TEACHING RESOURCES

BLACKBOARD 9 RESOURCE CENTER FOR STUDENTS

Click the questions below to find the answers, and, if you wish, click the questions again to close the text boxes. Some answers include links to videos that will show you what to do.

Note: We will update this list periodically. If you do not see the answer to your question, e-mail Mr. Umesh Giri, your Blackboard System Administrator, at ugiri@howard.edu, or Konya Hurt, at khurt@howard.edu.

students

Click Here to check your computer for Blackboard compatibility

LOGGING IN AND OTHER TECHNICAL ISSUES

How do I log into Blackboard?

Click BLACKBOARD on the Howard homepage or go directly to http://blackboard.howard.edu. Type your username (your 8-digit Bison Web ID without the @) and your BisonWeb password.If you cannot log in, click FORGET YOUR PASSWORD?

What kind of computer do I need?

A. Blackboard is designed to work cross-platform, so it's okay to use a Mac computer.

Web Browsers: Windows

Browser	XP	Vista	Notes
IE 8	Compatible	Compatible
IE 7	Compatible	Certified
Firefox 3.0.x	Certified	Certified	Must run version 3.0.3 to use the Learning Environment Connector.

Web Browsers: Mac

Browser	10.4	10.5
Firefox 3.0.x	Certified	Certified
Safari 3	Certified	Certified
Safari 2	Compatible	Compatible

Firefox 1.5 and 2.0 are not supported for Blackboard Learn. It is recommended that Firefox 1.5 and 2.0 users upgrade to Firefox 3.0 to access the latest security patches and Mozilla support.

Mac OS 10.3 is not supported for use with Blackboard Learn.

Java Virtual Machine
Java Standard Edition 5, 32-bit (1.5.x) and later is the supported version for all operating systems.

Key to Support Levels

Certified	Certified configurations are fully tested and supported.
Compatible	Compatible configurations are partially tested but should function properly.
Not Supported	The configuration is not tested or supported by Blackboard.

Note that the faster your system is, the better it will perform, especially when the use of multimedia is involved.

Wht kind of browser should I use?

A. Blackboard Inc. recommends using the latest version of Mozilla Firefox. However, Blackboard will run in Internet Explorer (version 7.0 or higher). For AOL users, there are two main caveats to be considered:

We do not recommend using the AOL Browser to access Blackboard. You can still use Blackboard however, by connecting through the AOL ISP, minimizing the AOL Browser, and opening a recommended browser, such as Internet Explorer. Additionally, if you are having any problems using a customized, or "branded" browser, which may have been supplied by your Internet Service Provider, please try using a "standard" browser, such as Internet Explorer to access Blackboard, once you have connected.

What do I do if JavaScript is not enabled on my computer?

For Internet Explorer, do the following:

Open your browser.
From the toolbar at the top of the screen, select TOOLS.
Click on INTERNET OPTIONS.
Select the SECURITY tab.
Click on the CUSTOM LEVEL button.
Scroll down till you find "Scripting" and ENABLE active scripting.
Click OK and YES to confirm the changes.
Click OK in the second window and refresh your current web page.

How do I disable pop-up blockers?

Click here to view.

NAVIGATING THE BLACKBOARD COURSE SITE

How do I access my courses?

A. To access your courses, click on the COURSES tab. This will open a page that links you to all the Blackboard courses you are enrolled in. You may need to scroll down in order to see the My Courses section.

On the MY INSTITUTION page, all your courses are listed in the My Courses section. Select the appropriate course.

Note: Only financially validated students can access their current courses.

I do not see my course listed on the My Institution Page. How can I access it?

A. The Course Map enables users to browse the course:

1. Go to the navigation menu on the left.
2. Select Course Map.

What should I do about my old courses?

A. Try the following:

Check your financial validation status. If you are not validated for the semester, you cannot view your courses on Blackboard.
If you are validated but still cannot access your course(s) on Blackboard, find out from your classmates whether they have the same problem. If they do, notify your professor, so (s)he can make the course available to the students.
If you still cannot view your course after it has been made available, ask your professor to add you to the course.
If your professor cannot add you to the course, contact Umesh Giri, your Blackboard System Administrator, at ugiri@howard.edu.

What should I do the first time I enter the course homepage?

First, update your personal information, especially your e-mail address. To do this,

From the My Institution page, click on PERSONAL INFORMATION.
Click on EDIT PERSONAL INFORMATION.
Complete the form and click SUBMIT.

Note: Blackboard generates invalid e-mail addresses for students and faculty (e.g. youremail@howard.edu). Therefore, students must enter valid e-mail addresses in Blackboard in order to communicate with their peers and instructors.

How do I use the Course Map?

A. Nothing. Instructors of those courses should make them unavailable to you at the end of the semester, but don't panic if you can still view courses from a previous semester on Blackboard.

I am new to Blackboard. Where can I view manuals?

A. There is an online student manual (in pdf format) in the TOOLS menu that can be reached by doing the following:

Within a course, click TOOLS.
Choose USER MANUAL from the list of tools that emerges.
The Blackboard Manual opens in Adobe Acrobat (this might take awhile).
Locate your help topic using the Table of Contents.

If you would like to download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, click here.

How do I change my Blackboard password?

A. Do the following:

From the MY INSTITUTION page, go to PERSONAL INFORMATION.
Click on CHANGE PASSWORD.
Type in your new password as required (passwords are case-sensitive).
Click SUBMIT when you are done.

Select Change Password from the Personal Information page (then follow 3-5 above).

Note: Changing your Blackboard password will not affect your Bison Web password.

What is the sequence of links I see below the tabs on the Blackboard pages?

A. This is the navigation trail, and it contains an ordered list of pages leading up to the current page. It should be used in lieu of the browser's BACK button to revisit previously viewed pages.

Where should I view my course syllabus?

A. Your course syllabus should be on the COURSE INFORMATION OR SYLLABUS page. To access this page within a course site, follow these steps:

On the left panel, click the COURSE INFORMATION OR SYLLABUS button.
Your course syllabus should be here. Contact your professor if it isn't.

How do I indicate that I have reviewed an item?

A. Do the following

Locate the item to be reviewed in blackboard
If review status is enabled by the instructor, click the MARK REVIEWED button next to the item

USING BLACKBOARD TOOLS

How do I send e-mail using Blackboard?

Click here to watch a video.

A. First, update your personal information, especially your e-mail address. To do this,

From the My Institution page, click on PERSONAL INFORMATION
Click on EDIT PERSONAL INFORMATION.
Complete the form and click SUBMIT

B. To send email, do the following:

From the MY INSTITUTION page, click on the SEND E-MAIL link.
From the emerging list, choose the appropriate course and subsequently, the group of intended recipients.
Compose the e-mail, set options as required, and add attachments if any.
Click SUBMIT to send.

Within a chosen course, click COMMUNICATION.
From the options that emerge, click SEND E-MAIL, then select the group of intended recipients from the options.
Compose the e-mail, set e-mail options as required, and add attachments if any.
Click SUBMIT to send.

What if I don't use my Howard e-mail account?

A. Be sure to update your e-mail address the first time you log into Blackboard.

NOTE: E-mail service providers like Hotmail and Yahoo tend to place bulk mail in the junk folder. This means that when your professor or Blackboard administrator sends e-mail to the whole class, chances are, it will end up in the junk mail folder. Be sure to look out for such mail in your junk folder.

Where can I find the Virtual Classroom?

Click here to watch a video.

A. In Blackboard, the VIRTUAL CLASSROOM serves as a chatroom. The Virtual Classroom tool allows your instructor to enter text, send private messages, draw, display external web sites, and display other areas of the Blackboard course (including files posted in the course). To reach the VIRTUAL CLASSROOM, do the following:

Within a chosen course, click COMMUNICATION and then click COLLABORATION.
From the options that emerge, click VIRTUAL CLASSROOM.
Here, choose the session that you wish to join.

How do I join a Lightweight Chat session?

Click here to watch a video.

A. In Blackboard, a LIGHTWEIGHT CHAT is a "lightweight" version of a VIRTUAL CLASSROOM that allows the users to interact with each other and the instructor via a text-based chat region.

Within a chosen course, click COMMUNICATION and then click COLLABORATION..
From the options that emerge, click LIGHTWEIGHT CHAT.
Here, choose the session that you wish to join.

Where do I find my group pages?

Click here to watch a video.

Your instructor may have setup Group Pages, which allow you and other members of your group to communicate and exchange files. Group members may have access to a private Discussion Board, chat room(aka Collaboration), Email, Blog, Journal, Task manager, and File Exchange. You would use these tools just as you would use the class versions.

1. To access the Group Pages, click COMMUNICATION and then click GROUPS.

2. Select the name of your group by clicking on the group name. Students can also create their own groups by clicking on CREATE GROUP.

3. Once you’ve clicked on your group, a list of group tools appears.

How do I post messages or replies on the Discussion Board?

Click here to watch a video.

A. Unlike the Virtual Classroom, on the Discussion Board all users do not have to be simultaneously logged in to participate and post messages. To post a message or reply to a thread on the DISCUSSION BOARD, proceed as follows:

Within the chosen course, click COMMUNICATION.
From the options that emerge, click DISCUSSION BOARD. This will display the discussion topics that are available.
Click the topic of your choice.
Here, you can read other users' messages or post your own. By clicking the appropriate button, you can view a thread, post a reply, sort the threads, view archives, and more. You can even add attachments such as graphics and text files to your message.

Reply to a Post

Follow these steps to reply to a post.
1. 1. Open a thread in a Forum.
2. 2. Find a post.
3. 3. Click REPLY for that post.
4. 4. Enter a SUBJECT ( if different than the default) and a MESSAGE. It is also possible to attach files to the post. Only one file can be added using the Attachment function below the text box. When using the Text Editor, multiple files may be added.
5. 5. Click SAVE DRAFT to store a draft of the post. Click SUBMIT to create the thread.
6. 6. The post appears in the thread underneath the original post.

How do I post drafts for peer review on the Discussion Board?

A. Do the following:

Go to the DISCUSSION BOARD (see steps above).
Click on the ADD NEW THREAD button.
Type the Subject and Message, and copy and paste your draft in the message window before clicking SUBMIT.

Note: To reduce the risk of spreading viruses, do not attach a file unless it contains graphics or formatting that is essential for peer review. If you must attach a draft, scan it first with an up-to-date anti-virus program.

How do I turn in papers using blackboard

There is no longer a digital drop box in Blackboard. Submit all assignments using Blackboard's ASSIGNMENT TOOL.

1.     Find the required assignment on a Blackboard page, and click View/Complete to view or work on the assignment.
2.     You may be able to read and respond to the assignment in the text box. However, if you see a link to an attached file, right-click on this link to save the assignment to your computer.
3.     When you complete the assignment, it is time to submit it. First, type any comments you may have for the professor.
4.     Click on the BROWSE button to choose a file to attach. A dialog box opens.
5.     Select the required file in the dialog box; then close the box and click SUBMIT.

How do I take a quiz via Blackboard?

Click here to watch a video.

A. When your instructor posts a quiz on Blackboard, (s)he will place a link to the quiz on a page.

Check the link to the quiz (i.e., the quiz title).
If you are ready to take the test, click OK. Otherwise, click CANCEL.
If you clicked OK, the quiz will be displayed next. If it is a timed quiz, the amount of time you have left will be shown on the screen.
When you have completed the quiz, click SUBMIT.
If your internet connection is lost while taking a quiz, Blackboard will save your work as you go along. So when the connection is back up, check to see if you can still access the test and continue from where you left off. If you cannot, contact your professor immediately so that he/she can give you access to the test again. Be sure to start your tests early to allow for possible technical glitches.

Note: If you are an AOL-user, we do not recommend using the AOL Browser to access Blackboard. You can still use Blackboard however, by connecting through the AOL ISP, minimizing the AOL Browser, and opening a recommended browser, such as Internet Explorer. Additionally, if you are having any problems using a customized, or "branded" browser, which may have been supplied by your Internet Service Provider, please try using a "standard" browser, such as Internet Explorer to access Blackboard, once you have connected.

How do I check my grades on Blackboard?

Click here to watch a video.

1. Open a Course.

2. Click TOOLS on the Course Menu or Organization Menu.

3. Select MY GRADES.

4. Select VIEW GRADES from the Tool Panel.

How do I use the Text Editor to respond to an essay or short-answer test?

A. The Blackboard Text Editor functions best in Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer: if you are using another browser, you may have to disable the Text Editor by clicking DISABLE under the Set Text Box Editor options. If you do have Internet Explorer, then you will find that with the exception of the Equation Editor, the Text Editor works just like Microsoft Word, and should thus be easy to use.

How do I use the Blackboard Assignment feature?

TBA

How do I locate a previously saved message on the discussion board?

A. From the My Institution page, select a course

1. Click on DISCUSSION BOARD.
2. Select the date of the message, and click on OK.

Why won't my professor's PowerPoint slide show open?

A. You might not have PowerPoint installed on your computer. In this case, install PowerPoint on your computer or use a computer that has it installed. Click here to download a free PowerPoint viewer.

However if you have Power Point installed, you will probably have to save the file to your computer before you can "run" the slide show.

What should I do if I lose my network connection while taking a test online?

A. Blackboard should save your work as you go along. So when the connection is back up, check to see if you can still access the test and continue from where you left off. If you cannot, contact your professor immediately so that he/she can give you access to the test again. Be sure to start your tests early to allow for possible technical glitches.