Online Learning at CWU: Frequently Asked Questions by Students

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1. If I have to use Groupwise for my e-mail in Blackboard how can I foward it to preferred e-mail program such as Hotmail or Yahoo?
2. I'm still having trouble logging into Blackboard. What am I doing wrong?
3. What do I do if I forgot my Blackboard password?
4. Blackboard doesn't seem to work on my computer at home, but it does work on other computers. What is the problem?
5. Where can I receive more help with Blackboard?
6. How do I learn how to use Blackboard software?
7. How do I report a problem with Blackboard software?
8. MS Office 2007 Compatibility Issues
9. If my question is not answered here how can I get an answer?
10. I have a subscription to AOL and use the AOL browser. When I try to access Blackboard through AOL why do I get an error message?

If I have to use Groupwise for my e-mail in Blackboard how can I foward it to preferred e-mail program?

Start up a GroupWise client and do the following:

1. Click on Tools
2. Click on Rules
3. Click on New
4. Enter a rule name, this is for reference only
5. Set check box for "New Item" Received
6. Set check box "Mail" under Item types
7. Click on Add Action
8. Select "Delegate"
9. Enter your forwarding email address at your ISP
10. Click OK
11. Click on Add Action
12. Select "Delete/Decline" to make sure forwarded mail is deleted
13. Enter comment or leave empty, and Click on OK
14. Click on Save

Back in Rules window, Rule name should be checked, if not Click on Enable. Don't forget help is available in GroupWise.

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I am still having trouble logging into Blackboard. What am I doing wrong?

Here are some possibilities

A) If you used Blackboard previous to Fall 2002 you may have created your own account. This is no longer the correct way to access Blackboard. To obtain and follow instructions for the new procedure please read the information at:

http://www.cwu.edu/~media/cwuonline/getstarted.html

B) Be sure that you are typing in the correct URL for Blackboard at CWU. The URL is http://courses .cwu.edu

Notice that there is no www in the URL and that we are not www.Blackboard.com.

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What do I do if I forgot my password for Blackboard?

If you forgot you password for Blackboard you can reset it by accessing the Novell/Safari account activation page at http://www.cwu.edu/mypassword

You will be asked to enter your student ID and registration pin number. If you have additional questions and concerns regarding your Novell/Safari/Blackboard password please call CSS at 963-2001.

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Blackboard doesn't seem to work on my computer at home, but it does work on other computers. What is the problem?

To access Blackboard, you need to use a web browser (Netscape 4.7 or higher or Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher). You can use either a Mac or Windows PC. You must have cookies, JavaScript, and Java enabled.

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Where can I receive more help with Blackboard?

If you don't seem to be getting anywhere in trying to solve your problem or in using some aspect of Blackboard you may call Jane Chinn, Blackboard Administrator from 8-5 Mon-Fri at 509-963-1224. If you need help after hours please fill out a technical support request at the following URL:

http://www.cwu.edu/~media/cwuonline/techsupport.html

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How do I learn how to use Blackboard software?

Your instructor will normally give you instructions regarding the aspects of Blackboard they would like you to use. If you missed the day when he/she went over the information you may consult the Blackboard student manual located under the Tools button in your course or look at the tutorials (currently under development) at

http://www.cwu.edu/~media/cwuonline/stu_tutorials.html

How do I report a problem with Blackboard software?

Please send e-mail to bbhelp@cwu.edu or fill out a support request at the following URL

http://websolutions.clt.cwu.edu/bbreports/new.html

MS Office 2007 Compatibility Issues?

There are two options available for dealing with this issue, neither of them perfect.

One choice is to have students with older versions of Office download and install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 file formats. This solution only works for PCs. There is a beta version of a Mac File Format Converter for Word documents only (not for Excel and PowerPoint).

The other solution is to save Office 2007 files in older file formats. This means losing some of the functionality of Office 2007 in these documents, but it does not present the issues for Mac users described in the previous solution. This solution can be implemented on a file-by-file basis, or you can change the default format.

To save an individual Office 2007 file in the older format:

1. Click the Office button (top left corner)
2. Select Save As
3. Select Word 97 - 2003 Document or Excel 97 - 2003 Workbook or PowerPoint 97 - 2003 Presentation

To change the default in Office 2007 to always save in the older format:

1. Click the Office button (top left corner)
2. Choose Word Options, Excel Options, or PowerPoint Options (bottom of the dropdown box)
3. Select Save
4. In the Save files in this format dropdown list, choose the old file format: Word 97 - 2003 Document or Excel 97 - 2003 Workbook or PowerPoint 97 - 2003 Presentation. You will need to do this in each of the Office 2007 programs.

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The link that is offered to change the password generates the "Lost Password Notifciaton" e-mail message but when I click the link in the message a screen comes up that says "Access Denied". What should I do?

This is a known problem. To solve it click the OK button on the screen with the "Access Denied" message. It will then go away allowing you to enter the needed information.

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If my question isn't answered here how can I find the answer?

If you would like a question answered in this FAQ that does not appear here please e-mail it to me at chinn@cwu.edu

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I have a subscription to AOL and use the AOL browser. When I try to access Blackboard through AOL why do I get an error message?

If AOL is your Internet Service Provider, use the AOL Browser to log in. But then minimize the AOL Browser, and use Internet Explorer to access Blackboard. The AOL Browser does not give dependable results in accessing Blackboard.
You can download Internet Explorer by going to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp

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