Create Items

CREATE ITEMS IN BLACKBOARD COURSES

The Item tool in Blackboard makes it easy to create online content, including text, images, and more, for your students in your face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses.  Items can also be used instead of the File tool for document uploads with the added benefit of being able to include a description or contextualization of the file.

1. LOG INTO BLACKBOARD

Log into Blackboard Learn through learn.kent.edu or through FlashLine.
 

2. ENTER YOUR COURSE

Click on the name of your course to access it.
 

3. NAVIGATE TO THE CONTENT AREA OR FOLDER

Navigate to the content area or folder in which you want to create the item.
 

4. CREATE ITEM

In the Action Bar across the top of the page, select Build Content.  Then click Item from the drop-down menu.

 

Note: If the Action Bar does not appear at the top of the page, make sure that Edit Mode is turned ON (toggle button in the upper right corner).

 

5. NAME THE ITEM

In the Content Information section on the Create Item page, type a name for the item.

 

6. TYPE IN YOUR CONTENT

Type in your content (or paste from a word processor).  Use the Content Editor toolbar to format the text and embed additional content such as images, videos, etc.  Note that pasting from Word can sometimes cause formatting issues.  In this case, highlight the pasted text, click the clear formatting button, and then use the Content Editor tools to format.  Explore the Content Editor tools.

 

7. ATTACH FILES

In Section 2: Attachments, use the Browse My Computer or Browse Content Collection buttons to attach files (optional).  A dialog box will pop up.  Locate and select the file(s) to attach.

 

8. SELECT OPTIONS

In the Standard Options section, set your file options as desired.

 

Permit Users to View this Content: This is your show/hide option.  If you select Yes, the file will be available for students to view and download; if you select No, the file will be hidden from students.  Note: If you enable the Date/Time Restrictions, make sure to set this option to Yes, or else it will override the date/time settings (and the file will not become available).

Track Number of Views: Set this option to Yes to turn on Statistics Tracking for this file.  When enabled, you can run a report to see which students clicked on the link to the file.

Select Date and Time Restrictions: You can make a file available to students for a given date/time range.  The Display After date/time is when the file will appear and the Display Until date/time is when the file will disappear.  To make the file permanently available, leave these boxes unselected.
 

9. SUBMIT

When you are finished setting the options, click the Submit button.

Students can now view the item right on the page in Blackboard.

 

EDIT, COPY, MOVE, OR DELETE AN ITEM

To edit, copy, move, or delete an item, click the Action Link (drop-down arrow) next to the item name and select the desired option from the drop-down menu.

Updated June 2019 by Katie Baer, M.Ed., Instructional Designer