Blackboard

Blackboard is an online learning management system (LMS) used by educational institutions to facilitate course management, communication, and assessments. It allows students and faculty to interact, submit assignments, access learning materials, and complete exams.

System Access and Navigation

Covers how users can log in to Blackboard, recommended browsers, and best practices for navigating the dashboard. This section ensures users can efficiently access courses and essential tools.

How Do I Access Blackboard Connect?

For Regular Users:

• Users can access Blackboard Connect using their NDUS Dotted Identifier (commonly a user’s firstname.lastname) by selecting the Blackboard tile through the NDUS Portal.

For Service Accounts:

•  
  • Users with service accounts should visit https://connect.ndus.edu/ and click on the “Service Account Login” button.

Who Do I Contact for Questions?

If you have any questions or issues, please contact your local campus help desk.

• Students: If you have any questions or issues, please contact your instructor.

Blackboard Profile Creation for New/Transfer Students

Profile Creation Timeline:
Blackboard profiles for new or transfer students are created 24-48 hours after they register for their first class in the Campus Connection system.

Post-Registration Process:
Once the student has registered, their profile is generated, enrollments are added, and they will be able to log into the Blackboard system using their NDUS.identifier account ID and password.

 

Unable to Access Blackboard Tile ( need to check if they're Term Activated) 

1. Have the Caller Attempt to Log In to the portal:
Ask the caller to try logging in with their current password to check if the password has expired.
2. If Login Fails:
If the login does not work, instruct the caller to use the Forgot Password or Forgot Username options.
3.Go to campus connection and verify if they're term activated ( search Term activate a student) 

Check to see if they're enrolled for current semester

4. Agents, Verify Course Registration if the user is still unable to access the Course :

• Verify the course start date within the Campus Connection System, accessing the Enrollment Summary tile( to verify if they are registered in the particular course)
• Go to Blackboard admin - Courses - search Course and check status ( if it's a red x mean not available) check term date ( Specific semester is starts) .
• Depending on semester student enrolled most likely need to allow  processing time for Course to appear within their blackboard.
• If the verified start date has passed, provide an explanation to the user and send the user to the local campus help desk.

Course & Exam Management

Details how to complete assignments, take exams, and ensure courses are properly accessed. It also includes guidelines for Respondus LockDown Browser and managing course visibility.

Blackboard Course Availability

Course Visibility:
The visibility of courses in Blackboard is determined by the instructor. Even after students have registered and successfully logged into the system, some courses may not be visible in the course list until the instructor makes them available closer to the start of the semester.

If the Course is Not Available to Students:

• If the course shows as not available in Blackboard, refer the caller to the instructor for further clarification.
• If the user has already contacted the instructor, have them contact their local campus help desk.

Accessing Exams with Respondus LockDown Browser

Respondus places a password on the exam when enabled, requiring students to use only the LockDown Browser.
If a student is prompted for a password and hasn't been given one:
1. Close all other browsers (NO other browsers can be open).
2. Open the LockDown Browser app directly.
3. They should automatically land on the NDUS Blackboard Learn system.
4. Log in and navigate to the exam; no password should be required.
5. If they do not have the LockDown Browser installed, they can download it here: Download LockDown Browser.

Note: For Blackboard Ultra courses, students access the exam directly from the Blackboard course shell, and Respondus LockDown Browser will either prompt to be downloaded or will automatically open. 

Additional Notes

• If any issues persist, students should refer to the Respondus Support Site.
• Any unresolved technical problems should be escalated to the local campus help desk..
• If Respondus detects cheating or hacking attempts, the user may be banned from using the browser.

Support & Troubleshooting

Provides solutions to common issues, escalation procedures, and available resources for Blackboard support.

 

Troubleshooting Issues

Common Problems & Solutions:

• Missing buttons or features may occur if using Internet Explorer or due to pop-up blocker messages in Firefox.
• Using Google Chrome and disabling pop-up blockers can prevent these issues.
• Clearing the browser cache can resolve most problems.

Support & Escalation:

•  NDUS is getting a number of cases of users having issues with Blackboard where their accounts exist but are "unavailable". Not only can courses can be "unavailable" - user accounts can be too.issues should be escalated to the local campus help desk.
• Unresolved issues should be escalated to the local campus help desk.

Support for SafeAssign

SafeAssign checks your paper for copied or similar content by comparing it to other sources, like websites and articles. It uses a special system to find exact matches (word for word) and close matches (same ideas in different words). Then it creates a report showing how much of your work is original and where any matches came from.

Admin:
For administrator-level support and management of SafeAssign, refer to:
SafeAssign Administrator Guide

Instructor:
For instructor-level support on SafeAssign and assignment submissions, refer to:
SafeAssign Instructor Guide

Student:
For student-level support and instructions on using SafeAssign in assignments, refer to:
SafeAssign Student Guide

Note: If experiencing any issues, refer the user to the local campus help desk.

Specialized Blackboard Features

Introduces additional Blackboard tools and features, including mobile access and integrations with other platforms.

Blackboard Mobile App

• Availability: The app is available on both Google Play and the Apple App Store.
• General Information: Provides easy access to Blackboard features and tools on mobile devices.

Note: If experiencing application issues, refer the user to the local campus help desk.

Training & Compliance Courses

Covers mandatory training programs accessible through Blackboard and troubleshooting course access.

Enrollment Instructions:

1. Access the Courses Tab:
Have the caller click the Courses tab in Blackboard.
2. Search for the Course:
Instruct the caller to enter the name of the course in the search box.
3. Select the Fraud Course for the Current Year:
The caller should see a fraud course for the current year in the search results.
4. Enroll in the Course:
Have the caller click the drop-down menu next to the course and select Enroll.
5. Enter the Enrollment Code:
The caller can then enter the enrollment code to register for the course.

Note: Enrollment codes should be provided in an email that the user received.

• Theft, Fraud, Abuse, Waste, and Code of Conduct Training Guide
• How to Access the Course - Theft and Fraud Course Access (2022)

Recommended Browser: Google Chrome is the preferred browser for accessing Blackboard.

Steps to Access the Course:

1. Log into Blackboard Learn via your institution’s link or use the NDUS instance: NDUS Blackboard Learn. (https://blackboard.ndus.edu)
2. Click on the "Courses" link on the left menu.

3. Locate the Theft, Fraud, Abuse, Waste, and Code of Conduct Training course.
4. Employees hired after February 2, 2022, must self-enroll in the course by following the provided instructions. These instructions are available through Human Resources or by contacting their Campus Blackboard Administrator.

Receipts for Purchased Courses

General Support:

For assistance with receipts for purchased courses, refer the caller to their local help desk for resolution.

Additional Policies & Procedures

Details internal policies, best practices, and grading procedures specific to Blackboard.

Blackboard Ultra

• Blackboard Ultra Faculty Guide
• Blackboard Ultra Student Guide
• BB collaborate knowledge base
• Ultra Experience system requirements