Importing a Test Using Respondus Respondus is a paid computer program that allows the user to import a previously created test into a Blackboard course. The instructor can create a test in Word or another program and Respondus will convert it to a file that Blackboard can use. It will also upload it into the course for you (though you have to go into your Blackboard course to determine where you want the test deployed for students to use). If you would like to use Respondus, please visit us in the Center for Teaching Excellence in Bradford Hall (Room 306). All of the computers in this lab have Respondus installed. Alternately, you may contact your dean to determine the practicality of purchasing a license for you (and your colleagues) in your division. Note: Please use the Formatting Your Test for Respondus tutorial if you have never done this before. Before beginning, please be sure that your file you wish you import is one of the following types: 1. Plain Text (.txt) 2. Rich Text (.rtf) 3. Word Document (.doc) 4. 2007 Word Document (.docx) * RECOMMENDED 5. Tab/Comma Delimited (.csv) 6. StudyMate (.zip,.xml) In this tutorial, you will learn how to: Upload a test (in one of the above formats) into Blackboard via Respondus Deploy a Respondus test in Blackboard I. Uploading a Test Using Respondus 1. Begin by launching Respondus.
2. From the Respondus Start tab, click on the Import Questions button. 3. In the window that opens, select the appropriate file type for your document from the Type of File drop- down list. 4. Browse for the correct (appropriate?) assessment. 5. Enter a name for the assessment in the Create a document named: field. 6. Select the type of assessment, Exam (more common) or Survey (less common, not graded), and click the Preview button. Notes about Warnings: If warning messages appear at the bottom of the screen, you need to determine whether to make changes to the text file or whether to continue with the import. a. The warning Duplicate titles were changed by adding 2 (or 3 or 4) error message can be ignored. Question titles are generated from the first 20 characters of the question
wording. This will not affect the question itself (titles aren t displayed during the exam), so you can safely ignore this warning. b. Typically the other warning messages are pretty straightforward. The majority of errors is caused by improper formatting and is usually attributed to line or character spacing. For instance, if you copied and pasted your question and answers from another document, you may need to clean up the document for Respondus to recognize it. 7. If you are satisfied with how the results look in Preview, click the Finish button. 8. Now click the Preview and Publish tab. We suggest previewing the file and looking for any obvious errors. 9. When you are ready to publish the file to Blackboard, click the Publish to Blackboard button, and then click on the Publish Wizard. Select Publish to a single course. 10. Select whatever Blackboard Server is available (it should say something like BB Courses ). Click Next. A box will pop up, asking you to log in. Use your SCC Blackboard log in and password.
11. Select the appropriate course from the Choose course to publish to drop- down list. 12. Select Create New Exam or Create New Pool and change the name as needed. 13. The Additional Options only apply to Exams, not Pools. We suggest de- selecting the three Additional Options (see image below). This will allow you to set your options on your test in your Blackboard course before the test is visible to students. 14. Click Next. Respondus will now upload the test and will report a successful completion.
15. Click Finish and close Respondus. II. Deploying Your Respondus Test in Your Blackboard Course 1. Pools are uploaded to the Pool Manager of your Blackboard Course. You can use these to build a test or survey in the Blackboard environment. Exams are housed in the Test, Exams, and Pools section of your Blackboard course. To deploy your new exam in Blackboard, you must find an area of your course where you wish for your exam to be made available. Usually instructors choose the appropriate module or weekly folder. In order to deploy the test, navigate to the folder or area where you wish to make it available. 2. Click on Assessments, select Test, and then select your test from the list. 3. Click Submit. 4. On the next screen, you may add a description of the test, and set Test Availability and Due Dates, and the other options. Click Submit. If you have further questions, please submit a ticket to SCC E- Learning here.