Step-By-Step
Blackboard Content Areas
(Text version)

1. By default, Blackboard contains 4 content areas called Course Information, Course Documents, Assignments and External Links. Content material posted to these 4 areas is accessed by clicking on any of the navigation buttons of the same name on the left side of the Blackboard course site. Instructors or TAs can rename these content areas (and thus the button names) as well as adding new content areas (and buttons) via the Control Panel / Manage Course Menu function.

2. The content areas can be further subdivided into folders. Instructors and TAs can create folders, create files, attach files, create course links, add external web links, post tests, post surveys, or add a Blackboard Learning Units or Blackboard Assignments to any content area.

3. Blackboard allows files of any file type to be uploaded and attached to a content area except a .EXE (Executive) file. However, for a student to read an uploaded and attached file, they must have the proper software installed on their computer to read the file. For instance, if the instructor uploads and attaches a Microsoft Word document, the student must have Microsoft Word installed on their computer to read the file. If the instructor uploads and attaches a PDF document, the student must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on their computer to read the file.

• Blackboard allows instructors and TAs to create files inside of Blackboard using the WYSIWYG (What You See IS What You Get) web editor. These files can be read by all students.
• The Blackboard WYSIWYG editor is only available to instructors and TAs using a Windows computer and accessing Blackboard via Microsoft Internet Explorer browser. Students can view files created with the WYSIWYG editor using any internet browser.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this Step-By-Step procedure contact the Tufts Blackboard Administrator at: nhirsig@tufts.edu