Blackboard FAQ for Students

1. What is Blackboard?
2. What hardware/software do I need to use Blackboard?
3. How do I login to Blackboard?
4. What is my WCCCD ID and PIN?
5. I am having trouble logging in, what should I do?
6. I was able to log in, but how do I get to my course?
7. Why are some of my courses not listed?
8. How do I get enrolled into my Blackboard course if it is not listed?
9. How do I change my email address?
10. How do I submit to the digital drop box?
11. My instructor says that they are unable to open my documents submitted to the digital drop box. How can I help my Instructor get access to my documents?
12. How do I check my grades?
13. I am new to Blackboard or want to learn more about the new Blackboard features. Where can I go for help?
14. I have AOL and am having trouble using Blackboard, is there a solution?
15. When I copy and paste from Microsoft Word to the discussion board, my post shows question marks. Why?

1. What is Blackboard?
Blackboard is a web-based “course management system” that can be used as a tool to deliver a course completely online or to supplement on-campus courses. Common uses of Blackboard include posting online announcements and course content (e.g., syllabi, handouts, PowerPoint presentations), facilitating online discussions about content or course-related topics, collecting and grading student assignments/assessments, managing grades and making them available for students to view online. Blackboard does not require any special software, only a web browser such as Internet Explorer. In addition, Blackboard has a user-friendly interface and is available for faculty and students to access their courses online anytime, anywhere.

2.   What hardware/software do I need to use Blackboard?
Platform: Windows 95/98/2000/XP/ME, Mac OS Hardware: 64 MB of RAM, 1 G of free disk space
Modem: 56 K or cable recommended Software: Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Reader

NOTE: JavaScript & Cookies must be enabled Browser: Internet Explorer 6.0 or Netscape 6.0 at minimum.

3. How do I login to Blackboard?
Please Note: your account will NOT work unless you have waited 24 hours after you register for an online class.

On the first day of the semester Blackboard user accounts are created for students registered for Distance Learning courses and for face-to-face courses that utilize Blackboard. To login to Blackboard, complete the following steps:

First time Blackboard User:

1. Visit the WCCCD website at www.wcccd.edu
2. Locate and click on "Distance Learning."
3. Next click on "Access Blackboard."
4. Then click on "Distance Learning Orientation."
5. Click on "Begin Orientation"
6. Log into Blackboard
7. From your “My Institution” page, click on the course link to enter the course site.
8. Be sure to click on "Logout" each time you leave the course.

Returning Blackboard User:

1. Visit the WCCCD website at www.wcccd.edu
2. Locate and click on "Distance Learning.”
3. Next click on “Access Blackboard.”
4. Click “Log In.”
5. Log into Blackboard using your WCCCD ID and PIN.
6. Be sure to click on "Logout" each time you leave the course

- OR-

1. Go to blackboard.wcccd.edu.
2. Click “User Log In.”
3. Enter your WCCCD ID and PIN.
4. Be sure to click on "Logout" each time you leave the course.

NOTE : Since Blackboard and the Webgate are two separate systems, please be aware that when you change your Blackboard password it DOES NOT change your network password, and vice versa.  Your Blackboard Password DOES NOT expire.

4. What is my WCCCD ID and PIN?
Your WCCCD ID is the 9 digit student ID number that begins with the letter A. This number can be located at the upper right hand corner of your class confirmation form and is generally printed on any college form that contains your name.

Your PIN should be your birthdate (e.g., January 2, 1944 would be 010244 for the PIN)

If you have problems remembering your WCCCD ID and PIN, please email helpdesk@wcccd.edu and provide your WCCCD ID, full name, and birthdate. You will receive further assistance via email within 24 hours.

5. I am having trouble logging in, what should I do?
If you are unable to login, please use the following troubleshooting procedure:

• Double check your WCCCD ID number and PIN to ensure that there is no typing error.
• Be sure you are following the standard login procedures (refer to FAQ #3 ) and check to make sure that you are using the correct URL: blackboard.wcccd.edu ( the URL must be typed in the Address window and not in the Search window).
• Please contact Distance Learning at 313.496.2734 or send an email to distancelearning@wcccd.edu for assistance. You will be helped immediately or within 24 hours.

  6. I was able to log in, but how do I get to my course?
Once you have logged in to Blackboard, your courses will be listed on the upper right side of the My Institution page under “Courses in which you are enrolled." To navigate to your course, click on the course title link.

7. Why are some of my courses not listed ?
All courses designated as Blackboard courses for each semester are unavailable in Blackboard until the first day of the semester. The courses will also be unavailable to students if the instructor has chosen not to use Blackboard (if you know your instructor is/will be using Blackboard to supplement your course and it is not listed when you login, please contact your instructor to inquire about the availability of the course, and whether or not you are on the roster); if it has not been 24 hours since the completion of your registration process.

8. How do I get enrolled into my Blackboard course if it is not listed?
First be sure to verify that you are registered for a Blackboard course (by checking your course reference number or contacting your instructor to ensure that they are utilizing Blackboard in a given semester). If it has been 24 hours since the completion of your registration process, please contact at 313.496.2734 or send an email to distancelearning@wcccd.edu for assistance.

9. How do I change my email address?
From your My Institution page follow the steps below:

1. Click on Personal Information, located in the Tools box.
2. Select Edit Personal Information.
3. Once you have updated your email address, click Submit .

10. How do I submit to the digital drop box?
You can select a file already in the Digital Drop Box to send to the Instructor. You may also select a file not in the Digital Drop Box on the Send File page. A file sent to the Instructor or that is not in the User's Drop Box is added to the User's Drop Box when it is sent.

Follow the steps below to open the Send File page.

• Open a course.
• Click Tools on the Course Menu or Organization Menu.
• Select Digital Drop Box.
• Click Send File.
• Click name the file.
• Click on Browse or Select File to upload a document.
• Click Submit.
• Click OK.

NOTE: Files are added to the Digital Drop Box from the Add File page. A file is not automatically sent to the Instructor or Leader if it is placed in the Drop Box through the Add File option. Files must be sent through the Send File option.

Files that are added to the Drop Box but not sent will show the date and time posted. Once the file is sent to the Instructor or Leader it will show the date and time submitted.

11. My instructor says that they are unable to open my documents submitted to the digital drop box. How can I help my Instructor get access to my documents?
Blackboard has difficulties with filenames that contain special characters (e.g., # ? ! @ $ % & * , etc.).  If a file is uploaded into Blackboard with one of these special characters in the filename, you must delete the file in Blackboard, rename the original file without the special characters, and upload the newly named file into Blackboard so that others will be able to read/retrieve the file.  You may also want to make sure you have the latest Windows and Microsoft Office service packs and critical updates by going to http://www.microsoft.com/ .

12. How do I check my grades?
From your My Institution page, follow the steps below:

1. Click on View Grades, located in the Tools box.
2. Click on the course link for the grades you wish to view (your grades will appear).
3. Click OK.

13. I am new to Blackboard or want to learn more about the new Blackboard features. Where can I go for help?
The Distance Learning Division offers Blackboard Orientations prior to the start of the semester (see Academic Class Schedule for dates, locations and times). You may also review the online orientation at your convenience. The Distance Learning Division, located at the District Office, is available to assist you anytime during the semester. You may walk-in Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., phone Distance Learning at 313.496.2734 or send an email to distancelearning@wcccd.edu for assistancel. You will be helped immediately or within 24 hours. Finally, you can reference Blackboard's online manual for students. You may also locate this manual under tools within your course site.

14. I have AOL and am having trouble using Blackboard, is there a solution?
AOL is constantly performing security updates that, at times, can interfere with Blackboard.  The simple solution for this is to use AOL to connect to the internet, and then minimize it. Now you can open Internet Explorer and login to Blackboard.

15.  When I copy and paste from Microsoft Word to the discussion board, my post shows question marks.  Why?
By default, Microsoft Word automatically changes straight quotation marks ( ' or " ) to curly (smart or typographer's) quotes as you type.

When these special characters are pasted into Blackboard, they are not recognized, and turn into question marks. Other Microsoft Word characters that turn into question marks in Blackboard are: quotes, apostrophes, double dashes, and ellipses (three periods in a row.)

Two Ways to Prevent Question Marks Appearing in Postings:

• Use a simple text editor, such as Notepad, WordPad, or Textpad, instead of Microsoft Word.
• Change the default settings in Microsoft Word (on the Tools | Autocorrect dialog box, uncheck all the options under AutoFormat and AutoCorrect, save your file).

The apostrophe/quote/hyphen error is really a Microsoft Word problem and happens when you copy/paste something from a Microsoft Word document. In Microsoft Word, the default setting for quotation marks and apostrophes is something called "smart quotes." It replaces "regular" quotes with the curly quotes. When text with the smart quotes are pasted into Blackboard, the text editor converts the formatting to html to be viewed on the web.

The text editor can't figure out what the smart quotes are so it replaces the "character" with a question mark. There is also a setting that converts two hyphens (--) into a long dash. If you do a lot of copy/pasting from Microsoft Word, then you can turn off the "smart quotes" feature. In Microsoft Word, go to the Tools menu and Auto Correct Options. Click on the "Auto Format as you Type" tab. The first box is "Straight quotes" with "smart quotes." Uncheck the box. The hyphen/dash box is also in there in case you want to uncheck that box.

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