Blackboard Frequently Asked Questions
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General Questions
To log into the Blackboard system, you must first know your University Username and Password. Obtain these at http://ulink.louisville.edu. Select the “Info For First-time Users” link.
You may use one of the following methods to login to the Blackboard System:
- http://blackboard.louisville.edu
- http://louisville.edu - Select Blackboard listed under Accounts & Tools
- http://ulink.louisville.edu - Select Blackboard in the Resources UofL Links category
Type your university username@louisville.edu and Password.
If you cannot login to Blackboard using your username@louisville.edu and password, you may need to reset your password. To reset your password please call the IT Helpdesk at 502-852-7997 or see the Reset Password webpage http://password.louisville.edu.
INSTRUCTOR:
If you do not see your course listed in Blackboard and you are an instructor, please confirm with your department that your name has been correctly submitted to the Registrar's office as the Instructor of Record.
STAFF:
If you are a staff member that is manually enrolled each semester and you do not see your course, please request the Instructor of Record add you to the course through the Manage Users tool or complete the Add User to Course form. Please note that you must log in using your UofL credentials to access the intranet.
STUDENT:
If you are a student and you do not see your course, this means one of two things:
- The course is not available (courses are made available to students two weeks prior to the first day of class)
- Blackboard has not been updated with the records from the Registrar's office. Please see the next question for more information regarding this process
When unavailable is listed beside a course, this means that the course is still unavailable to the students enrolled in this course. The course will be made available to students two weeks prior to the first day of class. Users at the Instructor level will still be able to access the course.
We have provided a basic checklist to help guide you in starting each new semester in Blackboard. View the Blackboard Beginning Checklist [PDF].
Most PCs built in the last four to six years should work with Blackboard with no issues assuming the PC is regularly maintained and guarded from viruses and spyware. The following is a list of recommendations when using Blackboard.
Get ready for your online courses
| Windows | Mac | |
|---|---|---|
| Personal computer | With administrative rights (the ability to download software and change security settings) | With administrative rights (the ability to download software and change security settings) |
| Broadband Internet connection | Speed of 512 kb/s or higher for DSL or 1 Mbps or higher for (upload) cable connection | Speed of 512 kb/s or higher for DSL or 1 Mbps or higher for (upload) cable connection |
| Operating system | Windows 10 | Mac OS 12 and 13 |
| Microsoft Office | 2013 or higher (see details below about Office 365) | iWork or Microsoft Office (see details below about Office 365) |
| Browsers | Firefox, Chrome, Edge | Safari; however Firefox and Chrome are recommended |
| Hardware | Desktop or Laptop | Desktop or Laptop |
| Webcam | Internal or external with microphone | Internal or external with microphone |
Tablet and Mobile Support
| Device | Operating System | Browser | Supported Browser Version(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android™ | Android | Chrome | Latest |
| Apple | iOS® | Safari, Chrome | The latest minor or point release of the most recent two major versions of iOS. |
| Windows | Windows 10 and 11 | Chrome, Firefox, Edge | Latest of all browsers, except for Microsoft Internet Explorer (not supported) and Firefox ESR |
Office Productivity Software
While the software you will need will vary by course, it is likely that you will need office productivity software such as the Microsoft Office Suite. UofL and Microsoft have added a new program that provides a free version of Office for enrolled students. Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus includes applications like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote and more, including 50GB of cloud storage in OneDrive. The program allows currently enrolled students to install Microsoft Office 365 on up to five devices including PCs, Macs, phones or tablets. Additional software can be purchased through the information technology store, iTech Xpress. You must be an enrolled student to access the store.
You can test whether you have recommended and necessary components by performing the following steps:
- Login to the UofL Blackboard home page
- Scroll to the General Resources module
- Click on the Browser Checker
Google Chrome and Firefox are the best options for a trouble free experience in Blackboard. Due to their frequent updates with today’s web technology, these browsers are better equip to work with Blackboard. You should avoid using outdated browsers such as Internet Explorer. Google Chrome typically works best with our version of Blackboard. Visit the browser’s websites to learn about or download: Google Chrome and Firefox.
The hide/show menu button is a small arrow shaped button, located at the extreme left of the content area or at the far right of the navigation menu, it appears upon hover/roll-over. The hide/show menu button allows users to hide the course menu to provide more work space in the content area. If users cannot see the course menu, the most likely cause is that this button is in the hide mode.
Zip package files can be used in Blackboard. The process is explained in the Upload Zip package programs [PDF].
Microsoft Word and some other word processing applications can sometimes result in unwanted formatting issues when the text is placed in a Blackboard text box. To eliminate this effect, paste your content into the text box and select Remove Formatting.
REACH offers students training in Blackboard. Stop by Ekstrom Library, 1st Floor.
The Delphi Center is pleased to provide faculty training to create and manage your online course presence. For a full listing of all of our offerings, visit our Learning Technology Tools page.
Visit the university's Information Technology website for policies:
- IT Policies
- Password Policies
- For tips and tricks to good email management including using attachments, visit the university e-m@il website or contact the Help Desk.
Find your browser below to learn how to clear the cache and cookies.
| Edge | Firefox | Chrome | Safari on Mac OSX |
|---|---|---|---|
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You can review our instructions for tips to reduce different file size challenges on our webpage here.
Instructor Questions
Here is a step-by-step guide for adding a syllabus.
Other resources you may find helpful are Syllabus Frequently Asked Questions, Syllabus Guidelines and the university's SACSCOC Syllabi Requirements which includes the Term Code table.
Some businesses and school network administrators may block your access to the Blackboard system as a result of their policies. Please view our browser information in the above accordions.
Many instructors prefer to move roster(s) of students into another Blackboard shell. If this describes your need, fill out the Merge Course Enrollments Form. Please note that you must log in using your UofL credentials to access the intranet.
Be prepared to provide the following information:
- Course Semester
- Your master course ID (the one you will be teaching/communicating from)
- Your merged course ID(s) (the course(s) you will not be teaching/communicating from)
Remember, only instructors listed on the Schedule of Courses may request a course be merged.
All courses are made available to the students two weeks prior to the first day of class. If you would like the students to have access to the course before this time please submit the Open Course Early Request form and we will complete the request to open the course early. Please note that you must log in using your UofL credentials to access the intranet.
Assignments allow instructors to create coursework and manage the grades and feedback for each student separately. Students access the assignment, type a submission, attach files, and submit it. Instructors can respond to each student separately with comments and attached files. More information is available in the following:
- Assignments from the Instructor Point of View: (Produced by Blackboard)
- Assignments video (Produced by Blackboard)
- Assignments from the Student Point of View (Produced by Blackboard)
Blackboard allows instructors to add a test student account to their courses. This feature allows instructors to see their course as a student does and take tests and assignments as a student. Learn how to add a test student by watching the Add Test Student video.
The Course Copy function in Blackboard is located under the “Packages and Utilities” area in the Course Management – Control Panel section in your course. For further information view the Course to Course Copy.
- Go to the course you want to copy the documents and or Grade Center from (older course)
- Choose Packages and Utilities from the Control panel at the left under the student menu
- Click on Course Copy
- In Select Copy Type, It will say “Copy materials to an existing course”
- In Select Copy Options, click the “Browse” button and choose the course you want to copy to (Newer Course)
- Then in the check boxes, select the content areas, contacts, discussion board with forums (no Starter posts), “Grade Center Columns and Settings”, Settings – (Banner, language pack and Navigation settings), and Tests, Surveys and Pools
- In File Attachments, select the third option “Copy files and Copies of the content (include entire Course Home folder)”
- Click calculate Size
- Finally, Press Submit
The Export/Import function is a more reliable method of moving content from one course to another. After either process check course materials both as an instructor and as a student by using the student preview feature to ensure materials have copied correctly. For further information view this document Export, Archive, Import [PDF].
Instructors can create formal groups of students to collaborate on work, and create these groups one at a time or in sets. Options allow instructors to manually select group members or allow students to self-enroll. Each group has its own space, or homepage, with links to tools to help students collaborate. Only the instructor and the group members can access the group tools. More information is available in the following:
- Creating a Group (Produced by Blackboard)
- Groups from the Student Point of View: (Produced by Blackboard)
Step-by-step directions for submitting student's final grades are available on the Web Grading and Class Roster for Faculty PDF.
A tutorial for downloading your Grade Center into a spreadsheet is available in the Working Offline with Grade Center Data.
The upload and download buttons are located in a button labeled “Work Offline” located at the top right side of the Full Grade Center Spreadsheet View. For further information view the Working Offline with Grade Center Data.
The LockDown Browser is a secure test browser that allows students to complete exams and quizzes without being able to copy, print, go to outside websites, or exit the test without clicking the submit button. The use and setup of this browser must be done on any computer that students take exams. For further information on how to set up the browser and other useful tips view the Respondus LockDown Brower page.
Visit the university's Copyright Education website for basic information about copyright and perspectives on its relationship to core university missions: teaching, learning, research and scholarship.
As a university that is proud of their very diverse population, the University of Louisville is committed to providing our entire audience with the best and most usable web community possible by striving to meet or exceed the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) WCAG Version 1, Priority 1 guidelines. It is our goal to offer a web experience that is free of barriers using, universal standards-based design. For all the details visit the UofL Web Accessibility website.
The SafeAssign plagiarism tool is located in the assignment form. To create a SafeAssignment:
- Access a content area from your course's main menu
- Select the Assessments drop down
- In the drop down menu choose Assignment
- Fill out the information in the top sections of the Create Assignment form
- In the section labeled "Grading" click the "Submission Details" link to display additional functions
- In the "Plagiarism tools" area place a check beside "Check submissions for plagiarism using SafeAssign"
- If you wish for students to view the originality report place a check beside "Allow students to view SafeAssign originality report for their attempts"
- If you wish for students to submit drafts before the final place a check beside "Exclude submissions from the Institutional and Global References Databases"
- Note: There is no longer a reason to create two assignments (one for drafts and one for the final) instead return to this form and remove this check mark
- Fill out the remaining fields on the form and click Submit.
Student Questions
The enrollment records are updated from PeopleSoft by an automated process between the PeopleSoft system and Blackboard periodically between 8am and 10pm daily. Please allow sufficient time for the Blackboard records to be updated, 24 hours are recommended from the time of the actual class enrollment. If you think there is an error or problem with your enrollment, you may contact the Registrar’s office at 502.852.6522.
In the list where your name appears, select your name to access your profile. Your profile appears with some information, and you can't delete your profile. To learn how to add a profile picture, update your contact information, and more, view this resource.
You can access assignments in the activity stream or in the calendar if your instructor added due dates. You can also find your assignments on the Course Content page. Your instructor may also organize assignments in folders and learning modules.
To begin an assignment for submission, select "Start attempt". Learn about submitting assignments, with timed assignments, late assignments, and more by viewing this resource.
Select "Activity" from the menu options. The up-to-the-minute activity page captures all the action in your courses. You can see what's new in all your courses and jump directly into course activities from the list. You don't need to dig through the system or miss submissions from students. You see a prioritized list of what's relevant to you. Learn more about the Activity Stream.
To view your grades for all courses in a single list, from the navigation bar, select Grades. Your grades are organized by course name and term in alphabetical order. You can select most items in any course to view details. Review how to locate grades for a single course, assignments and feedback by visiting this resource.
Review your progress on the Course Content page beside the item name. The item’s progress status displays within a circle. You can mark items such as documents, uploaded files, or links as complete. If you want to review the item again, you can go back and unmark the item. Journals and discussions must be manually marked as complete if they are not part of a sequence in a learning module.
Some items, such as tests and assignments, are automatically marked as complete when you submit them. Learn more about progress tracking within Blackboard.