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Instructional Services

Tips and Tricks for Successfully Taking Online Blackboard Quizzes

Be sure your computer is ready

  • Do the browser check to get information regarding supported browsers. (Click here to test your browser.)
  • Turn off the browser pop-up blockers (video tutorial for Turning off pop-up blockers in Firefox 2.0 and 3.0)
  • Turn off all other running programs on the computer, such as instant messaging, email notification and other programs that might distract you
  • Use a wired connection to the internet if it's possible because it's more reliable than a wireless connection
  • Disable the Visual Text Box Editor: to do this, in your Blackboard course go to Course Tools -> Personal Information -> Set Visual Box Editor Options -> choose Unavailable and click "Submit" (video tutorial)
  • **Note: Some browsers may have problems displaying the quiz that contains more than one essay question on one page.

FAQ's

Question: "I'm trying to submit my quiz, but I don't see the submit button. I don't know if it's being covered by the elapsed time box or what."

Answer: Avoid using IE 8 as your browser. For info details:

http://www.csuci.edu/ats/irs/tutorials/student-support/blackboard_quizError/quiz_error.htm 

Question: "I took the quiz and when I hit the 'submit' button a page came up that said, 'Connection interrupted.'"

Answer: Internet connection issues might include the following:

  • ISP (Internet Service Provider) time-out restrictions: Most of the ISP would time the connection out after a certain amount of inactivity because working online quizzes, such as check the correct answers can't generate traffic back to internet connection for "activity."
    Contact your ISP for more info. A workaround is to open a second window and click it every few minutes to keep your server from timing out.
  • Modem connection interrupted by call-waiting. Find out how to disable call-waiting.
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