit.
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Configuring Catalog Availability > How to Configure Catalog Availability
Configuring Catalog Availability
The View Catalog tool allows users to browse and search the Learning Objects catalog. This
tool may be made available to everyone on the system, or only to users with specific
constituencies. The Administrator may also choose to make the View Catalog tool unavailable
system wide. These settings are selected on the Catalog Availability page. The View Catalog
tool appears on the Content Collection Menu for users with constituencies specified on this
page.
How to Configure Catalog Availability
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Learning
Objects Catalog.
2. Click Catalog Availability. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
System
Availability
To make the View Catalog tool available on the system, click Yes or
No . If Yes is clicked, select which user constituencies receive this
function. If No is clicked, View Catalog will not be available to any
users on the system.
Available
to
To make the View Catalog tool available to all users on the system,
click Everyone. If the community engagement capabilities have been
licensed, click Selected Constituencies to make the tool available to
users with specific constituencies. Select constituencies in the Items
to Select list and use the arrows to move these constituencies into the
Selected Items list. The View Catalog tool will appear in the Content
Collection Menu for users with the selected constituencies.
3. Click Submit.
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Setting Catalog Entry Options > How to Set Catalog Entry Options
Setting Catalog Entry Options
The Catalog Entry Options page allows the Administrator to select the system availability of
submitting entries to the Learning Objects catalog. If Catalog Entry is available, users with the
selected constituencies may submit a Content Collection item to the catalog. Catalog
managers decide if these entries are approved or rejected.
How to Set Catalog Entry Options
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Learning
Objects Catalog.
2. Click Catalog Entry Options. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
System
Availability
To make catalog entry submission available on the system, click Yes
or No. If Yes is click, select which user constituencies receive this
function. If No is clicked, catalog entries may not be submitted by any
users on the system.
Available
to
To allow all users to submit entries to the Catalog, click Everyone. If
the community engagement capabilities have been licensed, click
Selected Constituencies to make catalog entry submission available
to users with specific constituencies. Select constituencies in the
Items to Select list and use the arrows to move these constituencies
into the Selected Items list.
Public
Catalog
Entry
Options
In the future, the Organization may decide to add entries to a Public
Catalog. If this entry should be included in a Public Catalog, click Yes.
If the entry will not be marked for Public Catalogs, click No. If a Public
Catalog is made available in the future, this option would have to be
selected for each entry that is included.
3. Click Submit.
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About the Library > What is Library Content?
About the Library
Administrators are responsible for enabling and managing areas within the Library in the
Content Collection. This document explains the constituency of Administrators in the Library,
and provides details for managing Library permissions and availability.
The Library is used to post eReserves, electronic manuscripts, and other Organization
resources. It allows integration with Blackboard Learn, making it a powerful way to share and
distribute library materials.
The two main areas within the Library are Library Content and eReserves. Additional areas
may also be added to the Library to meet specific Organization needs by adding subfolders in
this area.
What is Library Content?
Library Content is a folder within the Library that can be organized according to the
Organization’s specific needs. This area is intended for content that may be shared across the
entire Organization. By default, all system users automatically have read access to all items in
Library Content.
What is eReserves?
The eReserves area within the Library contains materials for which access must be controlled,
such as documents with copyrights. This area may be made available only for Courses.
This section of the Library is automatically organized by Course. Each Course in Blackboard
Learn has a corresponding folder in eReserves. Additional folders may not be added to
eReserves. Folders and items in the top-level eReserves folder cannot be manipulated. For
example, a Course folder may not be moved, deleted or renamed.
Note By default, only the Administrator has permission to manage the folders in the Library.
The Administrator must grant permissions to other users who will be managing and organizing
the Library. Permissions may be granted to top-level folders or only to certain subfolders. Any
user who has Manage permission on the top level folder can grant permissions for folders
within it.
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Managing eReserves > About eReserves
Managing eReserves
About eReserves
The Administrator must turn on eReserves before it is available to any users. Once eReserves
is on, a Course folder for each Course will be created within this area.
Follow the steps below to turn on eReserves:
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Content
Management Settings.
2. Click eReserves.
3. Click Yes
4. Click Submit.
What Happens if eReserves is Turned On After the Content Collection
Has Been in Use?
The Administrator may turn on eReserves at any time, even after users have actively been
using the Content Collection for some time. If eReserves is turned on after the Content
Collection has been in use, Course folders within eReserves will be generated the first time
the Instructor, Teacher’s Assistant, or Course Builder accesses the Content Collection.
What Happens if eReserves is Turned Off?
If the eReserves function is turned off by the Administrator, folders for new Courses will not be
created within eReserves. Existing content will not be removed from eReserve, but the
eReserves area will no longer appear under the Library in the left-side navigation area. The
Search and Go To Location features may be used to find content in eReserves.
If the eReserves function is turned off and then later turned on, Course folders that had not
appeared (while it was off) will appear the first time the Instructor, Teacher’s Assistant, or
Course Builder accesses the Content Collection.
How are eReserve Course Folders Created?
The Administrator can use the create-course-directory command line tool to create directories
for Courses in the Content Collection and corresponding folders in eReserves. This tool is
especially helpful if the Administrator wishes to activate the eReserve folders in advance of
the Instructor, Teacher’s Assistant, or Course Builder accessing the Content Collection. A
sample use case for this would be to allow librarians to upload materials before a semester
begins.
Note The Course must already exist in the Blackboard Learn before running this Command
Line Tool.
Command Syntax:
create-course-directory Course ID
Example
The syntax create-course-directory history100 creates a Course directory for
history100.
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Managing eReserves > Automatic Folder Creation by Instructors
Automatic Folder Creation by Instructors
If the Administrator does not generate the eReserve Course directory by using the Command
Line Tool, Course folders within eReserves are automatically generated the first time the
Instructor, Teaching Assistant or Course Builder accesses the Content Collection. At this
point, all users enrolled in the Course would be able to see the Course folder in eReserves.
Note When the Instructor, Teacher’s Assistant, or Course Builder accesses the Content
Collection, all Courses where they hold these constituencies are generated in the /courses
folder and in the /eReserves/courses folder simultaneously.
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Configuring e-Reserve Settings > How to Configure e-Reserve Settings
Configuring e-Reserve Settings
e-Reserves allow librarians to make content available to users throughout the system.
Content may be made available in the Library Content folder, or placed into a Course folder
within e-Reserves. Administrators may permit or restrict the creation of e-Reserve folders
from the Manage e-Reserves page. All users, except Guests and Observers, may view the
content in the e-Reserves folders, but only the librarian may add or edit content.
How to Configure e-Reserve Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Content
Management Settings.
2. Select e-Reserves.
3. Select Yes to create e-Reserve folders for each Course in Blackboard Learn.
Select No and e-Reserve folders will not be automatically created. If No is
selected and e-Reserves is turned on at a later date, Course folders within eReserves for Courses added while e-Reserves was off, will be automatically
generated by the Instructor, Teaching Assistant, or Course Builder.
Creating an e-Reserve Directory
The create-course-directory command line tool creates a directory for a Course with a given
Course ID and assigns appropriate permissions for that Course and constituencies. This
command line tool will also initialize the e-Reserve directory for a Course. e-Reserves must be
turned on in the system for this to be successful.
If the Administrator does not generate the e-Reserve directory, Course folders within eReserves are automatically generated when the Instructor, Teaching Assistant or Course
Builder selects the e-Reserves folder in the file system. For example, if the Instructor for a
history class would like to create an e-Reserve folder, he or she would click the e-Reserve
folder. A folder with the Course ID of the history class will automatically appear in the eReserves area.
Librarian Constituency
Administrators must create librarians to manage the content of e-Reserves. A librarian is a
user who has full permissions to folders in e-Reserves. Librarians are the only users who may
add and edit content in this area. All other users, with the exception of Guests and Observers,
have read access to this area. Instructors may also add items from e-Reserves to their
Courses.
How to Create a Librarian
Multiple librarians may be created.
1. Check that e-Reserves has been turned on through the Administrator Panel.
2. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Manage
Content.
3. Click the Library link in the file system.
4. In the contextual menu for e-Reserves, click Permissions.
5. Click Select Specific Users.
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Configuring e-Reserve Settings > How to Create a Librarian
6. Complete the page. Provide the Username of the librarian in the Username field.
Select all options (Read, Write, Remove, and Manage) in the Permissions field.
Click Submit.
Note Librarians may access e-Reserve folders using the Find Folder option. Course folders
within eReserves automatically appear in the librarian’s file system if the librarian is enrolled in
the Course.
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Managing Librarians > How is a Librarian Created?
Managing Librarians
Librarians are responsible for managing content within one or more areas of the Library in the
Content Collection. These users are granted read, write, manage, and remove permissions to
an area(s) of the Library. Initially, no librarians exist in the system. Users may be granted
librarian permissions by the Administrator.
Note Any combination of permissions may be granted to a user that is considered a librarian.
A user needs Read and Write permissions in this area to add files, Manage to set permissions
and file settings, and Delete to erase items.
How is a Librarian Created?
Administrators may grant users permissions to be a librarian. A librarian may add permissions
for others within the area(s) of the Library he or she has Manage permission. As the
Administrator, you may decide to grant a single user librarian permissions for the entire Library.
This librarian could then be responsible for creating other librarians and overseeing the
management of all content in the Library.
How to Create a Librarian
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Manage
Content.
2. In the contextual menu for the library folder, click Permissions.
3. Click Select Specific Users. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Select User(s) [r]
Provide the name of the user who will have librarian permissions to the entire
Library. This user must have an account in Blackboard Learn. The Browse option
may be used to locate the user more easily.
Set Permissions
Permissions [r]
A librarian has full permissions to content within his or
her area. Check each box including Read, Write,
Remove, and Manage.
Advanced Folder Options
Overwrite
Select this check box only if the user had any previous
permissions to the Library or an area within the
Library. This will overwrite past permissions with the
new permissions selected on this page.
4. Click Submit.
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Configuring Privacy Settings > How to Configure Privacy Settings
Configuring Privacy Settings
The Privacy Settings page determines if users' Privacy Settings are respected during a
Search of the Content Collection. Users have the option of choosing whether or not their user
information is made public in the User Directory of Blackboard Learn. The Privacy Settings
page allows Administrators to determine whether these privacy settings chosen by users will
be respected during user searches of the Content Collection
How to Configure Privacy Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Content
Management Settings.
2. Click Privacy Settings.
3. Select Yes or No to indicate whether the privacy settings user’s set for the User
Directory will be respected. If Yes is selected, users who choose not to be listed
in the User Directory will not appear during user searches in the Content
Collection. If No is selected, users who choose not to be listed in the User
Directory will appear during user searches in the Content Collection. If a
username does not appear during a user search in the Content Collection, check
the settings on this page and also the settings that the user selected in Personal
Information in Blackboard Learn.
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Configuring Virtual Hard Drive Settings > How to Configure Virtual Hard Drive Settings
Configuring Virtual Hard Drive Settings
When a user enters the Content Collection for the first time, a folder with his or her name may
be created automatically in the user's directory. Administrators choose which constituencies
these folders are created for on the Virtual Hard Drive page. For example, the Administrator
may choose to have the system create folders for Instructors but not for Students. Users are
given full permissions to their folders. This includes read, write, remove, and manage
permissions.
Note Administrators may select the default quota for these folders using the Default Folder
Creation Settings. For more information, see Configuring Default Folder Creation Settings.
If a user's UserID is changed using the Snapshot tool, the user's Virtual Hard Drive location
will change. All content and permissions will remain intact, but any shortcuts or Web Folders
pointing to the user's Virtual Hard Drive will need to be updated. For more information about
Web Folders, see Configuring WebDAV for Web Folders.
How to Configure Virtual Hard Drive Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Content
Management Settings.
2. Click Virtual Hard Drive. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Virtual Hard Drive Availability
System
Availability
Select Yes to automatically create folders for users in the users’
directory.
Available
to
Folders in the users’ directory are automatically created for users with
constituencies that appear in the Selected Constituencies box. Select
constituencies in the Constituencies to Select box and use the
arrows to move these constituencies to the Selected Constituencies
box.
Changing System Availability
Changing the System Availability may have adverse affects on users accessing their files and
folders in My Content. If this option is originally set to Yes, then changed to No after users
have added items to their user folders, the content will no longer appear. The content will not
be removed from the system, but users will be unable to access it. If the System Availability is
then reset to Yes, the content will once again appear to users.
Removing Organization Constituencies
If the Administrator removes an Organization Constituency from the system, the folder
creation settings for that user group will be lost.
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Managing User Lists > How to Manage User Lists
Managing User Lists
User Lists are used to share content. When a user selects to share a content item or a folder,
they can share the content with individual users or groups of users called a User List. The
administrator can make User Lists available to all users, to no users at all, or to users with
selected Organization Constituencies.
How to Manage User Lists
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Content
Management Settings.
2. Click Manage User Lists.
3. To set the availability for a particular User List, click Edit in the contextual menu
for the list. If the User List is Available, use of the list can be restricted to specific
Organization Constituencies.
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Configuring Global Schema Settings > How to Configure the Global Schema Settings
Configuring Global Schema Settings
The Global Schema is the structure of the Blackboard Learn database. It is a database that is
separate from the document store databases, and controls connections and information to
each of the document stores. The Global Schema Settings page allows the Administrator to
edit the settings for database connection times and the size of the connection pool.
For a description of connection pools, see Configuring JDBC Settings. The Global Schema
requires its own pool of connections, and consumes significantly less connections than each
document store.
How to Configure the Global Schema Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Technical
Settings.
2. Click Global Schema Settings. The following table describes the available
fields.
Field
Description
Global
Schema
Settings
Dead
connection
timeout
Provide the number of seconds before a ‘dead’ connection will time
out and be removed from the pool. A dead connection is one that is
not sending any activity between the database and the Content
Collection.
Live
connection
expiration
Occasionally, a connection will remain open but unusable. This is
sometimes referred to a "hung java connection," and although the
connection is not useable, it is not a dead connection. Automatically
expiring all live open connections ensures that hung connections
eventually close. Provide the number of minutes a database
connection will remain open before the system automatically closes it.
New connections are created dynamically when needed, up to the
Maximum Connections setting (below).
Maximum
size of
connection
pool
Provide the maximum number of connections that can exist in the
connection pool. If this number is too high, performance may decrease
because the database server consumes more resources. If it is too
low, requests may take longer to process because they might wait in a
queue until a connection becomes available.
Minimum
size of
connection
pool
Provide the minimum size of the connection pool. Because the
number of connections to the Global Schema is typically small, the
default of 2 is adequate for most Organizations.
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Configuring Performance Settings > How to Configure Performance Settings
Configuring Performance Settings
The Manage Performance Settings page allows Administrators to specify caching options for
files and queries. These settings may improve performance for users in the Content
Collection.
How to Configure Performance Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Technical
Settings.
2. Click Performance Settings. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Performance Settings
File cache
size
Provide the size of the cache in megabytes. Caching files in memory
improves performance by reducing the number of read operations
from disk. The default setting of 1 MB allows for caching of small,
commonly used files. This setting can be increased if desired, but not
above 10 MB.
Query
statement
cache
enabled
Select Yes to enable the system to cache query statements. This
improves performance if the same query statements are used multiple
times. Select No and query statements will not be cached. The default
setting is Yes. Enabling query statement caching significantly
improves performance, but consumes a small amount of additional
memory.
Maximum
Responses
to a Search
Provide the number of resources returned in response to a WebDAV
resource search request. This prevents the system from overloading
itself with one request. The default value returns 1000.
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Configuring Log Settings > About Content Collection Logs
Configuring Log Settings
Error and information messages related to the system are generated in the default Tomcat
logs. The Log Settings page is used to generate additional information if there is a problem with
the system and debugging is necessary. This information is used by Blackboard Support to
remedy the situation.
Note Administrators DO NOT need to restart Tomcat after enabling log events.
About Content Collection Logs
All Content Collection logs are stored in the logs directory under the top-level blackboard
directory. Within the logs directory there are folders that store logs as well as an archive folder
for logs that have been compressed and stored as a means of managing the size of the log
files.
How to Configure Logs Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Technical
Settings.
2. Click Log Settings. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
General Log Settings
Log events to file
Select Yes to log events in the Content
Collection to the Log file. Select No and
events will not be logged.
Path/name of Log File
Displays the path to the log file. This
field cannot be edited.
Maximum Log File Size (0 for unlimited)
Set the maximum size for a log file.
Number of Saved Log Files (0 for
unlimited)
Set the maximum number of logs that
are saved.
Log Informational Message
Select Yes or No to log information
messages for debugging or statistical
information purposes. Fatal messages
are logged regardless of this setting.
Log Trace Settings
The log file will automatically include general details for all areas of the Content
Collection. Fields that are set to Yes for tracing on this page will include additional
details in the log. These options should remain on No, unless the system requires
debugging. Turning these options on may result in a significant decrease in system
performance.
3. Click Submit.
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Setting Up Document Stores > How to Set Up Document Stores
Setting Up Document Stores
The Manage Document Stores page displays the locations and details of Document Stores in
the system. Each top level directory in the Content Collection, such as /users and /courses, is
associated with a Document store. Administrators can manage the configuration settings of
each document store, including the following
l
JDBC Settings
l
Storage and Temporary Storage location and settings
l
Deletion Audit Trail Settings and Reports
How to Set Up Document Stores
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Technical
Settings.
2. Click Document Stores. The following table describes the available tasks that
are performed by selecting one of the options in the contextual menu for the
Document Store.
To . . .
click . . .
set the JDBC properties
JDBC Settings. The JDBC Settings page
will appear.
change the location of the Document
Store
Temporary Storage Settings. The
Storage Settings page will appear.
set up the temporary storage location
for the Document Store
Temporary Storage Settings. The
Temporary Storage Settings page will
appear.
generate a report of items that have
been deleted from the Document Store
Deletion Audit Trail Report. The Deletion
Audit Trial Report page will appear.
set the number of days deleted items
will be tracked
Deletion Audit Trail Settings. The Audit
Trail Settings page will appear.
3. Click Submit.
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Configuring Deletion Audit Trail Settings > How to Configure the Deletion Audit Trial
Configuring Deletion Audit Trail Settings
When using the external storage location, files that have been deleted by users can still be
retrieved from backups by the Administrator. The delete audit trail provides the Administrator
with the file system location and file name of the deleted file. The Audit Trail Settings page is
used to set the number of days the audit trail will be available. After this amount of time has
passed, the audit trail for the deleted file will no longer be available. This small log is stored in
the database. The lifetime may be set fairly high without affecting system performance.
How to Configure the Deletion Audit Trial
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Technical
Settings.
2. Click Document Stores.
3. In the contextual menu for the Document Store, click Deletion Audit Trail
Settings.
4. Provide the number of days the audit trail will exist after a file is deleted. If zero is
entered, the audit trail will never be stored.
5. Click Submit.
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Generating Deletion Audit Trail Reports > How to Generate a Deletion Audit Trail Report
Generating Deletion Audit Trail Reports
This page allows the Administrator to generate a report of data that has been deleted by users
from a specific sub-directory in the Content Collection. This data is used in selective file
recovery to retrieve a single file that was deleted from the Content Collection from a backup.
This data is only available for as long as it is stored in the Audit Trail Settings.
How to Generate a Deletion Audit Trail Report
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Technical
Settings.
2. Click Document Stores.
3. In the contextual menu for the Document Store, click Deletion Audit Trail
Report. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Deletion Audit Trail Report
Top-Level
Directory name
The top-level directory name appears here.
Sub-Directory Path
Provide the path to the sub-directory from which to generate
a report.
From Date
Provide the date on which the report should begin. Use the
MM/DD/YY format.
To Date
Provide the date on which the report should end. Use the
MM/DD/YY format.
4. Click Submit.
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Configuring JDBC Settings > How to Configure JDBC Settings
Configuring JDBC Settings
Administrators may customize the Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) settings for each
Document Store. JDBC is a java standard that allows for java applications such as the
Content Collection to connect to databases. The Content Collection reads information from,
and writes to the database using groups connections, also referred to as "pools" of
connections. An item, or connection in a pool, allows a java thread to use database resources.
Each request for data from end users usually consumes one item from the pool. However,
there is not a one-to-one relationship between user requests and number of required
connections. When the request is completed, the connection is freed up for another user.
If there are more database requests than available connections, the requests wait in a queue
until a database connection is available.
Heavy usage of the Content Collection typically requires increasing the maximum connection
pool size. This would allow the database to process more requests simultaneously. However,
making the maximum pool size too large may degrade the performance of the database
because of the additional CPU and memory requirements. Decreasing the maximum pool size
reduces the load on the database, but if it is too small, user requests might take longer to
process because they would wait longer in a queue until connections are freed.
Organization may have unique usage patterns for each Document Store. For example, if users
heavily use Virtual Hard Drive but do not use the Courses area, consider increasing the
maximum connections for the /users Document Store, and decreasing this setting for the
/courses Document Store.
How to Configure JDBC Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Technical
Settings.
2. Click Document Stores.
3. In the contextual menu for the Document Store, click JDBC Settings. The
following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
JDBC Settings
Connection
Expiration
Occasionally, a connection will remain open but unusable. This is
sometimes referred to a "hung java connection." Automatically
expiring all open connections ensures that hung connections
eventually close. Provide the number of minutes a database
connection will remain open before the system automatically closes
it. New connections are created when needed, up to the Maximum
Connections setting (below).
Maximum
Connections
Provide the maximum number of connections that can exist in the
connection pool. If this number is too high, performance may
decrease because the database server consumes more resources. If
it is too low, requests may take longer to process because they might
wait in a queue until a connection becomes available.
Minimum
Connections
Provide a minimum for the size of the database connection pool.
Dead
Connection
Provide the number of seconds before a ‘dead’ connection will time
out and be removed from the pool. A dead connection is one that is
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Configuring JDBC Settings > How to Configure JDBC Settings
Field
Description
Timeout
Period
not sending any activity between the database and the Content
Collection.
4. Click Submit.
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Configuring Temporary Storage Settings > How to Configure Temporary Storage Settings
Configuring Temporary Storage Settings
Administrators have the option of setting up a temporary storage location for a Document
Store. This duplicate set of data may be used for disaster recovery. In this scenario, a
combination of the database backup and this temporary file location, will keep the system
almost completely up to date in the event of a disaster. This backup location can be set up in
either the database or in an external storage location. It cannot be the same as the main
storage location.
How to Configure Temporary Storage Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Technical
Settings.
2. Click Document Stores.
3. In the contextual menu for the Document Store, click Temporary Storage
Settings. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Temporary Storage Location
Windows
Temporary
Storage
Location
Provide the path to the temporary storage location.
Temporary Storage Settings
Temporary
Storage
Period
Select Never and files will remain in the temporary location
indefinitely. Select the Delete in x days option and to keep files in
the temporary storage location for a specific period of time.
Recovering Deleted Items
If a user removes an item from the Content Collection, the item will be stored in the temporary
storage location for the selected temporary storage period. The Administrator can use the
deletion audit trail report to find the exact path to the item in the temporary storage location.
Once the item is located, the Administrator may email it to the user.
If the amount of time in the temporary storage period has passed, the Administrator must
search for the item in a database backup.
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Changing the Storage Location > How to Change the Physical Location of the Content Collection Storage
Directories
Changing the Storage Location
How to Change the Physical Location of the Content Collection
Storage Directories
1. In the bb-config.properties file, provide the location of the Content
Collection files for the Document Store.
2. Run PushConfigUpdates to activate the changes.
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Configuring Bandwidth Settings > How to Configure Bandwidth Settings
Configuring Bandwidth Settings
Administrators set up bandwidth settings and checks on the Bandwidth Settings page.
How to Configure Bandwidth Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Technical
Settings.
2. Click Bandwidth Settings. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Bandwidth Settings
Check
Bandwidth
Limits
Use the list to limit the amount of bandwidth allowed for each user or
session.
Time Over
Which to
Apply
Bandwidth
Quota
Define the period of time over which a bandwidth quota is measured.
For example, if this is set to 1 hour and the Default bandwidth quota
is 100 MB, a 100 MB file could only be downloaded or uploaded
once over the course of 1 hour.
3. Click Submit.
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Setting Bandwidth Restrictions > How to Set Bandwidth Restrictions
Setting Bandwidth Restrictions
Administrators view the bandwidth limits for each directory, and the amounts of bandwidth
used on the Bandwidth Restrictions page. Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be
transmitted in a specific amount of time, for example bytes per second. Setting a bandwidth
for each directory helps manage performance on the system.
How to Set Bandwidth Restrictions
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Technical
Settings.
2. Click Bandwidth Restrictions.
3. In the contextual menu for one of the Directory Names, click Edit.
4. Set the amount of bandwidth in MB that is available to this directory.
5. Click Submit.
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Configuring Default Folder Creation Settings > How to Configure Default Folder Settings
Configuring Default Folder Creation Settings
The Default Folder Creation Settings page displays the top-level folders, or directories, in the
Content Collection. From this page, Administrators may manage the quotas and permissions
for folders created by default within the top-level folders.
How to Configure Default Folder Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Content Area
Management.
2. Click Default Folder Creation Settings. The following functions are available on
the Default Folder Settings page.
To . . .
click . . .
set permissions and quotas
for folders in the /courses
directory
Edit in the contextual menu for the /courses directory.
The Default Folder Creation Settings: /courses will
appear.
set permissions and quotas
for folders in the
/departments directory
Edit in the contextual menu for the /departments
directory. The Default Folder Creation Settings:
/departments will appear.
create folders and set
quotas for users in the
/users directory
Edit in the contextual menu for the /users directory.
The Default Folder Creation Settings: /users will
appear.
3. Click Submit.
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Configuring Default Folder Settings for /courses and /departments > How to Configure Default /courses
and /departments Folder Settings
Configuring Default Folder Settings for /courses and
/departments
Administrators can set up permissions and quotas for folders that are created by default in the
Content Collection. For example, when a user enters the Content Collection for the first time,
folders matching the Course IDs for the Courses the user is enrolled in will automatically be
created.
How to Configure Default /courses and /departments Folder Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Content Area
Management.
2. Click Default Folder Creation Settings.
3. In the contextual menu for the /courses or /departments folder, click Edit. The
following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Default Constituency Settings
Constituencies
with Full
Permissions
Select the user constituencies that will have full permissions to
access the folders created in this area of their Content Collection.
Full permissions include Read/Write/Remove/Manage privileges.
Default Quota
Default Quota
Set a default quota for the folders created within the top-level
folders for Courses or Departments. If there should be no quota,
type -1. The quota cannot be changed for existing folders. If a
quota is changed, only newly created folders will have the new
quota size. Administrators may change the quota for existing
folders on an individual basis. This option is found on the
Properties page for each folder.
4. Click Submit.
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Configuring Default Folder Settings for /users > How to Configure /users Default Folder Settings
Configuring Default Folder Settings for /users
When users with specific constituencies enter the Content Collection for the first time, a folder
with their name is automatically created in the user's directory. Administrators can select the
default quota for these folders on the basis of constituency. Different quotas may be assigned
to different constituencies. Users are given full permissions to their folder. This includes read,
write, remove, and manage permissions.
Note The Virtual Hard Drive page allows Administrators to select which constituencies
have folders automatically created for them in the user's directory.
How to Configure /users Default Folder Settings
Follow these steps to open the Default Folder Settings /users page.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Content Area
Management.
2. Click Default Folder Creation Settings.
3. In the contextual menu for the /users folder, click Edit.
4. Set a Default Quota for each type of constituency. For example, Student folders
may be set to 20 MB, but Faculty folders may have a quota of 25MB. If a user has
multiple Organization Constituencies assigned to them, the quota for his or her
user folder is derived from the highest quota assigned to any of these
constituencies. For example, if one of the constituencies has a quota of 25MB and
another has a quota of 35MB, the user would be assigned 35MB.
Note The default quota cannot be changed for existing folders. If a quota is
changed, only folders created for new users in that constituency will have the new
quota size. For example, if the quota for Instructors is changed, the folder size for
existing Instructors will not change. Folders for new Instructors will have the new
quota. Administrators may change the quota for existing folders on an individual
basis. This option is found on the Properties page for the user folder.
5. Click Submit.
Removing Organization Constituencies
If the Administrator removes an Organization Constituency from the system, the quota
settings for that user group will be lost.
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Managing Content Area Availability > How to Manage Content Area Availability
Managing Content Area Availability
Administrators may remove access to Content Areas if they are not in use at the Organization.
For example, if an Organization does not use the Departments Content Area within the
Content Collection, this area may be set to Unavailable. Users will not be able to view the
content in the Content Area. In fact, the Content Area will no longer appear in the left-hand
navigation area within the Content Collection.
How to Manage Content Area Availability
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Content Area
Management.
2. Click Content Area Availability.
3. Click Yes or No for the various content areas.
4. Click Submit.
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About Recycle Bins > Users, Courses, and Departments Content Areas
About Recycle Bins
Administrators can enable or disable recycle bins for each Content Area and define their size
quota. When a recycle bin is enabled for a Content Area, content deleted from that Content
Area will be stored in a recycle bin in case it needs to be restored. When a recycle bin is not
enabled for a Content Area, deleted content is removed permanently from the system.
Note Changing the Use Recycle Bin setting for any Content Area is a long-running
operation that will not be executed immediately.
Users, Courses, and Departments Content Areas
When recycle bins are enabled for the first time for the Users, Courses, or Departments
Content Areas, an individual recycle bin will be created for each User, Course, or Department.
Each user will have their own recycle bin directory for files recycled from their personal hard
drive, each Course will have their own recycle bin directory for files recycled from the Course
directory, and each Department will have their own recycle bin directory for files recycled from
the Department directory.
When recycle bins were enabled for Users, Courses, or Departments Content Areas in a pre9.1 release, a shared recycle bin was created. Administrators have the option to convert these
shared recycle bins to individual recycle bins. When converted, the shared recycle bin is not
deleted. Any existing content remains in the shared recycle bin, and all newly recycled content
is placed in the individual recycle bins. Users with the appropriate permissions will still be able
to access and restore files from the shared recycle bin. Administrators must use existing
capabilities to determine their plan for moving or deleting that content. Once individual recycle
bins have been enabled for a Content Area, it is not possible to revert to shared recycle bins.
Disabling Recycle Bins
When the recycle bin for a Content Area is disabled, any existing content will remain in the
individual or shared recycle bins.
Even if recycle bins have been disabled for a content area, the scheduled purge of recycle bin
files will continue to remove files that have passed their retention time in both shared and
individual bins. For more information about purge settings, see Configuring Recycle Bin
Settings.
Organization and Library Content Areas
When recycle bins are enabled for the Organization or Library Content Area, one shared
recycle bin will be created for each Content Area.
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Enabling Recycle Bins > How to Enable Recycle Bins
Enabling Recycle Bins
How to Enable Recycle Bins
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Content Area
Management.
2. Click Manage Recycle Bins.
3. In the Use Recycle Bin field for the desired Content Area, click Yes.
4. If enabling recycle bins for the Organization or Library Content Area, in the Default
Quota field, select Unlimited or select Limited and type the desired quota limit.
A value of "-1" indicates that no quota has been set for that recycle bin.
Note The quota for the individual recycle bins in the Users, Courses, or
Departments Content Areas is shared with the quota of the parent folder, which is
set in Configuring Default Folder Creation Settings.
5. Click Submit. An email will be sent to the Administrator when settings changes
are complete.
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Configuring Recycle Bin Settings > Scheduling Recycle Bin Retention and Purging
Configuring Recycle Bin Settings
Administrators can manage how long files are retained in recycle bins as well as recycle bin
security.
Scheduling Recycle Bin Retention and Purging
To better manage the growth of the Content Collection and related hardware costs, system
administrators can define a system-wide policy for regularly scheduled purges of recycle bins.
Administrators can define both the number of days that deleted files will be kept in the recycle
bin and the specific time of day to run the actual purge process.
Deleted files will be kept in the recycle bins for the number of days specified and then purged
at the time of day specified. After that time elapses, the deleted files cannot be recovered.
Even if recycle bins have been disabled for a content area, the scheduled purge of recycle bin
files will continue to remove files that have passed their retention time in both shared and
individual bins.
Setting the Recycle Bin View Policy
The Recycle Bin View Policy setting enables administrators to control default read access to
recycle bin folders. Administrators can allow only the owner of the parent folder or both the
owner and the user who is deleting the item to view the contents. Regardless of the option
selected, users will retain existing permissions on the item being deleted but will not gain
permissions on other files. This setting is especially useful in cases where many users share a
common content area, such as the Organization folder. In these cases, it may be beneficial to
define an explicit set of users.
For clients who enabled recycle bins for Users, Courses, or Departments Content Areas in a
pre-9.1 release, note that this setting applies differently to shared recycle bin folders than to
individual recycle bin folders. When the Recycle Bin View Policy is set to No Special
Permissions, shared recycle bins are visible to all users while individual recycle bins are
visible only to the owner of the recycle bin and to users with explicit permissions on that folder.
How to Configure Recycle Bin Settings
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Content Area
Management.
2. Click Recycle Bin Settings.
3. In the File Retention Time field, set the number of days that files will be kept in
the recycle bins. After that time elapses and the recycle bin is purged, the deleted
files cannot be recovered.
4. In the Time to Begin Recycle Bin Purge field, click the clock icon to select the
hour at which recycle bins will be purged each day of items beyond the File
Retention Time. Specify a time when activity on your system is at a minimum.
5. In the Recycle Bin View Policy field, select Read for Deleter and Owner or No
special permissions.
If a large number of users share recycle bins, select No special permissions so
that only the owner of the parent folder has read permission on the recycle bin
folder by default. Additional users then can be granted permissions as a group or
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Configuring Recycle Bin Settings > How to Configure Recycle Bin Settings
individually. If a small number of users share recycle bins, select Read for
Deleter and Owner so that the owner of the item and the user who is deleting the
item have read permission on the recycle bin folder. Regardless of the option
selected, users will retain existing permissions on the item being deleted but will
not gain permissions on other files.
6. Click Submit.
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Converting Recycle Bins from Shared to Individual > How to Convert Shared Recycle Bins to Individual
Recycle Bins
Converting Recycle Bins from Shared to Individual
This procedure is completed only by clients who enabled recycle bins for Users, Courses, or
Departments Content Areas in a pre-9.1 release and want to convert to individual recycle bins.
This procedure needs to be completed only once.
How to Convert Shared Recycle Bins to Individual Recycle Bins
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Content Area
Management.
2. Click Manage Recycle Bins.
3. For the Users, Courses, or Departments Content Area, click Create Individual
Recycle Bins. This operation cannot be undone.
4. Click OK to continue. An email will be sent to the Administrator when the
conversion is complete.
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Feature and Tool Availability > Differences between Tool Availability and Display Options
Feature and Tool Availability
Administrators can manage which features and tools within the Content Collection are
available to users on the Feature and Tool Availability page.
Differences between Tool Availability and Display Options
Feature and tool availability is managed separately from the availability of actions performed
on content. Administrators manage which features and tools are available from the Feature
and Tool Availability page. The Display Options page, also available from the Administrator
Panel, allows Administrators to select which actions may be performed on content. For
example, the Search tool is made available through Features and Tools, but the ability to copy
content is made available through Display Options. Display Options also manage which
information about content is made available to users, such as size and permission information.
How to Manage Feature and Tool Availability
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Feature and
Tool Management.
2. Click Feature and Tool Availability. The following table describes the available
fields.
Field
Description
Content Collection Availability
Content
Collection
Available
Select Yes to make the Content Collection available to Users. Select
No and the Content Collection will not be available on the system. If
No is selected, neither the Content Collection tab nor links to Content
Collection Tools will appear in the system.
Feature Availability
File Passes
Available
Select Yes or No to make file passes available on the system.
Folder
Passes
Available
Select Yes or No to make folder passes available on the system.
Versions
Available
Select Yes or No to make versioning available on the system.
Locks
Available
Select Yes or No to make locks available on the system.
Content
Comments
Available
Select Yes or No to make comments available on the system.
Content
Tracking
Available
Select Yes or No to make content tracking available on the system.
Statistics
Available
Select Yes or No to make statistics available on the system.
Tool Availability
Workflow
Actions
Available
Select Yes or No to allow users to set up Workflow Actions.
Bookmarks
Select Yes or No to make Bookmarks available to users.
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Feature and Tool Availability > How to Manage Feature and Tool Availability
Field
Description
Available
Search
Available
Select Yes or No to allow users to conduct searches in the system.
Go to
Location
Available
Select Yes or No to allow users to go directly to a specific location in
the system.
Help
Available
Select Yes or No to make Help available in the Content Collection.
Personal
Settings
Available
Select Yes or No to make Personal Settings available to the Users.
Content Collection Availability
Content
Collection
View
Available
Select Yes to permit access to the Content Collection. When the
Content Collection is available, users can access all files in the
Content Collection in addition to files stored in a specific course.
Select No to use the Course Files view. This option permits users to
access only content in their own courses.
Reusable Object Availability
Reusable
Objects
Available
Select Yes to allow users to create Reusable Objects from the
Learning Objects Catalog or from the Content Area action bar in
Courses and Departments. Select No disallow the creation of
Reusable Objects.
Discover
Reusable
Objects
Available
Select Yes to permit the creation and discovery of Reusable Objects
from the Learning Objects Catalog or from the Content Creation Area
action bar in Courses and Departments. Select No to turn off the
discovery of Reusable Objects by using the Discover Content action
bar in any location in the system.
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Workflow Model Sharing > How to Manage Workflow Model Sharing
Workflow Model Sharing
Administrators can allow users to share Workflow Models, which are templates for designing a
set of tasks to be completed by different users. Selected constituencies will be able to share
Workflow Models with all users on the system.
How to Manage Workflow Model Sharing
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Feature and
Tool Management.
2. Click Workflow Model Sharing. The following table describes the available
fields.
Field
Description
Workflow Model Sharing
System
Availability
Select Yes to allow users to share Workflow Models.
Available
to
Select constituencies in the Constituencies to Select box and use the
arrows to move these constituencies to the Selected Constituencies
box. Selected constituencies will be able to share Workflow Models
with all users on the system.
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Metadata Templates > How to Manage Metadata Templates
Metadata Templates
Administrators allow users to create, edit, and delete the fields of Metadata Templates.
Selected constituencies will have Metadata Templates available under Tools. Metadata
templates and attributes are managed from this area.
How to Manage Metadata Templates
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Content Management, click Feature and
Tool Management.
2. Click Metadata Templates. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Metadata Template Availability
System
Availability
Select Yes to allow users to make Metadata Templates available.
Available
to
Select constituencies in the Constituencies to Select box and use the
arrows to move these constituencies to the Selected Constituencies
box. Selected constituencies will have Metadata Templates available
under Tools.
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Creating Courses > How to Create a Course
Creating Courses
Create a Course from the Create Course page. If an Administrator turned off the Create
Course function for Instructors or requires Instructors to submit email requests for Course
creation, this is the only way new Courses can be created.
Note Administrators can assign the Administrative User Constituency of Course Creator to
certain users. Users with these privileges can access the Create Course function on the
Administrator Panel. This is helpful if Instructors are not allowed to create Courses and the
Administrator cannot respond quickly to requests for new Courses.
How to Create a Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Point to Create Course and click New. The following table describes the
available fields.
Field
Description
General Information
Course Name
Provide a name for the Course.
Course ID
Provide a Course ID. The Course ID should not have any
spaces or characters other than numbers and letters, dash (-),
underscore (_), and period (.). Do not use special characters.
Special characters include the following: %,&,#,<,>,=,+, as well
as spaces. When creating attributes a good rule to follow is only
use alphanumeric characters, underscores, dots, and dashes.
The Course ID must be unique and remain static. It cannot be
changed.
Description
Provide a description of the Course. The description will appear
in the catalog listing. A summary and enrollment instructions
should be included in the description.
Subject Area
Select a Subject Area from the drop-down list. Subject areas
are useful for grouping similar Courses for easier searching.
Discipline
Select a Discipline from the drop-down list. Disciplines are
useful for grouping similar Courses for easier searching.
Availability
Available
Click Yes or No to control the Course availability.
Duration
Click Continuous to place no time and date restrictions on a
Course. Click Select Dates and provide a Start Date and End
Date in the appropriate fields. Use the Days from the Date of
Enrollment field to determine an exact number of calendar
days the Course is available.
Guest Access
Guests Permitted
Click Yes to make the Course available to guests.
Categories
Select Course
Catalog Category
Select a Course Catalog category for the Course. The Course
will be listed under the selected categories.
Banner
Current Banner
Image
The current banner for the Course is displayed.
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Creating Courses > Course Availability
Field
Description
New Banner
Image
Click Browse to select a Banner Image for the Course.
Course Cartridge
Course Cartridge
Instructor
Download Key
Provide a valid Access Key to download Course materials from
a Course Cartridge to the new Course.
Enrollment Options
Instructor/System
Administrator
Click Instructor/System Administrator to limit the control over
the enrollment process. Instructors can Allow Students to
Email Enrollment Requests to the Instructor by clicking the
check box.
Self Enrollment
Click Self Enrollment to enable users to enroll themselves in
the Course. Use the Start Date and End Date fields to place
date and time restrictions on self-enrollment. Require an
Access Code to Enroll by clicking the check box and typing
the correct code in the field.
Language Pack
Language Pack
Select a Language Pack from the list. For more information
about Language Packs, see About Language Packs.
Enforce
Language Pack
Select the check box to enforce the use of a particular
Language Pack in a Course.
Select Menu Style
Preview
The current Menu Style is displayed.
Style (Text)
Select a Theme Color from the drop-down list. Click Preview to
view the selection in the Preview field. Click Launch Color
Palette to select a Background Color. The color selected
appears as the background to the Course Menu. Click Launch
Color Palette to select a Text Color. The color selected
appears as the text color in the Course Menu.
Style (Buttons)
Use the Button Library to create a Button Style for the Course.
Default Content View
Content View
Choose between displaying content files as Icons, Text, or
both.
Course Availability
The following table describes what type of access different user constituencies have to a
Course that is unavailable.
Course Constituency
Access when Course is unavailable
Students
The Course is not available to Students.
Instructors, Course Builders,
Teaching Assistants, and
Evaluators
Courses set to Unavailable will appear to the user. The
Course will be indicated as Unavailable, but will still be
accessible.
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Creating Courses > How to Create a Course
Creating Courses
Create a Course from the Create Course page. If an Administrator turned off the Create
Course function for Instructors or requires Instructors to submit email requests for Course
creation, this is the only way new Courses can be created.
Note Administrators can assign the Administrative User Constituency of Course Creator to
certain users. Users with these privileges can access the Create Course function on the
Administrator Panel. This is helpful if Instructors are not allowed to create Courses and the
Administrator cannot respond quickly to requests for new Courses.
How to Create a Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Point to Create Course and click New. The following table describes the
available fields.
Field
Description
General Information
Course Name
Provide a name for the Course.
Course ID
Provide a Course ID. The Course ID should not have any
spaces or characters other than numbers and letters, dash (-),
underscore (_), and period (.). Do not use special characters.
Special characters include the following: %,&,#,<,>,=,+, as well
as spaces. When creating attributes a good rule to follow is only
use alphanumeric characters, underscores, dots, and dashes.
The Course ID must be unique and remain static. It cannot be
changed.
Description
Provide a description of the Course. The description will appear
in the catalog listing. A summary and enrollment instructions
should be included in the description.
Subject Area
Select a Subject Area from the drop-down list. Subject areas
are useful for grouping similar Courses for easier searching.
Discipline
Select a Discipline from the drop-down list. Disciplines are
useful for grouping similar Courses for easier searching.
Availability
Available
Click Yes or No to control the Course availability.
Duration
Click Continuous to place no time and date restrictions on a
Course. Click Select Dates and provide a Start Date and End
Date in the appropriate fields. Use the Days from the Date of
Enrollment field to determine an exact number of calendar
days the Course is available.
Guest Access
Guests Permitted
Click Yes to make the Course available to guests.
Categories
Select Course
Catalog Category
Select a Course Catalog category for the Course. The Course
will be listed under the selected categories.
Banner
Current Banner
Image
The current banner for the Course is displayed.
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Creating Courses > Course Availability
Field
Description
New Banner
Image
Click Browse to select a Banner Image for the Course.
Course Cartridge
Course Cartridge
Instructor
Download Key
Provide a valid Access Key to download Course materials from
a Course Cartridge to the new Course.
Enrollment Options
Instructor/System
Administrator
Click Instructor/System Administrator to limit the control over
the enrollment process. Instructors can Allow Students to
Email Enrollment Requests to the Instructor by clicking the
check box.
Self Enrollment
Click Self Enrollment to enable users to enroll themselves in
the Course. Use the Start Date and End Date fields to place
date and time restrictions on self-enrollment. Require an
Access Code to Enroll by clicking the check box and typing
the correct code in the field.
Language Pack
Language Pack
Select a Language Pack from the list. For more information
about Language Packs, see About Language Packs.
Enforce
Language Pack
Select the check box to enforce the use of a particular
Language Pack in a Course.
Select Menu Style
Preview
The current Menu Style is displayed.
Style (Text)
Select a Theme Color from the drop-down list. Click Preview to
view the selection in the Preview field. Click Launch Color
Palette to select a Background Color. The color selected
appears as the background to the Course Menu. Click Launch
Color Palette to select a Text Color. The color selected
appears as the text color in the Course Menu.
Style (Buttons)
Use the Button Library to create a Button Style for the Course.
Default Content View
Content View
Choose between displaying content files as Icons, Text, or
both.
Course Availability
The following table describes what type of access different user constituencies have to a
Course that is unavailable.
Course Constituency
Access when Course is unavailable
Students
The Course is not available to Students.
Instructors, Course Builders,
Teaching Assistants, and
Evaluators
Courses set to Unavailable will appear to the user. The
Course will be indicated as Unavailable, but will still be
accessible.
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About the Course Creation Wizard
> How to Launch the Course Creation Wizard
About the Course Creation Wizard
The Course Creation Wizard creates Courses through an easy workflow. The Wizard consists
of a series of pages that breaks up the numerous aspects of Course creation into a sequence
of manageable pieces. Instructors can use the wizard to complete the initial setup of a Course
in one easy-to–follow process.
Note Departments may not be created using this method.
How to Launch the Course Creation Wizard
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Point to Create Course and click Wizard.
3. Click Launch the Course Creation Wizard.
4. Use the links at the bottom of each Wizard page to navigate within the Wizard.
These links include options for Cancel, Back, Next, and Finish. All links may not
be available on all pages within the Wizard.
Wizard Progress Tracker
The Wizard Progress Tracker appears on the left side of each page in the Wizard and
represents the entire workflow of the Course Creation Wizard. Users can view where they are
in the workflow as they build a Course. There are no navigation options in the Wizard Progress
Tracker.
Wizard Steps
The Welcome page gives an overview of the different steps for creating a Course through the
Course Creation Wizard. Users may choose to skip some of these steps.
Note If the user skips steps in the Wizard, these options will automatically be set to the
system defaults. These settings may be changed through the Course Control Panel once the
Course is created.
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Course Creation Wizard - Course Information > Wizard Steps
Course Creation Wizard - Course Information
The Course Creation Wizard consists of a series of pages that breaks up the numerous
aspects of Course creation into a sequence of manageable pieces. The user provides Course
details, such as the Title and Course ID on the Course Information page.
The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Course Information
Course
Name
Provide a name for the Course.
Course ID
Provide a unique Course ID. The Course ID should not have any spaces or
characters other than numbers and letters, dash (-), underscore (_), and period
(.). Do not use special characters. Special characters include the following:
%,&,#,<,>,=,+ as well as spaces. When creating attributes a good rule to follow is
only use alphanumeric characters, underscores, dots, and dashes.
Description
Provide a description of the Course. The description will appear in the listing with
the Course Name and ID. A summary and enrollment instructions should be
included in the description.
Note If the user goes back to this page after the Course has been created, he or she will see
a read-only view of this page. The data in these fields may not be changed after the wizard is
complete.
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Course Creation Wizard - Course Materials > Wizard Steps
Course Creation Wizard - Course Materials
The Course Creation Wizard consists of a series of pages that breaks up the numerous
aspects of Course creation into a sequence of manageable pieces. The Course Content page
allows the user to choose a template, an existing Course, or a Course Cartridge as the basis
for the new Course. Users may also choose to create an entirely new Course.
The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Create a
New
Course
Select this option to create a Course that is not based on an existing Course,
template or Course Cartridge.
Use a
Template
Select this option to create a Course using a Course Template in the system.
Template
dropdown list
A list of Course Templates available in Blackboard Learn. Select a template to use
for this Course. When a template is used, all of the Course content in the template
Course is copied to the new Course. The Instructor may change Course settings
and Course content in the destination Course once they have completed the
Wizard.
Copy an
existing
Course
Select this option to create the Course by copying an existing Course. Click
Browse to display a list of existing Courses in which the user is an Instructor, TA or
Course Builder. Select the Course to copy to create this new Course. Only the
Course content (not user data) will be copied from the existing Course into the new
Course. The Instructor may edit the Course content in the destination Course.
Use a
Course
Cartridge
Select this option to create a Course using a Course Cartridge.
Course
Cartridge
Provide the download key for the Course Cartridge.
Instructor
Download
key
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Course Creation Wizard - Course Style > Wizard Steps
Course Creation Wizard - Course Style
The Course Creation Wizard consists of a series of pages that breaks up the numerous
aspects of Course creation into a sequence of manageable pieces. Instructors select the style
of a Course on the Course Style page.
The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Select Menu Style
Preview
The current Menu Style is displayed.
Style
(Text)
Select a Theme Color from the drop-down list. Click Preview to view the selection
in the Preview field. Click Launch Color Palette to select a Background Color. The
color selected appears as the background to the Course Menu. Click Launch Color
Palette to select a Text Color. The color selected appears as the text color in the
Course Menu.
Style
(Buttons)
Use the Button Library to create a Button Style for the Course.
Default Content View
Content
View
Choose between displaying content files as Icons, Text, or both.
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Course Creation Wizard - Course Menu > Wizard Steps
Course Creation Wizard - Course Menu
The Course Creation Wizard consists of a series of pages that breaks up the numerous
aspects of Course creation into a sequence of manageable pieces. The Course Menu page
allows the user to choose which options will appear in the Course Menu.
Is the user wants to create a new Course they may add and remove items on the Course
Menu. If the user wants to use a template, an existing Course or a Course Cartridge on the
Course Content page, they will be unable to edit the Course Menu. The Course Menu is
automatically copied from the existing Course, template or cartridge. Users can edit the
Course Menu after the Course is created from the Course Control Panel.
Adding a menu item creates a Content Area with a name specified by the user. New Content
Areas are automatically available to Students, and unavailable to Guests and Observers. The
following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Course Menu
Choose a Content Area
Name
Select a name for the Course Content Area from a pre-defined list.
Or Add Your Own
Content Area Name
Provide an original name for the Course Content Area. The name
must be 18 characters or less.
Current Course Menu Items
Order
Use the drop-down fields to order the Course Menu items.
Remove
Click to remove an item from the Course Menu.
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Course Creation Wizard – Availability and Duration > Course Constituency Availability
Course Creation Wizard – Availability and Duration
The Course Creation Wizard consists of a series of pages that breaks up the numerous
aspects of Course creation into a sequence of manageable pieces. The Availability and
Duration page is used to control access to the Course and the Course duration.
The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Guest Access
Guest
Access
Select either Yes or No to make the Course available to Guests.
Availability
Availability
Select either Available or Unavailable to make the Course available to users. If
the Course is set to available, all users participating in the Course will have
access. If the Course is set to unavailable, access is determined by Course
Constituency. Courses that are unavailable will not appear in the Course Catalog.
Duration
Continuous
Select this option to make the Course continuously available. If this option is
selected the Course will always be available.
Select
Dates
Select this option to set the Course availability for a specific number of days. Use
the drop down list to select the starting and ending dates of the Course or click the
calendar icon to select dates from the calendar interface. The Course may also
begin on a specific date and not have a specific end date. After the end date, the
Course is no longer available for Students but is otherwise unchanged. Students
who attempt to login to the Course are told that the Course has ended.
Days from
the date of
enrollment
Select this option to place a time limit on a self-paced Course. The Course will be
available for that number of days from the time a Student enrolls. For example, if
the number of days is set to 10, the Course will be available for 10 days to each
Student who enrolls.
Course Constituency Availability
The following table describes what type of access different user constituencies have to a
Course that is unavailable.
Course
Constituency
Access when Course is unavailable
Students
Courses set to Unavailable will not appear at all in the Student’s My Courses
module on the My Organization tab, or in the Student’s Course List on the
Courses tab. Students may not access a Course that is set to unavailable.
Instructors
Courses set to Unavailable will appear in the Courses you are teaching
section of the My Courses module and in the Course List on the Courses tab.
The Course will be indicated as Unavailable, but will still be accessible by the
Instructor.
Course
Builders and
Teaching
Assistants
Courses set to Unavailable will appear in the Courses in which you are
participating section of the My Courses module and in the Course List on the
Courses tab. The Course will be indicated as Unavailable. The Course is still
accessible by Course Builders and Teaching Assistants.
Evaluators
Courses set to Unavailable will appear in the Courses in which you are
participating section of the My Courses module and in the Course List on the
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Course Creation Wizard – Availability and Duration > Course Constituency Availability
Course
Constituency
Access when Course is unavailable
Courses tab. The Course will be indicated as Unavailable to others but is
accessible by Evaluators.
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Course Creation Wizard – Course Enrollment > Course Constituency Availability
Course Creation Wizard – Course Enrollment
The Course Creation Wizard consists of a series of pages that breaks up the numerous
aspects of Course creation into a sequence of manageable pieces. Instructors set the
enrollment process for a Course from the Course Enrollment page. Enrollment can also be
limited to a set time and to those Students that receive approval and are granted an access
code.
The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Course Enrollment
Instructor/Admin
Select this option to make Course enrollment Instructor and Administrator
led. Select the check box to create a link for Students to email an enrollment
request to the Instructor. The link appears in the Course catalog.
Self Enrollment
Select this option to allow Students to enroll in a Course as determined by
the limits defined in the starting date, ending date, and access code.
Select Enrollment Options
Start Date
Select this option to set an enrollment start date. Choose an enrollment start
date by clicking the drop-down arrow and selecting date values or click the
calendar icon to select a date from the calendar interface. If Self Enrollment
is selected this date is required.
End Date
Select this option to set an enrollment end date. Choose an enrollment end
date by clicking the drop-down arrows and selecting date values or click the
icon to select a date from the calendar interface. If Self Enrollment is
selected this date is required.
Require Access
Code to Enroll
Select this option to require an access code to enroll. Provide an access
code that will be distributed to approved Students. If selected, this access
code will be required for Students to enroll in the Course.
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Creating Templates > How to Create a Template
Creating Templates
Creating a template to use as the basis of other Courses is as simple as creating and
designing a Course. After creating and designing a Course, use the Template Options page to
designate the Course as a template. To apply a template when creating a Course, use the
Course Creation Wizard to generate the Course.
How to Create a Template
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Search for a Course.
3. On the contextual menu for the Course, click Template Options. The following
table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Select Template Option
Use this Course
as a Course
Template
Select this option to use this Course as Course Template
when using the Course Creation Wizard.
Do not use this
Course as a
Course Template
Select this option to prevent the Course from appearing in the
list of templates when using the Course Creation Wizard. This
option is the default.
4. Click Submit.
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Batch Creating Courses > How to Create Courses from a Batch File
Batch Creating Courses
Add large numbers of Courses from the Batch Create Courses page. Using a batch file,
Courses are entered into Blackboard Learn quickly and without having to go through the
Create Course page to add each Course.
Note Verify that the fields are in the correct order for the current version. If necessary,
rearrange the fields before processing the batch file.
For batch file guidelines, see Batch File Guidelines.
How to Create Courses from a Batch File
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. From the Create Course list, click Batch.
3. Provide the location of the batch Course file in the File Location field.. Click
Browse to open up the file directory then locate and select the file.
4. Select the file Delimiter Type used in the batch Course file. If Automatic is
selected, the batch file will be analyzed and the delimiter determined based on the
frequency of the character in the file.
5. Select Text or Buttons to display the Course Menu items.
6. Use the Button Library to choose a button style.
7. Select a Theme Color from the drop-down list. Click Preview to view the
selection in the Preview field.
8. Click Launch Color Palette to select a Background Color. The color selected
appears as the background to the Course Menu.
9. Click Launch Color Palette to select a Text Color. The color selected appears
as the text color in the Course Menu.
10. Click Submit.
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Batch Enrolling Users > How to Enroll Users Using a Batch Files
Batch Enrolling Users
Enroll large numbers of users into Courses from the Batch Create Users page. A batch file for
adding users can add many users into many different Courses. If a Course Constituency is not
assigned in the batch file the default value is Student.
Note If using a batch file created for a previous version of Blackboard Learn, verify that the
fields are in the correct order for the current version. If necessary, reformat the file so that the
fields are in the correct order before processing the batch enroll.
For batch file guidelines, see Batch File Guidelines.
How to Enroll Users Using a Batch Files
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Click Enroll Users.
3. Provide the File Location of the batch file.
4. Select the Delimiter Type used by the batch user file. If Automatic is selected,
the batch file will be analyzed and the delimiter determined based on the frequency
of that character in the file.
5. Click Submit.
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Batch File Guidelines > About Header Fields
Batch File Guidelines
Batch files are .delimited files holding large quantities of new Courses. Batch files cannot
contain any Course content other than one announcement.
Batch files must contain a Course ID and Course Name, and may also contain a Course
Description, Button Style, and Initial Announcement, appearing in the following format:
"Course ID","Course Name","Course Description","Button_Style",
"announcement", "announcement title"
Note the following when creating a batch Course file:
l
Each file must be one of the supported file types: .txt or .csv
Note Microsoft Excel versions 2003 and 2007 automatically insert double quotes in
every field if the worksheet is saved as a .csv file.
l
l
Each file must be in DOS format. Files in MAC or UNIX format must be converted to
DOS.
Each field must be enclosed in double quotation marks. For example: "ENG_201"
l
If quotation marks appear in a field, use an escape character to indicate that the next
character does not mark the end of the field. The escape character is a backslash (\).
For example: "\"Intro\""
l
Each field must be separated with one of the following delimiters: comma, colon, or
tab. When selecting AUTO, only one type of delimiter may be used in each batch
file. For example: "ENG_201","English Literature" or "ENG_201":"English
Literature"
l
Each record must be on a separate line. For example:
"ENG_201”,”English Literature"
"ENG_202”,“Transcendentalist Works"
l
Do not include blank lines between records. The blank line will be processed and
return an error.
l
Blackboard recommends that each batch file not exceed 500 records because of
timeout restrictions associated with most browsers.
About Header Fields
When files are created for batch loading, regardless of Language Pack or computer operating
system, the following header fields must be in ASCII (American Standard Code for Information
Interchange) characters:
l
Any Boolean field (Y/N, T/F)
l
Any ID such as Course ID or Department ID
l
Username
l
Email address
Header fields may contain any ASCII alphanumerical characters, underscores "_", dots ".",
and dashes "-".
Headers fields cannot contain the following special characters: % & * # > < + = : " / \
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Batch File Guidelines > Illegal Characters
All data contained in these fields must also be in ASCII characters and the same rules for
acceptable characters apply.
Illegal Characters
Attributes (for example, Username, password, or Course ID) cannot contain the following
special characters:
%&*#><+=:"/\
These characters are only safe to use when adding content into a text box, such as adding the
description for a Course.
When creating attributes a good rule to follow is to use only alphanumeric characters,
underscores, dots, and dashes. Do not use spaces.
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Listing or Editing Courses > How to List or Edit Courses
Listing or Editing Courses
Administrators can view sorted lists of Courses and select a Course to edit from the Courses
page. The search options at the top of the page are used to create a list of Courses based on
the defined parameters. After creating a list of Courses, click on the Course Link to enter
Courses or click Edit in the contextual menu to edit the settings.
Course records that are set to Unavailable are preceded by a red 'x'. To make a record
Available or Unavailable, click the correct option in the contextual menu.
Course records may also be disabled in the database through the Snapshot tool. Disabled
Course records are preceded by a circle symbol with an ‘x’ through it.
How to List or Edit Courses
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Search for a Course.
3. To edit the Course, click Edit in the contextual menu for the Course.
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Searching for Courses > Search for a Course
Searching for Courses
Administrators can search using different variables to search for Courses.
Search for a Course
The following search options are available for Courses:
l
Course ID: Searches for strings that appear in the Course ID.
l
Course Name: Searches for strings that appear in the Course Name.
l
Description: Searches for strings that appear in the description of the Course.
l
Instructor: Searches for strings that appear in the Username of the Instructor.
These search values can be combined with a search for Courses based on creation date.
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Adding Users to a Course > How to Add Users to a Course
Adding Users to a Course
Administrators enroll users in a Course using the Enroll Users option in the contextual menu
for the Course. User access to the Course is dependent on the availability of the Course. To
add an Instructor, add the user from this page and then change their user constituency through
the Listing or Editing Users in a Course page.
Note If enrolling a large number of users or enrolling users into numerous Courses, consider
using the Batch Enroll Users tool.
How to Add Users to a Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Search for a Course.
3. In the contextual menu for the Course, click Enrollments.
4. Click Enroll Users and provide the Username and the Course Constituency for
the user to enroll.
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Listing or Editing Users in a Course > How to List or Edit Users in a Course
Listing or Editing Users in a Course
Administrators view users that participate in a Course and edit user information from the
Enrollments page. To edit a profile, click Enrollments in the contextual menu for a user or
Course Constituency. Change a user password by clicking Change Password in the
contextual menu for the User. Send an email to a user by clicking on the User’s email address
in the Email column.
How to List or Edit Users in a Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Search for a Course.
3. In the contextual menu for the Course, click Enrollments. The following table
describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
send an email to a
user
The user’s email address. The email program associated with
the browser will open.
edit a user profile,
including changing
a password
The appropriate options in the contextual menu. The links
navigate to the proper page. It is now possible to navigate
directly back to the Enrollments page.
Change the user's
constituency in the
Course
Edit in the contextual menu.
4. Click Submit.
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Removing Users from a Course > How to Remove Users from Course
Removing Users from a Course
Remove users from a Course from the Enrollments page by selecting Enrollments in the
contextual menu. Select the Users to be removed and click the Remove Users from Course
button. Removed users can only be restored to the Course by enrolling them again. To restore
a removed user, enroll the user in the Course by clicking the Enroll Users button from the
Enrollments page.
How to Remove Users from Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Search for a Course.
3. In the contextual menu for the Course, click Enrollments.
4. Select the check box for each user to be removed.
5. Click Remove Users from Course.
6. Click Submit.
Note This feature will only remove users’ enrollments from a Course. It will not remove users
from Blackboard Learn.
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Course Properties
> How to Set Course Properties
Course Properties
Change basic Course information from the Course Properties page.
Note The Course ID does not appear on the Course Properties page as a field that can be
edited. Changing the Course ID of a Course will render all content in the Course inaccessible.
If a Course ID must be changed, use the Course Copy feature or Export and Import Course
features to move the Course content to a new Course with the desired Course ID. After
verifying that all necessary information has transferred to the new Course, archive and then
remove the old Course from the system to avoid confusion with the new Course.
How to Set Course Properties
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Search for a Course.
3. In the contextual menu, click Edit. The following table describes the available
fields.
Field
Description
General Information
Course Name
Edit the name of the Course.
Description
Edit the description of the Course. The description will appear in
the catalog listing with the Course Name and Course ID. A
summary and enrollment instructions are typical items that appear
in Course descriptions.
Course ID
The ID of the Course is Display Only.
Subject Area
Select a subject area and discipline from the lists by clicking on the
drop-down arrows. The Subject Area and Discipline associate the
Course with research information available from the Blackboard
Resource Center. This is a deprecated feature from Blackboard 5
and has been removed from the Create Course functions. A default
value is listed when each Course is created. The default value for
Subject Area and Discipline may only be changed on the Course
Properties page. These fields should not be used as metadata to
describe the Course and can be safely ignored by most users.
Availability
Available
Select either Yes or No to make the Course available to users. If
the Course is set to available, all users participating in the Course
will have access. If the Course is set to unavailable, access is
determined by Course Constituency. Only users with privileges to
access the Control Panel may see the contents of an Unavailable
Course.
Duration
Select Continuous to make the Course always available. Select
Dates to set the Course availability for specific dates. The Course
may also begin on a specific date and not have a specific end date.
After the end date, the Course is no longer available for Students
but is otherwise unchanged. Select Days from the Date of
Enrollment to place a time limit on a self-paced Course. The
Course will be available for that number of days from the time a
Student enrolls.
Guest Access
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Course Properties
> How to Set Course Properties
Field
Description
Guests
Permitted
Select Yes or No to permit Guest Access to the Course.
Categories
Categories to
Select
Select categories from the Categories to Select box and click the
right facing arrow to move the category to the Selected Categories
box.
Banner
Current
Banner
Displays the banner that currently appears at the top of the Course.
New Banner
Image
Provide a file name or browse for an image file. This file will appear
on the Course.
Delete the
Current
Banner
Click this check box to remove the banner image from the Course.
No banner will appear at the top of the Course.
Course Cartridge
Course
Cartridge
Instructor
Download
Key
Add a Course Cartridge key to add content to the Course from a
Course Cartridge. Course Cartridges are learning content provided
by publishers.
Enrollment Options
Instructor /
System
Administrator
Select this option to make Course enrollment Instructor or Admin
led. Select the check box to create a link for Students to email an
enrollment request to the Instructor. The link appears in the Course
catalog.
Allow
Students to
email
enrollment
requests
Select this option to allow Students to enroll in a Course.
Start Date
Select this option to set an enrollment start date. If Self Enrollment
is selected this date is required.
End Date
Select this option to set an enrollment end date. If Self Enrollment
is selected this date is required.
Require
Access Code
to Enroll
Select this option to require an access code to enroll. Provide an
access code that must then be distributed to approved Students.
This access code will be required for Students to enroll in the
Course.
Language Pack
Language
Pack
Select a Language Pack from the drop-down list. If a Language
Pack is not chosen for a Course the Course will display in the
user’s preferred Language Pack or, if the user has not set a
preferred Language Pack, in the system default Language Pack.
For more information about Language Packs, see About Language
Packs.
Enforce
Language
Pack
Check Enforce Language Pack to force all users in the Course to
view the Course Language Pack.
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Course Properties
> How to Set Course Properties
Field
Description
Menu Style
Text
If Text is selected, the text color and the background color can be
changed. Text is the often the choice for accessibility reasons.
Buttons
If Buttons are selected, the shape, style and color of the buttons
can be changed.
Default Content View
Content View
Select Icon Only, Text Only, or Icon and Text for the Default Content
View.
4. Click Submit.
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Categorizing Courses > How to Categorize Courses
Categorizing Courses
Attach and remove categories from the Course using the Categorize Courses page. Once a
category has been linked to a Course, the Course will appear under that category in the
Course Catalog.
How to Categorize Courses
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Search for a Course.
3. Select the check box next to the Course name.
4. Click Categorize.
5. Use the multi-select box to move the categories that should be assigned to the
Course to the right-side column.
6. Click Submit. For more information about Course Categories, see the Course
Catalog section.
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Running Course Access Reports > How to Run Course Access Reports
Running Course Access Reports
View usage information about a Course from the Course Access Reports page. For reports on
system usage use the System Reports feature.
The Event Tracking option must be set to Yes on the Setting Auto-Reporting Options page
before Statistics will be recorded.
Note The data set for any report is limited to 100,000 hits.
How to Run Course Access Reports
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Search for a Course.
3. In the contextual menu for to the Course, click Course Access Reports.
4. Select a Report to run by clicking Run from the menu next to the Report name.
The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Report Information
Name
The name of the Report is display only.
Description
A description of the Report previously run appears.
Elapsed Time of
Last Run
A time of the last Run is displayed.
Report Specifications
Select Format
Select a file format from the drop-down menu. Options are
PDF, HTML, Excel, and Word.
Select and End
Date
Provide an End Date into the text field that matches the
format provided.
Select a Start Date
Provide a Start Date into the text field that matches the
format provided.
param#user#id
Provide a User ID in the text field.
Run Report
Click Submit to run
the Report
Click Submit.
5. Click Submit.
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Deleting Courses > How to Delete a Course
Deleting Courses
Courses can be removed from Blackboard Learn through the Courses page. Courses that are
removed cannot be restored to Blackboard Learn unless the Course was archived or exported
prior to removing it.
Keep in mind that archiving a Course will preserve not only Course content but also user
enrollments and interactions with the Course. For information about archiving a Course prior to
deleting it from Blackboard Learn, see Archiving a Course.
The Course Files for a Course cannot be restored unless they were archived. For steps to
archive Course Files, see Course Files Command Line Tools.
How to Delete a Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Search for a Course or Courses.
3. To delete multiple Courses, select the check boxes for the Courses to be deleted,
and then click Delete. To delete a single Course, click Delete in the contextual
menu for the Course.
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Deleting Information from Courses > How to Delete Information from a Course
Deleting Information from Courses
Bulk Delete is a useful tool to use when a Course ends and will be taught again to another
group of Students. Bulk Delete allows Administrators to select information to be deleted from a
Course. For example, if the administrator deletes the Results Center Columns from a Course,
all of the names of Students and their Results will be deleted from the Course. The Instructor
will have a clean Results Center to start the new semester.
How to Delete Information from a Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Search for a Course.
3. In the contextual menu for the Course, click Bulk Delete. The following table
describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Select Content Materials to Delete
Information and/
or Content
Select the check box for either Information or Content or both to
delete the Course Area. The content in each area will be
removed but the Course Area will remain a part of the Course.
Select Other Materials to Delete
Announcements
Select Announcements to delete all Course Announcements.
Users
Select Users to delete the Student enrollments from the Course.
Groups
Select Groups to delete groups.
Discussion
Board
Select Discussion Board to delete the Discussion Forums.
Tests, Surveys,
and Pools
Select this check box to delete the Assessments in the Course.
Results Center
Columns
Select Results Center Columns to delete the Results Center
items for the Course.. Bulk Delete will remove all users with a
constituency of Student from the Course. Teaching Assistants,
Evaluators, and Course Builders will not be removed.
Statistics
Select Statistics to delete information on Student usage.
Glossary
Select Glossary to delete any items in the Glossary.
Blogs
Select Blogs to delete any entries in the Blog tool.
Journals
Select Journals to delete any entries in the Journal tool.
Messages
Select Messages to delete any messages.
Confirmation
Type 'Delete' to
complete this
request
Type 'Delete' into the field provided.
4. Click Submit.
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Override Course Quotas > How to Override Course Quotas
Override Course Quotas
Change the disk quotas for a Course from the Course Quotas Override page. The quotas set
on this page will apply to the Course regardless of the default quota settings for Blackboard
Learn. For information about setting quotas for all Courses on the system, see Setting Course
Disk Quotas.
How to Override Course Quotas
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Search for a Course.
3. In the contextual menu for the Course, click Quotas. The following table
describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Control Disk Quotas for this Course
Override default Disk
Quotas for this Course
Click this check box to place restrictions on the size of
the Course.
Warn Instructors when
Course size exceeds
Specify an amount of disk space in Kilobytes. The
Instructor will receive a warning that the Course is
approaching the disk space limit.
Maximum Course disk
Usage
Specify a disk space limit in Kilobytes.
Override default for
maximum size of a
single file upload to
Click this check box and specify a size limit in Kilobytes
for files uploaded to the Course.
4. Click Submit.
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Adding File Types for Use with Course Content Items > Add a MIME Extension
Adding File Types for Use with Course Content Items
Blackboard Learn recognizes several file types that can be attached to content items and
opened in the page or directly in an associated application. It is important to remember that any
type of file can be uploaded to a content item and made available to Students. If the file is not
of a type recognized by Blackboard Learn, users can always download the file and open it
locally.
Administrators can make Blackboard Learn recognize additional file types and associated
applications by adding MIME extensions to an XML file in the file system. This should only be
done by an experienced System Administrator.
Add a MIME Extension
To add a MIME extension that associates a file type with an application, edit the following
XML file. The XML file includes a few sample extensions that can be used as a blueprint for
creating additional MIME extensions.
Windows Syntax: C:\blackboard\config\tomcat\web.xml
UNIX Syntax: /usr/local/blackboard/config/tomcat/web.xml
Recognized Content Attachments
The following file types are recognized by Blackboard Learn. These files can be displayed
within a content item. Other file types can be added to a content item and opened using the
correct application on users’ computers.
Extension
File Type
Programs Associated with the File Type
.aam
Multimedia
Macromedia® Authorware® plug-in Note that the .aam file is the
starting point for a series of files that must be enclosed in a .ZIP file.
.aiff
Audio
Audio program
.asf
Multimedia
Microsoft® .NET™ Show
.au
Audio
Real Audio Player™
.avi
Video
Video player (not Macintosh® compatible)
.doc
Text
Microsoft® Word® or other word processor
.exe
Executable
Executable file
.gif
Image
Graphics program or Web browser
.html, .htm
Web page
HTML editor or Web browser
.jpg, .jpeg
Image
Graphics program or Web browser
.jif
Image
Graphics program or Web browser
.mp3
Audio
Audio program
.mpe
Audio/Video
Audio program
.mpg,
.mpeg
Image
Graphics program or Web browser
.moov,
.movie
Movie
QuickTime® movie
.mov
Video
Movie or media player
.pdf
Text
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®
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Adding File Types for Use with Course Content Items > Recognized Content Attachments
Extension
File Type
Programs Associated with the File Type
.png
Image
Portable Network Graphics
.ppt, .pps
Slide show
Microsoft® PowerPoint® and PowerPoint Player®
.qt
Movie
QuickTime®
.ra
Audio
Real Audio Player™
.ram
Video
Real Audio Movie™
.rm
Audio
Audio program
.rtf
Text
Rich Text Format
.swf
Multimedia
Macromedia® Shockwave® plug-in
.tiff, .tif
Image
Graphics program or Web browser
.txt
Text
Text or HTML editor, word processor
.wav
Audio
Audio program
.wma
Audio
Audio program
.wmf
Graphic
Microsoft® Windows®
.wmv
Media/Audio
Microsoft® Windows®
.wpd
Text
WordPerfect® or other word processor
.xls
Spreadsheet
Microsoft® Excel®
.zip
Text
WinZip®
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About Copying Courses > About Course Files
About Copying Courses
A Course can copied several ways to serve different purposes:
l
Copy selected Course materials into a new Course to create a new section of the
same Course.
l
Copy selected Course materials into an existing Course to share content across
several Courses without having to recreate the content in each Course.
l
Copy only enrollments (or enrollments and selected content and tools) to move
users from one sequential Course to the next Course.
l
Create an exact copy of a Course, including enrollments and Student interactions.
About Course Files
To include Course Files in a Course package or add Course Files from a Course package to a
destination directory when copying a Course, the user performing the operation must have
Manage permissions on the Course directory.
If the content management capabilities have been licensed, only Read permissions are
required to include links to Course Files, while Manage permissions are required to include
links and copies of the Course Files. Because copying a Course requires that the user
performing the operation have Manage permissions on the Course directory, this may result in
some, but not all, of the content being included in the package.
All Course users will be granted Read permissions on the copied Course Files. Users with the
following constituencies will be granted Manage permissions:
l
Instructors
l
Course Builders
l
Teaching Assistants
For more information about Course Files, see About Course Files.
About Content Collection Items
Links to Content Collection items within the Course are included when a Course is copied.
The permissions for Content Collection items located in almost all Course areas will be
updated automatically. The one exception to this is Assessments. The permissions for
Content Collection items linked to in Tests, Surveys, and Questions Pools are not
automatically updated. The Instructor must update the permissions to these items manually
through the Content Collection.
When the items that are linked to in the Course are viewed in the Content Collection, Read
permission will appear for All Course Users.
About Course Links
Links to parts of a Course that are not included in the copy will break when the links appear in
the destination Course. For example, if there is a link to a Test in a Course area and
Assessments are not copied, the link to the test will break.
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About Copying Courses > How to Access the Copy Options
How to Access the Copy Options
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Click Copy Course.
-or
In the contextual menu for a Course, click Copy. The following table describes the
available tasks.
Task
Steps
To copy some or all of the Course materials
into a new Course
Click Copy Course Materials into a
New Course.
To copy some or all of the Course materials
into an existing Course
Click Copy Course Materials into
an Existing Course.
To make an exact copy of the Course
including enrollments
Click Copy Course with Users
(Exact Copy).
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Copying Course Materials into a New Course > How to Copy a Course into a New Course
Copying Course Materials into a New Course
Copying Course materials into a new Course creates a Course in Blackboard Learn and
populates it with content from a Course already on the system. The Course Menu specified in
the source Course will replace the default Course Menu in the new Course.
For information about Course Files and Content Collection items included, see About Copying
Courses.
How to Copy a Course into a New Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Click Copy Course.
-orIn the contextual menu for a Course, click Copy.
3. From the Select Copy Type list, select Copy Course Materials into a New
Course. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Source
Course ID
The Course ID of the Course to export. If the Course ID is not known,
click Browse.
Destination
Course ID
Provide a Course ID for the new Course that will be created and
populated with content from the current Course. A new Course with
this ID will be created with the materials from the packaged Course.
Please make sure that the new Course ID matches the naming
convention used at the Organization. Also, The Course ID should not
have any spaces or characters other than numbers and letters, dash
(-), underscore (_), and period (.). The Course ID must be unique and
remain static. It cannot be changed.
4. Click Submit.
5. Under Select Course Materials, select the check boxes for each Course area
and tool that should be copied into the new Course. The following table describes
what happens to each selectable option when the copy is performed.
Note The Course Copy operation cannot be completed if the user does not
select at least one of the following areas: Content, Contacts, or Settings. If none
of these options are selected a warning will appear.
Course Material
Behavior when copied
Content Areas
Copies Course materials, including uploaded files, Learning
Modules, and links. Users may also select to include Course
Information, Course Content, and Adaptive Release Rules for
Content.
Adaptive
Release Rules
for Content
This option is available only if the Content Areas check box is
selected.
Announcements
All Announcements are copied to the new Course. This option
must be selected or the links in Announcements to Assessments
will be broken.
Blogs
All Blogs are copied to the new Course.
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Copying Course Materials into a New Course > How to Copy a Course into a New Course
Course Material
Behavior when copied
Calendar
All Calendar events are copied to the new Course.
Collaboration
Sessions
All Collaboration Sessions are copied to the new Course.
Contacts
All Contacts are copied to the new Course.
Discussion
Board
Discussion Board Forums, including the initial posts in each
Forum, are copied to the new Course.
Early Warning
System Rules
All Early warning system rules are copied to the new Course.
Glossary
All Glossary terms are copied to the new Course.
Results Center
Columns and
Settings
Items in the Results Center, and their settings, such as type,
categories, and display options, are copied to the new Course.
Group Settings
Settings include the names of the Groups, the settings for tool
availability, and the Discussion Board Forum names.
Journals
All Journal entries are copied to the new Course.
Rubrics
All Rubrics are copied to the new Course.
Settings
Some Course Settings will be copied. See Course Settings
below for more information.
Standards
Alignments
All Standards Alignments are copied to the new Course.
Tasks
All Tasks are copied to the new Course.
Tests, Surveys,
and Pools
All Assessments and Surveys, including questions and options
for deploying them are copied. All Pools are copied to the new
Course.
Wikis
All Wikis are copied to the new Course.
6. In the Course Files section, choose whether to include only the links to Course
Files content or the links and copies of the Course Files content. If you select
Copy links and copies of the content, click Calculate Size to ensure that the
package size does not exceed the displayed Allowed package size. To remove
files and folders from the package, click Manage Package Contents. For more
information about the content included in a package, see About Course Files.
7. To copy Enrollments for all Users in the Course, selecting the Include
Enrollments in the Copy check box. This option does not copy user records in
the Course. User records are copied only with Exact Copy.
8. Click Submit.
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Copying Course Materials into an Existing Course > Resolving Course Menu Items
Copying Course Materials into an Existing Course
The Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course page permits Instructors to copy content
from one Course into another they are teaching. Instructors can select areas, such as
Announcements, Contacts or Course areas to copy. Copy Course will add content to a
Course, but it will not remove existing content.
For information about Course Files and Content Collection items included, see About Copying
Courses.
Resolving Course Menu Items
When copying content and tools from one Course to an existing Course, the Course Menu
must resolve itself in the destination Course. The following table describes how Course Menu
items are resolved.
If . . .
then . . .
a Course area in the source Course
does not exist in the destination Course
the area will be added to the Course Menu in the
destination Course.
a Course area in the source Course and
the Course area in the destination
Course have the same name and are of
the same type (for example, External
Links, Contacts, or content)
the content from the source Course will be added,
but will not replace, the content in the area within
the destination Course.
a Course area in the source Course and
the Course area in the destination
Course have the same name but are of
different types
the area from the source Course will be added to
the destination Course under a different name. The
new name will append an incremental numeral to
the name (for example, Course Materials will
become Course Materials1).
How to Copy a Course into an Existing Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Click Copy Course, or in the contextual menu for a Course, click Copy.
3. From the Select Copy Type list, select Copy Course Materials into an
Existing Course. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Source
Course ID
The Course ID of the Course to export. If the Course ID is not
known, click Browse.
Destination
Course ID
Provide the Course ID of the existing Course that will be populated
with content from the current Course.
4. Click Submit.
5. Under Select Course Materials, select the check boxes for each Course area
and tool that should be copied into the new Course. The following table describes
what happens to each selectable option when the copy is performed.
Note The Course Copy operation cannot be completed if the user does not
select at least one of the following areas: Content, Contacts, or Settings. If none
of these options are selected a warning will appear.
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Copying Course Materials into an Existing Course > How to Copy a Course into an Existing Course
Course Material
Behavior when copied
Content Areas
Copies Course materials, including uploaded files, Learning
Modules, and links. Users may also select to include Course
Information, Course Content, and Adaptive Release Rules for
Content.
Adaptive
Release Rules
for Content
This option is available only if the Content Areas check box is
selected.
Announcements
All Announcements are copied to the existing Course. This
option must be selected or the links in Announcements to
Assessments will be broken.
Blogs
All Blogs are copied to the existing Course.
Calendar
All Calendar events are copied to the existing Course.
Collaboration
Sessions
All Collaboration Sessions are copied to the existing Course.
Contacts
All Contacts are copied to the existing Course.
Discussion
Board
Discussion Board Forums, including the initial posts in each
Forum, are copied to the existing Course.
Early Warning
System Rules
All Early warning system rules are copied to the new Course.
Glossary
All Glossary terms are copied to the existing Course.
Results Center
Columns and
Settings
Items in the Results Center, and their settings, such as type,
categories, and display options, are copied to the existing
Course.
Group Settings
Settings include the names of the Groups, the settings for tool
availability, and the Discussion Board Forum names.
Journals
All Journal entries are copied to the existing Course.
Rubrics
All Rubrics are copied to the existing Course.
Settings
Some Course Settings will be copied. See Course Settings
below for more information.
Standards
Alignments
All Standards Alignments are copied to the existing Course.
Tasks
All Tasks are copied to the existing Course.
Tests, Surveys,
and Pools
All Assessments and Surveys, including questions and options
for deploying them are copied. All Pools are copied to the
existing Course.
Wikis
All Wikis are copied to the existing Course.
6. In the Course Files section, choose whether to include only the links to Course
Files content or the links and copies of the Course Files content. If you select
Copy links and copies of the content, click Calculate Size to ensure that the
package size does not exceed the displayed Allowed package size. To remove
files and folders from the package, click Manage Package Contents. For more
information about the content included in a package, see About Course Files.
7. To copy Enrollments for all Users in the Course, selecting the Include
Enrollments in the Copy check box. This option does not copy user records in
the Course. User records are copied only with Exact Copy.
8. Click Submit.
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Copying a Course with Users (Exact Copy) > Defining Course IDs
Copying a Course with Users (Exact Copy)
Copy Course with Users performs a complete copy of the Course. This is the only Copy
option that copies user records, such as Results and Discussion Board posts, to the new
Course. This option is useful if a Course is split into multiple sections. The Instructor may do
an exact copy and then disenroll specific students to create two sections of the same Course.
Note All Course Cartridge content is copied during a Copied Course with Users operation.
The new Course will contain all of the same content and all of the same user enrollments and
staff exercises as the source Course.
For information about Course Files and Content Collection items included, see About Copying
Courses.
Defining Course IDs
Make sure that the new Course ID matches the naming convention used at the Organization.
Also, The Course ID should not have any spaces or characters other than numbers and
letters, dash (-), underscore (_), and period (.). The Course ID must be unique and remain
static. It cannot be changed.
How to Copy a Course with Users
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Click Copy Course, or in the contextual menu for a Course, click Copy.
3. From the Select Copy Type list, select Copy Course with Users (Exact Copy).
The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Source
Course ID
The Course ID of the Course to export. If the Course ID is not known,
click Browse.
Destination
Course ID
Provide a Course ID for the new Course that will be created and
populated with content from the current Course. A new Course with
this ID will be created with the data and settings from the packaged
Course. Please make sure that the new Course ID matches the
naming convention used at the Organization. Also, The Course ID
should not have any spaces or characters other than numbers and
letters, dash (-), underscore (_), and period (.). The Course ID must be
unique and remain static. It cannot be changed.
Course
Files
Choose whether to include only the links to Course Files content or
the links and copies of the Course Files content. If you select Copy
links and copies of the content, click Calculate Size to ensure that
the package size does not exceed the displayed Allowed package
size. To remove files and folders from the package, click Manage
Package Contents. For more information about the content included
in a package, see About Course Files.
Folder for
Content
Collection
Files
This field appears only if the content management capabilities have
been licensed. If the Source Course includes Content Collection files,
click Select Folder and browse to select the folder to which they will
be added. The files will be placed in a subfolder. If the Course Files
Default Directory option is selected, any Content Collection files
included in the package will not be processed.
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Copying a Course with Users (Exact Copy) > How to Copy a Course with Users
4. Click Submit.
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Batch Copying Courses > How to Create a Batch File for the Command Line Tool
Batch Copying Courses
This topic details how to use the command line tool to perform a batch copy Course operation.
By default, when a Batch Copy is performed an exact copy of the Course is created. If there is
existing content in the destination Course, this content will remain after the copy. The Course
Menu settings in the new Course will depend upon the areas of the Course copied.
How to Create a Batch File for the Command Line Tool
The batch file follows exactly the same format as a Snapshot flat file. The first row defines the
attributes and the subsequent rows hold the data for each copy. The delimiter used in the file
must match the delimiter set in the snapshot.properties file. Finally, the file must be a
text file (.txt). Press CTRL+Q.
For batch file guidelines, see Batch File Guidelines.
Example
EXTERNAL_COURSE_KEY|TEMPLATE_COURSE_KEY HIST101|TEMPLATE_COURSE_ID
HIST102|TEMPLATE_COURSE_ID HIST103|TEMPLATE_COURSE_ID2
The EXTERNAL_COURSE_KEY is an attribute used for advanced data management. If a
Course is created through the Administrator Panel, the EXTERNAL_COURSE_KEY is simply
the Course ID.
If the destination Courses do not exist they must be created as part of the process or the copy
will fail. To create the destination Courses the COURSE_ID and COURSE_NAME attributes
must be added to the batch file.
Example
EXTERNAL_COURSE_KEY|COURSE_ID|COURSE_NAME|TEMPLATE_COURSE_KEY
HIST101|HIST101|Introduction to American History until 1865|TEMPLATE_
COURSE_ID HIST102|HIST102|Introduction to American History from
1865|TEMPLATE_COURSE_ID HIST103|HIST103|Introduction to Central American
History|TEMPLATE_COURSE_ID2
How to Run the Command Line Tool
The Batch tool for running Copy functions must be run from the command line. The tool must
be run from the Web/app server using the appropriate command syntax, where path_to_
file is the full path to the batch file that will be processed:
Windows Syntax: C:\Blackboard\tools\admin\BatchCourseCopy.cmd path_
to_file
UNIX Syntax: /usr/local/blackboard/tools/admin/BatchCourseCopy.sh
path_to_file
The exact path to the Blackboard directory may be different based on where Blackboard Learn
was installed.
The delimiter used in the batch file must be the same delimiter in the
snapshot.properties file. The default value is a pipe (|). Also, the command will only
process a batch copy on the default Virtual Installation. To perform a batch copy on another
Virtual Installation the COPYINTO Snapshot command must be run.
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Batch File Guidelines > About Header Fields
Batch File Guidelines
Batch files are .delimited files holding large quantities of new Courses. Batch files cannot
contain any Course content other than one announcement.
Batch files must contain a Course ID and Course Name, and may also contain a Course
Description, Button Style, and Initial Announcement, appearing in the following format:
"Course ID","Course Name","Course Description","Button_Style",
"announcement", "announcement title"
Note the following when creating a batch Course file:
l
Each file must be one of the supported file types: .txt or .csv
Note Microsoft Excel versions 2003 and 2007 automatically insert double quotes in
every field if the worksheet is saved as a .csv file.
l
l
Each file must be in DOS format. Files in MAC or UNIX format must be converted to
DOS.
Each field must be enclosed in double quotation marks. For example: "ENG_201"
l
If quotation marks appear in a field, use an escape character to indicate that the next
character does not mark the end of the field. The escape character is a backslash (\).
For example: "\"Intro\""
l
Each field must be separated with one of the following delimiters: comma, colon, or
tab. When selecting AUTO, only one type of delimiter may be used in each batch
file. For example: "ENG_201","English Literature" or "ENG_201":"English
Literature"
l
Each record must be on a separate line. For example:
"ENG_201”,”English Literature"
"ENG_202”,“Transcendentalist Works"
l
Do not include blank lines between records. The blank line will be processed and
return an error.
l
Blackboard recommends that each batch file not exceed 500 records because of
timeout restrictions associated with most browsers.
About Header Fields
When files are created for batch loading, regardless of Language Pack or computer operating
system, the following header fields must be in ASCII (American Standard Code for Information
Interchange) characters:
l
Any Boolean field (Y/N, T/F)
l
Any ID such as Course ID or Department ID
l
Username
l
Email address
Header fields may contain any ASCII alphanumerical characters, underscores "_", dots ".",
and dashes "-".
Headers fields cannot contain the following special characters: % & * # > < + = : " / \
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Batch File Guidelines > Illegal Characters
All data contained in these fields must also be in ASCII characters and the same rules for
acceptable characters apply.
Illegal Characters
Attributes (for example, Username, password, or Course ID) cannot contain the following
special characters:
%&*#><+=:"/\
These characters are only safe to use when adding content into a text box, such as adding the
description for a Course.
When creating attributes a good rule to follow is to use only alphanumeric characters,
underscores, dots, and dashes. Do not use spaces.
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Exporting a Course > About Export Packages
Exporting a Course
Exporting a Course creates a package of the Course content that can later be imported into
Blackboard Learn and used to teach another Course with the same content. Unlike archiving a
Course, exporting a Course package does not include any user interactions with the Course. It
includes only the content of the Course. Courses should be exported when Course materials
will be reused at a later time to teach a new set of Students. Course should be archived after it
has been taught to maintain a record of a Course.
About Export Packages
Export packages are created as compressed .ZIP files and can be imported into Blackboard
Learn in the same format. Do not unzip an Export package, remove files from the package, or
try to import a file contained with the package. The package will not be imported correctly.
Export packages from older versions of Blackboard Learn can be imported into Blackboard
Learn, but Blackboard Learn export files are not backward compatible with previous versions.
Note An Export Course option is also available on the Courses page. If this option is
selected, provide the Course ID on the Export Course page that appears and click Submit.
Options appear to select the materials to include in the export package. After the package has
been created, the Administrator must open the Manage Exports page to download the Course
package.
About Course Files Content
To include Course Files in a Course package when exporting a Course, the user creating the
package must have Manage permissions on the Course directory.
If the content management capabilities have been licensed, only Read permissions are
required to include links to Course Files, while Manage permissions are required to include
links and copies of the Course Files.
All Course users will be granted Read permissions on the exported Course Files. Users with
the following constituencies will be granted Manage permissions:
l
Instructors
l
Course Builders
l
Teaching Assistants
For more information about Course Files, see About Course Files.
About Course Links
Links to parts of a Course that are not included in the export package will break when the links
appear in the destination Course. For example, if there is a link to a Test in a Course area and
Tests, Surveys and Pools are not exported, the link to the Test will break.
About IMS Specifications
The Blackboard packaging format follows the IMS Content Packaging Specification with
extensions to support content types that are specific to Blackboard Learn:
l
IMS Content and Packaging Specification 1.1.2
l
IMS Metadata Specification 1.2.1
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Exporting a Course > How to Export a Course
l
IMS Enterprise Specification 1.01
l
IMS Question and Test Interoperability Specification 1.2
How to Export a Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Point to Backup Actions and click Export Course.
3. Provide the Source Course ID or click Browse to search for the Course.
4. Click Submit.
5. In the Course Files section, choose whether to include only the links to Course
Files content or the links and copies of the Course Files content. If you select
Copy links and copies of the content, click Calculate Size to ensure that the
package size does not exceed the displayed Allowed package size. To remove
files and folders from the package, click Manage Package Contents.
6. Under Select Course Materials, select the check boxes for each Course area
and tool that should be exported. The following table describes what happens to
each selectable option when the copy is performed.
Course Material
Behavior when Exported
Content Areas
Exports Course materials, including uploaded files, Learning
Modules, and links. Users may also select to include Course
Information, Course documents, Exercises and External Links.
Adaptive
Release Rules
for Content
This option is available only if the Content Areas check box is
selected.
Announcements
All Announcements are exported. If Assessment links appear in
Course areas, then this option must be selected, or the link to
the Assessment will be broken.
Blogs
All Blogs are exported.
Calendar
All Calendar items are exported to the new Course.
Collaboration
Sessions
All Collaboration Sessions are exported.
Contacts
All Contacts are exported.
Discussion
Board
Discussion Board Forums, including the initial message in the
Discussion Board, are exported.
Early Warning
System Rules
All Early warning system rules are exported.
Glossary
All Glossary terms are exported.
Results Center
Columns and
Settings
Items in the Results Center, and their settings, such as type,
categories, and display options, are exported.
Group Settings
Settings include the names of the Groups, the settings for tool
availability, and the Discussion Board Forum names.
Journals
All Journal entries are exported.
Rubrics
All Rubrics are exported.
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Exporting a Course > How to Download the Course Package
Course Material
Behavior when Exported
Settings
The following Course Settings will be exported:
l
Course Name
l
Course Description
l
Course Entry Point
l
Course Style
l
Course Banner
l
Blackboard Tools
l
Building Block Tools
l
Content Tools
l
Course ID
l
Course Availability
l
Guest Access
l
Observer Access
l
Course Duration
l
Enrollment Options
For information about which of these settings are included
during an import operation, see Importing a Course.
Standards
Alignments
All Standards Alignments are exported.
Tasks
All Tasks are exported.
Tests, Surveys,
and Pools
All Assessments and Surveys, including questions and options
for deploying them are imported. All Pools are exported to the
new Course.
Wikis
All Wikis are exported.
7. Click Submit.
How to Download the Course Package
When the export package is complete, the Administrator who initiated the operation receives
an email. This email includes a link to the log file contents of the package. After they receive
the email, Administrators may download the Course package to the local computer from the
Export / Archive page.
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Archiving a Course > About Archive Packages
Archiving a Course
Archiving a Course creates a permanent record of a Course, including all the content and user
interactions.
Unlike exporting a Course, archiving a Course is not useful when trying to create a package of
content to be used at a later time or with another Course. When an archive package is
restored, not only is the content of the Course restored, but all of the user information and user
interactions are restored as well.
Note Course Cartridge information is included in the archive and can be restored, but About
SafeAssign are not included and cannot be restored.
About Archive Packages
Archive packages are created as compressed .ZIP files with the following file naming
structure:
ArchiveFile_Course_ID_date/time_stamp.zip
After the package has been downloaded, do not remove files from the package or unzip the
package and try to restore individual files within the package. The Course can only be restored
if the package is intact. Editing the .ZIP file and then uploading the Archived Course package
will result in unstable and unpredictable behavior in the Restored Course.
About Course Files
To include Course Files in a Course package when archiving a Course, the user creating the
package must have Manage permissions on the Course directory.
If the content management capabilities have been licensed, only Read permissions are
required to include links to Course Files, while Manage permissions are required to include
links and copies of the Course Files.
All Course users will be granted Read permissions on the archived Course Files. Users with
the following constituencies will be granted Manage permission:
l
Instructors
l
Course Builders
l
Teaching Assistants
For more information about Course Files, see About Course Files.
About IMS Specifications
The Course packaging format follows the IMS Content Packaging Specification with
extensions to support content types that are specific to Blackboard Learn. Blackboard Learn
uses:
l
IMS Content and Packaging Specification 1.1.2
l
IMS Metadata Specification 1.2.1
l
IMS Enterprise Specification 1.01
l
IMS Question and Test Interoperability Specification 1.2
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Archiving a Course > How to Archive a Course
How to Archive a Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Point to Backup Actions and click Archive Course.
3. In the Source Course ID field, provide a valid Course ID. If the Course ID is not
known, click Browse.
4. To Include the Results Center History, select the check box below the Course
ID. Selecting this option increases file size and processing time.
5. In the Course Files section, choose whether to include only the links to Course
Files content or the links and copies of the Course Files content. If you select
Copy links and copies of the content, click Calculate Size to ensure that the
package size does not exceed the displayed Allowed package size. To remove
files and folders from the package, click Manage Package Contents.
6. Click Submit.
How to Download the Course Package
After the Archive Course page is submitted, Blackboard Learn creates the Course package.
When the package is complete, the Administrator who initiated the operation receives an
email. This email includes a link to the log file contents of the package. After the email is
received, Administrators may open the Export / Archive Manager page in the Blackboard
application and download the Course package to the local computer.
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Managing Export and Archive Packages > Removing Packages
Managing Export and Archive Packages
When a Course is exported or archived, a link to the package appears on the Export / Archive
page. The Administrator may download the package to a local computer, and then use it in the
future for import or restore operations.
When a package is exported or archived, it does not appear on this page immediately. An
email is sent to the user after the system has created the package. The user may then open
this page to find the package and download it.
Removing Packages
Blackboard recommends that users remove packages from this page after they have been
downloaded because each package counts against the Course Disk Quota. As a result,
keeping packages on this page may result in limited space to add additional content to the
Course.
How to Manage Export / Archive Packages
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Search for a Course.
3. In the contextual menu for the Course, click Export/Archive. The following table
describes the available tasks.
Task
Steps
To export the Course
Export. The Export Course page appears. Define
the export settings, and then click Submit.
To archive the Course
Archive. The Archive Course page appears.
Define the archive settings, and then click Submit.
To download an existing
Course package
Open in the contextual menu for the Course
package.
To view the basic log for an
existing Course package
View Basic Log in the contextual menu for the
Course package.
To view the detailed log for
an existing Course package
View Detailed Log in the contextual menu for the
Course package.
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Importing a Course > About Course Files
Importing a Course
Import Course uploads an Export package of Course content. Export packages, created with
the Export Course feature, are .ZIP files that contain Course materials, but not user data or
interactions. Export packages are useful for storing content that may be used to teach the
same Course to different Students at a later time. To create a permanent record of a Course,
use the Archive Course and Restore Course features.
Never upload an Exported Course package that has been modified since it was created and
downloaded. Opening the .ZIP file and changing any of the files in the Exported Course
package will result in unstable and unpredictable behavior when the Course is imported.
Note Course packages created for older versions may not be supported. Please check the
release notes for a list of supported versions.
About Course Files
To add Course Files from a Course package to a destination directory when importing a
Course, the user performing the operation must have Manage permissions on the Course
directory.
If the content management capabilities have been licensed, only Read permissions are
required to include links to Course Files, while Manage permissions are required to include
links and copies of the Course Files. Because importing a Course requires that the user
performing the operation have Manage permissions on the Course directory, this may result in
some, but not all, of the content being included in the package.
All Course users will be granted Read permissions on the imported Course Files. Users with
the following constituencies will be granted Manage permissions:
l
Instructors
l
Course Builders
l
Teaching Assistants
For more information about Course Files, see About Course Files.
About Course Links
Links to parts of a Course that were not included in the exported package will break when the
links appear in the destination Course. For example, if there is a link to a Test in a Course area
and Tests, Surveys and Pools are not exported, the link to the Test will break.
Resolving the Course Menu Items
When importing a package, the Course Menu must resolve itself in the destination Course.
The following table describes how Course Menu items are resolved.
If . . .
then . . .
a Course area in the package does not
exist in the destination Course
the area will be added to the Course Menu in the
destination Course.
a Course area in the package and the
Course area in the destination Course
have the same name and are of the
same type (for example, External Links,
Contacts, or content)
the content from the package will be added, but will
not replace, the content in the area within the
destination Course.
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Importing a Course > How to Import a Course
If . . .
then . . .
a Course area in the package and the
Course area in the destination Course
have the same name but are of different
types
the area from the package will be added to the
destination Course under a different name. The new
name will append an incremental numeral to the
name (for example, Course Materials will become
Course Materials1).
How to Import a Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Click Import Package. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Destination
Course ID
Enter the Course ID of the Course to receive Course materials. If a
Course ID that does not exist on the system is entered, a new Course
with this ID will be created with the data and settings from the
imported Course.
Select a
Package
Either enter the path to the Course package or click Browse to search
for the Course package.
3. Under Select Course Materials, select the check boxes for each Course area
and tool that should be copied into the new Course. The following table describes
what happens to each selectable option when the copy is performed.
Course Material
Behavior when copied
Content Areas
Imports Course materials, including the following, from the
package:
l
Uploaded files
l
Learning Modules
l
Links
l
Course Information
l
Course Documents
l
Exercises
l
External Links
l
Building Block content
Adaptive
Release Rules
for Content
This option is only available if the Content Areas check box is
selected.
Announcements
All Announcements are imported. If Assessment links appear in
Course areas, then this option must be selected, or the link to
the Assessment will be broken.
Blogs
All Blogs are imported to the Course.
Calendar
All Calendar items are imported to the Course.
Collaboration
Sessions
All Collaboration Sessions are imported to the Course.
Contacts
All Contacts are imported to the Course.
Discussion
Board
Discussion Board Forums, including the initial message in the
Discussion Board, are imported to the Course.
Early Warning
System Rules
Early warning system rules are imported to Course.
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Importing a Course > How to Import a Course
Course Material
Behavior when copied
Glossary
All Glossary terms are imported to the Course.
Results Center
Columns and
Settings
Items in the Results Center, and their settings, such as type,
categories, and display options, are imported to the Course.
Group Settings
Settings include the names of the Groups, the settings for tool
availability, and the Discussion Board Forum names.
Journals
All Journal entries are imported to the Course.
Rubrics
All Rubrics are imported to the Course.
Settings
The following settings will be imported:
l
Course Name
l
Course Description
l
Course Entry Point
l
Course Style
l
Course Banner
l
Tools settings that do not exist are added. Existing
settings are not overwritten.
The following settings are not imported:
l
Course ID
l
Course Availability
l
Guest Access
l
Observer Access
l
Course Duration
l
Enrollment Options
Standards
Alignments
All Standards Alignments are imported to the Course.
Tasks
All Tasks are imported.
Tests, Surveys,
and Pools
All Assessments and Surveys, including questions and options
for deploying them are imported. All Pools are imported to the
Course.
Wikis
All Wikis are imported to the Course.
4. Click Submit.
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Restoring a Course > Before you Begin
Restoring a Course
Restoring a Course uploads the archived package for a Course into Blackboard Learn in the
same state that it was in at the time it was archived. Course content (including all Course
Cartridges if the community engagement capabilities have been licensed), user data, and user
interactions are all included in the Archive package.
Archived packages are designed to provide a permanent record of a Course. To save Course
materials to teach another set of Students at a later time, export and import the Course.
Note Do not upload an Archived Course package that has been modified since it was
created and downloaded. Opening the .ZIP file and changing any of the files in the Archived
Course package will result in unstable and unpredictable behavior when the Course is
restored.
Before you Begin
The default size limit for content uploaded though the user interface is 250 MB. When
attempting to upload files larger than 250 MB using the interface, users will receive an error.
This limit does not apply to Web Folder uploads. To upload larger files, Administrators can
upload the files using the command line or they can increase the Tomcat default size setting.
For more information about uploading files using the command line, see Batch
Import/Export/Archive/Restore Course. To increase the maximum upload limit, modify the
parameter located in webapps/blackboard/WEB-INF/config/struts/reportingstruts-config.xml. The file size upload limit is tied to Tomcat, therefore it is not
encountered with WebDAV uploads. Because the setting is tied to Tomcat, the services must
be restarted for the change to take effect.
Restoring User Records
When performing a restore, Blackboard Learn checks to see if users are in the system by
validating Usernames against email addresses. If the Username exists with the same email
address there is no need to create the user.
If a Username exists with a different email address than the one included in the archive
package, a new user will be created with a number appended to the Username.
Example
An archive package is uploaded with an account that has the Username bb_user. The Restore
process looks for users with this User name in Blackboard Learn. If bb_user exists in the
system, the process then compares the email addresses. If the email address matches, then
a new user is not created. If the email addresses are different, then the process creates a new
user, bb_user1.
Note As a security precaution, any users that are added during a restore are created with
only their primary System Constituency. Secondary System Constituencies are not included.
Restoring Course Files
To add Course Files from a Course package to a destination directory when restoring a
Course, the user performing the operation must have Manage permissions on the Course
directory.
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Restoring a Course > How to Restore a Course
If the content management capabilities have been licensed, only Read permissions are
required to include links to Course Files, while Manage permissions are required to include
links and copies of the Course Files. Because restoring a Course requires that the user
performing the operation have Manage permissions on the Course directory, this may result in
some, but not all, of the content being included in the package.
All Course users will be granted Read permissions on the restored Course Files. Users with
the following constituencies will be granted Manage permissions:
l
Instructors
l
Course Builders
l
Teaching Assistants
For more information about Course Files, see About Course Files.
How to Restore a Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Courses.
2. Search for a Course.
3. Point to Create Course and click Restore. The following table describes the
available fields.
Note Course packages created for earlier versions may not be supported.
Please check the Release Notes for a list of supported versions.
Field
Description
Destination
Course ID
Provide a new Course ID for the Course to receive Course materials.
A new Course with this ID will be created with the data and settings
from the packaged Course. It is not possible to restore a Course using
a Course ID that is already in use. Please make sure that the new
Course ID matches the naming convention used at the Organization.
Also, The Course ID should not have any spaces or characters other
than numbers and letters, dash (-), underscore (_), and period (.). The
Course ID must be unique and remain static. It cannot be changed.
Select a
Package
Provide the file location of the archive package or browse for the file
location. Restored materials must be .ZIP archive files of Blackboard
Learn Course materials. To create packaged Course materials, use
the Archive Course function.
Folder for
Content
Collection
Files
This field appears only if the content management capabilities have
been licensed. If the package includes Content Collection files, click
Select Folder and browse to select the Content Collection folder to
which they will be added. The files will be placed in a subfolder. If the
Course Files Default Directory option is selected, any Content
Collection files included in the package will not be processed.
4. Click Submit.
When the Course is restored, the Settings and Course Menu specified in the Archive package
will replace the default Settings and Course Menu that are in effect for new Courses.
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Batch Import/Export/Archive/Restore Courses > Before You Begin
Batch Import/Export/Archive/Restore Courses
Blackboard Learn includes a tool for handling the import/export and archive/restore of a
number of Courses at once as well as the import/restore of files that exceed the default 250
MB size limit. The tool will process a batch file that includes the Course ID and the name.
Before You Begin
The default size limit for content uploaded though the user interface is 250 MB. When
attempting to upload files larger than 250 MB using the interface, users will receive an error.
This limit does not apply to Web Folder uploads. To upload larger files, Administrators can
upload the files using the command line or they can increase the Tomcat default size setting.
For more information about uploading files using the command line, see Batch
Import/Export/Archive/Restore Course. To increase the maximum upload limit, modify the
parameter located in webapps/blackboard/WEB-INF/config/struts/reportingstruts-config.xml. The file size upload limit is tied to Tomcat, therefore it is not
encountered with WebDAV uploads. Because the setting is tied to Tomcat, the services must
be restarted for the change to take effect.
How to Create a Batch File
A batch file used with the batch_ImportExport tool only has two values in each row, the
Course ID and the full path to the .ZIP package. When running an Export or Archive action the
.ZIP package will be created using the specified path and file name. When running an Import or
Restore action, the specified path and file name point to the .ZIP package associated with the
destination Course ID.
For batch file guidelines, see Batch File Guidelines.
The following are examples of the contents of a batch file for use with the batch_ImportExport
tool. Files should be saved as text (.txt) files.
Restore or Import Examples
HIST101, C:\Course_archives\Archive_File_HIST101.zip
HIST201, C:\Course_archives\Archive_File_HIST201.zip
HIST301, C:\Course_archives\Archive_File_HIST301.zip
HIST401, C:\Course_archives\Archive_File_HIST401.zip
HIST331, C:\Course_archives\Archive_File_HIST331.zip
Restore and Import batch files require the exact path, including the name of the package.
Archive or Export Examples
HIST101, C:\Course_archives\
HIST201, C:\Course_archives\
HIST301, C:\Course_archives\
HIST401, C:\Course_archives\
Archive and Export batch files require only the path to the directory where each package will
be stored. Adding the package name will result in an error.
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Batch Import/Export/Archive/Restore Courses > How to Run the Tool
How to Run the Tool
The Batch tool for running Import/Export and Archive/Restore functions must be run from the
command line. The tool must be run from the Web/app server. The command syntax is shown
below.
Windows Syntax:
C:\Blackboard\apps\content-exchange\bin\batch_ImportExport.bat –f path_to_
file -l delimiter -t operation -n virtual_hostname
Note Use cmd.exe to open a command line for running the tool. Running the tool from
command.exe will result in errors.
UNIX Syntax:
/usr/local/blackboard/apps/content-exchange/bin/batch_ImportExport.sh –f
path_to_file -l delimiter -t operation -n virtual_hostname
The exact path to the Blackboard directory may be different depending on where Blackboard
Learn was installed.
Argument
Description
path_to_
file
Provide the full path to the batch file.
delimiter
Provide one of the following values:
operation
virtual_
hostname
l
1: Identifies comma (,) as the delimiter.
l
2: Identifies semicolon (;) as the delimiter.
l
3: Identifies TAB as the delimiter.
Provide one of the following values to indicate the operation being performed:
l Import
l
Export
l
Restore
l
Archive
The name of the virtual installation that the tool will run against. If there are no
Virtual Installations, or if this argument is not given, the tool will run against the
default Virtual Installation.
How to Customize the JVM Heap Size for the batch_ImportExport Tool
1. Locate the content-exchange.pl file in the same directory as the batch_
ImportExport tool.
2. Edit the my $java_opts parameter on line 32 to include the customized JVM
heap size.
3. Use the following syntax:
my $java_opts = "$x_debug -Xms1024m -Xmx1024m -Dbbservices_
config=$base_dir/config/service-config-content-exchange.properties
-Dblackboard.home=$base_dir -DXythos.RunMode=Application Djava.system.class.loader=blackboard.cms.commandline.classloader.BbCommandLineClassLoader";
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Batch File Guidelines > About Header Fields
Batch File Guidelines
Batch files are .delimited files holding large quantities of new Courses. Batch files cannot
contain any Course content other than one announcement.
Batch files must contain a Course ID and Course Name, and may also contain a Course
Description, Button Style, and Initial Announcement, appearing in the following format:
"Course ID","Course Name","Course Description","Button_Style",
"announcement", "announcement title"
Note the following when creating a batch Course file:
l
Each file must be one of the supported file types: .txt or .csv
Note Microsoft Excel versions 2003 and 2007 automatically insert double quotes in
every field if the worksheet is saved as a .csv file.
l
l
Each file must be in DOS format. Files in MAC or UNIX format must be converted to
DOS.
Each field must be enclosed in double quotation marks. For example: "ENG_201"
l
If quotation marks appear in a field, use an escape character to indicate that the next
character does not mark the end of the field. The escape character is a backslash (\).
For example: "\"Intro\""
l
Each field must be separated with one of the following delimiters: comma, colon, or
tab. When selecting AUTO, only one type of delimiter may be used in each batch
file. For example: "ENG_201","English Literature" or "ENG_201":"English
Literature"
l
Each record must be on a separate line. For example:
"ENG_201”,”English Literature"
"ENG_202”,“Transcendentalist Works"
l
Do not include blank lines between records. The blank line will be processed and
return an error.
l
Blackboard recommends that each batch file not exceed 500 records because of
timeout restrictions associated with most browsers.
About Header Fields
When files are created for batch loading, regardless of Language Pack or computer operating
system, the following header fields must be in ASCII (American Standard Code for Information
Interchange) characters:
l
Any Boolean field (Y/N, T/F)
l
Any ID such as Course ID or Department ID
l
Username
l
Email address
Header fields may contain any ASCII alphanumerical characters, underscores "_", dots ".",
and dashes "-".
Headers fields cannot contain the following special characters: % & * # > < + = : " / \
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Batch File Guidelines > Illegal Characters
All data contained in these fields must also be in ASCII characters and the same rules for
acceptable characters apply.
Illegal Characters
Attributes (for example, Username, password, or Course ID) cannot contain the following
special characters:
%&*#><+=:"/\
These characters are only safe to use when adding content into a text box, such as adding the
description for a Course.
When creating attributes a good rule to follow is to use only alphanumeric characters,
underscores, dots, and dashes. Do not use spaces.
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Setting the Default Course Properties > How to Set the Default Course Properties
Setting the Default Course Properties
The options chosen on the Set Default Course Properties page control the availability,
enrollment, and duration settings of new Courses. While Courses are created with these
options defined according to the defaults, the Instructor or the Administrator can change these
options at any time.
How to Set the Default Course Properties
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Course Settings.
2. Click Default Course Properties. The following table describes the available
fields.
Field
Description
Default Settings
Available
by default
Click Yes to make Courses immediately available when they are
created.
Allow
Guests by
default
Click Yes to allow Guests to access to Courses.
Allow
Observers
by Default
Click Yes to allow Observers. This value is set to No when Blackboard
Learn is installed.
Default
Enrollment
Options
Select a default enrollment:
Default
Duration
l
Instructor/System Administrator: The Instructor and the
Administrator control enrollment. Select the Allow Students
to Email Enrollment Requests to the Instructor check box.
A link to email the Instructor to request enrollment will
appear next to the Course in the Course Catalog.
l
Self-Enrollment: Students are allowed to enroll themselves
in Courses. An Enroll button will appear next to the Course
in the Course Catalog. To limit self-enrollment to a specified
date range, select the check boxes for a start date and an
end date. To require an access code, select the check box
and enter a code. Students must enter this code to enroll in
a Course.
Select a default Course duration:
l
Continuous: Courses do not have a start date or an end
date.
l
Select Dates: Courses have a duration that matches the
starting and ending dates.
l
Days from the Date of Enrollment: Courses will be
available for a number of days from the date of creation.
Type the number of days in the field.
3. Click Submit.
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Setting the Default Course Menu > How to Set the Default Course Menu
Setting the Default Course Menu
The options chosen on the Set Default Course Menu page control the initial Course areas that
are available in new Courses. Course Areas are parts of a Course that hold content, tools, or
links. Course Areas will appear in new Courses in the order that they appear on the Set Default
Course Menu page. The italicized text that appears below the name of a Course Area
describes whether the area is a content item, link, or tool (and if so, which tool).
While Courses are created with these options defined according to the defaults the Instructor
or the Administrator can change these options for a Course at any time.
Note All tools and content areas on the default Course Menu must have unique names. For
example, a tool with the menu name Address Book and a content area with the Menu name
Address Book may be created. Two tools named Address Book may not be added. Two links
to the Address Book tool may be created but they must have different Menu names. This only
applies to the default Course Menu. It does not apply to Course Menus for individual Courses.
How to Set the Default Course Menu
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Course Settings.
2. Click Default Course Menu. The following describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
add a
content
area to the
list of
default
areas
Create Content Area from the Create Item icon.
add a
blank page
Create Blank Page from the Create Item icon.
add a tool
link
Create Tool Link from the Create Item icon.
add an
external
link
Create External Link from the Create Item icon.
add a
module
page
Create Module Page from the Create Item icon.
add a
subheader
to the
menu
Create Subheader from the Create Item icon.
add a
dividing
line
Create Divider from the Create Item icon. A dark line appears at the
bottom of the menu. It can be dragged to any position on the menu.
remove an
element of
the Course
Menu
Delete in the contextual menu for a Course Area.
rename a
Rename Link in the contextual menu for a Course Area.
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Setting the Default Course Menu > How to Set the Default Course Menu
To . . .
click . . .
Course
Area
hide a
Course
Area
Hide Link in the contextual menu for a Course Area.
change the
order of a
Course
Area
the double arrow icon next to the a Course Area to drag to the
appropriate position. -or- the Reorder icon, select a Course Area, and
use the up and down arrows to move the Area to the appropriate
position. When finished, click Submit.
3. Click Submit.
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Setting the Default Display Options > About the Course Menu
Setting the Default Display Options
About the Course Menu
The Course Menu appears on the left side of a Course and contains links to materials and
tools within the Course. The Administrator sets up the default view of the Course Menu. The
Instructor can customize the style of the Course Menu and the content and tools available to
users. The following two views are available:
l
List View: Displays top-level of Course materials in the Map. Links may be
displayed as buttons or text links.
l
Folder View: Displays Course materials as seen in the Map. This view expands to
show the hierarchy of the Map.
A Tools Panel appears as part of the Course Menu. This box may contain links to the Map,
Communication tools and/or Course Tools. Links to tools may also be added to the main part
of the Course Menu so they appear in the Folder View or the Map.
How to Set the Default Course Menu Display
The Administrator can make the List View and/or the Folder View available as the default. This
default applies to all new Courses. It does not affect Courses already in Blackboard Learn.
Follow the steps below to change the default view in a Course:
1. On the Control Panel, under Customization, select Style.
2. Select Set Default Course Menu Display Options on the Settings page.
3. Select a default view for the Course Menu.
Note Instructors may change the Course Menu display options within their specific Courses.
How to Set the Default Course Tool Panel Display
The Tools Panel may be set to display a links to Course Tools, Communication tools, and/or
the Map. The display of the Tools Panel is managed separately for the Folder View and the List
View.
Follow the steps below to set up the Tools Panel display for the List View:
1. Select Settings under Blackboard Learn on the Control Panel
2. Select Set Default Course Tool Panel Style on the Settings page.
3. Select List View Display Options or Folder View Display Options on the
Manage Tool Panel page.
4. Select which links to display in the box and provide a name to appear in the
header. If no options are selected, the Tools Panel does not appear in the Course
Menu. If Header Name is left blank, no header appears in the Tools panel. The
background and text color for the header may also be selected.
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Setting the Default Course Tools > How to Set the Default Course Tools
Setting the Default Course Tools
Blackboard Learn has a robust set of tools and the flexibility to add new tools. Administrators
can control the tools that will be made available in all newly created Courses. When a Course
is created, the Course Tools that are set to be available at that time will be available in the new
Course.
Note Course Tools can also be managed using the Tools page.
A filter at the top of the Course Tools page filters the list of tools displayed to show Blackboard
Learn tools and tools added through Building Blocks. Instructors or the Administrator can
change the availability of any Course tool at any time.
Note Building Block Tools cannot be added to Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition.
How to Set the Default Course Tools
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Course Settings.
2. Click Course Tools. Only the tools provided by Blackboard Learn display in the
list by default. The following table describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
change the
list of tools
displayed
Filter by: and select the set of tools to view:
l
Tools: The tool set provided by Blackboard Learn.
l
Building Block Tools: Tools that have been integrated
into Blackboard Learn through a Building Block.
l
Proxy Tools: Tools that exist outside Blackboard Learn
and are accessed via hyperlink.
l
All Tools: Tools provided by Blackboard Learn and tools
that have been integrated through a Building Block.
permit access
to a tool by
default
Select the check box in the On column for each tool that should be
available in each new Course.
allow Guest
access to a
tool by default
Select the check box in the Allow Guest column for each tool that
should be accessible by Guests. Tools that cannot be accessed by
Guests are marked with a gray block.
allow
Observer
access to a
tool by default
Select the check box in the Allow Observer column for each tool
that should be accessible by Observers. Tools that cannot be
accessed by Observers are marked with a gray block.
3. Click Submit.
Turning Off Announcements
If Announcements are turned off, any Announcements that Instructors have previously
created will be visible in their Courses. Instructors will not be able to delete these
Announcements, because this tool will no longer be available.
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Setting the Default Course Images > How to Set the Default Course Images
Setting the Default Course Images
Administrators select images to appear in all Courses from the Set Course Images page. Two
images appear next to each other on the bottom of the Course and one image appears at the
top of the Course Menu on the left side of the main page.
How to Set the Default Course Images
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Course Settings.
2. Click Course Images. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Course Entry Point/Primary Bottom Image
Current
Image
Displays the primary image that appears at the bottom of all Courses.
Banner
URL
Provide a URL that links to the primary image. A user clicking on the
image will access this URL. This must be the full URL. For example:
http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com or
blackboard.com
Name
of Link
Name the link to the primary image.
Banner
Image
Provide the path of an image file or click Browse to find an image file on
the system. This image will become the primary image that appears at
the bottom of all Courses. The file must be in .GIF or .JPEG format.
Course Entry Point/Secondary Bottom Image
Current
Image
Displays the secondary image that appears at the bottom of all Courses.
Banner
URL
Provide a URL that links to the secondary image. A user clicking on the
image will access this URL. This must be the full URL. For example:
http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com or
blackboard.com
Name
of Link
Name the link to the secondary image.
Banner
Image
Provide the path of an image file or click Browse to find an image file on
the system. This image will become the secondary image. The file must
be in .GIF or .JPEG format.
Course Menu Image
Current
Image
Displays the image that appears at the top of the Course Menu of all
Courses.
Banner
URL
Provide a URL that links to the image. A user clicking on the image will
access this URL. This must be the full URL. For example:
http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com or
blackboard.com
Name
of Link
Name of the link to the image.
Banner
Image
Provide the path of an image file or click Browse to find an image file on
the system. This image will become the image that appears at the top of
the Course Menu of all Courses. The file must be in .GIF or .JPEG format.
3. Clear all appropriate fields to remove an image from the Course.
4. Click Submit.
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Setting the Default Icon Theme > How to Set the Default Icon Theme
Setting the Default Icon Theme
Administrators select a theme for icons from the Select Icon Themes page. Selecting a theme
will add colorful icons to folders, documents, and other items within Blackboard Learn. Icons
make it easy for users to navigate through Blackboard Learn and quickly identify important
information.
How to Set the Default Icon Theme
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Course Settings.
2. Click Icon Themes.
3. View the Icon Theme by clicking the plus icon.
4. Select an Icon Theme by clicking the appropriate radio button.
5. Click Submit.
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Adding Default Content Areas > How to Add a New Content Area to a Course
Adding Default Content Areas
Content Areas are containers within a Course that are accessible from the Course Menu.
Adding a new Content Area creates a blank Content Area that will appear in each new Course.
This new Content Area and its location within the Course Menu are only default settings. The
Instructor of each Course can choose to edit or remove the Content Area within each Course.
How to Add a New Content Area to a Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Course Settings.
2. Click Default Course Menu.
3. Point to the Create Item icon and click Create Content Area.
4. Provide a Name.
5. To make the new area available to users when a Course is created, select the
Available to Users check box.
6. Click Submit.
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Adding Default Tool Links > How to Add a New Tool Link to a Course
Adding Default Tool Links
Tool Links allow access to a tool directly through the Course Menu. Adding a new Tool Link
creates an area that will access the selected tool in each new Course. This new Tool Link and
its location within the Course Menu are only default settings. The Instructor of each Course
can choose to edit or remove the Tool Link within each Course.
How to Add a New Tool Link to a Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Course Settings.
2. Click Default Course Menu.
3. Point to the Create Item icon and click Tool Link.
4. Provide a Name.
5. In the Type list, click the desired tool type.
6. To make the new link available to users when a Course is created, select the
Available to Users check box.
7. Click Submit.
Note Guest and Observer permissions to access the tool are controlled through the Course
Tools feature.
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Adding Default External Links > How to Add a New External Link to a Course
Adding Default External Links
Link areas create an access point to a URL in the Course Menu. Adding a new External Link
creates an Area that will access the defined URL in each new Course. This new External Link
and its location within the Course Menu are only default settings. The Instructor of each
Course can choose to edit or remove the External Link within each Course.
How to Add a New External Link to a Course
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Course Settings
2. Click Default Course Menu.
3. Point to the Create Item icon and click Create External Link.
4. Provide a Name.
5. Type the URL. This must be the full URL.
For example: http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com or
blackboard.com
6. To make the new link available to users when a Course is created, select the
Available to Users check box.
7. Click Submit.
Note Guests and Observers have access to any link displayed in the Course Menu.
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Setting Course Disk Quotas > How to Set Course Disk Quotas
Setting Course Disk Quotas
Quotas keep Courses from exceeding acceptable disk space limits and warn Instructors when
a Course is approaching the limit. Administrators can grant additional disk space to individual
Courses if necessary.
How to Set Course Disk Quotas
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Course Settings.
2. Click Course Disk Quotas. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Enforce Disk Quotas
Click this check box to place restrictions on the size of
Courses.
Warn Instructor
when Course size
exceeds
Specify the amount of disk space in Kilobytes. Instructors
will receive a warning that the Course is approaching the
disk space limit.
Maximum Course
disk Usage
Specify a disk space limit in Kilobytes.
Limit the maximum
size of a single file
upload to
Specify a size limit, in Kilobytes, for files uploaded to
Courses.
3. Click Submit.
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Managing the Course Catalog > How to Manage the Course Catalog
Managing the Course Catalog
Administrators may add, edit, and remove categories in the Course Catalog. Categories can
be added within categories to create a nested outline structure with main categories and
several deeper levels of subcategories. To view the categories nested within a category,
simply click the Category Name. This will open a new Manage Catalog page with that
Category as the head. For example, the first Manage Catalog page is titled Manage Catalog:
TOP. Clicking on the Category, Law School Classes will change the page title to Manage
Catalog: Law School Classes.
How to Manage the Course Catalog
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Course Catalog. The following
table describes the available tasks.
To . . .
click . . .
view and
manage
subcategories
the name of a category. If there are sub-categories, a new page view
will appear.
add a
category
Create Category to add a category or sub-category to the Course
catalog. The category will be added at the current level.
edit a
category
Edit in the contextual menu for the category. When changing the
name of a category, the sub-categories beneath it remain the same.
delete a
category
Delete in the contextual menu for the category or select the check
box to the left of the category and click Delete to delete that category
from the Course Catalog. Any category links to Courses will be
deleted. Also, any sub-categories and category links to subcategories will be removed.
navigate to
previous
page views
in the
category
hierarchy
the navigation links that appear beneath the Add Category button.
These links begin with Top, which will go back to the page view that
lists the first level of categories.
2. Click Submit.
For example, a category, History, has numerous sub-categories including American History,
Ancient History, and World History. Within the World History category, sub-categories include
African, Asian, and European History. To add a category on South American history, click the
History category on the Manage Course Catalog page, and then click the World History
category. A Manage Course Catalog page with the sub-categories of World History appears.
Click Add Category to add the following category:
History
>World History
>>South American History
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Creating or Editing a Category > How to Create or Edit a Category
Creating or Editing a Category
Course Categories are created and edited from the Add Category page or the Edit Category
page. Clicking Add on the Manage Catalog page or Edit for an existing category will load the
Add/Edit Category page.
Categories require a name to be displayed to users and a name unique to the Blackboard Learn
database called a Category ID. The Category ID allows for multiple categories with the same
name to exist in the database. For example, the sub-category Advanced Courses could
appear multiple times in the Catalog under different categories.
How to Create or Edit a Category
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Course Catalog.
2. At the top of the Top Level Catalog page, click Create Category. The following
table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Create/Edit Category
Category
Display
Name
Provide the name of the category as it should be displayed.
Category
ID [r]
Provide an ID name for this category. The Category Mnemonic acts as
a unique identifier for categories. Do not use special characters in this
field. Special characters include: %,&,#,<>,=,+, as well as spaces.
When creating attributes a good rule to follow is only use
alphanumeric characters, underscores, dots, and dashes. Once this
field is set it should not be edited.
Display
Category
on Top in
Catalog
View
Select this check box to display this category on the first page of the
Catalog as viewed by users.
Availability
Select Everyone or Selected Constituencies. If Selected
Constituencies is chosen, use the multi-select box to determine those
constituencies that should be able to view the category and
associated Courses in the Catalog. Those Organization
Constituencies that appear in the right side column, Selected
Constituencies, will be able to view the category.
3. Click Submit.
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Setting the Course Catalog Options > How to Set the Course Catalog Options
Setting the Course Catalog Options
Administrators may select the default catalog or supply a link to an external Course catalog
from the Gateway Options page.
The default catalog groups Courses into folders and lists them along with buttons for users to
preview Courses or login if they are enrolled in a Course. An Administrator may incorporate a
different catalog via URL. Inserting an outside Course catalog will remove the Blackboard
Learn default catalog and users will not be able to preview Courses or access Courses from
the default catalog.
The Course Catalog appears on the Courses tab. It can also be configured to appear on the
Gateway Page.
How to Set the Course Catalog Options
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Security, click Gateway Options.
2. Click one of the options to link to the catalog:
l
Disable the link to the Course Catalog
l
Enable the link to the Course Catalog
l
Provide the full URL to direct users to an external catalog
Lost Password Functionality
Enable or Disable the ability to request a forgotten password.
Guest Access Defaults
Select Enable or Disable for the following options:
l
Allow Guest Access to the System
l
Allow Guest Access to Courses
l
Allow Guest Access to Departments
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About Course Files > Licenses
About Course Files
With Course Files, Instructors have access to all of their files from a central location inside
their Course. They can manage, organize, and view those files to suit their needs.
Note The default size limit for content uploaded though the user interface is 250 MB. When
attempting to upload files larger than 250 MB using the interface, users will receive an error.
This limit does not apply to Web Folder uploads. To upload larger files, Administrators can
upload the files using the command line or they can increase the Tomcat default size setting.
For more information about uploading files using the command line, see Batch
Import/Export/Archive/Restore Course. To increase the maximum upload limit, modify the
parameter located in webapps/blackboard/WEB-INF/config/struts/reportingstruts-config.xml. The file size upload limit is tied to Tomcat, therefore it is not
encountered with WebDAV uploads. Because the setting is tied to Tomcat, the services must
be restarted for the change to take effect.
Licenses
The Course Files feature is available to all Blackboard Learn licenses.
Default Directory
The default directory for Course Files in each Course is /courses/COURSEID. This
directory can be changed.
Permissions
To add Course Files content from a Course package to a destination directory using the
Restore, Copy, or Import Course operations, the user performing the operation must have
Manage permissions on the Course directory.
To include Course Files content in a Course package using the Export, Archive, or Copy
operations, the user must have Manage permissions on the Course directory.
If the content management capabilities have been licensed, only Read permissions are
required to include links to Course Files, while Manage permissions are required to include
links and copies of the Course Files content. Because the Restore, Copy, and Import Course
operations require that the user performing the operation have Manage permissions on the
Course directory, this may result in some, but not all, of the content being included in the
package. When package operations are performed by an Administrator with full Manage
permissions, all content will be included.
For information about user and folder permissions in Course Files, see About Course Files
Permissions.
To perform batch changes to Course directory permissions using the command line, see
Course Files Command Line Tools.
Content Included When Creating Course Packages
When creating Course packages using the Export, Archive, or Copy operations on systems
that do not license the content management capabilities, all Course Files content within the
home directory of the Course are included, regardless of whether the Course links to the
content.
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About Course Files > Content Included When Reusing Course Packages
If the content management capabilities have been licensed, users can choose to include only
the links to the Course Files content or the links and copies of the content. Links to content
outside of the Course home directory will be included in both cases, but copies of that content
will not be included. Users can also remove files and folders from the package.
Content Included When Reusing Course Packages
When reusing Course packages using the Restore, Copy, or Import operations, all Course
Files are placed in the Course Files home directory of the new Course. The directory structure
and file names of the Course Files content in the original Course will be maintained, and all
links in the new Course will point to the content in the Course package.
To reuse the Course Files content, users must have Manage permissions on the Course Files
home directory.
When reusing a package that includes copies of the content, links to files or folders that were
included in the package will point to the items in the Course Files directory of the new Course.
Links to files or folders that were not included in the package will point to the items in the
Course Files directory of the source Course .
All Course users are granted Read permissions on all reused Course Files content, and the
users with the following constituencies are granted Manage permissions:
l
Instructors
l
Course Builders
l
Teaching Assistants
Folder Structure
When adding Course Files content to a destination directory using the Restore, Copy, or
Import Course operations, all Course Files content is stored in the Course Files directory for
the Course.
If the Course to which the content is being added currently contains no content and no users,
the content will be added directly to the Course Files directory. If the Course contains content
or users, the content will be added to a subfolder named using the following format:
COURSEID_ImportedContent_DATETIMESTAMP. The content is not be added directly to
the Course Files directory folder because a user may have created content in this area and it
may cause collisions.
The structure of the Course Files directory will reflect the structure of the Course Menu, but
the Instructor may make changes to the folder structure at any time after the files are moved.
If the content management capabilities have been licensed, the Administrator selects the
destination folder in the Content Collection to which the content will be moved. If the
destination folder is Course Files directory, the content will be place directly in that folder. If
the destination folder is in another location, the content will be placed in a subfolder named
using the following format: COURSEID_ImportedContent_DATETIMESTAMP.
Note If a file with the same name exists in the folder, the name of the moved file will be
incremented. For example, Exercise.doc will become Exercise(1).doc.
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About Course Files > Course Quotas
Course Quotas
When adding Course Files content to a destination directory using the Restore, Copy, or
Import Course operations, the system checks whether enough disk space is available for the
Course Files content. If not, an error will be returned and the operation will not be performed.
The disk quota may be increased or the quota for the individual Course can be overridden, and
then the tool may be run again. For more information about Course quota settings, see Setting
Course Disk Quotas.
For information about setting the maximum size for Course Files content to be included in
Course packages during archive, import, and copy, see Setting the Course Files Package
Size.
Web Folders
Web Folders must be made available before they can be used in Course Files. For more
information, see Configuring WebDAV for Web Folders.
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Managing Course Files > Managing Course Files Using the Administrator Panel
Managing Course Files
Administrators manage Course Files using the Administrator Panel and a set of command line
tools.
Managing Course Files Using the Administrator Panel
Using Administrator Panel tools, Administrators may do the following:
l
Make the Move Files to Course Files tool available on the Course Panel.
l
Make the Move Files to Course Files tool available to other Course/Department
Constituencies by permitting the Course/Department Control Panel (Packages and
Utilities) > Move Course Files privilege within the Constituency.
l
Set the maximum size for Course Files content to be included in Course packages
during Archive, Import, and Copy.
l
Move content for a Course to Course Files when upgrading from a pre-9.1 release of
Blackboard Learn.
Managing Course Files Using Command Line Tools
Using a set of command line tools, Administrators may do the following:
l
Backup Course Files content for one or more Courses.
l
Change the default directories for one or more Courses.
l
Change permissions for individual Course directories.
l
Change permissions for the /courses directory.
l
Move content for one or more Courses to Course Files when upgrading from a pre9.1 release of Blackboard Learn.
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Setting the Course Files Package Size > How to Set a Maximum Size for Course Files
Setting the Course Files Package Size
Administrators may set the maximum size for Course Files content to be included in Course
packages during archive, import, and copy. This setting will be more important if disk quota
settings have been enforced for Courses. For more information about Course quota settings,
see Setting Course Disk Quotas.
If a user exceeds this maximum when creating a package, the user can select a folder,
including all of its subfolders and files, to exclude from the package. To view the contents of a
folder, click its link to the 360 View. As the user removes folders from the package, the size of
the package is recalculated.
Note Links to files or folders that were not included in the package will point to the items in
the Course Files directory of the source Course.
How to Set a Maximum Size for Course Files
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Course Settings.
2. Click Course Files Settings.
3. Click Unlimited, or click Limited and set the maximum size for Course Files
content to include in Course packages during archive, import and copy.
4. Click Submit.
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Course Files Command Line Tools > How to Backup Course Files Content for One Course
Course Files Command Line Tools
Administrators may use the Course Files command line tools to do the following:
l
l
l
l
l
Backup Course Files content for one or more Courses using the backup_course_
files command.
Change the default directories for one or more Courses using the updatecourse-directory command.
Change permissions for individual Course directories using the update-coursepermission command.
Change permissions for the /courses directory using the update-all-coursehd-permission command.
Move content for one or more Courses to Course Files using the
MoveCourseContent command.
How to Backup Course Files Content for One Course
The backup_course_files command enables the Administrator to extract the Course
Files from a single Course to a selected directory for backup.
If the content management capabilities have been licensed, the Administrator may use this
command only if the default directory for the Course has not been changed. These
Administrators may use the existing orphaned search to locate files associated with deleted
Courses. For more information, see Orphaned Content.
1. From a command line, change to the following directory, where BLACKBOARD is
the Blackboard Learn installation location:
UNIX Syntax: cd %/usr/local/BLACKBOARD/apps/bbcms/bin
Windows Syntax : cd C:\BLACKBOARD\apps\bbcms\bin
2. From this directory, type the following command and operations:
backup_course_files.{sh, bat} --c COURSEID [--p DIRECTORY]
Operation
--c
Description
--p
Provide the target directory.
Provide the Course ID of a Course.
For example: backup_course_files.sh --c Course 001 --p
c:/backups
How to Change Default Directories
The update-course-directory command enables Administrators to change the default
directories for one or more Courses.
1. From a command line, change to the following directory, where BLACKBOARD is
the Blackboard Learn installation location:
UNIX Syntax: cd %/usr/local/BLACKBOARD/apps/bbcms/bin
Windows Syntax: cd C:\BLACKBOARD\apps\bbcms\bin
2. From this directory, type the command using the desired operation:
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Course Files Command Line Tools > How to Change Permissions for Individual Course Directories
l
Reset the directory for a single Course:
update-course-directory.{sh, bat} --c COURSEID --p
COURSEDIRECTORY
l
Reset the directory for a group of Courses using a data source:
update-course-directory.{sh, bat} --d
DATASOURCEBUID --p COURSEDIRECTORY
l
Reset the directories for a group of Courses using a feed file:
update-course-directory.{sh, bat} --f FEEDFILENAME
Operation
Description
--c
Provide the Course ID of a Course.
--d
Provide the Data Source Batch UID to obtain the list of Courses.
--f
Provide the name of the feed file containing a list of each Course ID
and its target Course directory. For example:
courseId1|/courses/Files
courseId2|/organization/Files
... This option allows an administrator to run the operation against a
group of courses that they specify in a feed file. This is essentially a two
step process:
l
Create the feed file using the database.
l
Run the command line against the feed file.
The benefit of using a feed file is that the Administrator will have a
record of the Courses that the operation was attempted against.
--p
To move the content to a location other than the default Course
directory, provide the target directory.
For example:
update-course-directory.sh --c Course 001 --p /courses/Files
update-course-directory.bat --d DATASOURCEBUID --p
\organization\Files
update-course-directory.sh --f c:/feedfile.txt
How to Change Permissions for Individual Course Directories
The update-course-permission command enables Administrators to change
permissions for individual Course directories.
1. From a command line, change to the following directory, where BLACKBOARD is
the Blackboard Learn installation location:
UNIX Syntax: cd %/usr/local/BLACKBOARD/apps/bbcms/bin
Windows Syntax: cd C:\BLACKBOARD\apps\bbcms\bin
2. From this directory, type the command using the desired operation:
l
Change the permissions for a single Course:
update-course-permission.{sh, bat} --c COURSEID --r
CONSTITUENCY --p PERMISSIONS --o OPERATION
l
Change the permissions for a group of Courses using a data source:
update-course-permission.{sh, bat} --d
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Course Files Command Line Tools > How to Change Permissions for the /courses Directory
DATASOURCEBUID --r CONSTITUENCY --p PERMISSIONS --o
OPERATION
l
Change the permissions for a group of Courses using a feed file:
update-course-permission.{sh, bat} --f FEEDFILENAME
Operation
Description
--c
Provide the Course ID of a Course.
--d
Provide the Data Source Batch UID to obtain the list of Courses.
--r
Provide the name of the constituency to have its permission changed
as defined in the --o and --p operations.
--p
Provide the permissions to be added, removed, or reset as defined in
the --o operation. Valid values: R: read W:write D:remove M:manage
Multiple permissions can be defined by combining the values. For
example, to change the Read and Write permissions for a constituency,
use RW.
--o
Provide the operation to be performed. add: Adds the permissions
defined in the --p operation. remove: Removes the permissions
defined in the --p operation. reset: Resets the permissions defined in
the --p operation.
--f
Provide the name of the feed file containing a list of each Course ID,
constituency, permission and operation. For example:
courseId1|Instructor|RDM|add
courseId2|Course Builder|RD|reset...
The Feed file option allows for an administrator to specify any group of
courses they want to run the operation against inside a file they
generate. This is essentially a two step process:
a. Create the feed file using the database.
b. Run the command line against the feed file.
The benefit of using a feed file is that the Administrator will have a
record of the Courses that the operation was attempted against.
For example:
update-course-permission.bat --c Test001 --r Instructor --p RWD -o add
update-course-permission.sh --c Test002 --r Course Builder --p
RWDM --o reset
update-course-permission.bat --c Test003 --r Student --p RW --o
remove
update-course-permission.sh --d DATASOURCEBUID --r Instructor --p
RDM --o reset
update-course-permission.sh --f c:/feedfile.txt
How to Change Permissions for the /courses Directory
The update-all-course-hd-permission command enables Administrators to change
permissions for the /courses directory.
1. From a command line, change to the following directory, where BLACKBOARD is
the Blackboard Learn installation location:
UNIX Syntax: cd %/usr/local/BLACKBOARD/apps/bbcms/bin
Windows Syntax: cd C:\BLACKBOARD\apps\bbcms\bin
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Course Files Command Line Tools > How to Move Content from One or More Courses
2. From this directory, type the command using the desired operation:
update-all-course-hd-permission.{sh, bat} --r CONSTITUENCY
--p PERMISSIONS --o OPERATION
Operation
Description
--r
Provide the name of the constituency to have its permission changed
as defined in the --o and --p operations.
--p
Provide the permissions to be added, removed, or reset as defined in
the --o operation. Valid values: R: read W:write D:remove M:manage
Multiple permissions can be defined by combining the values. For
example, to change the Read and Write permissions for a constituency,
use RW.
--o
Provide the operation to be performed. add: Adds the permissions
defined in the --p operation. remove: Removes the permissions
defined in the --p operation. reset: Resets the permissions defined in
the --p operation.
For example:
update-all-course-hd-permission.bat --r Instructor --p RWD --o add
update-all-course-hd-permission.sh --r Course Builder --p RWDM --o
reset
update-all-course-hd-permission.bat --r Student --p RW --o remove
How to Move Content from One or More Courses
When upgrading from a release of Blackboard Learn prior to 9.1, Administrators can move
existing Course content to the Course Files directory to take advantage of its capabilities. The
MoveCourseContent command enables the Administrator to perform a batch move of
Course content to Course Files. All content moved to Course Files is stored in a subfolder of
the /courses/Course ID directory. The subfolder will be named using the following
format: Course ID_ImportedContent_DATETIMESTAMP.
If the content management capabilities have been licensed, the Administrator can define a
single destination folder in the Content Collection to which all of the content will be moved.
The subfolder will be named using the following format: Course ID_ImportedContent_
DATETIMESTAMP.
1. From a command line, change to the following directory, where BLACKBOARD is
the Blackboard Learn installation location:
UNIX Syntax: cd %/usr/local/BLACKBOARD/apps/bbcms/bin
Windows Syntax: cd C:\BLACKBOARD\apps\bbcms\bin
2. From this directory, type the command using the desired operation:
l
Move the files for a single Course:
MoveCourseContent.{sh, bat} --c COURSEID [--p
COURSEDIRECTORY]
l
Move the files for a group of Courses using a batch:
MoveCourseContent.{sh, bat} --b BATCHUID [--p
Course Builder]
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Course Files Command Line Tools > How to Move Content from One or More Courses
l
Move the files for a group of Courses using a data source:
MoveCourseContent.{sh, bat} --d DATASOURCEBUID [--p
Course Builder]
l
Move the files for a group of Courses using a feed file:
MoveCourseContent.{sh, bat} --f FEEDFILENAME [--p
Course Builder]
Operation
Description
--c
Provide the Course ID of a Course.
--b
Provide the Batch UID to obtain the list of Courses.
--d
Provide the Data Source Batch UID to obtain the list of Courses.
--f
Provide the name of the feed file containing a list of each Course ID or
Batch UID and its target Course directory. For example: course_
idcourse_id1course_id2...
-or- batch_uidbatch_uid1batch_uid2...
The Feed file option allows for an administrator to specify any group of
courses they want to run the operation against inside a file they
generate. This is essentially a two step process:
l
Create the feed file using the database.
l Run the command line against the feed file.
The benefit of using a feed file is that the Administrator will have a
record of the Courses that the operation was attempted against.
--p
To move the content to a location other than the default Course
directory, provide the target directory.
For example:
MoveCourseContent.sh --c Course 001
MoveCourseContent.sh --c Course 002 --p /organization/Course002
MoveCourseContent.bat --b BATCHUID
MoveCourseContent.bat --d DATASOURCEBUID
MoveCourseContent.sh --f c:/feedfile.txt --p /organization/All
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Moving Pre-9.1 Files to Course Files > Using the Move Files Tool
Moving Pre-9.1 Files to Course Files
When upgrading from a pre-9.1 release of Blackboard Learn, Administrators can move existing
Course content to the Course Files directory to take advantage of its capabilities.
Using the Move Files Tool
To move the content for a Course to Course Files, Administrators use the Move Files to
Course Files tool on the Administrator Panel.
Note To make the Move Files to Course Files tool available to other Course Constituencies
by permitting the Course/Department Control Panel (Packages and Utilities) > Move
Course Files privilege within the user's Constituency. For more information, see About
Course/Department Constituencies.
How to Move Content Using the Administrator Panel
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Courses, click Move Files to Course Files.
2. In the Source ID field, click Browse to select a Course where the content
resides, and then click Submit.
3. If the content management capabilities have been licensed, in the Destination
field, click Browse to select the destination folder in the Content Collection, and
then click Submit.
4. On the main page, click Submit.
Using the Command Line
To perform a batch move of Course content to Course Files, Administrators use the command
line. For more information about the command line tools, see Course Files Command Line
Tools.
Types of Content that are Moved
The Move Files to Course Files moves all files that have been attached to Course Content
Areas to the Course Files directory. These files were originally added the Course through the
File to Attach option available on specific pages in the application or the third row action
buttons in the Text Box Editor.
The Move Files to Course Files tool moves items attached to the following:
l
Content folders
l
Content items
l
Course Links
l
Instructions
l
External links
l
Learning Modules
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Moving Pre-9.1 Files to Course Files > Types of Content that are Not Moved
Types of Content that are Not Moved
The Move Files to Course Files tool will not move items attached to the following:
l
Self and Peer Assessments
l
Messages
l
Tests, Surveys, and Question Pools
l
Exercises
l
Course Cartridges
l
Items added to the Result Exercise page by the Instructor, including comments for
a specific user
l
Student files added to a Course
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Configuring the Search Settings > How to Access the Search Settings Page
Configuring the Search Settings
The search index creates an index of all terms in the documents and file names within Course
Files or, if you license the content management capabilities, the Content Collection. When a
search is performed, the system queries this index to find results. This method enhances
system performance in that the search query uses a stored set of data, rather than querying all
active data on the system for each search request.
Administrators set the time and the duration for the system to rebuild the Search index on the
Search Settings page. If a rebuild is not complete within the duration set, the index will begin
rebuilding next time from the point it left off. For best results, Administrators should always try
to allow the system to completely rebuild the search indexes.
Note Full Text Search does not index text from encrypted .pdf documents.
How to Access the Search Settings Page
How you access the Search Settings page and the name of that page depends on whether you
license the content management capabilities.
If you do not license the content management capabilities, on the Administrator Panel, under
Content Management, click Search Settings.
If you license the content management capabilities, on the Administrator Panel, under
Content Management, click Technical Settings, and then click Full Text Search Settings.
How to Configure the Search Settings
1. If you do not license the content management capabilities, in the Search Available
field, select Yes to make the Search tool available to users. This field is not
available if you license the content management capabilities.
2. Configure the search settings as appropriate. The following table describes the
available fields.
Field
Description
Full Text Settings
Hour of
Day
Select the time for the system to begin rebuilding the Full Text Search
indexes.
Duration
to
Recreate
Select Until Completion and the system will completely rebuild the
search indexes. Select a specific amount of time and the system will
rebuild the search indexes for the allotted time. It is recommended that
this value is set to a minimum of one hour. The search indexes may not
be fully rebuilt when the system stops.
Status of
Last
Recreate
Displays the status of the last attempt of the system to rebuild the
search indexes.
Last
Started
Displays the time the last rebuild of the search indexes began.
Last
Finished
Displays the time the last rebuild of the search indexes finished.
Immediate
Update
If Yes is selected, the full text index will be updated as files are added
or edited. If No is selected, the index will be updated when the Full
Text Search index is rebuilt during the next periodic index. Turning this
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Configuring the Search Settings > How to Configure the Search Settings
Field
Description
option on may impact performance. If the value in this field is changed,
Tomcat must be restarted for the new setting to take effect.
3. Click Submit.
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Configuring WebDAV for Web Folders > Managing Web Folders
Configuring WebDAV for Web Folders
WebDAV is used for sharing files over the Internet regardless of platform (Microsoft®
Windows® or Apple® Mac OS®). When put into use with Blackboard Learn, WebDAV is a
means for users to access content as if it were in any other network drive or folder on their
personal computer.
Most operating systems are WebDAV compatible. All you need to connect is the web address
of the folder and a valid username and password.
Users can Set up a Web Folder in Mac OS X or Windows. For steps to do so, Using Web
Folders.
Managing Web Folders
Administrators can control the availability of Web Folders and configure settings and locking
options for files on the Web Folders Setting page. Locks permit users to ‘lock’ an item. When
an item is locked it can be viewed by others, but cannot be edited even if the others have Write
permission to edit the item. Administrators can set locks on the Tool Settings page. The Web
Folders page allows Administrators to set the length of time for locks.
Note Web Folders require compatibility with basic or digest authentication schemes.
Microsoft.NET Passport, Kerberos, and other distributed authentication mechanisms may be
incompatible with direct access to Web Folders. Organizations using one of these
authentication types may be able to take advantage of Web folders by first authenticating with
Blackboard Learn, and then launching the Web Folder from within the user interface.
Using Persistent Cookies
Using persistent cookies increases the usability of WebDAV because users are not asked to
authenticate multiple times. If persistent cookies are not used, users may have to authenticate
multiple times when accessing content in Web Folders. For more information, see Enabling
Persistent Cookies.
How to Access the Web Folders Settings Page
How you access the Web Folders Settings page depends on whether you license the content
management capabilities.
If you do not license the content management capabilities, on the Administrator Panel, under
Content Management, click Web Folder Settings.
If you license the content management capabilities, on the Administrator Panel, under
Content Management, click Feature and Tool Management, and then click Web Folders.
How to Configure WebDAV for Web Folders
The following table describes the available field. Make the appropriate changes and click
Submit.
Field
Description
Web Folder Availability
Web Folders
Available
Select Yes or No to determine if Web Folders will be available to users.
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Configuring WebDAV for Web Folders > How to Configure WebDAV for Web Folders
Field
Description
WebDAV Lock Options
Maximum
Lifetime of a
Lock
Provide in seconds the maximum length of time granted for a lock. The lock
expires after the maximum lifetime is reached, which ensures that files do not
remain locked indefinitely.
Minimum
Lifetime of a
Lock
Provide in seconds the minimum amount of time granted for a lock.
Lock Timeout
Delay
Provide in seconds the length of time for the grace period between the time a
lock expires when it times out. During this grace period clients may refresh the
lock. This grace period is designed for clients who may not request early
enough that a lock be refreshed. For example, clients with inaccurate clocks or
clients who do not take into account network latency. The default value is 10
seconds.
Unique String
for Tokens
Provide a unique string to be used for the WebDAV RFC token. Provide a string
that will be different from that used by any other WebDAV server. A good unique
string would be a GUID or a URL with a domain name owned by the company
operating the WebDAV site. The system will base a unique lock token upon this
string.
WebDAV Compression Options
Allow
Compression
Some WebDAV clients prefer to receive compressed files. Compressing files
over WebDAV reduces bandwidth requirements, but increases CPU usage. If
your server generally has free CPU resources but your network is constrained,
select Yes to turn on WebDAV compression.
Minimum
Size File to
Compress
Provide the minimum size of a file to compress. All files smaller than this value
will not be compressed, even if compression is requested. Not compressing
very small, and often commonly used files, reduces CPU requirements.
Maximum
Size File to
Compress
Provide the maximum size of a file that may be compressed. All files larger than
this value will not be compressed, even if compression is requested.
Compressing very large files is generally very resource intensive.
MIME Types
Available for
Compression
Provide the extensions for files that will automatically be compressed if
requested by the client. Files with extensions appearing in this field will only be
compressed if they are of type "application/octet-stream".
Allow Chunk
TransferEncoding
Chunk transfer encoding allows data to be sent in a series of Chunk transfer
encoding allows data to be sent in a series of chunks to reduce the strain on the
server strain when sending a large amount of data. Select Yes or No to allow
chunk transfer-encoding. If Yes is selected, partial responses will be made
when the client supports transfer-encoding.
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Default Administrator Accounts > Administrator
Default Administrator Accounts
When Blackboard Learn is installed, three User accounts with administrative privileges are
created.
l
Administrator
l
root_admin
l
integration
Administrator
The Administrator account has full Blackboard Learn System Administrator privileges. This
account and the root_admin account are the only two accounts that can log in until more users
are created.
The password for the Administrator account is set during the installation of Blackboard Learn.
root_admin
The root_admin account has full administrative privileges including the management of virtual
installations through the Administrator Panel. When the root_admin account views the
Administrator Panel the Manage Virtual Installations link appears at the top of the panel. The
root_admin can login to any virtual installation and access the Virtual Installation management
features from this link.
The password for this account is set during installation.
Note The root_admin account is created even if your license does not include the use of any
virtual installations. The root_admin account can be modified from the Edit Root Administrator
Profile page.
integration
The integration user is used only to facilitate Snapshot operations. This account cannot be
used to login through the GUI nor does it appear in any lists of users on the GUI. To change the
password for this account, use the Integration Password feature available on the Administrator
Panel.
The default password for the integration account is set at installation.
For more information about the integration account, see Editing the Integration Password .
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Creating Users > How to Create a User
Creating Users
Create user records from the Create User page. Creating a Username and password allows a
user to login.
How to Create a User
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Users.
2. Click Create User. The following table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Personal Information
First Name [r]
Provide the new user’s first name. This field is required.
Middle Name
Provide the new user’s middle name.
Last Name [r]
Provide the new user’s last name. This field is required.
Email
Provide the new user’s email address. This field is required.
Student ID
Provide the new user’s Student ID as defined by the Organization.
Account Information
Username [r]
Provide a username for the new user. This field is required.
The username may not include the following special characters: %
&*#><+=:"/\
Password [r]
Provide a password for the user’s account. The password must be
at least one character and contain no spaces.
The password may not include the following special characters: %
&*#><+=:"/\
Verify
Password [r]
Provide the user’s password again to ensure accuracy.
Other Information
Gender
Provide the new user’s gender.
Birthdate
Select the new user’s birthday from the drop-down lists.
Education
Level
Provide the new user’s education level.
Company
Provide the new user’s company name.
Job Title
Provide the new user’s job title.
Department
Provide the new user’s department.
Street 1
Provide the new user’s address.
Street 2
Provide any additional address information.
City
Provide the new user’s city.
State/Province
Provide the new user’s state or province.
ZIP/Postal
Code
Provide the new user’s ZIP code or postal code.
Country
Provide the new user’s country.
Web Site
Provide the URL of the user’s personal Web site. This must be the
full URL. For example: http://www.blackboard.com, not
www.blackboard.com or blackboard.com
Home Phone
Provide the home phone number of the user. The phone number
will display exactly as typed.
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Creating Users > How to Create a User
Field
Description
Work Phone
Provide the work phone number of the user. The phone number
will display exactly as typed.
Work Fax
Provide the fax number of the user. The fax number will display
exactly as typed.
Mobile Phone
Provide the mobile phone of the user. The phone number will
display exactly as typed.
Organization Constituencies
Organization
Constituencies
Select Organization Constituencies from the list. Organization
Constituencies control what the user sees on the portal. If the
community engagement capabilities have been licensed, tabs and
modules can be constructed and configured to appear to different
groups based on Organization Constituency.
System Constituencies
System
Constituencies
Select System Constituencies from the list. System Constituencies
controls the user’s access to administrative features. The
privileges assigned to each constituency can be set by clicking
System Constituencies on the Administrator Panel.
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Batch Creating Users > How to Create Users from a Batch File
Batch Creating Users
Using a batch file, multiple users can be added to Blackboard Learn quickly and without having
individually add each user.
For batch file guidelines, see Batch File Guidelines.
Note If using a batch file created for a previous version of Blackboard Learn, verify that the
fields are in the correct order for the current version. If necessary, reformat the file so that the
fields are in the correct order before processing the file.
How to Create Users from a Batch File
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Users.
2. Point to Batch Actions and click Create Users.
3. Provide the location of the batch user file in the File Location field or click
Browse.
4. Select the Delimiter Type that the batch file uses. If Automatic is selected, the
batch file will be analyzed and the delimiter determined based on the frequency of
that character in the file.
5. Click Submit.
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Listing or Editing Users > Search for Users
Listing or Editing Users
Administrators can view and edit user information from the Users page. User profiles,
passwords, and Course Constituencies for specific Courses are edited by selecting the
appropriate option in the contextual menu for the User. In addition, the Administrator can send
an email to a user by clicking on the user’s email address in the Email column.
Search for Users
The following search options are available:
l
User Information: Searches for a string of text that appears in the Username, First
Name, Last Name, or Email address. All users matching the criteria are returned. A
list of all users will be returned if there is no text in the search field.
l
Enrolled In: Searches for users based on the number of Courses or Departments in
which they participate.
l
Last Login: Searches for Users based on the last time they logged in. Searches can
be performed for users that logged in last before, after, or equal to a date.
l
System Constituencies: Searches for users based on their assigned System
Constituencies.
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Setting User Properties > How to Set User Properties
Setting User Properties
Edits to a user’s profile information are made from the User page. The page opens with some
fields already populated with user data entered earlier.
How to Set User Properties
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Users.
2. Search for a user.
3. In the contextual menu for the user, click Edit. The following table describes the
available fields.
Field
Description
Personal Information
First Name [r]
Edit the user’s first name.
Middle Name
Edit the user’s middle name.
Last Name [r]
Edit the user’s last name.
Email
Edit the user’s email address.
Student ID
Edit the user’s Student ID as defined by the Organization.
Account Information
User Name
Display only.
Other Information
Gender
Edit the user’s gender.
Birthdate
Select the user’s birth date from the lists by clicking on the dropdown arrow or click the calendar icon to select a date.
Education
Level
Edit the user’s education level.
Company
Edit the user’s company.
Job Title
Edit the user’s job title.
Department
Edit the user’s department.
Street 1
Edit the user’s address.
Street 2
Edit any additional address information.
City
Edit the user’s city.
State/Province
Edit the user’s state or province.
ZIP/Postal
Code
Edit the user’s ZIP code or postal code.
Country
Edit the user’s country.
Web Site
Edit the URL of the user’s personal Web site. When entering a
URL, be sure to enter the URL completely. For example:
http://www.blackboard.com, not www.blackboard.com or
blackboard.com
Home Phone
Edit the home phone number of the user. The phone number will
display exactly as entered.
Work Phone
Edit the work phone number of the user. The phone number will
display exactly as entered.
Work Fax
Edit the fax number of the user. The fax number will display exactly
as entered.
Mobile Phone
Edit the mobile phone of the user. The phone number will display
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Setting User Properties > How to Set User Properties
Field
Description
exactly as entered.
Organization Constituencies
Organization
Constituency
Select Organization Constituencies. Organization Constituencies
control what the user sees on the portal. If the community
engagement capabilities have been licensed, tabs and modules
can be constructed and configured to appear to different groups
based on Organization Constituency.
System Constituencies
System
Constituencies
Select System Constituencies from the drop-down list. System
Constituencies controls the user’s access to administrative
features. The privileges assigned to each constituency can be set
through the System Constituencies feature on the Administrator
Panel.
4. Click Submit.
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Customizing User Information > How to Customize User Information
Customizing User Information
Through the Customize User Information page data fields for user accounts can be renamed
and configured as displayed and editable. The labels of the fields that store data can be
changed and the Administrator can select whether or not users can view and edit data for each
field. Once changes are made, they will appear within the user interface. For example, if the
name of the default Student ID field is changed to ‘Identification’ it will appear as
‘Identification’ everywhere. It is not possible to change the Organization Constituency and
System Constituency fields on this page. The only way to change the names of these fields is
to use the Language Pack Editor. For more information, see About the Language Pack Editor.
Often fields are not editable in Blackboard Learn because the data is owned by another
Organizational information system. Administrators can add a URL where users can edit this
data that is owned by another information system. When Users access the Edit Personal
Information page the link with instructions will appear at the top of the page.
In other cases, not allowing users to edit a field can help ensure business rules and workflows.
For example, some Organizations may decide to lock the Email field, especially if the
Organization assigns email addresses. This ensures that all users have a valid email account
that will work with features such as the Send Email communication tool.
The Customize User Information page is not available with Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition.
How to Customize User Information
On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Customize User Information. The following
table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Add User Information Link
Add Link
Select this check box to provide a link to another URL for updating data that is
not editable within Blackboard Learn.
URL
Provide the URL to the location where Users can edit profile information. This
must be the full URL. For example: http://www.blackboard.com, not
www.blackboard.com or blackboard.com
Link Title
Provide a name for the link that will appear at the top of the Edit Personal
Information page.
Instructions
Provide instructions for using the link that will appear under the link on the
Edit Personal Information page.
User Information Fields
Field
Displays the field item. The default label for each item is the name of the item.
This field is display only.
Display
Select this check box to display the field. If the field is displayed it will appear
to users. Items that are grayed out may not be edited.
Editable
Select this check box to allow users to change the information stored in the
field. If the field is editable users may change this information from the
Personal Information tool. Items that are grayed out may not be edited.
Field Display
Name
Edit the title of the field. This field title will appear throughout the system as
entered here. The default label is the name of the item as it appears in the
Item column.
Revert All to Defaults
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Customizing User Information > How to Customize User Information
Field
Description
Check here to
revert all
fields to
default titles
Select this check box and the Label of all fields will revert to the default. This
will not change the Displayed or Editable field settings.
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Viewing Course Enrollments for a User > How to View Course Enrollments for a User
Viewing Course Enrollments for a User
The Course Enrollment page shows user enrollments. A link appears next to each Course to
navigate to the Edit User Properties page for that Course where the user's enrollment status
may be changed. Please note that changing a user's enrollment status requires the appropriate
privileges for the Course.
How to View Course Enrollments for a User
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Users.
2. Search for a user.
3. In the contextual menu for the user, click Course Enrollments or Department
Enrollments.
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Enabling Avatars > Prerequisites and Warnings
Enabling Avatars
An Avatar is a personal image which can be used to represent the user throughout Blackboard
Learn. System Administrators can enable avatars on the system and either allow a user to
upload an image of their choice or select an organization approved image to display.
Avatars are displayed in My Places, Blogs, Journals, and within Notification Modules
including What's New, Needs Attention, To Do, and Alerts. Users have quick access to
accessibility options including how to enable the Blackboard Learn interface to display
according to operating system settings for high contrast and how to increase the browser font
size.
From My Places, users can manage notification settings for all Courses and Departments
they are enrolled in as well as other personal and privacy settings including updating their
name, address and contact information, determining what information is public, who can view
it, and who can email them.
Prerequisites and Warnings
l
Avatars can be enabled or disabled by the system administrator at any time, for the
entire system.
l
If enabled, the System Administrator has the option to allow users to upload their
own image or select from a system approved image.
l
User-uploaded images do not go through any approval or moderation process, but
they are stored in a specific file system location and the avatar file name contains
the user's user ID, so files can be deleted or otherwise managed as needed.
l
If the System Administrator opts to have users choose a system approved image,
the System Administrator needs to upload the set of images to Blackboard Learn
and define the location in the settings pages for Avatars.
How to Enable Avatars
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Avatars.
2. Choose from the following options:
l
No system avatars
l
Allow user to upload avatar image
l
Allow user to select system generated avatar
3. Click Submit.
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Changing a User Password > How to Change a User's Password
Changing a User Password
Administrators can edit a user password from the Change Password for User page. A change
made to the password must be communicated to the user or the user will not be able to login.
How to Change a User's Password
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Users.
2. Search for a user.
3. In the contextual menu for user name, click Change Password. The following
table describes the available fields.
Field
Description
Change Password
Password [r]
Provide a new password for the user.
Verify Password
[r]
Provide the new password again to ensure that there were no
errors.
4. Click Submit.
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Personalizing My Places > How to Personalize My Places
Personalizing My Places
My Places provides users with quick and easy navigation to a variety of places within
Blackboard Learn. This feature is accessed by clicking the My Places link at the top of the
page and contains a customizable set of links to frequently accessed information and tools.
Users can upload an avatar which can be used to represent the user throughout Blackboard
Learn. Avatars are displayed in My Places, Blogs, Journals, and within Notifications Modules
(including What's New, Needs Attention, To Do, and Alerts).
How to Personalize My Places
1. Click the My Places link at the top of the page.
2. Click Personal Information.
3. Click Personalize My Places.
How to Upload an Avatar
Avatar images should be no larger than 150 pixels by 150 pixels.
1. Select Use custom avatar image.
2. Click Browse for Local File.
3. Select the avatar image file and click Open.
4. Click Submit.
How to Select My Places Links
1. Select the check box for any of the following links to be displayed in My Places:
a. My Courses: To limit the list to the most recently visited Courses,
type a number in the Show only Courses visited since: days field. The
default is 30 days.
b. My Departments: To limit the list to the most recently visited
Departments, type a number in the Show only Departments visited
since: days field. The default is 30 days.
c. Content Collection: Bookmarks
d. Outcomes Places
2. Click Submit.
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Managing Observers > How to Create an Observer
Managing Observers
Observers are user constituencies that are attached to other users. Observers can view the
same content as users but cannot modify or interact with content intended for the observed
users. The Observer constituency can be used to let parents of a Student or an academic
advisor monitor progress. Each Observer can be assigned multiple users so that parents can
observe all of their children on Blackboard Learn or an advisor can view all their advisees on
Blackboard Learn. Also, each Student can have more than one Observer. The Instructor for
each Course can limit what Observers can see.
Observers in Blackboard Learn can be viewed and linked or unlinked from users from the
Manage User page.
Users must have their System Constituency set to Observer to appear in the list of available
Observers. Be aware that Observers are not able to enroll in Courses as Students.
How to Create an Observer
Create an Observer by creating a user and assigning the user the Primary Organization
Constituency and System Constituency of Observer. When these constituencies are set, the
User will appear as an Observer when setting Observer Associations.
How to Associate Observers with a User
Establishing an association between Observers and a user allows the Observers to view the
same Courses and content as the Student. Observers cannot interact with Courses or content
on behalf of the Student.
Follow these steps to associate Observers with a User.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Users.
2. Search for a User.
3. In the contextual menu for the User, click Observer Associations.
4. Click Add Observer Association.
5. Provide the Observer Usernames separated by a comma or click Browse to
search for Observer Usernames. Additional Observers can be added at any time
using the Add function.
It is also possible to email Observers from the Observer Associations page. Click on an email
address to send an email.
To remove an Observer Association, select the Observer Associations to delete and then click
Delete in the action bar. This will not delete the Observer. It will delete only the association
between the user and the Observer.
Observer Gateway
The Observer Gateway is a portal module that allows Observers to quickly switch between
users they are observing. For example, a parent with more than one child enrolled can use the
Observer Gateway to switch from following one child to following the other child. The Observer
Gateway is found in the list of modules and can be managed in the same way as other
modules.
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Managing User Account Availability > About User Accounts
Managing User Account Availability
User accounts can have different states. It is important to understand the function of different
states when managing user accounts.
About User Accounts
User accounts or User Enrollment records that are set to Unavailable are preceded by a red 'x'
to the left of the name. The email address of the user may still be clicked to send a message.
To make a record available, click Make Available in the Availability drop down menu or by
clicking Make Available in the contextual menu for the User.
If the community engagement capabilities have been licensed, User accounts and User
Enrollment records may also be disabled in the database. Disabled user accounts are
preceded by a red ‘x’.
Icons to denote a state of unavailable or disabled will appear next to the User Name if
applicable to the User account. If applicable to the User Enrollment record, the icon will appear
next to the User Constituency.
How to Change the Availability of a User Account
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Users.
2. Search for a set of users.
3. Select the check box for each user and then point to Availability and click Make
Available or Make Unavailable. To change the availability for one user, click
Make Available or Make Unavailable in the contextual menu for a user.
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Deleting Users from the System > How to Delete Users
Deleting Users from the System
Delete users from Blackboard Learn on the Users page. Deleted users cannot be restored to
Blackboard Learn. To replace a removed user, create a new profile for the user and enroll the
user in the appropriate Courses. A deleted user that is recreated will not retain any of the
settings or data associated with the old user.
How to Delete Users
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Users.
2. Search for users, and then select the check box for each user to be deleted.
3. Click Delete in the contextual menu for the User, or click Delete at the top or
bottom of the list of searched users.
Note Deleting users will also remove any Course data associated with the user, including
results. If a user is created again, Course data will not reappear.
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Batch Deleting Users from the System > How to Delete Users from the System Using a Batch File
Batch Deleting Users from the System
Numbers of users can be deleted from Blackboard Learn through the Batch Delete Users
page. Using a batch file, users are quickly deleted from Blackboard Learn. Removed user
records cannot be restored, they must be recreated.
Note If using a batch file created for a previous version of Blackboard Learn, verify that the
fields are in the correct order for the current version.
For batch file guidelines, see Batch File Guidelines.
How to Delete Users from the System Using a Batch File
1. On the System Administrator Panel, under Users, click Users.
2. Point to Batch Actions and click Delete Users.
3. In the File Location field, type or browse for the location of the batch user file.
4. Select the Delimiter Type to be used on the batch user file. If Automatic is
selected, the batch file will be analyzed and the delimiter determined based on the
frequency of that character in the file.
5. Click Submit.
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Batch File Guidelines > About Header Fields
Batch File Guidelines
Batch files are .delimited files holding large quantities of new Courses. Batch files cannot
contain any Course content other than one announcement.
Batch files must contain a Course ID and Course Name, and may also contain a Course
Description, Button Style, and Initial Announcement, appearing in the following format:
"Course ID","Course Name","Course Description","Button_Style",
"announcement", "announcement title"
Note the following when creating a batch Course file:
l
Each file must be one of the supported file types: .txt or .csv
Note Microsoft Excel versions 2003 and 2007 automatically insert double quotes in
every field if the worksheet is saved as a .csv file.
l
l
Each file must be in DOS format. Files in MAC or UNIX format must be converted to
DOS.
Each field must be enclosed in double quotation marks. For example: "ENG_201"
l
If quotation marks appear in a field, use an escape character to indicate that the next
character does not mark the end of the field. The escape character is a backslash (\).
For example: "\"Intro\""
l
Each field must be separated with one of the following delimiters: comma, colon, or
tab. When selecting AUTO, only one type of delimiter may be used in each batch
file. For example: "ENG_201","English Literature" or "ENG_201":"English
Literature"
l
Each record must be on a separate line. For example:
"ENG_201”,”English Literature"
"ENG_202”,“Transcendentalist Works"
l
Do not include blank lines between records. The blank line will be processed and
return an error.
l
Blackboard recommends that each batch file not exceed 500 records because of
timeout restrictions associated with most browsers.
About Header Fields
When files are created for batch loading, regardless of Language Pack or computer operating
system, the following header fields must be in ASCII (American Standard Code for Information
Interchange) characters:
l
Any Boolean field (Y/N, T/F)
l
Any ID such as Course ID or Department ID
l
Username
l
Email address
Header fields may contain any ASCII alphanumerical characters, underscores "_", dots ".",
and dashes "-".
Headers fields cannot contain the following special characters: % & * # > < + = : " / \
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Batch File Guidelines > Illegal Characters
All data contained in these fields must also be in ASCII characters and the same rules for
acceptable characters apply.
Illegal Characters
Attributes (for example, Username, password, or Course ID) cannot contain the following
special characters:
%&*#><+=:"/\
These characters are only safe to use when adding content into a text box, such as adding the
description for a Course.
When creating attributes a good rule to follow is to use only alphanumeric characters,
underscores, dots, and dashes. Do not use spaces.
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About Course/Department Constituencies > Course/Department Constituencies With Community Engagement
About Course/Department Constituencies
Course/Department Constituencies are available for all licenses of Blackboard Learn.
Course/Department Constituencies control access to the content and tools within a Course or
Department. Each user is assigned a constituency for each Course or Department in which
they participate. For example, a User with a constituency of Teaching Assistant in one Course
can have a constituency of Student in another Course. Instructors may use these
constituencies to delegate some of the responsibility for maintaining the Course.
The Course Constituency is set when a User is enrolled. It can also be edited after enrollment
from the Control Panel of the Course.
Course/Department Constituencies With Community Engagement
If the community engagement capabilities have been licensed, Course/Department
Constituencies can be made available separately to specific Departments. This allows an
organization to treat Courses and the relationship among their enrolled users differently than
those in Departments.
Standard Constituencies
The following standard Course/Department Constituencies ship with Blackboard Learn:
l
Course Builder
l
Evaluator
l
Guest
l
Instructor
l
Student
l
Teaching Assistant
Administrators can edit the names, capabilities, and privileges associated with existing
Course/Department Constituencies as well as copy most standard Course/Department
Constituencies to create custom constituencies. For more information, see Editing
Course/Department Constituencies, Managing Course/Department Privileges, and Managing
Custom Course/Department Constituencies.
Note Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition clients cannot create custom constituencies or grant
or revoke privileges.
Course Builder
The Course Builder constituency has access to most areas of the Course Control Panel. This
constituency is appropriate for a research assistant or to an assistant who has limited
responsibilities, but should not have access to Student Results.
Note If the Course is unavailable to Students, a Course Builder can still access the Course.
The Course Builder cannot remove an Instructor from a Course.
Course Builders have access to the following areas within the Course Control Panel:
Course Information
Settings
Course Documents
Import Course Cartridge
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About Course/Department Constituencies > Evaluator
Exercises
Import Package
External Links
Resources
Announcements
Course Copy
Course Calendar
Export Course
Contacts
List / Edit Users
Tasks
Create User
Discussion Boards
Batch Create Users for Course
Send Email
Enroll User
Collaboration
Remove Users from the Course
Manage Course Menu
Tests
Archive Course
Survey Manager
Bulk Delete
Pool Manager
Manage Tools
Manage Groups
Note All options within the these areas may not be available.
Evaluator
The Evaluator constituency has limited access to the Course Control Panel. Evaluator would
assist the Instructor in the creation, management, delivery, and evaluation of Assessments
and Surveys. Evaluator may also assist the Instructor with adding manual entries to the Online
Results Center.
Note If a Course is unavailable to Students, the Course will appear in the My Courses
module and Course list for a user with the constituency of Evaluator, but the Evaluator will not
be able to enter the Course until the Course is available.
Evaluators have access to the following areas within the Course Control Panel:
Announcements
Survey Manager
Course Calendar
Pool Manager
Results Center
List/Edit Users – may not modify content
Results Center Views
Tests
Tracking Reports
Note All options within the these areas may not be available.
Guest
Users with the constituency of Guest have no access to the Course Control Panel. If Guest
access is permitted by the System Administrator, an Instructor can make areas within a
Course accessible to unauthenticated users or Guest users.
Visitors to Blackboard Learn such as prospective Students, alumni or parents may be given
the constituency of Guest.
Instructor
Instructors have access to all areas in the Course Control Panel. This constituency is
generally given to the person developing, teaching or facilitating the class. If a Course is
unavailable to Students, Instructors may still access it.
Administrators may modify access to the following areas on the User Privileges page:
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About Course/Department Constituencies > Student
List / Edit Users
Course Copy
Create User
Bulk Delete
Batch Create Users for Course
Import Course Cartridge
Remove Users from the Course Enroll User
Settings
Export Course Archive Course Manage Course
Menu
Student
Student is the default Course User Constituency. As user with the constituency of Student
has no access to any areas on the Course Control Panel.
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistants have access to nearly everything in the Course Control Panel. If the
Course is unavailable to Students, Teaching Assistants may still access the Course.
Unlike the Instructor, the Teaching Assistant will not be listed in the Course Catalog listing for
the Course.
Note Teaching Assistants cannot remove an Instructor from a Course.
Administrators may modify access to the following areas on the User Privileges page:
List / Edit Users
Course Copy
Create User
Bulk Delete
Batch Create Users for Course
Import Course Cartridge
Remove Users from the Course Enroll User
Settings
Export Course Archive Course Manage Course
Menu
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Editing Course/Department Constituencies > How to Edit Course/Department Constituencies
Editing Course/Department Constituencies
Administrators can edit the availability, names, description, and capabilities for all custom
Course/Department Constituencies and for the following standard Course/Department
Constituencies:
l
Course Builder
l
Evaluator
l
Instructor
l
Teaching Assistant
For Student and Guest constituencies, Administrators can edit only the names and
description.
For information about editing the privileges associated with each constituency use, see
Managing Course/Department Privileges.
How to Edit Course/Department Constituencies
Note For Student and Guest constituencies, Administrators can edit only the Constituency
Name and Description fields.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Course/Department
Constituencies.
2. In the contextual menu for the appropriate Constituency, click Edit. The following
table describes the available fields:
Field
Description
Constituency Properties
Available for
Course
Enrollments
Select Yes to make this constituency available during the Course
enrollment process.
Constituency
Name for
Courses [r]
Edit the name for the constituency when available in a Course.
Even if the name of constituency is changed, the privileges for the
constituency do not change. Changing the constituency
"Instructor" to "Content Manager" will not change what users with
that constituency can access.
Available for
Department
Enrollments
Available only with community engagement.Select Yes to make
this constituency available during the Department enrollment
process.
Constituency
Name for
Departments
[r]
Available only with community engagement.Edit the name for the
constituency when available in a Department. Even if the name of
constituency is changed, the privileges for the constituency do not
change. Changing the constituency "Leader" to "Content
Manager" will not change what users with that constituency can
access.
Constituency
ID [r]
Displays the identifier for this constituency. This identifier applies
to the constituency in both Courses and Departments and cannot
be changed.
Description
Edit the description of the constituency.
Constituency Capabilities
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Editing Course/Department Constituencies > How to Edit Course/Department Constituencies
Field
Description
Treat Users
with this
Constituency
like
Instructor (P)
Select Yes to provide this user with access to unavailable courses,
the Course catalog, and email enrollment requests. Select No to
prevent access to unavailable courses, the Course catalog, and
email enrollment requests.
Grant Users
with this
Constituency
Full
Permissions
on Course
Files
Select Yes to grant users with this constituency full permissions on
the Course Files for the Course in which the user has this
constituency. Select No to provide only the default Read
permission on these files.
Grant Users
with this
Constituency
Full
Permissions
on
Department
Files
Available only with community engagement.Select Yes to grant
users with this constituency full permissions on the Department
Files for the Department in which the user has this constituency.
Select No to provide only the default Read permission on these
files.
3. Click Submit.
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Managing Course/Department Constituency Privileges > How to Manage Privileges for a Constituency
Managing Course/Department Constituency Privileges
Administrators can permit or restrict the more than 100 privileges available for all custom
Course/Department Constituencies and for the following standard Course/Department
Constituencies to best fit the needs of their organizations:
l
Course Builder
l
Evaluator
l
Instructor
l
Teaching Assistant
Administrators cannot change the privileges for the Student or Guest constituencies.
Note Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition clients cannot grant or revoke privileges.
With these privileges, users can have more granular permissions that align closely with what
they are expected to do in Blackboard Learn. This flexibility focuses on separating Course
design privileges from teaching privileges. This is particularly important to organizations that
have strict expectations about the responsibilities of different types of faculty and staff. For
example, some organizations designate a set of users as designers who are responsible for
creating Course templates. The Courses are then passed to another set of users whose sole
purpose is to teach the Course. This capability enables such organizations to enforce this
separation of responsibilities. These privileges may, for example, allow a school to create a
Manager constituency that is available only in departments and has fewer privileges than an
Instructor in a Course as well as an Assistant constituency that has no privileges to add or
delete content in Course.
How to Manage Privileges for a Constituency
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Course/Department
Constituencies.
2. In the contextual menu for the appropriate constituency, click Privileges.
3. Select the check boxes for the desired privileges.
4. At the top or bottom of the page, point to Privileges and click Permit Privileges
or Restrict Privileges.
5. Click OK to exit the page.
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Managing Custom Course/Department Constituencies > Course/Department Constituencies With Community Engagement
Managing Custom Course/Department Constituencies
Administrators can create custom Course/Department Constituencies based on the standard
Course/Department Constituencies that ship with Blackboard Learn. Standard and custom
constituencies can be made available to specific Courses and with special privileges.Custom
constituencies inherit their parent constituency privileges by default, but these privileges can
be changed.
Note Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition clients cannot create custom constituencies.
The following are the standard constituencies that can be copied to create custom
constituencies:
l
Course Builder
l
Evaluator
l
Instructor
l
Teaching Assistant
The Snapshot tool and the Batch and GUI enrollment tools fully support custom
constituencies.
Course/Department Constituencies With Community Engagement
If the community engagement capabilities have been licensed, Course/Department
Constituencies can be made available separately to specific Departments. This allows an
organization to treat Courses and the relationship among their enrolled users differently than
those in Departments.
How to Create Custom Course/Department Constituencies
Note The properties of any constituency may be edited, but the capabilities of the Student
and Guest constituencies cannot be edited.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Course/Department
Constituencies.
2. In the contextual menu for the appropriate Constituency, click Copy. The
following table describes the available fields:
Field
Description
Constituency Properties
Available for
Course
Enrollments
Select Yes to make this constituency available during the
Course enrollment process.
Constituency
Name for
Courses [r]
Provide the name for the constituency when available in a
Course.
Available for
Department
Enrollments
Available only with community engagement.Select Yes to
make this constituency available during the Department
enrollment process.
Constituency
Name for
Departments [r]
Available only with community engagement.Provide the name
for the constituency when available in a Department.
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Managing Custom Course/Department Constituencies > How to Delete Custom Course/Department Constituencies
Field
Description
Constituency ID
[r]
Provide an identifier for the custom constituency. This identifier
applies to the constituency in both Courses and Departments.
Description
Provide a description of the constituency.
Constituency Capabilities
Treat Users
with this
Constituency
like Instructor
(P)
Select Yes to provide this user with access to unavailable
courses, the Course catalog, and email enrollment requests.
Select No to prevent access to unavailable courses, the Course
catalog, and email enrollment requests.
Grant Users
with this
Constituency
Full
Permissions on
Course Files
Select Yes to grant users with this constituency full permissions
on the Course Files for the Course in which the user has this
constituency. Select No to provide only the default Read
permission on these files.
Grant Users
with this
Constituency
Full
Permissions on
Department
Files
Available only with community engagement.Select Yes to grant
users with this constituency full permissions on the Department
Files for the Department in which the user has this
constituency. Select No to provide only the default Read
permission on these files.
3. Click Submit. The Manage Privileges page appears.
4. Select the check boxes for the desired privileges.
5. At the top or bottom of the page, point to Privileges and click Permit Privileges
or Restrict Privileges.
6. Click OK to exit the page.
This custom constituency is now listed as a Course/Department Constituency and can be
edited, copied, or deleted.
How to Delete Custom Course/Department Constituencies
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Course/Department
Constituencies.
2. Select the check box next to the appropriate constituency and click Delete, or in
the contextual menu for the appropriate custom constituency, click Delete.
3. Click OK to confirm the deletion.
Users with the deleted constituency will have their enrollments changed to Student or
Participant.
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About System Constituencies > How to Delete Custom Course/Department Constituencies
About System Constituencies
System Constituencies are available for all licenses of Blackboard Learn.
System Constituencies control the administrative privileges assigned to a user. This enables
Administrators to share administrative privileges and functions with other users in Blackboard
Learn.
A set of System Constituencies are available for all licenses of Blackboard Learn, but some
System Constituencies are provided only with specific licenses of Blackboard Learn. Each
user can be assigned one System Constituency, but most users will have a System
Constituency of "None," which indicates that the user has no access to Administrator Panel. If
the community engagement capabilities have been licensed, multiple Secondary System
Constituencies can be assigned to a user. Multiple System Constituencies grant the user the
sum of their privileges. This makes it possible to create System Constituencies based on
tasks and layer privileges instead of creating a System Constituency for every possible set of
privileges.
Custom System Constituencies cannot be created in Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition.
Only a user with full System Administrator privileges can assign privileges to a System
Constituency.
System Constituencies can be assigned in two ways:
l
Attached to the user account at creation or through the Manage User page.
l
Assigned to a user with a domain to create a domain administrator.
Note Be very careful when assigning System Constituencies with administrative privileges
directly to a user account. Privileges granted to a user in this way apply to the entire system.
Applying a System Constituency to a user within a domain will allow that user privileges only
within the domain. For more information about applying System Constituencies within a
domain, see About Domains.
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Creating a System Constituency > How to Create a System Constituency
Creating a System Constituency
Custom System Constituencies cannot be created in Blackboard Learn - Basic Edition.
How to Create a System Constituency
1. Develop a plan for handling System Constituencies.
2. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click System Constituencies.
3. Click Create Constituency.
4. Provide a Constituency Name and a Constituency ID. The Constituency Name
appears in the user interface and the Constituency ID is a unique identifier for the
database. Once set, the Constituency ID cannot be changed.
5. Although optional, it is a good idea to add a Description of the constituency.
6. Click Submit.
How to Copy a System Constituency
It is also possible to create a new System Constituency by copying an existing System
Constituency and changing the Constituency Name and Constituency ID.
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click System Constituencies.
2. In the contextual menu for the System Constituency, click Copy.
3. Provide a Constituency Name and a Constituency ID.
4. Provide a Description.
5. Click Submit. A new System Constituency now appears with the same privileges
as the old System Constituency.
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Managing System Constituency Privileges > About Privileges
Managing System Constituency Privileges
Hundreds of distinct actions can be permitted or restricted for a System Constituency.
Because System Constituencies are additive, add only the minimum privileges for each
constituency. One of the best methods for modeling System Constituencies is to do so by
task. Group like tasks into System Constituencies and then apply the System Constituencies
to users. This will make it easy to add and remove access to administrative features as
responsibilities change.
About Privileges
Only a user with full System Administrator privileges can apply privileges to a System
Constituency.
Privileges are defined in three main areas in the interface:
l
Administrator Panel: Grants access to functions on the Administrator Panel.
l
Control Panel: Grants access to functions on the Courses or Departments Control
Panel.
l
Tool Panel: Grants access to functions on the tool panel that appears on module
tabs, such as the My Organization Tab.
Privileges on the Manage Privileges page are defined by their access point in the interface. For
example the privilege to control brands appears as: Administrator Panel (Communities) >
Brands and Themes.
Some privileges are already grouped on the Manage Privileges page. These have only one
check box for all the enclosed privileges. For example, the privileges to add tabs appear as:
Administrator Panel
Administrator Panel
Administrator Panel
Administrator Panel
(Communities) >
(Communities) >
(Communities) >
(Communities) >
Settings > Hot Links
Tabs and Modules > Tool Panel
Settings
Settings > Hot Spots Content
How to Change Privileges for a Constituency
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click System Constituencies.
2. In the contextual menu for System Constituency, click Privileges.
3. Select the check boxes for the desired privileges.
4. At the top or bottom of the page, point to Privileges and click Permit Privileges
or Restrict Privileges.
5. Click OK to exit the page.
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Assigning System Constituencies to Users > How to Assign a System Constituency to a User
Assigning System Constituencies to Users
System Constituencies are assigned when a user is created. At creation, a primary System
Constituency must be selected. The default value is None. After a user is created, System
Constituencies can changed from the User Properties page.
Also, System Constituencies can be applied in domains. Applying System Constituencies in a
domain limits the user's constituency privileges to data in that particular domain.
How to Assign a System Constituency to a User
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Users.
2. Search for a User.
3. In the contextual menu for the user, click Edit.
4. Scroll down to the System Constituencies heading. The following table
describes the available tasks.
Task
Description
Select a
Primary
System
Constituency
Click a System Constituency under Available Constituencies
and click the right arrow next to the Primary System
Constituency field .
Select
Secondary
System
Constituencies
Available only when the community engagement capabilities have
been licensed. Click a System Constituency under Available
Constituencies and click the right arrow next to the Secondary
System Constituencies field. Multiple constituencies can be
selected by pressing the CTRL key.
Remove a
Secondary
System
Constituency
Available only when the community engagement capabilities have
been licensed. Click a System Constituency in the Secondary
System Constituencies field. Press the CTRL key to select
multiple constituencies. Click the left arrow to remove the
constituency.
5. Click Submit.
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About Organization Constituencies > Other Constituency Types
About Organization Constituencies
Organization Constituencies are available only when the community engagement capabilities
have been licensed. Organization Constituencies also extend to features and functions in
other sets of capabilities. The Virtual hard drive uses Organization Constituencies to
determine file access for specific user groups.
Organization Constituencies control access to information and services. Access to tabs,
modules, and brands can be controlled by assigning a different Organization Constituency to a
user.
Organization Constituencies make Blackboard Learn a constituency-based system where tool
and content availability are defined for distinct groups of one, few, or many users. An
Organization Constituency can also be used to grant or deny access to Content Collection
files or folders. For example, an Organization Constituency of CY_2008 groups all users that
are in the 2008 class year. Content can be created and presented to only this group of users.
Each user can be assigned one or more Organization Constituencies, and each user has a
Primary Organization Constituency. The default Organization Constituency is "Student."
When multiple Organization Constituencies are assigned, they grant the user the sum of their
privileges. This means that a user with multiple Organization Constituencies has access to all
of the tabs and modules available to any of her Organization Constituencies as well as to
Content Collection files shared to her Primary Organization Constituency.
A set of Organization Constituencies are available with the community engagement
capabilities, but administrators can create custom Organization Constituencies.
Other Constituency Types
Organization Constituencies are only one kind of constituency associated with users. Users
are also associated with one or more System Constituencies, and can be associated with
Course and Department Constituencies. For more information, see About System
Constituencies and About Course/Department Constituencies.
Constituency IDs and Constituency Labels
Constituencies are defined by a Constituency ID and a Constituency Label. The Constituency
ID is a unique value to identify the constituency. The Constituency ID is used when integrating
with other systems using Snapshot or the APIs.
The Constituency Label is a more descriptive title for the constituency. The Constituency
Label must also be unique. The Constituency Label appears in the user interface. It is used
when selecting Organization Constituencies for a user or when applying content and tools to
Organization Constituencies.
Removable and Non-Removable Organization Constituencies
Previous versions of Blackboard Learn included a set of 20 Organization Constituencies.
These constituencies still appear as Non-Removable Organization Constituencies. This
means that these constituencies cannot be deleted and the Constituency ID for these
constituencies cannot be changed, but the Constituency Labels can be changed. Protecting
these constituencies and their Constituency IDs ensures that existing Building Blocks,
outside code relying on the APIs, and other integrations that rely on these constituencies will
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About Organization Constituencies > Primary Organization Constituency and Secondary Organization Constituencies
continue to work. Removable Organization Constituencies are Organization Constituencies
created specifically for your organization.
Primary Organization Constituency and Secondary Organization
Constituencies
Each user is assigned a Primary Organization Constituency. The Primary Organization
Constituency is required. Some tools in Blackboard Learn can be defined based on the
Primary Organization Constituency.
Each user can be assigned multiple Secondary Organization Constituencies. Tabs and
modules are presented to users based on all of the user's Organization Constituencies.
Primary and Secondary Organization Constituencies are distinctions applied to users.
Organization Constituencies are not set aside as primary or secondary until they are applied to
a user. For example, the Organization Constituency "Student" could be the Primary
Constituency for one user and a Secondary Constituency for another user. A user can have
the same constituency appear as both the Primary Organization Constituency and as a
Secondary Organization Constituency.
Note The default Primary Organization Constituency is the constituency with a
Constituency ID of "Student". This is a non-removable constituency so the Constituency ID
cannot be changed. However, be careful when changing the Constituency Label as this
constituency will be the Primary Organization Constituency of any user created without one.
Further, if a user's Primary Organization Constituency is removed from the system the user's
new Primary Organization Constituency will be Constituency ID = "Student."
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Planning Organization Constituencies > Design Approach
Planning Organization Constituencies
Organization Constituencies are available only when the community engagement capabilities
have been licensed.
Implementing Organization Constituencies requires detailed planning to maximize benefits as
well as avoid inconsistencies and overlaps. One of the best places to start is with other
systems on the campus that store Student information. Applying the same model for
organizing Student information to Organization Constituencies ensures consistency with the
organization.
Design Approach
Using a design approach designs the content first and then decides who should have access.
Consider plotting out content such as brands, tabs, modules, and Content Collection content
first. Create and apply constituencies that match the design and can incorporate new content
and future growth.
Define Types
Create Organization Constituencies in groupings. For example, use types such as campus,
major, and class year to define Organization Constituencies. In this example, a Student's
Organization Constituencies may be:
Designation: STUDENT (Primary Organization Constituency)
Campus: CAMPUS_CENTRAL
Major: MAJOR_PHYSICS
Class Year: CY_2008
Use a Naming Convention
Organization Constituencies are listed in alphabetical order. A naming convention based on
the Organization Constituency types ensures that Organization Constituencies are easy to
find in Blackboard Learn and are not missed.
Consider the Campus type in the example above. If there are three campuses, Central, East,
and West, the Organization Constituencies that apply to each campus should appear together
in Blackboard Learn. Naming the Organization Constituencies CAMPUS_CENTRAL,
CAMPUS_EAST, and CAMPUS_WEST will ensure that the constituencies are easy to locate
and applied correctly.
Create Users for Testing
Create test users based on the Organization Constituencies model. The test Users can be
used to quickly preview Blackboard Learn and adjust settings. For example, create a test User
to see Blackboard Learn through the viewpoint of a prospective Student.
Note It is important to create a test User for anonymous (unauthenticated) users such as
Guests. Changes to the Guest Organization Constituency can have serious consequences
as, in most cases, this Organization Constituency controls what users who have not logged in
can see.
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Planning Organization Constituencies > Example
Example
The following example illustrates the planned effect of Organization Constituencies on two
sample users.
User: Jane Smith
Constituency
Services
Campus – East
(primary)
East Branding General Campus Announcements
Dept – East
Campus
Chemistry
Chemistry Department News and Announcements Chemistry Department
instructional tools such as simulations and interactive tutors
Function –
Faculty
Administrative resources and forms Portfolio publishing capabilities
Status – Active
Full-time
Professor
Special events for full-time faculty
Job – Student
Advisor
Training resources and guidelines for advisors
Job – East
Campus
Science Faculty
Science faculty Content Collection of reusable learning objects, videos, and
still imagery licensed by the department for teaching 100 MB of virtual hard
drive space
User: Joe Bell
Constituency
Services
Campus – West
(primary)
West Branding General Campus Announcements West Traffic Updates
Campus – East
General Campus Announcements
Dept – West
Campus
Chemistry
(none)
Function –
Faculty
Administrative resources and forms Portfolio publishing capabilities
Status – Adjunct
Guidelines for Adjunct Faculty
Job – West
Campus
Science Faculty
200 MB of virtual hard drive space
Job – East
Campus
Science Faculty
Science faculty Content Collection of reusable learning objects, videos, and
still imagery licensed by the department for teaching 100 MB of virtual hard
drive space
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Creating Organization Constituencies > How to Create an Organization Constituency
Creating Organization Constituencies
Organization Constituencies are available only when the community engagement capabilities
have been licensed.
Make sure that an Organization Constituency matches the design model and naming
convention for Organization Constituencies used at your organization. Constituencies that are
created can be removed later, but better results will come from detailed planning before
creating any Organization Constituencies.
How to Create an Organization Constituency
1. Develop a plan for handling Organization Constituencies. For tips, see Planning
Organization Constituencies.
2. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Organization Constituencies.
3. Click Create Constituency. The following table describes the available fields that
define Organization Constituencies.
4. Provide a Constituency Name and a Constituency ID.
Field
Description
Constituency
Name [r]
Identifies the Organization Constituency within the user interface.
This field is required and must be unique. This field has a limit of 50
characters.
Constituency
ID [r]
Identifies the Organization Constituency in the database and to
external systems. This field is required and must be unique. Use
only alphanumeric characters. Do not use spaces or special
characters. This field has a limit of 50 characters.
Description
Provide usage notes or comments for administrators about the
Organization Constituency. Only users with administrative privileges
see this description. This field is not required, but it is a good idea to
add a description of the constituency. HTML code typed in this field
will not be recognized. This field has a limit of 1000 characters.
5. Click Submit. The Organization Constituency can be attached to users and used
to define content.
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Assigning Organization Constituencies to Users > How to Assign an Organization Constituency
Assigning Organization Constituencies to Users
Organization Constituencies are available only when the community engagement capabilities
have been licensed.
Organization Constituencies can be assigned to users when the user is created or afterward
by editing the user.
Setting an Organization Constituency requires Administrator privileges. When an Instructor
creates a user through a Course Control Panel, the user is created with the default Primary
Organization Constituency (Constituency ID="Student").
How to Assign an Organization Constituency
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Users.
2. Search for a user, and then click Edit in the contextual menu for the User.
3. Provide user data or edit the other fields as needed.
4. Under Organization Constituencies, select the desired constituencies. The
following table describes the available tasks.
Task
Description
Select a
Primary
Organization
Constituency
Click an Organization Constituency under Available
Constituencies and click the right arrow next to the Primary
Organization Constituency field.
Select
Secondary
Organization
Constituencies
Click an Organization Constituency under Available
Constituencies and click the right arrow next to the Secondary
Organization Constituencies field. Multiple constituencies can be
selected by pressing the CTRL key.
Select all
Organization
Constituencies
except those
highlighted
Click the Organization Constituencies under Available
Constituencies that should not have access to the content. Click
Invert. The highlighted constituencies are no longer highlighted.
Those constituencies that were not highlighted are now
highlighted. Click the right arrow to move the constituency to
Selected Constituencies. Invert works in both Available
Constituencies and Selected Constituencies.
Remove a
Secondary
Organization
Constituency
Click an Organization Constituency under Secondary
Organization Constituencies and click the left arrow to remove the
constituency.
5. Click Submit.
About Removing Organization Constituencies from a User
Removing an Organization Constituency from a user prevents that user from accessing
content meant for that constituency. The Primary Organization Constituency may be changed,
but it cannot be removed from the user interface.
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Assigning Organization Constituencies to Users > About Assigning an Organization Constituency with the
Batch Create Users Process
About Assigning an Organization Constituency with the Batch Create
Users Process
The Batch Create Users process adds many users to Blackboard Learn. Each record in the
batch file can contain a Primary Organization Constituency. The Primary Organization
Constituency is included using a mapped value within the database. For more information, see
Batch Creating Users.
How to Locate the Value for an Organization Constituency
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Users.
2. Point to Batch Actions and click Create Users.
3. Click the More Help link in the instructions.
4. Under Restrictions, click the file link to display a page that shows the
Constituency ID and the matching Batch Value.
5. Use the Batch Value to set a Primary Organization Constituency for users during
a batch process.
6. Continue the Batch Create process by clicking Browse to locate the file to upload.
If a Primary Organization Constituency is not provided for a record, the user will be created
with the default Primary Organization Constituency of "Student."
It is not possible to assign Secondary Organization Constituencies to a user during the Batch
Create process. Secondary Organization Constituencies must be assigned to the user after
creation.
About root_admin Organization Constituencies
The root_admin user has access to manage Virtual Installations. The User Properties for the
root_admin user are set from the Virtual Installation Administrator Panel. The Organization
Constituencies for the root_admin user must be set through the Administrator Panel for each
Virtual Installation because Organization Constituencies are not shared across Virtual
Installations.
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Assigning Organization Constituencies through Snapshot > Snapshot Files
Assigning Organization Constituencies through Snapshot
Organization Constituencies are available only when the community engagement capabilities
have been licensed.
Organization Constituencies can be attached to users through Snapshot and the APIs. For
information about using the APIs to assign Organization Constituencies, see the
Administrative API specifications on http://www.edugarage.com.
Snapshot Files
Snapshot User files include the INSTITUTION_ROLE element. This represents the Primary
Organization Constituency and is expressed as the Constituency ID.
Secondary Organization Constituencies are added through a new Snapshot file type: User
Organization Constituency Membership. Each record matches one User to one Organization
Constituency. To match a user to multiple Organization Constituencies requires multiple
records in the file. The following table describes the fields included in a record in a Snapshot
User Organization Constituency Membership file.
Element
EXTERNAL_
PERSON_
KEY
Description
ROLE_ID
Organization Constituency. Passed as a string. Not null.
A unique identifier for a user at the Organization. This ID is provided by the
Organization and is not displayed to users. String. Max length 64 Not Null,
External Key
Commands
The following table describes the command line operations that handle User Organization
Constituency Membership files.
Operation
PORTAL_ROLE_MEM_
MANUAL
PORTAL_ROLE_MEM_
REMOVE
PORTAL_ROLE_MEM_
SNPSHT
DISABLE_PORTAL_
ROLE_MEMBERSHIP
PURGE_PORTAL_ROLE_
MEMBERSHIP
Description
Performs a smart update for Organization Constituencies.
Removes all Organization Constituencies in the feed file.
To process a snapshot feed of Organization Constituencies.
To disable all Organization Constituencies for a data source.
To purge all Organization Constituencies entities for a data source.
Purge only deletes disabled items.
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Applying Organization Constituencies to a Brand, Tab, or Module > Apply Organization Constituencies to a
Brand
Applying Organization Constituencies to a Brand, Tab, or
Module
Organization Constituencies control what brands, tabs, and modules that users see.
Apply Organization Constituencies to a Brand
Brands define the colors and images of the top frame, including the tabs. Access to brands is
controlled by host name and Primary Organization Constituency. Host names determine the
URL used to access Blackboard Learn.
For example, create two additional host names so that Blackboard Learn can be accessed
from:
http://blackboard.yourorganization.com
http://lawschool.yourorganization.com
http://medicalschool.yourorganization.com
Now, create separate brands for users based on the host name used to access Blackboard
Learn. Users will see a different brand depending on the URL. Primary Organization
Constituencies can be applied to further customize brands so that a Student using
http://lawschool.yourorganization.com will see a different brand than an
Instructor or Prospective Student.
Apply Organization Constituencies to a Tab or Module
Tabs or modules are configured to display to one, many, or all Organization Constituencies.
Organization Constituencies are applied to a tab or module from the Tab Properties page or the
Module Tabs page.
The association between content and Organization Constituencies is defined distinctly for
each constituency. For example, if content is made available to the Campus_East and
Student Organization Constituencies, the content will be available to all users with an
Organization Constituency of Campus_East as well as all users with an Organization
Constituency of Student. Use the multi-select box to choose constituencies.
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Deleting an Organization Constituency > How to Delete an Organization Constituency
Deleting an Organization Constituency
Organization Constituencies are available only when the community engagement capabilities
have been licensed.
Removing an Organization Constituency also removes the link between users and that
Organization Constituency. If the removed constituency is the Primary Organization
Constituency for a user, the Primary Organization Constituency for the user will return to the
default of "Student"). Any content set to display only to the removed constituency will still
exist in Blackboard Learn, but users will not be able to see it until the Organization
Constituencies associated with the content are updated.
Note Removing an Organization Constituency is permanent. To restore the constituency,
recreate it and reassign it to users. To avoid having to recreate and reassign the constituency,
consider using Snapshot to disable the Organization Constituency rather than removing the
constituency.
How to Delete an Organization Constituency
1. On the Administrator Panel, under Users, click Organization Constituencies.
2. Select the constituencies to remove.
3. Click Delete.
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About Integrating Blackboard Connect with Blackboard Learn > Requirements
About Integrating Blackboard Connect with Blackboard Learn
Blackboard Connect provides a platform that enables administrators to reach their entire
communities in minutes via voice, and text messaging capabilities. The Blackboard Learn
integration with Blackboard Connect extends this distribution capability to existing Learn tools
for system announcements and event notifications. This document provides the steps and
requirements needed to implement the Connect Message Gateway with Blackboard Connect.
Information about implementing Blackboard Connect is available separately.
Requirements
The Connect integration with Learn relies on the use of Learn Web Services and the Proxy
Tools infrastructure.
The following requirements need to be met before beginning registration.
l
Must be on Blackboard Learn version 9.1 or later.
l
Two of the existing Web Services shipped with Blackboard Learn must be available
at all times for the integration to work. This means they must be both Available and
Discoverable. For additional security it is recommended to turn require SSL for both
Services as well.
l
The two services are Context.ws and
NotificationDistributionOperations.ws. The configuration options for
each are available from the Administrator Panel under Web Services.
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Before you Begin > Set a Password for the Connect Message Gateway proxy tool
Before you Begin
Set a Password for the Connect Message Gateway proxy tool
From the Administrator Panel under Building Blocks, click Building Blocks. Click Proxy
Tools. Click Manage Global Properties.
Provide a password in the Proxy Tool Registration Password text box. This can be any
password that you like, and it should not be changed. You will need to send this password to
Connect to set up the Connect side of the proxy tool.
Enable System Notifications
Notifications must be enabled to ensure that the correct options will be available after the initial
integration setup is complete.
From the Administrator Panel, under Tools and Utilities, click Notifications. Select
Enabled for Notification Collection.
Note It is the responsibility of the Blackboard Administrator, or the individual who is setting
up the Connect Integration, to keep SMS and Text-to-Voice messaging inactive until the initial
synchronization is complete. These options are available from the General Notifications
Settings page.
Send a Request to Enable the Proxy Tool to Connect Client Care
Provide the following information:
l
Your title, name, phone number and email address
l
Organization name
l
l
URLs for the NotificationDistributorOperations.WS and Context.WS
web services
The proxy tool password
Your Connect Client Care representative will initiate the proxy tool request to your
organization’s server. Depending on your network configuration, you or someone at your
organization may need to adjust firewall settings so that the Connect service can reach your
Blackboard server.
If you do not already have this information, your representative will also provide your Connect
User Account name, Connect Password, and SIS Code. You will need these to set up your
Contact Synchronization in a later step.
Make the Proxy Tool Available
Once the proxy tool request is initiated, you must make the tool available on the Learn side.
From the Administrator Panel, under the Building Blocks heading, click Building Blocks.
Click Proxy Tools.
l
The Connect Message Gateway will appear under the Program column.
l
To change the availability, open the contextual menu and select Edit.
l
Set the Availability to Yes. Until this is selected, none of the Connect integration
features will be enabled.
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Before you Begin > Proxy Tool Details
Note Selecting Course/ Org default availability is optional for the initial synchronization
and will have no affect on the process because the pieces of Blackboard Learn that integrate
with Connect are outside the courses and departments.
WARNING! Blackboard recommends that you do not change the Shared Password.
Changing it could alter the synchronization process and prevent SMS transmission.
Proxy Tool Details
Select the SSL Required option. This will ensure secure transactions between Blackboard
Learn and Blackboard Connect.
Selecting the User Acknowledgement Message is optional and will have no affect on the
Connect Integration because Blackboard Learn users do not log on to the Connect side from
inside Learn.
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Blackboard Connect Contact Synchronization > Connect Data Synchronization
Blackboard Connect Contact Synchronization
Once the proxy tool is enabled, you need to make the Connect service aware of the users on
your system via a process called Contact Synchronization. Access this page from the
Administrator Panel under the Users heading. Before you begin, make sure that the users at
your organization know which predefined field to use for their phone number, and what process
your Organization uses to update that field, so that you have valid data in this field for your
users. The default field sent to Blackboard Connect is set to Mobile Phone.
Connect Data Synchronization
Provide your Connect User Account name, Connect Password, and SIS Code. This
information will be given to you by the Connect Client Care representative.
Contact Data Configuration
The user data fields are sent to Blackboard Connect as contact data. After the initial contact
synchronization changes to the content of these fields for an individual user will trigger an
automatic update to Blackboard Connect. Changes in the default field to something else after
the initial synchronization will require a full re-synchronization.
Note If a Learn user is made unavailable, then the corresponding contact on the Connect
side is deleted. When the user is made available again the contact is recreated with all the
same credentials with a different internal ID for the Connect contact.
The Connect service can store different phone numbers for each contact, so that SMS and
Text-to-Voice messages can be sent to the same Learn user but at different numbers. To
enable this feature, two different Phone Number Fields need to be set to synchronize with
Connect. As a default, both of the phone number fields are set to Mobile Phone. Depending on
which fields your organization uses to store phone number data, you will need to change one or
both of these values.
Synchronize
Click Connect Contact Synchronization when you have completed the steps.
You will receive an email sent to the email address associated with the Connect user account
when the synchronization process is complete. This email will include a list of successes and
failures. The synchronization process can be repeated as many times as necessary to receive
satisfactory results.
System Announcements can optionally be sent via Connect, either as SMS or Text-to-Voice
messages, or both after the synchronization is complete; however, to enable Learn users to
choose to have Notifications sent to them, you will need to enable these options from the
General Notifications Settings page.
After the initial synchronization, Blackboard Learn automatically synchronizes with
Blackboard Connect every hour. If any changes are made to user data (First Name, Last
Name, and the fields specified in SMS and Text-to-Voice Phone Number fields), the
information will be updated in the next automatic synchronization. Emails are not sent out for
these intermediate synchronizations, only changed user data is sent to Connect.
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Notification Settings > Requirements
Notification Settings
Access the General Notification Settings page from the Administrator panel under Tools and
Utilities. From this page, the System Administrator will be able to define Notification Settings
regarding Email, SMS Messages, and Text to Voice Messages.
Note Disabled System Availability will turn off notifications completely and no events that
occur while notifications are disabled will be recorded. Turning notifications back on will not
show any notifications for events that occurred while the setting was disabled.
Requirements
For the SMS and Text-to-Voice options to be available to end users, the following criteria must
be met:
l
The Connect Proxy Tool must be present and available.
l
The initial synchronization has occurred.
l
For notifications, SMS and Text-to-Voice must be turned on in the Notifications
Settings page.
Blackboard Connect SMS Options
SMS Messages will be sent via Blackboard Connect to users who have chosen to receive
these notifications. Users must opt in to receive these notifications, even if the system has
enabled them. If a notification message contains any character not supported by SMS
messaging, the entire message will be sent in English, otherwise it will be sent in the Learn
system default language. Users must have a valid, SMS-capable phone number stored in
correct field in their personal information to receive notifications via SMS.
Blackboard Connect Text-to-Voice Options
Notifications can also be read aloud via Blackboard Connect Text-to-Voice. Text-to-Voice
Messages will be sent via Blackboard Connect to users who have chosen to receive these
notifications. This option is only available when the system default Language Pack is set to
English or Spanish. Users must have a valid phone number stored in the correct field in their
personal information to receive notifications via Text-to-Voice.
Blackboard Connect Telephone Delivery Time Frame
Define the time frame in which SMS and Text-to-Voice notification messages can be sent.
Notification messages that are generated outside of the delivery time frame will be held until
the next time frame begins. These parameters will not affect e-mail or web notifications, or
system announcements sent by telephone.
Note If you are running your Learn system on Windows, you will need to ensure your time
zone is set correctly to ensure correct delivery of your messages. If you are using GMT
standards, Blackboard Connect will re-set the time zone as EST. To work around this and
send your correct time zone to the Connect server, you will need to open up your time zone
location from the Windows Control Panel and select “Automatically adjust clock for daylight
savings.”
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Default Notification Settings > Course Settings
Default Notification Settings
Course Settings
Access this page from the Administrator Panel under the Courses heading. Select Course
Settings. Click Default Notification Settings.
This page lists all of the settings for Course Notifications. Selecting Default On or Default Off
will pre-set a user’s choice with the option for the user to change it. Changing a setting from
Default On or Default Off, or vice versa, will not change any users existing personal settings.
Changing a setting to Always On or Always Off will change all users’ personal settings
regardless of their previous settings. Changing from a Default setting to an Always setting
and back to a Default setting will not restore a users previous choice from when the setting
was set to Default.
Note Always On is never permitted for SMS or Text-to-Voice notifications. The system
Administrator cannot force users to receive these message types, users must always opt in.
User Settings
Users can access their own notification settings by opening My Places from the top of the
page and clicking Edit Notification Settings.
Notifications settings can be edited for a single course or for multiple courses in bulk. The
Change Settings page will list the options available for users to receive notifications.
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Mapping > User Settings
Mapping
Mapping is initialized with the first synchronization. The refreshing process is on-going. User’s
account information is available from the User Information page under Account Information. If
a user is not synchronized with Blackboard Connect, there will be a statement detailing why.
For example, if the mobile phone number field is left blank, the student will not be synced with
Blackboard Connect.
The User fields that are sent to Blackboard Connect include:
l
First Name
l
Last Name
l
Mobile Phone Number
l
Voice Phone Number (if the option to send two different phone numbers is selected
in the Contact Synchronization page)
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Disabling the Integration > User Settings
Disabling the Integration
The Blackboard Administrator can disable the proxy tool in which all settings for Connect will
be deactivated.
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