VISIT US ONLINE AT http://www.centralgatech.edu/disted

DISTANCE EDUCATION

Blackboard Learn Getting Started Guide for Students

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BbLearn Getting Started Guide for Students

Table of Contents

Accessing the Blackboard Learn Portal ............................................................................................... 3

Browser Test Module ......................................................................................................................... 4

Help and Resources Module ............................................................................................................. 4

CGTC Resources Module ................................................................................................................... 4

Central Georgia Announcements Module ......................................................................................... 4

Blackboard Learn Login ........................................................................................................................ 5

Student Login Frequently Asked Questions ....................................................................................... 5

Student Home Page ............................................................................................................................. 6

Tabs .................................................................................................................................................... 6

Modules ............................................................................................................................................. 6

Courses ............................................................................................................................................... 7

Frequently Asked Questions – Don’t See Your Courses? .................................................................. 7

Global Navigation Menu .................................................................................................................... 8

Course Home Page ............................................................................................................................... 9

Modules Students May See .............................................................................................................. 9

Course Interface .............................................................................................................................. 10

Course Navigation Menu Links ........................................................................................................ 11

Important Note: Completing Your First Assignment ...................................................................... 11

Learning Modules Folder ................................................................................................................ 12

Blackboard Frequently Asked Questions & Support ........................................................................ 13

General Questions ........................................................................................................................... 13

Blackboard Troubleshooting ........................................................................................................... 14

Blackboard Login Issues .......................................................................................................... 14

Blackboard Course Issues ....................................................................................................... 14

Math Courses .......................................................................................................................... 15

Additional Blackboard Information ........................................................................................ 15

Technical Support Contacts .................................................................................................... 15

Other Technology Issues ........................................................................................................ 15

Revision: 11/03/2015

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Accessing the Blackboard Learn Portal

To access the CGTC Distance Education Portal

select the Blackboard Learn icon found on the

Central Georgia Technical College homepage:

http://www.centralgatech.edu

Blackboard Learn is the learning management system (LMS) used to access online courses at CGTC. Follow the directions in this section to access the CGTC Blackboard Learn Portal and login to Blackboard Learn.

Computer and browser requirements to use Blackboard Learn are located at: http://www.gvtc.org/StudentOrientation/ComputerNeeds.aspx

Once the browser opens, locate the address bar.

In the address bar, type:

centralgatech.blackboard.com

Then press ENTER. Do not use www.

This will open the CGTC Blackboard Learn Portal

- OR -

Internet Mozilla Google Safari

Open a browser – Internet Explorer,

Mozilla, Google Chrome, or Safari

(sample icons shown below)

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Modules

The Blackboard Learn Portal provides additional information to students using modules.

Verify your computer is ready for Blackboard. The Browser Test will check for any issues that should be resolved for Blackboard to run smoothly. If you are missing any of the plugins, the Help and Resources module provides a link titled ‘Plugin Downloads’. This link will take you to the locations needed to download any missing plugins.

The Browser Test will also show the browser you are using, the version of the browser, and the operating system running on your computer. If you have trouble with Blackboard and need to contact your instructor or online technical support for assistance, this information should be included in your request for assistance.

The Help and Resources module contains access to Helpdesk Request Form—CGTC Online Course ProblemReporter Plugin and Downloads—GVTC and Blackboard mediadownloads Computer Needs—GVTC computer requirements forBlackboard

The CGTC Resources module includes links to institutional student resources. • Technology Help & Directions—available student technology; how to access it and guides on how to use it• Student Mail—link to MyMail login page• CGTC Facebook—link to the CGTC Facebook page for News and Events

The Central Georgia Announcements module will have announcements pertaining to all Distance Education students, Blackboard and MyMath Lab. Students should review these announcements frequently.

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Blackboard Learn Login

Locate the Blackboard Learn Login Here module.

Enter your username and password to login to Blackboard.

Your username is 35_910#

(where 910# is your student ID number).

Your password is 35_910#

(where 910# is your student ID number).

STUDENT LOGIN FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS MY USERNAME AND PASSWORD?

Your username is 35_910# (where 910# is your student ID number). If this is your first time logging

into Blackboard Learn your password is 35_910# (where 910# is your student ID number).

WHERE DO I LOCATE MY STUDENT ID NUMBER?

Your ID number should be located on your student ID, the paperwork you received from

admissions and/or your advisor. You can also contact the CGTC Customer Care Center at 478‐988‐

6800 for assistance with your student identification number.

MY PASSWORD IS NOT WORKING, WHAT NEXT?

Click on the “Forgot Your Password?” link and enter your COLLEGE EMAIL ADDRESS *CGTC Network

Username*@student.centralgatech.edu

THIS IS NOT MY FIRST TIME USING BLACKBOARD LEARN, IS MY PASSWORD STILL MY USERNAME?

If you have not reset your password previously, then your password will still be the same as your

username. If you did reset your password, but are unable to remember your password, click the

“Forgot Your Password?” link and enter your COLLEGE EMAIL ADDRESS *CGTC Network

Username*@student.centralgatech.edu

WHERE DO I FIND MY COLLEGE EMAIL ADDRESS?

Directions for locating your college email address and accessing your college email account are

located at http://www.centralgatech.edu/general/student_technology.html. If you are unable to

login to your college email account, you can submit a technical support request at the link above.

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Student Home Page

Tabs: CGTC Home—student Blackboard home

page Notifications—contains modules: What’s

New and To Do Online Resources– contains student

resources, CGTC News, and links to CGTC technology, MyMail, Gateway, and BannerWeb.

Modules:

Galileo—link to Georgia Library Learning Online Announcements—links to announcements for course(s) enrolled Calendar—reminders of due dates / completion dates color coded by course My Grades—view grades by course(s) enrolled Personal Information—personalize setting and change your password Blackboard Help for Students—access to student specific Blackboard Help

The Message module on the Student Home Page allows students access to course messages from all Blackboard courses at one time. This provides students with a ‘quick view’ of course messages without having to enter a course.

To see messages for a single course only, the student can use the Messages module inside a course. The Messages system in Blackboard is an internal system; meaning students can only send messages to individuals within a course they are enrolled. Messages cannot be sent to an outside email system. IMPORTANT NOTE: Blackboard Messages should be used for all course-related communication between students and instructors.

The Announcements module on the student Blackboard home page combines both course specific and institutional announcements. Students should review these announcements frequently as they may pertain to Blackboard issues.

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Courses

Courses available for student access will be listed in the Course List module. To open a course, click on the name of the course. Unavailable courses will be notated at the end of the title.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – DON’T SEE YOUR COURSE?

If a course is missing from your Blackboard Courses list, please note the following:

1. Use BannerWeb to verify you are registered for the course. Information on accessing

BannerWeb is located at http://www.centralgatech.edu/general/student_technology.html.

If you are not registered for the course, please contact your advisor.

2. If you recently registered for the course, you will need to wait 24-hours before the course

will be available in the course list.

3. If you have verified you are registered for the course, and you have waited 24-hours and

the course is still not listed, please contact your course instructor or contact your advisor

for assistance. Instructor contact information is available at http://

www.centralgatech.edu/general/staff/staff.html.

4. Don't know your instructor's name? Instructor information is available on your course

schedule. You can view your course schedule using BannerWeb. Directions for accessing

BannerWeb are located at http://www.centralgatech.edu/general/

student_technology.html.

Manage Course List Module Settings (hover mouse in upper right of

module)

Courses can be grouped by term

Rearrange courses by drag-and-drop

Change visibility of Course Attributes

Add frequented websites to bottom of list

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Global Navigation Menu Blackboard’s Global Navigation panel allows easy access to your courses and various tools. The Global Navigation Menu is located in the upper right-hand corner of the Blackboard window and can be accessed from anywhere in Blackboard. The number of notifications can be seen in red. Notifications can include:

Assignments/Tests to be completed Discussion Board posts Updates in the course

Tools: access Blackboard Help for

Students and various other tools

Settings: change text and contrast

settings, change personal and

notification settings

Help: access the CGTC Online Course

Problem Reporter

CGTC Home: opens another tab with

the student’s home page

To access/expand the Global Navigation

Menu select the down arrow next to your

name.

Bb Home: an overview of items

that need your attention

Posts: displays posts made in

the last several days for each

course you are enrolled

Updates: notifications can be

viewed by course

My Grades: grades can be

viewed by each course you are

enrolled

Calendar: reminders of due

dates /completion dates*, color

coded by course

COMP 1000 Intro to Computers

Easily access recently viewed

courses and other courses by

selecting them

*Due dates only show if the course

instructor has due dates set within

the course. Always refer to the

course schedule to verify due dates.

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Course Home Page The Course Home page is the starting point for each course and contains “modules” to update students on what is happening in the course. The modules available on this page may differ by course.

Modules Students May See: Announcements—links to new and/or available course specific announcements Messages—displays unread course messages with links to the message Report Card—links to current grade information To Do—chronological listing of upcoming due dates and a display of tests, assignments/surveys that

are past due with no submission. What’s New—displays links to new course content, such as announcements, assignments, tests,

surveys, newly graded items, unread discussions, and Messages.

Course, Number, Name, and CRN. Make sure the

course CRN matches your course schedule.

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Course Interface

COURSE NAVIGATION MENU

*note: this menu is collapsible, hover near the right edge of the menu until the Hide Course Menu arrow appears, select the arrow. Hover near the left edge of the interface until the Show Course Menu arrow appears and select the arrow to expand the navigation menu.

Quick Links—a pop-up window by page that

gives links to page content and associated

keyboard shortcuts

Course Home and drop-down list for

access to other courses enrolled in

Bread crumb trail—avoid using the back

arrow in the browser to navigate; use the

bread crumb trail or navigation menu

This is the college wide standard for the Blackboard course navigation menu.

Opens the navigation menu in a separate window

Refreshes the navigation menu

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Course Navigation Menu Links

The Course Navigation Menu at the left contains the following links

The COURSE HOME is the starting point for each course and contains “modules” to update students on what is happening in the course. The modules available on this page may differ by course. The ANNOUNCEMENTS link will contain course specific announcements posted by the instructor. Students are encouraged to check their announcements frequently. The COURSE INFORMATION link will contain the Faculty Contact Information (some instructors may include a bio), Course Syllabus and Schedule/Calendar and any course-specific information including special software required for the course or any on-campus requirements for the course. The LESSONS link will contain the Orientation Exercises, Intro Questionnaire, Learning Modules folder (course content), and the Class Discussion Board. Please note, some courses do not use the Learning Modules folder. In this instance the course content will be displayed directly on the Lessons page.

The GRADES link will allow students access to their course grades. This page can be filtered to show All grades in the course, Graded assignments and assessments in the course, Upcoming assignments and assessments in the course, or Submitted assignments and assessments. The MESSAGES link will open the Course Messages page. This is an internal messaging system within Blackboard to be used for course communication with instructors and fellow students enrolled in the course. The COURSE RESOURCES link is a page containing course specific resources. Not all courses will have this link. The COLLEGE RESOURCES link is a page containing college specific resources such as links to MyMail, Banner Web, CGTC News, and various other institutional resources. The GALILEO link provides access to Georgia’s Virtual Library.

IMPORTANT NOTE: COMPLETING YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENT

All online courses have a First Assignment due by midnight the last day of the first week of class. Please be sure to complete the First Assignment by the deadline. If you do not complete the First Assignment by the deadline, you will be withdrawn from the course as a No Show.

Information on the First Assignment and the deadline should be available in the course schedule.

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Learning Modules Folder

The Learning Modules folder in the Lesson link will have subfolders organized by units, modules, chapters, etc. Inside the subfolders will be the required assignments for that section of the course.

Assessments can take a variety of forms in a Blackboard course including assignments, quizzes, tests, papers, discussion boards, etc.

Assignments For video and tutorials on submitting an assignment in Blackboard, please visit

https://en-us.help.blackboard.com/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Student/060_Assignments

This section of Blackboard Help will include video and tutorials for submitting a Blackboard Assignment.

Note: if you are have trouble submitting an assignment in your course, please contact your course instructor.

Tests For video and tutorials on taking a test in Blackboard, please visit

https://en-us.help.blackboard.com/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Student/070_Tests

This section of Blackboard Help will include video and tutorials for taking a Blackboard Test.

Surveys For video and tutorials on taking a survey in Blackboard, please visit

https://en-us.help.blackboard.com/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Student/080_Surveys

This section of Blackboard Help will include video and tutorials for taking a Blackboard Survey.

Note: if you are having trouble taking a test or survey in your course, please contact your course instructor.

Discussion Board For video and tutorials on using Discussion Boards in Blackboard, please visit

https://en-us.help.blackboard.com/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Student/090_Tools/Discussion_Board

This section of Blackboard Help will include video and tutorials for using a Blackboard Discussion Board.

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Blackboard Frequently Asked Questions & Support

General Questions How do I contact my instructor? Please refer to the class syllabus for contact information including name, office number, office hours, phone number, and email address. You can also view your course schedule via BannerWeb for your Instructor name and then access contact information at http://www.centralgatech.edu/general/staff/staff.html. Information on accessing BannerWeb is located at http://www.centralgatech.edu/general/student_technology.html. Should I use Blackboard Messages or college email to contact my instructor? All course related messages should be sent via Blackboard Messages. All non-course related messages via email (i.e. registering for classes, scheduling an appointment with the instructor, etc.). I've called my instructor several times with no answer. Where's my instructor? Please remember, most instructors teach class during the day. Your best method for contacting your instructor is via email. If you wish to speak with an instructor, email to schedule a time to call. How are assignments submitted? Written tests are generally taken online within Blackboard. Most class and lab assignments are submitted using a digital drop box. Directions on how to submit will be provided with each assignment. I submitted my assignments ‐‐but never received a grade. What happened? If you've submitted an assignment that has not been graded (or has received a "0"), please verify the due date for the assignment. Late assignments are automatically assigned a grade of "0" at the time of grading. While Blackboard may still allow you to upload an assignment after the due date, the grade will remain a "0." I don't see my test! Where is it? Review your course schedule for the dates the test will be available ‐‐during these dates may be the only time you will see tests. Tests will be located under Assignments for the week due or in a folder called "Tests." If you still cannot locate your test, contact your course instructor. How do I see my grades? Viewing grades depends on the course and the instructor. You will either be able to view grades in ANGEL, Gateway, or both. To view grades in Blackboard:

Click on the "My Grades" link in the Tools module on the CGTC Home tab in Blackboard - OR-

Click on the “Grades” link in the Course Navigation Menu within the course in Blackboard

If grades aren't available in Blackboard, then use Gateway To view grades in Gateway you will need to login to the student portal. Please go to www.centralgatech.edu to access the student portal. Still don't see your grade? Contact your instructor. I have a grade missing. What do I do? Make sure you submitted the assignment on time (return to the assignment, for example, and check the date submitted, then compare to the due dates on the course schedule). If the assignment was submitted on time, contact the instructor via Blackboard Messages.

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Blackboard Troubleshooting

Blackboard Login Issues

I Can’t Login to Blackboard Learn, what do I do now?

1. Check the college calendar. Student Blackboard accounts for the upcoming semester are not added until the week

before classes begin. Generally, there is an announcement on the Blackboard Learn portal indicating when student

accounts will be added.

2. Check when you registered for class – there is up to a 24 hour delay between the time you register and when the

Blackboard account will be created.

3. Reset your Blackboard Learn password.

How Do I Reset My Blackboard Learn Password?

1. Go to the Blackboard Portal located at http://centralgatech.blackboard.com2. Locate the Blackboard Learn login area

3. Click the “Forgot Your Password” link

4. On the page that opens, complete one of the following sections:

First Name, Last Name, and User Name (CGTC network login) or

First Name, Last Name, and School Email Address (CGTC Network Username@student.centralgatech.edu)

Click Submit

A. If you receive:“No user accounts were found that matched the information entered (this will appear in a red banner at the top of the page).”

THEN:

An incorrect First Name, Last Name, and Username or Email was entered - possibly a typo

The student account has not been created yet, wait 24 hours and try again

B. If you receive:“An email with instructions for changing a password has been sent to the email address registered for this user: *student’s username* (this will appear in a green banner at the top of the Blackboard login page).”

THEN:

An email is being sent to your COLLEGE email account to allow the Blackboard password to be reset. Pleaseaccess your COLLEGE email account and locate the email to reset the Blackboard password.

If you do NOT receive the email, your Inbox is full. Clean out unneeded items from the Inbox (be sure to emptythe deleted items in the email account too).

I still can’t reset my Password. What do I do?

If you are still unable to login to Blackboard, email online@centralgatech.edu for assistance (email from a college email account when possible). The email should include your name, student ID#, date of birth, and phone number. Faculty and Staff can also send this information on behalf of the student if needed. OR submit a Help Desk request through the Student Portal. OR contact the Customer Care Center at 478-988-6800. Password reset requests will be completed within 24 hours (generally within 4 hours during business hours). The password will be reset to the student’s username.

Blackboard Course Issues I don’t see my classes in Blackboard Learn. Where are they? There is up to a 24-hour delay between the time a student registers for a class and the time the class is available. If the course is still unavailable after 24 hours, the student should email the course instructor and copy online@centralgatech.edu.

I see my Blackboard class but I can’t see any of the assignments. Why not? Assignments will not be available until 8AM the first day of the semester for online courses. If your assignments are not available on the first day at 8AM, please email your instructor and copy online@centralgatech.edu.

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I have Courses Showing in Blackboard that I’m Not Registered for in BannerWeb. What do I do? If you see additional courses in Blackboard that you are not registered to take, please ignore the courses. The additional courses should be removed within a week. Verify you are working in the correct courses by checking the course CRNs in Blackboard against the CRNs on your schedule in BannerWeb. If the courses are not removed within a week, please email online@centralgatech.edu.

I can’t find the Assignments folder in my course. Where is the course content?

The Assignments folder with the course content has changed with the transition to Blackboard Learn. To access the course

content select the Lessons link in the navigation menu at the left.

Math Courses

Will Math courses use Blackboard Learn? Yes, all Math courses will use Blackboard Learn.

I’m Having Trouble with MyMath Lab, what do I do? If you need assistance with MyMath Lab, or have a question about your Math course, please contact your course instructor. If you do not receive a response from your instructor within 24-hours, please email online@centralgatech.edu for assistance or call Jody Dixon at (478) 757-2507.

Additional Blackboard Information

How to find Blackboard Student Orientation Material Blackboard Orientation Sessions are offered at the start of each semester. Information is available at http://www.centralgatech.edu/disted/orientation/index.htm (www.centralgatech.edu -Current Students -Academic Affairs-Online

Learning -Online Orientation (located in the Online Learning menu at the left).

Technical Support Contacts The first point of contact for issues in an online course is the course instructor. Please contact your course instructor or

another instructor in your program for assistance. Instructor contact information is available at http://

www.centralgatech.edu/general/staff/faculty.html.

If additional assistance is needed, technical support information is available at www.centralgatech.edu/disted. Please note,

technical support will NOT reset or open any assignments or tests for a student without the instructor’s permission.

Other Technology Issues If you have trouble with any of the following:

Logging into College email Logging into the Student Portal Logging into Gateway Logging into BannerWeb Accessing the Video Server

Please either submit a Help Desk ticket to the Technology Department using the Student Portal or contact the Customer Care Center at 478-988-6800 for assistance.

If you have trouble with a class website other than Blackboard, please contact your course instructor or the publisher of the website. Examples include: MyMathLab, SAM, GDP, and CourseMate.