Some functions in Blackboard might not work properly in Internet Explorer 9. If you have already downloaded IE 9, you should turn on the Compatibility View when using Blackboard.

We have found that there are some issues with the latest version of Firefox (7.0.1 and above) and with Internet Explorer 9 and the version of Blackboard Learn that we are currently using. We recommend using Internet Explorer 9 in Compatibility View for the best results at this time. We will continue to monitor the situation and will make further recommendations as other options are found.

How to use Compatibility View in Internet Explorer 9

Websites that were designed for earlier versions of Windows Internet Explorer might not display correctly in Internet Explorer 9. However, you can often improve how a website will look by using a feature called Compatibility View.

When you turn on Compatibility View, the website you're viewing will be displayed as if you were using an earlier version of Internet Explorer.

If Internet Explorer recognizes a webpage that isn't compatible, you'll see the Compatibility View button on the Address bar. To turn Compatibility View on, click the Compatibility View button to make the icon change from an outline Picture of the Compatibility View button (off) to a solid color Picture of the Compatibility View button (on).

From now on, whenever you visit this website, it will be displayed in Compatibility View. However, if the website receives updates to display correctly in the current version of Internet Explorer, Compatibility View will automatically turn off.

Accessing Blackboard:

1. Obtaining Your User ID: To obtain your User Name, go to WebAdvisor and select the choice What's My User ID.

2. After obtaining your User Name: Proceed to Blackboard to sign in.

3. Initial Password: For any users created after September 9th, 2011, the temporary password is now set to the first letter of your last name followed by your 6-digit date birth date. Ex., If Jane Doe was born on January 5th, 1985 the password would be d010585.

For users created before September 9th, 2011, the temporary password is initially set to your 6-digit birth date. Ex., If Jane Doe was born on January 5th, 1985 the password would be 010585.

If we do not have your birth date on file, the system randomly generates a pin. To obtain your pin, please call the help desk at 423.869.7411.

To Change Your Blackboard Password:

1) Go to http://lmunet.centertech.com/

2) Provide your Username and initial Password and select Login.

3) Once you are logged in, select the Personal Information from the widget on the left



4) Once you are on the Personal Information screen, select Change Password

5) Provide a new password and click Submit to change the password.

To create an assignment or item in Blackboard as "extra credit", simply create a new assignment and enter 0 (zero) in the points possible field.

Blackboard 8 required more steps, as there was a system bug, but there are no extra steps needed for "extra credit" items in Blackboard 9.

This is a known issue with Blackboard that is currently being addressed by the company.  It is believed that students with over 25 active courses are affected by this bug.  At this point in time, there is a workaround:

• Students reporting this issue can correct it by proper manipulation of their My Courses list.  ALL column options be cleared (see image below) for each course not needed.
• Faculty reporting this issue on behalf of students can correct the issue for any and all students experiencing it by changing the title of their respective course(s) to appear earlier in an alpha-numerically arranged list (e.g. by adding 01.) in front of the course name.  This can be accomplished by navigating to the course's Control Panel and clicking Settings, then Course Name and Description.

If a student ID/user name can log into any LMU authentication required site, except Blackboard, even after a password reset, it is highly possible that the account is disabled within Blackboard.

User accounts become disabled in Blackboard (at the system level) when a student has not been enrolled in a course for an extended period of time.  Once a student is registered for a class again, most systems recognize the individual's "reactivation" in real- or near-real-time.  Blackboard's recognition will be delayed by the timing of the next full daily snapshot.

If someone logs into a course and is taken directly into Announcements of the course, and cannot navigate to a different section of the course (i.e. cannot see the Course Menu) it is likely the Menu has been hidden.

Therefore, if your screen doesn't look like it's showing anything, you will need to click the > arrow which will un-hide, or show, the Course Menu.

NOTE: If you hide the Course Menu for one class, it will hide it for all other courses (i.e. it is a global option).

Students can modify when they receive notifications within Blackboard.
Click on the Notification Settings link in a notification email message, and then follow the steps below for an individual course, or all courses.

To edit an individual course:

• Click on the desired course link under the Edit Individual Course Settings section.
  
• You can select your notification options from the Settings section.  Place a checkmark in each category you wish to be notified on and the method of notification.

Dashboard: Will display notifications on your Home tab.

Email: Will send email notifications to your LMU email account.

Mobile: Will display notifications on your Blackboard Mobile application.

Click the Submit button to save your modifications.

To edit multiple courses at a time:

• Click the Courses I am taking link under the Bulk Edit Notification Settings section.
  
• To select all of your courses, click the all option.
• To select one or more courses, select the selected option.  Then, select the courses you wish to modify (hold down CTRL to select multiple at once) and click the right arrow to move them to the Selected Items section.
• Once you have the correct items selected (or all of them), you can select your notification options from the Settings section.  Place a checkmark in each category you wish to be notified on and the method of notification.

Dashboard: Will display notifications on your Home tab.

Email: Will send email notifications to your LMU email account.

Mobile: Will display notifications on your Blackboard Mobile application.

Click the Submit button to save your modifications.

Entering negative numbers into a column within grade center is not a native feature, but it can be done through a short work around:

1. Create a Grade Center column, and change the Primary Display to Text.
2. Enter the negative values in the column.
3. Once the values have been entered, Edit the Column Information and change the Primary Display to Score.
4. The negative text entries will now convert to negative score values.

Most web browsers, by default, are set to automatically decide whether or not they look for and download a newer version of a webpage.  This can cause a cached version of Grader Center to display.  To force Internet Explorer and Firefox to download a new version of a page every time, perform the following steps:

Internet Explorer 7

1. Click Tools and select Internet Options.
2. Click the Settings button from the "Browsing history" section.
3. Select the option Every time I visit the webpage from the Temporary Internet Files section.
4. Click the OK button to save changes.

Internet Explorer 6

1. Click Tools and select Internet Options.
2. Click the Settings button from the "Temporary Internet files" section.
3. Select the option Every visit to the page.
4. Click the OK button to save changes.

 

Firefox

1. In the address bar, type about:config and press ENTER.
2. If prompted, click the I'll be careful, I promise! button at the "This might void your warranty" screen.
3. Browse or Filter to the Preference Name browser.cache.check_doc_frequency and double-click it.
4. In the ensuing pop-up window, change the value in the field to 1 and click OK.

Blackboard Grade Center stops loading or hangs at the "Loading" screen.

The Loading screen may take longer than expected (minutes) if the both of the following conditions are met:

• Internet Explorer is being used
• Many grade columns are set to a "frozen" state

This issue is not known to affect any other web browser (e.g. Firefox).

If the Blackboard Grade Center hangs at the "saving" screen and never loads correctly, clearing the cache of the web browser being utilized and reloading the page has been known to resolve this issue.

This fix may also resolve other anomalous Blackboard issues, and should be attempted first during troubleshooting.

This overview tutorial is designed to provide an introduction to the Grade Center’s functionality and features. In depth instruction for certain features is available in separate tutorials.

1. To access and use the Grade Center: Under the Control Panel menu, expand the Evaluation section and click Grade Center.
   
2. A loading message will be displayed as the main Grade Center screen is generated.
   
3. By default, a course Grade Center starts out “empty”, with only enrolled students and basic column information as shown in the screenshot below. As the grade center expands, column and row headings will always remain in place while scrolling.
   
4. At the top is the Grade Center toolbar, which contains the following options: Create Column, Create Calculated Column, Manage and Reports. Whenever the mouse pointer is moved over an Action Link (the double-arrows which appear to the right of an item), a sub-menu with additional options will appear.
   
5. The Create Column option is used to add a new grade column to the grade center. Keep in mind that grade columns do not need to be manually added for any Blackboard-created Assignments, Tests or graded Discussion Boards – columns are automatically created for them. New columns are added at the end of the Grade Center. If a newly-created column is not visible, scroll the Grade Center data sheet horizontally.
6. Create Calculated Column allows the addition of a column which can display an average, maximum/minimum, weighted grade or total including other grade center columns as desired.
   
7. The Manage menu is used to organize, manage and view columns, students and grading options.
   
   The Grading Periods option allows grades to be organized by specific periods, such as fall or spring semesters. Columns in the grade center can then be associated with the appropriate period for grading purposes.
   
   Grading Schemas allow automatically graded columns (such as tests and quizzes) to be displayed with a letter grade, according to the score and letter grade mapping set forth in the schema.
   
   Categories allows for the creation and modification of grade center categories or classifications. There are four default Categories (Assignment, Discussion, Survey and Test) that cannot be removed or edited.
   
   Smart Views provide focused views of the Grade Center, based on a variety of criteria, including Grading Periods, Categories, and Performance.
   
   Column Organization allows for arranging, displaying and hiding grade center columns. A “frozen column” separator is also available to be moved among grade center columns, keeping any columns placed before it in place during horizontal scrolling.
   
   Student Visibility is used to display or hide selected users in the Grade Center.
   
   The Send Email feature on the Manage menu brings up a blank email form in which *any* email address may be entered. This is slightly different than the Email option which appears directly above and below the list of enrolled users. A course instructor may check the box to the left of a student’s name to select them as the recipient email.
   
8. The Reports menu contains the Create Report option which is used to create customized, printable reports based on Grade Center data. The View Grade History option is used to display a historical record of all grade changes made in the course, including date/time, column, last modified by, affected user and value data. Grade history data is also downloadable.
   
9. Within the Grade Center are various options for changing the Sort Order. Click the Action Link next to Sort Columns By to change the sort order. Possible sort options include: Categories, Due Date, Creation Date, Points Possible, or Display Name. Next, select from Ascending or Descending order.
   
   NOTE: Any new sort order selected is not persistent and will only last for the current session. Once the browser is closed, the sort order will default back to the default view.

While nearly the same outcome can be accomplished with either content type, adding a File can only be used for file uploading/file linking. Adding an Item will render the Visual Text Box editor, in which raw text and/or HTML can be inputted.

• Enter the course and click Edit Mode On (Edit mode is in the upper right corner of the page).
• In the course menu, click on the content area where the item is to be placed.
• Hover over the Build Content menu and select File.
• Under Select File:
• Use the Browse My Computer or Browse Course Files button to attach a file.
• Enter a Name for the item (required)
• Choose Yes or No for Open in a New Window.
• Under Standard Options:
• Select Yes or No for Permit Users to View Content Item. In order for students to access the file, Yes must be selected.
• Select Yes or No for Track Number of Views.
• Select Date and Time Restrictions as desired.
• Click Submit when finished.

An Item is any type of file, text, image or link which is displayable to students.

• Enter the course and click Edit Mode On (Edit mode is in the upper right corner of the page).
• Enter the content area where the item is to be placed by clicking on that area in the course menu.
• Hover over the Build Content menu and select Item.
• Enter a Name for the item (required) and a Description (optional).
• Under Attachment, use the Browse My Computer or Browse Course Files button to add a file attachment as desired.
• Under Options:
• Select Yes or No for Permit Users to View Content Item. In order for students to access the item, Yes must be selected.
• Select Yes or No for Track Number of Views.
• Select Date and Time Restrictions as desired.
• Click Submit when finished.

In Blackboard 9.1, Announcements will automatically generate email messages to all students enrolled in the course (all old/previous announcements will be sent to a new student if they are enrolled in an existing course). 

Students can choose to opt out of notifications, but doing so will prevent them from getting any notifications for the course.

When logged into blackboard, there may be some courses that have not been removed from your Course List or My Courses module.

To modify which courses you see in those lists, click the cog wheel icon next to the minimize and close icon on the module to open the personalize options for those screens.



From there, you can check which courses you would like to see within your modules.

Once a student accesses an online test, an instructor is able to view the results of that student’s attempt and (optionally) clear out the attempt. If an error occurs during the test taking process which prevents them from submitting a test, they may (depending on the exam options) become “locked out” and be unable to return to the exam. If the attempt is cleared, all earlier responses are removed, but the student will then be able to access and re-take the test again.

NOTE: Once an attempt is cleared, it cannot be recovered.

Clearing Individual Attempts

• Under the Control Panel menu, expand the Grade Center section and click Full Grade Center.
• Once the Grade Center screen appears, locate the row and grade column for the individual student whose attempt is to be viewed or clear. An “in-progress” icon (a paper and pencil) may appear in that student’s cell if s/he has been locked out of an attempt.
  
  NOTE: Seeing an “In Progress” indicator in the Grade Center could mean that a particular student is still successfully completing the exam. Only after a student requests to have an attempt cleared and it is determined that the circumstances behind exam difficulties are reasonable, should the attempt actually be cleared.
  
  
• Click the Action Link (double-arrows) for the cell containing the Attempt in Progress icon. From the drop-down menu that appears, click View Grade Details.
  
• On the Grade Details screen, click the Clear Attempt button next to the specific attempt to be cleared. Other actions that can be selected include:
• Open Attempt: View (and optionally clear) the student’s exam responses.
• When the confirmation message appears, click OK.
• Select OK to close the Grade Details screen and return to the Grade Center.

Clearing Attempts for All Students

This option will clear attempts for all students in the class. As an example it might be used to allow the entire class to retake an exam.

NOTE: All cleared attempts are unrecoverable.

• Under the Control Panel, expand the Grade Center section and click Full Grade Center.
• Once the Grade Center loads, locate the column that contains the attempts to be cleared.
• Click the Action Link next to the Column Name.
• From the menu which appears, select Clear Attempts for All Users.
• From the second menu, select the appropriate attempt type: (Last, First, Lowest, Highest, Between Dates, etc.) and click Submit.
  
• Click OK to exit.

Viewing exam completion time is accomplished in Blackboard 9.1 almost the same way as it was in Blackboard 8. To do this:

1. Find the student’s grade cell in the Grade Center for the exam/quiz in question.
2. Click on that student’s Action link followed by Grade Details.
3. In the Grade Details screen, click View Attempt.
4. In the View Attempt area, click on the Test Information link.
5. Once the Test Information area expands, the amount of time taken to complete the quiz/exam will be displayed next to Time Elapsed.

This type of message will appear differently for Macintosh and for Windows users, but the meaning is the same. You may click the "Trust", "Accept" or "Run" button; the applet referred to in the message is actually a third-party product used by Blackboard. Note: If you click the "Show Details/Certificate" button and then check the "Always trust these certificates" option, this message should never re-appear.

Additionally, if you try to use the Virtual Classroom or Chat collaboration tools and receive a warning message asking whether you want to accept a certificate from the website "lmunet.centertech.com," you may also click the "Trust" button (or click the "Show certificate" button and check the "Always" option).

When a user of Internet Explorer clicks on a link for a document in Internet Explorer, they see a pop-up blocker (or a yellow message bar). If they agree to enable the download, they're returned to the course home page, and so can't download the file unless they return to the content area page and try again. This results from a security setting in IE and can be changed on a per-user/per-system basis.

1. Go to Tools->Internet Options->Security->Internet->Custom Level
2. Scroll down to the Downloads section
3. Select the Users option
4. Set Downloads->Automatic prompting for file downloads -> Enable.
5. Set Downloads->File Download -> Enable.
6. Click OK.

Your student attempts to submit an assignment and receives an error message with a long error id number and a message telling you to contact the System Administrator. This is probably caused by the name of the file containing some character other than letters, numbers, underscores or hyphens. Ask the student to rename the file with a shorter name with no special characters (no commas, extra periods, pound signs (#) or other non-letter, non-numeric characters). If this does not work, then empty the browser cache (Internet Explorer: Tools, Delete Browsing History, delete temporary internet files; or Firefox: Tools, Clear Private Data, make sure Cache is checked) and submit the file again.

Solution 1 (Change Scrollbar Size)

Most of the time, changing the scroll bar size back to the default value in Windows resolves the issue.
NOTE: If this solution does not resolve the issue, see solution 2 below

Windows XP
1.       Right click on the desktop and click Properties.
2.       Click on the Appearance tab.
3.       Click on the Advanced button.
4.       In the Item drop-down, select Scrollbar.
5.       Set the number value in the Size box to 17.
6.       Click Ok to close any remaining windows.

Windows Vista
1.       Right click on the desktop and click Personalize.
2.       Click Window Color and Appearance.
3.       Click to open Classic Appearance Settings.
4.       Click on Advanced.
5.       In the Item drop-down, select Scrollbar.
6.       Set the number value in the Size box to 17.
7.       Click Ok to close any remaining windows.

Windows 7
1.       Right click on the desktop and click Personalize.
2.       Click on Window Color.
3.       Click on Advanced appearance settings…
4.       In the Item drop-down, select  Scrollbar.
5.       Set the number value in the Size box to 17.
6.       Click Ok to close any remaining windows.

Solution 2 (Change Text Size)

NOTE: Only attempt this solution if solution 1 has been exhausted.

Windows XP
1.       Right-click on the desktop and click Properties.
2.       Click the Appearance tab.
3.       In the Font Size drop-down menu, select Normal.
4.       Click Ok to close any remaining windows.

NOTE: Depending on the way a given machine is setup to handle display changes, a restart may be required.

Windows Vista
1.       Right click on the desktop and click Personalize.
2.       In the left pane, click Adjust Font Size (DPI)
3.       Select Default Scale (96 DPI).
4.       Click OK to close any remaining windows.

NOTE: Depending on the way a given machine is setup to handle display changes, a restart may be required.

Windows 7
1.       Right click on the Desktop and click Personalize.
2.       Click on Display in the left pane.
3.       Select Smaller – 100% (default).
4.       Click Apply.

This has always been a problem, even with previous versions of Blackboard. The issue is more prevalent when copying and pasting from Office 2007 and 2010 programs like Word. There is a lot of background "code" that is copied from a Word 2007 file that when pasted into any web-based application, like Blackboard, it can cause many, many problems. It can cause issues that you never would have thought would be related to that. Follow the instructions below to copy and paste your text without copying over the code. (This is even better than saving your Word file as a text file. Even when you save it as a text file you still bring some coding over with it, and this will also give you a second file on your computer which could get confusing. The method below is better.)

1. Copy the text in Word that you want in Blackboard.
2. Open Notepad. (Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Notepad)
3. Paste into Notepad. (Don't worry about what it looks like.)
4. Click on Edit and then Select All (In Notepad).
5. Click on Edit and then Copy (In Notepad).
6. Go to your course in Blackboard where you want the text and paste.
7. Format the text as needed within Blackboard.

When performing a course copy or export of materials that includes quizzes or exams, it's important to check ALL of the following:

• The Content area that contains the link to the quiz or exam
• Grade Center Columns and Settings
• Tests, Surveys and Pools

All of these items are linked and if they are not all selected, the resulting copy will most often not be correct.

To avoid these issues it is suggested to use Mozilla Firefox http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ie.html or change to the compatibility mode in IE8 (Tools > Compatibility View Settings > Check 'Display all websites in Compatibility View' > Close. You will need to close IE8 and reopen the browser before the change takes effect.)

While nearly the same outcome can be accomplished with either content type, “Create File” can only be used for file uploading/file linking; a description and alternate name cannot be included. When “Create Item” is used, the Visual Text Box editor is displayed (where raw text and/or HTML can be included) and if a file is attached, a different name for it may be included as well. Below is an example of both types of content.