Instructional Technology
Blackboard Information for Instructors
School of Education Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get help regarding Blackboard issues?
UNC-CH's Information Technology Response Center (ITRC) is the hub for all Blackboard assistance for instructors and students. All Bb courses are administered by this group, so they are the ones that are best equipped to answer your questions and to obtain the course access needed to assist you.
How do I make a Blackboard site available to students?
While a Blackboard course shell is automatically created for your course, your students will not be able to access your course site until you make it available to them.
How do I export the materials in my Blackboard sites?
Use when you want to extract the content from a Blackboard course (which you can then import into another Bb course) without the following student data:
- discussion forum postings and attachments
- students' grade data
- students' test and survey data
- any assignments, digital drop box, or group files that students have uploaded
With this option, you can export the information from a current Blackboard course and then import the zip file later into a different Blackboard course so the information does not have to be re-entered manually. When using this method, the information in the zip file can only be viewed/used once imported into another Blackboard course.
How do I import materials into my Blackboard sites?
Use to import content (via zip file) that you have already exported from a previous Blackboard course.
Blackboard: Course Copy
Use to copy information from one current course into another existing course.
How do I archive a Blackboard site?
Use when you need to backup everything in your current Blackboard course(s), including all student data (discussion forum entries, student submissions, etc.). Since the campus does not yet have a way to backup individual Blackboard courses, they highly recommend that instructors archive their current course(s) on a regular basis in the event of an emergency (so that the site can be fully restored in the event of server failure).
How do I print discussion forum messages in Blackboard?
Directions for printing multiple postings at one time.
Creating Wikis in Blackboard - Click on the Teams LX link to view online demo
Blackboard's Wiki was developed by a third party, Learning Objects, Inc. They refer to their product as "Teams LX."
Using the wiki feature within Blackboard will allow instructors, individual students, or groups of students (as designated by the instructor) to easily create one or more web pages that can easily edited by any of the assigned users. Users can also review all changes made to any page, as all changes/versions are automatically stored each time the Save button is pressed on a page. Directions for using the Blackboard Wiki feature:
- Creating a Wiki (PDF)
- Contributing to a Wiki (PDF)
- Viewing and Adding Comments (PDF)
- Viewing Wiki History (PDF)
- Monitoring Participation (PDF)
How can I use Blackboard content outside of Blackboard?
Use bFree to extract the information from an existing Blackboard course to view/use externally (outside of Blackboard). This application will extract all section and subsection pages, texts, wiki pages, and attached files of all types from a Blackboard course (bFree does not yet extract forums). This allows instructors to save their Blackboard course information to their computers, CDs/DVDs, etc. and/or to post this information on an external website without using Blackboard).