Blackboard Known Issues

Student submissions that contain special characters (e.g., colon, hash) are not downloadable/viewable.

Avoid special characters in filenames.  Use letters, numbers, and underscore. Give proper file extensions (e.g., .doc or .docx for an MS Word document).

Content: You've just logged in, but you are asked to authenticate for a piece of content (like a banner image on the home page)

 

This is typically a browser cookie issue.
Clear Firefox Blackboard cookies.pdf
Clear MSIE Blackboard bbcswebdav cookie.pdf

Browsers (Internet Explorer, Chrome) will display an "insecure content" or "mixed content" security notification if you try to load non-secure (http URL) external content within Blackboard (e.g., embedded Youtube videos).

Our Blackboard is running as a secure server (https URL).  Modern browsers now warn if you are trying to load insecure content within a secure page -- as it could possibly be malicious.   If you trust the content you are trying to display, you would need to explicitly allow the content to load, otherwise you would get a blank area where you expect content to appear.

More information:

• MS Internet Explorer mixed-content warning - http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee264315(v=vs.85).aspx
• Google Chrome insecure content warning - http://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1342714

Chrome (v21) browser now has a more subtle warning about "insecure content."  This may cause students to be unaware of the issue when trying to view external content within Blackboard (e.g., embedded Youtube videos).

Chrome (v21) now uses a shield icon  to warn you "This page has insecure content." You need to click on the shield icon to display the "insecure content" warning and get the option to allow the content to load.

More information:

• Google Chrome insecure content warning - http://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1342714

Mac-only: Java for OS X 2012-006 (October 16, 2012) uninstalls Apple-provided Java applet plug-in for all web browsers. There are a few tools in Blackboard that currently use Java Applets: Virtual Classroom/Chat, Equation Editor, Multiple Files and Folder Upload

To use applets on a web page, click on the region labeled "Missing plug-in" to go download the latest version of the Java applet plug-in from Oracle. Note: the new plug-in does not work with the current Chrome browser (for Mac).

More information:

• http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5493
• http://java.com/en/download/faq/java_mac.xml

MS Internet Explorer 10 / Windows 8

• My JohnsHopkins "Bb" quick link does not work

Neither MS Internet Explorer 10 nor Windows 8 have been validated against Blackboard. If you encounter issues, please use Firefox instead.

Firefox 19 has reordering problems in Grade Center > Manage > Column Organization

As reported by another Bb Institution (see http://teaching.cscc.edu/Bb9/kb/post.asp?B=6&P=1181)
There are problems with reordering in Grade Center > Manage > Column Organization when using Firefox 19.0. When the column is released, it is jumping to random places on the page. While it the columns seem to be reordering properly when the page is submitted, the visual is very disconcerting and makes it difficult to determine exactly what is going on.

Stay at Firefox 18, or use the alternative reordering method (the two-arrow icon on the right) to reorder column

Calendar color picker does not work if your courseid has a dot (.) in it.

With the new calendar, we are supposed to be able to change the color  for the courses that the calendar events belong to. However, that is not the case with JHU courses because they contain a dot (.) in them.

Calendar selection checkboxes do not persist if your courseid has a dot (.) in it. 

If you uncheck the box next to certain course calendars to remove their events from the calendar and then you log out and log back in, the system does not remember the calendars you unchecked.if you uncheck the box next to certain course calendars to remove their events from the calendar and then you log out and log back in, the system does not remember the calendars you uncheckedif you uncheck the box next to certain course calendars to remove their events from the calendar and then you log out and log back in, the system does not remember the calendars you unchecked

Chat/Virtual Classroom prompts to "An applet from blackboard.jhu.edu is requesting access to your computer..." (or similar)

There are a few tools in Blackboard that currently use Java Applets.  You will need to accept/allow access for the feature to function. As a security precaution, it should specify "blackboard.jhu.edu".

Virtual Classroom Continuously Redirects When Using Tool "Map"

The tool "Map" in the Virtual Classroom can cause one of two things to occur:

• When two users are in Virtual Classroom, anytime one user clicks the "Map" function, the other user is kicked out of the Virtual Classroom.
• User is redirected to the uploaded file instead of Virtual Classroom session. If the user tries to re-enter they continue to get redirected to the file.

Content Area > Build Content > File > Browse Computer: You get an "Action not complete: Adding the selected content to the specified folder causes the folder to exceed its quota" when you try to upload a file. 

If you "move" a Content Area folder, then "copy" that same Content Area folder, Bb will incorrectly create the copy of the folder.

Avoid using "move", you can "copy" the Content Area folder, then delete the original.

Build Content > File  does not auto-populate the Name field (e.g., with the uploaded filename) as in prior versions of Blackboard.

Discussion Board replies not displaying body of post, or options to Quote, Reply, etc

The content is not lost.  It is just not displaying properly.  We have a case open with Blackboard.  In the meantime, there is at least one workaround.

1. On the Forum screen, display the Threads

2. Select the checkbox to the left of a Thread (example, the MODEL ME!!! thread)

3. Select Collect

The resulting collection of all the posts in the Thread will show the body of the replies.

Help link opens blank window for Instructor, TA, Course Builder, Grader roles; works for Student role.

Blackboard suggests using http://help.blackboard.com/ (Note: as of May 24, 2013 our Blackboard version is 9.1SP11)

You can not select an .mp3 file using the “Insert/Edit Embedded Media” > Browse Content Collection.

Select the .mp3 file using Browse Computer instead of the Browse Content Collection

Grade Center: Work Offline > Upload only allows 32 characters for any text cell.

Any grade entry can have comments added to it. Comments are entered either through the Grade Details page or from the Quick Comments option in the Feedback to User or Grading Notes fields. Comments entered into the Grading Notes field cannot be accessed by Students or Observers.

Assignment: If an assignment filename has a hash symbol (#) in it, a user will encounter a 404 error when attempting to download submissions from the Grade Center. Note: the file never gets does get stored in Blackboard.  Instructor can retrieve it Grade Center > Assignment File Download.

While this has been resolved in the latest service pack (Dec 27, 2010), we still recommend only using letters, numbers, underscore and proper file extensions (e.g., doc) when naming files.

Firefox 19 has reordering problems in Grade Center > Manage > Column Organization

As reported by another Bb Institution (see http://teaching.cscc.edu/Bb9/kb/post.asp?B=6&P=1181)
There are problems with reordering in Grade Center > Manage > Column Organization when using Firefox 19.0. When the column is released, it is jumping to random places on the page. While it the columns seem to be reordering properly when the page is submitted, the visual is very disconcerting and makes it difficult to determine exactly what is going on.

Stay at Firefox 18, or use the alternative reordering method (the two-arrow icon on the right) to reorder column

Accessing Full Grade Center displays the error 'errorParsingDataMsg TypeError: this.scoreProvidersMap [ spu.handle ] is undefined'

The problem is sporadic and always occur when accessing the Full Grade Center. Larger Grade Centers seem to exhibit this behavior more often.

Using Firefox (required) go into Full Grade Center > Manage > Column Organization + Submit (might have to do it one or more times)

Daily Notifications: We are aware of the following issues with some individual's email daily digest notifications:

• Discussion Board: Unread message – shows incorrect count
• Discussion Board: Unread message – sometimes see two entries 

Also can see incorrect counts for Blogs/Wikis even though the tools are not used in the course.

Blackboard continues investigating. In the meantime, the Notifications Dashboard within Blackboard should be correct.

Guests (unenrolled users) receive an Error Message when trying to view Learning Module Content