While Microsoft Word is ubiquitous, it’s still not a native web format. In other words, it’s not a file format that is opened by a web browser without a plug-in or without having the application on the recipient’s computer. Further, Microsoft Word 2007 files are often misinterpreted by Blackboard (and other applications) as zip (or compressed) files. The moral of the story is when possible use “native” web formats in Learning Modules and elsewhere in Blackboard rather than using Microsoft Word files (.doc or .docx). The best options are to use .html files (web pages) and PDF (portable document format) files. For images use files saved in either the .gif (line art) or .jpeg/.jpg (photographic image) format.
You can convert Microsoft Word files to .html in several ways. The best options are to cut and paste into Blackboard’s HTML Creator tool or to use a product like SoftChalk.
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I agree totally about Microsoft Word not being a native web format, and, therefore, not being a appropriate content type for web delivery. However, the suggestion that PDF is a viable replacement violates your own definition of a "native format", as it requires a plug-in/ helper application to display it. The only document format appropriate for web delivery is HTML, and there is no justifiable reason to use anything else.
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