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Blackboard - Frequently Asked Questions

What is Blackboard?

Blackboard is a secure, pedagogical oriented, web-based environment that instructors and students can use as a center for exchanging information. It contains templates that instructors can use to build their course, upload files and messages without having to know HTML code. Students can only access classes they are enrolled in. Blackboard is designed specifically for distance education and provides the following features:

  • Information exchange via e-mail.
  • A threaded discussion board.
  • A file exchange area.
  • Real-time text chats and drawing tools (whiteboard).
  • Locations for instructors to post their syllabus, office hours, announcements, test results, course information, course materials, or anything else that could be posted to a web page including PowerPoint presentations, Excel files, video, images, etc.
  • Online quizzes, surveys, and tests with an online grade book.
  • Group facilities.

What Other Schools are Using Blackboard?

Blackboard Inc. has become the leading provider of Internet infrastructure software for e-Education. It is employed by some of the best known institutions in the world, including: Yale University; Georgetown University; Arizona State University; Carnegie Mellon University; Cornell University; Duke University; Florida State University; Temple University; University of Chicago; Florida State University; James Madison University; Johns Hopkins University; San Diego State University; Temple University; University of Chicago; University of Illinois; University of Nebraska; University of Oregon; University of Tennessee; and the University of Southern California.

Where Can I get Help With Blackboard?

USC provides manuals, video, phone, and email support.  Please visit one of the following for assistance:

 

How Do Students and Instructors Login to Blackboard?

Go to https://blackboard.usc.edu (or click the Blackboard link from within my.usc.edu)

Login: Use your USC username.
Password: Use your USC password.

How Do Students Activate Their USC Accounts?

To get their USC/Blackboard username and password, students must first activate their USC account. This is performed from the following web address: www.usc.edu/firstlogin

What If I Forget My Blackboard / USC Password?

Students should call ISD at (213) 740-5555. Faculty members should call the Marshall User Support Help Desk at (213) 740-3000. In both cases, the password will be reset to your Social Security Number or Student ID Number. Once you have called, it typically takes about 1 hour for the reset to take effect in the system. You will then want to change your password to something more secure. You can do this at: www.usc.edu/isd/password

How Do I Change My USC / Blackboard Password?

You can change your USC / Blackboard password at any time using the following web address: http://www.usc.edu/isd/password

Note that this will also change your USC wireless, ResNet, and Dial-Up password. It will not affect your Marshall password. Note that you will be asked to provide the following information:

  • Your User Name (Same as your Marshall username)
  • Your University ID.
  • Your Current Password
  • Your New Password (Your new Password must be 7 or 8 characters, and must have at least one capitalized letter and one number in it.)

How Do I Add My Course to Blackboard?

The instructor must contact their Department Coordinator and request that they flag the course in SIS. This will make the course available in Blackboard. Note that if you wish to combine multiple sections of the same course into one Blackboard class; it is crucial that you tell your Department Coordinator this at the same time you ask them to flag it.

What If One of My Students Drops My Course?

Enrollment records held by the Register's Office dictate student access to a specific Blackboard course. If a student drops your course during the first three weeks of the semester, their access to your class will be denied and they will be removed from your class roster automatically.

If a student drops your course after the first three weeks (receiving a "w"), their access to your will be denied and they will be removed from your class e-mail list; however, they will remain on your roster. Should you wish to remove them completely, you can do so yourself from within Blackboard by going to:  Control Panel --> Users and Groups --> Users.  You will need to do a search for the user and then click the "Remove Users From Course" button.

A Student has Added My Class Late, How do They Get Blackboard Access?

Enrollment records held by the Register's Office dictate student access to a specific Blackboard course. All students officially enrolled in your course either from the beginning of the semester or who have added late, will have access. If a student is on a wait list, you can add them manually via "Enroll User" button located in Control Panel (Control Panel --> Users and Groups -->Users).

How Can I Recycle Materials From One Blackboard Course into Another One?

You can copy course materials from one course you have taught into another (recycling) by using the "Course Copy" button located within Control Panel (Control Panel --> Packages and Utilities --> Course Copy).
 

I am teaching several sections of the same course; can I combine these into one course?

Yes - but you must tell your Department Coordinator this before they flag your course in SIS. Once the sections are combined, if you wish to still distinguish between students from different sections, you can establish "groups". "Groups" allow you to create separate discussion boards, e-mail lists, virtual classrooms, and file drop offs.

Some of My Students are Registered for my Class But are Not On My Blackboard Roster. What Should I Do?

When a student officially enrolls in your course, they should be added automatically; however, you can enroll them manually yourself via Control Panel --> Users and Groups --> Users

How Do I Remove Past Classes from my Class List?

You can hide them on the "Home" tab by clicking the "gear" icon located in the upper right corner of the list. You will then uncheck the courses you wish to hide.

How Do I Give My TA Access to My Blackboard Course?

You can give your TA's or any other USC student access to your course as follows:
First, enroll them by going to:  Control Panel --> Users and Groups --> Users and then do a search for them and click the "Enroll Users" button. Then, from the same screen, click the drop down arrow to the right of their name and select "Change User's Role in Course".  Select the role you wisht to assign to them and click "Submit".
 

How Can I Give a USC Staff Member Access to my Blackboard Class?

If the staff member has been given a Blackboard account, you can add them by following the same steps in the question above. However, if they do not have a Blackboard account the system will not be able to locate them. If this is the case, you will need to contact USC Blackboard support at: Blackboard@usc.edu or (213) 740-5555 to request that they be given a Blackboard account.

How Can I Allow Someone who is Not Part of USC (they have no UNIX account) Access to my Class? (A Guest Lecturer for Example.)

While Blackboard does have a provission for "Guest Access", due to security reasons, USC has decided to disable this feature.

How Can I Change Where I Receive Blackboard E-Mail Messages?

By default, Blackboard e-mail messages are sent to your USC e-mail account (http://email.usc.edu).   Blackboard 9 does not allow you to change this; howerver, you can setup email.usc.edu to forward its mail.  To setup USC email to forward e-mail to another location, visit our USC Email page.

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