Blackboard (version 7.3) will be replacing Blackboard (version 7.0) starting Fall 2008. This long-awaited Blackboard version upgrade will fix many of the bugs that existed in version 7.0, and will have three distinct changes; updated Interface, new Help Support and new Username and Password.

Updated Interface:

The main interface for all Blackboard(Bb) users has changed a little, but the control panel available to faculty has had some major changes. These changes include; improved document linking, a file management system, new assessment capabilities and much, much more. To assist faculty to become more familiar with the new Bb, WMS will be offering training and new support documentation. Faculty training on the new Bb will occur in November 2004.

New Help Support:

Help Desk support for all users will be provided by a special 24x7 help center at PASSHE. Of course, calls will still be accepted by the Millersville University Help Desk as well. Just like in the past, Faculty can receive additional support from the campus Instructional Designer.

New Username & Password:

When the Blackboard system is upgraded all usernames (faculty, students, administrators) will be changed.

• Student usernames will be their my'VILLE & email username
  (Ex. Bob J. Sergeant's new Bb username = bjsergea)
• Faculty usernames will be the same ID as when accessing Outlook over the web
  (Ex. Betty A. Realehappe's new Bb username = brealehappe
  Please Note: There are some excepts. )

With any new system there are bound to be questions. WMS has developed the following FAQ list to answer the top 4 questions:

Will someone help me convert my Bb course(s) to the new system?

Yes, current Bb courses that are scheduled to be used during the Summer 2008 semester will be moved to the updated system first. Once the spring courses have been moved, Summer, Fall and Winter courses will be moved.

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When will I be able to start using Bb?

Blackboard 7.3 will be available for faculty to review in July 2008.

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As a faculty member, where will I go for support and help?

Millersville faculty, staff, and administrators will now be able to receive support from two locations: 24/7 support will be available from the PASSHE Blackboard Support Center; support will also continue to be available from the Millersville University Instructional Designer, Al Unrath, and his team of students.

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Which web browsers work with Bb 7.3?

Netscape, Internet Explorer, Safari and Firefox all work with Bb 7.3 although some features only work with certain browsers. Firefox handles all Bb 6.1 features the best on both Mac and Windows. Virtual Classroom will not work using Netscape.

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How to use Calculation question with numbers larger than 999

Two different methods in which to solve calculation questions with numbers greater than 999. The first method is to remove any commas by deleting the commas, using the mouse and the backspace or delete key. This method should work appropriately. The second option is to write the numbers in a form of scientific notation. The changes that would be needed to be done when using this “scientific notation” are outlined below:

1. a) The question will have to be changed from [x] to [x]*10^N, where N is some number.
2. b) The formula will have to be changed from x to x*10^N.
3. c) The limits for the variable x will have to be defined as decimals with an appropriate number of digits after the decimal.
4. For example, suppose I have the following situation:
5. Question: What is [x]*[y]?
6. Answer Formula: x*y
7. x ranges between 10000 and 12000 (0 decimal places), y ranges between 5 and 10 (0 decimal places)
8. Blackboard produces random numbers for x and y. All of x's numbers have commas inserted by Blackboard.
9. Option one would be to just remove these numbers. This is easy for a small number of x's (say 10-20 random numbers).
10. Option two, which I will outline the changes, is a bit easier if there are 50-60 random numbers for x.
11. Option two would result in the following question (with alterations):
12. Question: What is [x]*10^4*[y]?
13. Answer Formula: x*10^4*y
14. x ranges between 1 and 1.2 (4 decimal places), y ranges between 5 and 10 (0 decimal places).
15. There are no longer any commas produced by Blackboard. Now, Blackboard allows random variables to have up to 5 decimal places. So, for numbers greater than 900,000, one would have to change the range of numbers to reflect that, for example, if x is to be between 96774637 and 96774700, the variable [x] would have to be given the limits of 967.74637 and 967.74700, with 5 decimal places.

If numbers greater than 99,999,999 are desired for limits, then commas will become unavoidable.

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I am "locked-out" of my exam or quiz (assessment) how do I regain access?

Unfortunately if you are locked-out of your exam you will have to contact your instructor for assistance.

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