Overview
This article resolves a common issue that occurs when a Blackboard user attempts to access a Blackboard course in a window screen (the menu is contracted) or if the screen resolution is 1024x768 or lower, providing details about how to expand the left navigational menu.
Audience
Public
Information
When accessing a Blackboard course, if the course is opened in a window size that is 50% or less than the screen's resolution, the Left Menu automatically is hidden, or compresses. This also occurs on all screens in which the resolution is 1024x768 or lower. This article contains steps to expand the menu and best practices to ensure the menu is available.
ISSUE
If this occurs in a course you are accessing, you will see something similar to the below image when you open the course:
Most likely, the screen resolution is too small, and the left menu of your course has been automatically hidden.
SOLUTION:
There are 2 workarounds currently available.
WORKAROUND 1: (preferred workaround) Change the size of your screen resolution to one that is 1152 pixels or wider. The method for this may differ depending on your computer:
- for Windows 10: right click on the desktop, select "Display Settings", and change "Resolution":
- for Windows 7: right click on the desktop, and select "Screen resolution".
**NOTE: You will not be able to change the resolution for any VDI computers, including classroom and computer lab terminals.
This is the preferred workaround as you only have to do this one time.
WORKAROUND 2: The following workaround should keep the left menu visible through your current browser session - Note that if you open a new browser window, this will need to be performed again.
Here is a video that shows steps 1-3 on a Google Chrome browser (no sound):
1. Expand your web browser to full screen, and open Blackboard.
2. In the web browser, "zoom out". Here's how to do this in various browsers:
- Google Chrome: click the "3 dots" at the upper right, and select " - " next to zoom.
- Microsoft Edge: click the "3 dots" at the upper right, and select " - " next to zoom.
- Mozilla Firefox: click the "3 bars" at the upper right, and select " - " next to zoom.
- Safari: select "Window" at the top and select "zoom".
- Internet Explorer: click the Wheel/Cog at the upper right and select zoom.
Set the zoom to something smaller - 90%, 80%, or 75% instead of 100%
Here is what it looks like in Google Chrome
3. This will allow a grey or blue tab on the left side to appear to expand the left menu - click this to expand the left menu, and as long as you keep the browser full screen, the left menu should be retained through navigation.
Below is an example of a course where the left menu is successfully expanded (please note that course and menu contents may vary)
We recommend for Blackboard to be accessed and navigated in full-screen mode to prevent the menu from automatically contracting as you browse.
We are also working on a longer-term solution for this issue with Blackboard Support, and will update this ticket as a resolution is identified and implemented.