Faculty Are Asking

Every semester we receive a number of questions about Blackboard from faculty. Here are the answers to some common questions:

Q: Students are sending files in 2007 Word (.docx) format. How can I open these documents if I don't have Office 2007?

A: If you are unable to open an Office 2007 document, a free Microsoft compatibility package (Plug-in) available for download that, once installed, will allow you to open and save these formats in earlier versions of Microsoft Office. You can install the compatibility pack on a computer that is running Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Office XP, or Microsoft Office 2000 programs. Click Here to access and download the Plug-in.

Q: How can I make test taking in Blackboard less stressful for me and my students?

A: Have students save each question response as they complete the test by scrolling down and clicking . This will capture the response to each question in case the computer freezes or times out before clicking . In the event the test is not submitted properly, the answers will be saved and you will be able to access the student's original test with answers. Please note: if the test was not submitted properly, the grade book will show a lock and the test test will still need to be graded by the faculty member; however, you will be able to view the student's responses. For more information, Click Here to refer to Blackboard 7.2 Testing Issues and Solutions

Q: Why do I get the 'HTTP Status 404" error message when I download files that were uploaded to the Assignment area, Discussion Board or Digital Dropbox?

A: This error occurs when a file is uploaded to the Assignment Manager or the Discussion Board that includes special characters (i.e., #, +, etc. symbols) in the filename. Students should not include special characters in the file name of documents they are uploading to Blackboard through the Assignment Manager, Digitial Dropbox or as attachments to the Discussion Board.

Blackboard recommends the following guidelines for filenames:

• Characters a-z (upper or lower case)
• 0-9
• period '.'
• underscore '_'

All spaces will be converted to underscores in the name of the uploaded file.