Blackboard 5

Blackboard 5 – a Managed Learning Environment (MLE)

What is a Managed Learning Environment (MLE)?

An MLE provides a single entry point to information (including materials, assessments,

contacts etc.), about the courses you are enrolled in at Glasgow Caledonian University. This
entry point also provides access to other features to help you manage your studies, including
setting and tracking tasks and keeping a calendar. You should get into the habit of logging on
to the MLE every day.

This set of notes is aimed at those who will be using the MLE ‘Blackboard 5’ for the first
time for accessing information about the modules they are taking. These notes aim to give
you a basic understanding of how to use Blackboard 5.

When you have completed these notes, you will be able to:

• Log on to Blackboard
• Navigate through the screens of Blackboard
• Use Blackboard’s ‘Tools’ facilities, including
-Announcements
-Calendar
-Tasks
-User Directory
-Address Book
-Staff Contacts
• Use Blackboard’s facilities specific to ‘Courses’, including printing teaching notes
in:
-Word Format
-PowerPoint format

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 Blackboard 5

Gaining Access to Blackboard

Before using Blackboard, the following information is required:

1. Username

This is shown on your Matriculation card, and is in the format:

First initial followed by up to 5 characters of your surname followed by 2 other characters

(usually numbers)

Eg. JSMITH53

Note: if your surname has 5 characters or less, your full surname will be used (excluding
spaces, apostrophes etc.)

2. Password

An initial password will be given to you at Registration to allow you to access Blackboard. A
password is required to ensure other people cannot gain access to your Blackboard system.
Just as you wouldn’t give out a PIN for a bank card, you must not give anyone your
password, and you should not write it down anywhere. Also, if you change your password, do
not choose an easy to guess password such as ‘xxxx’ or ‘password’. The most secure type of
password will consist of both letters and numbers.

Logging in to Blackboard
Because Blackboard is a Web-based system, you can access it using Internet browsing
software such as Microsoft Explorer or Netscape Navigator/Communicator.

Once you have started the browser software, there are 2 ways to access Blackboard:

1. Blackboard can also be accessed directly using the following address:

http://mle.gcal.ac.uk
2. Through the my.Caledonian portal at address:
http://my.caledonian.ac.uk
Once you have logged in to your portal (using the user name and password given
to you at registration) you can access Blackboard from the link on this screen.

The Blackboard Welcome screen should now be displayed.

Click the Login button.

On the following screen, enter your username and password in the appropriate fields and
click the Login button to proceed.

Blackboard will open up at the My Institution page of your Personal Blackboard 5 site
with your name appearing at the top of the page.

Logging Off Blackboard

Click on the Logout button located at the top of every screen of Blackboard.

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 Blackboard 5

The ‘My Institution’ Page of Blackboard

Blackboard uses tabs, buttons, links and images that navigate to different areas within
Blackboard. (See Figure 1) Different features of Blackboard are displayed in boxes.

Back &
Forward
Buttons

Tabs Image

Link

Boxes

Figure 1: ‘My Institution’ Page

NOTE: The Blackboard Screen that you see may differ slightly from the
view of Figures 1 & 2 in these notes

Navigating Within Blackboard

Navigating within Blackboard can be carried out in several different ways:

Navigation Tools Description

• Tabs Clicking on a tab takes you to the named area. Tabs are
available on every screen of Blackboard.
• Button On some pages, clicking on a button navigates to a
named page within Blackboard (see Fig 2 )
• Link Click on a link to access another web page either within
Blackboard or on the Internet.
• Image Click on an image to navigate to another page in
Blackboard.
• Path On some pages a Path is shown at the top of the page.
This will lead to another page, or take you back to a
previous page. (See Fig 2)
• Back and Forward Buttons These buttons will take you back and forward to
of the Browser previously visited pages within Blackboard.

Tabs
There will be several tabs to take you to different areas of Blackboard and these may include:
• My Institution – This is the screen you see when you open Blackboard.
• Courses – This displays course lists and course catalogues for all modules you are
enrolled on. It also has a search facility.
• Academic Web Resources – This is the Web Based Resource Centre and contains a
number of general links that may be useful.
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 Blackboard 5

Task 1

Log in to your computer and to Blackboard using your user ID and password.

Familiarise yourself with the Blackboard screens by clicking on the different tabs.

Return to the ‘My Institution’ page.

‘My Institution’ Page Areas/Boxes

There are several ‘Areas’ or ‘Boxes on this screen. (See Figure 1) These may include:

• My Announcements
Course administrators/leaders are able to place announcements in this area. You cannot
alter or amend these announcements – they are for information only. The announcements
viewed on the Opening page only show the last announcements posted. To show all
announcements placed on the Announcements site, you can click on the more… button at
the bottom right of this area, or use the Announcements button in the Tools area.

• My Courses
This area shows which modules you are studying in the current semester. Clicking on the
links will take you to each specific module site.

• Search the Web

A simple web search facility.

My Tasks
This shows any tasks that have been scheduled for today. Tasks can be set by course
administrators/tutors or by yourself. To view all Tasks, click on the more… button at the
bottom right of the area, or use the Tasks button in the Tools area.

• My Calendar
This shows events scheduled for today. Events can be scheduled by course
administrators/ tutors or by yourself. To view all Events, click on the more… button at
the bottom right of the area, or use the Calendar button in the Tools area.

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 Blackboard 5

Task 2

Click on the more… button at the foot of the My Announcements area.

Click on the View Last 7 days tab. Note how this affects the announcements.

Click on the Show All drop-down box at the top right of the window.

Select the Institutional Only option in the drop-down box. Note how this affects
the announcements.

Experiment with different views and options.

Click on the My Institution tab at the top left of the page, to return to the My
Institution page.

Task 3

Within the My Courses area, click on the link for the ICT Skills Training for
Blackboard 5 course.

Select and click on the Course Information button at the left hand side of the screen.
This will open a page giving details of the course and its learning outcomes.

Click on the My Institution tab at the top left of the page, to return to the My
Institution page.

Task 4

Click on the more… button at the bottom of the My Tasks area to view all tasks.

Return to the My Institution page.

Task 5

Click on the more… button at the bottom of the My Calendar area to view all events
in the calendar. Select different options from the drop-down box at the top left of the
window.

View the calendar for the month of September.

Click on one of the events shown to look at the details.

Return to the My Institution page.

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 Blackboard 5

Working with the ‘My Courses’ Box

This area will list all the modules you are studying this semester.

When you click on the name of a course in this area (eg ICT Skills Training for
Blackboard) it will take you to the Blackboard pages for that specific course or module. The
first page that opens in a course will always be the Announcements Page for that course.
(See Figure 2).

Back/Forward
buttons

Path

Buttons

Figure 2: Opening Page of the ICT Skills Training for Blackboard 5 Course

On the left hand side of the screen are a series of buttons which may include:
• Announcements –This page shows announcements which are placed by the course
administrator/tutor. You cannot make any amendments to this page. Click the relevant
tabs to view the Announcements for Today, Last 7 Days, 30 Days and All.
• Course Information. Clicking on the Course Information button will take you to the
Course Information Page. Information about the module may either be available
directly from this page, or held in a folder on this page.
• Staff Information – Clicking on the Staff Information button will take you the Staff
Information page for the course. This page will list the staff associated with the module,
where they are located in the University, and may include e-mail links to the members
of staff.
• Course Materials – Clicking this button will take you to a page containing lecture
notes and other materials for that course. Each lecture named will have a clickable link
to a file either in Word or PowerPoint format. Lecture links may either be displayed on
the page, or in folders.
• Assignments – This page will give details of assignments set.
• Groups – This page will give details of how students will be grouped during the course.
• Books – This page will give details of reading lists for the course.

NOTE: The buttons shown may vary depending on each module.

Different modules/courses may have customised their sites differently – be prepared to look
for different titles, eg instead of Course Material, some courses may have Course Documents,
etc.

Task 6

Click on the ICT Skills Training for Blackboard 5 course. Look at the course
information, staff information and material/documents for this course.

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 Blackboard 5

Printing Materials from Blackboard 5

You may want to print materials, lecture notes etc, in Word format, or PowerPoint format.

REMEMBER: You are allocated a limited amount of print credits per year. It is very
important that you do not waste your paper allocation by printing unnecessarily.

Printing Word Materials

You must first select the course/module which contains the materials you want to print, and
then click on the Course Material button. Find the materials that you want to print, then

Either: Right click on the name (link) of the document to be printed

(Note: you don’t need to open the document)
Select Print Target from the drop-down menu that appears
You can specify which pages you want to print and the number of copies required
Click on OK

Or: Left click on the name of the document to be printed

Select File, Print from the tool bar of Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator
Select Only the Selected Frame in the Print Frames section
You can specify which pages you want to print and the number of copies required
Click on OK

Printing Powerpoint Materials

When you have selected the course/module which contains the materials you want to print,
click on the Course Material button. Find the Powerpoint materials you want to print, then

Either: Right click on the name (link) of the document to be printed

(Note: you don’t need to open the document)
Select Print Target from the Drop Down menu that appears
You can specify the page range and the number of copies required
Click on OK
The PowerPoint Print menu should open. Select the number of slides per page
required (eg Handouts (6 slides per page) ) from the Print What drop-down box
Click on OK

Or: Select and left click on the Course Material button

Select a PowerPoint presentation
Click to open the PowerPoint Slides for this lecture
Make sure that the mouse cursor is clicked on to a PowerPoint slide
Select and click on File, Print from the tool bar of Internet Explorer or Netscape
Navigator
Click on OK
The PowerPoint Print menu should open. Select the number of slides per page
required (eg Handouts (6 slides per page) ) from the Print What drop-down box
Click on OK

Task 7

For the ICT Skills Training for Blackboard 5 course, print the following:
− The Word notes for Lecture one
− The Powerpoint slides for Lecture one

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 Blackboard 5

Working with the ‘Tools’ Box of My Institution

The Tools box appears on the left-hand side of the My Institution page.
It contains links to the following tools:

Announcements
Announcements allow you to view important messages from the University staff. They can
be viewed by Today, Last 7 Days, Last 30 Days, or All. You may not change or delete
these announcements.

My Calendar
Items scheduled for “Today” will show on the My Calendar area of the My Institution
page. You can add your own events to the Calendar, make amendments to them and delete
them. You are not able to amend or delete events that have been placed on the calendar by
your course organiser/tutor. The Calendar page will always open in Today View, but you
can also View Week and View Month.
To Add a Calendar Event
On the My Institution page
Select and click on Calendar in the Tools area
Select and click +Add Event button
Enter a title for the event in the Event Title box
Enter a description for the event in the Event Description box
Select the date for the event (you may have to scroll down to see these boxes)
Select the Start and Finish time of the event
Click the Submit button.
Click OK on the confirmation page
To view an entry in the Calendar, click on the event within the Calendar to see the full
details.
To Modify an Event
Select and click the Modify button beside the event
Make the changes required
Click Submit
Click on OK on the confirmation page
To Remove an Event
Select and click on the Remove button beside the event
Select OK
Select OK on the confirmation page
Using Quick Jump
This is used for accessing different dates on the calendar easily
Select and click on Quick Jump
In the Select Date boxes, either select the date by using the drop-down boxes,

or click on the button beside the date options

Select and click on the date you wish to access on the pop-up calendar and click on Submit

Task 8

Look at your calendar for any events that have been scheduled.
Add an event (eg meeting your friends for lunch), modify it and then remove it.

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 Blackboard 5
Tasks
This page displays tasks that have been set for you, or which you have set for yourself, and
allows prioritisation of tasks and tracking of their status.

Any Tasks scheduled for today will also show in the Task area of the My Institution page.
Tasks are arranged in columns that show the Priority of the task, the Subject of the task, the
Status and the Due Date of the task.

You are able to view groups of tasks together (eg associated with a particular course) by
using the drop-down box in the top right hand area of the Tasks page.

You can create your own tasks on the Tasks page. Your Course tutors/administrator can also
post tasks to your Tasks page. You can modify and remove any tasks that you have set
yourself, but you may only change the Status and Priority of the tasks set by your course
tutor/administrator.

To Add a Task
On the My Institution page
Select Tasks in the Tools area
Select and click on +Add Task button
In the Title line, type the title of your task
In the Description box type the description of the task

Select the Due Date of the task from the options in the drop-down box
Select the Priority of the task from the options in the drop-down box
Select the Status as of the Task from the options in the drop-down box

Click on Submit
Click on OK in the confirmation page

To Modify a Task
Select and click on the task set
Select and click on the Modify button beside the task
Change the Priority in the Task Options section, using the appropriate drop-down
box
Change the Status in the Task Options section, using the appropriate drop-down box
Click on the Submit button
Click on OK in the Confirmation page

To Remove a Task
Note: You can only remove a Task entered by yourself.

Select and click on a task set by yourself

Select and click on the Remove button beside the task
Click on OK in the Confirmation page.

Task 9

Look at any tasks that have been set for you. Select any one task, change its
priority and status.

Add a task of your own (eg hand in essay on Monday), modify it, then remove it.

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 Blackboard 5
User Directory
You can list and contact users found in this directory.
In the Tools box on My Institution page, select User Directory
Enter a surname in the Search Box.
Select the Last Name option
Click on Search.
By selecting one of the options given, you may search using either a last name, or an email
address
By selecting the A-Z 0-9 tab, you may list groups of entries in the User Directory
You may not add information to the User Directory.

Address Book
This is a list of personal contact details that you can create. You can add personal contact
information and search for contact information in your Address Book, including e-mail
addresses. You may also modify or remove contacts.
Adding a Contact
In the Tools box on My Institution page, select Address Book
Select Add Contact
Following the instructions, complete the details boxes
Click on Submit
Click on OK on the confirmation page
Search for a Contact
Select either the Last Name or Email option
Enter a name
Click on Search
Modify a Contact
Locate the contact you want to modify, using the Search facility
Click on the Modify button
Modify the entry
Click on Submit
Click on OK on the Confirmation page
Remove a Contact
Locate the contact you want to delete, using the Search facility
Click on the Remove button
Click on OK
Click on OK on the Confirmation page

Personal Information
You can change Personal Information including your Password and Privacy options.
NOTE: Changing your password here only changes your MLE password – not your email or
my.Caledonian Portal password.

Logging Off Blackboard

Click on the Logout button located at the top of every screen of Blackboard.
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