What is Blackboard?

• What is Backboard?
  
  Blackboard is a web-based system that allows students to take courses online. Also, Blackboard can be used in face-to-face classes as a supplemental teaching and learning tool.
  
• Who can use Blackboard?
  
  Blackboard can be accessed by students of MCC that are currently enrolled in an online course.

Computer Questions?

• What are the minimum computer requirements?
  
  - Pentium III or better
  - 128mb of RAM
  - CD or DVD-ROM
  - Broadband internet connection
  - Windows XP

• Which browser(s) should I use for Blackboard?
  

  - Internet Explorer 6.0+ (recommended)
  - Netscape 8.0+ or FireFox 1.0+
  - any other W3C compliant browser.

• What software do I need?
  

  - MS Office or the viewers Word Document Viewer, PowerPoint Viewer
  - Java Runtime Environment
  - Adobe Acrobat Reader

• What if I don't have a computer at home?
  
  If you are taking an online class you need to have access to a computer on a regular basis so that you will be able to complete all of the course work. There are some computers located on MCC's campus that are available for student use.

Your Blackboard Account

• How do I get an account?
  
  If you have registered with MCC for an online course or a supplemental online course you already have a Blackboard account.
  
  *You will not be able to log in to your course until one or two days before the semester starts.
  *If you added the course after the semester has already started allow 24 hours for the course to be added to your Blackboard account.

• What is my username and password?
  
  Your username is the 1st initial of first name, 1st initial of last name and full 7-digit MCC ID (jd1234567)
  
  Your password will be your six digit birthday MMDDYY. (i.e. 010105)

• What if I forgot my username or password?
  
  If you have forgotten your username or password go to the login screen of Blackboard http://blackboard.mclennan.edu and click on "Forgot Password?" Then you will need to choose to either "Find User With Username" or to "Find User With Email." Blackboard will then generate an email to you that will give directions on how to log in.
  
  * Note: If you did not provide your email address correctly you will not receive an email from Blackboard.
  * If you do not receive the email from Blackboard you will need to call the helpdesk at 254-299-8077.

• Do I have to give Blackboard a valid email address?
  
  A valid email address should be given or you will not able to receive an email telling you that you have successfully been admitted to the course, your instructor will not be able to email you, and if you forget your login/password Blackboard will not be able to send you information to reset your password.

• How do I change my password or email address?
  
  You can change your personal information, including password and email address, on the home page when you log in to Blackboard by clicking on "Personal Information" under the "Tools" section. You can also get to this page by clicking on the "Home" tab at the top left of the screen.

• Why is my email address not showing up on the class roster?
  
  This is due to the way your privacy options are set. Click on the "Home" tab, and then select "Personal Information," under the Tools section. Click on "Set Privacy Options," and then choose how much (or how little) of your personal information will be displayed to all of the other users in Blackboard. You will need to select "Email Address" then click "Submit" for your email address to be entered into the system.

Your Blackboard Class/Instructor

• Where is my Blackboard class?
  
  To find your Blackboard class you will need to go to http://blackboard.mclennan.edu and log in. Then you will click on the "Course" tab that is located at the top of the page to find a list of your online courses.

• When I log in to Blackboard my class is not under "Courses in which you're participating."
  
  You will not be able to log in to your course until one or two days before the semester starts.
  
  Also, if you added the course after the semester has already started allow 24 hours for the course to be added to your Blackboard account. After 24 hours if your course is still not there call 254-299-8077.

• How do I contact my instructor in Blackboard?
  
  To send an email to your instructor in Blackboard you will need to be logged in to Blackboard. Once you are in Blackboard enter your online course, select "Communication," "Send e-mail," and then select the "All Instructors" option. Type your message to the instructor and select "Submit."

• How do I contact my instructor if I'm not able to access Blackboard?
  

  If you know your instructor's name you can try searching MCC's online faculty/staff directory at http://www.mclennan.edu/faculty/directory.

  If you don't know your instructor's name, you can try checking the college schedule. Faculty names are often listed with the class; however, part-time instructors may not be listed. Also, be aware that changes in an instructor's course assignments may make this information inaccurate.

Error Messages

• Blackboard is not working correctly; I use AOL, CompuServe or Prodigy.
  

  Blackboard doesn't recommend the use of any of these browsers (the site may not work correctly if you do.) However, you can still use these services to connect to the Internet, but you will want to use a recommended browser to access Blackboard.

  Do the following:

  • Sign on through AOL as you usually do (this will get you connected to the Internet);
  • Minimize your AOL browser (click on the little minus sign"-" in the upper right-hand corner of your screen);
  • Open a recommended browser (such as Netscape of Internet Explorer);
  • Go to http://blackboard.mclennan.edu and begin working in Blackboard

• I have tried to reset my password but I have not received an email.
  

  The likelihood is that you are mading a typing error when you entered your e-mail address in Blackboard or that you no longer using the same e-mail account that Blackboard has on record.

  If either of these situations has occurred, you will not be able to reset your own password using the "Forgot your password?" link on the Blackboard login page. You should instead contact the helpdesk at 254-299-8077; they will be able to reset your password for you.

• Why is the link to Blackboard not working? Is there server a problem? I'm in Blackboard and the pages are loading slow, or not at all.
  
  First, check to make sure you have the link to Blackboard right. The correct link is http://blackboard.mclennan.edu. If you are having difficulty getting to the Blackboard system, please check to see if your internet connectivity is down. You can do this by going to any other outside website such as: google, yahoo, or cnn.

• When I submitted my quiz it gave me an error message saying I already submitted it.
  
  This problem is due to a bug in Blackboard, and occurs when you get disconnected from the internet while you are taking a quiz. If this happened to you Blackboard thinks that you have abandoned the quiz and saves your grade for that quiz as an Incomplete. While you are still taking the quiz, the internet connection resumes without you ever realizing that it was temporarily gone. Then, when you try to submit the quiz, it thinks you have already taken it and won't let you submit your answers. If this happens, please save the questions that you answered, and your answers (in a Word document), and notify your instructor to discuss the problem.

• My instructor links to content on a CD. When I click on it, nothing happens. What should I do?

First of all, you'll need to make sure that your CD drive setting is configured properly in Blackboard. This allows Blackboard to know what drive (D:\, E:\, F:\, etc.) to run the CD from. You can change this setting by logging in to Blackboard, clicking on the "Home" tab, then the "Personal Information" link (you'll see this link listed under "Tools"), then click on "Set CD-ROM drive." When this page loads, it will allow you to choose what drive to run your CD from.

How to use Blackboard?

• Sending emails.
  
  All emails that are sent from Blackboard's email will be sent to your college email unless you have changed your email address in Blackboard. If you are submitting an assignment DO NOT submit it using Blackboard's email because if it is lost there will be no record of you actually sending it. Submit all assignments using your college email.

• Replying to discussion postings.
  
  When replying to discussion postings open the posted message and click on "Add New Thread." You will need to type a subject and a reply to the posting, once you are finished typing your discussion you will click "Submit."

• What's a threaded discussion?
  
  A threaded discussion is simply a way of displaying discussion messages so that you can tell how replies relate to (are threaded to) the original message. Threaded replies are placed below the original message and are slightly indented to indicate that they are a reply. An unthreaded discussion just lists the messages by originator; you can not tell to which posting the reply relates.

• Viewing threaded discussions.
  
  To view a threaded discussion, click on the indented threaded discussion. All messages under the topic will be displayed showing how they relate to (are threaded to) one another. An open thread will have a minus (-) sign next to the message, and for a closed thread there will be a plus (+) sign next to the message. To close or open the display of a threaded topic just click on the minus or plus sign.

• Adding entries into the calendar.
  
  To add entries into the calendar the "My Institution" tab should be selected at the top of the page. Then you will need to select "Calendar" which is located in the Tools box on the left side of the page. Next, you will select the "Add Event" button and enter information about the event and the date, then press "Submit."
  
  *You will not be able to add entries to the calendar that is located inside of your specific course.

• Calendar month view.
  
  You can look at the month view of the calendar by going to Tools, Calendar, and then selecting the "View Month" tab at the top.

• Calendar week view.
  
  You can look at the week view of the calendar by going to Tools, Calendar, and then selecting the "View Week" tab at the top.

Further Assistance

• Where is the student manual?
  

  A searchable student support site is available at http://company.blackboard.com/Bb5/manuals/Bb5-LevelOne-Student

• Where can I find out more about Blackboard?
  
  You can go to Blackboard's website at http://www.blackboard.com

• The answer to my question is not here. What should I do?
  
  You can fill out the Help Desk form or call 254-299-8077.

back to top