Student Resources

Help with Blackboard Tools

Login to Blackboard by clicking the login button on this page. Once you are logged in to the My Institution page, click on Tech Support on the upper right-hand side of the tab menu. The main Tech Support page loads a module page of “About” modules that are essentially “how to” guides for using Blackboard tools.

Blackboard Student Guide for Marshall (Word)
Blackboard Student Guide for Marshall (PDF)

• Blackboard Help also provides many options for getting started with Blackboard:
  • How to Navigate Inside a Course
  • Video Playlist for Students: Working Inside Your Course
  • Video: Using Discussions

Note: Specific instructions regarding how to access your course materials, submit graded activities, and preferred method of contact should come from your instructor directly.

Hardware & Software Configurations

Make sure that the computer you will use to access your online course meets the minimum hardware requirements provided in the Marshall University IT Recommended Hardware page. You should regularly update your personal computer, antivirus software, browsers, and plug-ins (e.g., Java, Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash) to ensure Blackboard will run smoothly. Antivirus software is available for free to Marshall students.

Internet Browser

Internet Explorer is no longer the preferred browser for those of us who frequently use Blackboard, and we ask that you do not use IE or Edge. We recommend that you access Blackboard using Chrome or Firefox. Occasionally, technical issues will arise and you will be required to switch to a different browser in order to fulfill the course requirements. If you have problems viewing course materials, or accessing assessments or tools, please contact Online Learning Support with your name, course name, and browser type you are using.

Students should use the Blackboard Browser Checker tool. By clicking on the Browser Checker link, Blackboard will be able to tell you if your setup will run Blackboard efficiently, and if not, will guide you into using a more appropriate, updated browser.

• Select the Login to Blackboard button on the navigation bar
• Enter your MUNet ID and password and select the login button
• You may also login by first logging in to MyMU and clicking on the Bb icon on the top left of the screen.

If you have trouble finding your MUNet ID or password head to Marshall’s Login Self-Service page for help.

Course Materials

Course Syllabi

Your instructor should make class Syllabi and any changes necessary available to you via Blackboard (for typical distance education courses). In light of Spring 2020 schedule changes, professors may be choosing to email you at your Marshall email to share information with you regarding the course Syllabus and schedule changes.

Proctoring Services

SafeAssign

Instructors can use SafeAssign to prevent plagiarism and create opportunities to help students learn how to cite sources properly for all quoted and paraphrased material in their work. Instructors may allow students to view the SafeAssign Originality Reports and revise their attempts before final submission of assignments. SafeAssign is both an effective deterrent and an educational tool.

Safe Assign compares submitted assignments against a set of academic papers to identify any overlap. This is based on a unique text matching algorithm capable of detecting exact and inexact matches between papers and source material. SafeAssign assignments are also compared against several different databases, including papers published on the Internet, in databases, and previously submitted to this and other institutions.

Respondus

LockDown Browser is a secured browser for online testing. Instructors may choose to use LockDown Browser for certain or all assessments in their courses. If your instructor chooses to use LockDown Browser, you will not be able to open any other tabs, browsers, or software on your computer while you are taking an exam. The instructor will provide additional instructions in your course.

Paired with LockDown Browser, Monitor also allows the instructor to record your exam using a mic and webcam to ensure that students are interacting only with the exam presented on their computer and complying with the instructor’s directions concerning access to any other materials during the exam. Respondus Monitor also allows instructors and the universities to verify the identity of students who are taking online courses.

Privacy Issues

Your grades, whether they are recorded for assignments, quizzes, graded discussions, etc., are only visible to the course instructor, teaching assistant (if applicable), and technical support staff. They are not visible to other students. Our support staff respects your privacy.

Instructions and download link for Respondus Lock-Down browser, along with instructions and guides, are located in the Respondus module on the Tech Support tab inside Bb (login to Bb, click on Tech Support in upper right).

While online courses are secure in that only those enrolled or associated with the course are given access, we recommend that you exercise good judgment when posting or emailing confidential information, just as you would if sharing confidential information in a face-to-face classroom setting or via a personal email account.

Note: You MUST email your instructors using your Marshall email account to discuss assignments or grades. Your instructors are not able to correspond with you about your course materials unless it is through your Marshall email account.

Campus Services

View additional campus services

Departmental Information