Adding BioSig-ID™ to Your Ultra Course(s)

Adding BioSig-ID™ to Your Ultra Course(s)

The Biometric Signature ID (BSI) LTI 1.3/Advantage integration for Blackboard Learn Ultra View courses provides a mechanism to require a user/student to validate their identity when needed. This process is split between enrollment for the user to create their initial profile, and subsequent times when they need to validate themselves. Validating can be configured for three scenarios detailed below.

Introduction & Enrollment

BioSig-ID™ requires users/students to create their initial profile via enrollment.  This process takes roughly 2-5 minutes, and is best served with an explanation as to why this is required. If a user/student does not have a BioSig-ID™ profile they will be asked to enroll.  The same enrollment link can be used to practice an existing profile.  BioSig-ID™ is extremely intuitive but still requires practice by most some users before it becomes second nature to them. After roughly three successful validations with some time in between such as a few days the clear majority of your students will be well prepared when they are required to validate their identity for a quiz item. We recommend that BioSig-ID™ enrollments and validations take place early and often in the course.

The standard template can be added easy via the "Content Market" as follows:

It is advised to place the enrollment instructions early in the course to get the student familiar with the process. Use the (+) option above the item you wish to place the instructions and from the menu drop down, choose Content Market . Then in the new dialog select the BioSig-ID™ Deep Link option.

A new page opens with the standard "Tool-instance" tab selected, so first switch to the Instructions tab.

Then simply click the blue Add BioSig-ID™ Instructions button to add the template structure.

Unfortunately Blackboard does not allow us to automatically position the Tool-instance for enrollment inside the folder, so please drag-and-drop it manually in the right location.

Video detailing the entire process, including the repositioning:



Validating Identity

There are three methods available to request a student to validate their BioSig-ID™ password.
  1. Visibility release conditions on any Blackboard course content item using the performance method
  2. BioSig-ID™ Proctoring (formerly known as "quiz-intercept" on Original View)
  3. BioSight-ID™ Proctoring

Each method will be explained in separate detail.  The recommended method is to use proctoring for any test-assessment.


#1: Visibility Release (aka: Tool Instance)

Video how-to visibility release

This video details how to guard test with Visibility Release for Blackboard Ultra Courses.

Text how-to visibility release

Any Blackboard course content item that has support for visibility release conditions can be configured to be "gated" by a BioSig-ID™ validation.  This is easily added using similar steps as to how the instructions were added.
  1. Using the (+) menu above the item you wish to gate, select Content Market , and then select the BioSig-ID™ Deep Link
  2. Name the instance a descriptive name so that it references the item you are gating.  For example, if you are gating "Week 1 Discussion", you would want to name this instance "BioSig-ID™ - Week 1 Discussion". The default title of "BioSig-ID™ Tool Instance" is listed as an initial placeholder, but consider the scenario that you want four BioSig-ID™ tool-instances in your course, and if they were to all be named the same then matching the name up during the visibility release conditions will be very difficult
  3. The default description should be sufficient, but feel free to change it for additional clarification for students
  4. Click the blue Add BioSig-ID™ Tool-Instance button
  5. If you change your mind on the positioning of the BioSig-ID™ tool-instance then use the || icon to move it elsewhere. Positioning it right above the item you wish to "gate" is the optimal position

With the BioSig-ID™ Tool-Instance created we now have to configure the item we with to "gate" with it  This is done via visibility release conditions. 

  1. Edit the item you are gating either by clicking on the existing visibility conditions listed as "Visible to Students", "Hidden from Students", or "Release Conditions"
  2. Within the drop-down menu select Release Conditions
  3. New panel will open on the right side with the existing Release Conditions
  4. In the Set additional conditions section, check the box for Performance
  5. From the Graded Item drop-down list Choose a graded item title matching the BioSig-ID™ Tool-Instance title that you created before
  6. Change the Grade Requirements to 1 point or higher
  7. The default option to Show the gated content is recommended, but feel free to adjust it to Hide as needed.
  8. Click Save

If the instructor has dates of availability set and the student completes the BioSig-ID™ validation prior to the display date, they will not be able to access the item even if they validate successfully.   Likewise, if the user/student validates successfully when the item is no longer available they will not see the item.

 The result will look like:

Adaptive Release Visibility Conditions
Hovering over "Performance" shows the release conditions that need to be met:
Gated week one discussion.
Reviewing "Performance" options should look like:
How this looks from performance.

#2: BioSig-ID™ Proctoring (formerly Quiz Intercept)

Video how-to BioSig-ID™ proctoring

This video details both BioSig-ID and BioSight-ID proctoring for Blackboard Ultra.

Text how-to BioSig-ID™ proctoring

It is very easy to activate BioSig-ID™ for a test-assessment.

  1. Simply edit the test-assessment, and use the (gear) icon to get to the configuration options.
  2. Scroll down until you get to the Proctored assessment section, and use the Configure proctoring settings link
  3. Select BioSig Proctoring from the list (this will automatically activate the Turn on proctoring slider)
  4. Click the Save button
  5. Finalize the configuration by clicking Save again (it can take a few seconds before panel closes and the proctoring is activated)
  6. Close the text-assessment via the X-icon on the left side to return back to the course content overview
Blackboard edit-panel view with BioSig Proctoring settings applied
The test-assessment should now show the (shield) icon with the text Proctored next to it.
Icon indicator that Blackboard Assessment Test is proctored
Quizzes can also be "gated" by visibility release conditions.  However, it is important to not burden the student with too many validation requests.  Usually once a day or weekly is more than sufficient.  
Please consult your institution's policy on the recommended guidelines for BioSig-ID™ validations.

#3: BioSight-ID™ Proctoring (monitors student via their webcam)

It is very easy to activate BioSight-ID™ for a test-assessment.

  1. Simply edit the test-assessment, and use the (gear) icon to get to the configuration options.
  2. Scroll down until you get to the Proctored assessment section, and use the Configure proctoring settings link
  3. Select BioSight Proctoring from the list  (this will automatically activate the Turn on proctoring slider)
  4. Click the Save button
  5. Finalize the configuration by clicking Save again (it can take a few seconds before panel closes and the proctoring is activated)
  6. Close the text-assessment via the X-icon on the left side to return back to the course content overview
Blackboard edit-panel view with BioSight Proctoring settings applied
The test-assessment should now show the (shield) icon with the text Proctored next to it.
Icon indicator that Blackboard Assessment Test is proctored
BioSight-ID™ still relies on BioSig-ID™ to ensure the student validates their identity before access to the test is granted.


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