Student FAQ's
- What if I forgot my password?
- How do I change my email address in Blackboard?
- What do I do if courses are missing from the 'My Courses' module?
- Are there any tips for taking tests or quizzes on Blackboard?
- What do I do if I am locked out of a quiz on Blackboard?
- How can I keep my Internet connection from timing out when I take an online quiz in Blackboard?
- What is Turnitin.com?
- Why can't I open a PowerPoint file in Blackboard?
- How do I print PowerPoint slides?
- What do I have to do if I am an Open University Student?
- How do I "hide" old courses on My Blackboard?
Q. What if I forgot my password?
A. If you want to change your password, you need to change the password for your CSUFRESNO email account. To change your CSUFRESNO email password, go to:
http://email.csufresno.edu/password.html
Contact the Help Desk at (559) 278-7000 if you need assistance.
Q. How do I change my email address in Blackboard?
A. Blackboard uses whatever email address you have selected as your "Preferred Email Address" in PeopleSoft. So to change your email address on Blackboard, you really have to change it in PeopleSoft.
However the Digital Campus strongly suggests that you use your CSUFRESNO email address as your "Preferred" email in PeopleSoft, then forward mail from your CSUFRESNO account to the email address you use the most.
To do this:
1. Login to the campus Web mail at http://email.csufresno.edu.
2. Click on 'Options', then click 'Settings'.
3. Enter the email address you wish to have your mail forwarded to in the 'Mail Forwarding' box.
4. Click 'Save Changes'.
Please note: This only forwards a copy. This does not remove the original message from your CSUFRESNO mailbox. Be sure to periodically clean out your CSUFRESNO email so you do not go over your mailbox quota (10MB). Exceeding your mailbox quota will result in incoming messages being bounced.
Q. What do I do if courses are missing from the 'My Courses' module?
A. Make sure you are logging in as a Blackboard user, and not a Guest. If the 'My Blackboard' page shows "Welcome, Guest", log out and log back in with your CSUFRESNO email username and password.
If you are still unable to see all your Blackboard courses, speak to your instructor and make sure you are listed in the roster for that course. The instructor can add you to the Blackboard course if you are not listed.
To check if you are officially registered for a class, check your course listing at http://my.csufresno.edu/.
Q. Are there any tips for taking tests or quizzes on Blackboard?
A. Every instructor will have his/her own settings and procedures for giving tests on Blackboard. Here are several tips for taking tests and quizzes that you may find useful.
1. Do not open the exam until you are ready to take it. Blackboard will not allow you to exit an exam and re-enter it again later.
2. Once you have opened the exam, avoid clicking on any of the main menu buttons in this course or on any of the navigation buttons on your web browser. Doing so may bump you out of the exam, in which case your answers will be lost, and you will not be allowed to re-enter the exam.
3. Work quickly and efficiently. Some Internet connections may ‘time out’ your connection to the Internet if there is no activity coming from your machine - like when you are composing an answer to an essay question. To lessen the possibility of being ‘timed out’, open a separate web browser window before you click on the exam link. In that separate web browser window, navigate to http://www.time.gov and select a time zone. Once the page loads, it will keep checking the time, and keep your connection to the Internet active. Simply minimize that window, re-enter Blackboard, and proceed to click on your exam link.
4. Before submitting your test you may want to right-click and print so that you have a copy of your exam.
5. Your exam answers are not saved until you click on the ‘Submit’ button at the end of the exam. Please do not forget to hit ‘Submit’ once you have completed all questions.
6. If your instructor has set your test to show the questions one at a time, make sure that you have selected the best answer before moving on to the next question. Your instructor may have prohibited backtracking on the test and you will not be able to get back to a previous question. There is also a possibility of the test ‘freezing’ if you try to go back to a previous question.
7. If for any reason you get closed out of the exam while taking it, please contact your instructor immediately via email.
Q. What do I do if I am locked out of a quiz on Blackboard?
A. If you have difficulties submitting a quiz or exam or are not able to access a quiz or exam YOUR INSTRUCTOR MUST CLEAR YOUR ATTEMPT and allow you to retake the exam. You must contact your instructor to do this. The Digital Campus cannot reset any exams or quizzes without the instructors permission.
Q. How can I keep my Internet connection from timing out when I take an online quiz in Blackboard?
A. Some Internet connections may ‘time out’ your connection to the Internet if there is no activity coming from your machine - like when you are composing an answer to an essay question. To lessen the possibility of being ‘timed out’, open a separate web browser window before you click on the exam link. In that separate web browser window, navigate to http://www.time.gov and select a time zone. Once the page loads, it will keep checking the time, and keep your connection to the Internet active. Simply minimize that window, re-enter Blackboard, and proceed to click on your exam link.
Q. What is Turnitin.com?
A. Turnitin.com is anti-plagiarism software that is commonly used by faculty at Fresno State to check student's work for signs of plagiarism.
Q. Why can't I open a PowerPoint file in Blackboard?
A. If you have trouble viewing your instructor's PowerPoint presentations and you are running Windows XP, here is a solution. Right-click on the link to the presentation - Select 'Save Target as' - save to your computer. Once the file has downloaded, open PowerPoint and then the presentation.
Q. How do I print PowerPoint slides?
A. To print out PowerPoint slides go to File > Print. Use the pull down list in the Print What: box to select what you would like to print. If you select 'Slides' it will print one slide per page. If you select 'Handouts' you can select one through nine slides per page. Use the pull down list in the Color/grayscale: to select color. Your choices are color, grayscale, and black and white.
Q. What do I have to do if I am an Open University student?
A. Students planning to enroll in any web-enhanced or web-based course should download an "Intent to Enroll" form here one month prior to the first day of the Open University registration period. Complete and submit the form to the Extension Programs office in the Education bldg., room 130. You can also fax the form to 559/278-0395 or mail it to the address on the form. This will enable students to get quick access to Blackboard during the first few days of class. This does not enroll you in the class; students must still submit the Open University registration form. Please contact the Division of Continuing and Global Education for more information on this process 559/278-0333.
Q. How do I "hide" old courses on My Blackboard?
A. In the upper-right corner of the Courses module on the "My Blackboard" tab is a stubby little pencil. If you click on it, you can edit what available courses will show up in your list of courses and also what you can see under each course heading.