Alabama's Public Liberal Arts University

Computer Services

Student FAQ's About Blackboard

 

What do I need to do to begin using Blackboard?
Can I change my account information?
Where is the Student manual for Blackboard?
Can I create a personal homepage in Blackboard?
How do I send assignment files to my instructor?
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What do I need to do to begin using Blackboard?
You can login into Blackboard at any time. If any of the instructors from the classes you are enrolled in has setup the class in Blackboard, you will see the class listed under My Courses on the Home page. Your username is the same as your username for your UMail account. Contact the Computer Services Help Desk by calling (205) 665-6520 or via email at helpdesk@montevallo.edu if you need assistance.
 

Can I change my account information?
Students are not allowed to change their account information because it needs to match the data in our Student Information System.
 

Where is the student manual for Blackboard?
The Student Manual, containing information about how to use the Blackboard Learning System, can be found through the Course Menu.

Follow these steps to access the Student Manual:

  1. Open a course in which you are enrolled.
  2. Select Tools from the Course Menu.
  3. Click Student Manual and the Blackboard Learning System Student Manual will appear.
     

Can I create a personal homepage in Blackboard?
Yes, just follow these steps:

  1. First, scan in a photo of yourself that has been edited in a graphic application (e.g. Adobe Photoshop), and save it as a JPEG file (no larger than 150 x 150 pixels) on your desktop.
  2. Go to Tools on the Course Menu, then to Edit Your Homepage.
  3. Scroll down to section 2 Upload a picture.
  4. Click the button labeled Browse.
  5. A window will appear.  Go to your desktop via this window, locate your image file, and click on it once to highlight it, and then click on Open. The file will appear in the Browse field.
  6. From here you may add any additional homepage information you wish to include.
  7. When you are finished, scroll down and click Submit.
     

How do I send assignment files to my instructor?
The Digital Drop Box is a tool that the instructor and students can use to exchange files.  The Digital Drop Box area is located in the Course menu on the course page.

Using the Student Drop Box:

  1. From within your course, click the Tools button.
  2. Click Digital Drop Box.
  3. Click the Send File button, type in the title, click Browse, and locate the file for upload.

    NOTE: The Add File button will only save the file in the student Drop Box. It does not send it to the Instructor.
    1. If you wish to send a file that you have previously added, click the Send File button and then select the previously uploaded file from the Select file: dropdown menu.
    2. Click Submit
  4. Click on the file once to highlight it, and then click on Open.
  5. The file name and path should appear in the Browse field, then click Submit.
     

NOTE: A student cannot remove a file once it has been sent to the instructor.

Only the instructor can remove that file. This is to prevent a student from removing or altering any sensitive materials such as a test or assignment sent to the instructor.  This ensures that the instructor has a chance to view and grade the file.

Once an Instructor grades or reviews the file and returns it to the student, the Remove button will reappear and allow the student to delete that file from the Digital Drop Box.