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Blackboard 9.1 Avoiding Issues with Online Tests

Blackboardtestsareagreatwaytoadministeratestbuttherearesometestoptionsandexternaltechnologiesthatcancauseyourtesttogobadly.ThisguideisdesignedtoassistyouinavoidingBlackboardtestissues.

Advice for Faculty on Blackboard Tests

DoNotCheck“ForceCompletion”Whensettingtestoptions,donotcheck“ForceCompletion”.ForceCompletionisintendedtopreventcheatingbyautomaticallysubmittingthetestshouldastudentnavigateawayfromatest;however,ithasitsdownsidetoo.Forexample,shouldastudent’sinternetconnectionbeinterruptedortheyaccidentlyclosetheirbrowser,theirincompletetestwillautomaticallybesubmitted.

DoNotUse“ShortAnswer”Questions(UseEssayInstead)Whencreatingyourtest,use“Essay”typequestionsinsteadof“ShortAnswer”.Inearly2017,issueswithshortanswerquestionsbegantoappearafterachangeinChrome.

DoCheck“AllAtOnce”Whensettingtestoptions,docheck“AllatOnce”.Checking“OneataTimeProhibitBacktracking”hascausedissuesinthepast.Forexample,astudentlosestheirconnectionorsubmitsthequestionaccidently.

DoKnowhowtoallowaStudentBackintoaTestthathasLockedthemOutShouldtechnicalissuespreventastudentfromtalkingatest,theinstructorcanallowthemtogetbackintoabymakinga“TestAvailabilityException”.Thisisperformedunder“EditTestOptions”.Theinstructorwillneedtoaddtheuserasanexception,specify“multipleattempts”,andsetatimeanddaterangethetestisavailableforthem.

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Place“FileResponse”QuestionsattheEndoftheTestIfyouwantstudentstoattachafile(e.g.,adataset),usethe“FileResponse”questiontypeandmakeittheverylastquestionintheexam.HavingtheFileResponsequestionasthelastquestionwillensurethatalltheotherresponsesaresavedasthestudentnavigatesthetest.Also,besuretotellyourstudentstoclosethefilebeforetheysubmitit.Submittinganopenfilecansometimesnotsubmitatall.

AvoidWirelessOverloadinaClassroom–AirplaneModeforunusedDevicesBeawarethatUSCwirelessmaybecomeoverloadedwhengivinganexaminaclassroom.Ifthisoccurs,askingstudentstoputmobiledevicestheyarenotcurrentlyusingintoairplanemodemightresolvetheissue.

Thisiconindicatesthecolumnishiddenfromstudents.

DoKnowhowtoHideGradesfromStudentsWhentestscontainquestionsthatareself-grading(multiplechoice,true/false,etc.),astudentcanviewtheirscoreinthe“MyGrades”arearightaway.Ifyouwouldliketopreventstudentsfromseeingtheirownscores,youshouldhidethetestcolumnfromthemintheGradeCenterusing“HidefromStudents(on/off)”.TheGradeCenterisunder“ControlPanel”.

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DoNotDeleteTestsWhenyoudeleteatest,youriskdeletingstudentresponsestothetestandtheirscoresintheGradeCenter.Instead,youcanalwayshidethetesticonfromstudentshidethetestresultscolumnintheGradeCenter,andremovetestresultsfromanycalculatedtotalcolumnsintheGradeCenter.Whendeleting,BlackboarddoesgiveyoutheoptionofpreservingthescoresintheGradeCenterBUT;thestudent’sresponsesarestillremoved.Thismeansthatifastudenthasanissueaboutoneoftheirresponsesyoucannotpulluptheirtesttoseehowtheyresponded;onlytotalpointsawardedisretained.Further,ifyourtestcontainsquestionsthatarenotauto-graded(e.g.essayquestions),andyouhavenotgradedthemyet,thestudent’sresponsetotheessayisdeleted.IfyoureallyfeeltheneedtodeleteatestthenwestronglyurgeyoutocontactBlackboardSupportbeforedoingso.Theyareat(213)740-5555option2.

Ifusing“ItemAnalysis”thenDoNotuseBlockRandomizationIfyouuseItemAnalysistoanalyzeyourtestsresults,thendonotdesignyourtestsusingBlockRandomization.BlockRandomizationwillpreventItemAnalysisfromgatheringmeaningfuldata

Notethat“RandomizeQuestions”(withinTestOptions)isokaytousewithItemAnalysis.

DoNotDeleteLeftMenuChoicesDeletingachoiceontheleftmenuremovesanycontentitcontains.Use“HideLink”instead.

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Advice for Students Taking a Blackboard Test ThissectioncontainsadviceforstudentswhentakingaBlackboardtest.

UseChrome,FirefoxorSafari–NeverInternetExplorerUseChrome,Firefox,orSafariwhentakingaBlackboardtest.IssueshavebeenreportedwithotherbrowsersandBlackboardtests.

UseaLaptoporDesktop–NeveraMobileDeviceUseeitheraWindowsorMaclaptopordesktopwhentakingthetest.Mobiledevices(pads,phones,tablets)tendtocauseissueswiththetest.

IfPossible,useaWiredConnectionoveraWirelessConnectionIfpossible,useawiredconnectionoverawirelessconnection.Wirelessconnectionscansometimeslosetheirsignalmakinggettingbackintoatestproblematic.

SaveasYouGoWhenyouclickachoiceinthenextquestion,Blackboardwillsometimessavetheansweraboveitforyoubuttobeonthesafeside,click“SaveAnswer”aftereachquestion.

AvoidTimeoutsbyClicking“SaveAnswer”PeriodicallyClickinganswerchoicesandhitting“Save”isregisteredasactivityonmostbrowsersbuttypinginanessaytestboxisnot.Therefore,wesuggestyouclick“SaveAnswer”periodicallytoavoidBlackboardtimingyouout.

Ideally,TurnoffPop-upBlockersPop-upblockerscancauseissuesontests.EitherturnthemofforaddBlackboardasatrustedsite.(https://blackboard.usc.edu)

TypeLongEssayResponsesinaWordProcessorFirstItwouldbeunfortunateifyoulostyourinternetconnectioninthemiddleoftypingtheresponsetoalongessayquestion.WerecommendtypingyourresponseinawordprocessorandthenpastingyourtestintotheBlackboardessaybox.

NeverClicktheseButtonswhenTakingaTestNeverperformanyoftheactionsbelowwhentakingatest.Thisincludesclickingthebuttonsortheirkeyboardequivalentsifapplicable.Theycancauseanynumberofissues.

Don’tPressBackspace

Don’tPressEnter/Return

Don’tPressRefresh

Don’tDoubleClick

Chrome Firefox Safari

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CloseFilesbeforeSubmittingThemForteststhatrequireyoutosubmitafile,besuretosaveandclosethefilepriortosubmittingit.WhenyousubmitanopenfileitwillappeartobeacceptedbyBlackboardbutsubmittinganopenfilecancauseablankfiletobesubmittedornoneatall.

BeSuretoSubmitYourTestwhenCompleteAttheendoftheexam,besuretoclick“SaveandSubmit”tosendthecompletedexamtotheinstructor.Anddon’tdoubleclickit!

CopyExamConfirmationAttheendoftheexam,youmightwanttotakeascreenshotoftheconfirmationjustincaseanythinggoeswrong.