BLACKBOARD LOGIN INFORMATION

Online courses at JCU are delivered via the Blackboard Learning System. To access the system, go to http://blackboard.jcu.edu and log-in using your ACADEMICS username and password

GETTING HELP/REPORTING PROBLEMS

Please call the Information Services Help Desk at 216-397-3005 to report any problems you may be having with the Blackboard system. Summer help desk hours are from 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM Monday - Thursday, and 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM on Fridays.

TIPS FOR USING BLACKBOARD ON A MAC

The Apple Safari browser does not work well with the Discussion Board and some of the other Blackboard features that rely on the Visual Text Box Editor (VTBE). Mac users are advised to use the Mozilla Firefox browser as an alternative. Another option is to disable the VTBE in Blackboard. By doing so, Safari users will still be able to use the discussion board, but will lose the ability to format their text.To disable the VTBE in Blackboard:

• Click on the Personal Information link located on the Tools pallete.
• Click on the Set Visual Text Box Editor Options link and set the option to Unavailable.

Be aware that Firefox users must perform an extra step to enable the cut, copy, and paste functions. The first time an attempt is made to cut, copy, or paste text in the Visual Text Box Editor, a message from Firefox will appear explaining that the action is not allowed. Users must enable the cut, copy, and paste functions by editing a Firefox configuration file.

http://www.mozilla.org/editor/midasdemo/securityprefs.html

Users may find that this does not fully resolve the problem, particularly because Firefox does not permit the pasting of text from the Mac version of Microsoft Office. To accomplish this task, users should paste the text into a basic text editor, such as TextEdit or Notepad and then paste the text into the Visual Text Box Editor. Also, make sure your Mac software is up to date, especially anything to do with java. This can be easily accomplished using the Software Update feature located under the Apple menu. It is also important for users to give Blackboard permission to run any applets or components when prompted to do so.