Blackboard Support for Students
Below we have provided many answers to frequently asked questions. Also, we have provided a link to the Blackboard 7.1 Student Manual. Any addition questions you may have can be directed to the TCS Helpdesk, 877-341-5555.
Why do I need to login more than once?
This will happen if you bookmarked the page where you actually enter your ID and Password and bypassed the actual Login Screen. This will cause you to get a Challenge Token Null message the first time you try to login. To eliminate this problem, you should bookmark http://elearning.emporia.edu.
If you are using Internet Explorer 6, you may need Service Pack 1 (SP1). Without the patch, you may continually be returned to a blank login page. You can Read Microsoft's Explanation or just Download the Service Pack.
Note: You will need to boot your computer after installing this patch.
What can I do if I have forgotten my Password?
If you have forgotten your password, please use the Forgot Your Password? link (shown below) located on the page where you enter your Login ID and Password and you will be sent your password by email.
Signs of Spyware on Your Computer
- You open your Internet browser and it opens a page you have never seen before.
- When you select Search, you are taken to a page you have never been to before.
- You may suddenly have advertisements showing up on pages and websites where you have never seen them before and they may be the type of ads you could do without seeing.
- Your computer has slowed down to a crawl (because it is so busy tracking your activities and delivering all of thos advertisements you dearly love to see).
- Your computer may crash as spyware can sometimes do just as much damage as a virus!
What You Can Do to Prevent Spyware?
Only download software from sites you know and trust. Programs from some sites may have parasite programs that tag along without your knowledge. You will definitely know about it at some point when you start having trouble with your computer.
Don’t be so quick to always click Agree, OK, or Yes to an agreement without reading it. I know we are all guilty of that one but you might want to try selecting No or I do not Accept just to see if it will let you. If it won’t let you, then you had better click on the X in the upper right hand corner of your browser window. Never click Yes or Accept just to get rid of a window that won’t go away!
Never install file-sharing programs such as those from some music companies. You are inviting trouble if you do.
Keep your windows software up-to-date by checking for and downloading Critical Updates regularly.
Ways We Recommend to Keep Spyware Problems at a Minimum
Download Adaware and Spybot by clicking here on our Techsite for Students so you don’t have to worry about downloading it from an unsafe site. Click on Install beside both of these programs and then Open. They will pretty much self-install and appear on your desktop. They will not remove anything that will do any harm to your computer. Spybot will open up the first time to a screen with flags. Click on a flag and you won’t see that screen after that. Have the programs Fix or Remove anything they find!
Running these detection and removal tools on a regular basis can prevent problems. Also, be sure to keep them updated. Running both on a weekly basis can save you a lot of frustration. If you want to learn more about these programs, you can click on each one above and it will take you to a site with information on each.
Pop-up Blockers…You Need Them BUT Remember to Disable Them!
You may have a problem accessing your course website or logging in if your computer is infested with spyware cookies and programs. These nasty things can cause you all kinds of problems from continuous and annoying pop-ups while on the internet, problems accessing websites, and slow down your computer. You may want a Pop-up Blocker on your computer if you don't already have one as both Blackboard and WebCT use cookies in their operation and these spyware cookies and programs interfere. A free one we would suggest is the Google Toolbar. Click on the Google Toolbar pictured below to download the Google Toolbar.
Why aren’t my courses listed in Blackboard?
When you register for courses you are enrolled in those courses in Blackboard automatically. However, the courses may not be available to you until the first day of class. You will see your courses listed on your Blackboard Homepage as soon as your instructor makes them available to the class.
Where are my assignments located?
Your instructor may create Assignments for you to complete online. Links to these assignments will appear within a content area (one of the buttons or links in the Course Menu) and will contain some basic instructions and a link to View/Complete the Assignment. Not all instructors will put them in the same place or list them as Assignments but they will all usually tell you where to find them.
Why am I unable to Join the Virtual Classroom?
Students with a "-" in their name are unable to join the virtual classroom. They are able to use the lightweight chat.
Why am I unable to Join a Lightweight Chat or the Virtual Classroom?
If you have a popup blocker, be sure you have disabled it or set it to allow cookies from your Blackboard website.
Those using AOL, MSN, Earthlink, SBC Global or any other provider that doesn’t use a true Internet Explorer browser (scripts their browser), you should always open your course in another IE window from your desktop or programs after you have minimized the original browser that you used to connect to the internet. You can usually tell by selecting Help > About Internet Explorer. If you don’t find About Internet Explorer and instead have About (their company), their browser is scripted.
TIP: When assigned an activity that requires the Collaboration Tools (Virtual Classroom or Lightweight Chat), consider the following.
The Collaboration Tools are Java applications and may initially take a few moments to load into a browser window. Be sure that you have an updated Java. To download a newer java visit our Student Techsite.
I am a Mac user and when I try to upload a file using the digital drop box, the other users (PC) can’t read my document. What am I doing wrong?
When submitting documents from a Mac, you will need to remember to Rename your file adding the dot and three letter file extension. A Mac knows your Word file is .doc, .htm. or .rtf but a PC isn’t that smart. Yes, I thought the Mac lovers would like that one! Blackboard and PC’s need the dot and three letter file extension to know what kind of file it is. If you will Rename your file (adding .doc for example), you should not have any trouble.
My instructor has posted my Grades on Blackboard. Where do I go to find my grades?
To access your grades posted in your Blackboard course, navigate to your Gradebook or Grades area via a link in the Course Menu or under the Tools in the Course Menu. Click one of these links in the Course Menu then select View Grade. Any of your grades posted in Blackboard should be visible. You will only be able to view your own grades. Please note, not all instructors use the Blackboard Gradebook to post student grades, so this option may not be available depending on the course.
Note: Only Assessments and Assignments created within Blackboard will display additional information about scoring. Any manual entries the instructor created will not be clickable or provide more grading details.
Where can I find a Blackboard Manual?
The Student Manual is located under Tools in your Course Menu. You will see the Course Menu located on the left after entering your course. There is also a link to the Blackboard Manual located under Section I: Getting Started in Blackboard at the top of this page. The Manual includes screen shots and step-by-step instructions. You can select a topic from the Index or do a word search to locate a topic.
Why can’t I get the page to print in Blackboard?
Blackboard uses frames to display course pages. This can cause various printing problems. For example, if you only get the navigation buttons when you print, you will need to:
In Internet Explorer, you need to click on the page where you see the document before you print. Then, select file > print preview which will give you the opportunity to click on the pull down menu where you see the default of As laid out on the screen and select Only the selected frame.
Printing TIP: This is also a benefit when printing other pages on the internet (isn’t available on all pages) as it will save lots of paper, ink, and printing time.
How do I access my Stumail Account?
Use this URL to access your Stumail Account http://stumail.emporia.edu/.
What is my Stumail email address?
Your email address (in most cases) will be the first initial of your first name and the first part of your last name (up to 7 digits): jsmith@emporia.edu
How do I forward my Stumail to another Email?
You may forward your Stumail to another email account but we warn you against forwarding it to a Yahoo, Hotmail, or other free limited email accounts. You run the risk of not receiving your class or other important information in forwarding to one of these accounts. If you have an email account through your internet provider and wish to forward to it, this tutorial will take you through the steps on forwarding your student email account.
Forwarding Your Stumail Account Printable Version
Why am I unable to access some icons?
Some students have reported this problem. We have found this problem is usually the result of an older version of Java on their computer. You can remedy this by going to the Student Techsite, downloading and installing this newer version of Java.
Last Updated August 13, 2007