Blackboard Overview

Logging Into Blackboard

Access Blackboard through myACU, by logging in at http://my.acu.edu and entering your student username (for example: abc00a) and password - first-time users will use the last 6 (sometimes 8) digits of their bar code (found on the back of your ACU ID card). The passwords are case sensitive; make sure your caps lock key is off. For help with logging in, call Team 55 (325-674-5555).

Click on the Courses tab located near the top of the browser window.

Locate the course under the Blackboard Courses section. Then click on the appropriate course.

The main page of a Blackboard course displays the course announcements along with links to different content areas.

Content Areas

The announcement area is the main course homepage that displays announcements. The announcements will also show up on the main page of myACU.

This area is where you would see the course syllabus and other important course information. The most commonly used areas in Blackboard are self-explanatory. These areas may be renamed, removed or modified depending on your profesessor's use of Blackboard. Be sure to check with your professor to know how often to check each area.

This area contains the following sub-areas: Send Email, Discussion Board, Virtual Chatroom, Roster, and Group Pages.

All the users in the course, or specific users, can easily be selected to receive an email message. A copy of the message can be sent back to the sender, and attachments can be included with the email message. This area automatically sends mail to the student's ACU email address, thus each student is responsible for checking his or her account. If you choose not to receive your mail at ACU, make sure you set a forwarding address to an address you do check. This can be done by clicking on Mail, then Forward, and following the instructions there.

The Discussion Board is a threaded discussion bulletin board. You can post your thoughts regarding a given subject or reply to someone else's post.

The Groups area allows access to class group activities. Groups can collaborate in making a group webpage for sharing content and ideas with other members of that group; email other members in that group; use a discussion board; and even upload files to share with group members. Only members of that group and the instructor have access to that group area.

The Tools section contains everything in the Discussion Board area and more. The Tools area also includes the following sub-areas:

Separate from the class folders and drop boxes used by some professors, this is an area for students to send files to their professors.

Students can see their individual grade report of their own progress if the instructor chooses to use this feature.

 This completes the Blackboard Overview

Click Course Information button at the left side of the page that looks like this    

to continue with the help section.