Application Note

Using MathType with Blackboard

MathType can be used to create Web pages that may be uploaded into a Blackboard course. This AppNote explains the steps required. The description and use of Blackboard accounts, courses, and other features is beyond the scope of this article. Please refer to the Blackboard Web site for more information or contact Blackboard's technical support staff. To post HTML documents created using MathPage™ technology, all required files need to be combined into a single zip file and uploaded to a Blackboard course.

Solution

This notice addresses the following issues:

1. Creating a Blackboard Account
2. Creating a MathPage document
3. Using GIFs: Creating a zip file of the MathPage Document
4. Uploading the zip file into a Blackboard Course
5. Using MathML with Blackboard

Creating a Blackboard Account

If you do not yet have a Blackboard account, you will need to sign up to Blackboard and create your account. For instructions on signing up, visit the Blackboard Web site. Remember your account name and password for later use.

Creating a MathPage Document

Use MathType with MathPage™ technology and Microsoft Word 2000 or newer (Word 2001 or newer on the Mac) to create your HTML course documents. See the MathType documentation if you are unfamiliar with the process.

When you create your MathPage, you have a choice of whether to use GIF images or MathML to display the math. If you are not familiar with MathML, refer to our article MathML for Math and Science Communication.

Using GIFs: Creating a zip file of the MathPage Document

The following discussion assumes you have chosen to display the math with GIF images. The procedure is much easier if you will be using MathML.

You need a zip utility such as WinZip, OnTrack's ZipMagic, or Aladdin StuffIt to create a zip file for each web document that you want to upload. (If you are using Windows XP, this capability is built into the operating system.) The zip file must contain the main HTML document, the folder containing all supporting files for the document, and the MathPage JavaScript file, MathPage.js. If you choose to title your document "Course1a.htm", the items that you need to combine into your zip file will be Course1a.htm, a folder titled Course1a_files, and MathPage.js, which always has the same name. For more information on which files to include -- especially if you are using MathML instead of GIFs -- see TechNote 91: Copying and Moving MathPage Documents.

All three items will be located in the same folder where you generated the MathPage document. When creating the zip file, make sure you use relative pathnames, not absolute pathnames, and be sure the relative paths are maintained. See the help files for your zip utility for more information about relative and absolute pathnames. Maintaining relative paths is automatic in Windows XP's compression utility, but may be an option to set in other utilities. Below is what you should see in WinZip, assuming files are named as above:

To create a zip file using Windows Explorer: (If you are using a Macintosh, the steps are similar, but we don't list them here.)

1. Open Windows Explorer or double-click on My Computer.
2. Navigate to the folder containing the MathPage document files that you need to zip up.
3. Select the MathPage document, supporting files folder, and MathPage.js by holding down the Control key and clicking on each of them.
4. After selecting all 3 files, right-click on one of them and choose "Add to zip". If you are using Windows XP, after you right-click, choose "Compressed (zipped) Folder" from the "Send To" submenu.
5. Enter a name for the zip file and click OK, making sure to note where the zip file is stored on your computer so you can find it later.

Uploading the zip file into a Blackboard course

After creating a zip file containing your MathPage documents and its required support files, you can do the following to upload it to a Blackboard course:

1. Go to a course on the Blackboard Web site.
2. Click on "Control Panel".
3. Click on "Course Documents" or "Assignments" (or other content area where you wish your MathPage to go).
4. Click on the icon.
5. Under Content Information, specify a document name (required) and description (optional).
6. Under Content, next to Attach local file, click on "Browse".
7. Navigate to the the compressed file you created, select it, and click OK (Macintosh: click Open). The full path of the zip file will be shown next to Attach local file.
8. In the blank box next to "Name of Link to File", specify a name for the file. This is optional, and does not have to be the same name as the file you're uploading. For example, if your zip file is named Course1a.zip, you could type Mid-term Exam. If you do not enter a name here, the name will be the same as the zip file (Course1a.zip in this case).
9. Under Special action select Unpackage this file.
10. Make any other selections or changes to the content information, attachments, or options, then click Submit.
11. You will be prompted to select the Entry point from the list of files contained within the compressed file. Select the main document, e.g. Course1a.htm, and click Submit.
12. If successful, you will see a Success page with the message Item successfully updated. Click OK to return to the Course Documents Add page.
13. To make sure the document will view successfully, click on the name of the compressed file you uploaded, e.g Course1a.zip. Your document should be displayed below in the main body of the window.

Using MathML with Blackboard

When you create the MathPage from Word, if you choose the option to use MathML for your equations, you have three choices of "targets": XHTML + MathML, MathPlayer (IE behavior), and Multi-browser (UMSS). We recommend the third option: Multi-browser (UMSS). "XHTML+MathML" is normally the best choice, but documents of this type won't work with Blackboard.

MathType will create the MathPage file, but rather than ending the file name with an extension of HTM, the extension need to be XML. You'll need to change that manually. The file you upload to Blackboard needs to be this XML file. You'll need to create a ZIP (or Stuffit) archive containing three files: the XML file, pmathml.xsl, and pmathmlcss.xsl.

Feedback

If you find the Blackboard Application Note useful, and would like to see better integration with MathType, please send us your comments at feedback@dessci.com.