Blackboard 6 FAQ's

This feature requires you to use the Internet Explorer web browser. Other browsers may work, but are not supported.

The classroom operates on a Java Runtime Engine or JRE. If you are having trouble with the classroom loading, try following these instructions below this general information. When starting out, try to access the Virtual Classroom for a test well before your meeting time to accommodate for technical difficulties.

        Macintosh OS X Users
       No Plug-in is needed for Macintosh OS X.

        Macintosh OS 8 and 9 Users
       Click the OK button to go back and launch a compatible Collaboration Tool.

Also, the first time you log in, there may be a significant load time the first time you access the application (5 minutes or more) for a modem speed connection, please be patient. The speed will improve greatly on subsequent accesses from the same computer. If significant time has passed, close the chat window and you should see a set of instructions and a link to install the Java Plug-in. Follow the instructions to download and install it. The instructions will look something like this (the link should work for you to get the plug-in):

1. Click on Get Java Plug-in for Windows below.
2. Save the file.
3. Navigate to the saved file and double-click on it to run the Java Plug-in installer.
4. The installer will launch.
5. Accept the license agreement.
6. Select Typical and click Next to continue.
7. The installer will finish.
8. Click OK below to launch the Virtual Classroom.

Get Java Plug-in for Windows

Macintosh OS X Users
No Plug-in is needed for Macintosh OS X.

Macintosh OS 8 and 9 Users
Click the OK button to go back and launch a compatible Collaboration Tool.

The plug-in size is ~ 8 MB. Please remember to then install the plug-in after you've downloaded it. To do this, find the file you downloaded and double click on it.

The Virtual Classroom can be found by going to the Communication button, the Collaboration link, and then joining one of the options available Virtual Classroom or Chat. Both are places where you can chat live with the instructor and other students in your course. The Chat room is not as robust as the Virtual Classroom. The Virtual Classroom has many features which are found by clicking on the different modes in the Classroom Tool area in the top left corner. For each mode, you are presented with different options for that mode. In the Virtual Classroom, you are reminded that even though it is an internet chat, that it is still a classroom and you should treat the instructor and particularly other students appropriately.

If you are new to chatting online, be aware that many others may use abbreviations for common phrases or make use of emoticons which are emotions expressed with text like :) for a smiley face that you are not familiar with. Take some time to look at the links above if this is the case so you can be more up to speed. Please remember that in chat, it can be hard to tell when someone is making a joke and it is easy to misinterpret their true meaning.

To chat, type your message on the Compose line on the bottom right side. When you click on Send or press the Enter key on your keyboard, your message is sent to the class and will display in the text area above the Compose line.

In the top right corner there is the main Lecture Hall area where all drawings, class navigation, and other items for the class are displayed.

In the lower left corner you will find a list of other students who are in the Virtual Classroom with you.

Classroom Tools	Descriptions
Course Map	A set of links to different areas of the course so the instructor and the class can look at them while discussing an assignment or where something may be found.
Whiteboard	A drawing tool to bring home points in the lecture.
Group Browser	A way to take the whole course to a particular web page.
Ask Question	Asks a question to the instructor. Sometimes when the chat gets busy, some messages may zoom by and be difficult to read. Asking a question makes a que of questions the instructor can answer in order. Questions can be flagged as private to the instructor so the whole class does not receive the response to your question.
Question Inbox	A list of the questions submitted and their answer from the instructor.

You can use the snapshot button on the top row above the white board to take pictures of the whiteboard and embed them in the chat log for later viewing.

is what that button looks like.

Another method if there is a drawing in the Virtual Classroom you wish to save, use the Print Screen button on your keyboard (usually to the right of the F12 key in the top row) to take a picture of the screen. You can then to to a program like Word or a graphic editing program and go to Edit, and then Paste. A copy of the screen will appear in your document.

If you are encountering trouble:

All Windows end users must install the most recent JRE plugin to run the Collaboration Tool, JRE 1.4.x.

Resolution:
JRE 1.4.x plugin is now supported by the Blackboard Learning System. All Windows end users should move to this version of the plugin. It is important that users do not install JRE 1.4.1 on top of JRE 1.3.1. Please follow the instructions below for a successful installation:

Step 1 Close all applications.
Step 2 Uninstall the current Java Plugin. Open the Control Panel > go to Add/Remove Programs > remove Java 2 Runtime Environment
Step 3 Open your Blackboard course and launch the Collaboration Tool. If the system is running Internet Explorer, the new JRE 1.4.1 plugin will automatically install. If the system is running Netscape, the user will need to manually download the executable from the plugin download page (select the link from the Collaboration Tool launch page) and open the file to launch the installation. The plug-in size is ~ 8 MB. Please remember to install this plug-in after you've downloaded it. Use all of the default options.

The Virtual Classroom opens in a popup window, so if you are using a popup blocker, you will need to allow popups from blackboard.longwood.edu and blackboard.longwood.edu:8011.