Questions about Course Material

blackboard > faqs > course material

This page highlights different questions about Course Material in Blackboard. Scroll down the page to find your question.

How do I upload a file to my course?

For step by step instructions, please see our Adding an Item tutorial

What types of files can I upload?

All files uploaded to Blackboard from a Macintosh must have the file extension added. If you plan to use files that need a specific application to view them, then we recommend that you create a link to the software download page for students.
There are also certain characters not to use when naming files. Here are two tables that show commonly used file extensions and characters not to use when naming files:

Types of Files	File Extension
Word	.doc
PowerPoint	.ppt
Excel	.xls
PDF	.pdf
HTML	.htm or .html
Text	.txt
Rich Text Format	.rtf
Image Files	.gif or .jpg
QuickTime Video Files	.mov
Real Audio Files	.rm or.ram

Characters not to use
Ampersand	&
Comma	,
Semicolon	;
Quotes	' '
Question Mark	?
Number sign	#
Slashes	/ \

How do I upload linked web pages?

To upload multiple Web pages that are all linked, and have them display correctly for the audience, do the following:

Use compression software (for example WinZip, StuffIt, or DropStuff) to "zip" the files together as one file. This process will vary, depending on what product you are using.
Upload the zipped file into the Course Documents area or the location you want to put it in.
In the Special Actions drop down menu choose Unpackage this file.

When the student clicks on the link, the package will unzip and the index page will be displayed.

Please contact the ITS Help Desk by calling 475 - 9400 or by submitting a help request at http://www.utexas.edu/its/help/blackboard/.