Chapter 3
Text Edit Box Basics
The Text Box Editor allows instructors to create content through a simple editor within Blackboard, rather than simply cutting and pasting text into Blackboard. Using WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) features, instructors may format text to create HTML, identify and correct spelling errors, add equations, and upload different types of files within a text box. The Text Box Editor appears within text boxes in Blackboard (e.g. within Content Areas, Announcements, Discussion Boards, etc.).
The text box editor was designed for use by Windows operating system users with Internet Explorer 5.x or later. However, some elements may be functional in other browsers.
Text Box Editor
The basic features of the WYSIWYG text edit box include the first two rows of functions as seen above. The first row allows for changes in font, style, and alignment. The second row allows for other document enhancement features, listed in detail below.
- The Find button will allow you to enter and search for all instances of a specific word or phrase in your document.
- Use the Spell Check button to find and change possible spelling or grammatical errors.
- Use the Cut button to remove selected material from the active document.
- The Copy button copies the selected material to the Clipboard.
- The Paste button inserts the contents of the Clipboard and replaces any selection. This button can only be used if you have already cut or copied within your active document.
- Use the Undo button to reverse or delete the last action you performed.
- Use the Redo button to reverse the action of the Undo command.
- The Hyperlink button will create a hyperlink that goes to an existing file, to a specific location in the document or a location on the Web, or to an email address. If you know the address to an existing location, you can type it directly into the document and the hyperlink will be automatically created for you.
- Use the Create Table button to insert a table in the document with the number of columns and rows you specify.
- Clicking on the Line button will allow you to insert and format lines into your document.
- Use the Highlight Text button to mark and find important text in your document. Highlighting parts of a document works best when the document is viewed online.
- The Font Color button will apply the color you choose to the selected text.
- The WebEQ button is a general-purpose equation editor designed for working with mathematical and scientific notation within Blackboard. You will have the ability to add equations, edit existing equations and move equations within the equation editor. All of the equation editor symbols are based on MathML, a markup language for math on the Web (a subset of XML).
- The MathML button functions in the same way as the WebEQ Equation Editor. However, instead of opening with the choice of symbol buttons, a blank text box will appear where users can enter XML.
- Use the <html> button to view how your document will look on the Web
- Use the Preview button to view how your document will look in Blackboard.
- The Help button will take you a searchable Blackboard manual, where the overview and actions for your specific topic will be displayed.