How do I track students use of items in my Blackboard module? (Staff)

Blackboard offers tutors the ability to track the number of times each student has viewed each item in a Blackboard course. For example, you might want to check how many students have accessed a piece of work they were asked to read for a seminar. The report displays daily and monthly statistics by each user and in total. Pie and bar charts show which areas of your Blackboard course receive the most traffic, as well as when they were accessed. You can print or export the data as a .CSV file, which can be opened in Excel or other spreadsheet application.

Note: Use of this function is covered in the Blackboard acceptable use policy, which recommends, 'that staff inform students that their usage is being monitored (for example by using the Blackboard announcement feature)'.

Setting up tracking

Tracking is enabled for the course as a whole by default but tracking can be set up for individual items to generate reports specific to an item.

When you add content to your Blackboard course, you have the option to track views, as shown in the screenshot below.

image of the tracking option in Blackboard

  • Select Yes under Track number of views
  • Click Submit.

Now when you see the item displayed in the list for a content area or folder, Enabled: Statistics Tracking is noted underneath the items name.

To change tracking options after an item has been created:

Go to the content area or folder where the item is located and select:

  • the arrow at the side of the content item

image of the chevrons in Blackboard

  • Statistics Tracking (On/Off)
  • On or Off
  • Submit

Note : Statistics are only available for items after statistics tracking has been turned on. It is not possible to see access figures before this.

Statistics are generated over night, this means that statistics for the current day are only available the following day.

Viewing statistics

Statistics may be viewed either from an item or from the Control Panel.

From an item

Statistics for an item may be viewed by selecting:

  • the arrow at the side of a content item

image of the chevrons in Blackboard

  • View Statistics Report (this option is only available if Statistics Tracking is turned on)
  • the arrow at the side of Content Usage Statistics
  • Run
  • the format, dates and users to filter the statistics
  • Submit to see the report.

From the Control Panel

Statistics for the whole course, or by content area, group, forum, or for all, or for individual users may be viewed from the Control Panel.

Go the the Control Panel and select:

  • Evaluation, Course Reports .
  • one of the reports below:
    • All User Activity inside Content Areas
    • Course Activity Overview
    • Course Performance User
    • Overall Summary of User Activity
    • Activity in Forums
    • User activity in Groups
    • Overall summary of user activity
  • the arrow at the side of the report to run the report.

image showing how to run a report in Blackboard

  • the format, dates and users to filter the statistics
  • Submit to see the report.
Contact for this page:
Information Services, Aberystwyth University, Hugh Owen Library, Penglais, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DZ
Tel: 01970 62 2400 Email: is@aber.ac.uk