Welcome to the Blackboard Tutorial for MU's School Library and Information Technologies program. Blackboard (which we often abbreviate Bb) is an online course management system accessed from your web browser. The goals and objectives of the tutorial are as follows:
Goal:
Identify key features of the Blackboard online learning software.
Objectives:
Before your first Blackboard course, gain familiarity with the following tools:
- Navigational Buttons
- Assignment Dropbox
- Forum ("Threaded") Discussions
- Course Documents
- Email and other Communication Tools
- Gradebook (My Grades)
This tutorial supplements our 5-page Orientation Guide, which lists resources to help you activate your MU email account (called Mounties Mail on campus, a reference to the MU mascot, an old grizzled mountain man) and summarizes the Blackboard assignments for this tutorial. The guide also includes optional activities and a tip sheet, How Do I Begin a Course?
To prevent possible computer glitches, we recommend use of a current web browser, such as Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 3, or Safari 3. If you are unsure of your browser's details click its Help menu and look for an item that reads something like "About Internet Explorer" (or Firefox or Safari, etc.). That screen will display, among other things, the browser's version number. Alternatively, go to our Troubleshooting Form and look at a table there that automatically identifies information about YOUR computer.
If you experience technical problems with course-related resources you should first make sure that you are using a supported browser. You might also try clearing your browser cache, which is a type of computer storage of frequently used web pages to speed loading. For more details on this process see our Announcement on common browser problems.
For assistance with passwords or logging in to Blackboard, visit MU's My Accounts web page, at:
https://info.mansfield.edu/myaccount
You will be asked for your 7-digit student ID number, the last 4 digits of your social security number, and the year of your birth to login.
For help with the Blackboard software, either visit their online Support Center or call their 24x7 toll-free number:
1-866-766-5969
For help with miscellaneous problems, use our Ask Us Form to submit a question.
To enter a Blackboard course you will first login to the system. We recommend starting from the SL&IT Current Student Page. Once logged in you will see a welcome screen with links to your courses and information or announcements about Blackboard. Note that there are two course menus, one on the welcome screen, and one accessed from the black tabs on top of the Bb Home page (see Figures 1-2 below).
Figure 1: Blackboard Menu Tabs
Figure 2: Blackboard Course Menu
To progress through the tutorial you will access the Introductory Course, LSC 5500, even if you are not enrolled. If the course does not appear on your menu contact Larry Schankman, but understand that courses are generally not available until the instructor makes them available to students.
The Intro course usually starts the Monday before the first day of the semester, while most other classes turn on between Friday and Sunday before the first day of class. If you register late your access may be delayed, as the system usually takes 48 hours for new students to appear in the Blackboard roster.
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