SafeAssign course outline blurb

Here's a link to our tutorials on SafeAssign

http://courses.mtroyal.ca/blackboard/quick-help/safeassign/

And here's a Standard Sample Statement:

In this course, you will be asked to submit material in electronic form to a text matching service to which MRU subscribes called [xxxx]. This is a service that checks textual material for originality. MRU authorizes the use of text matching software for educational purposes. Limited personal information should be entered into the software. If software options allow it, it is recommended that personal information entered be limited to MRU identification number, institutional e-mail address and course work. Submitted data resides with the software company outside the University and is used to provide comparisons that promote academic integrity. Students have the right to opt out of using the software and may choose another form of originality checking, subject to the agreement of the instructor. Students must notify their instruction of their intention to opt out by _________________________. Inquiries can be directed to the instructor [title, business address and phone number]. More information about [software name] including training materials and the University's reasons for using it can be found at _________________________.

These procedures align with MRU copyright policies and guidelines.

Add McGraw-Hill Connect assignments to Blackboard

McGraw-Hill Connect has assignments students can do online and then port their grades over to Blackboard. Here's how:

1. After logging into the Blackboard site, open another tab and go to mhhm.com and choose the course and section.
   
   
   
   
2. Choose the chapter you would like to assign. Note: if it was already assigned and the due date is past, you will need to change the due date to the future to be able to link it to Blackboard.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Click on the yellow of students not started, and note their names. Then ,edit the assignment.
   
   
   
   
   
4. OK, scroll to the bottom
   
   
   
   
5. Click next: assign
   
   
   
   
6. Make sure Blackboard is toggled on, thatthe date is in the future, and click assign
   
   
   
   
7. You will be automatically moved into Blackboard (login if you are not in already), click Browse to where you would like to post this assignment, click the area you want it in, Submit.
   
   
   
   
8. You will see it in that area
   
   
   
   
9. You will also see it in the grade center
   
   
   
   
10. Grades will eventually be posted automatically, but if you want to sync it manually, click Tools, McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
    
    
    
    
11. Synchronize Individual Assignments
    
    
    
    
12. Select the assignments that you want to sync, Submit
    
    
    
    
13. Then go to the full grade center and enter zeros in for those who didn't do the quiz in step 3
    
    
    
14. Now assign the McGraw-Hill online Quizzes as Quizzes by going into Manage, Column organization
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
15. You can reorganize the order of the columns (since McGraw-Hill Connect will place these Quiz results in front of the columns set there before. Then place checkmarks in front of each Quiz, Click Change Category to, and set them as Quizzes. Submit. They will now calculate properly in the Weighted Total.
    
    
    
    

When discussion board links are hidden for no good reason...

In Customization, Tool Availability, turn off the two discussion board things, submit, turn them on again, submit

How to remove the unsightly course ID numbers from your My Courses list in Blackboard

You may see a string on numbers before the course name in the list of courses you teach:

If so, mouse over My Courses and click the gear button,

Then uncheck the Course ID in that courses' row, and Submit.

Clear cache completely!

Sometimes, you really need to clear the cache completely!

here's how:

Actually you can reply to Blackboard's do-not-reply

Blackboard had to add a protocol to protect against spoofing (a type of phishing) which unfortunately has "do-not-reply" in it.

But students CAN still reply and it will go to the instructor!

Bb bug can't view calendar if end date passed

If you have end dates set for your course, and that date has passed

Then student will not see the course in the list of courses, or any events you made

But after you change it back to continuous, both will show.

As of September Chrome will not do java

As of September Chrome will not do java.

How this affects Blackboard is that Quicktime, Windows Media, and Flash files won't be visible within the Content editor

Also, collaboration needs to be done in Firefox (or IE theoretically)

And, although it's rarely used, uploading files directly will only be possible in Firefox (or IE theoretically)

Finally, in the remote chance that you are using pre-2010 SCORM files, or math equations taken from Web-CT or Angel, they will also only work in Fierfox and IE.

Make Bb banner with image with colour overlay

If you would like to add a banner to your Blackboard site that has black and white images with a colour overlay, here's how to do it:

1. In Photoshop click File, New. Type the file name (Banner), and set the width to 1132, and the height to 200. These are not fixed numbers, you can choose others.
   
2. Find and image from the web or wherever that you would like to use, and save it (downloads is a nice place).
   Then in Photoshop, File, Open.
   
3. Find the image, then Open.
   
4. Set the image height to be the same as your banner height  by clicking File, Image size, height 200, OK.
   
5. Copy the image (Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C)
   
6. In the banner, paste the image (Ctrl+V). It will create a new layer with that image.
   
7. Use the move tool (type the V key) and drag the image to where you would like it.
   
8. Make the image black and white (unless it is already) by clicking
   
   Image, Adjustments, Black and White.
   
9. OK
   
10. Click File, Adjustments, Photo Filter.
    
11. Pick a general colour, then a specific hue, OK. Then set the density.
    
12. Click the Type tool, choose a colour, click in the banner and type text. You can move the text by clicking and holding outside the text area and dragging.
    
13. Save the file as the default psd so that you can edit it later if you need to. Save this in your Google drive or H drive so you can always access it.
    
14. Also, save the file for the web (jpeg) so the web version can be posted in Blackboard.
    
15. In Blackboard, click Customization, Teaching Style.
    

Scroll to the very bottom of the page, Browse My Computer, choose the jpeg version of the banner, Open, Submit

Then click Announcements to see it.

Download failed? Too big? Try Firefox

I tried downloading a huge Bb export the other day (4GB) and it failed 4 times in Chrome. Jamie tried it in Firefox and it worked!

However the biggest upload you're allowed to do is 2.5 GB, so I'm moving big files before the download next time.

Blackboard: Extra Credit Test Questions

This blog post taken directly from https://www.cod.edu/it/blackboard/ExtraCreditTest.htm

When creating a test, you can specify that certain questions will be worth extra credit.

Here's how:

1. Edit an existing test, or create a new test.
2. On the Test Canvas screen, click the Question Settings button (top right).
   
   
   
3. On the Test Question Settings screen, scroll to Section 4. Add a check mark to the option, " Provide option to assign questions as extra credit. "
   
   
   
4. When finished, click Submit.
5. After the test question has been created (or if it just needs to be edited), click the Points box off to the right.
   
   
   
6. A popup menu will appear. If needed, change the point value of the question. Add a check mark to the Extra Credit box and click Submit.
   
   
   
7. You will see a quick "Success" message. The Points box will display again with the words "(Extra Credit)."
   
   

No scroll bars in Blackboard on a Mac?

Blackboard sometimes doesn't speak Mac, and so doesn't tell the Mac that it needs scroll bars.

However you can tell you Mac to assume scroll bars even when not asked for...

1. Click Apple, System Preferences

1. General

1. Always, then exit with the red dot