Frequently Asked Questions:
Have a question about Blackboard that isn't listed here?
Ask
Us: Phone: 412-268-9090 | Email: bb-help@andrew.cmu.edu
What are the minimum system and browser requirements
to run Blackboard?
Blackboard, Inc. Recommends:
- Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, or ME
- Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X
- Minimum 64 MB RAM, 1 G of free disk space
- 150 MHz or higher processing speed
- 56K modem or better
- Monitor capable of at least 800 x 600 resolution
Additional Suggested Software
- Microsoft Office 97 of higher (or Microsoft Office Converters
and Viewers)
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Windows Media Player
or equivalent
- QuickTime plug-in
- Real Player plug-in
Plug-ins for Collaboration Tools (Virtual Classroom & Lightweight
Chat):
PC users:
- The Java 2 Run Time Environment 1.3.1_04 or higher
- This plug-in may be downloaded from the page that
appears when a user joins a Collaboration Session
or may be found at http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.3/download.html.
Macintosh Users:
For all types of Browsers:
- JavaScript must be enabled
- Cookies must be enabled
> Related Links:
What plug-ins and other applications might
my students need to access course material?
How do I request a Blackboard course site?
To request a Blackboard Course Site for a class, faculty
should complete the Blackboard Course Request online form
located at http://www.cmu.edu/blackboard/courserequest/
To reuse all or part of an old course site for a subsequent
semester, submit a Blackboard
Course Request Form for the
new course site, just as if you were requesting an entirely
new course site.
However, when asked if you would like to
copy course materials from an existing Blackboard course,
include the:
- Course ID
- Section number
- Semester of
the course from which you wish to copy content
The new
course site will be created as a copy of the existing course
site. (If you leave this field blank, your new course site
will be created as an empty course site.)
When a new course site is created as a copy of an existing
course site, all of the course content (course information,
course settings, staff information, course documents, assignments,
and external links) and all of the assessments and assessment
pools (but not the Gradebook nor the Assessment results)
are copied to the new course site.
It is possible to copy
only the course content or only the Assessments and Pools
but we are not able to copy only specific portions of the
course content nor specific portions of the Assessments
and Pools.
If you want to reuse only part of the content of an existing
course site in a new course site, you can either:
- Have
(all of) the existing course site copied over and then
remove the portions that you do not want to use this
time.
- Have a new course site created and (re)-upload the
portions that you want to re-use.
- Use the new copy feature
of Blackboard 6 to copy over individual items from
another course in which you also have Instructor status.
When a new course site is created as a copy of an existing
course site, we do not copy over information that is tied
to specific course users (like the Student Roster and the
Discussion Board entries) since the new course site will
have its own Student Roster, Discussion Board, etc.
> Related Links:
Should I have one or more Blackboard
sites for my large, multi-section course?
Once I submit the Blackboard
Course Request Form, when can I expect to start using my
site?
When and how are students enrolled
into my Blackboard course?
Students are enrolled automatically into Blackboard courses
according to information supplied by the registrar so there
is no need to enroll individual students into your course
site.
As long as the student enrolled to take your class
and is up-to-date with all payments, he/she should appear
in the student roster of the course.
Though it is generally
sooner, it can take up to 24 hours before the
complete student roster will appear and then will be updated
automatically as change occur.
> Related Links:
I’m trying to add a student
to my course, but I can’t find him in the list of
existing users that Blackboard provides. Why?
Can I add a student who
is not officially enrolled in my course?
Is it possible to give someone
outside of Carnegie Mellon access to my Blackboard course?
How do I add users, additional
Instructors, or TA's to my course?
All students registered for the course, are automatically
enrolled through the Registrar when the Course is created,
however, you do have the option of adding additional users
to the course.
Only Instructors, their designated course builders, or
TAs have the ability to add users.
To add users to your course:
- Go to the Control Panel
- Click on "Enroll User" under the User Management
area.
- Search for the user by either their last name or their
Andrew ID. If they are in the Blackboard database, their
full information will appear.
- Check the box to the left of their name.
- Scroll down and click on "Submit"
To add additional Instructors or TA's to your course, first
add them following the above method and then change their
user role.
To change the role of a user:
- Go to the Control Panel.
- Click on "List/Modify User" under the User
Management area.
- Search for the user by either their last name or their
Andrew ID.
- Click on the "Properties" button to the right
of the user.
- Select the desired user role.
- Scroll down and click "Submit".
If you need to provide access to Blackboard for someone
who is not eligible for an Andrew account, then you will
need to fill out an online request form for a Blackboard
Sponsored Account.
> Related Links:
What is a Sponsored account
and how do I get one?
Can I remove a student from my
Blackboard course?
How do I make my Blackboard course
available to guests?
What if a red “X” appears next
to a user's name?
How do I make my Course Site visible to students?
When the shell is created, it is not available to students.
Students will not be able to access your Blackboard site
until the course is made available. When your site is ready
for student access:
- Go to the Control Panel.
- Under the Course Options area, click on "Settings".
- Click on "Course Availability".
- Check "yes"
- Click on "Submit"
> Related Links:
How can I start building a site
for next semester without the students having access?
How can I reuse my old course (or part
of it)?
How can I archive my site?
After the semester ends, how long before
my Blackboard course site is deleted?
Where can Students and Faculty
Members get help with Blackboard?
Online:
Blackboard at Carnegie Mellon: http://www.cmu.edu/blackboard/
E-Mail:
Office of Technology for Education, Blackboard Support:
bb-help@andrew.cmu.edu
Phone:
Office of Technology for
Education, Blackboard Support: 412-268-9090
(available during regular business hours, Monday - Friday)
In-Person:
Office of Technology for Education Support Staff are
available for appointments during regular business hours Monday
- Friday.
To schedule an appointment, please contact us at the above
email address or phone number.
For a schedule of current workshops,
please visit: http://www.cmu.edu/blackboard/news/workshops/
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Course Request
