Blackboard 6 Student Starter

Logon to Blackboard

Blackboard Self Enrollment for Students
Blackboard Client Requirements (PDF)
Common Blackboard Errors
Online Office Hours FAQ
Taking Tests Online
Frequently Asked Questions

Overview

To utilize the exciting features of Blackboard 6 users must have a valid username and password. The Gateway page welcomes users and provides a login button to access Blackboard 6. Before logging into Blackboard 6, a user must have a valid user name and password.

The username consists of the first 3 letters of your last name and last 4 digits of your Social Security Number (SSN). Your password is the first three digits of your SSN.

Example:
Name: Jane Doeber
SSN: 123-00-4567

Her username for Blackboard would be: doe4567
Her password for Blackboard would be: 123

Please change your password when you first log on to Blackboard. You can change your password by:

Click on Personal Information in the left menu.
Choose Change Password.
Follow the instructions on the screen.

Blackboard Gateway Page

When you first come to the Web site, the Blackboard 6 gateway page appears as shown below.

Blackboard screenshot

Available functions from the gateway area

The following buttons appear on the Gateway page:

Login: Users can login into their account from the Blackboard 6 Gateway page.
Course Catalog: Browse the Course Catalog to see the courses using Blackboard at IVCC.

Course Web Sites

Overview

Your page is customized for you is shown below.

Blackboard screenshot

A closer look at the navigation bar.

The table below includes information on the components of a course Web site. The names of the areas are customizable by the instructor or the system administrator. The list is located on the left hand side of the screen as shown in the image above.

Area	Description
Announcements	Announcements post timely information critical to course success. Announcements occupy the Main Frame upon entry to a course Web site and can also appear on the My Institution and Courses area depending on system configuration. Click Announcements from the course Web site tool bar to view course announcements.
Course Information	Course Information displays descriptive materials about the course. Materials usually posted here include: syllabus and course objectives.
Staff Information	Staff Information provides background and contact information on course instructors and teaching assistants.
Course Documents	Course Documents contains learning materials and lesson aids, such as lecture notes.
Assignments	Assignments lists the due date and description for class work. The instructor posts assignments and can modify the task and due date.
Communication	Course users communicate through the Communication Center. The Communication Center allow users to: Send e-mail Read and post messages to discussion boards Enter Virtual Classroom View student roster View group pages.
External Links	External Links connects course users to outside learning materials. Instructors may select outside materials and post a hyperlink and brief description for each external source.
Tools	Tools that can be used in the course Web site. The tools include: Digital Dropbox, Edit Home Page, Personal Information, Course Calendar, Check Grade, Manual, Tasks, and Electric Blackboard.
Resources	Accesses to the Blackboard 6 Resource Center. The Resource Center is a customizable Web site of educational resources. For more information about the Resource Center please refer to the Blackboard 6 Resource Center Student Manual.
Course Map	Allows easier course Web site navigation. The Course Map connects to an expandable and collapsible bookmark.

Logout

Be sure to logout of the Blackboard system when your are done. Simply click on the Logout button.

Blackboard screenshot