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Blackboard How To's: Students

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SECTION 1: ABOUT BLACKBOARD

What is Blackboard?

Blackboard is a course management software package written by a company called Blackboard, Inc., based in Washington, DC. New York University purchased a license to use Blackboard, and the program runs off of a dedicated server. Users of Blackboard can only interact with the program by using a web browser-based interface. Blackboard allows creation and administration of course content without the need to purchase or learn a full-fledged web editing program. It also provides access to numerous interactive tools such as discussion boards, email lists, and online assessments that would otherwise be rather difficult to set up.

What are the minimum system requirements to run Blackboard?

Blackboard, Inc. recommends:

  • Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, or ME
  • Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X
  • Minimum 64 MB RAM, 1 G of free disk space
  • 150 MHz or higher processing speed
  • 56K modem or better
  • Monitor capable of at least 800 x 600 resolution

Additional Suggested Software

Microsoft Office 97 of higher (or Microsoft Office Converters and Viewers), Adobe Acrobat Reader, Windows Media Player or equivalent, QuickTime plug-in, Real Player plug-in.

Collaboration Tools (Virtual Classroom & Lightweight Chat)—Plug-in for PC Users Only:

The Java 2 Run Time Environment 1.3.1_04 or higher. This plug-in may be downloaded from the page that appears when a user joins a Collaboration Session or may be found at http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/download.html.

Collaboration Tools & Macintosh Users:

Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X both come with the plug-in you need for using the Collaboration Tools.

A Collaboration Session is a real-time communication area that can be run within your Blackboard site. Blackboard 6 contains two types of Collaboration Sessions, a Virtual Classroom and a Lightweight Chat.

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What type of browser should I have in order to use Blackboard?

Browser Configuration Guide for Blackboard 6

The following describes which versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator have been certified for use with the Blackboard Learning System. Also indicated are versions that may be compatible, but have not been certified. Certified configurations (indicated by an X) have undergone a thorough set of tests conducted by Blackboard Quality Assurance and are 100% supported by Blackboard Product Support. Compatible configurations are indicated by an empty cell and have undergone a limited engineering analysis, which indicates that Blackboard is not aware of any issues resulting from that configuration. Blackboard recommends that users adhere to the Certified configurations.

 
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Netscape Navigator
  4.5 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.5 6.0 4.8 4.8 6.0 6.1 6.2 7.0
Windows 2000   X     X X            
Windows XP           X         X X
Mac OS 9.2   X X         X       X
Mac OS X.1     X X             X X
Mac OS X.2       X               X

In all types of browsers:

  • JavaScript must be enabled
  • Cookies must be enabled

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What plug-ins should I have in order to use Blackboard?

Standard useful plug-ins include:

  • Apple QuickTime
    The Apple QuickTime plug-in lets you experience QuickTime animation, music, MIDI, audio, video, and VR panoramas and objects directly in a web page. Available for Windows 95 or later, and Mac OS 8.1 or later.
    Download Apple Quick Time.
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader
    The most reliable, efficient, and effective way to share information electronically. Available for Linux, Windows 95 or later, Mac OS 8.1 or later, and Unix versions.
    Download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
  • Real Player
    RealPlayer lets you play streaming audio, video, animations, and multimedia presentations on the Web. Plays RealAudio, RealVideo as well as the vast majority of popular media file types such as MP3.
    Download RealPlayer
  • The Java 2 Run Time Environment 1.3.1_04 or higher Plug-in
    Needed for Collaboration Tools (Virtual Classroom & Lightweight Chat)—Plug-in for PC users only: This plug-in may be downloaded from the page that appears when a user joins a Collaboration Session or from the following link.
    Download Java 2 Run Time Environment
  • Mac OS Runtime for Java (MRJ) plug-in
    Needed for Collaboration Tools (Virtual Classroom & Lightweight Chat)—Plug-in for Macintosh Users: Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X both come with the plug-in you need for using the Collaboration Tools. Mac OS 8 users may need this plug-in.
    Download Mac OS Runtime for Java (MRJ)

What concerns exist for Mac users?

Blackboard works very well with the Macintosh platform. However, there are some issues that Mac users should be aware of when accessing Blackboard courses.

File names

Mac users have long been accustomed to having a great deal of freedom where naming their files are concerned. In particular, the Mac operating system does not require users to use file extensions on the end of file names to indicate to the computer what kind of program should be used to open the file. This information is stored inside the Mac file.

However, Mac users must use the proper file extensions when uploading files to Blackboard courses. The Blackboard system does not itself live on a Mac system, and does not know how to make sense of the file type information stored within a Mac file. It identifies file type information by extensions appended to the file name. Failure to provide a file extension can cause the file to appear as gibberish when downloaded via Blackboard. A partial, but not exhaustive, list of extensions follows.

File Type Extensions

Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF): .pdf
Adobe Scalable Vector Graphics file (SVG): .svg
Apple QuickTime movie: .mov
Graphics Interchange Format file (.gif graphic): .gif
Joint Photographic Expert Group file (.jpg graphic): .jpg
Macromedia Flash movie: .swf
Macromedia Streamable Shockwave Audio file: .swa
Microsoft Access database: .mdb
Microsoft Excel workbook: .xls
Microsoft Excel template: .xlt
Microsoft PowerPoint presentation: .ppt
Microsoft PowerPoint template: .pot
Microsoft Word document: .doc
Microsoft Word template: .dot
Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) movie: .mpg
Moving Pictures Expert Group 3 (MP3) file: .mp3
Plain text document: .txt
PostScript file: .ps
Real Audio media file: .ram
Rich Text Format (RTF) document: .rtf
Tagged Image File Format file (TIFF graphic): .tif
Wave sound file: .wav
Web page (HTML): .html
Windows Media file: .wma
Zip-compressed archive: .zip

Is Blackboard ADA Compliant? How does it work with screen readers?

The Blackboard website addresses this issue as follows:

Blackboard is committed to the accessibility of our e-Education platform. We are working with leaders in the accessibility field to bring our software into compliance with industry standards and federal guidelines for accessibility.

You can find out more about Blackboard's accessibility projects, by navigating to Blackboard's Accessibility Information (http://www.blackboard.com/company/accessibility.aspx). This page includes a link to a screen reader tutorial, which includes information such as logging in, navigating through the Blackboard navigation frames, using the Blackboard Portal and course websites, and using the Discussion Board feature.

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SECTION 2: GETTING STARTED

How am I enrolled into a Blackboard course? Do I need to apply?

Students are automatically enrolled into Blackboard courses. You do not need to apply.

Every hour, on the hour, during regular business hours the student enrollment is automatically updated.

How do I login to Blackboard?

  • Login to http://home.nyu.edu/.
  • Click on the "Academics" tab in the top right-hand corner.
  • You will see your course listed under the Classes section. Click on your course, and you will automatically be logged on to your Blackboard course.

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What if I don't see my Blackboard course in NYUHome? (for students)

In the Blackboard Classes channel in NYUHome, click "Update Blackboard Classes Information" and see if the course now appears, or is now available. The class list is updated automatically several times a day, but clicking the update link creates a fresh list immediately.

If the problem persists:

  1. If you are registered for a class and a link still does not appear, check with your instructor to confirm that NYU Blackboard is being used for this course.
  2. If the course is listed but says "not yet available," then NYU Blackboard has been activated for this course but the Instructor has not yet made it available for student access. Confirm with your instructor that this is the case. You will have access once the Instructor makes the course available.
  3. If you have recently registered or added a course via the registrar, it may take 24 to 48 hours for those changes to take effect in Blackboard. If you need immediate access for assignments or other materials, contact your Instructor or Teaching Assistant.

Note: You may also be blocked from Blackboard if you have any holds on your account with the Bursar's Office or the Health Center.

How should AOL users access Blackboard?

Blackboard should not be accessed directly from AOL. Connect to the Internet using AOL, and then open a new browser window, for example, Internet Explorer or Netscape.

Where can I get help with unexpected Blackboard problems?

There are several different ways students can access Blackboard help:

Online

By Phone

  • ITS Client Services Center: 1-212-998-3333
    (M-F, 8:00 am-midnight, Sa-Su, noon-midnight)

By Email

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SECTION 3: USING BLACKBOARD

What items are located within the Communication Area and what do they do?

Under the Communication Area, you may find some or all of these items. Note: If your instructor has chosen not to use some of these items in your course, you will not be able to view them.

Announcements

Students can view important messages from instructors on the Announcements page of a course website. Announcements are organized and displayed by:

  • Current date
  • Last seven days
  • Last thirty days
  • View all course announcements

Send Email

Students can access email functions for specific courses through the Send Email page located under Communication. From this page users can send email to the following people in a course:

  • Fellow classmates
  • Instructors
  • Teaching assistants
  • Groups within a course

Collaboration

The Collaboration Tools allow the instructor and students to participate in real-time lessons and discussions. Examples of these sessions include real-time, online classroom discussions, TA sessions, and office hour type question/answer forums. Archives of previous sessions are also available for review. The Collaboration Session page is used to organize and access sessions. From this page users can search for and join Collaboration Sessions and view session archives.

Roster

Users can search the Roster and view lists of students, instructors, and teaching assistants associated with a specific course.

Group Pages

Instructors can create Groups in a course to enable students to collaborate with each other. These groups usually consist of a smaller group of students in a class, such as study groups or project groups. From a Group page, users may:

  • Send email to Group members
  • Exchange files
  • Enter discussion forums
  • Enter collaboration sessions

Discussion Boards

The Discussion Board is another communication tool that can be used to enhance a course site. Topics are posted to the Discussion Board that course participants can reply to and converse about online. This feature is similar to the Lightweight Chat, but is designed for asynchronous use, meaning students do not have to be online at the same time to have a conversation. An additional advantage of the Discussion Board is that student conversations are logged and organized. Conversations are grouped into threads that contain a main posting and all related replies for easy retrieval.

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What tools are located in the Student Tools Area and what do they do?

Under the Tools Area, you may find some or all of these items. Note: If your instructor has chosen not to use some of these items in your course, you will not be able to view them.

Digital Drop Box

The Digital Drop Box enables students to exchange files with the instructor.

Edit Your Homepage

Every enrolled student has a course site Homepage where they can post information about themselves. The "Edit Your Homepage" screen allows users to edit their course site Homepages. This area is created by default, each time a new student registers in the course. The default page is blank until the user edits the page.

Personal Information

Users manage personal data and privacy settings from the Personal Information page. The following functions are available to users:

  • Edit Personal Information
    (change personal information associated with your account)
  • Set CD-ROM Drive
    (set the CD-ROM drive used to access content on your local computer)
  • Set Privacy Options
    (select which fields of your personal information are publicly available)

Calendar

The calendar tool allows users to view Calendar items by day, week, month or year. Upcoming and past events can be viewed daily, weekly, or monthly.

View Grades:

Users can check their grades in a course by accessing the View Grades page though the Course menu. This page may include some or all of the following information:

  • The user's average Assessment grade
  • The total number of points the user has accumulated
  • Details about each Assignment
  • Information about the class average on each Assignment
  • Grade weighting

Student Manual

The Student Manual details the tools and functions included with the platform from the student or general user perspective.

Tasks

The Tasks page organizes tasks, defines task priority and tracks task status. Instructors can post tasks to students in their course.

Electric Blackboard

The Electric Blackboard allows users to save notes for your course. Users can write notes on the Electric Blackboard, save them, and return later to add and review them.

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How can I use the course email list?

Enrolling users in a Blackboard site automatically generates a course email list in the course websites.

To send an email:

Under Communication click on the icon with the words "Send email" By default the email options beneath this icon are as follows:

  • All Users
  • All Groups
  • All Teaching Assistants
  • All Instructors
  • All Observers
  • Select Users
  • Select Groups
  • Select Observers

Can I use an email address other than my NYU email address?

No. Students must use their NYU email address as their official email address.

To forward your NYU email account to another address:

  • Go to http://home.nyu.edu and login.
  • Go into "Preferences" (top right-hand corner).
  • Set a mail forwarding address.
  • Click "Save".

Should you require assistance with email forwarding, contact The ITS Client Services Center at 1-212-998-3333.

How can I view my grades for Blackboard Assessments?

A student can see his/her own grade statistics in the View Grades Area of Student Tools.

What is the difference between adding and sending a file to the Digital Drop Box?

Adding a file to the drop box only deposits the file in your own Drop Box. No one else has access to it.

Sending a file to the drop box requires specifying the recipient of the file. The file will be in your own Drop Box and the Drop Box of the recipient. Once a file is sent, the file cannot be removed from the recipient's Drop Box.

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Can I delete a file once it has been sent?

Once a file is sent, the file cannot be removed from the recipient's Drop Box.

I understand that the Collaboration Tools are Java applications; do I need a special version of Java? Are there special concerns for Mac users?

Since the Collaboration Tools are Java Applications, they may initially take a few moments to load into a browser window.

The Java 2 Run Time Environment 1.3.1_04 or higher is required to use the Collaboration Tools. This plug-in may be downloaded from the page that appears when a user joins a Collaboration Session, or may be found at http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/index.html. Users should uninstall any existing Java plug-ins before installing a new version.

Mac OS 8 or 9 users should use an "Accessible Version" of the "Collaboration Tool". On the launch page, which opens when "Join" is selected on the "Collaboration Session" page, a link to this version appears. This version resembles a Lightweight Chat. Links to items that appear in the Virtual Classroom, such as items in the Course Map and Group Browser, will appear in this version.

For more information see the FAQ on plug-ins.

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What is the difference between a Virtual Classroom and a Lightweight Chat?

Blackboard 6 now provides a real-time collaboration option that is optimized for low bandwidth applications. Lightweight chat allows you to communicate in real-time with students enrolled in your site. The Lightweight chat is essentially just the Chat Window feature of the Virtual Classroom which contains many other tools.

There seem to be a lot of different tools in the Virtual Classroom. What do they all do?

Course Map

The "Course Map" feature will open a link to the Content Areas of your course site in the main "whiteboard/browser" portion of the Virtual Classroom. This tool can be used to walk students through a guided tour of your Blackboard site and browse the Content Areas.

Whiteboard

The "Whiteboard" tool allows you to post a series of "slides" that you can illustrate in real-time using drawing tools, text and mathematical "WebEQ" formulas.

Group Browser

The Group Browser enables participants to collaboratively browse the Web during a Virtual Classroom session. The instructor uses this tool to open a URL in a new browser window for all participants. URLs viewed in the session will be recorded in the archive if one is created.

Ask Question/Question InBox

The Ask Question/Question InBox interface allows students to ask questions on an individual basis and have that question be separated from the group chat.

Chat Window

The Lightweight Chat allows participants to interact with each other and the instructor via a text-based chat region. This region is part of the Virtual Classroom, but can also be accessed separately without the rest of the tools that make up the Virtual Classroom.

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How does a timed test work?

Timed test behave in the following way:

  • Browser displays a "countdown" and a one-minute warning appears, but there is no signal to the user when the time limit expires.
  • Timing feature does not prevent students from submitting a quiz past the allotted time. They are able to continue the quiz beyond the limit with the following results:
  • A red exclamation point will appear in the Gradebook for that item—the instructor may adjust the score by going into the student's assessment (by clicking on the exclamation point) and resubmitting it.
  • A message will appear at the top of the completed quiz noting the amount of time by which the student exceeded the limit.

I am using a Mac and having trouble with the timer display when taking assessments. What's wrong?

With Netscape, when taking an assessment, the "time elapsed" does not display and the "one minute left" warning does not appear. With Internet Explorer, the "time elapsed" does not display but the "one minute left" warning does appear as expected.

How do I complete an Assignment?

Once you login to the Blackboard course, browse to the Content Area where the assignment is located, and then click the "View/Complete" link.

Once you have completed the assignment you are given the option to submit the file. In addition to submitting the file you may also append comments.

You also have the option of saving an assignment if you have not completed it and coming back to that assignment at a later time.

Can the navigation window be collapsed to give more course content area?

Yes. Simply click on the "arrow" on the upper left of the Navigation Window.
Click the "arrow" again to include the Navigation Window.

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Page last reviewed: September 1, 2006