Student Guide to Blackboard

http://blackboard.hartford.edu

Blackboard is an Internet application used by many instructors to put their courses online.  Typically, your instructor will let you know on the first day of class if he or she is going to be using Blackboard and will provide you with the information you need to log in and use Blackboard.  Handouts on using Blackboard are available at:  http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/fcld/handoutsstudent.htm.

Students are automatically enrolled into their Blackboard courses based on their registration information. 

All faculty, staff, and student Blackboard users will be required to use their University of Hartford e-mail as their username and the last four digits of their University of Hartford ID as their password to access Blackboard (e.g., username = jdoe if your e-mail is jdoe@hartford.edu and password = 5678 if your ID is 12345678)

· To obtain a student ID, you must present proof of registration and an additional form of ID such as a license. The student ID office is located in the basement of the Gengras Student Union, in room 135 behind Taco Bell. The office hours during the academic year are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The office is open extended hours at the beginning of each semester. Summer hours are limited; please call the Student ID office for summer hours at (860)768-5343.

· To obtain a University email, bring your current class schedule or your schedule for an upcoming semester along with your University of Hartford ID card to the Information Technology Services department in the Computer Center Building Room 113 (860-768-5999. Within 24-48 hours of requesting your university email, you will have access to Blackboard. 

Logging into Blackboard

Your Blackboard username is your email username ID (e.g., ‘jdoe’ if your e-mail is jdoe@hartford.edu ) and your initial password is the last four digits of your university ID.  You should change your password after you log in for the first time.

1. Go to http://blackboard.hartford.edu
2. Click User Login.
3. A new log in window will open. 
4. Type in your username and password
5. Click Login or hit Enter.  It is recommended that you change your password to something other than the last four digits of your ID number at this time. 

Changing Your Blackboard Password

1. From your Blackboard Home Page, find the Tools menu at the left.
2. Select Personal Information.
3. Select Change Password.
4. Enter your new password twice.
5. Click Submit to save your changes.

If you can’t remember your password, click the “Forgot Password?” link on the Blackboard login page.  A link will be sent to your University email address, allowing you to reset your password.

How do I access my Blackboard courses?

Go to http://blackboard.hartford.edu, and log in using your username and password.  The first thing you see when you log in is your Blackboard Home Page. This includes announcements and links to your Blackboard Courses, as well as some useful tools like a Calendar, Tasks, and other Blackboard features.  Your Blackboard courses will appear in a list to right under a heading titled “My Courses.”  To enter a class, click the name of the course.

I logged into Blackboard, but I don’t see my courses anywhere!

Students will be automatically enrolled into Blackboard courses when you register for courses at the University of Hartford.  If you do not see any of your courses listed under the “My Courses” heading, it may be that your instructors are not using Blackboard this semester, or have not yet made the course available to students.  Generally, instructors will tell you on the first day of class if they plan to use Blackboard in a course. 

NOTE:  If you have recently registered for a course, there is approximately a twenty-four hour waiting period between your official course registration and enrollment into Blackboard courses (excluding weekends).  If you have not processed the paperwork for adding or dropping a course, you will not have access, or you will still have access, to the course on Blackboard.  You must process your paperwork in order to be enrolled in a course in Blackboard.  Contact the Registrar’s Office at (860) 768-4999 for more information about adding or dropping a course.

My username and password aren’t working.  What should I do?

• Make sure you have University email and your account is functional (the email box isn’t full or the account has not been ‘turned off’.  You will not be able to access Blackboard without it.
• Make sure you are using the correct case for your password – passwords are case sensitive.
• Make sure that you aren’t using your entire email address as a username.  Only the first part of your email address should be entered (e.g. ‘jdoe’ if your email is jdoe@hartford.edu).
• Make sure that you are using only the last four digits of your University ID.
• Check to make sure that you do not have two University emails.  If you do, you should contact ITS at (860) 768-5999 to have them eliminate the second email. 
• Call the ITS Hotline to be sure that you are using the correct username and your email account is available - (860) 768-5999.

I already have my own email; do I have to use the University email?   

You must have a University email account to access Blackboard.  If you want to continue using an alternative email, you may forward your University of Hartford email to your other email account.  Instructions for forwarding email can be found at:  http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/www/index_howto.html

Are there any instructions or handouts on using Blackboard?  

If you are logged into Blackboard, selecting the Help button (question mark) at the top of the screen will direct you to a site where you will find student handouts.  If you are not logged into Blackboard, handouts are available at:  http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/fcld/handoutsstudent.htm   There is also a User Manual found under Course Tools in all Blackboard courses.  You must enter a course to locate it.

What if I have trouble using Blackboard?

Ask your instructor for assistance if you are having trouble using the tools and features of Blackboard.  If you continue to have trouble, or if he or she is not able to answer your questions, contact the Computer Support Center for assistance at (860) 768-5999.  The Computer Support Center has evening and weekend hours.

Hardware and software specifications for Blackboard

• You need a computer with multimedia capabilities (i.e., sound with speakers), a modem or Internet connection of least a 56K modem connection, and an Internet Browser.
• Your browser must accommodate both Javascript and Java for some functions of the course.  These are functions you can turn on in your browser.
• Your browser must be set to accept cookies (use Medium browser security settings).
• Windows users will need the Java Virtual Machine, which can be downloaded for free from Sun Microsystems (see below).

Windows Users Only – Instructions for downloading Java plug-in

Ø The Java 2 Run Time Environment JRE 1.5 or higher is required to use the Collaboration Tools. 

Ø This plug-in may be downloaded from the page that appears when a user joins a Collaboration Session, or downloaded from the page at http://java.sun.com/jproducts/plugin/index.jsp

Supported Browsers for Blackboard

Internet Explorer · Windows 2000 - IE 6.0 · Windows XP - IE 6.0, IE 7.0 · Windows Vista - IE 7.0 Mozilla Firefox · Windows 2000 – Firefox 1.0 · Windows XP - Firefox 1.0, 2.0 · Vista  – Firefox 2.0 · MAC OS 10.2 - Firefox 1.0 · MAC OS 10.3 - Firefox 1.0, 1.5 · MAC OS 10.4 - Firefox 1.0, 1.5, 2.0

Netscape · Windows 2000 – NS 7.1, 8.0 · Windows XP - NS 7.1, 8.0 · Windows Vista – NS 7.1, 8.0 Apple Safari (for MAC OS only) · MAC OS 10.2 - Safari 1.0 · MAC OS 10.3, Safari 1.1, 1.2 · MAC OS 10.4, Safari  2.0

NOTE: AOL users should plan to minimize the AOL browser and use Internet Explorer or Netscape instead.  These browsers are free to download.

Blackboard Tools – Communication Tools

Email

To send email within Blackboard, go to Communication à Send Email.

Select one of the following:

Ø All Users, All Instructors, or Select Users.

Ø If you choose Select Users, highlight a name and then click on the right arrow to create your recipient list (see below).

Selecting Individual Users in Email

Ø Enter a Subject and Message.

Ø Add an Attachment (optional). 

Ø Click Submit.

Although you can send email from Blackboard, you will have to leave Blackboard and log into your University email to read any messages sent to your from Blackboard.  University Email:   http://webmail.hartford.edu.

Messages

Communication à Messages  If your instructor has it enabled, Messages is a feature that provides each course with a private and secure system for communication that functions similar to email.  Not all instructors use the Messages function, so you may want to check with your instructor before using this feature to send messages.  NOTE:  Messages cannot be sent to or received from users outside the course.

Roster

Use the search function to list the students in your course.

Group Pages

If your instructor is using groups, you can access your group using the Communication button and clicking on Group Pages.  Your group name will be underlined.  Only students assigned to a particular group may access the group pages for that group.  Each group will have one or more of the following communication tools: discussions, the Virtual Classroom (chat), File Exchange (Digital Dropbox), and e-mail.    

Discussion Board

1. Click on Communication à Discussion Board.
2. Access the forum by clicking on the forum name.
3. Read posts (messages) by clicking on the subject line of the post.
4. You can reply using the Reply button in the right corner.
5. If it’s an option, new threads (discussion topics) are started by clicking the Thread button on the upper left.  NOTE:  Be sure you are reading your instructor’s post when you hit reply (if you are answering his or her question), otherwise you will be replying to a fellow student.
6. Click on the Subscribe button in a thread to have thread messages sent to you via email.

Collaboration Tools:  Virtual Classroom

From your Blackboard course, go to Communication à Collaboration.

· Lightweight Chat – a text based chat tool, similar to instant messaging.   

· Virtual Classroom – this tool includes the text chat, but also allows you to share websites, pictures, and class materials. 

NOTE:  You may be prompted to download the JAVA plugin.  This is necessary in order to activate the chat tools.  Turn popup blockers off as they will interfere with the chat tools.

Lightweight Chat

From your Blackboard course, go to Communication à Collaboration.

1. Select the Chat tool

2. The left part of the screen displays chat participants.  The chat text is in the white box on the right.

Chat Tool with Text Box

3. Type your message in the compose text box and then hit Send or Enter.

4. Click on Private Message to send a private message to someone.

Virtual Classroom

	Map – display a section of the Blackboard course. Whiteboard – draws graphics Group Browser – displays websites Ask Question – send questions to instructor Chat – text-based chat, similar to instant messaging
Virtual Classroom:  Ask Question To ask your instructor a question: Click on the Ask Question button.  Type a question in the box. Click Send.  The question will now appear in the “Question Inbox,” where the instructor can read and respond.			Virtual Classroom:  Group Browser This feature can be used to display websites to the class. · Click onto Group Browser · Enter the website address and click Go · The site will appear within the main window of the Whiteboard.

Accessing Archived Chat Sessions

Your instructor may record (archive) chat sessions that you can read at a later date if you miss a chat session. To access an archived chat session, do the following:

1. From the menu select Collaboration.
2. Locate the session with the recording you want to view (archives are listed next to the session).
3. Click Recordings to display the list of archives available for that particular collaboration session.

Accessing the Recording from a Collaboration Session

4. Click the name of the archive you need.  The entire conversation will appear.

Choosing a Recording

Submitting Assignments with the Digital Dropbox

The Digital Dropbox is your personal storage area for computer files, as well as a handy tool for sending computer files/assignments back and forth between you and your instructor.   Be sure you have updated anti-virus software installed on your computer if you will be using the Digital Dropbox.

TIP:  Before submitting your files, always add your initials to the file name (e.g. “homework1SMITH.doc”) to avoid files being overwritten. In addition, be sure to name your files using only alphabet and number characters with no spaces or other symbols. For example, a file with a name like this, “lptassignment#1.doc”, will not upload to Blackboard due to the “#” character in the file name.

Accessing the Digital Dropbox

Ø Scroll down to Course Tools in the box at the bottom of your Blackboard course menu.

Ø Click on Course Tools then Digital Dropbox.

Send a File to your Instructor

1. Click Send File.
2. Use the Browse button to select a file from your computer or use the dropdown menu to select from those already added to your Digital Dropbox.

Select a File to Send from Digital Dropbox

3. Click Submit.

NOTE: To verify that you actually sent an assignment, check to see if the file receipt in your Digital Dropbox says, “Submitted” following by a date (which means it was sent to the instructor), or “Posted on:” followed by a date (which means it was added but the Dropbox but NOT SENT).

Submitting Assignments with the Assignment Tool

Find and View Your Assignment

· Your professor will tell you where your assignment is located within your Blackboard course.

· Locate the assignment, click the View/Complete link.

Selecting the View/Complete link to Open Assignment

Download Assignment File

· If your instructor attached the assignment as a file, click on the name of the assignment file and download it (see below).

Selecting the link to download the file

· Select Save to save the file to your computer.

Submit Assignment to Your Instructor

Once you have completed and saved your assignment:

1. Return to the place within your course where your instructor placed the assignment.
2. Select the View/Complete link.
3. In the Assignment Materials section of the page, do the following:
1. Comments - Enter comments to your instructor about the assignment you are about to submit. This is not a required step but you might want to explain or elaborate some point in your
2. Attach local file - Use the Browse button to locate the file you want to attach.  To attach more than one file, click Add Another File link.
4. Click Submit at the bottom of the page to submit the assignment to your professor.

Getting Help with Blackboard - Students

If you are having trouble accessing Blackboard, contact your instructor first.  If your instructor is unable to help you, contact the Computer Support Center for further assistance.

ITS Help Desk – Computer Support Center

For general computer and Internet/network support questions (passwords, Internet/email problems, printer not working, banner, grades, etc.).  The Computer Support Center has evening and weekend hours.

Phone:  768-5999

E-mail:  its@hartford.edu

Website:  http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/its/