Potential display issue: long questions in Blackboard Tests

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An issue has been identified with some Blackboard Tests, for example Multiple Choice tests. This problem only arises when

  • The Test is set to display one question at a time.
  • The first line of the question text is long enough that it fills the width of the Blackboard screen.

If these two conditions are met, students taking the test will find that the ‘Save Answer’ box obscures part of the question text. And this will persist, however you resize the browser window.

Blackboard question text obscured

One way round this would be to edit the Test Options, and under ‘Test Presentation’ choose ‘All at once’. But the option to display questions one at a time will presumably have been chosen quite deliberately e.g. where the text of one question might assist students with answering an earlier question.

In this situation the workaround is simply to edit the test questions, and to enter two or three blank lines before the question text.

Please note:

  • Shorter questions, which only take up part of the screen, will not be affected by this problem.
  • Staff previewing the Test will be able to replicate the problem – so you will also be able to check that adding extra lines has resolved it.

We have been provided with a workaround for this issue by Blackboard, which will be introduced as part of the planned system upgrade on 18th February.