Q: Why I am not able to log on to Blackboard, though able to get on to myWSU?

Ans: If your myWSU password has expired, it would let you log in to myWSU sometimes because myWSU portal provides a grace period of 1-2 days before you set a new password, while Blackboard does not let you in if it has expired. Change your password to a new one, and try to login to Blackboard again. If you still have problems call the Technology HelpDesk at 316-978-HELP, option 1.

Q: What are the supported browsers for Blackboard?

Ans: Safari, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are the supported browsers for Blackboard. Other browsers may work with Blackboard, but users may experience unexpected issues. For this reason users who are attempting tasks such as taking exams in Blackboard are highly encouraged to use a supported browser.

Q: When can instructors/faculty access their courses?

Ans: Course enrollments should be up to date with your current list of enrollments as seen in the portal (myWSU). If you are the instructor of record for a course, and see the course only in your portal list, but not Blackboard please submit a Help Request Form for resolution. Please note: upcoming semester courses are made available to instructors 4 weeks prior to the semester start, while student access is set as a default to 20 days prior and 20 days after the semester start dates. Instructors wishing to develop course content in advance may request a development course shell(s) via the Help Request Form. This content can then be copied into the semester course when it is made available.

Q: When can students access their courses?

Ans: Course enrollments should be up to date with your current list of enrollments as seen in the portal (myWSU). If you are registered for a course and have no holds due to payment/etc., and see the course only in your portal list, but not Blackboard please submit a Help Request Form for resolution. Please note: Students may be registered for a course, see it in myWSU but not in Blackboard if the instructor has not made the course available. If you are not sure if this is the case, contact your instructor, or us, and we will check the course settings for you.

Q: Why is the text in my course scrolling off to the right and hidden by items?

Ans: This is a known issue of Internet Explorer (IE) 8. To view this correctly, you will need to run in Compatibility view. You can do this by simply clicking on the broken piece of paper icon by the browser address bar. Please note, Windows 7 users will receive a browser check "fail" warning if they are running IE 8 in compatibility mode. This message is related primarily to issues related support and can be ignored.

Q: How can I not get authentication prompts when opening a Microsoft Office document (.doc, .docs, .ppt, etc.)?

Ans: The course file system in Blackboard 9 may cause users of Internet Explorer to be prompted for additional authentication 1-2 times when clicking a link to a Microsoft Office document. Users may simply click cancel twice to ignore the prompt and it will continue and open the document.
There are two options for avoiding this behavior:
Instructors: (1) using a non-Office format such as PDF or entering content into the Blackboard text editor, or
Instructors/Students: (2) using another supported browser such as Mozilla Firefox.

Q: How can I edit the list of courses?

Ans: On the My Blackboard tab, your courses are listed in the My Courses module. Simply click on the "gear" icon in the upper-right of this icon. You will see a list of all courses with options to check the boxes next to what you wish to see or not see. Make your selections, and then click Submit. To view full listing of courses quickly in the future without changing your settings simply click on the Course tab which displays all enrolled courses.

Q: How do I upload and link a zipped package or webpage?

Ans: First, go to the course files area. Select upload package, find the zip file you wish to upload and click submit. This will automatically be unzipped in the course files area. Then, from the content area, simply go to Create, File. Select the .html file you wish to add and submit it. You have an option to manage the read rights of students to the folder at this time only. If you wish to restrict access differently, we suggest creating subfolders in your course files area and uploading and managing access rights according to your preference.

Q: How do I add additional users (instructors, students) to a course?

Ans: To add users to a course perform the following steps:
1. Go to the Control Panel, Users and Groups, and click Users.
2. Select Find Users to Enroll.
3. If you know the WSU ID, simply type it in here and select the appropriate role and submit. If you do not know the WSU ID (username), use the browse feature to select the user, and then submit.
Note, users who are not in the Blackboard database cannot be added. You will need to submit a help request in those instances. Also, you can edit the user's role at any time by clicking on the chevron symbol next to their name in the Users list page.

Q: I am receiving an error when updating announcements or creating new announcements.
[example, Invalid date fields provided.. RestrictionStartDate must be prior to RestrictionEndDate.]

Ans: This issue is due to the fact that there is an announcement from Blackboard 8 that included a start date prior to an end date. Blackboard 9 checks for this inconsistency, and users will receive this error. To fix this, users will need to correct the announcement with the incorrect dates, or delete the announcement in question. We have added a new tool for seeing availability dates, as well as more easily deleting announcements. This tool, Manage Announcements, is located in the Course Tools area of the Control Panel.
Alternatively, users may delete all announcements by going to the Control Panel, Packages and Utilities, Bulk Delete, select Announcements, type Delete and click submit.

Q: How can I view my grades?

Ans: Grades can be viewed a couple of ways in Blackboard. One way is dependent upon whether your instructor has a Tools page in their course available. If this is the case, in the list of tools for students (such as Roster, Collaboration, etc.), there is a tool called My Grades. Simply clicking on this will give you access to grades. The link to My Grades is typically available in a module that can be added to the My Blackboard / Courses tab. This module is currently unavailable, and we are working on a solution with Blackboard. We have also received reports that some users are not seeing their spring courses in the Report Card module. With this alternative a student may click on the "Add Module" option on the My Blackboard tab (the page after login or when first entering Blackboard). There is an option for Report Card. Check the box, and submit to add the module. This module by default only shows the Total column, which your instructor may or may not be using, and will only show up for a class once grades have been posted for that course. The grade or "-" for a course will be a link. Clicking on this link will take you directly to the My Grades area for that course. For those who are unable to use the alternative, we are working with Blackboard to resolve it, and hope to have it working as soon as possible.

Q: Students are seeing expired or not yet released Announcements.

Ans: There is a known bug with the current version of Blackboard where, if an instructor is using the regular Announcements page, as they may have in the previous version, Announcements with expiration dates set are not expiring or disappearing from view. If an instructor is using a Module Page with an Announcements module the expiration functions as designed. Below are some steps for ensuring that Announcements expire:

1. If you have a Tools area/page visible, you will first need to hide the link for the Announcements on that page.
2. Create a Module page by clicking on the plus sign (+) above the course title and selecting Create Module page.
3. Give the page a title such as Home, Course Home or Announcements. Check to make visible to students, and submit.
4. Navigate to the new module page and click Add Module. Here you can add numerous modules that may be of value to students. Check the box next to Announcements, and click submit.
5. Last, delete your Announcements page. Now, Announcements that have restrictions on availability will no longer be visible to students, even if they select to view all. Please note you must have both the start, and end dates selected for this to work.

Q: Are there any tutorials for students?

Ans: Yes. There are some tutorials provided by Blackboard that provide some "how to" videos of common student tasks. Please check the following link http://ondemand.blackboard.com/students.htm

Q: myWSU doesn't load properly on my Android smartphone. I get a "U-Portal" error.

Ans: The myWSU webpage is not compatible with most smartphone browsers. I have tested it extensively on android, and have not been able to find a browser that can render it properly. I have been told by some of my students that the Firefox browser for android can render the page. I have been unable to test this, as my testing device is not capable of loading that particular software. You can, however, access your email and blackboard from the device. Email can be accessed directly at http://studentmail.wichita.edu. Blackboard can be accessed directly at http://blackboard.wichita.edu. If you have any further questions, please contact the HelpDesk at (316) 978-4357, or E-mail us at helpdesk@wichita.edu.

Q: How do I allow my students the ability to record with Panopto?

Ans: Panopto allows you to create a separate folder called "dropbox" that gives the students the ability to record, and upload to this folder. Students will only have the rights to see and administrate over their own recordings. The professor will be able see all student recordings in the folder.

Steps to add drop box:

  1. Log into http://panopto.wichita.edu (Make sure you select Blackboard when you login)
  2. Under My Folders (left-hand column), click on the folder you want to give students the the ability to record in.
  3. Right-click on the name of the folder in this column, and select Info
  4. Click on the Create Drop Box button