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Echo360 Status: 

Upgrading the Blackboard Building Block for Embedding Media

Echo360
  • Updated

If you are using an older version of the Echo360 building block, a recent Blackboard upgrade will result in users receiving the following error when embedding media. Users can click Submit and the media will embed. The error is simply noting the lack of a placeholder/preview in the embed window. Updating to at least version 1.0.13 of the Echo360 building block will resolve this issue.
BB_EmbedError_UpgradeToNewBlock.png

Upgrading your Echo360 Video Library Building Block involves removing the existing building block from Blackboard, then downloading the new one from Echo360 and installing it in Blackboard. While you CAN upgrade the building block in place, doing so may require a restart of Blackboard. As the Blackboard administrator, you can determine which process is your preference.

The newest version of the building block provides updated functionality, including authentication for all users viewing embedded media, which allows Echo360 to provide detailed viewing data and unique viewer statistics for embedded media. It also provides the ability to embed interactive media (videos with embedded polling questions) into Blackboard courses. As of this publishing, the newest version is 1.0.14.

Note please that these instructions are provided as a guide, and your Blackboard interface may vary depending on the version you are using. Refer to the Blackboard documentation for additional assistance if necessary.

To upgrade the Echo360 Video Library building block

  1. Log into Echo360 as an Administrator.
  2. Navigate to Settings then Downloads as shown in the below figure.
    Downloads page with Settings menu open showing navigation as described
  3. Scroll down to the section where the Echo360 building block for Blackboard Learn is located, and click Download. 
    Downloads page with Download option for Echo360 Building Block for Blackboard Learn as described
  4. EXTRACT the contents of the downloaded .zip file, and SAVE the .war file to a known location. This is the file you will install into Blackboard.

    You can double-click the .zip file to SEE the contents, but attempting to move, copy, or otherwise use the files from this "view" state of the zip file will result in an error. You MUST extract the contents to a separate location first.

  5. Log into Blackboard as an administrator and open the Administrator panel.
  6. Select Building Blocks.
    BB_Admin_BuildingBlocks_arrow.png
  7. Select Installed Tools.
    BB_Admin_BuildingBlocksInstalledToolsArrow.png
  8. Page through the list of tools and find the Echo360 Video Library tool.
  9. Click the chevron located to the right of the tool name, and select Uninstall from the menu, as identified in the below figure.
    BB_Admin_InstalledTools_EchoLibMenu_arrowUninstall.png
  10. In the confirmation that appears, click OK.
  11. After the old version is removed, return to the Installed Tools page, and select Upload Building Blocks, as shown in the below figure.
    List of installed tools in Blackboard with Upload Building Blocks option identified for steps as described
  12. Navigate to and select the WAR file you extracted and saved from the .zip file you downloaded from Echo360 in the earlier steps.
    Install building block page with Echo building block war file selected as described
  13. Click Submit.
  14. On the Privileges page that appears, review the privileges being provided to the Echo360 building block and click Approve.
    Install building blocks list of privileges for review and approval as described
  15. Once the installation has finished, return to the list of Installed Tools and find the Echo360 Video Library tool.
  16. Click the chevron located to the right of the tool name, and select Settings from the menu, as identified in the below figure.
    BB_Admin_InstalledTools_EchoLibMenu_arrowSettings.png
  17. Click Settings from the menu. A page appears that allows you to enter LMS configuration data.

    Since you are upgrading (uninstalling/reinstalling a new version) the building block, these fields may already be populated.

    Echo360 building block installation setup with LTI configuration fields for steps as described
  18. If the fields are blank, copy and paste the Consumer Key, Secret, and URL from the LMS Configurations page in Echo360 (shown below) into the corresponding fields of the Building Block (shown above). 
    LMS Configurations page with settings menu and Configurations page navigation identified for steps as described
  19. Click Submit.
  20. Return to the Admin Panel, and select Course Settings.

    Because you removed and reinstalled the building block, you must turn the newly installed (upgraded) Echo360 tool on for use in courses. It is off by default on install.

    Blackboard Admin panel with Course Settings option identified for steps as described
  21. From the Course Settings page, select Course Tools.
    BB_Admin_CourseSettings_CourseToolsArrows.png
  22. In the list of Course Tools shown, scroll or page forward until you find the Echo360 Video Library tool you just installed.
    BB_Admin_CourseTools_EchoToolArrows.png
  23. Turn the new Echo360 Video Library tool ON for the courses in your Blackboard instance.
  24. Select to make the newly updated tool available to New and Existing Courses. (The choice you make here is up to you; we recommend making the tool available across all courses.)
  25. When finished, Close the Administrator panel.

You MAY also need to delete then re-upload and Activate your existing SafeHTML Filter. This is not USUALLY necessary after upgrading, but if you find users, particularly students, having problems embedding media, perform this extra step to ensure they have access to the tool. See Configuring Blackboard to Allow Students to Embed from Echo360 for instructions if necessary.