Blackboard: Student Basics QUICK START guide
Blackboard learning management system at Eastern Kentucky University is a resource provided for all students and instructors as a tool to enhance learning.
A Blackboard site is made for every class at EKU with instructors and students automatically enrolled. Instructors decide whether to make these sites available for students to see and use. With each new semester, the past semester's courses are made invisible to students so that the students' course lists are kept conveniently short.
The Information Technology Help Desk is the frontline source for support for use and issues with Blackboard at EKU. Issues and questions that cannot be handled over the phone are given to the advanced support staff for Blackboard.
Your Blackboard Login is your EKU Email address and email password.
Login to Blackboard here! (Use Firefox or Chrome)
Blackboard FAQ
The following are some common issues that students new to Blackboard have. Click on the link that best describes your problem or just read the page straight down. If the following information is not sufficient, please call us at 859-622-3000 or 859-622-4335.
What web browser should I use?
Where is my course?
How do I copy and paste inside of blackboard?
How do I get around inside Blackboard?
How do I submit assignment?
How can I check my grades?
There is a class I'm not taking anymore under "My Courses", what should I do?
How Do I add an Avatar Image?
How do I get access to an old course?
What web browser should I use?
For best results users should use the most recent version of Mozilla Firefox. The company that created blackboard has built it with Firefox in mind. Other browsers have mixed successes displaying everything on the site correctly. Please never use Safari or Internet Explorer- they are the most problematic. If your browser is acting up or stops working correctly, clear the browser history, cache, and cookies.
Where is my course?
After you log in to blackboard your courses should appear under the "Courses" link on the left-hand menu.
What if the course you signed up for isn't showing up?
It takes up to 24 hours to have your class show up in Blackboard after you've signed up for it on myEKU.
If it's been more than 24 hours it could be that the course is not turned on yet. New courses are not automatically available for students to see at the beginning of the semester so that instructors can finish building their classes. Once they are ready for students to see their course, they will need to turn it on. Until your instructor has turned on their course for you to see, you will not be able to see it. I would email the teacher asking them if they have made their course available for students yet.
If you still don't see your class, please call us at 859-622-3000 or 859-622-4335 and help you figure out the issue.
How do I copy and paste inside of blackboard?
The function that many use (right click and paste copied material) doesn’t always work inside of Blackboard. You can get around this by using your computer keyboard shortcuts.
On a PC:
To copy: highlight text and hit ‘ctrl’ and ‘C’ on your keyboard at the same time.
To paste: select where you want to paste your text and hit ‘ctrl’ and ‘P’ on your keyboard at the same time.
On a Mac:
To copy: highlight text and hit the ‘command’ key and ‘C’ on your keyboard at the same time.
To paste: select where you want to paste your text and hit the ‘command’ key and ‘C’ on your keyboard at the same time.
How do I get around inside Blackboard?
Once you've logged into Blackboard, you will want to look around in your courses. After you log in to blackboard your courses should appear under the "Courses" menu.
Click on your classes to get to them. Every instructor can organize their class differently, but most of them have Announcements and Course Documents (or Assignments) on the side bar.
The announcements is where your instructors will post different announcements regarding your class- like when assignments are due, or information about extra credit.
Course Documents (or Assignments) is also very important. Often this folder will have the syllabus, tests, and assignments that you need to complete inside the class.
How can I submit an assignment?
You will need to find where your instructor has placed your assignment. Usually they will have told you this in class or on the announcements page.
Once you click on the assignment it will show you a page like the one below:
It will allow you to write a submission if you click the "write submission" button, but more often you will be using the "attach file" option.
Choose "Browse my computer" and find where you have saved your document you want to submit.
Add any additional comments you need, then hit submit.
Make sure you have submitted the CORRECT DOCUMENT because the default assignment setting is to only allow for one submission.
How can I check my grades?
It depends on the class. Some instructors do not use the Blackboard grade center at all. Some instructors will provide a link on the course side bar under "Grades". You can always find your grades under "Tools", "My Grades".
There is a class I'm not taking anymore under "My Courses", what should I do?
If you have recently dropped this class in myEKU, please wait 24 hours. The class should go away.
As long as you are not registered for the course in EKU Direct, you are not taking the class.
NOTE: Instructors must make a class available before you will see it. IT can not do that.
How do I add an avatar image?
After you login, click on your name on the left-hand menu. Customize your personal information here including your avatar and pronouns.
How do I get access to an old course?
You will need to email your old instructor to request that they give you access to the course. They would need to add you as a user to the course and make the course available (turn the course "on") for you to access it.
