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Middlesex Campus Library

Middlesex Distance Learning Blackboard Tutorials

Blackboard Institution Page

Video - Blackboard Institution Page

The Institution Page is an entry point to access all your Blackboard courses.

1. On the right panel, you will see resources and information for students.

2. On the left panel, click on the Courses link, you will see a list of courses you have registered. Within SEVEN DAYS before a course starts, the course you have registered will be listed. To enter a course site, click on the Course Name. You will then enter the course. If you would like to go to a different course, you will close out the current course (by clicking on the X mark at the upper left corner of the course window) and click on Courses. Then click on a different Course Name to enter.

3. On the left panel, there are several links you may explore:

  • Courses - you see all courses you are currently enrolled.  
  • Sign Out icon - allows you to exit out of the Blackboard site.
  • Profile - click on your name to enter your profile page. You may add a photo to your Profile. Move the mouse over to the photo icon and click on the pencil shape icon. Click on Upload New Profile Picture. Then look for a picture on your computer and double-click on the photo to attach.
  • Activity Stream - activities or items (ex. files, announcements, messages, etc.) newly posted on your course are listed. You may change the notification setting to customize what activities you would like to show on Activity Stream page.
  • Grades -see your grades on the courses you have enrolled.
  • Tools - access to Kaltura My Media, Course Evaluation, Portfolios app.
  • Messages - access the Messages tool on all courses you are enrolled.  Your professors may require students to use their college email but not Messages to communicate with them.  We recommend students go to a course and check the course syllabus or announcement to verify how to communicate with your professor.
  • Calendar - see the calendar items on the courses that use Calendar feature - however, your professor may not use Calendar feature on Blackboard. Students are recommended go to each of the Course and review the announcements or course syllabus for assignment/test timelines.
  • Assist - shows helpful online resources for students.

Blackboard Course Navigation

Blackboard Original Blackboard Ultra
Video - Blackboard Navigation  Video - Blackboard Ultra Course Navigation
  1. In your Blackboard course, you will see two parts: Course Menu (left-column) and the Main Page.
     
  2. Depending on how your course is set up by your professor, the Course Menu shows the basic links to various pages or tools. In this example course, you see Announcements, Messages, Syllabus & Overview, Course Content,  Discussions, My Grades, Virtual Classroom, and helpful resource links.
     
  3. When you click on a link on the Course Menu, the Main Page shows detailed information of the link. Once you are in your course, you should explore the links on the Course Menu or Main Page to find out how your course is organized and where the tools are located.
     
  4. At the top of the Main Page, it shows you the navigation paths. For example, you click on Course Content and then click on Week 2 and Unit 2 . The navigation path indicates each of the "route" leading to this page. To go back to a previously visited page, click on Course Content. The navigation path gives you a flexibility to easily visit different pages in your course.
     
  5. To get familiar with your course organization, the best way is to explore the links on the Course Menu or on a Main Page. Remember if you ever get lost, just click on a link on the Course Menu or the navigation path to go back to the page you have visited.

1. In your Blackboard Ultra course, you will see three parts: Content page, Navigation Bar, and Details & Actions menu.
 
2. The Content is the core of the course and may have syllabus, course files, links, and various assessments located in folders or learning modules. 

3. On the Navigation Bar, you see the links to various tools such as Calendar, Announcements, Discussions, Gradebook, Messages, Groups, and Achievements.

4. On the Content page, when you click on a folder, the items within the folder will be listed underneath the folder. When you click on the folder again, the items withing the folder will be collapsed.  In the same way, when you click on a learning module, the items within the learning module will be listed underneath the learning module. When you click on the learning module again, the items in the learning module will be collapsed.

5. On the Details & Actions menu, there is a course descriptions link that you can see the course descriptions.  Join session link allows you to enter the Blackboard Collaborate - a video conference room. view course & institution tools leads you to access additional tools such as class external web sites and Kaltura videos page.

 
6. To get familiar with your course organization, the best way is to explore the Content page and various links on the Navigation Bar and Details & Actions menu. Remember if you ever get lost, you will click on the x sign at the upper left corner to close out the current page and then click on a different item.