Pool Manager

The Pool Manager provides an area for you to house subject matter-specific questions that can be used and reused on assessments. Pool Manager is different from Categories in that Pool Manager combines questions that pertain to the same subject matter, where Categories allows you to search for specific (individual) questions.

Note: Pools and Categories are course-specific. To create a pool:
Step 1: From the Control Panel within Assessments, click Pool Manager.
Step 2: Click the Create Pool button.

Step 3: Enter a name and description for the pool.

Step 4: Click the Submit button.
Step 5: You can add questions to your pool. Select the question type from the drop down menu. Note: You can add previously categorized/pooled questions to your new pool by selecting From Question Pool.

Step 6: Create your assessment questions in the same manner that questions were created in Creating an Assessment and Normal and Advanced Question Creation.

Step 7: Click the Add Question button to add another question to the pool. Click the View Pool button to view the pool as it stands.

Step 8: You can modify the existing pool name and description by clicking the Modify button next to it. You can Preview, Modify, or Remove the questions by clicking the corresponding button.

Note: The Preview button allows you to see the answers to the pool question. The questions cannot be manually answered until transferred to an assessment. The Search button allows you to search within the pools created for the current course to locate a question.

Step 9: Click the Return button.

Step 10: The pool has been created.

Modifying Pools
You can add or remove questions from a pool.
To modify a pool:

Step 1: Click the Modify button of the desired pool.

Step 2: Make adjustments to either the title, description, or questions and click the Return button. Removing Pools

You can remove a pool from the CourseSite. Doing so will remove all references to pool throughout the CourseSite. This action is irreversible.

To remove a pool:

Step 1: Click the Remove button of the desired pool.

Step 2: Click OK in the confirmation box.

Step 3: Click OK to confirm the deletion.

Importing Pools

An instructor who has more than one CourseSite can import/export pools between them. This is useful if the courses are similar in content and pertinent questions have already been created.

To import pools:
Step 1: Click the Import Pool button within the Pool Manager start page.

Step 2: Click the Browse button to locate the pool to be imported within your directories.

Step 3: Once you have selected the appropriate file, click the Submit button. The Cancel button will delete all entries and return you to the Pool Manager start page.

Note: This does not effect the import pool.

Step 4: The pool is imported.

Exporting Pools

The Instructor can also export pools within their own CourseSites.
To export a pool:

Step 1: Click the Export Pool button within the Pool Manager start page.

Step 2: Select the pool you would like to export from the drop down menu.

Step 3: Click the Submit button.

Step 4: Select the location to export the pool.

Step 5: Click the Submit button.

Step 6: The pool is exported to the desired location.

Searching Pools

You can search a pool created for the current CourseSite to locate questions quickly. This function allows you to preview, modify, or remove questions accordingly.
To search pools:

Step 1: Click the Search Pools button within the Pool Manager start page.

Step 2: Select the pool(s) you would like to search within.

Note: You can preview the pool and the questions within the pool by clicking the Preview button.

Step 3: Click the Submit button.

Step 4: Select the search criteria and click the Submit button.

Step 5: The search results will appear, according to the search criteria. You can Preview, Modify, or Remove the questions in the pools by clicking the corresponding buttons.

Step 6: Click the Return button when you have completed the modifications.

Blackboard 3.0 Instruction Manual