Calendar | Tasks | Personal Information | Blackboard Student Manual | Electric Blackboard | Course Home Page | Address Book

In the Tools area of a Blackboard course, the professor decides which functions to make available for student use. So you may find some or all of the features outlined in this section available to you for your use.

My Grades

Some professors enter their student's grades into an online gradebook where students can check their grades and track their progress.

Access Your Grades

1. Click the Tools link on the Navigation Bar.

2. Click My Grades. 

Your grades can be displayed in many different forms. Some professors choose display raw scores. Others use percentages or letter grades. Checkmarks are used to mark surveys that have been completed.

Calendar

You can use the Calendar in Blackboard to determine when certain course events set by the instructor are to occur.

Access Your Course Calendar

1. Click the Tools button from the Navigation Bar
2. Click the Calendar link.

Switch Views

Once the Calendar appears, you can elect to view it by Day, Week or Month. To switch between the different views, click on the corresponding tabs. For example, to view your calendar one day at a time, click the Day tab.

Quick Jump

Use the Quick Jump function to select a specific date, and jump directly to that date on the Calendar to see what event occurs.

Once you have clicked the Quick Jump button, on the next screen you will select the date you want and then click the Submit button. The Calendar will then show that date and any event that has been scheduled.

Tasks

Blackboard’s Tasks feature allows professors to create lists of prioritized tasks or projects you are to complete.

Access Your Tasks

1. Click the Tools button from the Navigation Bar.

2. Click the Tasks link.

3. If you have any tasks assigned to you, they will appear in the next window.

• To mark a task In Progress, click the words Not Started next to the Task in the Task list.
• To mark an In Progress Task completed, click the words In Progress.
• To move a Task up or down in your list of Tasks, click the red or gray arrows next to the Task's name.
  
  

Personal Information

By default, your personal information, such as home email address, home address, work address or additional contact information, is hidden from other students in Blackboard. You can however set Blackboard to display that information.

Make Personal Information Public

1. Click the Tools button from the Navigation Bar.

2. Click the Personal Information link.

3. Once in the Personal Information area, click the Set Privacy Options link.

4. Place a check next to the options that you wish to make public. Caution: Be extremely cautious when revealing any personal information over the internet.

5. If your professor asks you to make your email address available to the class, place a check mark next to Email Address.

6. Click the Submit button (You can also elect to click the Set CD-ROM Drive link if your instructor is having you use a CD-ROM in your Blackboard course).

Blackboard Student Manual

The Blackboard Manual is the definitive guide to using Blackboard. If you have a question about Blackboard and you cannot find the answer in this tutorial, try the manual. There two ways to access the student manual. You can download the manual in PDF format by clicking on the link below or access it from inside of your Blackboard course.

Open the Manual Inside Your Blackboard Course

1. Click the Tools link in the Navigation Bar.

2. Click User Manual.

3. An electronic version of the manual will open inside of Blackboard. To navigate through the manual, use the Table of Contents.

Electric Blackboard

The Electric Blackboard allows you to type and save notes within a Blackboard course.
Access the Electric Blackboard  

1. Click the Tool link from the Navigation Bar.

2. Click the Electric Blackboard link.

3. Once the Electric Blackboard window appears, click inside the text box and begin typing your notes.

4. Once done, click the Submit button to save the note.

5. Click the OK button to engage the change.

6. Click the Cancel or Close button on the Electric Blackboard to close the window.

Course Home Page

Being enrolled in a Blackboard course provides you with the opportunity to create your own course home page. Other students enrolled in the course can then view the homepage you create.

Create a Course Home Page

1. Click the Tools button on the Navigation Bar and then click Home Page.

2. Once in the Edit Your Home Page area, type the appropriate information in the various fields. If you also want a picture on your home page, you can click the Browse button to upload it on the page.

3. Once completed, click the Submit button. Your home page is created.

View a Course Home Page

1. To view your home page, or view the home pages of others enrolled in the course, click Communication on the Navigation Bar and then click the Roster link.

2. Next, click the List All tab and then the List All button. A roster list of students enrolled in the course will appear.

3. Click the student's name whose home page you want to view. The home page will appear.

Note: If your professor has disabled the Communication area, you will not be able to access course home pages.

Address Book

You can use the Address Book to store contact information.

Access the Address Book

1. Click the Tools button from the Navigation Bar.
2. Click the Address Book link.

Add a Contact

1. Open the Address Book

2. Click the Add Contact button.

3. Enter the contact's information.

4. Click the Submit button.