Blackboard™
Supported by ITS Helpdesk: 753-8100
Blackboard is an online course management system used to enhance face-to-face instruction and deliver distance learning. Colleges, departments, and individual faculty members at Northern Illinois University use this service to augment their instruction. The class instructor will notify students if Blackboard is a component of the course instruction.
Access Blackboard
- Blackboard recommends use of Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher to access Blackboard.
- On the address line, type webcourses.niu.edu
- Users who normally log on with AOL or other Internet service providers can use these services to connect to the Internet, but should not use the provider’s web browser to access Blackboard. Minimize the Internet service provider’s browser after connecting to the Internet and launch Internet Explorer to access Blackboard.
- Get help by selecting the Student Help button on the Blackboard web page.
Log on to Blackboard
- Use your Z-ID as your Blackboard USERNAME and your Z-ID password as your Blackboard PASSWORD.
NOTE: See AccountID (Z-ID) and Password if you have problems logging in.
- All NIU courses you are participating in with a Blackboard component will appear on a list under “My Courses” after you log on to Blackboard. To access an individual course, select the course name.
- Your Blackboard e-mail address defaults to your official NIU e-mail address.
NOTE: See Official NIU Correspondence and Notifications and Student E-Mail.
- To add or edit other personal information, select Personal Information in the Tools window. Select Edit Personal Information and add or edit any other personal information you wish to share with all other Blackboard participants. Then select Submit and select OK twice.
Navigate Blackboard
- NIU tab
- Access all courses in which you are enrolled that have a Blackboard component
- Tools–check announcements, personal calendar, task list, grades, send e-mail, personal information, and more
- Courses tab
- Course List–access courses that you are enrolled in that have a Blackboard component
- Course Catalog–Browse Course Catalog
- Community tab
- Organization List–access organizations of which you are a member
- Organization Catalog–Browse Organization Catalog
- Discussion Board–Participate in Organization Discussion Board
- Services tab
- Institution Services–access NIU information and services, WebConnect
- Logout – Always log out of Blackboard using the Logout button in the top-center of the Blackboard web page.
Course Pages
- Navigation buttons – use the internal navigation buttons on the left-hand side in each course to access individual course components.
- Tabs – use tabs at the top of the Blackboard page to return to main navigation sections.
- Buttons – use Home, Help, and Logout buttons at the top of the Blackboard page to reach the NIU home page, Blackboard, Inc. Help, and logout of Blackboard, respectively.
Course Layout
Use of course content areas varies by instructor. Commonly used content areas include
- Announcements: current information
- Course Information: general information, syllabus
- Staff Information: contact information, office hours
- Course Documents: informational files
- Assignments: assignments, deadlines
- Books: required and/or suggested readings
- External Links: links to informational web sites
- Tools: digital drop box, grades, personal information, calendar, tasks, address book
- Communication: e-mail, roster, discussions, collaboration, group pages
- Discussion Board: asynchronous group discussion
- Virtual Classroom: synchronous, real-time discussion
- Digital Drop Box: submit and receive documents
- Resources: Blackboard resource center
- Course Map: site
