ORIGINAL Create Course Materials

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You can add course module pages to organize modules as you want. Add course module pages on the course menu or in a content area.

Select the Add Menu Item icon above the course menu to access the menu. Select Module Page and type a name. Select the Available to Users check box if you're ready for students to see it.

After you submit, a link to the new module page appears at the bottom of the course menu. You can drag it to a new location or use the keyboard accessible reordering tool.

Or, in a content area or folder, select Build Content to access the menu and select Module Page. Type a name, optional description, and select the appropriate options for availability, tracking, and display dates. To make changes to the name or settings, access the module page's menu next to the title and select Edit. Display dates don't affect a module page's availability, only when it appears.

You can allow students to change the color theme, reorder modules, and add modules to their personal views of the page. Students' customizations affect their views only.

A newly created course module page is an empty container. Select the title to access the page and add course modules.

To edit the title and settings of a course module page, access the module page title's menu and select Edit. If you change the title, the change does not show on the course menu. You can also edit the title on the course menu for consistency. If you change the title of the course module page on the course menu, the title is changed in the course menu and on the page itself.

You can choose which modules appear on your course module pages.

On the course module page, select Add Module. On the Add Module page, you can search by keyword or browse by category to find modules. Select More to view how a module will appear on the page.

Select Add or Remove to determine which modules appear on your page. Select OK when you're finished.

You can add a banner image that only appears when students open the module page. You can also add and format text in the editor.

The recommended size for banners is approximately 480 x 80 pixels.

Access the module page title's menu and select Page Banner. In the editor, you can browse for an image from your computer or the course repository: Course Files or the Content Collection. After you submit, the banner appears above the title of your course module page.

You can add files, images, audio, and video when you create content in your course. For example, in discussions, you can browse for a media clip from your computer or your course's file repository: Course Files or the Content Collection.

Based on the content type, you can use the functions in the editor to embed content in your text. You have creative control over how your content appears and the flexibility to change the order and appearance when you want.

In some instances, you can browse for files in a separate attachment section. You may also be able to drag and drop files from your computer into the Attachments area. Drag files from your computer to the "hot spot" in the Attach Files area. If your browser allows, you can also drag a folder of files. The files upload individually. If the browser doesn't allow you to submit after you upload a folder, select Do not attach in the folder's row to remove it. You can drag the files individually and submit again.

You can also add social media from other websites to your content. These social media elements that appear in a course are called "mashups." A mashup combines elements from two or more sources. For example, when you view a YouTube™ video as part of the course content, you're experiencing a mashup.

Or, use the Build Content menu to embed multimedia as standalone items in the content list.

Wherever you can attach files in your course, you can browse for files from your computer or your course's file repository: Course Files or the Content Collection.

When you use the Add Content function in the editor, you can determine exactly where the file's link appears within your content. When you use the Attachments section, the file you uploaded appears immediately after the title of the content item.

The Browse Course and Browse Content Collection windows include tabs and functions so you can browse and search for files easily.

A. Browse, Upload, and Advanced Search tabs:

B. View List and View Thumbnails: View files and folders as a list of file names or as thumbnail icons.

C. Breadcrumbs: Navigate to other folders. Use the Select to use the current folder location icon to link the folder that appears last in the breadcrumbs in your course. Note the folder appears in the Select Items area.

D. Search Content: Perform a basic search for file and folder names.

E. Use the check boxes to select files and folders to include in your content item. You can select the header check box to select all visible items. When you link to a folder, use caution as students receive the read permission by default on all of the folder's contents. Read permission allows students to view all the files and sub-folders in the selected folder.

F. Selected Items.

If your institution has enabled the Dropbox Education integration, you and your students can link directly to your Dropbox content in most content areas with the content editor Add Content feature. Students can also upload files directly from Dropbox when they submit assignments.

When you access Dropbox Education the first time from Blackboard, you're prompted to either create an account or authenticate to your current account. After you log in, browse Dropbox and select content.

You can determine where images appear in relation to your text. You can place the cursor where you want the image to be placed and select the Add Content icon. In the new window, choose one of the Common Tools or Additional Tools available according to the content type you are creating, then browse for the image file.

You can resize an image. Once the image is created, press and drag an image's corners or sides. You can also edit an image with the right-click menu, manually modify its size in pixels and add a title that appears when a user points at it.

You can add the common image types, such as GIF, JPG, JPEG, BMP, PNG, and TIF.

You can embed an image so it appears as a standalone piece of content in the content list.

In a content area, learning module, lesson plan, or folder, select Build Content to access the menu and select Image. Type a name, optional description, and alternative text. Select the appropriate options for dimensions, availability, tracking, and display dates. Display dates don't affect an image's availability, only when it appears.

Browse for an image file from your computer or your course's file repository: Course Files or the Content Collection. If the Add Content function is available, you can also browse for a Flickr photo. You can preview the image before you submit.

After you submit, the title and image appear in the content list. You can change the content at any time. Open the image's menu and select Edit.

You can change where the item appears in the list with the drag-and-drop function or the keyboard accessible reordering tool.

When you create content, you can determine where media clips appear in relation to your text. Select the Add Content icon to embed a media clip in the text area or edit an existing selected media item. You can also use the right-click menu to edit some properties of an existing selected media clip.

Blackboard supports these media file types:

Media settings

With the right-click menu you can edit the properties of an existing selected media clip.

From the menu, you can select General, Embed or Advanced properties. The General properties you can change are the source, and the dimensions of the video (width and height) measured in pixels. If not set, the actual size will be used. If you select the padlock icon to Constrain Proportions and add a measurement, the file is resized without horizontal or vertical distortion.

The Embed properties option presents you with a text area where you can write or modify the embedding HTML code for the video to appear. This feature is intended for advanced web developers.

The Advanced properties include an alternative source or image URLs.

The following image settings are not available within the content editor anymore. For you to display these settings, add the image file from your computer, for example, using the Attachments section. When the file you selected is uploaded and visible, select the Display Media File within the page option from the File Action menu.

You can add alternative text that describes the image for people who use screen readers or visit web pages with images turned off. You can also add a title that appears when a user points an image.

You can control image placement and appearance. Pixels are used for dimensions, space, and the border width. You can also add a target URL for the image to behave as a link and decide if the target page will be opened in a new window.

You can embed an audio/video recording of your feedback in the editor as you grade attempts. The recording option appears in the feedback editor for most graded items in your course. Students watch or listen to your feedback alongside any text you include.

You can embed audio and video so they appear as standalone pieces of content in the content list.

In a content area, learning module, lesson plan, or folder, select Build Content to access the menu and select Audio or Video. Type a name, optional description, and select the appropriate options for dimensions, availability, tracking, and display dates. Display dates don't affect the media's availability, only when it appears.

Browse for an audio or video file from your computer or your course's file repository: Course Files or the Content Collection. If the Add Content function is available, you can also browse for a YouTube video. You can preview the media clip before you submit.

We recommend that you include a transcript so students who can't hear are able to receive the same information. Browse your computer to attach your own transcript file. If the video file is an MPEG file, you can use the Include Transcript field to attach an SAMI transcript file.

After you submit, the title, transcript, and media clip appear in the content list. You can change the content at any time. Open the item's menu and select Edit.

You can change where the media clip appears in the list with the drag-and-drop function or the keyboard accessible reordering tool.

Your class is full of diverse students with unique learning abilities. Providing students with more accessible content means each individual can choose formats that work best for them. If your institution uses Blackboard Ally, you can use the tool to help ensure your course content is accessible to every student.

Ally automatically scans your course content and performs steps to make files more accessible.

Students don’t see the file’s accessibility score. Instead, students can choose from the alternative formats Ally generates for the file. You can help Ally create better alternative formats by following best practices for creating accessible files.

After you attach files to a course, Ally creates alternative formats of the file based on the original. For example, if the original file is a PDF, Ally creates audio, electronic braille, and ePub formats of the same content. These formats are made available with the original file so everything is in one convenient location.

Find a file in your course. Select the menu beside it and select Alternative Formats. Choose the version that is best for your needs! Select Download to save the alternative format to your device.

The following narrated video provides a visual and auditory representation of some of the information included on this page. For a detailed description of what is portrayed in the video, open the video on YouTube, navigate to More actions, and select Open transcript.


Wherever you can add and format text in your course, you can add social media from other websites to your content. These social media elements that appear in a course are called "mashups." A mashup combines elements from two or more sources. For example, when you view a YouTube™ video as part of the course content, you're experiencing a mashup.

You can add mashups to test questions, discussions, assignments, or as a standalone piece of content. You can also add a clip of a movie or a photo in a journal, blog, or wiki.

You and your institution control which mashup types appear in the editor. Typically, the menu includes these types:

Wherever you want to add a social media element, access the editor. Select the Add Content icon and choose the type you want to search, such as YouTube Video.

On the search page, type your keywords and select Go. You'll receive a list of items that you can sort. You can also see how many items and pages are returned for your search.

When Preview is available, you can view the items in their own windows. You can also preview videos with the URLs listed in the descriptions.

After you have explored the search results, select an item. You can change the title of the item if you don't want to use the one provided.

You can choose how a mashups appear on the screen:

Select Yes for Show URL to create a link to the website. For YouTube videos, Select No if you don't want to show suggested videos at the end of playback.

Select Yes for Show information to display the length of the mashup, name of the creator, and the date the mashup was added.

Before you submit, select Preview and view how the mashup will appear in your content. Close the preview window to make changes.

In a content area, learning module, lesson plan, or folder, you can also add a social media element from the Build Content menu. When you add social media from the menu, the element appears as a standalone piece of content.

After you submit, the mashup appears in the content list. You can change the mashup's content at any time. Open the mashup's menu and select Edit.

An unlisted video doesn't appear in YouTube searches, and only users who know the link can access the video. However, complete privacy isn't guaranteed. The unlisted setting allows authors to publish and share videos easily without a need for specifically choosing who can view the video. If users have access to where the video is published, they can view it. They can also select the YouTube logo on the video which allows them to view the unlisted video on youtube.com.

You can change the privacy setting to Private. From the video library, edit the video to make it private in the YouTube clip edit settings. If you make a video private, only the users you specifically include, and who have a Google account can view it. Private videos appear in the library with a lock next to them. Only the author and specified viewers can view private videos.

You can add and format tables in the editor. The editor appears wherever you can add text, such as in assignments, tests, discussions, and journals. You have creative control over how your content appears and the flexibility to change the order and appearance.

To be sure your content is accessible to all users, use tables only to present data rather than for layout or presentation purposes. For example, users who are blind use screen readers to have text on the web read aloud. Table information read by screen readers can be difficult for users to understand.

In the editor's text box, place your mouse pointer where you want to add a table and select the Insert/edit table icon. You can also use the right-click menu.

Most of the table options are grayed out and unavailable unless you access an existing table in the text area.

To resize a table, press and drag a table's corners or sides.

When you add a table, you can set the table's basic properties on the General tab.

The system uses pixels for padding, spacing, and borders. You can use pixels or a percentage of the available display for the width and height of the table. If you leave the height box blank, the table is sized automatically to fit the content.

If you don't select a table alignment, the current paragraph alignment is used.

Select the Show Caption check box so that you can add a title that appears centered over your table.

On the Advanced tab, you can set additional properties for a table from menus and color boxes. You can also add information about these properties:

You can set formatting parameters to control how the content of table rows or cells will appear. Select a table and then select the Table Row Properties or Table Cell Properties icon. You can also select a row or a cell and use the right+click menu to display any of these options too. Both Row and Cell property windows have a General and Advanced options.

On the General tab, you can set basic properties for rows and cells, such as type, alignment and height. If you don't set a height for a row, the row is sized automatically to fit the content.

General properties for Rows:

The Advanced tab will offer the same properties as the ones for a table.

General properties for Cells:

The Advanced tab will offer the same properties as the ones for a table plus the Border width value (in pixels).

In the editor's text box, select a table, or a group of cells, to make the table editing options active.

Table 54. Options in row 2

Options	Description
	Open the Insert/Edit Table window. If you select the icon while inside a table, a new table is created inside the first one.
	Delete the table currently selected.
	Open the Table Properties window.
	Open the Table Row Properties window.
	Open the Table Cell Properties window.
	Insert a blank row in the table above the current mouse pointer position.
	Insert a blank row in the table after the current mouse pointer position.
	Delete the current row from the table. If you select multiple rows, all are deleted.
	Insert a blank column in the table to the left of the current mouse pointer position.
	Insert a blank column in the table to the right of the current mouse pointer position.
	Delete the current column from the table. If you select multiple columns, all are deleted.

You can upload an existing syllabus file and students select the link to open it. Or, you can use the syllabus builder. The syllabus will appear as a standalone item in the content list. Your institution controls if this tool is available.

You can use the syllabus builder to create a syllabus in a modular format. You can also specify the design and add lesson information.

In a content area or folder, select Build Content to access the menu and select Syllabus. On the Add Syllabus page, type a name and select the Create New Syllabus option. After you submit, the Syllabus Builder page appears.

On the Syllabus Builder page, three sections appear by default: Description, Learning Objectives, and Required Materials. You can edit the section headings. Type instructions or a description in each box. You can format the text with the options in the editor.

In the Syllabus Design section, select the style and colors for your syllabus.

In the Build Lessons section, select the Create Specified Number of Lesson Shells option and type a number. You provide lesson information in later steps. Alternatively, you can select the Do Not Create Lesson Shells option.

Select the appropriate options for availability, tracking, and display dates. Display dates don't affect a syllabus's availability, only when it appears.

After you submit, you can view your syllabus and provide the details for the lessons. You can change the syllabus content at any time. Open the syllabus's menu and select Edit.

Access the syllabus you created. Open a lesson's menu and select Edit. On the Edit Lesson page, type a name and description. Optionally, select a date and time when the lesson will appear in the syllabus. Select Submit and select OK to view the syllabus.

To remove a lesson, select a lesson's check box and select Delete Lesson above the syllabus information. You can also add more lessons.

If you don't want to use the modular syllabus that takes up space in the content list, you can upload an existing syllabus file.

In a content area or folder, select Build Content to access the menu and select Syllabus. On the Add Syllabus page, type a name and select the Use Existing File option.

Browse for a file from your computer or the course's file repository: Course Files or the Content Collection. You can attach more than one file. You can also edit the Link Title to provide a meaningful name for students.

You can use the options in the editor to type a description, add images, and format the text. Select the appropriate options for availability, tracking, and display dates. Display dates don't affect a syllabus's availability, only when it appears.

After you submit, you can view your syllabus in the content list.

You can change the syllabus content at any time. Open the syllabus's menu and select Edit. You can change where the syllabus appears in the list with the drag-and-drop function or the keyboard accessible reordering tool.

You can add several types of files to your content. In our examples, we add a document in three ways.

To control where a file link appears, use the editor to attach files as you create content

When you use the Add Content function in the editor, at the far right end of the Content control panel, you can choose where the file's link appears within your content.

Depending on the type of content, you can link to files already in Course Files or the Content Collection or browse for one on your computer. Any files you upload from your computer are saved in the repository in the top-level folder. You can't select the folder your files are uploaded to.

Advantage: You have creative control over how your content appears. If you add three files to your content item, you can split them up among the text as you want.

Example: You provide your students with three case studies to read. They must select one to further investigate. In the same content item, you can provide an introduction and a file link for each case study. You can use the file name or provide a link title for each.

Files appear: The links to the files appear exactly where you want. As you refine your content or need to update material, you can continue to add files, images, and multimedia. You have the flexibility to change the order and appearance when you want.

When you create content, attach a file in the Attachments section

As you create content, you can add a file from your computer or from the course's file repository: Course Files or the Content Collection.

Advantage: You can upload files while you build your course. You don't have to upload your materials first.

Example: Your students are struggling with a group project. You can deliver more instructions and ask them to download a file with specific examples. As you create the new content item, you can attach a file. If the file is on your computer, you can select the folder in Course Files or the Content Collection that you want to upload it to.

Select Browse Course or Browse Content Collection to locate the file on your computer and upload it. Alternatively, locate the file in one of the folders in your repository.

File appears: In the content area, the file you uploaded appears immediately after the title of the content item. You can't change where the link appears. You can use the file name or provide another name for the file. In our example, the file name appears.

Add your files to Course Files or the Content Collection BEFORE you create content

Upload files and folders into Course Files or the Content Collection, either one at a time or in batches, with the drag-and-drop function or the browse function.

Advantage: In Course Files or the Content Collection, you can create folders to organize your content.

Example: You decide to deliver content to your students for each week. On the course menu, you add links for Week 1, Week 2, and Week 3. In Course Files or the Content Collection, you create folders with the same names and upload your files. When you create content, you can navigate to the appropriate folder to locate the file you need.

No. You can add files as you create content. You can use the browse function to upload one or more files. If you upload them into a course area, you don't need to upload the same files directly to the repository. After you create your content, you can move your new files to different folders in Course Files or the Content Collection as needed. Links to the files in your course won't break.

You can reuse files in Course Files or the Content Collection. Therefore, you can delete links to files in your course, yet the files themselves remain in the repository. Then, you can link to them again. Also, if you modify or move a file to another folder after you link it in your course, the link remains intact.

You can edit and overwrite individual files in Course Files or the Content Collection while maintaining the course links to those files.

Example:

You create a link to your syllabus file in your repository. Later, you need to make changes to the file. First, edit a copy of the file on your computer. Then, return to the repository and access the item's menu. Upload the new version of the syllabus with the Overwrite File function. The link to the file in your course remains intact. When students access the syllabus in your course, they see the revised content.

In the Original Course View, when you create content in the interactive tools, you can use the Add Content function in the editor to include a file in your instructions. The system automatically uploads the files to Course Files or the Content Collection in the top-level folder. Later, you can organize your files. You can move the files to different folders in the repository and the links will remain intact.

You can link to a file as many times as you want. If you need to edit a file, your changes will appear in all the linked instances.

Yes. In Course Files or the Content Collection, access the item's menu and select 360° View. You can view information about the item and where it's linked in your course.

For folders, you can view where the files and sub-folders in the folder are linked in your course.

You can create a blank page and include files, images, and text as a link in the content list. You can't add a description with the link. Students select the link to view the materials.

You can also create a blank page directly on the course menu for critical information. For example, add a map image for an upcoming field trip, information about a guest speaker, or a study guide for the final test. Remove blank pages from the course menu as soon as the information is no longer needed.

With the editor, you have creative control over how your content appears and the flexibility to change the order and appearance when you want.

After you submit, the blank page appears in the content list. You can change the blank page's content at any time.

When Edit Mode is ON and you select the link to a blank page, you see the Edit page. To see the blank page as students do, change Edit Mode to OFF.

You can change where the blank page appears in the list with the drag-and-drop function or the keyboard accessible reordering tool.

You can use the file content type to create a link to a file in the content list. You can't add a description with the link. You can choose whether users view the file as a page within the course or in a separate window or tab. Students need to download some file types such as Word docs to view the contents.

You can upload a single file or a single zipped package. For example, you can upload a zipped package to provide students with a group of images they need for a lab project.

After you submit, the file appears in the content list. You can change the file's content at any time. Access the file's menu and select Edit.

You can change where the file appears in the list with the drag-and-drop function or the keyboard accessible reordering tool.

You can create a lesson with several interrelated HTML pages with navigation, images, web links, and cascading style sheets (CSS). Then, you can create a zipped file and unzip the file in the course's file repository and choose the start page. Students can view the lesson contents in order with all the links intact. The start page will open in a new window or tab, and students can close the page to return to the content list. Learn more in the next section also.

After you submit, the file appears in the content list. You can change the file's content at any time. Access the file's menu and select Edit.

If you want the packaged file to remain zipped, attach the zipped file in a content item with the attach options or use Insert File in the editor. Students select the link in the content list, download it, and unzip it. Use this method to provide students with several files to work with or edit on their computers.

You can use the file content type to embed HTML files for a website you have created. After uploading your HTML files to Course Files or the Content Collection, you select which file is the starting point, such as index.html or page_1.html. The file name appears in the Name box. Edit the name to help users access the content. For example, change the name to "Start Here" or "View Lesson 1."

When you select an HTML file, the Manage Access section appears. You can define the access you want to give students. You have three options:

After you submit, the new content item appears last in the content list.

In most browsers, you can select where the files that you open in courses are downloaded. For example, in Chrome, navigate to Settings > Advanced > Downloads. You can select the location for file downloads and choose if you want the browser to ask each time. In Safari, you have the same capabilities. Navigate to Preferences > General > File download location. You can perform an internet search to learn about file download choices in other browsers.

You can change the item's content at any time. Open the item's menu and select Edit.

You can change where the item appears in the list with the drag-and-drop function or the keyboard accessible reordering tool.

Your content items become documents in the Ultra Course View. You may see some loss of formatting to text and files that you added in the editor. Learn more about Ultra documents in the next sections.

A course link is a shortcut to an existing area, tool, or item in a course.

Example: Link to assignments

You can create all assignments in their own content area. Then, you can create course links to individual assignments in other areas of the course, such as in a unit folder or learning module.

If you create a course link to a tool that isn't turned on, students who access the course link see a message that the tool isn't turned on. The same is true of a course link to a content item that you applied release criteria to. For example, if you applied a rule that releases content after a certain date, students can't access the content until after that date.

In a content area, learning module, lesson plan, or folder, select Build Content to access the menu and select Course Link. On the Create Course Link page, select Browse. In the pop-up window, select the item you want to link to.

The Name and Location boxes are populated automatically. Optionally, edit the name and type a description. You can format the text with the options in the editor.

Select the appropriate options for availability, tracking, and display dates. Display dates don't affect a course link's availability, only when it appears.

After you submit, the course link appears in the content list. You can change the content at any time. Access the course link's menu and select Edit.

You can change where the course link appears in the list with the drag-and-drop function or the keyboard accessible reordering tool.

You can provide the relevant tools for a lesson near related content or on the course menu. For example in a content area, you can provide discussion and journal links alongside multimedia, lecture files, and tests.

When you include a link to a tool in a content area, you can describe the tool, provide instructions, and attach necessary files. For example, you can link to a blog, attach a file to read, and explain that students need to post to the blog next week.

Your institution controls which options and tools are available in all Original courses. You can control tool availability in your course on the Control Panel > Customization > Tool Availability.

You can link to an entire tool, such as the main blogs page, or drill in and choose a specific blog. You can also create a new blog while you create a tool link.

From the Tools menu, you can also select Tools Area so that students can access a list of all available tools in your course.

In a content area, learning module, lesson plan, or folder, select Tools to access the menu and choose a tool to link to. Select More Tools to show or hide additional tools.

These steps detail how to create a blog link. The steps are similar for other tools.

On the Create Link: Blog page:

Select Next. On the Create Link page, type a name and an optional description. Select the appropriate options for availability, tracking, and display dates. Display dates don't affect a tool link's availability, only when it appears.

After you submit, the tool link appears in the content list. You can change the content at any time. Access the tool link's menu and select Edit.

You can embed a web link so it appears as a standalone piece of content alongside other materials. For example, you can add a link to a website with the required reading you list in the syllabus.

Select the Tool Provider check box if the web link is a third party tool that implements the Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) protocol. LTI is an initiative managed by the IMS Global Learning Consortium to seamlessly integrate externally hosted web-based learning tools into courses.

For example, if you use external resources that require logins for activities, such as virtual science experiments, create a tool provider web link. Based on the configuration, this link can then pass user information to the tool provider to create a seamless experience for students.

If your institution has already set up the tool provider, paste or type the web address in the URL box. If your institution hasn't performed the setup, and you received a key and secret from the tool provider, add them in the boxes. Provide any custom parameters required by the tool provider. You may also enable grading.

You can insert math equations and formulas into tests, assignments, discussions, and journals by using the math editor. You can also type LaTeX formulas into any rich text editor where the math editor is an option. The math editor runs on any browser and operating system, including smartphones and tablets. The math editor is written by WIRIS and based on standards set by markup languages like MathML.

You have access to a rich set of features:

The accessibility features of the WIRIS editor make mathematics available to all users. The WIRIS editor takes advantage of the accessibility features in web browsers. Users don't have to install additional software to deliver content with accessible formulas.

You can upload file attachments in your course, such as to an assignment. Users select a link to open a file that appears in the course.

After you upload a file, you may be able to edit the link name to the file. This link title appears to users instead of the name of the document. For example, type "My Introduction" as the link title instead of the file name "introduction.doc."

Blackboard allows the use of all characters in file names. However, a user's operating system and the browser may limit the types of characters accepted. For example, some browsers don't accept characters that are wider. Some browsers may not have the languages installed to display the special alphabetic characters specific to them.

The system recognizes several file types by default. These files open directly in the browser or an associated application. If the system doesn't recognize the file type, users can download the attached file and open it on their computers.

Your institution controls which functions and tools are available in all courses. You can control tool availability in your course on the Control Panel > Customization > Tool Availability.

In a content area, learning module, lesson plan, or folder, select one of the menus to view the content types.

This table describes the materials you can add from each menu. Use the information to decide which content type is right for each piece of your content.

While you add text to your course, you can protect against loss of work if an internet connection loss or software error occurs. You can type in an offline simple text editor, such as Notepad or TextEdit, and then copy and paste your work into your course.

Or, before you submit or save, you can copy all of the text you want to add. Select the text and right-click to copy it. You can also use key combinations to copy and paste:

You'll have the best results if you type your text directly in the editor and format it with the available options.

You may see issues when you copy and paste text from a Word document directly into the editor. Your original formatting may not appear as you want. You also may not be able to remove or add formatting after you paste the text into the editor. To avoid the formatting issues, you can remove the formatting and reformat it with the options in the editor.

To remove the Word formatting after you paste the text in the editor, select all the text and select the Remove Formatting icon. Only use this option if you understand that all formatting will be removed. All bullets, numbered lists, indentations, line spacing, centered text, and font formatting and sizing will be removed.

Or, before you add your text in the editor, you can paste it into an offline simple text editor, such as Notepad or TextEdit, and clear the formatting. Then, you can paste the text into the editor and format it as you want.

The editor appears wherever you can add and format text, such as in assignments, tests, discussions, blogs, and journals.

You can also use the options in the editor to attach files, embed multimedia, and insert equations, links, and tables. You have creative control over how your content appears and the flexibility to change the order and appearance.

The default view is WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get). You can select the Source code icon and edit or add code, or the Insert/edit code sample icon.

You can also right-click text to access commonly-used options. The menu changes based on the location of the cursor and whether or not you've selected text.

In the editor, you can add bullet and number lists to your text.

You can adjust spacing between bullet and number items in the Source code view or in the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) view.

By default, bullet and number lists have the same spacing as lines in a paragraph. Each item in the list uses the <li> tag to create each bulleted or numbered item.

In WYSIWYG view, after you create your list, place your mouse pointer at the end of each bulleted or numbered line and press Shift + Enter. You're adding a line space between each list item. If you continue to press the key combination, additional line spaces are added. In code view, you'll see <br /><br /> for each line space. This code appears inside each bulleted or numbered item's closing tag (</li>).

If you want to control the amount of spacing between list items, you need to work in code view. Select the Source code icon to open the code window. You can add an amount to each list item's tag. For example, where you see <li>, replace each with <li style="margin-bottom: 20px;">. For the 20px, you can add the amount you need. The spacing is added to the bottom of each bulleted or numbered item, creating space between the list items.

You can add lines and horizontal rules to content you add in the content editor.

Select the Horizontal line icon to add a thin horizontal line to the current mouse pointer position, spanning the entire width of the text area.

Your institution controls if this option is available.

Select the Spell Checker icon to activate the automatic spell checker option. You can change the language's dictionary from the menu. Institutions and instructors can disable spell check. Your institution chooses which spelling dictionaries are loaded in.

When you activate the Spell Checker and there are words to be reviewed, a new window will appear showing you one by one every potentially misspelled word or any word that has not been found in the loaded dictionary. You will see them also in the text area background as wavy, red underlined. You will have the option to change the word for one of the suggested alternatives, ignore, ignore all or close the Spell Checker window.

If you choose to change it, select one of the suggested alternatives from the list and select change. The Spell Checker will present you with the next word to review. When it checks them all, the Spell Checker window will close.

If there are no words to review, the Spell Checker will show you the message No misspellings found.

You can specify a link to a website, a file from your computer, or the course's file repository, such as the Content Collection if your institution has access to it.

Select text or an object, and select the Insert/Edit Link icon to add a new link or edit an existing link. To remove a link, select the link and select the Remove Link icon. You can also link and remove links with the right-click menu. You must use the http:// protocol when you type or paste an address for the link.

In the Open link menu, choose where to open the link, such as in a new window. You can also type an optional title for the window or frame displayed when users select the link.

Select the Find icon to search for matching text and, optionally, replace it with other text.

In the pop-up window, type the text to find in the Find box.

The gear settings icon allows you to choose between three finding options: Match Case to match upper and lower case, Find whole words only and Find in selection. If the text is located, it will appear highlighted within the text box.

Select Find to locate all matches in the text, which will appear highlighted automatically, or the right upper corner X to close the window.

In the Replace with box, type the text to replace the located text with and choose an action:

You can also select the Find button to search with no replacements.