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Blackboard FAQ's

 

How do I access Blackboard?

If you are already logged into the Portal/BlueView you can click on the icon at the top that says “Blackboard”. You can also go to the web address: http://bb.drake.edu/

Supported operating systems and browsers:Please refer to this chart to see if your OS and browser combination is recommended.

What is my username and password?

Your userid is the 9 digit ID number on your Drake ID card. Your initial password is your birth date in mmddyy format.

How do I change my password?

Drake has a single signon portal system in place, which means when you change your password for one system (email, blackboard, etc.), it changes for everything else. The only exception is for users of the Oracle calendaring system.

How can I keep my Internet connection from timing out when I am working in Blackboard, for example, setting up a quiz?

Some Internet connections may ‘time out’ your connection to the Internet if there is no activity coming from your machine - like when you are composing a quiz. To lessen the possibility of being ‘timed out’, open a separate web browser window before you click on the exam link. In that separate web browser window, navigate to http://www.time.gov/ and select a time zone. Once the page loads, it will keep checking the time, and keep your connection to the Internet active. Simply minimize that window, re-enter Blackboard, and proceed to click on your exam link.

How can I get training on Blackboard?

Check this website for planned training sessions, or contact Peggy Steinbronn, *4510 for individualized immediate training needs.

Who do I call for help?

Support Center *3001 for all technical issues
Peggy *4510, Deanna *4007 for all questions and concerns

How often are the courses and rosters loaded? –or- Why am I not seeing certain students in my class that should be there?

The Banner system (Admissions) and the Blackboard system are synched against each other automatically every 2 hours.

Students are telling me they cannot see my course, why is that?

Courses in Blackboard are automatically created by the system and are set by default as 'unavailable'. This allows the instructor to build the course and only when they are ready for students to access it, mark it as available.

Login to Blackboard, click into your course, click on control panel, click on settings, click on 'Course Availability' - choose YES for available and click Submit.

I am seeing too many courses in my list and I just want to get rid of them.

First, make sure that you have any and all data from them you need. Once courses are removed from Blackboard there is no data retrieval. Then either email or call Deanna with the Course ID (ie: 200720-XXXX-01-0123) and ask that it be removed.

How do I change the name of my course, if I want to add Fall or Spring to the course name?

Login to Blackboard, click into your course, click on control panel, click on settings, click on 'Course Name and Description' - in here, change the course name to what you'd prefer and click Submit.

I am teaching the same course but more than one section of it, is it possible to create just one Blackboard course so I see ALL of the students in one place?

Absolutely! This is called a course merge.
Login to Blackboard, click into your course, click on control panel, click on Enrollment Grafter, click enrollment grafter again. This screen that comes up is asking you to choose the course you want merged (it really doesn't matter which course is moved, possibly the one with fewer enrollments), click the course and click submit. This next screen is asking you to select the course you want it (the previously chosen course) merged into - AKA the target course, click submit. You will then get a screen saying this was successfully completed.

 

If you would like a little more assistance with any of the above steps,
please don't hesitate to contact Peggy or Deanna.

 

**For more information on how to use Blackboard and other University software,
please visit our Documentation Pages.