Saving Tests in Blackboard

Students

Are you having trouble taking tests in Blackboard?

Please be aware that, if you are taking a timed test, the timer will continue to run even if you exit or are kicked out of the test (e.g. – due to network problems, your computer crashing etc). Even though Blackboard will display the following message,:

click image

you will not be able to resume the test after the allotted time has expired. Even if you save the exam to resume later, the timer will continue.

Faculty

For this reason, when creating timed tests and quizzes in Blackboard, it is recommended that you include a warning regarding the timer issue.

The Solution

An enhancement request has been submitted to Blackboard to change the wording of the message, and thus prevent any further confusion.

Course Orientation: Summer 2012

The Instructor-led course orientation for online students is on Thursday, May 31, 2012.
Click here for details.

Grade Center "Needs Grading" issue resolved

BB9.1 For Faculty

The "Needs Grading" error has been fixed. You can now select Needs Grading and will get the list of things that are waiting to be graded. However, there is an exception to this. Anything that may, for some reason, not have a category set in the grading column will not show up in the "Needs Grading" list.

Please note that any column in the grade center that has the category set to "No Category" will not show up in the "Needs Grading" list and will also give you an error if you go into the Full Grade Center and select "View Attempt".

The only way a column would be set to "No Category" is if you manually created the column and did not select a category or if you manually went into the column and changed it to "No Category".

When the columns are automatically created with Assignments, Tests, etc. the category is automatically set correctly - it is only if you manually change the category to "No Category" that there is a problem.

Early Alert

Information for Students:

Please check your grade screen in Owl Link to see if your instructor has issued an Early Alert notice. If your professor has indicated that you have poor attendance, poor grades/tests/assignments, or both — poor attendance and poor grades, please make an appointment to meet with your professor as soon as possible to determine the steps you can take to improve your academic performance. Be assured that HELP IS AVAILABLE, so act early. Also, take advantage of the college's support services. Contact or visit any or all of the support services offices listed below:

The Tutoring and Writing Center - Bladen Hall 107 (Assistance with courses and writing assignments)
The ALANA Experience - Marlboro Hall 2102 (Assistance with academic skill support and mentoring)
Academic Advising - Bladen Hall 124 (Assistance with course selection, educational planning, and selecting a major)
Counseling Services - Bladen Hall 122 (Assistance with personal problems or concerns, anxiety and stress)
Disability Support Services - Bladen 124 (Assistance for students with documented disabilities)
Student Support Services - Marlboro Hall 2087 (Individualized tutoring, academic coaching for qualified first generation students)
Vocational Support Services - Marlboro Hall 2102 (Study skills support and help with adjusting to test taking)

For additional information, feel free to contact me, Kathy Hopkins, Director of Retention Services at 301-322-0840 or khopkins@pgcc.edu — We are here to help you be successful in reaching your educational and career goals

New Fall Semester Start Date

Due to disruptions caused by storms and the earthquake, fall semester classes will begin on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 (not August 29, 2011).

For details, visit: http://www.pgcc.edu/aboutus/newstartdate.aspx

Online Student Orientation

The Online Student Student Orientation is on Thursday, August 25, 2011. Click here for details.

Has your Control panel stopped working?

Bb 9 for Faculty

When you click on a menu button in the control panel does it jump back to the top of the course? This is a known issue that is caused when the repositionable bar in the Announcements area is moved to the bottom of the announcements.

To correct this issue, you can either:

1. Create a new announcement, which will automatically be listed under the repositionable bar
or
2. In the control panel, click on the arrows on the tool button that are pointing to the right instead of the ones that are pointing down.

Either of these suggestions will make the control panel work again.