Instructions on taking an online test in Blackboard

Step 1. Check Your Browser Options before the Test to ensure that it is not set to disconnect after several minutes of inactivity.

• The location of this setting depends on your browser. For example, in Internet Explorer 5 & 6 it is located under Tools>Internet Options>Connections>Settings> Advanced
• If you have an off-campus Internet Service Provider that will break your connection if you don’t visit a new site after a certain period of time, then keep another window open and occasionally visit it and load a new page or refresh the page to keep your connection open.
  
  AOL users, see note below*.

Step 2. Do Not Open the Test until you are ready to take it, as online tests are set to only allow you to access the test once. Find a time to take the test in which you will be free from interruptions. Let friends and family know you will be occupied.

TIP: If your computer and telephone share the same telephone line, unplug your telephone while taking the quiz.

Step 3. Do Not Use the "Back" Button on Your Browser During the Test once you have begun taking the quiz. Instead, use the scroll bar to move back to check earlier questions. Don’t close the window of the test for any reason.

If something goes wrong, send an e-mail to your professor immediately, documenting the exact problem and asking how you should proceed. Include your username and the course and section number.

Step 4. Review All of Your Answers Before Submitting the Quiz. Make sure you have not accidentally changed your response to a question or made a typographic mistake.

Step 5. When you are satisfied with the result make sure you finish by clicking the SUBMIT button at the bottom of the screen. Click the Submit Button ONLY ONCE!
After you submit the test answers, you will receive a score unless you have exceeded the time limit for the quiz.

To Check Your Grades: Click “Student Tools” then “Check your grade. ”

Keep In Mind: It is important that you click the SUBMIT button every time you access an online assessment.

Instructions to students should include the following directions: "Be certain you are ready to take the quiz/test before clicking on the link to the quiz / test. Once you click on the "Take Quiz" link and answer "OK" to the dialog the expectation is that you will complete the quiz in one sitting. If you leave the quiz without completeing it, or lose your Internet connection, you will not be permitted to return to finish.

Having said this, students may also need to be cautioned to take appropriate measures to avoid problems:

1. If you lose your Internet connection while taking a Blackboard test, this can prevent successful submission. If your internet connection is terminated, you should
   • keep the assessment window OPEN
   • attempt to re-connect to the Internet immediately. If the browser is kept open and the connection is reestablished, you may be able to successfully finish and submit your quiz.
2. Make sure that the Blackboard window is maximized and covers the entire computer screen.
3. Turn off any browser Pop-up blockers, Instant Messaging, or email notification. All of these can cause problems for assessments.
4. Removing Pop-up blockers: Pop-up blocker software may block a quiz from opening. If an assesment is set to open in a new window, pop-up blocker software prevents a new window from "popping up."

   To Disable Pop-up Blocker in Internet Explorer:

   • Select from the menu bar Tools > Pop-up Blocker > Turn Off Pop-up Blocker

   To Disable Pop-up Blocker in Mozilla Firefox:

   • Select Tools > Options > Web Features
   • Uncheck "Block Popup Windows" or;
   • Click "Allowed Sites" and enter the URL of the website allowed to open popup windows.

   To Disable Pop-up Blocker in Netscape 7.1:

   • Select Tools > Popup Manager > Allow Popups From This Site

   To temporarily override the pop-up blocker in Internet Explorer:

   • Hold the (ctrl) key as you click on the assessment link
     
     
5. If using a dial-up modem to connect to the Internet, turn off "call-waiting", as this can cause a disconnect, and Blackboard will assume you have abandoned the assessment.
6. The campus computer clusters offer uninterrupted internet access, and you may want to take your online assessments there.
7. Browser Issues: Certain browser actions may cause students to unintentionally exit the quiz. Students taking quizzes should NOT:
   • Click the Back, Forward, Home, or Refresh/Reload buttons in their browser
   • Enter new URLs in the Address or Location fields of the browser
   • Select any pages from their Favorites/Bookmarks list in the assessment's browser window
   • In Netscape, students should also not re-size, maximize, or minimize the assessment's browser window after beginning the quiz because, in Netscape, this causes a Refresh. Students should also not attempt to print the assessment while using Netscape.

The AOL browser has compatibility issues with Blackboard. If you use AOL (or another internet service that provides a customized browser), you should install Netscape or IE, minimize your AOL or other ISP application after connection, and then use Netscape or IE for Blackboard.

8. Be sure you use the "Submit" button at the end of the quiz / test or Blackboard will not record your answers.
9. Online quizes can be interrupted - possible situations include
   • resizing the browser window or using the browser back button
   • stopping a quiz for any reason
   • using instant messaging, email notification, call-waiting during the assessment
   • failure of your internet connection
   • your connection includes a time-out, and drops your connection

CONNECTIVITY: Submission Failures

Since the browser does not generate any network traffic while a student is completing an assessment in Blackboard, the student's ISP may drop the connection due to inactivity (no traffic passing over the connection). If a student's connection is lost, as long as they re-establish the connection without closing the Blackboard window before they submit or make any other changes to the browser window, then they should be able to submit without a problem (and be sure not to minimize the browser window if using Netscape) .

If they do not re-establish the connection, then it will be recorded as an Incomplete Attempt (grading error). Several approaches to solving this (mostly the responsibility of the student):

Avoid Losing Your Work: Work on essay questions offline using a Word Processor such as Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, WordPad, etc. Save the file to disk and then use the copy and paste feature to copy the information to the Blackboard Discussion Board text box. Saving work that you will be posting online is a good idea (especially if your response is a long one) just in case there is a problem, and you get logged out without submitting the information. Many students have composed long answers online and lost all information upon submission. Do not let this happen to you!

Blackboard Settings Primer for Instructors

The Force Completion setting

• Iif the Instructor selects the Force Completion setting, Students must complete the Assessment the first time it is launched . Students may not exit the Assessment and continue working on it at a later date. The Save button is available for Students to save the Assessment as they work through it, but they may not exit and re-enter the Assessment.
• If the Force Completion option is enabled, it is noted and explained to Students at the top of the Assessment.
• If Force Completion is not enabled and a Student exits a Question-by-Question Assessment, the Assessment will open to the first unsaved question when it is re-entered.

Saving the Test versus Submitting the Test.

• If an Assessment is set to Display All questions, the Submit and Save buttons will always be displayed.

The Prohibit Backtracking setting

• If a Student is taking an Assessment that does not allow backtracking, an error page will appear if they submit a question and then attempt to use the browser’s Back button. The Student will be sent to the last unsaved questions from this page.

The Allow Mutliple Attempts setting

• If a user selects the Back button after submitting an Assessment a receipt page appears stating that the Assessment has already been taken.  For multiple attempt Assessments they may choose to take the Assessment again; for single attempt Assessments they may review the results of the Assessment.

Verify That You Have The Minimum Blackboard System Requirements:

Operating Systems: Windows 98, 2000, NT, ME, XP; Mac OS 8.x or 9.x. Mac OSX 10.2 or greater is recommended, especially if Collaboration Tools will be used in a course.
Internet Connection: You will need a 56K modem connection or better (cable modem, DSL, T1, etc.).
Browser: You will need to have IE 6 or greater or Netscape 6.2.3 or greater. It is recommended that you download the latest release or IE or Netscape if you experience problems with your current browser (http://www.microsoft.com or http://home.netscape.com)

Java and JavaScript Must Be Enabled In Your Browser
Windows users will also need to download the Java 2 Runtime Environment in order to use the Collaboration Tools (Virtual Chat or Lightweight Chat) available for download at http://java.com. Mac OS 8 and 9 users running Netscape may need to download and install the Java MJR 2.2.5 and the Mozilla MRJ Plugin for Netscape.

Your browser must Accept Cookies.
To view or change your browser cookie settings:

• In Netscape, go to the Edit/Preferences/Advanced menu.
• In IE 6.0, go to the Tools/Internet Options/Privacy menu.
• In IE 5.0, go to the Tools/Internet Options/Security menu.