Blackboard Version 9

Important Update Information on Blackboard 9

We appreciate your patience as we continue to identify and resolve issues with Blackboard 9. To have the best possible experience with Blackboard, we have included some recommendations below. Should you have questions or continue to experience problems using Blackboard 9, please contact the Helpdesk at helpdesk@bsu.edu or by phone at 285-1517 (toll free 866-771-3276).
  

Recommended Steps For Using Blackboard 9

• To prevent problems with accessing Blackboard through the main Ball State web site, create a bookmark with a direct link to the Blackboard log in screen, or save this e-mail and click on the following link to go directly to Blackboard: http://www.bsu.edu/blackboard.
     
• We recommend you switch to the most recent version of the Firefox browser (version 3 or higher) for accessing Blackboard. Firefox is available for both Windows and MAC platforms through a free download from this link www.mozilla.com.
       
• Menus, controls, and options have changed in Blackboard 9. If you are a faculty member who was not able to attend the Blackboard 9 learning sessions, please review these brief video clips to learn more about Blackboard 9, available at www.bsu.edu/techclips/blackboard. 
   

Known Issues with Blackboard 9

The following problems are known to exist within Blackboard 9. We are actively engaged with Blackboard to resolve these issues. Where possible, we have included “workaround” steps which can be taken while we await final resolution of these issues from Blackboard: 

• Using Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) Web Browser: For many students and faculty, IE 8 is the default web browser within Windows. However, there are known compatibility issues with IE 8 and Blackboard and UTS recommends everyone use Firefox 3 or later when accessing Blackboard until these issues are resolved. For those clients who must use IE 8, some workarounds are included at the end of this article which will make IE 8 more compatible with Blackboard 9.
    
• Students or Faculty with U.S. Military E-Mail Addresses: bsu.edu e-mails forwarded to U.S. military e-mail addresses (for example student@army.mil) may not be delivered. As a temporary workaround, the student or faculty can use an alternate e-mail address (for example Gmail or Hotmail). This problem has been reported to Blackboard and will be fixed in a future service pack.
      
• “Service Temporarily Unavailable” Error: You may receive this message when attempting to access Blackboard. This problem has been reported to Blackboard and will be addressed in a future Blackboard update.
      
• Grade Center Download: Grades cannot be downloaded from the Grade Center to Excel using Internet Explorer 8 (even in compatibility mode). Using Firefox fixes this issue. 
   
• Restricting Items with Dates: When faculty choose to restrict any item (announcements, tests, etc.) by date, please be sure to fill both Display After and Display Until fields. Blackboard produces an error if only one of these fields is filled.
      
• Special Characters: When creating items, tests, assignments, and other Blackboard components, please do not use any special characters such as /, (), #.  Using special characters can cause errors.  This problem has been reported to Blackboard.
     
    

Known Browser Compatibility Issues and Fixes

1. Internet Explorer 8 Workarounds:

For clients who are unable to use the Firefox 3.0 or later client and who must use Internet Explorer 8, the following additional settings have been found to improve compatibility with Blackboard 9:

How to Set Compatibility View Settings in Internet Explorer 8:
1. Launch Internet Explorer
2. Select Tools
3. Select “Compatibility View Settings”
4. Type bsu.edu in the "Add this website:" text box
5. Click Add
6. Click Close
7. Restart Internet Explorer

How to Set Trusted Sites in Internet Explorer 8
1. Launch Internet Explorer
2. Select Tools
3. Select Internet Options
4. Select Security Tab
5. Click on Trusted Sites
6. Click on Sites
7. Type https://blackboard.bsu.edu in the "Add this website to the zone:" text box
8. Click Add
9. Type https://blackboard.com in the "Add this website to the zone:" text box
10. Click Close
11. Click Ok
12. Restart Internet Explorer

2. Using other web browsers to access Blackboard:

Please note that with the Upgrade to Blackboard 9, the supported web browsers have changed. Firefox 2 and earlier, Internet Explorer 6, and Mac OS 10.3 are not supported. Additional detail for specific versions is provided in the following table:

Browser	Windows XP	Windows Vista	Mac 10.3	Mac 10.4	Mac 10.5
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7	Compatible	Certified	N/A	N/A	N/A
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8	Compatible	Compatible	N/A	N/A	N/A
Mozilla Firefox 3.0	Certified	Certified	N/A	Certified	Certified
Apple Safari 2	N/A	N/A	N/A	Compatible	Compatible
Apple Safari 3	N/A	N/A	N/A	Certified	Certified

Certified – Fully tested and supported
Compatible – Key application areas tested
N/A – Specified browser is not available or supported for this operating system

 

Overview of Blackboard 

Blackboard (Bb) is a Web-based course-management system used by Ball State University to enhance the learning experiences of students. It provides a means for faculty to deliver course content to students. Ball State is currently running version 9 of Blackboard, which is also called Blackboard Learn (v9).

With Blackboard, faculty may create online assessment exams, host discussion forums, and make files available to their students. Blackboard allows students and faculty to participate in classes delivered online or use online materials and activities to complement face-to-face teaching.
   

Getting Help with Blackboard

If you have questions about Blackboard or would like technical assistance, contact the Helpdesk via email to helpdesk@bsu.edu or by calling 285-1517 or toll free 1-866-771-3276. In additon, the Unified Technology Support has created TechClips, which are how-to videos that provide answers to your questions about various software programs, technologies used on-campus, and university applications. Blackboard TechClips provide answers to common Blackboard questions. 


Blackboard Training

Learning Technologies Consulting and Support Group provide training for Blackboard. Workshops and presentations are available to all faculty and others who have teaching responsibilities. To register for a class, visit the training registration site. Additionally, if you prefer a presentation or a specific training workshop for your unit or department, please contact Yasemin Tunc at 765-285-5902 to schedule a time.