This article highlights the Student Preview feature in Blackboard, allowing instructors to experience the course as students. Instructors can use this feature for testing, grade center evaluation, previewing group activities, and checking content availability. The article provides step-by-step guidance on accessing, using, and exiting the Student Preview mode, offering flexibility in retaining or removing the preview account from the course.

Using the Student Preview in Blackboard

The Student Preview feature in Blackboard empowers instructors to experience the course from a student's perspective. While turning off the Edit Mode displays content areas as students see them, it doesn't provide access to view groups, the My Grades link, submit assignments, or review assigned grades. To delve into this feature and witness its functionality you will need to enter the Student Preview mode. 

When Student Preview mode is active, an orange banner at the top of the screen announces "Student Preview mode is ON." You can now navigate the course similarly to a student, taking tests, exploring content areas, and checking grades in the My Grades link. To exit, click the "Exit Preview" button.

Instructors can choose to keep or remove the student preview account from the course.  For more information, refer to the step labeled "Exiting Student Preview" below.

Instructors can use the student preview in the following ways:

1. Use the student preview account to take tests and submit assignments.
2. Leave the student preview account in the course and use it to test grade center calculations and visibility of grades to students.
3. Assign the student preview account to a group, and use it to preview group activities and assignments. Note: The student preview account is not assigned to a group.  you will have to assign the account to the group.
4. Use the account to check the availability of content items and files to identify file permission issues.

You will need to switch to the student view in each course in which you want the _previewuser account to be enrolled.  By default the format will be: youruserame_previewuser

Accessing Student Preview

 

 

To access the Student Preview mode in Blackboard, click on the Student Preview mode button at the top of the page, indicated by two curved arrows surrounding a dot.

Using the Student Preview

When the Student Preview mode is on, you will see a yellow banner at the top of the screen with a message reading Student Preview mode is ON. You can now access the course in a similar fashion as a student. For example, you can take available tests, view available content areas, and view your grades in the My Grades link.

Once you are finished, click the Exit Preview button to exit.

Exiting the Student Preview

When clicking the "Exit Preview" button, a dialog box will appear with the following options:

1. Delete the preview user and all data: Choose this option to delete the student account entirely, including any data submitted.
2. Keep the preview user and all data: This option will store the student preview account and all data associated with the account. Note: The student account remains in the course, potentially affecting course availability and scoring.
3. Remember this choice and do not ask me again: Select this option to save your selected choice.
4. When finished, click the Continue button at the bottom.

Please note: These options can also be modified by clicking the "Settings" button that appears at the top of the page while in student preview.