Adding Images to your Course Documents

Using images in teaching activities can make the learning experience exciting, engaging and deeper. In a Blackboard course, images can be used at various locations:

• Image items can be added throughout Blackboard including Course Information, Staff Information and Course Announcements
• You can attach resources containing images such as MS Word, PowerPoint or Excel documents
• URL links can be made to external images or Web pages containing images on other Web sites
• Blackboard tools such as Discussion Boards, the Virtual Classroom, Assessments, Surveys and Assignments can also be used to add images to your course
• You can share images via batched E-mails and during managing of User Groups

Adding images within course documents using the visual text box editor

Step 1: Access the Control Panel and choose the Content Area and folder that you would like to add your image in.

Step 2: Click on Add Item.

Step 3: Type the title of the image in the Name field and a summary in the Text field.

Step 4: Click on the Attach Image button of the visual text box editor.

The Insert Image window similar to the one shown below will be displayed.

Step 5: Click on the Browse button to locate your image file, or provide the URL such as http://oel.umflint.edu/master_images/BB_Update/33_IsertImage.gif of the desired image in the Specify Source URL section.

Make sure the Set Width and the Set Height fields are blank so that your image appears in its original size.

Always create a text description of your image using the Alt(ernate) Text field. This text will be displayed while the image is loading and also if the image does not appear. More importantly, t his makes images accessible to users of screen reading software.

Step 6: Finally, click Submit . At this point, you will see a confirmation window.

Step 7: Click on the Submit button to close this window. Your image will appear within the Text box of the Add Item page. If you want to change the position of your image, you can do so at this point by clicking on the image and dragging it to its new position.

Step 8: To make the image visible to your students, select yes next to Make the content available under Options. If content is unavailable, you will still be able to see it through the control panel or the quick edit view, but your students won't.

Step 9: Click on Submit to complete the procedure of embedding your image. Your document will look similar to the one shown below:

Adding images within course documents using the Display Media File within the Page special action

Step 1: Access the Control Panel and choose one of the Content Areas and folders that you would like to add your image in.

Step 2: Click on Add Item after you have accessed the appropriate content area.

Step 3: Type the title of the image in the Name field and a summary in the Text field.

Step 4: Within the Content section of the page, click on Browse next to the Attach local file field and locate your image. From the Special Action drop-down menu, choose Display Media File within the Page option and hit Submit.

At this point, you will be prompted to set parameters for your image through the Content Actions window such as:

• Alignment allows you to left/center/right align the image within the content page.
• Placement allows you to place the image above or below any text added to the content item.
• You can set the Width and Height of the image; if you leave this blank most web browsers will display the image at its original size.
• Use the Image Target URL field to create a link to an external Web page.
• Choose to Launch the image in a new window or not.
• Use the Border drop-down menu to add a border of a specified width to the image.
• Use the Alternate Text box to give a text description of your image file. Don't forget to select the Submit button to complete the transaction.

Step 5: At this point, a confirmation window will appear. Click OK to close the window. The image will be displayed within your course.