Date Last Reviewed:
02/27/2008
Click here to go to the full list of Blackboard Questions & Answers.
Blackboard is course management software. Blackboard courses are accessed using a web browser.
The web address for Blackboard at NIU is http://webcourses.niu.edu . You need your student Z-ID and password to log into Blackboard.
Your Z-ID is your AccountID for computer access at NIU including Blackboard access. Your Z-ID is permanent. If you forget your Z-ID, go to www.logonid.niu.edu . Click on "Look up Your Z-ID/AccountID." Enter your last name and click Next. You'll see your Z-ID under User Object.
Your Blackboard ID is the same as your student Z-ID. Your Z-ID is permanent. If you forget your Z-ID, go to www.logonid.niu.edu . Click on "Look up Your Z-ID/AccountID" and then scroll down to the Last Name Field. Enter your last name and click Next. You'll see your Z-ID under User Object.
Your Novell network password is also your Blackboard password. Your initial password is your birthdate in the form of YYYYMMDD. This initial password is temporary and must be reset at password.niu.edu .
You can change your password online at password.niu.edu or by calling 815-753-8100.
Set up your verification questions at password.niu.edu so you can reset your password yourself if you forget it or when it expires. Passwords must be eight characters long and contain a mixture of lowercase letters and numbers.
Blackboard recommends Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher web browser. Netscape 7.0 (Netscape 6.0 is not recommended), Firefox 1.5x or higher, and Mozilla 1.0.1 or higher browsers may work with Blackboard 7.1.
Internet Service Provider (ISP) browsers do not work with Blackboard. Access the Internet through your ISP, e.g. AOL, MSN, AT&T, etc. Minimize the ISP browser after you reach the Internet, open Internet Explorer (IE), and use IE to access Blackboard.
If you have submitted an attached document to a Blackboard discussion board, drop box or assignment and can't view it. Also, when you click on the link, you get a HTTP 404 error.
The problem is probably due to using a "#" sign in the attachment file name. Blackboard interprets the "#" sign as HTML code and is unable to display the attached file. Rename your file then resubmit the post, drop box item or assignment.
Required browser settings for logging into Blackboard include the following:
In Internet Explorer, reset these settings by clicking on Tools in the menu bar at the top of your browser. Click on Internet Options and find and reset these features under the Security tab, Custom Level button.
If your instructor is using the Blackboard Virtual Classroom, your browser needs to have Java enabled. The plug-in can be downloaded from the page that appears when a user joins a Collaboration Session, or at http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/index.html. Blackboard recommends using version 1.5 of the Java 2 Runtime Environment. The Collaboration Tools will also work with version 1.4, but not with the newer version 1.6. Uninstall any existing Java plug-ins before installing a new version.
Only your First Name can be changed. To edit or add your First Name, click on Personal Information in the Tools box. Click on Edit Personal Information. Click Submit, then click OK twice to complete the edit of your personal information.
Your e-mail address can not be altered. Blackboard uses your NIU e-mail address, which starts with your Z-ID; for example, z999999@students.niu.edu. This helps insure secure and proper delivery of e-mail communications among Blackboard instructors and students.
Student addresses and phone numbers do not appear in Blackboard's User Directory.
For assistance, contact the ITS Helpdesk.