Content added directly to a Blackboard Document is much more accessible to students, whether they use a laptop, smartphone, or screen reader or other digital accessibility aid. It’s also available to Blackboard’s built-in AI, which can generate questions based on the content of your Blackboard Document.

If you prefer to build content in another application, don’t worry! Blackboard Ultra’s “Convert a File” feature can convert your Word document, PDF, or PowerPoint into a Blackboard Document content block. (Currently, conversion is supported for PDF, PPT, PPTX, PPS, DOC, DOCX, and ODT documents.)

The conversion process is not perfect, so you’ll want to check the converted document to ensure styles and formatting are correct. Even when a few corrections are required, the “Convert a File” feature will save you time and effort over trying to copy/paste from an open file. And the final result is much better for learning than an attached document.

How to Convert a File

  1. Create a new Blackboard document
  2. At the top of the main authoring space, click Convert a File

  3. Select and upload the document you want to convert
  4. After conversion, check the results, correcting any errors

TIPS for Smoother Conversions

  • Keep your Word document simple, avoiding unnecessary complexity.
  • Utilize Word’s Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3 styles, which convert to a Blackboard Document’s Title, Header, and Subheader styles, respectively.
  • Bulleted and numbered lists with only one level tend to convert well, but sub-items do not; outlines and complex lists should be carefully checked for errors.
  • Formatting like bold or italics tends to get lost in conversion, so just add that in after conversion.
  • Simple tables seem to convert well. If your table has a Header Row and/or Header Column, be sure to indicate it in Blackboard’s table options.
  • Images are hit-or-miss on conversion. A better practice is to add images separately, using content blocks, and remove images from the document to be converted.
  • To design a more appealing layout after conversion, you can cut and paste sections of your document into new content blocks. Learn more about layout options in Blackboard Documents here.