Carroll Community College

Blackboard is Compatible with Internet Explorer 7

The following information is available from Blackboard on using Internet Explorer 7

Blackboard Academic Suite Support for Internet Explorer 7

Follow these steps to add the Blackboard Academic Suite server to the list of trusted sites.

1.  Login to the Blackboard Academic Suite and navigate to a page that uses the Visual Text Box Editor.

2.  Determine if the Blackboard Academic Suite server is in the list of Trusted Sites. When accessing the Academic Suite, a green check mark will appear in the Status Bar with the label, Trusted Sites. If Restricted Sites (a red circle icon) or Internet (a globe icon) appears instead, the Blackboard Academic Suite server must be added to the list of Trusted Sites.

3.  Double-click the Status Bar where the Restricted Sites or the Internet icon appears. The Internet Security Properties box will open.

4.  Click on the Trusted Sites icon under the Select a zone to view or change security settings heading. Click Sites to open the Trusted Sites box.

5.  The URL for the Blackboard Academic Suite server should appear in the Add this website to the zone field. If not, enter the URL that is used to access the Blackboard Academic Suite in the field.

6.   If the URL for the Blackboard Academic Suite does not use SSL security, uncheck the Require Server Verification (https:) for all sites in this zone option. If the URL for the Blackboard Academic Suite uses SSL security the URL will begin with https:// If the URL does not use SSL security the URL will begin with http:// 

7.   Click Add.

8.   Click Close.

9.   Click OK on the Internet Security Properties box.

10.  Refresh the page.

11.  A message will appear in the Internet Explorer Information Bar: "This website wants to run the following add-on: 'Microsoft (R) Dynamic HTML Editing Control' from 'Microsoft Corporation'. If you trust the website and the add-on and want to allow it to run, click here..."

12.  Click the message and select Run ActiveX Control from the context menu.

13.  Click Run in the Security Warning box.

14.  The Visual Text Box Editor is now configured to operate correctly within this browser.

Blackboard Setting with Windows Vista/IE7

In addition to correcting your security settings in IE7, some students have reported that they also needed to change a setting in Blackboard to have access to the text box in the discussion board. Click into Tools box from your MyCarroll page; personal information; set visual text box editor options; disable to fix the problem.  This problem will be corrected automatically with the next version of Bb. 

Security Settings When Using Blackboard

Spam blockers, popup blockers, and other security software can interfere with some Blackboard features, even your ability to login to Blackboard. Blackboard also requires cookies and JavaScript to be enabled in your browser. If you are having problems viewing parts of Blackboard, such as the discussion board, you might want to temporarily disable any spam blockers, popup blockers or security software to see if that solves the problem. 

Blackboard and WebAdvisor

1. Is Blackboard the same as WebAdvisor?

Blackboard How it Works at Carroll

1. Do I need to create a Blackboard account at Carroll?
2. How do I get my Blackboard username and password?
3. What e-mail address will be used for my Blackboard account?
4. What if my e-mail address changes?
5. Do I need to login to WebAdvisor to get my final course grades?
6. Will I be able to preview a Blackboard course site before it is made available or without officially registering in the course?
7. How long will I have access to a Blackboard course site after a course has ended?
8. What about student clubs and organizations?
9. Is more help with Blackboard available?  

Blackboard Functions

1. Why am I not getting e-mails from instructors that are being sent through Blackboard?
2. How does the digital drop box work?
3. What is the discussion board work?
4. How does the discussion board work?
5. How can I read more than one message at a time on the discussion board?
6. How does chat work?
7. Why can’t I read some of the course documents?
8. What is Rich Text Format?
9. Does Blackboard have a spell checker?
10. How do I attach documents to a Blackboard e-mail, discussion board, or digital drop box?
11. Why can’t my instructor and other students in the course open the files that I attached?
12. How do I enlarge the type font in my quiz pop-up window?
13. How do I print a Power Point presentation without wasting a lot of paper by printing only one slide per page?
14. How do I save an Excel spreadsheet for accounting so that I can complete it in later (outside of Bb)?

More Help

Blackboard and WebAdvisor

1. Is Blackboard the same as WebAdvisor?

No, Blackboard is an electronic learning platform. While your instructors might post course grades within Blackboard during the semester, WebAdvisor is the electronic site for Carroll’s official student records.

Blackboard:  How it Works at Carroll

1.Do I need to create a Blackboard account at Carroll?

No. Blackboard accounts are created automatically when you become a Carroll student or Continuing Education participant.

2. How do I get my new Blackboard username and password?

• Your new student Blackboard username will be: first name, last name, and last four (4) digits of your College ID Number. (In most cases this will be the same as your WebAdvisor username.) If you have a long name you will be limited to 24 characters. 
• Your new default Blackboard password will be your full seven (7) digit College ID Number, which can be found on your Student ID card just to the right of your printed name. The sample College ID card below has the College ID number circled in red.
  • Your Student ID can also be found on your acceptance letter or semester schedule.

• For example:joestudent4567 is your username, and 1234567 is your default password.

 

3. What e-mail address will be used for my Blackboard account?

Carroll does not provide students with e-mail accounts. You will be required to enter your current e-mail address when you register for a course at Carroll. That e-mail address will be automatically entered into Bb. If you do not have an e-mail address already, go to a free e-mail provider (such as www.hotmail.com, mail.google.com, or  www.yahoo.com) and establish a free e-mail account.

4. What if my e-mail address changes, or if the college does not have a record of my current e-mail address?

It is crucial that you keep e-mail address current at Carroll. If you have never entered an e-mail address or if we have an incorrect e-mail address then you won't be able to receive e-mail from your instructors. 

You must enter or update your e-mail address using WebAdvisor. Have your WebAdvisor username and password handy, and click here to update your e-mail address. The e-mail address shown in Blackboard will be automatically updated within 24 hours.

Please contact the Records Office for further assistance.

5. Do I need to login to WebAdvisor to get my final course grades?

Yes. WebAdvisor is still the source for your final grades.

6. Will I be able to preview a Blackboard course site before it is made available or without officially registering in the course?

Not yet. An effective and practical way to allow for preview of Blackboard course sites is being developed, but but previews are not available at this time.".

7. How long will I have access to a Blackboard course site after a course has ended?

Students will have access to a Blackboard course site for 30 days after the course has ended.

8. What about student clubs and organizations?

You will still need to be manually enrolled in student clubs and organizations. Locate the student club or organization that you are interested in joining in the Blackboard course catalog and e-mail the instructor. The instructor will enroll you.

9. Is more help with Blackboard available?

• Email: Blackboard@carrollcc.edu (This is the fastest way to get assistance. A Blackboard administrator monitors this e-mail account.)
• Call 410-386-8423, or come to Room L-192. This is the Blackboard/Distance Learning Office, located in the Library.
• Call 410-386-8340, or stop by the the Library Reference Desk if you’re on campus. You will be connected with a Blackboard administrator if the library staff cannot answer your question.  

Blackboard Functions

1. Why am I not getting e-mails from instructors that are being sent through Blackboard?

All e-mail generated in Blackboard will be delivered to the e-mail address that you’ve registered with Blackboard. You must keep your e-mail address current. Please follow these instructions to enter or update your e-mail address using WebAdvisor.

2. How does the digital drop box work?

The digital drop box is basically a special e-mail folder that your instructor enabled in Blackboard to receive course related materials (assignments, papers, etc.) from students in a particular course. You’ll usually find the digital drop box in the student tools area in your course.

Create a file with whatever word processor your have on your computer (for example, Microsoft Word). Make sure you include your name somewhere on the document.

Save the file in Rich Text Format (see related question) to your hard drive or disk.

• Go into your Blackboard course and locate the Digital Drop Box
• Click on “Send Item”
• Give it a title that will help the instructor identify the file, for example “Assignment 1 Shattuck”
• Click on File, then browse your hard drive or disk to locate the file
• Click “open” on the appropriate file to have it placed into your Blackboard course (you’ll now see it listed)
• Add any comments that you would like to include to your instructor
• Click on submit (You should get a message that the message was sent successfully.)

3. What is the discussion board?

The discussion board is where you can interact asynchronously (that means that the sender and receiver do not need to be online at the same time) with everyone in the course, including the instructor. A discussion board differs from e-mail in that it's not privately addressed to only one person. It is a discussion open to everyone in the course. It is just what it says. It is the place to "discuss" what is being learned.

4. How does the discussion board work?

When you enter the discussion board you will probably see several underlined discussion titles - Blackboard calls these “Forums.” Forums are simply ways to organize different topics in the discussion board.

• Click on an underlined forum title to gain access to that particular discussion.
• On the next screen - click on any of the underlined phrases that have been submitted (called posted) by the instructor or other students in the course. (Hint: if you click on the name that will take you to an e-mail option so that you can e-mail the writer of the submission (posting).)
• To reply to a posting, just click on “reply”, then type your message in the dialog box, and hit submit. (Hint: you might want to consider creating a long message in your word processing program and copying/pasting it into the dialogue box. That would protect you from loosing a message if you loose your Internet connection before you submit.)

If you want to begin taking a particular discussion forum in a slightly new direction, you might want to click on “Add thread.” Threads are discussions within each discussion forum.

5. How can I read more than one message at a time on the discussion board?

• Click into a discussion thread
• Click on “show options”
• Click on “select all”
• Click on “compile” You’ll then see a running listing of all of the postings or only the unread postings (if you clicked on “unread” on the options menu).

6. How does chat work?

Unlike a discussion board, chat requires participants to be logged into the Blackboard course site at the same time (synchronously). Your instructor probably labeled a button “Communication.” To access the chat functions:

• Locate and click on “Collaboration”
• Click on “Join” next to “Lightweight Chat”
• Follow the instructions for downloading a Java plug in if such an option is presented to you. (You only need to do this once on your computer). Do not leave that screen until the installation is complete. This will take a few seconds/minutes, depending on your Internet connection speed.
• Enter the chat room area. You'll probably need to wait a few seconds for the chat room to load (in virtual time it might seem long!). Be patient it will happen.
• Type your message in the “compose” line at the bottom of the screen and press send or hit enter. Your message, along with messages from other present course mates, will appear in the larger dialogue box.
• Write briefly, even dividing long sentences up into several bites; abbreviate where possible; use names to signal indicate whom you’re addressing.

7. Why can’t I read some of the course documents?

You probably do not have the appropriate software to view the file. You can download free viewers for Microsoft products at http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/9798/viewerscvt.aspx

8. What is Rich Text Format?

Rich Text Format is file type that allows a file to be opened by any computer with a word processor. To save in Rich Text Format create a file or open a file in your word processing program and go to “save as.” Click on the drop down menu in the “save as type” box and select Rich Text Format. The file will end in .rtf

9. Does Blackboard have a spell checker?

Blackboard does not have a spell checker. You might want to compose messages and assignments in a separate word processor (for example, Microsoft Word). You can then run a spell check, when you’re satisfied you can copy and paste the message into the Blackboard section in which you are working (for example, the discussion board).

10. How do I attach documents to a Blackboard e-mail, discussion board, or digital drop box?

• Click on the box marked “attachment”
• Locate your file on your computer – remember you might have it on a disk
• Click on the file name. The file will automatically load into the Blackboard page. It’s a good idea to save any files you plan to submit in Rich Text Format (select .rtf as the file type) so that your instructor and other students can read the file even if they do not have the same word processor as you.

 

11. Why can’t my instructor and other students in the course open the files that I attached?

The chances are that you’re using a word processing program that others do not have on their computers. Therefore it is important to save your files in Rich Text Format. When you’re ready to save a file for submission to a Blackboard site, go to the “save as” menu on your computer and click on the drop down menu in the “save as type” line. Select Rich Text Format. The file will end in .rft

12. How do I enlarge the type font in my quiz pop-up window?

If a quiz opens a pop-up window on your screen you might need to click and drag that pop-up window to the center of your screen and maximize.

• Left click and hold your mouse on the blue border at the top of the quiz window and slide it to the center of the screen. (You will now see the scroll bar on the right side of your screen.)
• Maximize the screen and the font will appear larger.

13. How do I print a Power Point presentation without wasting a lot of paper by printing only one slide per page?

Go to the PP slide show in Blackboard and right click while you are on one of the PP slides; select print; then:

• Make selections from “Print Range” - do you want all, current slide, or selected sides (if so, you need to type in the slide numbers)
• Make selections from “Print What” (you most likely want “Handouts”). When selecting Handouts you also need to select the number of “Slides per Page” (you can select from 2-9 to be printed on a single page).

14. How do I save an Excel spreadsheet for accounting so that I can complete it in later (outside of Bb)?

• Right click on the file link (do not click into or open the file)
• Select “Save Target As” from the File drop down menu
• Give the file its own name and save it
• Close the worksheet in Blackboard
• Open the worksheet that you just saved

More Help

How can I get more help with Blackboard problems?

• Email: Blackboard@carrollcc.edu (This is the fastest way to get assistance. A Blackboard administrator monitors this e-mail account.)
• Call 410-386-8423 or come to Room L-192. This is the Blackboard/Distance Learning Office, located in the Library.
• Call 410-386-8340, or stop by the the Library Reference Desk if you’re on campus. You will be connected with a Blackboard administrator if the library staff cannot answer your question.