Ohio University

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You can find information about how to register for the McGraw-Hill Connect service within Blackboard in the above PDF file.

If you need assistance with the McGraw-Hill features you can contact McGraw-Hill:

Dennis Williams
Digital Learning Consultant
McGraw-Hill Higher Education
1-800-331-5094
dennis_williams@mcgraw-hill.com
www.mhhe.com

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 Before getting started make sure to use the 9.1 Browser Checker. Please follow the instructions in order to optimize your browser for Blackboard.

Getting Started:

1.    Go to “blackboard.ohio.edu”
2.    At the login page enter your OHIO ID, such as zz998877, and password in the spaces provided then click “Login.”
3.    Clicking on “My 9.1 Courses” tab on the top right of the window will take you to all of your enrolled classes. Selecting any of your courses will bring you to the course homepage.
4.    The “My 9.1 Organizations” tab provides a list of all the organizations in which you are a member.
5.    “My Bb Management” tab is available for students to use but is specifically for instructors use.

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View Grade Feedback:

1.    Login to Blackboard 9.1 at http://blackboard.ohio.edu.
2.    Select the course containing grade feedback.
3.    Once within the course, look to the Course Menu on the left. There may be a link labeled Grades or My Grades, but if not, click the Tools link. On the Tools page, select the My Grades link.
4.    Within the My Grades tool, the list of graded items, such as assignments, tests, quizzes, etc., are listed vertically along the left. The corresponding grades for these items are listed in the fifth column to the right. The other information provided by the My Grades tool is described below:

Utilize the Features of the My Grades Tool
Besides displaying individual and total grades for a course, the My Grades tool also provides various details about the submissions. These are displayed in columns, which are explained below in order of appearance from left to right within the My Grades tool:
• Item Name: Provides the names of individual graded items (e.g. assignments, quizzes, tests, etc.), as well as the Total and, if applicable, the Weighted Total grades.
• Alignments: Disregard this column. Alignments are associated with a feature that is disabled in the Ohio University Blackboard environment.
• Due Date: Displays the Due Date entered by the instructor for a particular graded item.
• Last Student Activity: This provides a date and time stamp for the last time an item was
altered by a submission.
• Last Instructor Activity: This provides a date and time stamp for the last time the item was graded or revised by the instructor.
• Grade: Displays the current grade for a submission.
   o Grades for items submitted through Blackboard will look like ‘links.’ Click on the ‘linked’ grades to view details of the submissions, such as time stamps of multiple submissions.
       -- Within the submission detail, if the grade is once again a ‘link,’ click it to view the actual submission/attached files.
       -- There may also be Instructor Feedback, which could include comments and attached files with comments/corrections on submissions.

NOTE: There may be an icon (e.g. a green exclamation point) instead of a grade. Some of these items are clickable and display details about the status of the submission, including the text of the submission and attached files. For a list labeling the icons, click the Icon Legend button at the bottom of the Item Name column.

• Comments: This is another area in which an instructor can make comments on a submission. Please remember that comments are also displayed on the details page when clicking on the scores in the Grades column. These comments are not the same as those found on the grade details page; do not assume that the instructor has not left comments if there are none visible in the Comments column. Check both areas!

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Blackboard 9.1 is a web-based application, so when preparing to use it, you should check to make sure that your machine’s operating system and the browser you plan to use are compatible with the system.  (Refer to the “How Do I determine my Operating System and Browser versions” FAQ if needed.)  The Browser Checker application scans your browser’s settings and plug-ins and notifies you whether they are compatible with the Blackboard application and also how to correct items that are missing.

To Use the Browser Checker:

1.    Go to http://www.ohio.edu/oit/bbsupport/browserChecker.cfm.
2.    The Browser Checker will run automatically
3.    The next screen will list the Browser Checker’s findings on the status of your operating system and browser, as well as the helper applications and settings most commonly required to support online learning.  Follow the instructions provided, if any.

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This documentation has been created for student use. It describes how students can reveal and hide their course menu (also referred to as the course navigation).

Hide Course Menu

1. From within your course, locate the arrow to the right of the course menu.

2. Click on the arrow and the page will expand, hiding the course menu.

Reveal Course Menu

1. Locate the arrow on the left side of the Blackboard course page. It will be pointing to the right.

2. Click the arrow and the course menu will appear.

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Editing Course Modules on the Bb Home Page
1. Once you have logged in to Blackboard 9.1, you will be on the “My 9.1 Bb” tab. Editable modules appear on this tab.

2. You can arrange the modules using the drag and drop function.

a. Click and hold the mouse on the module that you would like to move.

b. Drag the module to the desired location and release the mouse.

3. You can also change the theme on you home page.

a. Click “Personalize Page” at the top right corner of the page:

b. Select the theme you would like to use and click “Submit”.

4. The modules on your page can be changed by selecting “Add Module” on the top left of the page:

a. Click the “Add” button to add a module to your Bb home page:

b. To remove a module from view click the “X” on the top right of the module you wish to delete.

5. Former course will appear in your modules labeled “My courses” – on the My 9.1 Bb tab, or “Course List” – on the My 9.1 Courses tab. They can be removed from view if desired.

a. Click on the wheel icon on the top right of the module.
b. The personalization page will appear. Deselect the selected boxes for the courses you wish to hide.

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This documentation is for students using Blackboard 9.1. It will show you how to check your grades in a course using the “My Grades” tool, as well as describe the features of this tool:

• View a list of assignments, tests, quizzes, etc. for a course
• View grades on each of the assignments, tests, etc. and the points possible
• View Due Dates for each graded item, as set by the instructor
• View the last date the graded item was submitted, edited, or graded
• View the graded item’s details (Category and Description)
• View submissions and attached files
• View instructors’ comments and returned submissions & attached files

Finding the My Grades Tool
1. Login to Blackboard 9.1.
2. Locate your list of courses in the “My 9.1 Courses” module, and click on the link for the course in which you wish to check you grades.
3. On the course Homepage, look at the Course Navigation Menu to the left, and select a link—there may be one that says “Grades” or “My Grades,” otherwise select the “Tools” link.

• If you have a “My Grades” link, skip to step 4.
• If you have a “Tools” link, when you select it you will be taken to a page with many tools listed. Simply scroll down until you find the “My Grades” tool and click on the title link.

4. On the “My Grades” tool page, you will find a list of assignments, tests, quizzes, etc. for which your instructor intends to assign grades. You can see your grades for these items in the fifth column. The other information provided by the My Grades tool is described in the next section.

Understanding and Using the My Grades Tool’s Features
Besides displaying individual and total grades for a course, the My Grades tool also provides various details about your submssions. These are displayed in columns, which will be explained below in order from the left to the right of the My Grades tool screen:

• Item Name: Provides the names of individual assignments, quizzes, tests, etc. as well as the Total and, if applicable, the Weighted Total.
• Details: Click on the gray box that says “Details” in a row to show the graded item’s “Category,” such as “Assignment,” and a description of the item, as provided by the instructor. NOTE: the “Total” and “Weighted Total” Details describe the Grading Criteria and Description as provided by the instructor.
• Due Date: Displays the “Due Date” entered by the instructor for a particular graded item.
• Last Submitted, Edited, or Graded: This provides a date and time stamp for the last time an item was altered, either by your submission(s) of the item or the instructor’s grade entry.
• Grade: Displays your current grade for a submission.
• Grades of items for which you made a submission through Blackboard will look like ‘links.’ You can click on the ‘linked’ grades to view details of your submissions, such as time stamps of multiple submissions, and by clicking on the ‘linked’ grade within this detailed view, you can view the actual submission/attached files.
  

• There may also be “Instructor Feedback,” which could include comments and attached files with comments/corrections on your submissions.

• NOTE: There may be an icon (e.g. a green exclamation point) instead of a grade. You can click on some of these icons for details about the status of your submission, including the text of your submission and attached files. For a list and explanations of the icons click on the “Icon Legend” button at the bottom of the “Item Name” column:
  
  • Points Possible: Lists the highest score possible for an item.
  • Average: If you instructor chooses, he/she can allow the “My Grades” tool to display the class’s average score on each graded item.
  • Median: If you instructor chooses, he/she can allow the “My Grades” tool to display the class’s median score on each graded item.
  • Comments: This is another area in which an instructor can make comments on a submission. Please remember that comments are also displayed in the detailed page when clicking on the scores in the Grades column. These comments are not the same, so do not assume that your instructor has not left comments

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Managing Course List

Users can choose the courses that are displayed in the My Courses and Course List modules located on the My 9.1 Bb and My 9.1 Courses (respectively) tabs.  There may be many courses displayed in the My Courses/Course List modules from previous quarters that aren’t accessed very often.  The My Courses/Course List modules can be managed so that they only display the courses you want to see on a regular basis.

Manage the Course List:

1.    Login to Blackboard 9.1.
2.    Click on the My 9.1 Courses tab and find the Course List module.  
3.    Locate and click on the settings gear/wheel in the upper right corner of the Course List module title bar.  
NOTE: Mouse over the gear/wheel to see the “Manage Course List Module Settings” label.
 
4.    Place or remove a check mark in the row of the course you wish to modify.  We recommend you choose to display at least the Course Name and Course ID for each course that you may need to access.
5.    When finished making changes to the displayed courses, click the Submit button.
6.    Return to the My Courses/Course List module, the changes for displayed course(s) should now be implemented.

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Some of your courses may require you to view videos within Blackboard.  Many of these videos require the use of Windows Media Player.  Windows Media Player is an application that is used for playing audio, video, and viewing images on personal computers; it is available for Windows and Macintosh operating systems.

Please follow the steps in the document below to download and install Windows Media Player on your computer, to enable you to view videos within Blackboard.

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Follow these instructions to create as many Test Courses as you need. You may use Test Courses to develop content for your Blackboard courses. Once your content is ready to go, simply use the “Course Copy” tool (located in the “Control Panel”) to copy the course content from your Test Course into your official Blackboard course shell.

Please note: Creating a test course will list you as the instructor for that course. Students are not automatically loaded into test courses.

Create a Test Course:
1. Login to Blackboard.
2. Click the My Bb Management tab located in the upper left corner of your screen.
3. Once the tab opens you will see secondary tabs on the left. Click on the Test Course Request tab and then click on the Create Test Course button.
4. In the “Create Test Course Module,” enter a name for your test course in section 1.
5. In section 2, select an end date for your course (MM/DD/YYYY). Your course will expire on the date you enter. (Note: the default end date is 90 days from the current date, however, you may specify an end date of up to 365 days out. After this time elapses, you may continue to extend the end date.)
6. In section 3, click Submit to create the Test Course.
7. You may now view the new Test Course under the “My Courses” module on the My 9.1 Bb tab or under the “Course List” module on the My 9.1 Courses tab.

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This document will explain how to find out what operating system your machine is running and the version. Finding out your Browsers’ versions will also be covered. This information is important to know when troubleshooting issues you may experience while using the Bb 9.1 application.

To Discover Operating System and Version on a Mac
1. Click on the Apple image in the Menu Bar at the top left of the screen.
2. Select “About this Mac” from the menu.
3. A small window will pop up showing information about the OS running on your machine (see figure below). Also note the version: 10.5 = Leopard; 10.6 = Snow Leopard; 10.7 = Lion.
To Discover Mozilla Firefox Browser Version on a Mac
1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. Go to application’s Menu Bar at top left of screen.
3. Select “Firefox” from the application menu.
4. Select “About Mozilla Firefox.”
5. A window will open displaying information about the browser, including the version:

To Discover Safari Browser Version on a Mac
1. Open Safari browser.
2. Go to the application’s Menu Bar at the top left of the screen.
3. Select “Safari” from the application menu.
4. Select “About Safari.”
5. A window will open displaying information about the browser, including the version:

To Discover Windows Operating System Version on a PC
1. Click on the “Start” menu.
2. Select “Control Panel.”
3. Select “System & Security.”
4. Select “System.”
5. A window will open that lists all OS information running on your machine. Especially note the version.

To Discover Internet Explorer Browser Version on a Windows PC
1. Open Internet Explorer (IE) browser.
2. If you do not see the normal application menu (see figure below), press the Alt button; the menu should then appear. To make the menu appear permanently, you’ll need to right-click on empty space at the top of the window and select “menu” from the drop-down menu.
3. Select “Help” from the application menu.
4. Select “About Internet Explorer”
5. A window will open displaying information about the browser, including the version:
NOTE: Follow the same procedure, substituting the alternate browser’s name for “Internet Explorer,” for other browsers on a PC.

If your only option to connect to the internet is wireless, there are a few steps that you can take to help minimize interruption of your connection.

1.  Check your power settings for your computer.  

a.  Many laptops will have power settings that allow the computer to turn off the wireless antennae to save power.

b.  Make sure that your screen and your sleep settings are set to allow you enough time to complete the test.  

c.  Some computers will also have a setting for turning off your hard disk if your computer is idle for a specified amount of time; you may need to adjust this setting.

2.  Check your battery to ensure you have adequate power, and when possible plug into an outlet.

 

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The default page users see when first entering a Bb 9.1 course is the Home Page. This page is meant to be an overview of the current events in the course, such as Announcements and Due Dates. The page can also provide tools for student use, such as a Calculator or Dictionary. The following documentation describes how to add and remove modules on a course home page:

Adding & Removing Modules on a Course Home Page:
1. Login to Blackboard.
2. Enter the course within which you wish to work and make sure you are on the course Home Page.
3. Click the Add Course Module button to see a list of modules from which to choose.
4. On the Add Module page, you can search for specific modules, browse by category, or browse all modules. Each entry lists the module's name, a description, and the category to which it belongs. There is also a (More)… link that you can click to see a preview of the module as it will appear on your course home page.
5. To choose a module, simply click the + Add button below the module's name and description.
6. Once you click the + Add button, there will be a short "Adding" message, then a "– Remove" button will appear in place of the "+ Add" button.
7. Follow the same procedure for each module you wish to add to your course home page.
8. If you wish to remove a module at any point, you can simply click the – Remove button.
9. When finished selecting modules, click OK at the bottom right of the window.
10. You will be returned to the course home page and should see all the modules you selected.
11. There are default modules, some of which cannot be removed from the home page, but others can easily be removed by the process described above or by clicking on the "X" icon in the top right corner of the module. You can also minimize modules by clicking on the "-" icon in the top right corner. When a module is minimized, you can maximize it by clicking on the square icon that appears in place of the "-" icon.

Moving Modules on Course Home Page:
1. Login to Blackboard.
2. Enter the course within which you wish to work and make sure you are on the course Home Page.
3. To change the positions of the modules, you simply need to mouse over a module, click and hold the left mouse button, drag the module to where you desire it to be. There will be a black dotted line outline of the module dragged so you can see the location to which it will be moved.
4. Alternatively, you can reorder modules by clicking on the square with two arrows (one up, one down) located in the top right of the screen next to the Personalize Page button:
5. Then you can reorder the modules by highlighting the module you wish to move, then clicking on the left or right arrows to switch the column within which it is located, and clicking on the up or down arrows to move it correspondingly within the column.
6. Repeat the process to move modules as desired.
7. When finished with reordering, click Submit.

Personalizing the Theme of a Course Home Page:
1. Login to Blackboard.
2. Enter the course within which you wish to work and make sure you are on the course Home Page.
3. Click on the Customize Page button to change the theme of the page.
4. Select a Color Palette.
5. Click Submit to save the change.
6. Repeat the process to make a change or to revert to the default theme (will be designated).

The School of Nursing has asked that we provide the attached documentation to all new RN to BSN students.

Help Getting Started
Tips for Online Success
Technology Requirements
Submitting an Assignment
Discussion Board Overview
Posting to a Discussion Board

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In order for Firefox 20 to be fully functional with Blackboard, you must make sure that Java is enabled.

On an Apple computer, follow these steps:

Open Firefox

Within the Firefox menu select Tools

Select Add-Ons from the Tools Menu

Select Plugins from the Add-Ons Menu

Make sure that Java Plug-In for NPAPI Browsers is enabled.  (The title will be in black and the button will say Disable.)

The first time that you access content within Blackboard which uses Java, you will be presented with a screen that asks you to Allow the Applet to run.  Please do so. You should also notice an option that states allow all applets to run for Blackboard provided they are signed.  You may want to consider this option.  Otherwise, every time you access content that requires Java, you will have to allow the Applet.

On a Windows computer, follow these steps:

Open Firefox

Within the Firefox menu select Add-Ons

Select Plugins from the Add-Ons Menu

Make sure that Java Deployment Toolkit and Java (TM) Platform are enabled.  (The title will be in black and the button will say Disable.)

The first time that you access content within Blackboard which uses Java, you will be presented with a screen that asks you to Allow the Applet to run.  Please do so. You should also notice an option that states allow all applets to run for Blackboard provided they are signed.  You may want to consider this option.  Otherwise, every time you access content that requires Java, you will have to allow the Applet.

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Clearing the Cache for Android
1.    Open the Internet browser on your device
2.    Select the “Menu” button in the upper right hand corner
3.    From the list that appears scroll down to the bottom and select  “Settings”
4.    From the new list that appears select “Privacy & security”
5.    From the new list select “Clear cache”
6.    From the box that appears select “OK”

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Chrome
1.    In the browser bar, enter:   chrome://settings/clearBrowserData
2.    Select the items you want to clear (e.g., Clear browsing history, Clear download history, Empty the cache, Delete cookies and other site and plug-in data).
You can choose the period of time for which you want to clear cached information from the Obliterate the following items from: drop-down menu. To clear your entire cache, select the beginning of time.
3.    Click Clear browsing data.

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Clearing the Cache for Firefox Version 20 or Later

For PC
1.    Open the Firefox browser
2.    In the upper left corner click on the orange button the reads “Firefox”
3.    From the list that appears click on “Options”
4.    From the box that appears click on the tab that reads “Privacy”
5.    From the Privacy tab click on the text that reads “clear your recent history”
6.    From the box that appears change the time range to “Everything”
7.    Then click on the button with an arrow next to “Details”
8.    Make sure that the box that is next to “Cache” has a checkmark in it
9.    Finally click the “Clear Now” button
 
For Mac
1.    Open the Firefox browser
2.    At the top of the screen click on the “Tools” tab
3.    From the list that appears click on the option that reads “Clear Recent History”
4.    From the box that appears change the time range to “Everything”
5.    Then click on the button with an arrow next to “Details”
6.    Make sure that the box that is next to “Cache” has a checkmark in it
7.    Finally click the “Clear Now” button

 

 

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Internet Explorer 9 and above
1.    Open Internet Explorer
2.    Click on the gear icon in the upper right hand corner
3.    From the list that appears click on “Safety”
4.    From the list that appears click on “Delete browsing history”
5.    From the box that appears make sure that “Temporary Internet Files” is selected
6.    Click “Delete”

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Clearing the Cache in Safari:
1.    Open Safari
2.    In the upper left of the screen click “Safari”
3.    From the list that appears click on “Empty Cache”
4.    From the box that appears click on “Empty”

Mobile Safari for iPhone OS (iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)
1.    Open Safari From the home screen, tap Settings, and then tap Safari.
2.    At the bottom of Safari's settings screen, tap the buttons for Clear Cookies and Clear Cache. To confirm, tap Clear Cookies or Clear Cache again.

To clear history (Mobile Safari):
1.    From the home screen, tap Safari.
2.    At the bottom of the screen, tap the Bookmarks icon.
3.    In the lower left, tap Clear.
4.    Tap Clear History.

Respondus LockDown Browser™ is a custom browser that locks down the testing environment within Blackboard. When students use Respondus LockDown Browser they are unable to print, copy, go to another URL, or access other applications. When an assessment is started, students are locked into it until they submit it for grading. Available for both Windows and Mac.

Faculty and Student Quick Start Guides can be found here:

http://www.respondus.com/products/quickstart.shtml

The Respondus LockDown Browser for Ohio University can be downloaded here:

http://www.respondus.com/lockdown/information.pl?ID=951336254

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You probably need to adjust Security Settings in Internet Explorer. If you use Internet Explorer you will need to make sure your security settings allow file downloads. Otherwise you might be blocked from downloading and viewing files from Blackboard. 

To adjust your settings:

1. Open Internet Explorer, click “Tools,” and select “Internet Options.”

2. Click the “Security” tab.

3. Select “Internet Zone.”

4. Click “Custom Level” and scroll down to the "Downloads" section. Make sure the radio button is selected for “Automatic Prompting for File Downloads."

5. Click “OK.”

6. Click “OK.”

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Sometimes, your browser's “BACK” button will not take you to the previous page you are expecting. This happens because Blackboard has a number of contextual menus that allow you to navigate without taking you to a separate page. When your browser's “BACK” button takes you back a page, it may go back farther than your last "click."

As an alternative to using the “BACK” button, try to navigate in Blackboard by using "breadcrumbs." “Breadcrumbs” show what path you've taken to navigate through a Blackboard course, and they are located in the upper-left part of the screen above the menu area.

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You can find information about using the WebAssign integration with Blackboard in the above PDF files.

If you need assistance with the WebAssign features you can contact WebAssign at:

www.webassign.net/info/help.html

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Student: SafeAssign Submissions

SafeAssign is a Blackboard tool designed to prevent plagiarism. Submitting an assignment to SafeAssign is a slightly different process than submitting a regular Blackboard assignment. Following the guidelines below will help ensure that it works seamlessly. The critical aspects of successfully submitting a SafeAssignment are to use the correct file format, use a compatible web browser, and ensure the file name does not contain any special characters.

Submitting a SafeAssignment:
1. Use a compatible Web Browser. The default web browser on a Windows or Apple computer (Internet Explorer & Safari respectively) WILL NOT WORK. The process will hang and never finish submitting.
a. The solution to this is to download the latest release version of Mozilla Firefox web browser for your operating system. Google Chrome has also been known to work and would be the best second choice. The installer for these browsers can be found listed below. Once you have the
browser installed, move on to the next step.
     i. http://www.mozilla.org/en‐US/firefox/fx/#desktop
     ii. https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/
2. Launch the Mozilla Firefox application and log into Blackboard at https://blackboard.ohio.edu
3. Open the desired course and navigate to the appropriate SafeAssignment, then click the
>>View/Complete link.
4. On the upload page, choose Browse and navigate to the location on your computer were your document is saved. Select the desired document and click Open. You may choose whether to check the box to add the file to the Global Reference Database; this option will not affect the SafeAssignment submission.

NOTE: SafeAssign only accepts file formats .doc, .docx, .odt, .txt, .rtf, .pdf, and html.
NOTE: SafeAssign only accepts files with no special characters in the document name.

5. Finally, click the Submit button.
    a. After clicking the Submit button, a security warning may appear.
    b. Click Continue and the file will begin processing.
6. A green banner with a success message will appear when the paper is successfully submitted.

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Video

Submitting a Test/Assignment:
1. Login to Blackboard 9.1.
2. Select the course in which you wish to submit an assignment.
3. Locate the assignment you wish to complete and submit.

• Assignment locations will vary depending on the instructor’s preference.

4. To complete a test, click on the test you wish to complete.

• Make sure to view the test instructions before starting the test.
• Once completed click “Save and Submit.”

5. To complete an assignment, select the assignment you wish to complete.

• Read and follow the assignment instructions.
• The assignment may require you to use the text box provided or attach a file.

• To attach a file click on “Browse for Local File.” Select the file you wish to attach and click “Open.” Once file it attached click “Submit” in the bottom right corner.

6. Safe Assign is used to prevent plagiarism and properly attribute sources. Safe assign also compares submitted papers with existing academic papers to identify areas of overlap.

• Find the safe assignment you wish to complete and select “View/Complete.”
• Attach your assignment file in Box three.

• To attach a file click on “Browse for Local File.” Select the file you wish to attach and click “Open.”

• In box three you must agree to submit your paper to the “Global Reference Database” in order to successfully turn in your paper.
  Under box four select “Submit” to submit your Safe Assignment.
  

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Tips for Successful Assessments: Students
Sometimes assessment sessions in Blackboard are interrupted, leaving students with unfinished, un‐submitted exams. To fix this situation, instructors often have to clear the student’s current, aborted attempt and have the student begin the exam again. While a certain amount of these dropped sessions are to be expected and are unavoidable, there are some recommendations and tips for students that will minimize the instances of this issue.

Assessment Tips for Students:
1. The Bb application has 2 time out settings. There is a 20‐minute limit for fully idle exam
sessions (not clicking or typing anything). The second time out limit is 60 minutes. This means
if you have not clicked one of the Save buttons for 60 minutes, the session will be ended
automatically, and you will be kicked out of the exam when you do attempt to Save, progress to the next question, or submit the assessment.
2. Do not open a second browser window or tab and log in to a second session of Blackboard (such as to look up information on or download a file from a content page). This will create a conflict with the Blackboard database and will likely cause one or both of the sessions to crash or freeze. If this occurs, you will most likely lose your progress on your exam and will not be able to enter it again without your instructor clearing your attempt.
3. Do not attempt to navigate away from your exam without clicking the “Save and Submit” button. If you do try to navigate to another area of the course or to another web site, the exam will submit automatically whether you’ve saved all of your progress or not. You will end up with a partial submission and will not be able to re‐enter the exam attempt to finish it.
4. Run the Browser Checker before beginning an exam. The Browser Checker is found on the Bb Support website, here: http://www.ohio.edu/blackboard/browserchecker/. It will run
automatically, then make recommendations for browser settings and plug‐ins that are required
for Blackboard functionality—follow these recommendations for a better Bb experience.
5. Use a wired Internet connection, preferably on an Ohio University campus. Wireless
connections, even when on campus, are much more likely to have disruptions, causing the
assessment session to be lost—even when the network drops for an instant.
6. Click “Save” every 10‐15 minutes, especially when taking an exam that includes essay questions &/or presents all of the questions at the same time (versus a one at a time progression). This will help you to avoid session time outs and losing progress if your session is aborted.

 

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Threaded discussion forum tool in which students and instructors can post and reply according to topics over an extended period of time. There is one discussion board for the course that can be accessed in several ways. Group discussion boards are separate from the course discussion board.

Create a Discussion Board Thread:
1. Login to Blackboard 9.1.
2. Enter the course within which you want to work.
3. Navigate to the Discussion Board via the Discussions item or the Tools item in the Course Menu.
4. Click on the name of the Forum to which you wish to post a thread.
5. Once in the Forum, click on the Create Thread button.
6. Enter a Subject for your thread, and then type text directly into the Bb Text Editor box. The Text Editor allows the insertion of images, audio, and video content. You can also attach files either within the Text Editor, or in section 2, pulling files from your computer or from the course itself.
NOTE: Do NOT copy and paste text from Microsoft Word. The embedded formatting code in Word will not transfer exactly to web applications like Blackboard 9.1. Your post will more than likely exhibit display problems (messed up formatting, mixed fonts, sometimes it won't display at all).
7. Click Submit to post the thread to the forum.

Reply to a Discussion Board Thread:
1. Login to Blackboard 9.1.
2. Enter the course within which you want to work.
3. Navigate to the Discussion Board via the Discussions item or the Tools item in the Course Menu.
4. Click on the name of the Forum in which you wish to read threads.
5. Click on the name of the Thread you wish to read.
6. To reply to the thread, click one of the Reply buttons located above and below the thread text.
7. Adjust subject line if you wish, then type text directly into the Bb Text Editor box. The Text Editor allows the insertion of images, audio, and video content. You can also attach files either within the Text Editor, or in section 2, pulling files from your computer or from the course itself.
NOTE: Do NOT copy and paste text from Microsoft Word. The embedded formatting code in Word will not transfer exactly to web applications like Blackboard 9.1. Your post will more than likely exhibit display problems (messed up formatting, mixed fonts, sometimes it won't display at all).
8. Click Submit to post the reply to the thread.

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Enabling the Text Editor:

1.    Login to Blackboard.
2.    At the top of the Blackboard window, choose My Places.
3.    A pop-up window will appear.  Choose Personal Information under “My Preferences.”
4.    Select Change Personal Settings.
5.    Under Option 1 (Text editor on or off), toggle the radio button from Off to On.
6.    Click the green Submit button to save changes.
7.    A green banner should appear stating “Success: Personal settings updated.”

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The Notifications Dashboard
Blackboard can be set up to alert you to new changes in your courses and organizations. For
example, you can select to receive emails when new Announcements are posted, when an
Assignment is due or past due, when an Exam is available, etc. Every Blackboard user's Dashboard settings can be personalized. Some of the modules available in the Notifications Dashboard include: Tasks, Calendar, What's New, Alerts, Needs Attention, and many others.

Find & Personalize Your Notifications Dashboard:
1. Login to Blackboard.
2. On your main Bb page, the "My Bb 9.1" tab, click on the Notifications Dashboard Tab located in the second, lower set of tabs on the left of the screen.
3. To personalize your Dashboard, click on the Add Module button.
4. On the "Add Module" page, select modules by clicking on the Add buttons below each module description. 

a. Modules already selected will have a Remove button that you can click on in order to remove modules you don't want on your Dashboard.

In order to manage your course notifications, you'll need to adjust the settings of your
Notifications Dashboard.

Adjust the Notifications Settings:
1. On your main Bb page, the "My Bb 9.1" tab, click on the My Places link found at the very top of the window, right next to your name.
2. A small window titled "My Places" will pop up. Click on the Edit Notification Settings from the "My Preferences" menu at the left of the window.
3. On the "Edit Notifications Settings," screen, there are several options:

a. Edit General Settings

i. Email Settings, Due Date Reminders, and maintenance settings for both Courses and Organizations can be adjusted. Click Submit when finished.

b. Edit Individual Course Settings

i. Select from the list of your individual courses, then choose to turn various types of notifications on or off, and select how you want to receive the notifications (through the Dashboard, Email, or via Mobile alert). Click Submit to save.

c. Bulk Edit Notification Settings

i. Select which group of courses or organizations (those you are teaching/leading or those in which you are enrolled) you want to modify, then you can select individual courses from those groups to which you want to apply your changes. Choose to turn various types of notifications on or off, and select how you want to receive the notifications (through the Dashboard, Email, or via Mobile alert). Click Submit to save.

d. Edit Individual Organization Settings

i. Select the organization for which you want to modify the notifications, then choose to turn various types of notifications on or off, and select how you want to receive the notifications (through the Dashboard, Email, or via Mobile alert). Click Submit to save.

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Discussion Board Posting in Bb 9.1

1. Log on to Blackboard 9.1 and enter the class with the discussion board for which you would like to post.

2. The professor has many options as to how they choose to display the discussion board for students to access. These are some of the most common; however, if your professor has provided you the information on where to access the discussion board from within the course please proceed to step 3.

a. On the left side of your screen there will be a course navigation box. This is customizable by the professor, but will look similar to this:

b. The “Tools” folder provides access to the discussion board. After entering the folder click on the discussion board link:

c. The “Discussions” folder on the course navigation box also provides a direct link to the discussion board.

3. Once you have entered the discussion board. Your professor will have created “forums” that he or she would like you to post “threads” to.

a. To post a thread click on the forum that you would like to respond to.

b. Then click “Create Thread”:

c. Type your message and or attach your document and click submit. Be sure enter a “Subject”.

Accessing Bb Mobile
Mobile Features

Blackboard Mobile Learn takes interactive teaching and learning to the mobile device, giving students and teachers instant access to their courses, content, and communities anywhere. Blackboard Mobile Learn is a mobile app now available in the iTunes App Store for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, as well as on the Android Market (accessed directly from the device), no matter what carrier or network you use.  The Blackboard Mobile Learn app is available for purchase as a personal license.  Purchase a lifetime license for a one-time fee of $5.99* or purchase the app on a yearly basis for $1.99* per year.  The full version of Blackboard Learn is still accessible on iOS devices when using a browser and connected to a Wi-Fi network, regardless of whether the mobile app has been purchased. 

NOTE: Ohio University's Blackboard system is not accessible via the Mobile Learn app on Blackberry or Palm devices at this time.

Additional information is available in the Accessing Bb Mobile file above.

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You can send emails through the Blackboard system from within your courses. The following documentation describes how:

Sending Emails through your Blackboard Course:

1. Login to Blackboard.

2. Enter the course within which you wish to work.

3. In the Content Area, click on the Tools button; select Send Email from the sub-menu.

4. On the Send Email page, select one of the listed email options:

a. All Users

b. All Groups

c. All Teaching Assistant Users

d. All Student Users

e. All Instructor Users

f. Single/Select Users

g. Single/Select Groups

Note: Ignore the two "Observer" options because the system does not allow Observer Users due to security reasons.

5. After selecting the user pool, enter your message subject and body. The actual message subject will state the course ID before your customized subject line.

6. Click the box if you wish to receive a "Return Receipt."

7. Attach any files.

8. Click Submit.

Note: "Messages" are a different method of communication, and are entirely contained within the system. See the "Send Messages through Blackboard 9.1" documentation for more information.

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You can send messages through the Blackboard system from within your courses. The Blackboard Message System is entirely self-contained and not dependent on email systems. The following documentation describes how to use the Bb messaging system:

Sending Messages through a Blackboard Course:
1. Login to Blackboard.
2. Enter the course within which you wish to work.
3. In the Content Area, click on the Tools button, select Messages from the sub-menu.
4. On the Messages page, notice that there is an "Inbox" and a "Sent" folder. To send a message, click the "Create Message" button:
5. On the Compose Message page, click on the To button to reveal a list of users in the course. Highlight a user's name and then click the right-pointing arrow to move the user over to the "Recipients" box. Continue to do this until you have selected all desired recipients. If you wish to remove a user from the list, highlight the user's name and then click the left-facing arrow to move the user out of the "Recipients" box.
6. Follow the same procedure for the Carbon Copy and Blind Carbon Copy fields, if necessary.
7. Enter your message subject line and then the body.
8. When finished, click Submit.
9. You will be returned to the Messages area and should see an addition to your "Sent" folder.

Receiving Messages within a Blackboard Course:
1. Login to Blackboard.
2. Enter the course within which you wish to work.
3. In the Content Area, click on the Tools button, then select Messages from the sub-menu.
4. On the Messages page, notice that there is an "Inbox" and a "Sent" folder. There are also indicators for the number of Unread messages and the Total number of messages in each folder.
5. Click on the Inbox link to view messages received.
6. Click on the Message Subject to view the message text.
7. Within the message, click on the Reply, Forward, or Delete buttons to manage your messages.