Link to an Internet Resource in Bb

Using Blackboard's External Link tool, you can point your students to web pages, web tools, and other Internet resources whose contents are not saved inside of Blackboard but are instead located somewhere on the Internet. 

Adding an External Link

1. Login to Blackboard.
2. Under My Courses, click the name of the course into which you would like to add an external link.
3. Click the Control Panel link.
4. Under Content Areas, click the External link.
5. Click the External link icon at the top of the screen.
6. Type a name for the Internet resource in the Name field. For example, "Google Scholar"
7. Type the URL [Internet address] for the Internet resource in the URL field. For example, http://scholar.google.com/
   • You must include the full Internet address of the Internet resource to which you are linking, including the http://
   • Hint: It is easier if you cut and paste this address from the address line of your favorite web browser.
8. Type a description of the Internet resource in the Text field. This is optional.
9. If you would like to attach a file from your computer to accompany this external link [this is also optional]
   • To the right of the words Attach local file, click the Browse button. This opens a Choose file pop-up window.
   • Find the file on your computer you would like to attach and click the Open button. This process is similar to the process of attaching a file to an email message.
   • In the Name of Link to File window, key in the name of the program you used to create the file (e.g., Microsoft Word document, Adobe Acrobat file, Macromedia Flash Paper document, etc.)
   • In the Special Action pulldown list, choose Create a link to this file.
10. Choose the appropriate availability and date options (see Options below.)
11. Click the Submit button.

Options

• Make the content available – Enable this option if you want your students to be able to see and click on this external link. This is set to Yes by default.
• Open in new window - Enable this option if you want the external link to open in a new browser window when clicked. This is set to No by default.
• Track number of views – Enable this option to track how many times individual users view this external link. This is set to No by default.
• Choose date restrictions – Enable both the Display After and Display Until options to control when your external link is visible. This option automates the “make the content available?? option. This is unchecked by default.

More Information

Q: Can I see what my external links will look like to my students?
A: Yes. Login to Blackboard and, under My Courses, click the name of the course that contains your external links. Click the Websites link on the left side of the page. This shows you what your external links look like to your students.

Q: Why would I want the external link to open in a new window?
A: There are two main reasons to open a website in a new window: copyright concerns and ease of navigation. First, Copyright scholars do not approve of "framing," opening a website within the framework of another website. You should either ask permission before framing a website or, to be safe, open the website in a new window. Second, opening a website in a new window also lets your students move back and forth between websites without losing their place.