Blackboard 9 Quick Reference Guide
for Students
| The Blackboard system at Temple hosts web-based materials for over 33,000 courses and over 1,400 organizations. Approximately 3,600 Temple instructors use Blackboard to place course materials for their students on the web and to conduct a variety of classroom activities. With your AccessNet account, you can go to Blackboard to retrieve and submit assignments, participate in discussion groups, take tests online, and use features such as a calendar and address book.
Note that instructors have the option of including various features, such as blogs and wikis, in their Blackboard courses. If you do not see a particular feature, confirm that your instructor added it to the course. This guide provides basic instructions for using the most popular features of Blackboard, a Frequently Asked Questions section, and information for requesting assistance from the Help Desk. |
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| I. Obtaining an AccessNet account | |||||||||
To access Blackboard, you will need an AccessNet account. If you do not have an account:
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| II. Logging in to Blackboard | |||||||||
1. Perform one of the following:
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| III. Accessing your course | |||||||||
| 1. Go to the My Courses module and select the course that you want to access.
Note: If you do not see the course, refer to question 3 in the Frequently Asked Questions section. |
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| IV. Customizing Blackboard | |||||||||
| You can customize Blackboard by changing the color palette and repositioning the modules between columns as well as within a column. | |||||||||
| To change the color palette: | |||||||||
| 1. At the My Blackboard tab, go to the upper right and and click Personalize Page. |  |
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| 2. At the Personalize: My Blackboard window, a sample of the current color palette displays at the top. Under Color Palette Library, samples of available themes display. Click on your selection and then scroll down and click Submit. |  |
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| To reposition a module: | |||||||||
| At the My Blackboard tab, click on the gray bar at the top of the module and drag it to the new position. |  |
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| V. Customizing notification settings | |||||||||
| 1. Go to the top left side of the Blackboard window and click Notifications Dashboard. |  |
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| 2. At the My Places window, click Edit Notification Settings. |  |
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| 3. At the Edit Notification Settings window, you can define general and individual course notification settings as well as bulk notification settings. |  |
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| VI. Using the Bb drive | |||||||||
| Bb drive provides 2GB of storage space for saving and sharing your files. You have the option of uploading a single file as well as multiple files at one time. | |||||||||
| To save a file: | |||||||||
| 1. Click the Bb Drive tab at the top of the window. |  |
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| 2. At the Personal Content: username page, select Upload > Upload Files. |  |
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| 3. You have the option to upload a single file or multiple files at one time. | |||||||||
| To upload a single file: | |||||||||
| a. At the Upload Single File window, click Browse to find and upload the file.
b. Then, click Submit. The Personal Content: username window displays the following notification: |
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| To upload multiple files: | |||||||||
| a. If the Upload Single File window displays, go to the the upper right corner and click Multiple Files. |  |
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| b. At the Security Information window, click Run.
Note: This window will display the first time you select Multiple Files. |
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| c. At the Upload Multiple Files and Folders window, click Browse to find and select each file. -or- Drag and drop each file or folder to the selected area of the window. Then, click Submit. |
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| To delete a file: | |||||||||
| 1. Click on the box to the left of the file to add a check mark. Then, click Recycle to move the file to the Recycle Bin. |  |
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| 2. Click OK to confirm moving the file to the Recycle Bin.
The Personal Content: username window displays the following message: "Success: Items moved to Recycle Bin." Note: Approximately every 24 hours, the Blackboard system automatically deletes files from the Recycle Bin. |
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| To share a file: | |||||||||
| Bb drive enables you to share files with a friend, colleague, or instructor at Temple as well as with someone outside of Temple.
The easiest way to share a file is to create a Pass. A Pass is a link that Blackboard creates and e-mails to the person with whom you are sharing the file. The recipient can click on the link to open the file or save it locally. |
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| 1. At the Personal Content: username window, move your mouse to the right of the file name. Click the down arrow to display the Options Menu and select Passes (None). |  |
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| 2. At the Passes:filename window, click Create Pass. |  |
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| 3. At the Add Pass:filename window, click Submit.
Note: You have the option to set an expiration date and select permissions for the file. |
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| 4. A notice displays indicating the Pass was created. |  |
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| 5. Move your mouse to the right of the file name. Click the down arrow to display the Options Menu and select Email Pass. |  |
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| 6. At the Email Passes window, do the following:
a. In the To field, enter the e-mail address of the person with whom you want to share the file. To share the file with more than one person, separate each e-mail address with a comma and space. Note: You have the option to enter a personalized subject and message. b. Then click Submit. |
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| 7. A notice that an e-mail was sent to the specified address displays. |  |
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| Note: This is an example of the e-mail that a recipient receives. By clicking the link, the recipient will be able to open and save the file. |  |
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| To stop sharing a file: | |||||||||
| To stop sharing a file, delete the Pass associated with it to deactivate the clickable link you previously sent. | |||||||||
| 1. At the Personal Content: username window, click the down arrow icon to the right of the file you are sharing. Then select Passes (number).
Note: The number of Passes you have created for a file displays in parentheses next to the Passes menu option. In this example, one Pass was created for this file, therefore, Passes (1) displays. |
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| 2. At the Passes:filename window, click the check box next to No expiration and then click Delete. |  |
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| 3. When prompted to confirm that you want to delete the pass(es), click OK. |  |
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| 4. A notice displays that the passes were deleted. |  |
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| VII. Posting to a blog | |||||||||
| A variety of optional features, such as deleting and posting, are available for blogs. If you cannot access a particular feature, verify that your instructor included it in the blog. | |||||||||
| 1. From the course menu, select the content area where your instructor created the blog. Then, click View to select the blog. |  |
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| 2. At the blog name window, click Add New Entry. |  |
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| 3. At the Add New Entry window, you can accept the current date as the default title or enter a title. |  |
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| 4. Enter your comment and then click Save & Exit.
Note: Various options are available for formatting your entry. |
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| VIII. Posting to a wiki | |||||||||
| A variety of optional features, such as deleting and posting, are available for wikis. If you cannot access a particular feature, verify that your instructor included it in the wiki. | |||||||||
| 1. From the course menu, select the content area where your instructor created the wiki. Then, click View to select the wiki. |  |
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| 2. At the wiki name window, click Add New Page. |  |
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| 3. At the Add New Page window, enter a title and click Continue. |  |
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| 4. Enter your comment and then click Save & Exit.
Note: Various options are available for formatting your entry. |
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| IX. Submitting an assignment | |||||||||
| "Assignment" is a feature in Blackboard that enables you to upload files for a specific project or task. The assignment feature will accept most file formats except ".pages" because this extension indicates a folder, not a file format.
Note: As a Temple student, you are eligible to receive substantial discounts on the purchase of software. |
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| 1. From the Course Menu, select the content area where your instructor created the assignment and select the assignment. |  |
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| 2. At the the Upload Assignment page, scroll down to 2. Assignment Materials, click Browse My Computer, and then select the file.
Note: You have the option to include information in the Assignment Materials Submissions and Comments boxes. |
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| 3. Scroll down and click Submit. |  |
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| 4. The Review Submission History page confirms that the assignment is complete and provides details of the submission.
Click OK to return to the content area. |
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| X. Participating in a virtual classroom | |||||||||
| If your instructor is using the WIMBA virtual classroom program and you need help with features, such as Chat, Voice e-mail, or Live Classroom, visit the Distance Learning Program website and review the WIMBA tutorial. | |||||||||
| XI. Checking your Grades | |||||||||
| 1. Go to the content area where My Grades displays and click on the link. | |||||||||
| 2. At the My Grades window, you can view your grade and additional details for each item. |  |
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| XII. Frequently Asked Questions | |||||||||
| 1. How can I enroll in a Blackboard course? If your instructor is using Blackboard for your course, he/she will enroll you in the course. Please note that you must have an AccessNet account before you can be added to a course. If you are not sure about your AccessNet username and password, go to: accounts.temple.edu. You can also visit the Help Desk on Main Campus in the TECH Center, 12th St. and Montgomery Ave., 1st floor. 2. Why can't I access Blackboard?
3. Why don't I see my course in Blackboard?
4. Can I remove a course from a previous semester that displays in my Blackboard courses?
5. How can I find a course in the Blackboard Course Catalog?
6. Can I preview a course that I'm not enrolled in? 7. Where are the computer labs on campus that I can use? 8. How do I connect to Blackboard from home? |
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| XIII. Getting Help | |||||||||
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If you have problems using Blackboard, please contact the Computer Services Help Desk:
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