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bSpace FAQs

General Questions

What is bSpace?
What is Sakai?
What is a CalNet ID?
Why did Berkeley retire Blackboard and WebCT?
Why did Berkeley retire CourseWeb?
Are bSpace course sites automatically created?
Where can I find a list of available sites in bSpace?
I can't see my site! Where did it go?
How do I change the email address that I have listed in bSpace?
Why doesn't the BACK button in my browser work correctly?
bSpace keeps asking me for my password, even after I've already logged in. Why do I constantly have to log in to bSpace?
I am a visiting lecturer, do I need a guest account?
I have a guest account and I forgot my password. What should I do?

Questions for Instructors and GSIs

How do I create a site for my course?
I am a GSI; can I create a course website?
How do I associate another roster with my course site?
How do I add a GSI to my course site?
I’m trying to add GSI(s) to my bSpace site, but I get an error saying the person does not exist. I have the right email address. What do I do?
What is the difference between a course site and a project site?
Who can create project sites?
I have concurrent enrollment students in my class; can they access bSpace?
How do I create an account for my colleagues outside of UC Berkeley?
What do students see when they use bSpace?
As an instructor, can I have a student account so I can periodically check the student view of my site?
Are students that drop a class automatically removed from the class site?
Are waitlisted students part of the class roster for a site?
My course is cross-listed; can students from both CCNs have access to my bSpace site?
How do I add all the rosters to a crosslisted course where different instructors have access to different rosters?
If I manually add a student to my roster at the start of the semester, will there be a dual entry in the site roster if the student officially registers for the class later?
How long are courses available to students after the term ends?
Can I transfer ownership of a site after I've created it?
Can people that are not members of my site access my bSpace site?
Why is there someone in my bSpace site that I didn't add?
Why is my contact information incorrect?
How do I convert my personal website to bSpace?
Can I add image(s) to my site description?
How do I edit the label of my course tab in bSpace?
How do I delete a site I've created?
I want to provide the students with an online reader. Where is the best place to post articles in bSpace?
Is there a limit to how much content I can upload to my bSpace site?
Can I track how often students visit the site?
How do I send email to my class?
Can I send email to individual students through bSpace?
What is the advantage of sending email through bSpace?
Who can assist me with creating my department or program website?

Questions for Students

Do I need to create a bSpace account?
Do I need to enroll in a bSpace site for my class?
Are bSpace course sites automatically created?
My instructor says they created a site but I do not see it. What should I do?
How do I get rid of old site tabs?
What should I do when I am having connection problems with bSpace?
What should I do if I am not receiving email from bSpace at my preferred email address?
How can I receive more assistance?
Can I create a bSpace site as an undergraduate student?

Questions Related to Project Sites

Who can create project sites?
What is the difference between a course site and a project site?
How do I add people to a project site?
What are the different roles for a project site?
Do project sites expire?
How do I remove myself from a project site?
Can I create a bSpace project site as an undergraduate student?

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Tool Questions

General
Can I change the order and/or names of any of the tools?
Is it possible to create custom tools?

Announcements
Can I make announcements for specific sections/groups?
What's the difference between Announcements, Email Archive, and the Mailtool?

Assignments
Can I create an assignment without a due date?
Do assignments created with the Assignments tool automatically show up in the Gradebook?
Do assignments added to the Gradebook automatically show up in the Assignments tool?
What's the difference between Assignments and Drop Box?
How do I see a list of students who haven't submitted an assignment?
How do I automatically have an email sent to students when an assignment is posted or soon to be due?

Chat Room
What's the difference between Chat Room and Forums (Discussion Tool)?
Can I delete messages in the Chat Room?
Can I have multiple Chat Rooms?

Drop Box
When should I use the Drop Box vs. the Assignments tool?
Why is the Drop Box tool taking so long to load?
What's the difference between Drop Box and Assignments?

Email Archive
What's the difference between Announcements, Email Archive, and the Mailtool?
Why do the emails I send to the Email Archive tool email address get rejected?


Forums (Discussion Tool)
How do I setup a discussion board in Forums?
How do I edit an existing forum or topic?
How do I reorganize topics in the Forums tool?
Can I view how often each student is contributing to discussions?
What's the difference between Chat Room and Forums (Discussion Tool)?

Gradebook
Can I create a Gradebook entry worth zero points?
Is the Gradebook connected to e-Grades?
What do students see in the Gradebook?
Can students view each other’s grades?
How do I change the number of points for an assignment?
How do I create assignments in the Gradebook which are calculated as a percentage of the final course grade? For example, an assignment worth 100 points that is 20% of the final grade.

Mailtool
What is the purpose of the Mailtool?
I don't want to email everyone in my site. How do I email one or more participants with the Mailtool?

News
What is RSS?
How do I add more News links if the News tool no longer appears in the toolbar?

Polls
What is the purpose of the Polls tool?
How reliable is the Polls tool?


Quiz & Survey
Why is the Quiz & Survey tool not recommended for important testing?
What is the suggested use of the Quiz & Survey tool?

Resources
How large a file(s) can I place in Resources?
What is the total space limitation in a bSpace site?
How do I know how much space I'm using in Resources so I can avoid going over 1GB?
What type of files can I place in Resources?
Can I change the name of Resources to Homework (or something else)?
How do I move files from one course to another?
How do I move files from one folder to another?
Can I upload more than one file at a time to Resources?
Can I reorder/sort items in Resources?
How can I hide resources from students but not my GSIs or co-instructor?

Roster
Why can't I add participants to the Roster tool?
What is the difference between Site Info and the Roster tool?
Why are some photos not showing up in the Roster tool?
Can students see the photos in the Roster tool?
How do I check enrollment status in the Roster tool?

Schedule
Is the Schedule tool linked to the Berkeley campus schedule (or any other schedules)?
Can I print the Schedule?
Can I see a “master” schedule which shows events from all my bSpace site schedules?

Section Info
Can I send email to specific sections/groups?
Can I make announcements for specific sections/groups?
What is automatic sectioning?
I have a project site. Why can't I add the Section Info tool?

Site Info
Why can't I delete the Site Info tool?
How do I edit the name of my site tab?
How do I add or remove tools from my site?
How do I publish or unpublish my site?
Why are random people showing up in my bSpace site?
Can I create my own guest accounts?
How do people login after I create a guest account for them?
How do I add my roster?
Why can't I add my roster?
What is the difference between Site Info and the Roster tool?

Syllabus
Do I have to retype my syllabus to put it into bSpace?
I want my syllabus to be a word attachment and the Syllabus tool is not uploading it. What do I do?


Web Content
How do I add more Web Content links if the Web Content tool no longer appears in the toolbar?
How do I change the name of the Web Content tool to something else?

Wiki
What is a Wiki?
How do I delete a Wiki page I've created?
Why do my students get the message "Permission denied" when they try to edit a Wiki page?

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___________________________________________________

General Questions

What is bSpace?
bSpace is the new online collaboration and learning environment at UC Berkeley. Instructors and staff can create project or course websites to build community, share knowledge, and work together in an online environment. bSpace is the first step toward providing the campus with a single, integrated, easy-to-use collaboration and learning system.

bSpace is built on the Sakai framework.

What is Sakai?
Sakai is open source software built by universities for universities. The goal of the project, initiated by University of Michigan , Indiana University, MIT, and Stanford University , is to build and deliver a software framework that provides the teaching and collaboration tools instructors need to support classroom learning. With this in mind, the system is intended to be flexible enough to allow universities to swap tools in and out, depending on the need of the particular campus.

UC Berkeley joined the Sakai community early. We have contributed an online Gradebook tool and a section tool, and are now working on a course management tool. Other UC campuses participating in Sakai include UCLA, UC Davis, UC Merced, and UC Santa Barbara. Additional information about the Sakai project can be found at http://sakaiproject.org .

What is a CalNet ID?
Your CalNet ID is your online identity at Berkeley. bSpace uses this to identify you as an instructor, student, or staff and displays only the courses and projects you are involved in. For more information about your CalNet ID, visit http://calnet.berkeley.edu.

Why did Berkeley retire Blackboard and WebCT?
Blackboard and WebCT have served the UC Berkeley community for many years. One of the biggest challenges we have faced is the lack of integration with other campus systems (Registrar, Schedule of Classes, etc.). In Blackboard, instructors had to request a course website and wait for Educational Technology Services (ETS) to create the site. Once it was created, students had to add themselves manually to the course site in order to gain access. This, combined with continually rising license agreement fees, led ETS to consider replacing Blackboard and WebCT with a more flexible system that was integrated with other campus entities.

Why did Berkeley retire CourseWeb?
CourseWeb was retired in January 2008. The core functionality of CourseWeb is now available in bSpace with the Mailtool (emailing individual students) and the Roster tool (photos of students).

Are bSpace course sites automatically created?
No. Instructors must create a bSpace site for each course. They add students to the site by adding the official class roster. They do not need to add students manually. However they do add GSIs, co-instructors, and non-UCB guests manually.

Where can I find a list of available sites in bSpace?
In the “My Workspace” tab, the Membership tool can be used to view both the current sites you are a member of, and the sites you are able to join. Alternatively, instructors or site owners may opt to list the site in the bSpace directory. This searchable directory can be accessed by clicking the Sites link prior to logging in to bSpace.

I can't see my site! Where did it go?
When you have more than four bSpace tabs in your bSpace account (not including the "My Workspace" tab), a "more" menu appears to the right of all the tabs. Look in this "more" menu for the bSpace site that you think has disappeared. You can customize the order of your bSpace tabs to move the bSpace sites that you access more frequently out of the "more" menu. To customize the order of your bSpace sites:

  1. Click the "My Workspace" tab
  2. Click "Preferences" in the toolbar on the left side of the screen
  3. Click the "Customize Tabs" button at the top of the screen and follow the instructions

How do I change the email address that I have listed in bSpace?
bSpace receives information about your email address from the campus directory. To change the email address that you have listed in bSpace, you must change your email address in the campus directory. To do this, visit http://directory.berkeley.edu and select "Directory Update" from the left side of the screen.

Why doesn’t the BACK button in my browser work correctly?
Always use the RESET button at the top of the page (two arrows in a small circle to the left of the toolname) or the Cancel button at the bottom of the page to return to the previous screen.

bSpace keeps asking me for my password, even after I've already logged in. Why do I constantly have to log in to bSpace?
The most common reason for this occurring is a wireless internet connection that briefly loses its signal. As a secure website, bSpace must maintain a constant connection with your computer. If this connection is broken, even briefly, bSpace must once again verify the user of the account.

Please note that bSpace has an automatic log out time of 1 hour. If you do not click anything in bSpace for 1 hour, you will automatically be logged out and must log in again. It is recommended that you do not compose anything of exceptional length within bSpace. Writing in word and then copying and pasting into bSpace will help you avoid losing anything significant.

I am a visiting lecturer, do I need a guest account?
You should first make sure you do not have a CalNet ID. If you are in the directory you should not have a guest account created for you. You should use your CalNet ID and passphrase. Having a guest account created will cause problems. If you are not in the directory, you can have someone who is the owner of a site you are part of create a guest account for you. You will receive an email with a temporary password which you can change. You can also add your first and last name to the guest account by going to the My Workspace tab and then clicking Account.

I have a guest account and I forgot my password. What should I do?
There is a reset password service for non UC Berkeley bSpace users who already have an account but lost their password. Go to bspace.berkeley.edu and click Reset Password. Enter your email address in the text field, click Send Password, and you will receive a new password. Please do not request another guest account if you already have one. Remember that if you are in the directory you should not have a guest account.


Questions for Instructors and GSIs

How do I create a site for my course?
Creating a course site in bSpace is simple.
  1. Log in to http://bspace.berkeley.edu with your CalNet ID and Passphrase.
  2. Click Worksite Setup
  3. Click the New button and follow the steps provided.

Instructions for creating a course website are available from the How-To Library on the ETS website.

I am a GSI. Can I create a course website?
All GSIs have the ability to create bSpace sites. Once the site is created, GSIs will have to coordinate with the instructor of record for the course to associate the class roster with the bSpace site. This will ensure that all of the enrolled students have access to the materials in the bSpace site. If you do not have access to a roster and you are the only instructor of the course it is best to contact your department scheduler. If you are a GSI and you do not have a "new" button when trying to begin Worksite Setup, it could be that you were an undergraduate in the past at Berkeley. If you do not have a new button please contact ETS by filling out a support form. Current undergraduates acting as a TA in an undergraduate course should not have a new button.

Instructions for creating a course website are available from the How-To Library on the ETS website.

How do I associate another roster with my course site?
In some cases, a course site is created before a roster is available from the Registrar's office or an instructor realizes that he or she may want more than one class to access a bSpace site. To add a roster to a course site:

  1. Log in to your bSpace account with your CalNet ID and Passphrase (http://bspace.berkeley.edu)
  2. Click the tab to access your course site.
  3. Click Site Info
  4. Click Edit Class Roster(s)
  5. Click the Add Roster(s) button at the top of the page
  6. Select the course roster you want to add and click Continue
  7. Click Add Class(es)

How do I add a GSI to my course site?
Instructors can add a GSI to a bSpace course site through the Site Info tool. Simply click the Add Participants button and enter the email address listed in the campus directory for the person you wish to add. Follow the remaining steps until the person has been added to your site. Detailed instructions for adding a GSI to a course site are available from the How-To Library section of the ETS website.

I’m trying to add GSI(s) to my bSpace site, but the system gives me an error saying the person does not exist. I know I have the right email address. What do I do?
Instead of the email address, try entering the UID for the person you are trying to add. UIDs can be found in the campus directory. This method also works with other individuals that are part of the UC Berkeley community, such as staff or colleagues who wish to monitor your bSpace site.

What is the difference between a course site and a project site?
The differences between course sites and project sites are:

  • Course sites are linked to the registrar's database to automatically populate the roster. Project sites require that their users be added manually.

  • Course sites have a tool called Section Info to manage sections of the course. Project sites have a button in Site Info labeled "Manage Groups" to manage groups in a project.

  • The Roster Tool and Syllabus Tool are only available in Course Sites.

Who can create project sites?
Instructors, GSIs, and staff can create bSpace sites. This includes both course sites and project sites. Here are some instructions for creating a project site.

I have concurrent enrollment students in my class; can they access bSpace?
They will not have automatic access to bSpace like your other students because they are not on the official roster. Right now you need to contact ETS so that we can create a generic account for each course. If you have more than one concurrent enrollment student in your class they will need to share this account. This is the only way to give concurrent enrollment students access to your site until their paperwork goes through and they are given a CalNet ID and passphrase. To request an account or inquire about this policy please fill out a support form.

How do I create an account for my colleagues outside of UC Berkeley?
You can create your own guest account(s). You should never create a guest account for someone who is in the directory. For adding external guests go to Site Info and then click on Add Participants. Enter their email in the text box below Non-UC Berkeley Participants. If you want to send an email notification informing them that they have been added to your site, make sure you select Send Now during this process. Regardless of whether you select yes or not, bSpace will email each guest their own password. Their username is their email address. More detailed directions are available here.

Once they have logged into bSpace with this account they can add a first and last name (since only their email will show up in the account initially) by going to My Workspace > Account > Modify Details. This is also where they would change their password. If this is confusing or you need any assistance please fill out a support form to request a guest account. For each guest please include their first and last name, email address, and course or project site(s) in which you would like them enrolled.

Visiting lecturers in the Berkeley directory do not need a guest account. Use their UID or directory listed email address to add them to your site. The UID is listed to the right of their name in the directory. It is not their employee ID number.

What do students see when they use bSpace?
The student view is very similar to the instructor view in bSpace. The major differences are that the student does not have the ability to edit the site or see details about other students in the class. For example, in the Site Info tool, the student would not see the buttons across the top such as “Edit Site Information,” “Edit Tools,” etc, nor would the student see the list of participants in the course. Students never see the Roster tool in their site since it is solely for the instructor(s). The "preview" option in tools such as the Syllabus also give you a view into what the students will see.

As an instructor, can I have a student account so I can periodically check the student view of my site?
Yes. You can create your own student account. If you go to Site Info and then click on Add Participants, you can enter a non UC Berkeley email address of yours (not in the directory) in the text box below "Non-UC Berkeley Email Address." It does not matter if you select the button to send an email notification as you are creating this account. bSpace will email this address a password regardless. Once you have logged into bSpace with this account you can add a first and last name (ex. Test Account) by going to My Workspace > Account > Modify Details. If this is confusing or you need any assistance please fill out a support form to request a student account.

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Are students that drop a class automatically removed from the class site?
Yes. Students will no longer be able to access the bSpace site (unless the site is a public site), nor will they appear in the site's roster. Instructors should click the Site Info link in their course site periodically; this triggers the system to refresh the data. If the student was enrolled with a guest account you would need to remove them manually in Site Info.

Are waitlisted students part of the class roster for a site?
Yes, waitlisted students appear in the class roster, and remain in the class roster if they continue in the class. If they drop the course, they will disappear from the class roster. To see which students are waitlisted click on the Roster tool and then on Enrollment Status at the top of the screen.

My course is cross-listed; can students from both CCNs have access to my bSpace site?
Yes. When you create your bSpace site, you can associate all rosters with the site for which you are an instructor. If you would like to add additional class rosters later, you can do so through the Site Info tool's “Edit Class Roster(s)” button.

How do I add all the rosters to a cross-listed course where different instructors have access to different rosters?
When a site is first created, the creator of the site is given the option to add the rosters for courses which he or she is the instructor. If additional rosters need to be added to the site, the instructors responsible for those rosters must log into the site and add the rosters themselves. In order to log into the site, the instructors may need to be added as members to the site by the instructor who created the site.

To add members to a site:

  1. Select the appropriate site tab at the top of the screen
  2. Select the “Site Info” tool from the toolbar on the left side of the screen
  3. Select the “Add Participants” button at the top of the screen
  4. Follow the steps to add new members to the site

To add additional rosters (for which you are responsible) to a site:

  1. Select the appropriate site tab at the top of the screen
  2. Select the “Site Info” tool from the toolbar on the left side of the screen
  3. Select the “Edit Class Roster(s)” button at the top of the screen
  4. Select the “Add Roster(s)” button at the top of the screen.
  5. Mark the checkboxes next to the rosters which you would like to associate with the course worksite. If the roster you want is not available in the list of rosters, you may not be the official instructor responsible for that roster, in which case the instructor responsible for that roster will have to log in to bSpace and add the roster. It is also possible that the roster is not available from the registrar yet.

If I manually add a student to my roster at the beginning of the semester, will there be a dual entry in the site roster if the student officially registers for the class later?
This should not be a problem, as bSpace will recognize that the student entries are the same, and will resolve them as a single name in the roster. If this is causing any problems please fill out a support form.

How long are courses available to students after the term ends?
As of Fall 2008, students will remain on the roster indefinitely. This allows instructors to view certain student-based data, such as grades, after a term has ended. Instructors can unpublish the site if they would like to block student access to the site, or they can manually disassociate the roster from the site ( Site Info > "Edit Roster(s)"). Right now we are still developing our archiving policy for bSpace sites, though it will likely be three years.

Can I transfer ownership of a site after I've created it?
Yes. You can transfer ownership of the site by doing the following:

  1. In the site's Site Info tool (selected from the toolbar on the left side of the screen), click the "Edit Site Information" button. In the "Site Contact Name" and "Site Contact Email" fields, enter the appropriate information for the new site owner.
  2. If you haven't already added the new owner as a participant on the site, then once again go to the site's Site Info tool, and click the "Add Participants" button at the top of the screen. Follow the steps to add the new owner to the site as a participant with the role of "Instructor" (for course sites) or "Maintain" (for project sites).

While these steps will effectively transfer ownership of the site, the site will still be listed as "created by" its original owner in the bSpace directory.

Why is my contact information incorrect?
The contact information displayed in your bSpace site comes directly from the UC Berkeley directory. If you would like to update your contact information, you can do so by accessing the Directory Listing Update page.

Can people that are not members of my site access my bSpace site?
By default, only members of your bSpace site can access the site. Members of your bSpace site may be students on the class roster or participants that you added manually. There are two ways to allow UC Berkeley affiliates that are not members of your site to access your site:

  • Make certain course materials public : When you add certain types materials to your site, such as Announcements , Resources , and Syllabus , you have the option to make them "publicly viewable" via a checkbox found when adding the material. This allows anyone to click the "Sites" button before logging into bSpace and view materials from sites that have made them publicly viewable.
  • Make your site "joinable :" You can make your site joinable by anyone with a bSpace account by going to Site Info > "Manage Access" and marking the checkbox labeled "Can be joined by anyone with authorization to log in." This will allow members of the Berkeley campus community, but not the general public, to become members of your bSpace site without you adding them yourself.

Why is there someone in my bSpace site that I didn't add?
When you create your bSpace site, you have the option to allow anyone with access to bSpace to join your site. This is called making a site "joinable." If you have made your site "joinable," then anyone with access to bSpace (i.e. members of the campus community with a CalNet ID and passphrase) can join. To check if your site is currently joinable:

  1. Click the tab for your site
  2. Click "Site Info" in the toolbar on the left
  3. Click the "Manage Access" button at the top of the screen
  4. Under "Global Access," check to see if the "Can be joined by…" box is marked

By marking the "Can by joined by…" box, you make your site "joinable." If you would not like your site to be "joinable," unmark this box.

How do I convert my personal website to bSpace?
If you would like assistance migrating to bSpace, please contact ETS by filling out a bSpace Support & Feedback form bSpace Support & Feedback form. To embed your personal website in bSpace you need to add the Web Content tool. When you add the tool you will be prompted to enter a name for the page and paste the URL you wish to use. The external site will now reside in the lefthand toolbar of your bSpace site.

Can I add image(s) to my site description?
The only way to include an image in your site description is to use a URL (URLs are website address, like ‘http://www.berkeley.edu') as your site description. If you enter a URL that points to an image, the image will appear as your site description, replacing any descriptive text you've entered as your site description. To enter a URL for your site description:

  1. Click your bSpace course site tab at the top of the screen
  2. Click the Home tool in the toolbar on the left side of the screen
  3. Click the Options button below the text “Worksite Information”
  4. Enter the desired URL into the Site Info URL field
  5. Click Update Options

The content for the URL you entered will now appear as your site description in the Worksite Information box on the main Home screen.

How do I edit the label of my course tab in bSpace?
To edit the label (name) of your bSpace site tab:

  1. Click the site tab for the bSpace site you wish to edit
  2. Click the Site Info tool
  3. Click the “Edit Site Information” button at the top of the screen
  4. Enter the new site name in the Site Title text field.

How do I delete a site I’ve created? Warning: Deleted sites may be unrecoverable
You can delete a site you've created by:

  1. Click the “My Workspace” tab
  2. Click the Worksite Setup tool
  3. Click the box to the left of the site you would like to remove.
  4. Click the “Delete” button at the top of the screen, and follow the rest of the instructions.

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I want to provide the students with an online reader. Where is the best place to post articles in bSpace?
The Resources tool is the best place to put course materials. For an online reader, you could create a folder in Resources called "Course Reader," and then place the different files for the reader within this folder. You could also divide the reader materials into seperate folders labeled for each week. Here is a helpful how-to on adding folders to resources.

Is there a limit to how much content I can upload to my bSpace site?
Each site has a total space limitation of 1GB. There is no limitation on the number of bSpace sites that you create, each with a space limitation of 1GB. When uploading files to the Resources tool, you can only upload 50MB at a time. To give you an idea, the average pdf document is around 400 KB or equal to 0.00038 GB. However, if you upload many high-res video clips you may run into more space issues.

Can I track how often students visit the site?
While we would like to implement this functionality in the future, it is not currently available in bSpace. Currently you can only view statistics in the Forums tool (Discussion) that tracks what students have contributed, read, and ignored.

How do I send email to my class?
Instructors can send email to their class in three ways. You can use the Email Archive tool, the Mailtool, or the Announcements tool.

The Email Archive tool can be used to send email to the entire class. Each bSpace site can have use the Email Archive tool to create a site email address (i.e., math101sp09@bspace.berkeley.edu). Each message sent to the site email address goes out to all the members of the site, is also archived on the site.

The Mailtool allows an instructor or GSI to send a message to the site particpants. It also provides wysiwyg editing (what you see is what you get), file attachment, and group/section-aware recipient selection. You can also email individual students by checking the box next to their name.

The Announcements tool can be used to send email to all members of a site or to a section/group in the site. To create an announcement which is sent via email to the members of the site, select the “Email Notification” field when creating the announcement.

For additional information on posting announcements, see “How to Post an Announcement”available from the How-To Library section of the ETS website.

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Can I send email to individual students through bSpace?
Yes. The Mailtool allows an instructor or GSI to send a message to individual site particpants. Click Mailtool in the toolbar and then to the right of "All Students" click the link for "Select Students." The next screen will allow you to choose one or more students.

What is the advantage of sending email through bSpace?
Using the Announcements tool, Email Archive tool, or Mailtool to send emails can benefit you and your class by:

  • Maintaining a searchable archive of all emailed information in one place
  • Keeping your bSpace site "alive" and active
  • Emailing the most current list of students on the roster
  • Contacting selected students or sections easily

Who can assist me with creating my department or program website?
If faculty, programs, or departments are looking for help creating their own website, they can contact IST. William Allison from IST provides consultation services. Phone: +1 510 643-4845 Email: wallison@berkeley.edu

More Information: IST Website

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Student Questions

Do I need to create a bSpace account?
No. You should login to bSpace at bspace.berkeley.edu with your CalNet ID and Passphrase.

Do I need to enroll in a bSpace site for my class?
No. If you register for a class and you are on the official roster, you will automatically be in the bSpace site. Keep in mind that in order for you to actually see the site your instructor needs to create a site, add the class roster, and then ensure that the site is published.

Are bSpace course sites automatically created?
No. Instructors must create a bSpace site for each course. They add students to the site by adding the official class roster. They do not need to add students manually. However they do add GSIs and co-instructors manually.

My instructor says they created a site but I do not see it. What should I do?
Make sure you are officially enrolled in the class. If you are a waitlisted student you should still have access to bSpace. If you know that you are definitely enrolled check the more drop-down menu at the top of the screen. To get rid of old unwanted tabs please read the answer to the next question. If you have looked in the more drop-down and still do not see it, kindly ask your instructor if they have added the roster and if the site has been published.

How do I get rid of old site tabs?
Login to bSpace and click Preferences in the toolbar. Click the Customize Tabs link at the top of the screen. Sort your site tabs with the arrows and then click the Update Preferences button.

What should I do when I am having connection problems with bSpace?
There are a variety of issues that could be preventing bSpace access. The following is a list of some suggestions:

  • Try another website first to make sure it is not your connection, computer or browser.
  • Make sure you are not using Safari on a Mac. Firefox and Internet Explorer are the best options for bSpace.
  • Try holding down shift and clicking the browser reset button. This will do a hard refresh for the page you are on.
  • Clear the cache for your browser. Tools > Options > Advanced > Network > Clear Now in Firefox. Tools > Delete Browsing History > Delete Cookies in Internet Explorer.
  • Check to see that your browser is accepting cookies. This can be checked in the privacy section of a browser's options.
  • If you have a roomate or alternative computer try to see if bSpace will load on that computer.
  • Without trying to login check the bspace.berkeley.edu homepage to see if there are any postings by ETS about campus wide problems or known bSpace outages.
If none of this helps you can email us about what happened. Did it stall on one page after you logged into bSpace? Were you prevented from logging into bSpace entirely? What time did this occur? We appreciate your details. Please contact ETS by filling out our support form. Thank you for taking the time to let us know and we apologize for any inconvenience.

What should I do if I am not receiving email from bSpace at my preferred email address?
bSpace uses the email that is listed in the directory. To change the email address that you are using for bSpace, visit directory.berkeley.edu and select Directory Update from the left side of the screen. Any changes you make to the Berkeley directory are updated in bSpace the next morning.

How can I receive more assistance?
If you need additional assistance please contact ETS by filling out a support form. It always helps to let us know the name of the bSpace site and the name of your instructor. If applicable please include your section number since there is often a site for each section of a large class.

Can I create a bSpace site as an undergraduate student?
No. At this time undergraduate students, even those acting as TAs, do not have the ability to create a new bSpace site.

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Questions Related to Project Sites

Who can create project sites?
Faculty, GSIs, and staff.

What is the difference between a course site and a project site?
The differences between course sites and project sites are:

  • Course sites are linked to the registrar's database to automatically populate the roster. Project sites require that their users be added manually.

  • Course sites have a tool called Section Info to manage sections of the course. Project sites have a button in Site Info labeled "Manage Groups" to manage groups in a project.

  • The Roster Tool and Syllabus Tool are only available in Course Sites.

How do I add people to a project site?
Unlike course sites, there is not an option to add an official roster to a project site. You should add people that are part of the UC Berkeley community with their directory listed email address, or if that doesn't work try entering their UID. The UID will always work best because no one can accidently create a duplicate account with UIDs. UIDs and directory listed email addresses can be found in the campus directory. You will see the UID at the top of the page next to the name. For individuals outside of the UC Berkeley community, you will need to create a guest account (unless they have one already from another bSpace site).

If you go to Site Info and then click on Add Participants, you can enter a non UC Berkeley email address of the guests in the text box below Non-UC Berkeley Participants. Make sure you select the button to send an email notification as you are creating this account. bSpace will email each guest their own password. Once they have logged into bSpace with this account they can add a first and last name (since only their email will show up in the account initially) by going to My Workspace > Account > Modify Details. This is also where they would change their password. If this is confusing or you need any assistance please fill out a support form to request a guest account. For each guest please include their first and last name, email address, and course or project site(s) in which you would like them enrolled.

What are the different roles for a project site?
The three roles are Maintain, Participant and Access. Permission options within each tool allow for some unique configurations of these roles if that is needed.

  • The Maintain role has full permissions throughout the site, including the ability to publish the site and set its global access. The Maintain role can read, revise, delete, and add both content and participants to a site.
  • The Participant role can add content and do almost everything the same as the Maintain role. The main difference is the Participant role can't change site information such as the name, or add and delete individuals.
  • The Access role can read content and add some content to a site where appropriate. Generally the Access role is appropriate for people that only need to view the project but not contribute to the bulk of the site's material.

Do project sites expire?
No. At this time project sites do not expire. In the future we may implement a policy that archives project sites that are not actively used.

How do I remove myself from a project site?
Under your My Workspace Tab click on Membership. You can then click the Unjoin button under the appropriate site you wish to unjoin. You can also email someone that runs the site to have you removed. If you want to stay in the site but hide the tab you should login to bSpace and click Preferences in the toolbar. Click the Customize Tabs link at the top of the screen. Sort your site tabs with the arrows and then click the Update Preferences button. You will still receive site email with the tab hidden.

Can I create a bSpace project site as an undergraduate student?
No. At this time undergraduate students, even those acting as TAs, do not have the ability to create a new bSpace site.

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Tool Specific Questions

General

Can I change the order and/or names of any of the tools?
Yes. Some tools you rename when you add them, such as News and Web Content. All of the tools can be renamed by clicking on Site Info and then Tool Order. Tool Order is intended to provide flexibility to site owners who have reason to change the order or names of tools. After making changes to customize your site, ETS recommends that you post an announcement to alert your site members of the change so that they can easily find the material they need.

Is it possible to create custom tools?
It is not possible to create custom tools. However, each of the tools in bSpace has many options which allow a certain amount of customization over how they function. You can also use the Web Content tool to create custom titled links to any type of content, such as HTML pages or images.

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Announcements

Can I make announcements for specific sections/groups?
Yes. Once you've turned automatic sectioning on or created sections using the Section Info tool (in course sites) or "Manage Groups" button (in project sites), you can use the Announcements tool to send an email to specific sections by doing the following:

  1. When adding a new announcement, select “Display to selected groups” under the main body of the announcement. If you haven't created any sections, this option will not appear.
  2. Select the section(s) for which you would like to post an announcement.
  3. If you would also like to have the announcement emailed to the specific section(s) you have selected, choose the appropriate option from the “Email Notification” drop down box.
  4. Click “Add Announcement”

You can also email specific sections using the Mailtool. Click the Mailtool and then click "Select Sections" at the top of the page. If you do not have the Mailtool in your lefthand toolbar you can add it by going to Site info > Edit Tools.

What's the difference between Announcements, Email Archive, and the Mailtool?
While all three tools facilitate email communication to the members of a bSpace site, you must log in to bSpace to post information with the Announcements tool or Mailtool but can send email through the Email Archive tool without logging in to bSpace first. In addition, the Announcements tool gives you the option of only posting to the bSpace site (without emailing), or both posting to the bSpace site and emailing. Information posted with the Announcements tool appears in both the Home area of your site (in the "Recent Announcements" pane), and in the Announcements tool itself. The Email Archive tool, on the other hand, creates a listserv in your site, allowing you to send email to a specific email address that is then distributed to all the members of your site. You send this email without logging in to bSpace first. While email sent through the Email Archive tool is archived and searchable within the bSpace site, it is not posted in the Home area of the site. Mailtool is yet another option that is best used for emailing particular students or sections. A unique feature of the Mailtool is that it allows you to email any random assortment of students that do not have to correspond to particular sections.

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Assignments

Can I create an assignment without a due date?
Assignments added in the Gradebook tool do not require a due date. However, assignments created in the Assignments tool do require a due date. If the due date is not important for your class, you can set the date for months in the future. This will allow the students to submit the assignment at any time.

Do assignments created with the Assignments tool automatically show up in the Gradebook?
Currently, assignments added to the Assignments tool do not automatically appear in the Gradebook tool. If you want an assignment that you've created in the Assignments tool to appear in the Gradebook, you must add it manually. We expect a feature which links these tools to be implemented for Fall 2007.

Do assignments added to the Gradebook automatically show up in the Assignments tool?
Currently, assignments added to the Gradebook tool do not automatically appear in the Assignments tool. If you want an assignment to appear in the Assignments tool, you must manually add it to the Assignments tool.

What's the difference between Assignments and Drop Box?
While both the Assignments tool and the Drop Box tool can be used to collect files from students, the Assignments tool allows for a much more structured approach to collecting assignments online. In the Assignments tool, you can set an Open Date (when the assignment appears to students), a Due Date (after which submitted assignments will be marked late), and an Accept Until date (after which the assignment can no longer be submitted). You can easily keep track of which students have submitted the assignment, and you can comment on assignments and return them right in bSpace, or download them for commenting and editing on your own computer. The Drop Box tool, on the other hand, is much less structured. Students can simply put files into their own Drop Box folder, and the instructor can open the folder to download the files. The Drop Box tool does not let you display assignment information to all students, set required submission dates, easily see which students have submitted new files, download all submissions at once, or comment on submissions right in bSpace. In short, it is a very simple way for instructors and students to pass files back and forth.

How do I see a list of students who haven't submitted an assignment?
You can only see a list of which student have submitted an assignment, not those who haven't .

How do I automatically have an email sent to students when an assignment is posted or soon to be due?
There is no feature to automatically send emails for assignments. However, you can do one of the following to let your students know an assignment's status:

  • When an assignment is posted or near due, you can use the Announcements tool to notify students via a posted announcement which is also emailed (Use the "Email Notification" option in the Announcements tool to email announcements)
  • When creating the assignment, mark the checkbox labeled "Announce the open date." This will automatically post an announcement in the Announcements tool. The announcement will not be emailed, however, unless you revise the announcement's properties and set the "Email Notification" option.

For additional information on using the Assignments tool, see “How to Add an Assignment” available from the How-To Library section of the ETS website.

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Chat Room

What's the difference between Chat Room and Forums (Discussion Tool)?
While both the Forums tool and the Chat Room tool allow members of a bSpace site to communicate with each other, communication through the Forums tool occurs asynchronously (not in "real time") and communication through the Chat Room tool occurs synchronously (in "real time"). In addition, the Forums tool allows for much more structured dialog than the Chat Room tool. In the Forums tool, you can separate discussions into forums and topics, such as "Weekly Readings" and "Lecture Reponses," where the associated discussion threads in the categories might be "Week 1 Reading Summaries" and "Lecture 1 Responses." You could also have only one forum that you fill with weekly topics. It is flexible in the way it is organized. The Chat Room tool, on the other hand, allows for unstructured back-and-forth conversations in "real time," similar to online instant messaging services. While the Chat Room tool conversations are archived on the bSpace site and thus always available for review, they cannot be organized in the same way as in the Forums tool.

Can I delete messages in the Chat Room?
To delete a Chat Room message, click the trash can icon to the right of the message. If you do not see the trash can icon, you do not have the appropriate permissions to delete messages.

Can I have multiple Chat Rooms?
You can have multiple Chat Rooms in a site, but only one Chat Room can be open at a time. However, messages in each Chat Room are archived independently. Create a new Chat Room , click the "Options" button at the top of the Chat Room tool, and then select "Use a new Chat Room called" and enter a name for the new Chat Room .

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Drop Box

When should I use the Drop Box vs. the Assignments tool?
The Drop Box tool allows instructors and students to share documents within a private folder for each student. It can be used to submit and return assignments, but in a very simple way. The Assignments tool is a more feature-rich method for handling assignments which allows instructors to create, distribute, collect, and grade online assignments. The content of both the Drop Box and submitted Assignments is private; student submissions are not visible to other users of the site. .

Why is the Drop Box tool taking so long to load?
The Drop Box tool can sometimes take longer to load than other tools, especially in course sites with large class rosters. We have recently improved the load time of the Drop Box tool and will continue to optimize it in the future. At this time the Drop Box is not recommended for sites with over 30 students.

What's the difference between Drop Box and Assignments?
While both the Assignments tool and the Drop Box tool can be used to collect files from students, the Assignments tool allows for a much more structured approach to collecting assignments online. In the Assignments tool, you can set an Open Date (when the assignment appears to students), a Due Date (after which submitted assignments will be marked late), and an Accept Until date (after which the assignment can no longer be submitted). You can easily keep track of which students have submitted the assignment, and you can comment on assignments and return them right in bSpace, or download them for commenting and editing on your own computer. The Drop Box tool, on the other hand, is much less structured. Students can simply put files into their own Drop Box folder, and the instructor can open the folder to download the files. The Drop Box tool does not let you display assignment information to all students, set required submission dates, easily see which students have submitted new files, download all submissions at once, or comment on submissions right in bSpace. In short, it is a very simple way for instructors and students to pass files back and forth.

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Email Archive

What's the difference between Announcements, Email Archive, and the Mailtool?
While all three tools facilitate email communication to the members of a bSpace site, you must log in to bSpace to post information with the Announcements tool or Mailtool but can send email through the Email Archive tool without logging in to bSpace first. In addition, the Announcements tool gives you the option of only posting to the bSpace site (without emailing), or both posting to the bSpace site and emailing. Information posted with the Announcements tool appears in both the Home area of your site (in the "Recent Announcements" pane), and in the Announcements tool itself. The Email Archive tool, on the other hand, creates a listserv in your site, allowing you to send email to a specific email address that is then distributed to all the members of your site. You send this email without logging in to bSpace first. While email sent through the Email Archive tool is archived and searchable within the bSpace site, it is not posted in the Home area of the site. Mailtool is yet another option that is best used for emailing particular students or sections. A unique feature of the Mailtool is that it allows you to email any random assortment of students that do not have to correspond to particular sections.

Why do the emails I send to the Email Archive tool email address get rejected?
In order to send email to the Email Archive tool, you must:

  • Have the correct level of permissions in the site
  • Send email from the address listed in the Email Archive tool (i.e. Where it says "You are authorized to send email from:"). You can change this address in the Berkeley directory. To change the email address that you have listed in bSpace, visit http://directory.berkeley.edu and select "Directory Update" from the left side of the screen. Any changes you make to the Berkeley directory are updated in bSpace the next morning.

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Forums (Discussion Tool)

How do I setup a discussion board in Forums?

  1. Click on Forums in the toolbar (if you do not have it in your site go to Site Info > Edit Tools.)
  2. Click on New Forum at the top of the screen. Enter a name for this forum. At the bottom of the screen click the button Save Settings & Add Topic.
  3. In the text field next to Topic Title enter a name for the topic. At the bottom of the screen click the button Save Settings, or to add another topic
  4. at this time click the button Save Settings & Add Topic. Repeat this step for as many topics as you need. You can always add more topics at a later time.
  5. After you click Save Settings you will see the new forum and the new topic(s) underneath.
  6. Click on a topic and click Post New Thread to begin discussion!

For more detailed directions, please look at our how to page on setting up a discussion board in Forums.

How do I edit an existing forum or topic?
Click Forum Settings or Topics Settings on the right side of the screen to edit a forum or topic.

How do I reorganize topics in the Forums tool?
Click Organize at the top of the main Forums page. You can then reorder the topics and forums with the numeric drop-down menus. Make sure that you click the Save Settings button when you are done.

Can I view how often each student is contributing to discussions?
Yes. From the Forums main page click Statistics at the top of the screen. You will see what students have authored, read, and ignored. At this time you should not base participation grades on these statistics, there have been reports that bSpace does not always recognize when someone has read a message.

What's the difference between Chat Room and Forums (Discussion Tool)?
While both the Forums tool and the Chat Room tool allow members of a bSpace site to communicate with each other, communication through the Forums tool occurs asynchronously (not in "real time") and communication through the Chat Room tool occurs synchronously (in "real time"). In addition, the Forums tool allows for much more structured dialog than the Chat Room tool. In the Forums tool, you can separate discussions into forums and topics, such as "Weekly Readings" and "Lecture Reponses," where the associated discussion threads in the categories might be "Week 1 Reading Summaries" and "Lecture 1 Responses." You could also have only one forum that you fill with weekly topics. It is flexible in the way it is organized. The Chat Room tool, on the other hand, allows for unstructured back-and-forth conversations in "real time," similar to online instant messaging services. While the Chat Room tool conversations are archived on the bSpace site and thus always available for review, they cannot be organized in the same way as in the Forums tool.

For more information on the Forums tool, please look at our how to page on Advanced Forum Features.

Note: You can delete a particular topic or forum by clicking on settings and scrolling to the bottom of the screen and clicking delete. Keep in mind that you will lose any messages in a topic or forum you delete.

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Gradebook

Can I create a Gradebook entry worth zero points?
No. The point value of any Gradebook entry must be a number greater than or equal to 0.01.

Is the Gradebook connected to e-Grades?
The Gradebook is not connected to any database outside of bSpace. It allows you, the instructor, to calculate and track student grades, and allows students to monitor their own progress. Grades entered in bSpace are not official. However, at the end of the semester you can use the Gradebook tool to export a simple spreadsheet which you can edit and submit to e-Grades.

What do students see in the Gradebook?
Students only see their own grades in the Gradebook , for those assignments which have been graded using the bSpace Gradebook tool. Students cannot see other students' grades.

Can students view each other’s grades?
No. Students can only view their own grades.

How can I change the number of points for an assignment?

  1. Click the Overview button at the top of the screen, to, the right of the Roster button. If it isn't clickable, you are already in the “Overview” screen.
  2. In the list of assignments, click the assignment you would like to edit.
  3. To the left of “Options,” click “Edit assignment settings.”
  4. Change the value in the “Assignment Point Value” field, and click Submit .

How do I calculate weighted grades in the Gradebook? For example, an assignment worth 100 points that is 20% of the final grade.
It is not currently possible to calculate weighted grades in the Gradebook . The final course grade can only be calculated using the total points of all assignments in the Gradebook that the instructor has designated to count toward the final course grade. For example, if there are 5 assignments in the Gradebook worth 100 points each, the final course grade will be out of 500.

However, you can use the export feature in the Gradebook to export the grades to a spreadsheet program such as Excel, and then run your own calculations on the grades. You can then import the calculated weighted grades back into the Gradebook to display to students. For detailed tutorials on calculating weighted grades and importing them back into the Gradebook , see the following documents:

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Mailtool

What is the purpose of the Mailtool?
Mailtool allows users to send a message to one or more of the site particpants from within bSpace. It also provides wysiwyg editing, file attachment, and group/section-aware recipient selection.

I don't want to email everyone in my site. How do I email one or more participants with the Mailtool?
Click on the Mailtool in the toolbar of your site (if it is not in your site add it in Site Info > Edit Tools). At the top of the page to the right of All Students (All Participants in a Project Site) click "Select Students" (or Participants). Select the checkboxes that correspond to the students or participants you wish to email. Write the email and click the Send Mail button at the bottom of the screen.

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News

What is RSS?
RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication.” It is a way for websites that regularly update their content (such as news sites and blogs) to send out partial or full articles or posts as they are added. Subscribing to this kind of “RSS Feed” is usually free, and allows readers to easily track new information as it appears on the site.

RSS Feeds can be added to a bSpace site using the News tool. For additional information on using the News tool, see “How to Add News Feed”.

How do I add more News links if the News tool no longer appears in the toolbar?
In Site Info (click Site Info in the toolbar), click the Edit Tools button at the top of the screen. In the list of tools, check the box next to News and click Continue at the bottom of the screen. Follow the onscreen directions to add additional News tools.

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Polls

What is the purpose of the Polls tool?
To allow site owners to quickly ask a one question poll to their site participants. For example, you may ask your class if they would be interested in seeing a film related to your course at the Pacific Film Archive.

How reliable is the Polls tool?
The Polls tool is useful and works, but it should not be used for anything critical to the course or for a grade.

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Quiz & Survey

Why is the Quiz & Survey tool not recommended for important testing?
Some newly developed tools are not dependable enough to be relied on to the same degree as other tools. These tools are labeled "experimental" to let users know that although they are useful and work, they should not be used for anything critical to the course or for a grade.

What is the suggested use of the Quiz & Survey tool?
It is best to use the Quiz & Survey tool for self-assessments and simple surveys.

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Resources

How large a file(s) can I place in Resources?
The largest file you can place in Resources at one time is 50MB, although the total size of all files in Resources can exceed 50MB

What is the total space limitation in a bSpace site?
Each site has a total space limitation of 1GB. There is no limitation on the number of bSpace sites that you create, each with a space limitation of 1GB.

How do I know how much space I'm using in Resources so I can avoid going over 1GB?
You can determine how much space you are currently using by enabling WebDAV and checking the "Properties" of the WebDAV folder for your site. The folder properties will tell you how much space the folder is taking up. To enable WebDAV, click the "Upload-Download Multiple Resources" button in the Resources tool, and follow the instructions.

What type of files can I place in Resources?
Any type of file can be placed in Resources , including documents, images, video, audio, and even internet links. Be aware the certain files may have copyright restrictions associated with them. You should be aware of the copyright status of files you share in Resources , and mark the files accordingly using the “Copyright Status” drop down box in the Add Item(s) screen.

Can I change the name of Resources to Homework (or something else)?
The name of the Resources tool cannot be changed. The only tools which can have custom names are the News and Web Content tools

How do I move files from one course to another?
To move files from one course to another:

  1. If you aren't already in the Resources tool, click Resources in the toolbar
  2. Mark the checkbox(es) to the left of the file(s) you wish to move. If the files you wish to move are not visible, click “Show other sites” at the bottom of the frame to view the files from all of your bSpace sites. You may need to also click some folders to get to the files you want to move.
  3. After you've located and marked the checkbox(es) next to the file(s) you wish to move, click Move checked at the top of the page.
  4. A link will appear to the right of all folders, labeled Paste Moved Items . Again, you may need to click “Show other sites” and open some folders before you can see the folder which you wish to move the files to.
  5. Click Paste Moved Items to the far right of the folder you wish to move the files to.

How do I move files from one folder to another?
To move one or more files from one folder to another:

  1. If you aren't already in the Resources tool, click Resources in the toolbar
  2. Check the box(es) to the left of the file(s) you wish to move
  3. Below the text “Location: …” at the top of the page, three links should become active: Remove Checked | Move Checked | Copy Checked
  4. Click Move Checked.
  5. A link will appear to the right of all folders, labeled Paste Moved Items . You can click this link to paste the items you selected into the desired destination folder

Can I upload more than one file at a time to Resources?
Yes, and with drag and drop functionality as well! In Resources , click the button labeled “Upload-Download Multiple Resources” at the top of the frame. This will provide instructions on uploading multiple files

Can I reorder/sort items in Resources?
Resources is always sorted in alphabetical order. The list can be artificially sorted by renaming your resource files such that they appear in the order you prefer. For example, if I wanted the “Homework” folder appear above the “Assignments” folder, I could use the names “1 – Homework” and “2 – Assignments.” To rename your files, click Revise properties for the item you would like to rename, and then change the title of the file. We hope to introduce a feature in Fall 2007 that will let you reorder the folders/files in Resources .

How can I hide resources from students but not my GSIs or co-instructor?
Resources does not currently allow you to hide files from only students. When you select the hide option you are hiding it from everyone but yourself. You can specify the dates that you want a file available though, so if you want to stagger when resources are available select dates for that resource. When you are uploading a new resource you can click Add details for this item to include availability dates. For an existing resource go to Actions and then Edit Details. Halfway down the page you will see the options for dates. Make sure you click the Update button at the bottom of the screen once you have completed any edits. Please note that you don't have these editing options for a file that is in your My Workspace tab.

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Roster

Why can't I add participants to the Roster tool?
Site Info is where you add and remove participants. The Roster tool is not for adding and deleting participants, it is for viewing enrollment status, emails, photos, and having an exportable roster.

What is the difference between Site Info and the Roster tool?
Site Info is used to manage your site in a variety of ways, the Roster tool is best used to view enrollment status and photos of your students. The Roster tool also allows you to easily export your roster and see the email addresses of all the participants in your site.

Why are some photos not showing up in the Roster tool?
The student is probably new to Berkeley. New students, such as Freshmen and transfer students, may have not yet had their photgraphs taken for their CAL Student ID Card.

Can students see the photos in the Roster tool?
No. Students do not have access to the Roster tool at all. The Roster tool is not needed as a student.

How do I check enrollment status in the Roster tool?
Click Enrollment Status at the top of the screen when you are in the Roster tool. It will give you the list of students and their status (waitlisted or enrolled).

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Schedule

Is the Schedule tool linked to the Berkeley campus schedule (or any other schedules)?
The Schedule tool is not linked to any schedules outside of bSpace. However, the Schedule tool in "My Workspace" displays the events in the schedules of all your bSpace sites.

Can I print the Schedule?
Yes. In the Schedule tool, click the the Printable Version button at the top of the calendar for a printable PDF version of the schedule

Can I see a “master” schedule which shows events from all my bSpace site schedules?
Yes. The Schedule tool in the My Workspace tab shows all events from all your bSpace sites.

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Section Info (Course sites only)

Can I send email to specific sections/groups?
Yes. Once you've created sections using the Section Info tool, you can use the Announcements tool to send an email to specific sections by doing the following:

  1. When adding a new announcement, select “Display to selected groups” under the main body of the announcement. If you haven't created any sections, this option will not appear.
  2. Select the section(s) you would like to make the announcement for.
  3. Choose the appropriate option from the “Email Notification” drop down box.
  4. Click “Add Announcement”

The announcement will be emailed to the groups you selected, and will also be visible to those groups on the bSpace site.

Can I make announcements for specific sections/groups?
Yes. Once you've created sections using the Section Info tool, you can use the Announcements tool to send an email to specific sections by doing the following:

  1. When adding a new announcement, select “Display to selected groups” under the main body of the announcement. If you haven't created any sections, this option will not appear.
  2. Select the section(s) you would like to make the announcement for.
  3. If you would also like to have the announcement emailed to the specific section(s) you have selected, choose the appropriate option from the “Email Notification” drop down box.
  4. Click “Add Announcement”

What is automatic sectioning?
Automatic sectioning allows you to not have to manually manage sections. Section information can be based on official registration information, or you can discontinue section and membership updates from the registration system and manually control everything. However, when you select manual mode and then return to automatic mode, you will lose all the changes you made while in manual mode.

I have a project site. Why can't I add the Section Info tool?
Project sites have a feature called "Manage Groups" which is similar to the Section Info tool found in course sites. The "Manage Groups" feature can be found in the Site Info tool as a button at the top of the screen.

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Site Info

Why can't I delete the Site Info tool?
The Site Info tool is needed to manage your site and therefore can't be deleted. Changing the name of your site tab, adding and removing a roster, publishing and unpublishing the site, adding site participants including non-UCB guests, adding and removing tools, or rearranging the tool order are just a few of the many functions of Site Info.

How do I edit the name of my site tab?
In Site Info click Edit Site Information at the top of the screen. In the text field to the right of Site Title enter the name you would like for your bSpace site. Click the Continue button at the bottom of the screen. Confirm your changes and then click the Finish button at the bottom of the screen.

How do I add or remove tools from my site?
In Site Info click Edit Tools at the top of the screen. Select the checkboxes that correspond to each tool you wish to add. Deselect a box to remove a tool. Click the Continue button at the bottom of the screen. Confirm your changes and then click the Finish button at the bottom of the screen.

How do I publish or unpublish my site?
In Site Info click Manage Access at the top of the screen. Select the checkbox next to Publish Site to make it available (deslect to make it unpublished). Click the Update button at the bottom of the screen.

Why are random people showing up in my bSpace site?
When you create your bSpace site, you have the option to allow anyone with access to bSpace to join your site. This is called making a site "joinable." If you have made your site "joinable," then anyone with access to bSpace (i.e. members of the campus community with a CalNet ID and passphrase) can join. To check if your site is currently joinable:

  1. Click the tab for your site
  2. Click "Site Info" in the toolbar on the left
  3. Click the "Manage Access" button at the top of the screen
  4. Under "Global Access," check to see if the "Can be joined by…" box is marked

By marking the "Can by joined by…" box, you make your site "joinable." If you would not like your site to be "joinable," unmark this box.

Can I create my own guest accounts?
Yes. To create a guest account:

  1. Click Add Participants at the top of the main Site Info screen.
  2. In the box under Non-UC Berkeley Participants enter the email address of the guest. Click the Continue button at the bottom of the screen.
  3. Select the role you wish the guest to have. Click the Continue button at the bottom of the screen.
  4. Select the button next to "Send Now" to send the guest an email. This will be the only way they receive a password to login to bSpace. Click the Continue button at the bottom of the screen.
  5. Confirm the new account and then click the Finish button. The new guest is now in your site.

Multiple Guests: You can add more than one guest at a time (during step 2). If you add more than one guest decide if you want to assign them all to the same role or if you want them to have different roles. Select the appropriate button and then continue the above steps.

How do people login after I create a guest account for them?
They will be sent a bSpace password. They can then change the password and add their first and last name by going to their My Workspace Tab > Account > Modify Details.

How do I add my roster?
If you are the officially listed instructor in the schedule of classes you will be able to associate a roster with your bSpace site. You have the option to add your roster as you are creating your site. If you already created your site go to Site Info click Edit Class Roster(s) at the top of the screen. Click Add Roster(s) at the top of the screen. Select the roster(s) you wish to add. Click the Continue button at the bottom of the screen. Confirm your roster addition by clicking the Add Class(es) button at the bottom of the screen.

Why can't I add my roster?
You are likely not listed in the schedule of classes as the official instructor. If you are the official instructor but not listed you should contact your department scheduler. If you are a GSI you should add your instructor to the site and then have them login to bSpace and add the roster (see previous question for steps).

What is the difference between Site Info and the Roster tool?
Site Info is used to manage your site in a variety of ways, the Roster tool is best used to view enrollment status and photographs of your students. The Roster tool also allows you to easily export your roster and see the email addresses of all the participants in your site.

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Syllabus

Do I have to retype my syllabus to put it into bSpace?
No. You can copy and paste your syllabus or add it as an attachment. The difference between the two options is that one will be entirely viewable in the Syllabus tool (pasting), and the other will show up as an attachment that students click on to open up or save (the attachment option). You could also copy and paste and then add it as an attachment as well to give students the convenience of both options.

I want my syllabus to be a word attachment and the Syllabus tool is not uploading it. What do I do?
Make sure that you clicked the Continue button after you added the attachment. When bSpace brings you back to the main “Add Syllabus” screen, ensure that you gave the syllabus a title and then click the Post button at the bottom of the screen. You will then see the word document listed under Syllabus Item. To view what a student would see click Preview at the top of the page.

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Web Content

How do I add more Web Content links if the Web Content tool no longer appears in the toolbar?
In Site Info (click Site Info in the toolbar), click the Edit Tools button at the top of the screen. In the list of tools, check the box next to Web Content and click Continue at the bottom of the screen. Follow the onscreen directions to add the Web Content tool.

How do I change the name of the Web Content tool to something else?
If the Web Content tool appears in your bSpace toolbar, simply click it and then click the "Options" button near the top of the screen. This will allow you to change the title from "Web Content" to something more descriptive.

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Wiki

What is a Wiki?
A "wiki" is a website which allows anyone to easily add and edit content, and thus is particularly geared toward collaboration. The bSpace Wiki tool allows you to contribute to a wiki, as well as view the history of changes for the wiki.

If you are interested in learning more about how to use the Wiki tool to support your course or project, join the Wiki User Support bSpace site. To join the site, click Membership in the toolbar under your my Workspace tab. Click the “Joinable Sites” button, and then type “bSpace Wiki Support” into the Search field and click Search. Click “Join” under bSpace Wiki Support to join the site. The site tab will appear at the top of the screen with your other course and project sites

How do I delete a Wiki page I've created?
Once you create a page in the Wiki, you can never actually delete the page. You can remove any links referencing the page, effectively removing the ability to access the page. You can also delete the content on the page; however, the previous page content will still remain in the "History" of the page (via the "History" button at the top of the page).

Why do my students get the message "Permission denied" when they try to edit a Wiki page?
By default, when new pages are created in the Wiki, they are readable by everyone in the site, but only editable by the instructor(s) and the person who created the new page. To allow students to edit a Wiki page that they cannot currently edit:

  1. Go to the Wiki page in question
  2. Click the "Info" button at the top of the screen
  3. Mark the checkbox in the "Update" column and "Enable/Disable on this page" row. Marking this checkbox should give students the ability to edit the page.

Alternatively, you can give students the ability to edit all pages so that you don't have to give permissions on a per-page basis. To do this:

  1. Go to any Wiki page and click the "Info" button at the top of the screen
  2. To the right of the "Save" button, click the small link labeled "edit site permissions"
  3. Mark the checkbox in the "Admin" column of the "Student" row.

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