Question Database in Blackboard

Role: Designers

Available Question Types
Accessing Question Database
Creating Categories
Creating Questions
Managing the Question Database

The Question Database is a repository of questions for use in Assessments (Quiz, Survey or Self Tests). To assist management, questions can be organised into categories, and available questions viewed as a list of all questions or by category organisation. The Question Database will also display in which Assessments item(s) a question is used.

Questions can be created in the Question Database , and added to an Assessment item at a later stage, or they can be created and added to the Question Database whilst creating an Assessment item. A question can be used in many Assessment items, but may only be used once in a particular Assessment item.

Available Question Types

Nine question types are available, all of which except the Paragraph type are automatically graded.

Accessing Question Database

1. Click on the Build tab, and click on Assessments in Course Tools
2. Click on the Go to Question Database… button.

Creating Categories

1. Click on the Create Category button

2. Enter a name in the Title field, and click on the Save button

Creating Questions

Click on the Create Questions button, and select the question type from the menu

Providing Feedback in Questions

All Question types allow you to provide General feedback when you create the question. For multiple choice and combination question types, you may also provide feedback for individual answer options.

Managing the Question Database

You can switch to Category View or Question View by clicking on the appropriate button in the top right. In Category View you can view the number of questions in categories – this is shown as ( x ) after the category title (where x represents the number). Clicking on Action links for a question will enable you to preview the question.

Moving questions to a category:

1. Click on the checkbox next to the question Title
2. From the selection list of available categories, Select category to move to
3. Click on the green Go arrow

Exporting questions

You can export questions and import to another site (e.g. you might like to reuse questions in another unit)

1. Click on the checkbox next to the question Title
2. Click on the Export Questions button

3. Enter a file name
4. Click on the OK button

To import questions, use the Manage Course , Import feature available in the Designer Tools .