1.  Blackboard is an ACC supported Web site that provides access to course information and a variety of instructional tools designed to help you.  This handout will explain how to use some of the features of Blackboard.  The main focus will be on using the electronic Discussion Board and the Virtual Classroom.   After you log onto Blackboard, you can get additional help by clicking the on-line "Help" button at any time.

2.  The Discussion Board can be used to post questions or comments to anyone or everyone in the class, send replies, discuss the course, and get help. Other students, or I, can reply at a later time, when we log in.

3.  The Virtual Classroom is available for real-time conversations with anyone in the class who is logged on at the same time that you are.

4.  In order to use these features you must have an e-mail address.  If you have a private Internet Service Provider, you probably have e-mail service through your provider.  There are also many Web sites that offer free e-mail service to anyone, including people using public computers.  Examples of these sites include:

Altavista at:    http://tools.altavista.com

Eudoramail at:   http://eudoramail.com

Hotmail at:   http://hotmail.com

Yahoo at:  http://mail.yahoo.com

5.  Be aware that I am the administrator of the Discussion Board and the Virtual Classroom, and can read and reply to postings, so show good net etiquette! I will post announcements, stay in touch with the discussion threads, and reply as needed to postings.

6.  Finally, it will be much easier to follow the instructions on this page if you print them out before you log onto the Blackboard site.

1.  There is a link to the Blackboard Log-in Page on my Home Page: http://www.austincc.edu/tav    You can also go directly to the Blackboard Log-in Page at:   http://acconline.austincc.edu

2.  Once you reach the Log-in Page, click the Login button.

3.  Enter your username and password. The very first time you login, your username will be your ACC Student Number, and your password will also be your ACC Student Number. This is a seven-digit number (that starts with zero), and is not your Social Security Number. You can find this number on your fee receipt or your printed ACC schedule, or ask me, since I have that information as well. Enter all seven digits for both your username and your password, then click the Login button.  This should take you to your very own Blackboard Home Page, called My Institution!

4.  Examine your Blackboard Home Page.  On the upper right side of the page you should see a My Courses box, which lists the ACC Blackboard courses you are enrolled in.  If you do not see a class that you think you should be enrolled in, please contact your instructor right away (note: not all ACC classes are available through the Blackboard system).

1.  From your Home Page, click the Personal Information button under "Tools", on the left side of the screen.

2.  Choose Edit Personal Information, and make appropriate changes to the information in the boxes provided.  It is very important that you enter your correct e-mail address.  When you are finished, click on the Submit button in the lower right corner of the page.

3.  Note that this system is running through a web browser, so normal web functions work in the Blackboard system. For example, you can use the Back button of your browser to go back a page.  In general, the Blackboard system works better with Internet Explorer than with Netscape for certain features, but for this courses either one seems to be fine.

4.  Now you should be back on the Personal Information page (if not, click on the My Institution tab, then on Personal Information).  Click on Change Password, and change your password right away so no one else can enter your page.

5.  Return to the Personal Information page, then click on Select Privacy Options and indicate which information you want to have accessible to other users (e.g. other students in the course).  I suggest that you NOT make your personal information available over the Web.

6.  Notice that as you wander from page to page your pathway shows up near the top left of the page (e.g. My Institution>Personal Information>Set Privacy Options). You can click on any part of the path to return to that page.

1.  Click the My Institution tab, near the top left of the page, to return to your Home Page.

2.  Click the Courses tab, near the top left of the page, to look at all ACC courses in the Blackboard system.  The Course List, on the left side of the screen, lists the ACC Blackboard classes that you are enrolled in .  To access one of these classes, simply click on the course title.  The Course Catalog, on the right side of the screen, lists all ACC courses that are active in the Blackboard system.  To access courses in the Course Catalog, click on the desired subject, then choose the course category, and finally scroll down and click on the title of the specific course you want.

3.  Once you access a specific course (e.g. Life on Earth - 12672) you can use the main buttons on the left side of the screen (Announcements, Assignments, Course Information, etc.) to go to the various resources for that course.

4.  Click the Academic Web Resources tab near the top of the page to access some web resources operated by the Blackboard system, which you may find useful.

5.  Click the My Institution tab near the top of the page to return to your Home Page.

6.  Feel free to explore and customize your pages.  As you explore the system you will find other features that you may or may not want to use, such as a calendar, etc. Click on any of the options under the Tools section on the left side of your home page to see what is available. Use it and have fun!

7.  When you want to quit, click on the Logout icon in the upper center area of the screen.

1.  Log-in to Blackboard, or return your Home Page (click the My Institution tab).

2.  In the My Courses box, click on the biology course you wish to enter.

3.  Click on the Communication button on the left side of the screen.

4.  Click on Discussion Board.  You will notice that there several "discussion groups" or "forums" set up for you (e.g. General Comments and Questions, Unit 1, Unit 2).  Click on the forum you wish to enter.

5.  You will now see a list of the messages that have been posted to the forum you entered.  I suggest that you click on the Show Options tab near the right side of the screen to display the available tool bar of options.

6.  At this point you have 2 options.  You can click on any of the existing messages to read and reply to them;  OR, you can post your own message about a new topic by clicking on the  Add New Thread button.  In either case, simply follow the prompts on the screen.  If you need help, you can click on the Help button near the top of the screen (next to the Logout button).  

7.  When you type in your message, I recommend that you leave Smart Text checked. Don’t add attachments. Use the preview option to see your message before you send it out.  When you are finished, be sure to go to the bottom of the page and click on Submit.

1.  Log-in to Blackboard, or return your Home Page by clicking the My Institution tab.  (Note: You can only chat with people who are logged in to the Virtual Classroom at the same time that you are.)

2.  In the My Courses box, click on the biology course you wish to enter.

3.  Click the Communication button on the left side of the screen.

4.  Click on the Virtual Classroom.

5. Click on Enter Virtual Classroom, and wait, since sometimes this takes a long time to load.

6. Click on the chat panel tab (with the microphone icon) to join the live chat.

7. Type your comments in the small bottom-most blank area. Read what you have written and correct as necessary. Don’t use the return key until you are done because that sends your message to everyone. Keep it short.

8. The questions tab is a way to send questions just to me.

9. The user info tab allows you to see who else is on line.

10. To quit, click the X in the upper right corner of the Tutornet Classroom page.

1. You can go to other Web sites at any time, just like you can whenever you are on the Web.  To move to another site, use the navigation buttons provided by your Web browser.  

2.  If you move to another Web site, you will remain logged in to the Blackboard system as long as your Web browser is on, unless you log out.

3. If you return to the Blackboard log-in page, click the Log-in button, and it will let you back in.

1. When you are ready to quit using Blackboard, log out by clicking the Logout icon near the top of the page. This is especially important if other people use the computer you are using!

2. You will automatically be logged out when you close your web browser.

 

Last updated: July 24, 2002