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What is Blackboard?
Blackboard is Aiken Technical College's online, web-based learning platform. It provides faculty and students an innovative way to share information and ideas and to communicate with each other outside of the classroom experience.
It allows faculty to post class materials to a website, send email to their students, set up online quizzes or surveys, and manage and display student grades from any Internet-connected computer.
How do I login to Blackboard?
Blackboard is located at the following web address: http://blackboard.atc.edu/
To login, enter your Username and Password. Your Blackboard Username is the same as your WebAdvisor Username; usually the Username will be your last name and first letter of your first name but it may also include numbers at the end. Your initial Password is the last six digits of your Social Security Number.
Once you have logged in, you will notice a list of courses in which you are enrolled on the MyATC Bb tab and also on the Courses tab. Click on the appropriate course to get started.
NOTE: If none of your instructors are using Blackboard and you have not accessed Blackboard at ATC before, you will not have a Blackboard account this semester.
What if I have problems logging
in?
If you are unable to log into Blackboard you
will receive an error message when attempting to
login. Please see the Login
Problems page for specific help and contact
information for every login error.
I forgot my password; what
should I do?
If you have forgotten your password, please
click the "Forgot password?" link just below
the login boxes.
How do I change my
password?
Once you've logged into Blackboard, click the MyATC Bb tab, then click the
"Personal Information" link located at the bottom
of the "Tools" menu. Next, click the "Change Password" link.
Do I have to attend an orientation class before using Blackboard?
You are not required to attend an orientation class. Students enrolled in their first hybrid or online course are strongly encouraged to attend an in-person orientation at the beginning of the semester. In the orientation, students will learn how to navigate their Internet courses and use the communication features that are so important to online student success. Orientation sessions are offered at the beginning of each semester on campus in the library computer labs. Days and times can be found on the Orientation Schedule.
Why don't I see my
course?
Enrollments are processed every 24 hours,
please allow some time for the enrollment to
process. It is also possible that your instructor has
the course site "turned off" until the course
begins. If you have been instructed to access
Blackboard for course materials, your instructor should "turn on" the course by the end of the first day of class.
How long do I have to login to my
course at the start of the semester?
Online students must access their courses by the end of the Add/Drop period for a given course (usually the first week of the term). Failure to do this will subject students to being dropped from courses as "no shows." Once students have access to an online course they are able to contact the instructor and classmates through email and other communication tools within the course.
Why do I have to email my instructor before the end of the Add/Drop period?
The Admissions office requires instructors to report "no-shows". A no-show is defined as a student who does not attend a face-to-face class during the first week of the term or who does not participate in an online class during the first week of the term. Instructors report no-shows at the end of the Add/Drop period. By emailing the online instructor, you can be sure you are not marked as a no-show.
How long do I have to complete the course; can I do it at my own pace?
All of the Internet courses should be completed by the end of the semester. Most of the courses have a carefully constructed schedule of assignments by the instructor. Frequently, some assignments must be completed before you start the next assignment. Be sure to review your course syllabus and ask your instructor if you have any questions about completing assignments.
How long do my classes from the previous term stay on Blackbo?rd?
They are usually removed to save server space about 1 month after the term ends.
What email address does my Blackboard email go to?
By default, all Blackboard accounts are set up to send email to your MyATC email account.
Can I change the email address in my Blackboard account?
No. To insure consistent communication, the college has required the MyATC email address to be used by all ATC students in Blackboard.
What are the computer system requirements for Blackboard?
Read the section below labeled System Requirements-Operating Systems, Browsers, and AOL.
How do I read the file that my instructor posted?
Some instructors will post files other than Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint or Adobe Acrobat files. In some cases, you will need a specific piece of software to read these files (e.g., CAD software, Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Flash). If you do not have access to these programs on your personal computer, you will need to either download the file and take it to a computer lab or download the file in a computer lab where there are computers with this software. In other cases, you can download a browser plugin or a viewer program from the software manufacturer.
Where can I download programs to
view files and plugins?
Visit the Resources tab, Plugins & Software section of the Blackboard
Support site for a list of download links.
I know I have the right software, why won't a file display when I click it?
Sometimes the browser doesn't work properly with a plugin or viewer. One way to avoid this problem is to save the file locally, and then view it. To do this:
- Go to the Blackboard page with the file to download.
- With the right mouse button (or on a Mac, hold down the Control key) click the link to the file.
- A menu should pop up. Select "Save Target As."
- A save file window should pop up. Pick an easy to reach location, like the Desktop, to save the file.
- After downloading is complete, go to the file on your computer and double click it.
- This should start up the correct plugin or viewer to access the file.
Why can't my instructors open my document that I sent them?
You need to have a word processing application that will create .doc or .rtf files as a requirement to take Online classes. If you have Office 2007, then your documents might not save in a compatible format that older versions can read, and your Online instructors might not be able to open them. To save your documents in an acceptable format in Word 2007, go to File, then Save As, then choose an older version of Word, or choose Rich Text Format. If you do not own a word processing application, you can download one for free from www.openoffice.org.
What is a Student Access Key; do I need one?
Some textbook publishers provide content on other servers that are linked to Blackboard. In some cases, the textbook is completely online! Once inside Blackboard, students may be prompted for a “student access key” to view content produced by the textbook publisher. Student access keys may either be bundled with new textbooks or sold separately as stand-alone items. Stand-alone access keys are purchased at the bookstore counter and in some cases online, through the publisher. Ask bookstore personnel for help if you are unsure about these materials. If a “student access key” is required, it will be listed on the syllabus inside your Blackboard course pages.
Still need more Blackboard help?
- ATC Help Desk 803-593-9954 ext. 1988
- Blackboard Help (24/7 availability):
1-866-518-3951
- MyMathLab: 1-800-677-6337
- EduSpace: 1-800-732-3223 x 1
- Click on the Resources tab inside Blackboard
- Check out the Blackboard Online Support Center for ATC by clicking the Help button at the top of the Blackboard window.
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