UMKC Information Access
| → |
Instructional Technology Services
→ Student FAQs |
 |
|
Student Frequently Asked Questions
-
What is Blackboard?
- How do I log in?
- How do I learn to use it?
- What sort of hardware and software will I need?
- Common log-in problems
- When I log in to Blackboard, I don't see my class listed
- I still see classes from past semesters. Can I get rid of them?
- Common problems accessing online chat (Virtual Classroom)
- Problems taking tests/quizzes
- Problems with text editing
- I've posted a file, but no one can open it
- How do I change the way my last name appears in Blackboard?
- Why doesn't my email address appear in the class roster?
- How do I change my Blackboard password?
- Can I have my Blackboard email go to a different email address?
- How do I print a document from within Blackboard?
- I have a question that isn't listed
- send email to Instructional Technologies
 |
|
|
| What is Blackboard? |
|
Blackboard is course management
software, a tool that allows instructors to put some (or all) of the
components of their courses online.
Instructors can use
Blackboard to
- post files for their students' use
- allow students to electronically submit assignments
- hold virtual recitations and office hours
- continue class discussions outside of class
- administer tests and quizzes
- support student workgroups
... as well as to perform many
other functions analogous to those that would take place in a
physical classroom. Some professors that use Blackboard are teaching
their courses entirely online, but many others use it to support or
supplement their "in person" class instruction.
Top
|
|
|
| How do I log in to Blackboard? |
|
To log in to UMKC's Blackboard server, go to https://blackboard.umkc.edu/
and click the "Login" button. Use your UMKC email username
and password.
Students: If you do not know your username or password, please
click
here.
Faculty/Staff: If you do not know your username or password, please
call the Information Services Call Center at 816-235-2000.
Top
|
|
|
| How do people learn to use Blackboard? |
|
Students: Most students find Blackboard to be fairly intuitive
to use. Once you are logged in, you will see a list of the courses
you are taking that are using Blackboard. To enter a course's website,
click on the name of the course in the list. Once in the course
area, use the menu on the left-hand side of the page to navigate
to different areas of the class site. Please see the Online
Student Orientation for detailed information about the different
course areas, and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to
call or email the Information Services Call Center (816-235-2000
/ callcenter@umkc.edu) for assistance.
Top
-
Hardware and Software
Requirements
To allow students and instructors to take full advantage of Blackboard’s
functionality, UMKC Instructional Technologies strongly advises
that computers meet the minimum standards listed below. Users
whose computers fail to meet one or more standards may still be
able to use most Blackboard tools; however, some advanced
features may not be accessible.
Hardware
- Memory: 256 Mb of RAM or more
- Free disk space on hard drive: 1 Gb or more
- Processor speed: 800 MHz or faster
- Monitor: 800 X 600 resolution or greater
- Microphone/video camera: may be required for students enrolled
in courses which use videoconferencing or virtual classroom
technology.
Operating System
- PC: Windows 2000, XP, or Vista (install all patches and updates)
- Macintosh: MacOS 10.2 or higher
Internet Connection
- A high-speed internet connection is strongly recommended and may be required
for students enrolled in some courses or programs.
Browser
- PC:
- Firefox: 1.0.xxx or higher
- Internet Explorer: 6.0 or higher (install all patches and updates)
- Netscape: Netscape Navigator 7.1 or higher
- Mac:
- Firefox: 1.0.xxx or higher
- Safari: 1.2 or higher. (Safari users are advised to disable the Visual
Text Editor in their Blackboard preferences in order to avoid problems with tests and discussion boards. To do this,
go to My UMKC Bb tab > Tools > Personal Information > Set Visual Text Box Editor Options and set the VTE as
unavailable.)
- Netscape Navigator 7.1 or higher.
- Internet Explorer 5.2 or higher
For fullest functionality, recommended settings are: (1) Browser set to accept all cookies; (2) Browser security level set at Medium;
(3) Browser set to enable JavaScript; (4) Browser set to enable Java; (5) Firewall set to permit full access to websites in the
umkc.edu domain.
Other Software
View Blackboard Inc.'s supported browser configurations
Browser settings
required:
Required browser settings for
logging into Blackboard include the following:
-
Accept all cookies
- Security Level set at Medium
- Enable JavaScript
-
Enable Java
Other general hints for
problem-free Blackboard use:
- Disable pop-up blocker
software while using Blackboard
- Check firewall settings to
make sure UMKC sites are not being blocked.
- In your browser settings, make
sure that you have a program associated with mailto: URL's and
that the program is correctly set up; otherwise, email links in
Blackboard may not work correctly.
- You may need to make sure your
browser preferences are set up so that you load the latest
version of a website each time you visit a URL.
Top
|
|
|
| Common Log-in Problems: |
|
If you (or your students) have problems getting logged in, please
look below for the specific error message you are receiving. If
the given solutions do not help or if you are getting an error message
that is not listed, please call Instructional Technologies staff at
816-235-6700.
Error Message: "Error: Could
not login. The specified user name does not exist in the system."
Cause #1: You have recently enrolled at UMKC -- it takes up to
24 hours for you to get into the system.
Cause #2: You are logging in with your complete email address as
the username (abc123@umkc.edu). The email system allows this, but
Blackboard does not.
Cause #3: You have multiple Exchange accounts and are using the
"wrong" one. This problem is particularly common among
international students and students who have at any time changed
or corrected the Federal Identification Number (SSN) at use at UMKC.
Cause #4: The program that automatically enrolls students in the
proper Blackboard course sites is not working. Please contact the
Call Center (callcenter@umkc.edu or 816-235-2000.)
Error Message: "An error occurred
while the system was processing this login request."
Cause #1: You are mistyping your username. Check your username
and try again.
Error Message: "An error occurred
in the authentication module: Error occurred while trying to lookup
the current session."
Cause #1: umkc.edu is listed as a restricted site in your IE security
settings.
Cause #2: Cookies are disabled entirely (under "privacy"
in internet options in IE)
To enable cookies: If you have one of the required browser versions,
you can enable cookies with the following steps:
Netscape Navigator 4.01 or higher:
Select Edit->Preferences->Advanced
Click on the checkbox next to the words "Accept all cookies
that get sent back to the originating server", then click "OK."
(see screen shot)
Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher:
Select Tools->Internet Options->Security->Custom Level
Scroll down until you see the "Cookies" entry. Click the
"Always accept cookies" selection, then click "OK."
Cause #3 (rare): If you get this error message on a campus computer
(e.g. in a computer lab) it is possible that your profile is corrupted
and will need to be reset. A corrupted profile may prevent you from
logging into any site requiring authentication, even if the security
settings on the PC permit cookies. Please call the Call Center at
816-235-2000 to discuss this possibility. Resetting your profile
to correct the problem may cause some personal files and data to
be lost, so make sure that the Call Center helps you to back up
needed information before they reset your profile.
Error Message: "Could not login.
You have not provided valid authentication credentials."
Cause #1: Plain, old, bad password. Check that your "Caps
Lock" key is not on and verify your password by logging in
to Outlook Web Access. If necessary, reset your password.
Cause #2: Password is expired (or pre-expired). Same solution as
above.
Cause #3: You've typed the wrong password three times in a row
and your account is locked. Call the Call Center (816-235-2000)
to have your account unlocked or wait 60 minutes for the account
lock to time out.
Error Message: "Alert! This client
does not contain support for HTTPS URL's"
Cause: Browser does not meet minimum requirements for Blackboard.
Update to a more recent version of the Browser.
Error Message: "No Authentication
credentials were provided with the request"
Cause: JavaScript is disabled in your browser or your security
level is set too high. In IE, go to Tools > Internet Options
> Security > Internet Zone. Click "Custom Level"
and scroll down to the "Scripting" section (near the bottom.)
Make sure "Active Scripting" is set to Enable.
Top
|
|
|
| Chat Problems |
|
Blackboard is generally easy to use, but the Virtual Classroom
tool is the one area where students and instructors may run into
problems. The good news is, once you get access to the Virtual Classroom
area for the first time, you should not have experience further
problems.
A good chat troubleshooting page
If you can't get Virtual Classroom to load:
Most probable cause: Java is not enabled or needs to be updated.
Check to be sure that Java is enabled. In Internet Explorer, click
on Start > Settings > Control Panel and select Internet Properties.
Click on the Advanced tab and scroll through the settings to make
sure that JIT compiler for virtual machine enabled is checked. Under
"Java" in the list, make sure JRE 1.4.1 or higher is installed
and functioning.
Other possible causes:
- Browser doesn't meet minimum requirements. Solution: Update your
browser.
- A firewall is preventing you from accessing online chat. For people
who access Blackboard from the workplace, especially, this tends
to be a problem. Many corporate and/or personal firewalls block
ports required by Virtual Classroom. If the IT folks in charge of
network security in the location from which you are accessing Blackboard
are willing, unblocking the following ports may allow access: 80,
443, 1433, 1376, 8000, 8007, and 8443. Another possible solution
is the use of a
VPN.
- Windows needs to be updated. Go to Microsoft's site
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
. Download the "Critical Updates." You should also consider
downloading the "Recommended Updates." This will help
with the performance of your PC and also improve security issues.
Top
|
|
|
| Problems Taking Tests & Quizzes |
|
A student gets an error message when submitting a quiz:
Cause #1: Make certain that students know to hit the "save"
or "submit" button only once. Double-clicking may cause
an error message and may also delay submission of their answers.
Students click on the quiz, but nothing happens:
Cause: They may need to turn off their pop-up blocker software.
When students try to access an online quiz, they get a message saying
that they have already taken it.
Cause #1: Depending on students' PC and internet connection speed,
it may take a little while to load a quiz. Make sure that, when
accessing a quiz, they know to only click the link once. If they
click a second time (on the "keep-pushing-the-button-to-make-the-elevator-arrive-quicker"
principle) they may find themselves locked out.
Cause #2: Students should not resize their screen after entering
a quiz. Some browsers will refresh the screen when you resize the
window.
Cause #3: Students should not use their browser's "Back"
button, the <Backspace> key, or <ALT> + Left Arrow to
navigate to a previous page; they need to use Blackboard's navigation
tools instead.
Cause #4: Students should be cautious about using the <Backspace>
key to correct errors in entered text. They need to make certain
that their cursor is within the text-entry field before hitting
<Backspace> or the browser may attempt to return to the previously-displayed
page.
Cause #5: Depending on the settings for the quiz, students who
attempt to view material on another website or in another area of
the Blackboard course site may find themselves unable to return
to complete the quiz. Instructors using restrictive quiz settings
need to make sure that they are communicating these restrictions
to their students in the quiz instructions.
Top
|
|
|
| Text Editing Problems |
|
Can't right-click and copy/paste text in the editing window
Workaround: Use the keyboard shortcuts to copy and paste text.
To copy text in the editing window, select it and use Ctrl-Insert
or Ctrl-C. To paste text, use Shift-Insert or Ctrl-V.
When accessing a page with a text editing window, you get a message
prompting you to insert your Office 2000 CD
This happens to some Blackboard users when they access anything
that uses the DHTML Edit control (basically, any page with the fancy
text editing window.) The problem is related to the way in which
Office 2000 was installed on your PC. The quickest way to fix it
is simply to insert the CD, if you have it to hand. Microsoft has
a web page detailing the steps to
fix the problem without the CD.
If this is a UMKC computer (e.g. in your office or in a campus lab)
you can call the Call Center at 235-2000 and they will arrange for
someone to fix the problem for you.
Top
|
|
|
| I've posted a file, but no one can open it: |
|
Make certain that the file name does not contain any characters
other than the standard letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores.
Other characters (apostrophes, etc.) in file names may cause people
who try to access the posted file to get an error message "Requested
file could not be found."
Top
|
|
|
| I've legally changed my name, but Blackboard still shows my old name. |
|
If you have changed your name with the Registrar (students) or Human
Resources (faculty/staff) and Blackboard still shows your old information,
please call Instructional Technologies staff at 816-235-6700 and we
will update your personal data.
Top
|
|
|
| How do I change my Blackboard password? |
|
For UMKC users -- Blackboard uses the same username and password
as your email account.
For non-UMKC users - to change your password, please call Instruction Techologies at 816-235-6700.
Top
|
|
|
| Can I have my Blackboard class mail go to a different email address? |
|
Users with UMKC email addresses are not permitted to
forward their Blackboard email to a non-UMKC email account. The
UMKC account must be used for all official UMKC communications.
This is to make sure that students or instructors do not miss any
important class-related messages due to problems with email accounts
that aren't under university control (e.g. Hotmail account is over
quota, AOL spam-blocker is deleting class emails, etc.)
Top
|
|
|
| How do I print a document in Blackboard? |
|
Option 1:(IE) While viewing the document, click on the document
you want to print and go to File -> Print Preview. Choose "Only
the selected frame" from the pull-down menu.
Option 2: (IE) Right-click on the link to the document (i.e. do
not actually open the document) and select "print target"
from the context-sensitive menu.
Netscape users: click on the document and press the "Print"
button.
Top
|
|
|
| Why doesn't my email address show up in the class roster? |
|
Your email address will be kept
private unless you specify that you want it to be shared with other
students in your class. To make your email address visible, click
"Personal Information" in the Tools area of your Blackboard "My UMKC
Bb" page. Click "Set Privacy Options," choose the information that
you would like to have visible to others, and hit "Submit."
Top
|
|
|
| When I log in to Blackboard, I don't see my class listed. |
|
Please be aware that many instructors do not use Blackboard
at all, or do not make their course sites available to students
until after the semester has started. If you aren't certain whether
your class is going to be using Blackboard, please speak with your
instructor.It can take up to 24 hours between the time you enroll in a
class and the time that the class shows up in Blackboard. If you
know your course uses Blackboard and you don't see the class site
listed after 24 hours, please fill out
this form.
Top
|
|
|
| I still see classes from past semesters. Can I get rid of those? |
|
It is up to course instructors to make
their Blackboard sites unavailable to students after the semester
has ended. If you are still seeing past semesters' course sites more
than a few weeks into the new semester, please contact your old
courses' instructors for assistance in having these course sites
made unavailable to you.
Top
|
