Assuming you have accessed this page through your online course, it should have opened in a separate window. In order to navigate through your course, you may minimize this window at any time by clicking on the - sign located in the top right corner of the window. You may close the window by clicking on the X located in the top right corner of the window.

1. Within your Blackboard course, the Navigation Buttons on the left side of your screen, when clicked, will bring up corresponding content on the right side of your screen.

2. Take a quick tour of the course by clicking each of the navigation buttons and its respective contents. During your tour, (1) refer to your hard copy of these directions to receive information related to each navigation button and (2) pay special attention to the following buttons:
   
   
   • Course Information, where you will find your Course Syllabus folder.

   • Assignments, where you can locate your assignments for the course.

   
   
3. The sections below explain the functions of the navigation buttons in your course.

Announcements Button

Unless a default setting has been changed, the Announcements section appears on the right side of the screen each time you enter your course. The most recent announcement appears at the top with the date it was posted. By clicking tabs above the message, you can control whether you see only recent messages or all of the announcements to date.

Course Information Button

Among other elements, the Course Information section contains the following folders and documents:

• Course Syllabus
  
  
  
  • Catalog course description

  • Course objectives

  • Course overview

  • Course materials, e.g. textbook, supplementary materials, hardware and software requirements, etc.

  • Course requirements and grading policies

  • Attendance policies

• This document, the Course Navigation Guide
  
• How This Course Works
  
  
  • Note: This is a collection of help documents for when you need advice about how to succeed in your online course.

Staff Information Button
The Staff Information section provides information about your instructor. If other resource personnel are available, they will be listed also.

Course Documents Button

The Course Documents section includes objectives, lecture notes, study guides, or other content for your course. This content, however, may be in the Course Information or Assignments sections, in which case this section may be removed from your course.

Assignments Button

The Assignments section contains the following folders and documents:

• Assignment completion guide

• Course learning modules, which each include an assignment overview for the module and a collection of reading, writing, online, and collaborative assignments with detailed instructions for completion and submission

• Online quizzes and surveys

Books Button

The Books area lists required books and other print materials that are useful in completing the course or expanding your knowledge of the subject.

In some courses, this button is not available, but information about Books can be found under Course Information.

Communication Button

The Communication section contains the following:

• Send E-Mail gives you the capability to send email from any computer connected to the Internet without opening your private email account. If you do not have an account, you must set one up with an email service to participate in this course. Two popular free e-mail services are Yahoo! Mail and Hotmail. Note: if you use free e-mail services, make sure you don't exceed the number of messages permitted for your account, or e-mail will bounce.
  
  
  • Click here to set up an account with Yahoo! Mail.

  • Click here to set up an account with Hotmail.

  
  
• The Discussion Board connects you to asynchronous discussion forums. Read "Discussion Board" under the "Communication" section in the Student Manual for a step-by-step guide to using this Board.

• Virtual Classroom, when available, allows you to communicate online with other class members in real time.

• The Roster, when available, lists every member of the class and provides access to student home pages.

• Group Pages are created by the instructor as collaboration sites for group projects or communication.

Discussion Board Button

In some courses, this provides a direct route into the Discussion Board. In other courses, you'll access the Discussion Board via Communications.

External Links Button

• The External Links section contains links to other Internet sites relevant to your course. You will also find libraries and search engines to locate information, resources categorized by subject, writing guides, and connections to free email services.

Tools Button

The Tools section contains the

following:

• Digital Drop Box, where you can submit files (essays, reports, etc.) requested by your instructor.

• Edit Your Homepage, when available, allows you to design and edit a homepage, available through the Roster in the Communication Center.

• Personal Information, when available, allows you to correct your e-mail address and other personal information. For some courses, you may have to ask your instructor or technical support staff to do this for you.

• Calendar, where you can post reminders to yourself and where your instructor may post reminders of due dates for assignments.

• Check Grade will contain your results on online tests. Other grades, such as participation in Discussion Board activities, may be added by your instructor.

• The Manual will guide you in more detail through all components of the Blackboard learning environment.

• Other elements such as a Task board, an Electric Blackboard, and an Address Book are also available, although less frequently used.

Resources Button

The Resources button sits below the larger course navigation buttons on the left. It will take you out of your course site and connect you to the Blackboard Resource Center, a resource collection maintained by Blackboard, Inc. Note: "Resources" is rarely used, as the External Links will connect you to Internet sites your instructor deems relevant to the course.

Course Map Button

The Course Map button will launch a small window with hypertext links to every document in your course. Some students prefer to use the Course Map to access course documents or folders directly without using other navigation buttons.

Begin Your Study

1. Begin your course by clicking Tools. Click "Personal Information" and make sure your name and e-mail address are correct in the "Account Information." You may want to change your first name so that it is the name by which you wish to be addressed.

2. You do not need to add or change your "Personal Information" section, but if you do, be sure to click "Update User Information" at the end of that section.

3. Next click the Tools button again and click Manual. Please read or skim this manual now and refer to it as needed later.

4. The Manual will guide you through processes such as sending e-mail with Blackboard, posting and responding to messages on the Discussion Board, etc.

5. After reading the Manual and your Course Syllabus, go directly to the Course Documents and Assignments sections to begin work in the course.