BLACKBOARD 9.

1 TEXT EDITOR
The Text Editor within Blackboard allows you to create and edit HTML-based content, without
needing to know
HTML code. It is a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor.
If you are familiar with Microsoft Word, using the Text Editor within Blackboard will be
comparatively straightforward since many of the features and icons are common to
word processing in general.

How does the Text Editor work?

The Text Editor consists of a text entry box where content is created and displayed as it will
appear to the end-user. Above the text entry box are three rows of graphical toolbars, which
contain the icons and commands that can be used to format the text. Hovering over the icon
with your mouse will reveal the name of the command. The arrows to the left side of each row of
the toolbar can be used to minimize and maximize rows.
Each command in the Text Editor inserts the HTML code necessary to create the desired effect
when the page is displayed in a web browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari).The display
you see is how the page will look once submitted. The HTML code used is hidden from view.
However, you can review the HTML code
and enter additional HTML tags by selecting the HTML icon
in the second row of the tool bar.

How do I use the Text Editor?

Place the cursor in the text entry box and begin typing. Use the icons in the toolbar to add
formatting and effects to the text as you enter it or highlight existing text and use the toolbar
to add formatting and effects.
Once you have selected a command by clicking an icon, that formatting or effect will remain
active until you deselect the command by clicking the icon again. Formatting functions can be
used in conjunction with one another (i.e. bold and italicized text).

HTML contains some pre-defined text types that you can apply using the dropdown menu that
displays Normal by default. The formats available are Heading 1 to Heading 5 (with 1 being the
largest and 5 being the smallest), Address, and Formatted. You can also change the font size and
type using the provided dropdown lists. The uppermost toolbar also contains commands, such as
bold, italics, underline, strikethrough, subscript, superscript, text alignment, numbered and
bulleted lists, and indention. You are probably familiar with these commands since they are
common to most word processing software, such as Microsoft Word.

The middle toolbar contains more commands frequently found in word processing programs.
These commands are used to manipulate and format text that has already been entered, such as
cut and paste, add a hyperlink, color, highlight, and preview. NOTE: Copying and pasting from a
Word document into the Text Editor is not recommended. The formatting from Word to
Blackboard does not always translate correctly and can result in an HTML coding error.

University of Saint
Francis

Page
1

BLACKBOARD 9.1 TEXT EDITOR

The final toolbar contains tools which allow you to upload files, images, and audio/visual elements
into
Blackboard.

University of Saint
Francis

Page
2

List of functions and commands

The table below contains a full list of the functions and commands available in the Text Editor.
Icon/Image

Command/Function

Exampl

Normal

e
Browser default

Heading 1

Heading 1

...

...

Heading 5

Heading 5

Address

Address text

Formatted

Formatted text

Font size 1
...
Font Size 5

Arial

Verdana
Bold

Font Size 1

...

Font size 5

Formatted text allows

you to preserve tab
stops.

The default font size is set

to 3. It is recommended that
you use size 3 or above for
your text in order to
maintain end viewer
readability.

Arial
Book Antiqua
Century Gothic
Comic Sans
Courier New
Garamond
Georgia

Tahoma
Times New Roman
Verdana
Bold

Underline

Italics
Underline

Strikethrough

Strikethrough

Subscript

H2O

Italics

Notes

This feature can be useful

when editing yours or
another students work.
This feature is useful
for scientific formulas,
such as chemistry
equations.

BLACKBOARD 9.1 TEXT EDITOR

-34

Superscript

6.62028 X 10

Left align

Left aligned text

Centered
Right align
Text direction of left
to right or
Text direction of right
to
left
Numbered list

Bulleted List

Decrease Indentation

Centered text
Right aligned
text
webreH dna
cibarA
.tfel ot thgir daer
era
1. Item one
2. Item two
3. Etc.
Bullet one
Bullet two
Etc.
Not indented

Increase Indentation

Indented text

Spell Check

Cut

Copy

Paste

Clear Formatting
Undo

This feature is useful

for scientific formulas
and
mathematical
equations.
This
is the default
setting in
the
Text Editor.

This feature is used with

different language
orientation.

Decrease indentation will

only work if the indentation
had been previously
increased.
Dont
use the Tab key to
indent.
The
spell checker will open
in a new window and
suggestions
will be provided for
misspelled
The cut icon will not work in
the
Firefox browser. You will need
to use
CTRL+X.
The
copy
icon will not
work in the Firefox
browser. You will
needpaste
to use
CTRL+
C.
The
icon
will not
work in the Firefox
browser. You will
needicon
to use
This
willCTRL+V.
remove all
formatting, such as
bolding,
numbering, etc. from your

Redo
Hyperlink

Create Table

University of Saint Francis

Page 3

University of Saint
Francis
1
4
7

2
5
8

3
6
9

A new window will open for

you to paste in your link
address (URL). You may
elect to have
thethe
page
in a indicate
new
In
newopen
window
how many rows and columns
you want, as well as borders
and
spacing.

BLACKBOARD 9.1 TEXT EDITOR

Horizontal Link
Symbol picker
Text color

Colored text

Highlight text

Highlighted text

WebEQ Equation
Editor

2
2

MathML Equation
Editor

View HTML code

Preview display
Markup Validation

Attach file

Attach image

Attach
MPEG/AVI
(movie)
content
Attach
QuickTime
(animation/movi
e) content

University of Saint Francis

Page 4

<h1><span
style="color: rgb(51,
0, 255);">This is what
HTML code looks
like.</span></h

Horizontal lines will span

the entire width of the
page. a pop-up box from
Opens
which you can select a
symbol to insert.
A pop-up box will open for
you to select a color.
A pop-up box will open for
you to select a color.
Opens the WebEQ Equation
Editor, which allows for
entry of scientific notation
via GUI.the MathML
Opens
Equation Editor, which
allows entry of scientific
notation using HTML
coding.
Converts the WYSIWYG
editor into HTML code.
Produces the view of the
item as it will appear once
submitted.
Click
this icon to determine if
the HTML coding behind your
text is correct.
Opens a new window
allowing you to browse your
computer or provide a URL
for a file. You may
elect to have the
attachment
in a
Opens a newopen
window
allowing you to browse your
computer or
provide a URL for an image.
You
can
setathe
width
and
Opens
new
window
allowing you to browse your
computer or provide a URL
for a video file.
You can also specify the
height
and
width,
autostart,
Opens
a new
window and
allowing you to browse your
computer or provide a URL
for a QuickTime
file. You can also specify the
height and width, autostart,
and movie controls.

BLACKBOARD 9.1 TEXT EDITOR

Attach sound clip

Attach Flash
(audio/animatio
n) content

Add Mashup

University of Saint Francis

Page 5

Opens a new window

allowing you to browse your
computer or
provide a URL for an audio
file.
You
canaalso
Opens
newspecify
window
allowing you to browse your
computer or provide a URL
for a Flash file.
You can also specify autostart
and
available
Allows
you controls.
to search
YouTube
(videos), Flickr (photos),
and
SlideShare
(presentations) to add
these visual files to your