Blackboard Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a query which is not answered by the FAQs below, please contact the Learning & Research Systems Team.

Logging in and Accessing Courses

I can't see my modules when I login

Please contact with your School Student Administration Team to ensure that you are attached to the correct modules runs.

Course Management

What do I do if my course is 'over quota'?

Please contact Learning & Research Systems to discuss the possibility of increasing the quota for your course.

How do I add another instructor to my course?

Please contact the appropriate School Student & Programme Support (SPS) to request that a member of staff is attached to the module run.

Is there any training on using Blackboard?

The Learning and Development Centre offer a 'Getting Started with Blackboard' training course. For further information, please see the Learning and Development Centre webpages.

In addition, Learning & Research Systems provide online staff guides covering the various tools and functions in Blackboard. Please see the Staff Guides index for further details.

Course Content

How can I set up a Sign-up list?

The Sign-up list tool provided by Durham university is not compatible with the upgraded Blackboard and there are no plans to update it.

Blackboard has its own Sign-Up Sheet function in the Groups tool using Self Enrol groups.

If this tool doesn‘t meet your needs, please speak with your faculty Technology Enhanced Learning team (TELs) who will work with you on an alternative solution.

Can I use multimedia files?

Panopto can be used to upload video and audio files in your Blackboard course. These files are stored on the Panopto servers and so do not take up any of your course quota. For further information please see our Panopto guidance.

Can I move items within my Blackboard course?

Instructors can copy or move individual content items within a course, or between two courses.

For instructions, please see our Copying Courses guide.

Why are links to items in my Content Collection not working for students?

This is most likely caused by permissions to your content collection not being set for course users.

Please contact the Learning & Research Systems team for help in resolving the permissions.

Why do my students receive an 'Access Denied' message?

If a student encounters the message 'Access denied. Either you are not logged in or you do not have the appropriate privileges to perform this action', it is likely that they are following a link to another course which they are not enrolled on. Instructors should only create links from one course to another if all students are enrolled on both courses.

Summative tests

Best practice for running summative tests in Blackboard

Currently only ISIS fed Blackboard assignments are fully supported for summative assessment in Blackboard.

There is currently no formal UWE policy on using Blackboards tests for summative tests or exams, and as such we would advise a note of caution when conducting them in Blackboard, and that you contact your TELs for more help in setting them up.

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