Student Preview

Student preview is used to test course content in Blackboard and ensure that course materials and assessments are functioning correctly.

Instructors can view their course exactly as a student does by using a student account that Blackboard generates for them. You can use the student preview to review the course content and validate course behaviors. With your student preview, you can experience the course exactly as your students do. While in the student preview mode, you can perform the following student activities:

Submit assignments
Take tests
Join groups
Create discussion posts
Create journal entries
View Gradebook

By utilizing the student preview during course building, you can be confident that your course functions as you expect.

Student Preview with Third-Party Tools

Some tools in Blackboard such as Zoom, Turnitin, and Textbooks are third-party integrations — tools made by other companies that are being made available through Blackboard. These third-party tools do not consistently work with Student Preview mode and may not accurately reflect the experience of the student as registered students have an account in the third-party system, while the student preview user does not.

Enter Student Preview

The student Preview function appears in the top-right corner of your course page. Click the Student Preview icon and select Start Preview.

Image shows the Student Preview tab highlighted with an orange outline and an orange arrow pointed toward it on the upper right side of the Course page.

Then select the black Start Preview button.

Image shows the black Start Preview button highlighted in orange outline.

Exit student preview

To exit the student preview, click on the Exit in the upper right hand corner.

Image shows orange arrow pointing toward the black Exit button in the upper right side of the Student Preview page.

You will be prompted to save or delete the student preview user and it's data. Save the preview user and data if you want to be included as a member in groups and want your preview user to remain in the grade center.

Image shows the black Save button highlighted in orange on the Exit Student Preview pop-up box.

Discard the preview user if you don't want any instance of your preview user in the course.

Image shows the black Discard button highlighted in orange on the Exit Student Preview pop-up box.

For further information on Student Preview functions, you can visit the video below.