Frequently Asked Questions - Faculty
How do I create a Blackboard Course Site?
How do I login to Blackboard?
What are the minimum system and browser requirements to use Blackboard?
When and how are students enrolled into my Blackboard course?
How do I add users, additional Instructors, or TA's?
How do I make my Course Site visible to students?
How do I add a syllabus to my Blackboard Course Site?
I created a test but it is not available/ I cannot see it?
Where can Faculty Members get help with Blackboard?
How do I create a Blackboard course site?
To activate a CSUSB Blackboard Course Site account for a class, all faculty do this by completing the DL Planning Notification form located at http://odl.csusb.edu/fr_f.htm
To reuse all or part of an old course site for a subsequent semester, submit a DL Planning Notification form for the new course site, just as if you were requesting an entirely new course site. However, when asked if you would like to copy course materials from an existing Blackboard course, include the course ID, section number, and semester of the course from which you wish to copy content. The new course site will be created as a copy of the existing course site.
When a new course site is created as a copy of an existing course site, all of the course content (announcements, course information, staff information, course documents, assignments, and external links) and all of the assessments and assessment pools (but not the Grade book nor the Assessment results) are copied to the new course site. It is possible to copy only the course content or only the Assessments and Pools but we are not able to copy neither only specific portions of the course content nor specific portions of the Assessments and Pools. Custom content areas that are created by faculty can also be included or excluded.
If you want to reuse only part of the content of an existing course site in a new course site, you can either (a) have all of the existing course site copied over and then remove the portions that you do not want to use this time (b) have a new course site created and (re)-upload the portions that you want to re-use.
When a new course site is created as a copy of an existing course site, we do not routinely copy over information that is tied to specific course users (like the Student Roster and the Discussion Board entries) since the new course site will usually have its own Student Roster, etc... Much of this user-specific information can be included in the copy process upon special request (in the Comment section of the DL Planning Notification Form) if there is not a specific reason for doing so, though we would typically advise against it.
How do I login to Blackboard?
Login to http://blackboard.csusb.edu. Click on the “Login button” enter your name and password. Your courses will be listed on the right hand side under the tab heading “My Courses”
Minimum System Requirements and Browser Configuration Guide for Blackboard 6
System Requirements
These requirements refer specifically to your computer hardware. Remember, it is OK if you satisfy or exceed the "Recommended" settings. "Minimum requirements" are meant for basic use of Blackboard. If you require any additional plug-in software applications, always check with the appropriate vendors as the "minimum requirements" may change. You should also check with your instructor for any other hardware/software requirements specific to your course.
Windows
Recommended Requirements
- Operating System: 2000 , XP, Vista
- Processor Speed/Type: 800 MHz Intel Pentium III processor, or equivalent/better
- CPU Memory: 256 MB of RAM
- Monitor Resolution: 1024 x 768
- Internet Connection: Any high-speed connection (e.g. Cable Broadband or DSL)
- Free Hard Disk Space: 500 mb or greater
- Audio (Sound) Card: 24-bit sound card
- Video Card: 64 MB VRAM with True Color (24-bit or 32-bit)
Minimum Requirements
- Operating System: 98 SE or ME OR NT4 w/SP6
- Processor Speed/Type: 400 MHz Intel Pentium II processor, or equivalent
- CPU Memory: 64 MB of RAM
- Monitor Resolution: 800 x 600
- Internet Connection: 56 kbps Dialup Modem
- Free Hard Disk Space: 50 mb
- Audio (Sound) Card: 16-bit sound card
- Video Card: 16 MB VRAM with 65,000 colors or 16-bit
Mac OS
Recommended Requirements
- Operating System: OS 10+
- Processor Speed/Type: 800 MHz PowerPC G4 processor or better
- CPU Memory: 256 MB of RAM
- Monitor Resolution: 1024 x 768
- Internet Connection: Any high-speed connection (e.g. Cable Broadband or DSL)
- Free Hard Disk Space: 500 mb or greater
- Audio (Sound) Card: 24-bit sound card
- Video Card: 64 MB VRAM with True Color (24-bit or 32-bit)
Minimum Requirements
- Operating System: OS 8.6
- Processor Speed/Type: 300 MHz PowerPC G3 processor
- CPU Memory: 64 MB of RAM
- Monitor Resolution: 800 x 600
- Internet Connection: 56 kbps Dialup Modem
- Free Hard Disk Space: 50 mb
- Audio (Sound) Card: 16-bit sound card
- Video Card: 16 MB VRAM with 65,000 colors or 16-bit
“Remember; always be prepared for your online class before it begins for the best learning experience!”
Browser Requirements
Terms and Defiinitions
Certified: fully tested and supported
Compatible: key application areas tested
Not Tested: specified Browser is not supported for the Operating System
Microsoft Internet Explorer Web Browsers
| Windows 2000 | Windows XP | Windows Vista Desktop | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Explorer 5.2 | Not Tested | Not Tested | Not Tested |
| Internet Explorer 5.5 | Not Tested | Not Tested | Not Tested |
| Internet Explorer 6 | Compatible | Certified | Not Tested |
| Internet Explorer 7 | Not Tested | Certified | Certified |
Mozilla Firefox and Netscape Navigator Web Browsers
Windows OS
| Windows 2000 | Windows XP | Windows Vista Desktop | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netscape 7.1 | Compatible | Compatible | Provisional |
| Netscape 8.0 | Compatible | Certified | Provisional |
| Firefox 1.0 | Compatible | Compatible | Not Tested |
| Firefox 1.5 | Compatible | Certified | Not Tested |
| Firefox 2.0 | Not Tested | Certified | Certified |
Mac OS
| Mac OS 10.2 | Mac OS 10.3 | Mac OS 10.4 | Mac OS 10.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netscape 7.1 | Compatible | Compatible | Not Tested | Not Tested |
| Netscape 8.0 | Not Tested | Not Tested | Not Tested | Not Tested |
| Firefox 1.0 | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible | Not Tested |
| Firefox 1.5 | Compatible | Compatible | Compatible | Not Tested |
| Firefox 2.0 | Not Tested | Not Tested | Certified | Compatible |
Apple Safari Web Browsers
| Mac OS 10.2 | Mac OS 10.3 | Mac OS 10.4 | Mac OS 10.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safari 1 | Compatible | Not tested | Not Tested | Not Tested |
| Safari 1.1 | Not Tested | Compatible | Not Tested | Not Tested |
| Safari 1.2 | Not Tested | Certified | Not Tested | Not Tested |
| Safari 2 | Not Tested | Not Tested | Certified | Not Tested |
| Safari 3 | Not Tested | Not Tested | Certified | Compatible |
How to determine your browser version?
Please follow these quick steps;
- Open your browser
- On the Menu Bar, select "Help"
- Select "About (Name of Browser)", e.g. About Explorer, a screen will appear with your browser inforamtion
The Academic Suite is a Web-based application and other browsers and operating system may work well, however, the listed configurations are the only configurations that are tested and supported by Blackboard.
Author, Tom Witherspoon
Source
Additional Suggested Software
Microsoft Office 97 of higher (or Microsoft Office Converters and Viewers), Adobe Acrobat Reader, Windows Media Player or equivalent, QuickTime plug-in, Real Player plug-in.
Collaboration Tools (Virtual Classroom & Lightweight Chat) — Plug-in for PC users only:
The Java 2 Run Time Environment 1.4.x or higher. This plug-in may be downloaded from the page that appears when a user joins a Collaboration Session.
Collaboration Tools & Macintosh Users:
Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X both come with the plug in you need for using the Collaboration Tools. Mac OS 8 users may need the Mac OS Runtime for Java (MRJ) plug-in available at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75097.
For all types of Browsers:
- 1. JavaScript must be enabled
- 2. Cookies must be enabled
When and how are students enrolled into my Blackboard course?
Students are enrolled automatically into Blackboard courses according to information supplied by the registrar so there is no need to enroll individual students into your course site. As long as the student enrolled to take your class and is up-to-date with all payments, he/she should appear in the student roster of the course. Though it is generally sooner, it sometimes takes up to 24 hours before the complete student roster will appear and then will be updated automatically as changes occur. It is possible depending on how the paper work is processed that “adds” can take days or weeks. Blackboard is not directly connected to the attendance system all participants are manually added. Student course enrollment is updated up to the census date on a daily basis.
How do I add users, additional Instructors, or TA's to my course?
All students registered for the course, are automatically enrolled through the Registrar when the Course is created, however, you do have the option of adding additional users to the course.
Only Instructors, their designated course builders, or TAs have the ability to add users.
To add users to your course:
- Go to the Control Panel
- Click on "Enroll User" under the User Management area.
- Search for the user by either their last name or their user name. If they are in the CSUSB Blackboard database, their full information will appear.
- Check the box to the left of their name.
- Scroll down and click on "Submit"
To add additional Instructors or TA's to your course, first add them following the above method and then changing their user role.
Contact the office Online & Distributed Learning ODL and indicate who and to what title you would like the student changed to.
If the user that you wish to add a user that is not in the Blackboard database (i.e., does not have an CSUSB blackboard account) Contact ODL and we will assist you.
How do I make my Course Site visible to students?
When the shell is created, it is not available to students. Students will not be able to access your Blackboard site until the course is made available. When your site is ready for student access:
- Go to the Control Panel.
- Under the Course Options area, click on "Settings".
- Click on "Course Availability".
- Check "yes"
- Click on "Submit"
How do I add a syllabus to my Blackboard Course Site?
Because documents often have rather complex formatting, getting them to display properly on the Web can be a challenge. There are a number of methods with varying degrees of success and unique pros and cons. The simplest way to post a syllabus is to convert it to html and upload that file.
While Blackboard will accept file attachments in several different formats (including .doc, .ppt, .xls), we recommend that you convert all documents to html before uploading them to Blackboard, because it ensure that users will be able to view the documents regardless of whether or not they have the application in which it was originally authored.
To do this:
- Save the document as a "Web Page" or "as html".
- Login to the Blackboard course in which you wish to add the syllabus.
- Go to the Control Panel of the course.
- Click on the Content Area in which you want your Syllabus to appear. (If you would like to put the Syllabus in its own folder, see the How To on adding folders in a Content Area.)
- Click on "Add Item".
- Name this document using either the drop down box or specifying your own name.
- Scroll down to the second section called "Content Attachments"
- Click on the Browse button to locate and add the item you wish to attach (the syllabus with the .htm or .html extension).
- Click on "Submit"
I created a test but it is not available/ I cannot see it?
- Click Control Panel on Course menu
- Select Test Manager in the area of the Course Control Panel.
- Click Add Test.
OR
- Select Test Manager in the area of the Course Control Panel.
- Click Modify next to an existing Test.
- Click Modify in the first section on the Test Canvas.
Once the test is created it must now be deployed or made accessible for students to take.
- Select a Content Area in the Course Control Panel.
- Click Add Test.
You should see the test you created click on the test once to highlight it and then click on the “submit button.”
Where can Faculty Members get help with Blackboard?
FACULTY MEMBERS
Online
ODL Faculty Resource Page: http://odl.csusb.edu/faculty/
Phone
Online & Distributed Learning ph: (909) 537-7439
(available during regular business hours, Monday – Friday Summer operating hours are dictated by campus policy)
Blackboard Help Address: odlnews@csusb.edu
In-Person
The ODL Staff is available for appointments or by walking basis during regular business hours Monday - Friday. To schedule an appointment, please contact the ODL Staff at (909) 537-7439. ODL offers regular, in-person workshops. For a schedule of current workshops, please visit our trainings section.