What does (unavailable) mean?

• If you notice that one of your current semester courses listed to the left (which will have the number 2124 (for Spring Courses) in the ID is not linkable and has an (unavailable) notice by it, that means your instructor has made the course unavailable while he/she works on it.
• If your course is still unavailable after the official start date, click the yellow Help tab to the right and create a help ticket by clicking the ASK FOR HELP link.

Things to do to get started

• Before starting, be sure to click the yellow tab in the upper right called System Check to see if your system is ready for Blackboard.
• After you are sure your computer is ready for Blackboard, you can navigate to your courses using the menu to the left.
• If you need assistance, you are strongly urged to click the yellow Help tab to the upper right.

  Additional Blackboard Tutorials

  • Printed Tutorials
  • Multimedia Tutorials

  Blackboard Helpdesk

  If you need help, please create a helpdesk ticket: https://helpweb.csudh.edu/. Be sure to provide us with the following information: Your username, a valid CSUDH email address and your course name. Please be as detailed as possible in describing the problem.

Pasting from Microsoft Word into Blackboard Discussion Board

When copying and pasting text from a Word document or other document type, it is best to remove the formatting before pasting into Blackboard. This is especially useful within the Blackboard Discussion Board when copying and pasting large amounts of text from Word. Click here for tutorial.

If you are not able to see your course content items (course menu):

There is an arrow on the left side of your screen. Put your cursor on the on the arrow, it says "show course menu",
click to expand it. Click here to see a screenshot.

"What's New" and other tools now under "MyBb" tab

• The What's New module has not disappeared.
• Click the MyBb tab to see it and other customizable modules.

Prepare your system before taking a test on Blackboard

• Only instructors are allowed to reset exams.
• Contact your instructor to do a reset.
• Support staff CANNOT reset exams.
• Per university policy, only instructors are allowed to reset an exam.
• From IT Help Desk: "If you lose your connection to Blackboard while taking an online exam, you must contact your instructor to ask to have the exam reset. IT does not have the authority to reset exams."
• Please see these suggestions regarding how to take a test using Blackboard.

Use Firefox if you want to avoid unnecessary issues

• For the 5th straight year, Firefox has been rated the top Blackboard browser reporting the fewest browser-related issues of all top browsers.
• Download and install Firefox if you haven't already.
• Browser Support for Blackboard

Internet Explorer 8 issues and exams

• Since its release in 2009, we have had any number of compatibility issues with Internet Explorer 8 pertaining especially to exam timers.
• Please see this easy, recommended work-around to avoid issues.
• Browser Support for Blackboard

How to view your grades

• Click on "Tools" or "Communication" in the content areas > Check My Grades.
• Click here for a quick tutorial (2m18s) on how to view grades from a particular course.

Clean MS Word Copy-and-Paste

• If you write with MS Word and then copy-and-paste into the Blackboard editor, you know how Word formatting gets distorted and broken.
• Watch this video to see how Blackboard can "clean" your code before it is posted preserving just what you need to get the formatting you desire.