Student Success Center

Blackboard (Bb) @ USD

USD is no longer using Blackboard for online courses. Canvas is the new system.

New to Blackboard? No problem!

As an online student, Blackboard is your main mode to view course materials, submit assignments, view assignments grades, and more! This page is dedicated to outlining all things Blackboard you need to know.


Blackboard (Bb) at USD

If this is your first time using Blackboard, navigating this new platform can be difficult. You are never alone here at USD, so we have laid out this road map to help guide the way. If after reviewing this page you are still having difficulty with Blackboard, please reach out to your Program Coordinator or professor and they will be happy to assist.

Logging In

  • Access Blackboard by opening a browser and navigating to:  http://ole.sandiego.edu – bookmark that link! Note: there is also a direct link to Blackboard on the right side of this page.
  • Your Blackboard login credentials are your USDOne username and password, the same credentials you use to log into your MySanDiego student portal.
    • Ex: if your email is “[email protected]”, your username for Blackboard will be “diegotorero”.
  • It is highly recommended that you do not access Blackboard by first logging into the MySanDiego portal.

Browsers

  • It is recommended that students access Blackboard using either the Firefox or Google Chrome internet browser application (Not Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge).
  • You can check your current internet browser for compatibility by visiting the Blackboard Browser Checker website.

Getting Help

Once logged into Blackboard, click the “Support Resources” tab on the top left part of the sidebar. Options exist for blackboard support, academic support, media support, and more.

Subscribe to Email Alerts

You can receive email notifications of course activity by clicking on your name on the left panel of your Blackboard page. Then click email settings under global notification settings on the right. Then select how often you wish to receive notifications. It is recommended that you select the immediate email option.

Upload Your Photo

Click on your name, then click on the pen in the circle avatar icon. The screen will pop open on the right asking to upload a photo.

System Maintenance Window

Please check ole.sandiego.edu for any maintenance updates.

Where is my course?

  • If you do not see a class you have been enrolled in, it may take up to 24 hours for your enrollment to postulate through Blackboard.
    • Please note, you will not gain access to your courses in Blackboard until the Thursday before the start date of your course (unless otherwise specified).
  • If you do not see one of your course sections in Blackboard, please contact your Program Coordinator or the USD Student Success team at [email protected].

Need help navigating your course?

View a guide about how to navigate your Blackboard Orientation course.


Blackboard Mobile Learn: phone application


Inside a Blackboard Course: Tips for Success

Now that you know how to navigate your course, we have some tips and tricks for success. What’s the best way to name an assignment? How do I see my grades? We have your answers below.

Beware the collapsible sidebar!

  • Hover your mouse in the top left corner of your course page. Click the downward facing arrow on the top left to collapse the menu. Expand the menu by clicking on the gray right arrow on the top left of your course page.

File attachments and Naming Convention

  • Bb will allow you to attach ANY type of file format so check with your instructor for his/her preferred document type.
  • It is highly advisable to consistently name your attached files with your name in the title, and following a standard convention such as: Anderson_AssignmentOne.docx
  • Avoid using the following characters in filenames as they cause errors: % & # < > = + / ‘ , ” : ! ? $ @ | [ ] { }

Assignments

  • Upon assignment submission, you will receive a confirmation screen with the date and timestamp.
  • To view grades and feedback from your professor, from your browser go to the My Grades area in your course and click on the assignment title. If you do not see comments, you may need to expand the comments window by clicking on the << icon near the Crocodoc logo on the right side.
  • Note: you will not be able to view all instructor comments and feedback via the mobile app; using a web browser on a computer is strongly recommended.

Grades

View grades for all courses by clicking on your name at the top of the screen, and choosing the icon with the checkmark and plus sign. Some instructors have a My Grades area in their courses.

Quizzes

  • Answers should autosave; verify that each question saves as you go along to ensure that any network issues or glitches will not affect the work you have already done.
  • It is highly recommended that you take all tests using a hard-wired connection versus. wireless. Sometimes wireless connections drop, which may cause you to get locked out of your test

Discussion Board

When responding to an existing conversation/thread always hit Reply.

Authoring

  • By default, the content editor (text editor where you compose submissions and posts in Blackboard) contains one row of formatting icons. Click the double chevron (two down arrows) on the far right in the content editor to view advanced content editor features. Once you click submit, this preference will carry over to all your Blackboard courses.
  • We strongly recommend that you do all of your authoring in a plain-text editor such as Notepad for Windows or TextWrangler (free) for Mac, then copy/paste into the content editor in Blackboard. If the application times out while you are writing, you will lose all of your content.
  • You can use Microsoft Word to compose your submissions. However, Word often includes extraneous formatting when pasting into Blackboard, so using plain-text editors is preferred.
  • View a complete guide to using the content editor

Video Everywhere

  • When composing a discussion, blog, journal or wiki post or assignment using the content editor, Blackboard allows you to create and embed a video that will appear on YouTube as Unlisted. It is recommended that students upload files to youtube or Vimeo. and send them as links.
  • View instructions on using Video Everywhere

Need BlackBoard Help?

Contact the ITS Help Desk

(619) 260-7900
[email protected]

ITS Hours

Mon-Thurs: 7am-6pm PT
Fri: 7am-5pm PT
Sat & Sun: Closed (Limited Phone Support)

Netiquette Guidelines

The concept of netiquette covers proper communication online. Read our guidelines to help cultivate a supportive and productive online environment.