UPDATE: Timed-test issue is now fixed! See revised post.

Some Blackboard users at other institutions have reported issues when using Internet Explorer 8 with Blackboard. After testing, I was unable to replicate their problems, but I thought it prudent to make you aware of some issues that may spring up.

First, some have reported that after logging in, the course screen takes ~40 seconds to load. Mine loaded instantaneously.

Second, a known issue exists when a student is taking a timed quiz in IE 8. The timer box may extend down the left side of the screen and hide the submit button. See the University of Kentucky’s screenshot to compare it with yours, if you happen to have quiz timer issues. I also tested this in IE 8. The timer remained in a small box in the top of the screen, and the submit button was visible the entire time. Professors: Timers are generally a bad idea for other reasons that I’ll go into in a future post. Students: If you find yourself in this situation, try clearing IE 8’s cache, or enabling Compatibility Mode. (Click “Compatibility View” on the left-hand side of that Microsoft page.) This will let you view pages in IE 8 as they appear in IE 7.

Third, you may see a security warning when logging in to Blackboard, or accessing the Grade Center if you are an instructor. I didn’t encounter this error in either place.

The fourth warning is for students. You may see an error when you attempt to upload an assignment file. This likely is related to a character in the name of the file. To stay on the safe side, when uploading files to Blackboard, naming steer clear of characters that aren’t alphanumeric and don’t start your title with a space. If the file uploads without error but contains, say, #, your professor may not be able to view your assignment

For the smoothest experience and highest level of compatibility with Blackboard, I recommend using Firefox (not the beta version). It’s free for all Mac and PC users.

If you encounter any of the above, please contact blackboard AT richmond DOT edu for assistance.