Creating a test course in Blackboard (Instructors)

Description

A test course can be used as a developmental space to try out new content and tools, or as a template from which structure and content is copied to one or more live courses. Test courses are not associated with a term and expiration dates are not currently enforced, so they do not drop off of your course list and are consistently accessible over extended periods of time. There are currently no limits imposed on the number of test courses a user may create or maintain.

Creating a test course allows you to build content more than eight (8) weeks prior to the start of the course, when courses become available to instructors.

Environment

Mac and PC

Solution 

The instructions below accompany this quick video: Create a Test Course in Blackboard - Ohio University (video hosted on YouTube).

1. ​​​​Go to blackboard.ohio.edu and login with your OHIO email and password.

2. Select the Organizations page from the navigation menu at left.

3. In the upper right corner of the page, click the Organization Catalog link.

4. Confirm the Search Catalog fields are set to "Name" and "Contains" (defaults), then input "Create a Test Course" to the search field.

5. Click the Go button to initiate a catalog search.

6. On the results page, hover your mouse over "Create_Test_Qwickly" in the Organization ID column to reveal a menu icon to the right of the ID.  

7. Open the menu and select Enroll.

8. Click Submit.

9. Confirm a success message is displayed, then click OK to enter the organization.

   • NOTE: Steps 1-9 are only necessary the first time you create a test course. Once you've self-enrolled in the "Create a Test Course" organization, you can access it anytime from your enrollments on the Organizations page.

10. On the Start Here page, click the Create Test Course button.

11. Input New Test Course Name.

12. Select an End Date.

    • NOTE: The test course End Date is not enforced at this time. Your test course will remain in the system indefinitely as long as you continue to access and update it. Per the published Course Retention Policy, OIT reserves the right to archive test courses that have not been modified for at least 2.5 years.

13. Click Submit.

14. Navigate to the Courses page. Your new test course will appear under the "Assorted Dates" heading in the Current Courses filter. 

    • TIP: To make a frequently-used course easier to find, click the star on the course card to designate it as a "Favorite." Favorite courses appear at the top of the course list.

Outcome: You should now be able to create a Blackboard Original test course.

Get help from OIT

• Visit the Learning Management System: Blackboard page to create a ticket.

• Visit the Technology Resources and Training page for an OIT training.

Additional resources

• Blackboard Learn Help for Instructors - Original View

• Blackboard Learn Help for Students - Original View

• Quick Start for the Blackboard Mobile App

• Publisher Content & Add-ons

• System Requirements