If you encounter error messages when copying and pasting from Word into Blackboard content areas, such as Journals, Assignments, Blogs, etc, it may be because Blackboard is having difficulty with the document formatting. Copying and pasting directly from Word can cause formatting issues in Blackboard because of the extra formatting code that Word includes.
Here are the steps you can take to avoid these issues:
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Paste into a plain text editor: Copy your text from Word and paste it into a simple text editor like Notepad (PC) or TextEdit (Mac). This will remove any formatting code from Word.
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Copy from plain text editor and paste into Blackboard: Once your text is in the plain text editor, highlight all the text and copy it again. Then, go to Blackboard and paste the text into the content editor.
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Format in Blackboard: After pasting the plain text into Blackboard, you can format it using the formatting options available in the Blackboard editor. For additional information, see the following Blackboard Help article for Formatting Text Within Blackboard.
This way, you can avoid the formatting issues that can arise when copying and pasting directly from Word.
Here are some additional tips:
- Check for unusual characters: After pasting the text into Blackboard, it's a good idea to review it for any unusual characters that may have been introduced during the copy/paste process.
- Consider using Blackboard's "Paste from Word" function: Some versions of Blackboard offer a "Paste from Word" function that can help to remove some of the formatting code from Word documents. However, this function may not be available in all versions of Blackboard, and it may not always work perfectly.
By following these tips, you can ensure that your text is formatted correctly when you copy and paste it from Word into Blackboard.