There is a new issue to report for all Mac users taking online math and science classes in Blackboard. A recent update has caused the loss of the WebEQ equation editor which used to appear as a function button in the Discussion Board text editor, as seen below.
So far, this appears to affect all browsers for Mac, including Firefox. Blackboard is aware of the issue, but there is no ETA on a fix or an indication that it will be repaired. Therefore, if you’ve signed up for an online math or science class for next quarter and intend to use your Mac for coursework, you should be prepared to do the following:
- Contact the instructor of the course to find out if they will be requiring you to use the equation editor in Blackboard.
- Prepare to use another computer for at least the Discussion Board content of the course, or if you have an Intel based Mac, consider using Bootcamp or other virtual machine software to install an additional operating system like Ubuntu or Windows, which are still loading WebEQ at this time.
Sometimes a busy Blackboard user will need to stop and save in the middle of a response in Discussion Board so they can come back and finish it later. However, when some return there may be no obvious way to find the saved post. To retrieve a hidden draft, do the following…
At the bottom of the main Discussion Board page which shows all of the threads, there is a Display settings box. Click on the arrows in this box to drop down a menu and choose Show All. Then click Go and that should pull all of the posts up again, including those saved. If the Discussion Board is a very active one, you may want to narrow it down by selecting Drafts instead of Show All and then click Go.
Occasionally, a Blackboard user will experience an issue within the Discussion Board where the main view will appear normally, but clicking on any of the discussions causes the following error message:
“There are no accessible items or items that match the search criteria to display”
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Blackboard uses pop-up windows as an essential part of its operation such as quiz or test windows, discussion board postings, download links, and more. Therefore, it is important that pop-up windows be allowed for Blackboard to function correctly.
You can manage this by turning off the pop-up blocker in your browser and all pop-up blockers on any additional Yahoo, Google, or other third party toolbars that you may have added. However, if you find pop-up ads too annoying to allow, you might choose instead to make an exception for Clark’s Blackboard site. Directions for the certified Blackboard browsers are below. Select your browser from the list and either turn off the pop-up blocker or allow an exception for Blackboard. View Full Article »
Many Blackboard users have experienced problems when submitting and viewing text that has been pasted directly from Microsoft Word into Blackboard. The cause of this issue is the accompanying word processor formatting code that is included when using the copy/paste feature. These codes should be removed prior to pasting into a Blackboard text box.
One trick is to copy and paste your text from Word into NotePad first, which strips out the fancy formatting. Then copy and paste that more compatible NotePad text into the Blackboard text box editor and use the formatting tools available in Blackboard to style your text. Some will just attach a Word document to their post, however, there are many students that don’t have Word and they will not be able to view your attachment. A few users have reported success when saving the Word text as HTML (website) code, but that isn’t recommended for beginners.
Blackboard works best when you have the latest version of Java installed on your computer. Users have experienced many problems, such as Discussion Board display issues, due to their Java needing an upgrade. You can check your Java installation by clicking the link below and following the instructions to scan your version and determine if you need to update. If necessary, the site will recommend a newer version and will assist you with installing it.
Check My Java
