Step-By-Step
Tracking a File's Usage
(Text version)

1.Blackboard allows instructors to track the usage of any file added to a course site. Blackboard cannot track folders however it can track the files located inside of folders. To track a file's usage the file must first have a "track" option applied to it. This is usually done when the file is first uploaded, created or attached in Blackboard. Instructors and TAs are given the option to "track" who views a file and how many times the file is viewed..

To add the "track" option to an existing file:

• Log into the Blackboard course site as usual.
• Go to Control Panel. Locate the file somewhere under a Course Content Area. (It may be inside of a folder).
• Click on the "Modify" button to the right of the item name. This will display the Modify form for that item.
• Under Options, select the "Yes" radio button next to "Do you want to track number of views?".
• Click on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the page. A receipt will be displayed telling you that the item has been updated.
• Blackboard will keep track of when the file is viewed and who views it.

2. To view the track statistics for that file:

• Go to Control Panel. Locate the file somewhere under a Course Content Area. (It may be inside of a folder).
• Click on the "Tracking" button to the right of the item name. This will display the Statistics form for that item.
• Checkmark the "start" and "end" date checkboxes and use the dropdown boxes to select the period of time the report should cover.
• If you want the report to reflect the usage of all users leave the default "All Users" radio button selected. If you want to track the usage of a sub-set of all users, select the "Selected Users" button and use the list to select the student or students you want to track. You can select more than one student by holding down the "Control" key and clicking on additional names. You can select all of the students by selecting the first student name in the list, holding the "Shift" key select the last name in the list.
• Click on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the page. This will display the report.
  
• The report will display the person who accessed the file and how many times they accessed it. The day of week, the hour of day, and the dates the file was accessed are displayed in bar graph form.

• You can print the report by clicking on the "Print" button at the top of the page. This will display your computer's print dialogue box.
• You can download the report by clicking on the " Export Data" button at the top of the page. A warning will be displayed concerning using .csv format. Click "OK". A file download dialogue box will be displayed. Click on "Save", choose a location on your hard drive for the file, rename the file if you want and click "OK". The file will be in .csv format and can be opened in Microsoft Excel or any other application that can open .csv files.

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