Practice Blackboard
Blackboard is an online software tool which allows your instructor to teach all or part of your course on the Web. You can do some or all of the following, depending on how your instructor set up the course:
- View important announcements and your instructor’s biographical and contact information
- Participate in online discussions and in small group activities
- Access course materials and resources on the Web
- Submit your assignments, take on-line tests and quizzes, and check your grades
Software requirements: A Java applet capable browser, such as Internet Explorer (preferred), Firefox, or Netscape.
Computer access: If you don't have a computer at home, Web access is available at sites, University College Centers, UMS campuses, and many public libraries.
Navigate to Blackboard
- Go to www.courses.maine.edu in your web browser.
Note: If your course is a distance education course and is listed in the University College “Courses & Degrees Statewide” guide, you can go to www.learn.maine.edu, select "Course Websites" in the Quick Links drop-down list, and choose your course in the list that will be displayed. This is useful if you cannot remember if the course you are taking is using Blackboard or some other system.
Enter Your Username
A University (“@maine.edu”) E-mail account is automatically set up for you when you register for a course. The format is: firstname.lastname (eliminate any hyphens, apostrophes, and periods in your last name). Your Blackboard Username is the same as your University E-mail name (the part of your E-mail address before the "@"). (For example: if your E-mail address is john.jones@maine.edu, your Blackboard Username is john.jones.)
- If you have a common name and your first login attempt does not work, try adding your middle initial, then your middle name: john.doe, john.m.doe, john.michael.doe
Enter Your Password
Before you can log into Blackboard you must activate your UMS account and choose a password. You will need the eight-character activation code you received from the Registrar. Activate your UMS account at this Web site: https://mail.maine.edu/um/ActivateAccount You can log into Blackboard within a day after you activate your UMS account. Use the password you chose when activating your E-mail account.
Enter Your Course in Blackboard
After entering your Username and Password, click Login. You will see a “Welcome” screen with your first name on it. Click the name of your course in the My Courses area to enter the course site.
Set Up Forwarding of Mail Sent in Blackboard
Many faculty and students send E-mail directly from Blackboard, but Blackboard does not have a place where you can go to read your E-mail. You will have to read your E-mail in your '@maine.edu' account. Some students prefer using E-mail accounts other than the one provided by the University—for example, yahoo.com. Hotmail, or adelphia.net.You can use the UMS Mail Server to forward email generated in Blackboard to your preferred account.
Getting Around Your Course
All Blackboard course sites have the same basic components. There's an area where you'll see Announcements. There's also a navigation area along the left of your computer screen, with buttons that bring you to the different parts of the course site. The actual button labels may differ from one course site to another, depending on how the instructor has set up the site. Typical button labels for parts of a site are Announcements, Course Documents, Communication, External Links etc.
Accessing Course Materials
You will see course materials as individual documents or in folders in such content areas as Course Documents or Assignments or whatever name the instructor has assigned it. If a document is not immediately displayed on the screen, click on the link to the file to either view it in the browser or save it on your own computer to open with the appropriate program.
Using the Discussion Board
To read messages posted to the Discussion Board, click on the Communication
link, then on Discussion Board. Click on the name of the forum you wish
to view, then on the linked threads to read messages. To reply to a
message, click the Reply button.
Tip: To see the content of every message in a forum at one time,
click on “Show Options,” “Select All,” “Collect.”
To send E-mail from Blackboard click on Communication, then Send E-mail. You will NOT be able to read your E-mail directly from Blackboard; use your regular E-mail program.
Submitting Assignments and seeing your grade: the Assignments feature
The Blackboard “Assignments,” feature (added during the summer of
2003) allows you to view and submit assignments to your instructor and
see any comments from the instructor about your submission.
- Follow the View/Complete link to see the assignment and to submit any files and comments to the instructor.
- Follow the View/Complete link and then select “OK” to see your grade and any comments from the instructor.
Participating in Small Groups
Your instructor may have set up small groups for project work. Use the Communication link to get to Group Pages, where you can then select group in which you're planning to work. You will then be able to use a number of communication tools with access limited to the members of your group.
Taking Tests, Quizzes and Surveys and Checking Grades
If your instructor uses Blackboard to give quizzes and/or tests, you will find a link under, Course Information, Course Documents, Assignments or whatever name the instructor has assigned the area. Click on the link to take the quiz or test. Answer all questions and click Submit. Some faculty set time limits on tests and quizzes. Once you open the quiz, you MUST complete and submit it or you will be locked out and will have to contact your instructor.
Note:
Do not re-size the browser window as you may be locked out.
To check your grades (quizzes and tests only), click on Tools, then on View Grade.
Blackboard "Practice Course"
A practice “course” is available to help you learn some of the features in Blackboard. You will need a “@maine.edu” username and password to enter the site.
Go to http://www.courses.maine.edu and log in with your “@maine.edu” username and password. Along the top of the page you’ll see a number of tabs. Click the Courses tab, then click Blackboard Practice Site in the Course Catalog area. Click Enroll (far right-hand side of the course name) to enter the site.
The practice site is set up as a typical course site. Not all tools are functional, but you will be able to get a good idea of how to find course materials and post to the Discussion Board. Anything you post in the sample Discussion Board will include your name.
Technical Assistance
Call Technical Support at 1-800-696-4357 (HELP) or E-mail techsupport@maine.edu
University of Maine System
copyright 2003 UMS. All rights reserved.
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