Student Preview Mode and Group Assignments

Many instructors use Student Preview Mode to make sure their materials and assignments are showing up in Blackboard as expected. This feature is helpful when working with most content; however, you may find that you cannot see a group assignment in Student Preview Mode even when you know you have followed the correct setup process. This occurs due to the way Student Preview Mode functions, and it is not always cause for concern.

Understanding Student Preview Mode

You can read our article on Student Preview Mode to learn more about using the feature in general.

When it comes to group assignments, please note:

Student Preview Mode is showing you how a newly enrolled student would see your course.
When you click the button to enter Student Preview Mode, Blackboard creates (and immediately logs you into) a new, temporary “PreviewUser” account.
Your temporary “PreviewUser” account is not automatically added to any of the student groups in your course.
This means your “PreviewUser” account will not automatically be able to see group assignments that are assigned to those groups.
As long as your groups AND group assignment are set up correctly, students in the assigned groups will be able to see your group assignment, even if it is not visible to you in Student Preview Mode.

Double-checking your Group Assignment setup

As long as your groups and assignment settings are configured correctly, you can expect that the assignment will show up to the student groups as intended.

To ensure your students will see a group assignment, double-check that you have completed these steps:

Create a Group Set and add all students to the groups.
- If a student enrolls in your course after groups have been formed, you must manually add them to a group, or else they will not be able to see the assignment.
When setting up your assignment, select Group Submission under the Submission Details heading.
Select all of your groups in the Items to Select box, then click the right-facing arrow to move them over to Selected Items.
Check the box to Make the Assignment Available, and update the item’s availability settings if needed.

Please see our article on Creating Group Assignments in Blackboard Learn for a more in-depth explanation of these steps.

Previewing Group Assignments

If you have confirmed your settings are configured as noted above, it is not necessary to also check the assignment in Student Preview Mode.

However, if you still really want to see your group assignment in Student Preview Mode, there are additional steps to keep your “PreviewUser” account in your roster and add it to one of your student groups. To learn more, please contact LeBow InTech for instructions or to set up a meeting to walk through the steps.