Blackboard/Scholar bookmark service integration ending

Due to low usage, the Scholar bookmark service will be shut down on January 13, 2012. Because of this we will be removing the Blackboard integration with this service after the fall term ends. If you have any bookmarks in the Scholar service that you want to save to import into your browser or another service such as Delicious, you can use the following instructions:

  1. Log in to Scholar. You can login to Scholar by clicking on the Scholar Tab. You can also log in to Scholar directly with your Scholar username/password at http://www.scholar.com.
  2. Click on Settings link in the upper right of the main screen.
  3. Click on Export Bookmarks.
  4. Select Export All My Bookmarks and click on the Export button.

Can't log in? Some fixes

Log in to blackboard using your DuckID and password. That’s not your studentID number. See Help Logging In for more info.

Returning students:  if you can’t log in it may be because your password has expired.  Change your password at http://duckid.uoregon.edu.

New students:  after you get a new DuckID, it may take up to a day before you can use it to log in to blackboard.

DuckID problems?  Get help from the Information Services Help Desk in 151 McKenzie Hall.

instructors: bug in PDF display and fix

If you post PDF files to your blackboard site using the “File” item type, read on for a must-do fix.

Students: if you try to view a PDF file and instead get a “Missing Plug-in” message, tell your professor he or she needs to fix the item.

File items in a content area display as a page icon and the name of the file as a hyperlink. If you use such File items, please go to the content area where they appear, and for each one use its contextual menu to edit it. Make sure that you set “Open in New Window: Yes” (default is “no”).

This change is important because recent versions of both Safari and Firefox for the Mac are unable to display PDF files when set to display in a subframe within the browser window.

The problem does not affect blackboard items where the PDF file appears as an ordinary attachment.

For more info see http://library.uoregon.edu/scis/blackboard/faq/instructors/i69.html Instructors can also contact CMET Consulting for assistance.

Recommended browsers for Bb

We have upgraded our recommendations for browsers to use with blackboard at UO.

Operating system Recommended Browser Notes
Windows 7 Firefox 3.6
Firefox 5 or later
IE 9 (conditionally)
Upgrade IE 7 or 8.  IE 9 has problems opening Office documents
Windows:
XP (SP 3)
Vista (SP 2)
Firefox 3.6
Firefox 5 or later
Avoid Internet Explorer
MacOS 10.5, 10.6 Safari 5
Firefox 3.6 or later
FF 5 (conditionally)
Upgrade Safari 4 and Firefox 2 – 3.5
Tiger with Firefox 3.5 mostly works
Firefox 5 and Safari 5.1 have problems displaying PDF files
MacOS 10.7 Firefox 3.6 or later
(conditionally)
Lion not yet tested; expect problems
Linux Firefox 3.6 or later
(conditionally)
Linux not supported but mostly works

Chrome appears to work reasonably well on both Mac and PC, but is not yet fully tested. No browsers currently work adequately on iPad or iPhone.

did you ADD a course today?

If you ADD a new course, wait a half day. Blackboard updates its course registration information from Duckweb twice a day, so it may take a half day or more before your coursesite appears.

Of course, as usual, not all UO courses use blackboard, so if you don’t see a course you know you are registered for in blackboard’s “My Courses” it might simply be because the professor has not made the site available to students.

old and new courses

Still seeing last term’s courses in blackboard? Students are often surprised at the beginning of the term to see lots of old courses. We regularly leave courses from a previous term available for the first week of new term to give you time to check your grades etc.

Courses for the new term are only visible in blackboard when the instructor makes the site available. If you don’t see a course that you’re registered for on blackboard, it’s probably only because the professor hasn’t flipped the switch yet.

Faculty members: we keep material from old courses on line for a bit over 3 years, giving you an easy way to reuse content. If the list in My Courses becomes unmanageable, you can hide old courses from yourself by clicking the “gear” icon at the top of the My Courses tab.

bb help resources

Need blackboard help? The first place to turn is our online help file, which you can get to by clicking the life-ring icon on the login page or the “Help” icon at the very top of any blackboard page. You’ll find video tutorials, links to other help files, locations for face to face assistance on campus, the blackboard trouble ticket email address, and more.