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This orientation unit is intended to help you become acquainted with using and learning within an online course. The information here and the exercises are very important information, even if no grade is associated with them. We will be covering major course areas, browser settings, and other important information. Please take some during your first week to review these pages. They will also be available throughout your entire course to refer back to if you have trouble understanding how to use a course area.
Blackboard also provides a Student Manual. You can view it online by clicking on the Student Tools button then choosing Student Manual. It will open in a new browser window so that you can reference it while using your course. At the bottom of the left-hand scroll area on the Student Manual page is a link to PDF and Word versions of the Manual. You can download these for offline reference or to print out. WARNING: the Word version is long. You may wish to only print or read those pages you are most interested in.
Academic Integrity
Highland Community College is committed to a standard of academic integrity for all students. Your work online (discussion boards, assignments, etc.) is no different than work you would hand in or perform in a classroom. You are responsible for completing it yourself, under the guidelines of the assignment or syllabus. Online resources must be cited as specifically as any printed materials. If you cannot determine an author, date, or other pertinent information, please ask me (your instructor) or a librarian for assistance. Although discussion boards can lend themselves towards anonymity or quick responses, please think carefully before you post a message. Flaming (or the writing of harassing, using inflammatory language, personally attacking someone, etc.) does not show respect for others and will not be tolerated.
Technical Requirements for Using Blackboard 6
The minimum requirements for using Blackboard 6 are:
- An internet connection.
- A web browser (Netscape 7 or higher or Internet Explorer 6 or higher). Please note that Blackboard does not work with AOL's web browser. If you are using AOL to connect to the internet you will need to minimize AOL and open either Netscape or Internet Explorer separately.
- Latest Java Plug-in. You can download it at: http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/download.html.
- Enable Javascript and cookies for your browser.
- Programs recommended or required by your instructor (ex: Word, Excel).
- A valid email account with which you can exchange messages.
- You must have both cookies and javascript turned on. If you do not, you may be asked for your password every time you go to a different page and you will not be able to post in the discussion area. A cookie stores your username and password while javascript runs the discussion area and some other sections of the course. To turn cookies and javascript on:
- Netscape: Go to Edit: Preferences: Advanced. On the right hand side, select the box in front of "Enable Javascript" and select the radio button in front of either "Accept all cookies" or "Accept only cookies...."
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- Internet Explorer: Go to Tools: Internet Options: Security: Custom Level. Scroll through all the options until you find the ones for for Cookies and for Scripting. Enable all options.
- If you access from work and you have a firewall, you may experience difficulties. You will need to discuss this with your network security employees. They may or may not be able to allow access to the course, depending on their policies.
- If you use a public computer lab, you need to exit the browser completely when you are finished. (That is, all windows must be closed the program closed or exited.) This clears your username/password cookie. If you do not exit the browser, the next user has access to your course account. Be sure to log out of the Novell network before leaving a campus computer.
Course Navigation
Along the left-hand side of the screen, you will always see the course navigation icons. These will always take you to the top-level page in that section. This is a general description of the available navigation. Some features or buttons may not be available in this course, or they may have different (but related) titles. You may view a sample Blackboard course if your course is not yet available.
 Announcements: takes you to the course homepage. This is also the page you will see whenever you enter the course. Pertinent information regarding course assignments, discussion topics, and exams will be displayed in this section. New announcements will be posted periodically, so please always read this page! At the bottom of the announcement list, you can choose four different views. It is automatically set to view the last two weeks of announcements. If you want to view a different set, click the radio button, then select Submit.
 Course Information: this page will list the information you would expect to find on a syllabus.
 Staff Information: on this page, is information about your instructor, including office hours, telephone and email contact, etc.
 Course Documents: here you will find the main portion of the course. There could be text-based lectures, Powerpoint slides, commentary, videos, articles, and other information to guide your learning in this course.
 Assignments: this page lists each week's or unit's assignments. Assignments may include reading, writing, discussion, and tests or quizzes.
 Communication: this area includes links to a variety of tools for communicating with me and with your classmates. You can send email to class members and instructor, use the discussion boards, see each other's homepages, and access group pages.
 External Links: this page lists other web sites collected to help you with your course.
 Student Tools: this area shows tools for you. You can hand in assignments, edit your home page, change your personal information (including your password), and check your grade. TYou can add personal dates, too. Finally, there is a link to an online Student Manual. Check this out if you have technical trouble with any course areas to find information about how to use the site.
Below these buttons is a smaller one.
 Course Map: clicking here will bring up a small window listing all the course areas. Click on the + sign to see sub-areas of each main course area. Continued clicking on + and - will open or hide document titles. Use this if you know what topic you are heading for to reduce the number of links you have to click on in course pages. Go ahead and click on it now to see how it works. It's much easier than it sounds! Then click on the + sign in front of Course Documents.
Technical support
1-815-599-3403
Before calling, please make sure you are doing the following:
- Using the URL (address) http://bb6.highland.edu (do not use www.blackboard.com; this is the company website, not the Highland courses site)
- Using the same username as your Highland email username [unless specifically told otherwise by your instructor]
- Using your 9-digit social security number as your password (if this is your first login, or you have not changed your password)
- Have both cookies and javascript turned on.
Contact your instructor for content-related questions.
If you have having technical difficulty with your computer or with connecting to the internet, you should contact your computer manufacturer or your Internet Service Provider.
Accessing Linked Files
Often, your instructor will upload files for you to use with other programs. When a file is attached, it appears as a link. You must click on the link to access the information. To access a linked file simply select the name of the file. Depending on your computer configuration, how the file was linked, and the type of file, several things may happen when you do this:
- The link may open in the Main Course Area. You may need to use the browser back button or the left-hand navigation to return to the course.
- The link may open in a new browser window. When finished with the document, close the window to return to the course. You can also return to the course by selecting the course window button in the Start Menu toolbar (Win 95+) or selecting Window in the file menu across the top (Windows or Mac) and highlighting the course window.
- The link may prompt you with a dialog box, asking if you want to save the file to a local drive. Select the folder you want to save it in. To help you find the document back, you might want to create a folder just for saving course documents. Then, open the appropriate program and the file.
- The link may ask if you want to open it without saving. If you have virus protection software, it is a good idea to save the document first so that your virus check runs.
- The link may launch a different program (such as Microsoft Word) and display the file. To return to the course, return to your browser.
- You may need to install a plug-in for the file. Directions for doing so should be provided either in this unit and/or the first place you find this type of file within the course.
If you have your own computer and do not own the Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access), they are available through the Highland Bookstore. Or you may download the free viewers from Microsoft. You cannot edit
any of the files - only view them.
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Files
Some of the files you may need are PDF files. To read and print these, you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in installed in your browser. If you know you have this installed, you are fine. If you are not sure, click on the following link: Sample PDF. If you get a browser message stating that you need to install a plug in, follow the given directions, or the directions below. The free reader is all that is required for this class.
PLEASE, install the Reader BEFORE you need the documents (i.e., do it this week!). That way, if you have any problems, we will have time to address them before it is an emergency.
If you know for certain you do not have the plug in, follow these directions to install it
- Download the program at Adobe Acrobat reader for Mac or Adobe Acrobat Reader for Windows. If you want to retain these directions in one window while downloading the file, you can right-click (PC) or click-and-hold (Mac) and select Open in New Window to open the link in a new browser window.
- Find the appropriate language of Acrobat Reader. You may download the Reader + Search if you wish, but this will be a longer download.
- Click the link for the Acrobat Reader (Get it Free!), unless you wish to purchase a more advanced version. The free reader is all that is required for your class.
- Fill in the registration form and follow the rest of the directions on the site. You may need to close your browser and/or restart your computer for the installation to finish.
- If you have any problems, let your instructor know. Please include what platform, browser, and Internet connection you are using along with the exact error messages or problem, and what you were doing when this happened.
Acrobat may open as a separate window or may open within the browser. There will be a separate set of icons that relate to the pdf rather than the browser. To print a pdf file, find the printer icon within the Acrobat area. Use these to navigate the pdf instead of the browser icons. You may need to close Acrobat to return to your class.
Communication Tools
Blackboard offers full-service communication tools to class participants. Within this area, you and I can contact each other via e-mail, conduct a chat, participate in a discussion, and work in groups. You can also use these features to view the student roster and student homepages.
Send Email
 The email function was developed to provide a quick method of contacting course participants. From this screen, you can send direct email to anyone in the course, from within the browser. It does not spell check and does not save sent messages.
Please go to the email area, select "Send Email to Single/Select Users" and send a message to your instructor and to the student whose name appears right below yours. (The last person should send a message to the first person. Whoever is above the instructor, please skip to the person below.) Briefly introduce yourself.
More information, including screen shots, is in the Student Manual.
Student Pages
 Every registered student has a Course Homepage where you can post information about yourselves. The page is blank until you update it. You can view other students' pages in Communication: Student Pages. You update your own page through the Student Tools: Edit Your Homepage. This week, start your homepage. In the personal information box, please describe what you hope to get out of the course. Include a link to your favorite personal website and a website related to the course topic.
More information, including screen shots, is in the Student Manual.
Discussion Board
 Blackboard provides a discussion board as another communication tool to use in a classroom setting. It is designed for asynchronous use, meaning users do not have to be available at the same time to have a conversation. An additional advantage of the discussion board is that user conversations are logged and organized. Conversations are grouped into forums that contain threads. A thread is a series of related posts, including an initial post and subsequent replies. A post is a person's written comments which are "posted" to the forum for all other users to read.
Discussion boards are a bit difficult to describe without actually seeing them. A bit of information is described here, but it will make more sense once you go to the discussion board, post a message, reply to another message, and read a series of posts.
To enter the discussion board, select Communication in the left-hand navigation, then select Discussion Board.
Enter a Forum by selecting its title, such as "Open Forum." Note that you can immediately see how many messages are in the forum as well as how many are new.
To read a message, select its subject, such as "Innappropriate reading material."
You will then see the message. To reply to a message, select Reply in the lower right while on the same page as the message (i.e., not when viewing the entire forum). You navigate among replies to a message with the Previous Message and Next Message buttons, or via the thread detail which appears below the emssage.
To start a new thread (that is, your own topic within the discussion), select Start New Thread button  in the upper left while in the forum view.
Before this week is over, please go into the Introductions Forum and start a new thread about yourself. Please introduce yourself to the class, including at least your name, hometown, favorite flavor of ice cream, and two hobbies. Find at least one other student who something in common with you and reply to their post.
You may also have access to a discussion board in your group areas. It works exactly the same way, but only members of your group and your instructor will be able to read and post to that board. A lot more information, including many screen shots, is in the Student Manual. Digital Dropbox
 The Digital Dropbox is a tool for you to exchange files or assignments (reports, papers, etc.) with your instructor. You or I can upload a file from a disk or a computer to a central location and then the other can download it. There are two locations for the Drop Box tool. Individual student access to the Drop Box is available in Student Tools. If your instructor has set up groups, you also have a group drop box called File Exchange. The Student Drop box is used to exchange materials between a single student and the Instructor. The group File Exchange is used to share materials with group members.
To upload a file:
- From the Navigation Area, choose Tools and select Digital Drop Box. Or, from your Group Page, select File Exchange.
- Indicate a File to Upload by choosing Browse and indicating the appropriate file.
- Type the text to appear with the file in the Name of Link to File text field.
- Select Send File to complete the process.
- A receipt will appear. Choose Back to continue working in the Drop box or return to the course by selecting the appropriate button from the Navigation Area.
To download a file:
- From the Navigation Area, choose Tools and select Drop box. Or, from your Group Page, select File Exchange.
- The Current Files in your Drop Box area will list the files available to download.
- Select a file name, and choose Save Link As.
- Save the file to an appropriate location.
To delete a file from the Digital Drop box when it is no longer needed:
- From the Navigation Area, choose Tools and select Drop box. Or, from your Group Page, select File Exchange.
- From the Current Files area, select Remove Files.
- Select the check box associated with the file to remove.
- Select Remove Selected Files to complete the process.
- A warning dialog box will appear. Select Ok.
- A receipt will appear. Choose Back to continue working in the Digital Drop box or return to the course selecting the appropriate button from the Navigation Area.
More information, including screen shots, is in the Student Manual.
Change Your Information, Email, and Password
 Your personal information can be accessed via the Personal Information area under Tools. If at any point during the course of the semester you need to update or modify this information, you can do so within the Personal Information feature.
You should change your password as soon as possible. Note that although your username is the same as your Oshkosh email username, there is no interaction between the two systems. When you change your password in Blackboard, it does not affect your email. When you change your email password, it does not affect your Blackboard password.
DO NOT CHANGE OR DELETE YOUR STUDENT ID NUMBER. This number is necessary for us to reset your password and for other administrative functions.
To change your information, including email address:
- From the Navigation Area, choose Tools and select Personal Information.
- Select Edit Personal Information.
- DO NOT CHANGE OR DELETE YOUR STUDENT ID NUMBER. This number is necessary for us to reset your password and to identify you from course to course.
- Select Submit.
- Note: This updates your student record for the Blackboard system. Accordingly, your student record in other courses will update automatically.
To change your password:
- From the Navigation Area, choose Tools and select Personal Information.
- Select Change Password.
- Enter your new password.
- Enter the new password a second time for verification.
- Select Update password.
- Note: If you change your password anywhere within the Blackboard system, it will change for all your Blackboard courses.
More information, including screen shots, is in the Student Manual.
Student Calendar
 Blackboard provides a calendar you can use to track important course and campus related events. The calendar is course specific and will display three types of events:
- Institution Events: Indicated with the letter I and designated by the system administrator. Institution events appear in all course calendars for all registered users. These will include semester begin and end dates, school holidays, and such.
- Course Events: Indicated with the letter C and designated by the instructor. Course events appear only in a specific course, but all registered course participants see these events.
- Personal Events: Indicated with a P. You create your own personal events, and these events only appear in your own course specific calendar.
- In My Blackboard, all your C and P events appear.
By default, the calendar feature always displays the current month. It is possible to view previous and future dates in the calendar by using the calendar navigation areas.
To add an event to the calendar:
- Select Student Calendar from Communication.
- Choose Add Event button.
- Fill out the Title, Description, Date, and Times for the event.
- Select the Submit Button.
- The event has been added. Select OK to view the calendar.
- The new event appears in the appropriate date box of the calendar and is indicated with a P for personal message.
More information, including screen shots, is in the Student Manual. |
