Guides >> Blackboard Student Handbook

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• Introduction
  • Who to Contact
• System Requirements
• Logging in to Blackboard Learning System
• Communications Tools
  • Mail
  • Chat
  • Discussions
• Calendar
• Assignments
• Quizzes
• FAQs

Introduction

Welcome to the Blackboard Student Handbook. This handbook is designed to help you with logging into Blackboard for the first time and to help you get oriented with the tools that Blackboard provides.

    What is Blackboard? — Blackboard is a web-based tool for taking courses. It is used by UA Fort Smith to teach online courses.

    How do you access Blackboard? — To access Blackboard Learning System, go to the website http://creative.uafortsmith.edu. Alternately, you can click on the Creative Icon on any page of the UA Fort Smith website. You will use your LionsLink username and password to login to Blackboard.

Who to Contact

If you have problems accessing part of your course or if you have questions about your course, you should contact your instructor.

System Requirements

You also need the Java Runtime Environment 1.4.2_15 or 1.5.0_12.

Use the following links to download a browser.

• Internet Explorer
• Mozilla

If you are using Blackboard Learning System and you are unsure if your browser will work, visit Blackboard Learning System's Browser Tuneup page at http://www.webct.com/tuneup.

If you do not have a computer at home or you are unable to use Blackboard Learning System from off campus, you can log into Blackboard Learning System in one of the open computer labs on campus.

Additional Blackboard Learning System Recommendations:

If you are taking a Blackboard Learning System course, it it recommended that you have:

• A sound card and speakers.
• A high-speed Internet connection such as DSL or Cable.
• A media player like Windows Media Player 9, Quicktime, or VLC.

You should also have the following software:

• A word processor like Microsoft Word or OpenOffice Writer.
• A slide-show program like Microsoft PowerPoint or OpenOffice Impress.
• A PDF viewer like Acrobat Reader.

Logging in to Blackboard Learning System

Blackboard Welcome Page

To log into Blackboard, go to the website http://creative.uafortsmith.edu.

Make sure that you follow these login requirements:

• You must use your LionsLink username and password. If you have forgotten your username or password, you will need to visit the Admissions Counter in the Campus Center or reset your password using LionsPass.
• The User name must always be in lowercase (ex: jsmith00 is a valid username, but JSmith00 is not a valid username).
• The password is case-sensitive.

To access one of your courses, just click on the course title on your My Blackboard page.

Communications Tools

Mail

There are four default folders for each user. The default folders cannot be renamed or deleted.

• Inbox: contains all received messages
• Sent Mail: contains all sent messages
• Draft: contains all unsent messages
• Deleted Mail: contains all deleted messages

Mail Page

To Read Mail

1. From the Mail Folders table, click the folder that contains the mail you want to read. The Mail Messages screen appears.
2. Click the message that you want to read. The message opens in a new browser window.
3. Click the Close button when you are finished reading your message.

To Reply to Mail

1. From the Mail Folders table, click the folder that contains the mail that you would like to reply to. The Mail Messages screen appears.
2. Click the message that you would like to reply to. The message appears in a new browser window.
3. Choose the format for your reply
   • If you want to forward mail, see Forwarding mail to another user within the course.
   • If you want to reply to the person who mailed you, click Reply.
   • If you want to include the original message in your reply to all topic members, click Quote.

By default, mail messages are presented in chronological order.

Tips

• To view both read and unread messages, click All at the top of the message list.
• To display any messages that were just sent, click Update Listing

Chat

Entering a chat room

From the Chat screen, click the room that you would like to enter. The Chat window appears. It contains three main areas:

• The Output Interaction Box displays all messages sent and received.
• The Users Logged On box shows the users presently in the room.
• The Enter your message below box is where you type your messages.
  

You may either:

• Send a message to everyone in the room.
• Send a private message to someone in the room.
• Activate the entry chime (which will sound a chime when someone enters the chatroom).
• Close the Chat.

Sending a message to everyone in the room

1. From the Chat screen, click the room that you would like to enter. The Chat window appears.
2. In the Enter your message below text box, type your message.
3. To send the message, press Enter. Your message appears in the Output Interaction Box.

Sending a private message to someone in the room

1. From the Chat screen, click the room that you would like to enter. The Chat window appears.
2. Under Users Logged On, select the recipient of the message. To select more than one recipient, hold the CTRL key while selecting the names.
3. In the Enter your message below text box, type your message.
4. To send the message, press Enter. Your message appears in the Output Interaction Box of the selected recipient(s).

Discussions

Discussions is divided into different topics which allow you to create discussion groups around particular subjects. Topics can be public or private. Everyone in your course can access public topics, while private topics are available only to the students and the instructor.

Discussions

By default, Discussions contains three public topics:

• Main: the main discussion area
• Notes: messages related to a page of content in a Content Module
• All: contains all messages from all public topics

With Discussions, you can

• Send and read messages
• Search messages
• Compile and download messages
• Create, delete, or rename a topic
• Add members to a private topic

When you are viewing a list of topics in a forum you can click on the All button to view all messages or the Unread button to view messages that you have not read. You can also turn on or off threading with the Threaded and Unthreaded buttons.

Sending messages with or without attachments

1. From Discussions, click the topic to which you wish to post a message. The Discussion Messages screen appears.
2. Click Create message. The Create Message screen appears in a new browser window.
3. In the Subject text box, enter the subject for your message.
4. In the Message text box, enter your message.
5. If you want to attach a file
   1. Click on the Add Attachments button. When the Get Files screen appears, click on the My Computer icon. Your computer's file browser appears.
   2. Select the file you wish to attach, and click Open. The file will be automatically uploaded to Blackboard and attached.
6. Click Send. Your message is posted to the discussion topic.

Reading a message

1. From Discussions, click the forum containing the messages you want to read, or to view all of the messages, click All. The Discussion Messages screen appears.
2. In the header row, expand the thread by clicking the arrow () next to it. All unread messages in the thread appear. A paperclip () icon appears if the message has attachments.
3. Click the message that you want to read. The message opens in a new browser window.
4. When you have finished reading the message, you can
   • Close the message by choosing Close.
   • Reply to the message
   • Download the message

Calendar

Calendar

Adding calendar entries

This option allows you to add individual public or private calendar entries, depending on the access level your instructor has set.

1. From the Calendar screen, click the date to which you wish to add an entry. The View Day screen appears.
2. Click Add entry. The Add a Calendar Entry screen appears.
3. Complete the selection drop-boxes and text fields for your calendar entry:
   • Title: provides the brief description of the entry that displays in the calendar.
   • Description: provides the details that are not included in the entry's Title.
   • Dates: the date you choose is automatically selected; you may change the date if you wish.
   • Entry Type: sets whether the entry is public (all course members can view the entry) or private (only you can view the entry). Only instructors are allowed to make public entries.
   • Links: (under More Options) allows you to include a link to a website in your entry.
4. Click Save. The View Day screen appears displaying your new entry.
5. Click View month to go back to the montly view of the calendar.

Editing calendar entries

1. From the Calendar screen, click the date containing the entry you wish to edit. The View Day screen appears.
2. Select the entry you wish to edit by clicking on the radio button to the left of the entry.
3. Click Edit. The Edit a Calendar Entry screen appears.
4. Revise your entry.
5. Click Update. The View Day screen appears displaying the edited entry.
6. Click View month to go back to the montly view of the calendar.

Deleting calendar entries

1. From the Calendar screen, click the date containing the entry you wish to delete. The View Day screen appears.
2. Select the entry you wish to delete by clicking on the Action Link icon (

1. A warning message appears. Click OK. The entry is deleted.
2. Click View month to go back to the montly view of the calendar.

Assignments

Assignments

The Assignments tool is usually available as a link from a Content Page or the Navigation Bar on the left of the course.

View assignments

1. From Assignments, click the name of the assignment you want to view. The Assignment screen for that assignment appears.
2. If your instructor has included assignment-related files for you to download, an the files will be listed.

Submitting assignments

Submitting an assignment involves two steps:

1. Upload the file from your computer to Blackboard
2. Submit the file for grading

Uploading an assignment

1. From Assignments, click the name of the assignment you want to submit. The Assignment screen for that assignment appears.
2. To choose which file to upload, under Submit Assignment, click Upload File. The Upload File For Assignment screen appears.
3. To locate the file, click Browse to open your computer's browser.
4. Select the file by clicking on it and click Open.
5. Click on the Upload button to upload the file. You are then returned to the Assignment screen for that assignment, with the name of the file in the Student Files table.

Submitting the file for grading

1. To submit the uploaded assignment(s), under Submit Assignment, click the Submit Assignment button. Note: All assignment files in the Student Files table will automatically be submitted. The Assignment Submission Confirmed screen appears.
2. When asked to confirm the assignment click Ok.
3. As part of the submission confirmation you will see a success message, date assignment was submitted, list of files submitted and whether or not you can retrieve your assignment for resubmission.

Viewing Graded Assignment Files

1. Click Assignments. The Assignments screen appears, with the message Graded appearing in the Status column and your grade appears in the Grade column.
2. Click the Graded link to view your instructor's comments about your work. The Assignment Results screen appears.
3. Under Graded Files you will see the table of graded files from your instructor.
4. Click the name of the file you want to view or download.

Quizzes

Taking A Quiz Or Survey:

Quiz List

1. To take a quiz or a survey, click the Assessment tool hyperlink on your Homepage, Organizer Page, or Navigation Bar. The Assessments screen appears.
2. Click the hyperlinked name of the quiz or survey that you want to take. The Quiz (or Survey) Introduction screen appears.
3. Follow the instructions in the Introduction.
4. Once you complete a quiz or survey, click Finish to submit it.

When to Save your Answers

Sample Quiz

Use the following rules for each exam:

1. Be sure that you click on Save answer after every question. Nothing is worse than crashing on question 39 of a 40 question exam without saving. The yellow dot represents a question that is unanswered and the blue check represents a question that is answered and saved.
2. Read the instructions on the page that comes up when you click on the exam/quiz before you click to begin.
3. Do not forget to Submit!

Be sure to watch the timer in the upper right-hand corner of your exam. You must complete the exam before the timer expires.

NOTE: If your web browser or computer crashes during an exam, contact the instructor immediately by email!

Viewing Individual Quiz Results

1. To view the results of your quiz attempt, click the Assessments tool hyperlink on your Homepage, Organizer Page, or Navigation Bar. The Assessments screen appears.
2. Under the Action Link icon ( ) for the Assessment click on View Submissions.
3. If you want details on how you scored for each question on a quiz, click on an Attempt Number for a quiz.

FAQs

If you have problems with Blackboard, please look through the online Frequently Asked Questions at http://helpdesk.uafortsmith.edu/FAQs/Blackboard. This is a list of some of the Blackboard FAQs available:

• Add Questions to a Quiz — Now that I have done all of this work, how do I add questions to my quiz?
• Allowing Student Access to a Course — How do I allow my students to access my course in Blackboard?
• Blackboard and AOL — Why am I having problems using AOL's browser?
• Blackboard Assignments — How do I view, submit, upload and view grades of my assignments in Blackboard?
• Blackboard Bulletin Board — Where did my messages go?
• Blackboard Calendar — How do I add, edit, and delete entries in Blackboard calendar?
• Blackboard Chat — Why are some of the rooms recorded?
• Blackboard Discussions — How do I use Discussions in Blackboard?
• Blackboard Mail — What is the difference between FAQs.Blackboard mail and regular email?
• Blackboard Quizzes — How do I take a Blackboard quiz or survey?
• Browser Problems — I recently upgraded my web browser, and now I am having problems accessing a LionsLink? or Blackboard feature. What can I do?
• Cannot Find My Class — I cannot find my Blackboard class that I am supposed to be taking. Where is it?
• Change Password — How do I change my passwords?
• Change Quiz Settings — How do I change the settings on my quiz?
• Connect to Blackboard — How do I connect to Blackboard Learning System?
• Contacted By Different Email — Can I be contacted through a different email address?
• Copy a Blackboard Course — How do I copy my old Blackboard course onto my new course?
• Course Content — When I go to the course contents, I only see a few topics but I know there are more. Where are they?
• Create Question Category — How do I create a question category in Blackboard?
• Create Questions — How do I create assessment questions in Blackboard?
• Create Quiz — Now that I have created the categories and the questions, how do I create my quiz?
• Did Not Logoff — What if I do not log off?
• Duplicating Questions — I want to use a question I already created, just change some information. How do I do this?
• Export Assessments — How do I export assessments or questions from my WebCT course?
• Export Learning Modules — How can I export a Learning Module from my Blackboard course?
• Find an Address — How do I find the mail addresses of my classmates?
• Forgot Blackboard Password — What if I forget my FAQs.Blackboard password?
• Forward Mail — Can I forward mail to another class member?
• Grades in Blackboard — I handed in an assignment or test a while ago, but I do not see my grade listed. Why not?
• HTML Tags — Can I use HTML tags in my messages?
• Hide Unenrolled Students — How can I hide the unenrolled students in my Blackboard Gradebook?
• Import Materials Into a Course — How do I import materials (questions, assessments or content) into my Blackboard Course?
• Importing and Exporting Materials — Where can I find instructions for exporting and importing content and materials into my Blackboard course?
• Incorrect Java Version — I get a message in Blackboard that I do not have the correct version of Java and/or the My Computer icon will not load when I try to add an attachemnt. What can I do?
• Logging Into Blackboard — How do I log in to Blackboard?
• Logoff Instructions — How do I log off?
• Navigation Buttons — I see more than one set of navigation buttons (back, forward, etc.). Which ones do I use?
• Not Authorized in Blackboard — I can login to LionsLink?, but when I try to access Blackboard at creative.uafortsmith.edu I get a message "You are not authorized to access this page." What could be the cause?
• Password Suddenly Stopped Working — My password for Windows, LionsLink? or Blackboard has suddenly stopped working. What might the problem be?
• Problems Logging In — Why can I not log into Blackboard? I am positive that I am typing the login and password correct.
• Reread Messages — Can I reread messages that I sent to someone?
• Reset Course — How do I remove all email messages, discussions, or other portions of my course?
• Save Mail Message — Can I save my message and finish it later?
• Shared Designers — I would like another instructor to be able to access my course as a designer. How can I do this?
• Teaching Assistants — How can I add a Teaching Assistant to my course?
• Updating Java — I am getting a message that my Java Runtime Environment is out-of-date when I try to access Blackboard. How can I get an updated version?
• Using Blackboard Chat — How do I use chat in Blackboard?
• Using Blackboard Mail — How do I use Blackboard mail?