Blackboard User Guide - For Students

 

Blackboard is UB’s “online classroom”.  Students automatically receive access to Blackboard after setting up their UBNet account and registering for classes.  Whether you are taking an online course or a campus course you can use Blackboard to interact with your instructors and classmates, access course materials, and complete your coursework (although not all instructors use Blackboard so students may not see all their courses listed on Blackboard).  Here are further instructions for using Blackboard at UB:

 

 

1)  Getting Started

 

 

2)  Blackboard at UB

 

 

3)  Blackboard Help

 

4)  Using Blackboard

 

 

 

 

What Is Blackboard?

 

 

Blackboard is UB’s “online classroom” where instructors can create online course materials that support your learning.  Blackboard is also simple for you to use - you can access your Blackboard courses from any computer with Internet access, anywhere and anytime!

 

 

 

How To Login To Blackboard

 

 

A)    You MUST have a UBNet account in order to access Blackboard beginning in January 2008:

·         A UBNet account is available to all students, and also allows you to create a yourname@bridgeport.edu email account, access the UB online library databases, and view your course schedule and grades online.

·         To create a new UB Net account go to http://www.bridgeport.edu/ubnet/ and select “New UBNet Account” on the left.

·         If you already have a UBNet account but don’t know your username or password, go to https://www.bridgeport.edu/ubnet/cgi-bin/resetpass.cgi

·         You will need to know your student ID number - if you do not know your student ID, contact your advisor or registrar’s office.

 

B)    To login to Blackboard:

·         NOTE: You must wait 24 hours after setting up your UBNet account AND be registered for a course for your Blackboard account to be activated.

·         Visit: http://bb.ctdlc.org

·         Username:  ub_ubnetname (For example, Joe Bridgeport with email jbridgep@bridgeport.edu would use ub_jbridgep)

·         Password:  ub_ubnetname (Your password is the same as your username)

·         You should change your password immediately after you login for the first time:

Login – select “Personal Information” on the left – select “Change Password” – enter your new password and “Submit”

 

You MUST check your UB email to send and receive emails from your instructors:

·         To login to your UB email go to http://www.bridgeport.edu/email

·         If you do not remember your UB email username or password, you can request both online at:

https://www.bridgeport.edu/ubnet/cgi-bin/resetpass.cgi

·         If you want to continue using an alternative email, you may forward your UB email to your other email account.  Instructions for forwarding email can be found at http://www.bridgeport.edu/pages/2250.asp#ubemail

 

 

 

How To Change Your Blackboard Password

 

 

To change your Blackboard password:

 

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

 

 

 

If You Cannot Login To Blackboard

 

 

·         Follow the instructions for determining your username above.

·         Reset your password online at http://bb.ctdlc.org/webapps/blackboard/password.

When resetting your password:

Choose option 1 “Username Option” and enter the following:

- First name -- last name – username (as described above) -- click submit --

- Your new password will be sent to your bridgeport.edu email.

                      OR

Choose option 2 “Email Address Option” and enter the following:

- First name -- last name -- bridgeport.edu email -- click submit --

- Your new password will be sent to your bridgeport.edu email.

·       Then, if you still cannot login to Blackboard, contact the Distance Learning office at kbickell@bridgeport.edu

 

 

 

 

 

How To Get Access To Blackboard

 

 

All registered students will automatically get access to Blackboard (please read “How To Login to Blackboard” above).  However, it is up to each individual instructor to decide whether or not to use Blackboard, so you may not have Blackboard access for all of your courses.

 

 

 

Using UB Email With Blackboard

 

 

You must have a bridgeport.edu email account in order to access Blackboard, and you must use your UB email to communicate with instructors in Blackboard.  If you want to continue using an alternate email, you may forward your Bridgeport email to your personal email account.  Instructions for forwarding email can be found at http://www.bridgeport.edu/pages/2250.asp#ubemail

 

 

 

How Instructors Can Use Blackboard To Enhance Learning

 

 

A Blackboard course can include any of the sections listed below, depending on how the instructor structures the course.  To access each section, click on the appropriate link on the left while in your course, or contact your instructor for more information.

 

  • Announcements
  • Faculty contact information
  • Lecture notes & presentations
  • Assignments
  • Web links & resources
  • Online tests
  • Online discussions
  • Course email

 

 

 

Blackboard Tutorial For Students

 

 

Students can practice using Blackboard through UB’s Online Orientation.  To access the Online Orientation follow the instructions below:

 

http://bb.ctdlc.org/

username: ub_orient

password: orient

 

 

 

Blackboard Help

 

 

       Students needing help with Blackboard should be directed to the following resources:

 

TECH SUPPORT: For technical support click on Help or Technical Support on the top while in Blackboard, or visit our technical support site:

http://www.ctdlc.org/Help/

 

OTHER RESOURCES: For more resources available to UB faculty & students, visit our Help Desk page:

http://www.bridgeport.edu/pages/2250.asp

 

       QUESTIONS: For questions about Blackboard, contact the Distance Learning Office at ubonline@bridgeport.edu or 800-470-7307.

 

 

 

After You Login To Blackboard

 

 

After you login to Blackboard, select your course user the list of “My Courses”.  The list will show all the courses your instructors have made available for the semester.  You may also see courses from previous semesters.  To remove these courses, click on the small pencil icon on the top right of the “My Courses” box, and un-select those courses which you do not want to see.

 

 

 

If Your Courses Are Not Listed On Blackboard

 

 

Not all instructors will use Blackboard so only those courses that instructors make available to students will appear on Blackboard.  If your courses do not appear on Blackboard:

 

·         Contact the instructor to find out if Blackboard will be used.

·         Ask the instructor if the course has been made available (this is something the instructor must do before you can see the class on your list.)

·         Have the instructor check (or contact your advisor) to make sure you are actually registered for the class.

·         After completing the above steps, contact the Distance Learning Office at ubonline@bridgeport.edu or 800-470-7307.

 

 

 

Contacting Instructors By Email Through Blackboard

 

 

To send an email to your instructor through Blackboard, follow the steps below:

 

·         Enter your course

·         Click on Communication on the left

·         Select “send email” then “select users”

·         Select the name of your instructor and click on the right arrow

·         Type in your subject and message and click on “submit” on the bottom right

 

 

 

Using The Discussion Board

 

 

To use the discussion board to interact with other students and your instructor:

 

  • Login to Blackboard and click on the name of the course
  • Click on Communication on the left and then choose Discussion Board (or click on Discussion Board on the left menu if it is available)
  • Look for the forum your instructor has assigned and click on the title.
  • If you are instructed to post a new message click +Thread on the top left, enter a subject and a message and then click Submit (clicking Save will save your message as a draft and it won’t be visible to other students or your instructor)
  • If you are instructed to reply to another message, locate the message and click on the title to read it. On the top or bottom of the message click Reply, enter your message and then click Submit.

 

 

 

Online Test-Taking Tips For Students

 

 

Learn how to get the best results when taking an online test in Blackboard:

 

Blackboard Test-Taking Tips

 

 

 

Checking Grades In Blackboard

 

 

To check your grades in Blackboard there are two options listed below. Contact your instructor if there are any missing grades or if you have any questions about your grades or the status of your assignments:

 

A)    Login to Blackboard

Enter your course

Select “Course Tools” from the gray box on the bottom left

Select “My Grades”

 

B)    Login to Blackboard

Click on “View Grades” on the left under Tools

Select your course

 

 

 

Editing Your Homepage In Blackboard

 

 

To edit your homepage in Blackboard, click on Modify Content or Modify Layout when you first login.  You can then choose from various options to customize your Blackboard homepage.

 

To edit your list of courses, click on the small pencil icon on the top right of the My Courses box, and you can edit how your courses appear.