Blackboard Help Topics

Click on a topic below for more information

Accessing Blackboard

What URL do I type in my browsers address bar?

Open up Internet Explorer 7 and type (or copy and paste) the following in the browser's address bar: http://bb.wpcc.edu

What is my username and password?

Instructions for logging on to Blackboard can be found by clicking here  Disable pop-up blockers to view information.

If you still have problems logging in, go to Username Lookup and enter the required information.  This tool will be available shortly after each semester begins.

How do I change my Blackboard password?

Students can change their initial Blackboard password by following the instructions below:

1. Log into Bb
2. At the Welcome screen, click "Personal Information", located on the left side under Tools.
3. At the next screen, click "Change Password"
4. Type your new password in the "Password" textbox
5. Retype your new password in the "Verify Password" textbox.
6. Click Submit to change your password, or Cancel to exit without changing.
7. Click the OK button all the way back out.
8. Now log out of Bb and log back in with the new password.

Important note:  At the end of each semester student accounts are deleted from Blackboard.  Consequently, at the beginning of each semester Bb student accounts are automatically batch created, and  passwords set to the seven digit Student ID number.

Browsers 

What are the recommended browsers for online courses? (top)

Internet Explorer 7 is certified to work with our current version of Blackboard.  Firefox 2.0 is compatible but may have some issues.  AOL, MSN, CompuServe, Prodigy are some NOT recommended for online classes.  Review Blackboard's compatible browser configuration to determine what browsers are certified and/or compatible with your specific platform.

What are some known problems with Internet Explorer 8 and Firefox 3

There is a known issue when using IE8 and Firefox 3 with Blackboard. Blackboard may generate a "..select a valid file type.." error message when trying to upload attachments, and when taking a timed test the Elapsed Timer covers the Submit button.  These 2 versions are not recommended for use with Blackboard 7.3

Students who insist on using Firefox 3.0 may have to do the following:

1. If you upgraded to IE 8, you must now start using Firefox. You can use IE Tab (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addons/versions/1419) for the any discussion board issues.
2. If you upgraded Firefox, simply uninstall and downgrade to Firefox 2: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-older.html
3. The user agent switcher add-on for Firefox is here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/59. Just define a user agent of Mac and switch to that. The help link for using the user agent switcher is at: http://chrispederick.com/work/user-agent-switcher/help/

"Easy Instructions for IE 8 and Quiz Submit Button Fix

There is a known issue with IE8 and Blackboard when a student is taking a Timed Quiz. In normal IE8 mode, the Submit button will be obscured by the Elapsed Time Clock which will block the ability to record their response and move on to the next test question. We can offer the resolution below, as well as continue to recommend that students use Firefox, or try the compatibility View in IE8.

• How to Set Compatibility View Settings in Internet Explorer 8 

1. Launch Internet Explorer
2. Select Tools
3. Select “Compatibility View Settings”
4. Type bb.wpcc.edu in the “Add this website:” text box
5. Click Add
6. Click Close
7. Restart Internet Explorer

• How to Set Trusted Sites in Internet Explorer 8 

1. Launch Internet Explorer
2. Select Tools
3. Select Internet Options
4. Select Security Tab
5. Click on Trusted Sites
6. Click on Sites
7. Type bb.wpcc.edu in the “Add this website to the zone:” text box
8. Click Add
9. Click Close
10. Click Ok
11. Restart Internet Explorer" 

The text in IE 7 is too small to read.  How can I make it larger?

To increase the text size in Blackboard, you will need to increase the font size that your browser displays text.

For Internet Explorer: Select View -> Text Size -> Medium (or choose other large size)

Can I access my Blackboard class with AOL or another internal browser?

Using browsers such as AOL, CompuServe, MSN, and Prodigy is NOT recommended.  America Online uses its own web browser to view web pages. Unfortunately, the AOL browser is NOT recommended for accessing Blackboard courses. Using this internal browser may cause sporadic problems with Blackboard. In order to minimize the possibility of browser-related problems, we strongly recommend that you use an external browser, such as Internet Explorer, when accessing Blackboard.

AOL workaround:

• Connect to the Internet via your AOL browser
• Open a private chat within AOL (this allows the AOL client to remain open, without asking if you wish to disconnect while minimized)
• Minimize AOL
• Launch a recommended browser (Internet Explorer 7) to access Blackboard

Digital Dropbox

Where do I find the digital dropbox? (top)

Log in to your Blackboard class. If  the Digital Dropbox does not appear on the course menu do the following:

• Click on Tools from the left side course menu.
• Next, click Digital Dropbox on the right side.

How do I send files in the digital dropbox?  

Quick Instructions:

After you have saved your homework to a flash drive or personal computer hard drive, then log into your Blackboard course.

1. Click on the Tools button, and then click on Digital Drop Box.
2. Click the "Send File" button. 3. Type in the "Title"- Ex. Homework Week1.
3. Click on "Browse". A window will pop up, that reads Choose File; on the next line is "Look in" - click on the drop-down arrow and select your hard drive or floppy drive to locate the file.
4. Click on the file you want to send, and it will be highlighted. Next click the "Open" button. The name of the file will appear in the "File" box.
5. Type in any comments, then scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click the "Submit" button

Discussion Board

How do I "Add a Thread" to post a response in the discussion board? (top)

1. Log in to your class.
2. Click the Discussion Board button on the left hand side.   
3. Click on the title of the forum that requires the response i.e. Introductions, Student Coffeehouse, Icebreaker, Module #3 topic, etc.  
4. Next, Click on the "Add New Thread" button, and type in the Subject and response in their respective textboxes.
5. Click the "Submit" button when you are finished typing your response in the textbox.

How do I attach a file with my response in the discussion board ?

1. Log in to your class.
2. Click the Discussion Board button on the left hand side.   
3. Click on the title of the forum that requires the response i.e. Introductions, Student Coffeehouse, Icebreaker, Module #3 topic, etc.  
4. Next, Click on the "Add New Thread" button, and type in, the Subject, and message response in their respective textboxes.
5. Click  the "Browse" button to the right of the Attachment textbox, and locate the file you want to attach.
6. Click the "Submit" button when you are finished.

Why can't I see my discussion board posting?

Discussion board allows students to save a draft of their post until it is ready to be published.  However, when students go back to the discussion board to complete, or submit their response, they often don't see their draft copy.  By default, only published posts are displayed.  Below are some general instructions.

How to Display the student's draft:

1. Click on the discussion forum topic
2. At the top you should see the word "Display" to the left of a drop down menu.
3. Select "Show All" from the drop down menu, then click the Go button. 

This should display all the posts including the draft copy. Now the draft can be published by the student who created it.

Note:  Only the creator of the draft will be able to see the saved/draft contents when "Show All" is selected.

How to Publish the draft after "Show All":

1. Click on the title/name of the draft
2. At the next screen, click the "Modify" button
3. At the "Modify Post" screen, you can make any additional changes
4. Finally, click the Submit button at the bottom of the "Modify Post" screen to publish the response.

How can I read all the postings in one continuous format?

To read the discussion board postings in a continuous format,  do the following:

• Click the discussion forum you want to view.
• Below the postings, click the GO button to the right of  "Select All"
• Finally, click the "Collect" icon at the top.

Email

Can I have more than one email address? (top)

No. Blackboard only allows one email address per user, whether you have one online class or five.  
    
Why don't I get any email from my instructor?

There could be a couple of reasons. It could be lost in cyberspace or you may have reached your email quota. Some email services limit the size of your mailbox. When you reach that limit you can no longer receive email, however you can still send email. Just delete some of your old email and that should take care of it.  It is always a good idea to contact your instructor right away if you encounter an email problem. 

Why doesn't my email address show up in the class roster?

Each user has the right to decide whether they want any of their personal information to be publicly displayed in Blackboard.  After you log into your online class, Click on the Tools button on the left hand side, click Personal Information on the right, and then click Set Privacy Options.  If you choose not to display your email address a hyphen (-) will show up in the roster. 

Performance Issues

Can my pop-up Ad blocker cause problems? (top) 

Some pop up blockers may cause Blackboard not to function properly. You can temporarily disable pop-up blockers while using Blackboard, then re-enable it.
 
How do I set my privacy options?

Each user has the right to decide whether they want any of their personal information to be publicly displayed in Blackboard.  After you log into your online class, Click on the Tools button on the left hand side, click Personal Information on the right, and then click Set Privacy Options. Select the personal information options you want to be publicly displayed.  

Saving Files

How do I save files to my hard drive in MSWord? (top)

1. In Microsoft Word, click on File then Save As. Always use Save As the first time you save a document, and when saving to your floppy disk, or to a specific location on your hard drive.
2. In the Save As dialog box that pops up, you will see the words Save File In or Save In - click the small down arrow to the right. This will open a small drop down box. Click on your (C:) drive.
3. At the bottom of the Save As dialog box, you will see a File Name textbox. Name the file according to your teacher's instructions. For example, this file might be named "How to Submit Assignments" (leave off quotes).
4. If you are using Microsoft Word, the Save as type extension will default to (*.doc). If not just click the down arrow to the right and select Word Document (*.doc). You can also select rich text format (*.rtf) to be compatible with most word processing software.
5. Click the save button to save to the location specified in step 2; the hard drive (C:).

How do I save files to my floppy disk, or flash drive? (top)  

1. In Microsoft Word, click on File then Save As. Always use Save As the first time you save a document, and when saving to your floppy disk, flash drive, or to a specific location on your hard drive.
2. The Save As dialog box pops up.  At the top, you will see the words "Save File In or Save In" - click the small down arrow to the right. This will open a small drop down box.   Insert a floppy disk in your floppy drive first, and then click on 3 1/2 Floppy (A:); or insert a flash drive in your USB port and click on the assigned drive letter,
3. At the bottom of the Save As dialog box, you will see a File Name textbox. Name the file according to your teacher's instructions. For example, this file might be named "SubmitAssignments" (leave off quotes). For Don't use spaces, special characters, or more than 25 characters in the file name if uploading to Blackboard.  However, you can use underscores, for example "Submit_Assignments.rtf" (leave off quotes)
4. If you are using Microsoft Word, the Save as type file extension should default to .doc or .docx, depending on version. If not, simply click the down arrow to the right and select Word Document (.doc or .docx). For classe that don't require MS Word, it is advisable to save files in rich text format (*.rtf) in order to be compatible with most word processing software, such as MS Works, WordPerfect, Open Office.
5. Click the save button to save to the location specified in step 2.

How do I save a files as rich text format (.rtf) (top)

In whatever word processing program you are using, such as WordPerfect, MSWorks, or MSWord,  go to File, Save As.  Follow the instructions 2 and 3 for saving to your hard drive or floppy drive. Then click the down arrow to the right of "Save as type" and select "Rich Text Format." After you have named the file, click on the "Save" button.

Note: If you are not sure what version of word processing program you or your instructor are using, save your document/assignment as rtf.  This will allow your instructor to open your document in almost any word processing program. This applies to classes that do not have specific word processing software requirements.

Software Compatibility

Why can't my instructor open my attached file? (top)  

Students in "Web-Centered" classes are often surprised when the document they send to their instructor can not be opened, or displays weird characters. The problem lies in the incompatibility of many software file types. For example, an instructor may use MS Word to open a document that was generated by a student who used a different word processing application, such as MS Works, WordPerfect, Open Office, etc.

For classes that do not have specific word processing software requirements, this problem can be avoided by saving documents as "Rich Text Format" (.rtf).  By doing so, instructors and students will always be able to read the document text, and most of the page-layout details of the original will be retained. 

Technical Support

What can I do if I can't connect to Blackboard? (top)  

First, try connecting to the Western Piedmont home page at http://www.wpcc.edu. If you are able to connect to the WPCC home page, wait a little while and then try Blackboard again.  If you are unable to connect to the WPCC home page, there might be a equipment problem outside WPCC. Wait a little while and try again later.
During normal business hours (M-F 8:00-5:00), if you still can't connect to BB, but can access the WPCC web page, contact the Blackboard System Administrators at bbadmin@wpcc.edu or call the following numbers:

Melissa Grill at (828) 448-6097, Primay Sys Admin
Nancy Norris at (828) 448-3150, Backup Sys Admin
Jane Carswell at (828) 448-3156, Dean of Distance Learning.

After normal business hours, and holidays/weekends contact Jane Carswell at jcarswell@wpcc.edu or (828)437-3081.
 
What if I have a problem with one of Blackboard's features?

If your problem is how to use a Blackboard feature, please refer to your "Manual" located under "Tools".  If you cannot find the answer, please e-mail your instructor. If the instructor is unable to answer your questions, he/she will forward your question to a Blackboard Administrator.
    
What can I do if I have an assignment problem?

Always contact your instructor first, either by phone or e-mail, if you have any class problems; assignment, technical, or otherwise. 

Testing

What can I do about the Elapsed Timer Clock blocking the Submit button?  (top)

There is a known issue with IE8 and Blackboard when a student is taking a Timed Quiz. In normal IE8 mode, the Submit button will be obscured by the Elapsed Time Clock which will block the ability to record their response and move on to the next test question.

We can offer the resolution below, as well as continue to recommend that students use Firefox instead of IE8.

There is a known issue with IE8 and Blackboard when a student is taking a Timed Quiz. In normal IE8 mode, the Submit button will be obscured by the Elapsed Time Clock which will block the ability to record their response and move on to the next test question. We can offer the resolution below, as well as continue to recommend that students use Firefox.

How to Set Compatibility View Settings in Internet Explorer 8

• Launch Internet Explorer
• Select "Tools"
• Select “Compatibility View Settings”
• Type bb.wpcc.edu in the “Add this website:” text box
• Click Add
• Click Close
• Restart Internet Explorer

What advice should I follow when taking a test? (top)

• Many ISP's drop a user if they detect no activity for a certain amount of time. Unfortunately, this can occur when taking an assessment, because you work on the test without any interaction with the Blackboard web server.
• One workaround is to submit the test at various intervals by pressing the Submit button at the bottom of the page. Blackboard responds with "Are you sure you want to continue?" Click OK. Each time an incomplete test is submitted, Blackboard responds, "You have left the following question(s) incomplete... To go back and complete the assessment, click Return". The student clicks Return and continues taking the test, pressing Submit and Return at sufficient intervals until the test is completed.
• When taking a test, DO NOT use your browser's Back and Forward buttons. Blackboard pages are not always accessible when you click the Back or Forward button. If you try to use the buttons when you are taking a test, you will exit the test. At that point, you will not be able to get back into the test, because Blackboard thinks that you have already taken the test. Instead, you will need to ask your teacher to reset the test, so you can re-take the test.

How can I save my test answers? (top)

If your instructor has not set the test for "Force Completion", there are two ways to save your test answers:

1. Click the SAVE button after each test question, or
2. Scroll to the bottom and click the SAVE button to save several answers at once.  If you use this option, save frequently.

What can I do about AOL timing me out?    

Using Internal browsers such as AOL, CompuServe, MSN, and Prodigy is NOT recommended with Blackboard.  
AOL workaround:

1. Connect to the Internet using AOL
2. Open a private chat within AOL (this allows the AOL client to remain open, without asking if you wish to disconnect while minimized)
3. Minimize AOL
4. Launch a recommended browser (Internet Explorer 7) to access the current version of Blackboard.