Note: This feature requires that a Blackboard administrator has enabled a REST API integration with Hypothesis.
Hypothesis’ Blackboard Files integration works with PDFs stored in Blackboard’s “Content Collection” within your course. Some institutions may have a different name for the Content Collection. Depending on how your Blackboard environment has been configured, there may be several ways to upload and manage Content Collection files; this article is our recommended workflow.
Unsure if you have Blackboard Ultra or Learn Original? Please see this Blackboard help article.
Create and configure a course content folder for Hypothesis
If you have already followed the steps below to create and configure a Hypothesis folder for your course, you may skip to the section titled Upload PDFs to the Hypothesis course content folder.
1. Create new content folder for Hypothesis
In the Blackboard sidebar, under Course Management locate and expand Content Collection and click on your course name.
In the Course Content window, click the button to Create Folder and give name the folder an appropriate name such as “Hypothesis Files”.
Click the Submit button to create the folder.
From the Blackboard sidebar select Tools, and click on the Content Collection pane.
Then, from the list of all your course folders, locate the current course you are working in and click on its name.
In the Course Content window for your current course, click the button to Create Folder and give the folder an appropriate name such as “Hypothesis Files”.
Click the Submit button to create the new folder.
2. Set permissions on the folder to allow students to view PDFs
By default, Blackboard does not allow students to view files uploaded to the course content collection. We will need to manually set the appropriate permissions on the new Hypothesis Files folder to allow access.
In the listing for the new Hypothesis Files folder, locate and click on the icon in the permissions column.
You will see a list displayed of the existing permissions for the folder. Click the menu item Select Specific Users By Place then select Course from the drop-down.
Under Choose Courses, check the box to select your course.
Under Select Roles, check the box to select Student. Under Set Permissions, check the box to select Read.
Click the Submit button to save.
Confirm that you now see the Student role listed with Read permissions checked.
Upload PDFs to the Hypothesis course content folder
Follow the instructions for your version of Blackboard:
1. In the Blackboard sidebar, under “Course Management” locate and expand Content Collection and click on your course name.
2. Click on the name of the Hypothesis folder created above to open the folder’s Course Content window
3. Click the Upload menu item and select “Upload Files”
4. Click the button to “Browse Local Files” and select one or more PDFs that will be used in Hypothesis assignments
When you have finished selecting the PDFs, click the Submit button to upload.
1. From the Blackboard sidebar select Tools, and click on the Content Collection pane
Then, from the list of all your course folders, locate the current course you are working in and click on its name.
2. Click on the name of the Hypothesis folder created above to open the folder’s Course Content window
3. Click the Upload menu item and select “Upload Files”
4. Click the button to “Browse Local Files” and select one or more PDFs that will be used in Hypothesis assignments
When you have finished selecting the PDFs, click the Submit button to upload.
Select PDFs from Blackboard Files during the assignment creation process
You can find in-depth instructions for creating a Hypothesis-enabled reading in Blackboard here:
- Creating Hypothesis-Enabled Readings in Blackboard Learn Original
- Creating Hypothesis-Enabled Readings in Blackboard Ultra
When choosing the document source, you will have the option to Select PDF from Blackboard.
From there you will be able to browse to the “Hypothesis Files” folder in your course Content Collection and select an uploaded PDF to use in your Hypothesis-enabled reading.
Troubleshooting Blackboard Files error messages
There are no PDFs in this course
The Hypothesis error: There are no PDFs in this course indicates that Hypothesis is unable to find any PDFs in Blackboard Course Files.
Please follow the directions above to add PDFs to the Content Collection in your course.
Hypothesis couldn’t find the file in the course
The Hypothesis error: Hypothesis couldn't find the file in the course indicates that either:
- The original file is missing: You will need to upload a new PDF to the course content folder above and then create a new Hypothesis assignment.
- The file does not have the appropriate permissions set for student access: Please follow the above instructions for creating a folder and setting permissions before uploading the PDF and creating the Hypothesis assignment again.