There are a few things that should be checked as you prepare to start this new session.
- Course Copy: If you still need to copy content from a previous course into your current course(s), here are instructions on how to do so. Please read carefully!! Remember that a course copy can take up to 24 hours or more to complete. DO NOT run a course copy a second time, you could end up with double content...this cannot be undone. Submit an IssueTrak ticket after 24 hours if you still have not received an email stating that the process has been completed. I can submit a request to the VCCS to check their logs. Click here for Course Copy Instructions (Read these instructions carefully!!)
- Course Check: Did you check all content, assignments, and tests after the upgrade to Blackboard 9?
- Duplicate Menu Buttons: Check your course menu, do you have duplicate buttons? When you copied over course content into your new course, you may have copied buttons that you didn't need. You need to either delete or hide those to clean up your course menu. For example: You should have a "Student Help" button, not "Help?". Delete "Help?" if you see this in your course menu. Click here for Organizing the Course Menu Instructions (Warning if you course copied Instructor Resources or Student Help, you probably duplicated the content within those areas. Those areas are automatically created for all courses in the template. You don't need to include them in the course copy. Check the Student help button. You should see 4 folders. If you see duplicate folders, please get rid of them.)
- Invalid HTML Message in Blackboard 9: When you checked your course after the upgrade, within editing mode, you may have had some content items displaying an "Invalid HTML" message. You can use these instructions to remove that message. Click here for Invalid HTML Message: Removal Instructions
- SafeAssignment Evaluation Option Missing: If you utilize Safeassign within Blackboard, the upgrade seems to have caused some courses to make that tool unavailable. Luckily it is an easy fix. These instructions will walk you through that. Click here for SafeAssignment Tool Availability Instructions
- Course Availability: If your course is part of the first five-week session or the ten-week session, you need to make your course available by the morning of May 24th. Double check the status of your course within Blackboard and make any necessary modifications. Click here for Changing Course Availability Instructions (If your content is not quite ready to go on the 24th, either make your course available and post a welcome announcement with information for your students, or send an email to your students stating when they can expect access. Students become very concerned if they can not access their courses on time. Making your course available and posting the announcement is preferred...not all students check their email account. )
- Enroll Yourself As A Student: Did you enroll your student account in your courses to check them out as a student sees them? I recommend that you do this, and take a close look at the student grades area. You might be surprised at what students see. Click here for Instructions
- Grade Center: Remember that your grade center area will need to be either set-up or cleaned-up. If you course copy, you will need to go through your grade center and clean it up. Check your categories (they duplicate every time you course copy) and remove categories that you aren't using other than the default categories that can't be removed. (Click on Manage and then Categories within the Grade Center.) Double check assigned column categories and points possible by going to Manage and then Column Organization. Remove columns that you are not using. Look at "Student's Grades" when you are enrolled as a student. Are there any problems or columns that you don't want them to see? (There will be a grade center training in June to help with this.)
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