What is Blackboard?
Are online courses difficult?
How do I log into my Blackboard course?What is my Blackboard user name?
What should I do if my user name and/or password does not work?
What should I do if I don’t see my class listed after I log in?
Do I have to install special software to use Blackboard?
How do I communicate with my instructor?
How do I communicate with my classmates?
How do I use the Discussion Board?
How do I use the Virtual Classroom?
How do I send my assignments to my instructor?
Where can I go to see my grades?
What browser(s) should I use and how should I configure them?
What is Blackboard?
Blackboard is a web-based software system that supports the delivery of course materials and instruction over a local area network as well as the Internet. Using BlackBoard, a student can view course materials, take tests, communicate with the instructor and other students over the Internet using only a web browser such as Internet Explorer and possibly a few document viewers and browser plug-ins.
Are online courses difficult?Yes, online courses are difficult and not appropriate for all students. Research indicates that only 30 – 40% of community college students have the skills necessary to successfully complete an online course. The ECC Online Self-Assessment a good gauge of these skills.
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How do I log into my Blackboard course?
The ECC Blackboard site is located at http://bb6.edgecombe.edu. You can also get to the ECC BlackBoard server from the ECC home page. Once you get to the BlackBoard login screen, login using your unique student User ID and Password.
Back to TopWhat is my Blackboard user name?
Starting Fall 2006, if you are an Edgecombe Community College student, your Blackboard user login name is your 7-digit Datatel Colleague student ID number. Your Colleague student ID number is printed on your registration schedule. If you do not know your 7-digit Colleague ID number, you may contact Student Services or your program advisor.
However, if you are an Early College high school student, your BlackBoard user name is the composed of the first 4 letters of your last name and the last 4 digits of your social security number. For example, John Smith's (244-89-4356) login name would be smit4356.
Note: Always be sure to use lowercase letters when typing your user name into Blackboard.
What is my default Blackboard password?
Starting Fall 2006, for Edgecombe Community College students, your default Blackboard password will be your 4-digit birth year.
For Early College high school students, your default Blackboard password will be the first 4 digits of your social security number.
Do I have to install special software to use Blackboard?
At a minimum, you need a recent version of either Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. Additionally you may need viewers for Microsoft Word and PowerPoint documents. You may also need to install a web browser plug-in call Java Run Time Environment (JRE) to use BlackBoard's virtual chat features. Depending on the course you are taking, special software may be required to complete the course. For example, CIS 110 requires that you have Office XP installed. You should check with your instructor about any special software needed for a specific course.
What should I do if my user name and/or password does not work?
If your password does not seem to work, try typing it very slowly while looking at the keys. Also be sure your Caps Lock is not turned on and your Num Lock key is on. 99% of the time when students call us with password problems they are just making a typing mistake. Be sure to check your user name. You could have made a mistake typing it as well. Sometimes just shutting down and restarting your computer will allow you to log in if you’ve been having problems. If you’ve tried all of that and still can’t get in then you can submit a problem report to the ECC's Blackboard Administrator at onlinesupport.
What should I do if I don’t see my class listed after I log in?
When you log into Blackboard you will see a list of all classes in which you are registered. Classes are not made visible to students in BlackBoard until after the end of Final Registration. After the end of Final Registration, if you don’t see your class, it is possible that you have not been added to the class roster. You should contact your instructor ASAP by email. If you don’t get a response from your instructor you can contact Distance Learning at 252-823-5166 and ask for Paul Tolbert.
How do I communicate with my instructor?
The preferred way of communication with your online instructor is email. Your instructor’s email address is listed on the course schedule. Keep in mind that some instructors are only part-time and are not at their computers except a couple of hours a day. Don’t expect an immediate reply. Some instructors will post their phone numbers under Staff Information in your BlackBoard course but may request that you only call them for emergencies. If you have problems contacting your instructor be sure to give them ample time to reply (1 or 2 days). If you still can’t get in touch with them, your next step should be to contact the head of the department under which the course is taught. Additionally you can contact Distance Learning at (252) 823-5166 and ask for Paul Tolbert.
How do I communicate with my classmates?
Once you enter Blackboard you have several options to communicate with your classmates. Click on the Communication button on the left and you will see the Send Email option. By using this option you can send email quickly to a select group of your classmates, your instructor, or all users. From the Communication page you also have the option of viewing the Student Roster. This shows you the names and email addresses of all students in the class. In addition, your instructor will most likely ask you to communicate with your classmates by using the Discussion board and/or the Virtual Classroom (chat).
How do I use the Discussion Board?
The Discussion Board is located in the Communication section of Blackboard. The discussion board is limited to the people in your particular class. Your instructor will probably have already started a forum, which will appear as a link.
When you click on the link, you’ll probably see a message, perhaps many messages, which you can click on to view. Notice that the subject is to the left and the author is to the right. You can reply to the messages, create a new message, or you can start a new topic altogether by pressing the Start New Thread button. Be sure to make your Subject clear and short so the other students can see if they’re interested in the topic. Please check your spelling before you Submit your message. If you Preview your message, you’ll be able to look at it and Edit it if necessary. Be sure to press the Submit button so either your message or your reply become part of the discussion. When you click on the message link you’ll see the full message and you can reply if you press the Reply button.
How do I use the Virtual Classroom?
The Virtual Classroom is a real-time chat room that can be accessed by your instructor and your classmates. Your instructor normally schedules chat sessions for a certain date and time. From the Communication page of your Blackboard course click the Virtual Chat icon. Click the Enter Virtual Classroom link. The chat window may take several minutes to load, just be patient. Once the Chat windows loads you will see a large “whiteboard” area at the top of the screen. Below the whiteboard is a smaller white box containing the messages that have been typed. The very bottom white box is the area where you type your message. Once you’ve typed your message press the Enter key and your message will be displayed.
If you experience error messages while trying to load the chat be sure your browser is either Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator version 5 or higher. If the problem isn’t with your browser version try rebooting your pc. If, after logging back in you still get error messages write the messages down and and submit a problem report to ECC's BlackBoard Technical support at onlinesupport.
How do I send my assignments to my instructor?
Instructor preferences may vary but typically you will be asked to turn in your assignments via BlackBoard's Student Drop Box located in your course. You will first need to complete your assignment and save it in a file, probably in a word processing program such as Word. Again, this may vary depending on your instructor. You should ask to determine what program to use to complete your assignments. Please note that instructors at ECC typically cannot open filed done in Microsoft WORKS. Once your assignments are completed and saved you are ready to send them.
To enter your Digital Drop Box:
- Login to Blackboard and enter your course.
- Click on the Tools button to the left.
- Click on the Digital Drop Box link on the right.
- From within the Digital Drop Box click the Send File button.
- Skip the “Select File” box and start with the “Title Box”.
- Give the file a descriptive title. It should be something like Assignment 1, your instructor may specify what title to use.
- Click the Browse button to the right of the File box to locate your file on your computer. Your file is most likely saved in My Documents on your C:\ drive.
- Once you locate your file click on it to select it and click the Open button.
- The comments box is optional and can be used if you would like to add comments to your file.
- Click the Submit button. You will see a verification screen letting you know that the file was successfully uploaded. Click OK and you will be taken back to your Dropbox.
- Your file should now appear at the top of the list of files. If your file appears here with the word Submitted and a date and time below it then you know the send was successful. The file remains in your Dropbox until your instructor deletes it.
Where can I go to see my grades?
Blackboard allows for immediate feedback from tests and quizzes. To see your grades go into the Tools section and click the link to Check Your Grade. Any test or quiz that you have taken through Blackboard will appear here as well as any other grades your instructor has entered for assignments. Not all instructors use this Online Gradebook feature. You may want to ask your instructor to be sure.
What browser(s) should I use and how should I configure them?
Technically you can use any Java enabled browser to participate in a Blackboard course. However we do make several recommendations:
Users of AOL and CompuServe tend to experience more problems with disconnects and viewing out of date pages than the typical user. Successful use of AOL and CompuServe with Blackboard is possible. Nevertheless, it is our recommendation that AOL and CompuServe users consider switching to a generic Internet Service Provider, especially if you begin to have problems.
Blackboard is optimized for use with either Netscape Navigator 7 or Internet Explorer version 6 or higher. We recommend that you check your version prior to the start of classes and upgrade as necessary.
We recommend that you configure your browser to always view the most current version of a web page. It is common for students to experience problems related to viewing an older “cached” version of a page.