XML Escape Entities Such as " " Appear in Ultra Question Analysis if the Test was Converted to Ultra




 
XML Escape Entities Such as " " Appear in Ultra Question Analysis if the Test was Converted to Ultra

Date Published: Apr 21,2020 Category: Planned_First_Fix_Release:Future_Reference_Learn; Product:Reporting_Learn,Grade_Center_Learn; Version:SaaS   Article No.: 000059248

Product: Blackboard Learn

Release: SaaS

Service Pack(s): SaaS

Description: XML Escape Entities, consisting of an ampersand, letters or numbers, and a semicolon—such as  —can appear in the titles of questions in Ultra Question Analysis, if the test was from an Original Experience Course converted to the Ultra Experience.

Steps to Replicate:

  1. Log into Blackboard Learn (SaaS environment) as System Administrator
  2. Create an Original Experience Course as an "Instructor Choice" course
  3. Enter the course, go to Course tools > Tests, Surveys & Pools > Tests > Build Test
  4. Create several questions
  5. Go to a content area > add the test and make it available to students
  6. Add several student users to the course
  7. Quick Enroll and convert the course to Ultra
  8. After conversion, login as the student users
  9. Take the test as each student user, varying answers so that there will be enough data to make the Question Analysis Report
    • Note that the questions appear normally while the test is being taken or viewed
  10. Log in as Instructor
  11. Go to Analytics icon
  12. Click Run Report on the test
  13. View the report

Expected Behavior:
The test's questions appear exactly as they do on the test.

Observed Behavior:
The test's questions contain abnormal character sequences like " "
Screenshot of the issue showing questions with abnormal characters in the names similar to "Question 1, True/False"

 
Symptoms: Abnormal characters appear in the question analysis.  They also appear in the downloaded question analysis spreadsheet.
Cause: Tests are stored internally as XML.  XML provides a facility called 'character entities' to store special characters.  " " is the entity for Unicode character "U+00A0 No Break Space".  These are incorrectly being displayed literally.


Target Release: Future Reference
Patch Available: No