Adding Content > Supported File Types

Any file you wish to upload should have a three or four letter file extension (such as ".txt" or ".html") which designates its type and is a commonly used extension name recognized by web browsers. Be sure to give your files sensible names - no spaces or special characters. For example: If you wish to upload a Microsoft Word document, it must be named similarly to "myfile.doc", ".doc" being the file extension for Word. (see the table below for commonly used file extensions.)

This also helps because web browsers such as Netscape Navigator are pre-configured to recognize common file types. That way, a student can click on a file such as "sample.xls" and the browser will automatically launch the associated program, in this case, Excel. Accordingly, items that are uploaded may require that the users/students taking your course have the associated program residing on the computer they use.

Supported File Types (listed alphabetically by extension):

File Sizes

When developing your course materials, remember that the students may be connecting to the Internet via a modem. Files should be kept small enough so users with slower connections will still be able to access the files in a reasonable time. If this is not possible, try to minimize file size by using a file compression tool such as WinZip. These are often available free online or for a small fee.

If you cannot keep the file size down, an alternative is to provide the student with information describing what the file is and why it is important. Often, simply letting a student know that the download may take longer than usual will diffuse any frustration associated with the long process.

Use this chart as a reference when determining the download times for files:

Keep in mind that times will vary based on internet traffic and connection speed.

Additional Tips:

• Use the smallest possible graphics and sound files.
  Technical example: 8-bit graphics display and animate more quickly and occupy less memory than 24-bit graphics, which are three times larger.
• Breakup the file into smaller files and have students download it piece by piece.
• Compress the files. A compressed file is a little larger than half the size of the original version. Compressed files must be decompressed before you can run them.

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Related FAQ's

Q: Can I add a Word document?

Yes. Please keep in mind that any file type that you add to your Blackboard site will require that your student have that underlying program in order to open it. If you post primarily Microsoft Office documents students will need the MS Office Suite to open them.

Q: How can students print my Powerpoint slides?

If you are posting Powerpoint slides it is always a good idea to post a "printable version". A great way to do this is to convert them to PDF. For more information on creating documents with PDF and posting Powerpoint files please refer to the "Adding Content" pages.

Q: I am receiving an error message when uploading content from home?

This is a common problem among home broadband users. If they have a home network, their router may be misconfigured, or they may need a firmware update. Both appear to be common problems with Linksys routers. In order to upgrade their firmware they can log in to the website of their router manufacturer and download the most recent drivers for the router and operating system in question. There are several bug fixes on manufacturer's websites that correct DHCP problems and provide general enhancements to their hardware.

After updating the firmware on the unit the user should access the configuration utility and find the fields labeled "Host" and "Domain". The user should contact their internet provider and get the exact information that they should be inputting in these fields. If these fields are blank, or if they have incorrect information the equipment can behave unpredictably and generate the error messages your students are reporting.

If your students are Windows users with DSL internet access Blackboard can often have problems with some incompatible network settings in Windows and some DSL implementations (especially with routers, but some PPOE clients may be affected as well.) MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) settings are too high, resulting in fragmented packets that never arrive at the server due to some extra bytes that are added during transmission. To remedy the problem the user can log in to the router configuration utility and set the MTU to 1362. This seems to fix the problem in most cases.

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