Adding content to a course is usually one of the first activities for which instructors use Blackboard.
A variety of content can be added, often in Microsoft Office formats, and organised into folders. Staff profiles give students information about the staff instructors. Links can be made between areas of the Blackboard course, and a glossary may be added including common terms and definitions.
Once content has been added sophisticated rules may be used to make content items available to students once they have fulfilled certain criteria.
Use the guides listed below to find out how to add content to your course.
Getting Started
How to add a folder to your Blackboard course
Keep your course organised by using folders to store your content.
Quick editing your content using ‘Edit Mode’
The Edit Mode function allows you to quickly edit materials in your Blackboard course.
How to edit existing content in your Blackboard course
This guide illustrates the most common method of editing existing content found on your Blackboard course.
How to copy / move items within and among your Blackboard course(s)
You may wish to copy or move material within your blackboard course, or to another course. This guide explains how to do this.
How to add a file to your Blackboard course
Sometimes you may wish to simply add a file to you course for your students to download, without any extra descriptive information. This guide explains how.
How to add an item of content to your Blackboard course
Use this guide to find out what’s involved in adding content to your Blackboard course.
How to add an announcement to your Blackboard course
Announcements can be used to pass on news and reminders about your Course.
How to add a staff profile to your Blackboard course
Let your students know who you are and add a staff profile to your Blackboard course.
Using the ‘What You See Is What You Get’ (WYSIWYG) text editor in Blackboard
You will find this Text Editor on most Blackboard screens, this guide explains how it works.
Blackboard’s ‘Course Files’ area explained
‘Course Files’ shows files that have been uploaded to your course, and allows you to bulk upload new files.  You can also select these files in course content areas when adding content.
Using TeX in Blackboard to present mathematical notation
There are a number of ways to use mathematical notation in Blackboard. In this page we share a technique to use the Display mathematic mode of TeX within Blackboard.
Blogs and Wikis
How to use blogs within your Blackboard course
Weblogs, also known as Blogs, can be used within your Blackboard course. Â Full step-by-step guides are available.
How to use wikis within your Blackboard course
Wikis allow for collaborative creation of content by any member of your Blackboard course. Full step by step instructions are available.
Advanced Content Settings
Review status
It is possible to set content items to have a “Mark Reviewed” button beside them. This allows students to click on the button which then turns to “Reviewed”. You can check which students have marked materials as reviewed, and this feature can be used to form part of an adaptive release rule.
Adaptive release
Adaptive Release allows you to control what content is viewable by a student based on certain rules. Criteria that can be used to form such rules are: username, group membership, gradebook score, and review status.
Images and Audio / Video Content
How to add a video file to your Blackboard course
This guide explains how to add an video file to your Blackboard course.
How to add a picture to your Blackboard course
A picture is worth a thousand words – find out how to add one to your Blackboard course by reading this guide.
How to add an audio file to your Blackboard course
This guide explains how to add an audio file to your Blackboard course.
Recording a webcam video into your Blackboard course
You may use the Video Everywhere feature to record a video from your web cam directly into your Blackboard course, via YouTube.
Third Party Content
Embedding Instagram feeds into your Blackboard course
You can use SnapWidget, a free third party service, to create an embed code to add Instagram accounts or hashtags into your Blackboard course.
Add a SlideShare presentation to your Blackboard course
This guide explains how to embed a presentation from SlideShare into your Blackboard course. Users should read the SlideShare terms and conditions.
Embedding an RSS feed within your Blackboard course
It is possible to embed a RSS feed into a content item or announcement that you add to your Blackboard course. Note that this method may stop working if the third party RSS widget we demonstrate in this guide changes. Please read the note on the terms of usage within the guide.
How to add an external link to within your Blackboard course
Add links to external websites to your Blackboard course by using this guide.
How to add a link to your Reading List in Blackboard
After your reading list is created, follow these steps to add a link to your Reading List from within your Blackboard course.
Embedding facebook materials within your Blackboard course
It is possible to embed facebook materials into a content item or announcement that you add to your Blackboard course. Note that this method may stop working if facebook change the way their service works. facebook is a third party web site and iSolutions cannot be held responsible for the content held on it. iSolutions does not support facebook. Users should read the facebook terms and conditions.
Enable the Blackboard Content Market
If you have an arrangement with a third party supplier to use certain extra services within Blackboard you will may need to enable the Blackboard Content Market. This is currenlty not enabled by default in order to avoid confusion. Follow these four steps to enable the Blackboard Content Market.
How to add a Flickr photo into your Blackboard course
This guide explains how to embed a picture from Flickr into your Blackboard course. You should read Flickr’s terms and conditions.
Adding links to LinkedIn Learning content within your Blackboard course
LinkedIn Learning is an American massive open online course website offering video courses taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills. It is a subsidiary of LinkedIn. It was founded in 1995 by Lynda Weinman as lynda.com before being acquired by LinkedIn in 2015.
Embedding a YouTube video within your Blackboard course
It is possible to embed a YouTube video within your Blackboard course. Note that this method may stop working if YouTube changes the way their videos work. YouTube is a third party web site and iSolutions cannot be held responsible for the content held on it. Users should read the YouTube terms and conditions.
How to add content from EdShare to your Blackboard course
You may wish to add a link to a piece of content held within EdShare so that it is accessible from your Blackboard course.
Embedding a Twitter feed within your Blackboard course
It is possible to embed a Twitter feed, search, or hash tag into a content item or announcement that you add to your Blackboard course. Note that this method may stop working if Twitter change the way their service works. Twitter is a third party web site and iSolutions cannot be held responsible for the content held on it. iSolutions does not support Twitter. Users should read the Twitter terms and conditions.
Integrate Resources from Pearson into your course
If you have an arrangement to use materials from Pearson follow these instructions to set up your Blackboard course.
Enabling MATLAB Grader in your Blackboard course
If you have an arrangement with Matlab to use Matlab Grader within Blackboard you will first need to enable this feature in your course.
Other Blackboard Content
How to use the glossary manager
The Glossary Manager can be used to create a list of terms and definitions for your course.
How to add a ‘blank page’
The blank page feature allows you to create a page of text and graphics within your course.
How to add a course link
You may wish to place a link in one content area to another within your course. Use this guide to find out how.
How to add a SCORM learning object
This guide explains how to add SCORM based learning objects to your Blackboard course. SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model.
How to add a learning module
Learning Modules allow you to order content in a sequence so that students access it in order.
Using the syllabus editor
The Syllabus Builder allows you to create a simple course syllabus using a Blackboard template.
Creating a Blackboard lesson plan
If you wish you can use Blackboard to share lesson plans and their associated resources with your students.
How to set the language in which your Blackboard course appears
It is possible to set your Blackboard course to appear in a number of available languages, and enforce this for all course users.