Students who plan to take online courses should have basic computer skills, be able to navigate the Internet, and have working experience with any word processor such as Microsoft Word or WordPerfect. The following skills are especially important:

• Cut, copy, and paste
• Manipulate image area
• Manipulate fonts
• Manipulate text blocks
• Manage files
• Save and save as

If students use their personal computers to run Blackboard Learning System courses, they should have a reliable Internet connection and need to check the following list to make sure their computers meet the minimum requirements.

• Minimum Computer Requirements

Students using the AOL browser may have difficulty using Blackboard Learning System.

First-time web students are required to complete the mandatory online orientation. Professors who teach online courses may give you a test related to the information in the orientation. If you take more than one Blackboard Learning System course, you need only take the test once and let your other Blackboard Learning System instructors know your test score and in which course you took the test.

This Orientation teaches students how to use Blackboard Learning System calendar, assignment, assessment, discussion board, chat room, and the Blackboard Learning System mail system. It will also show students how to troubleshoot some of the most common Blackboard Learning System related problems.

The orientation is available online. The orientation is in five parts linked below:

• Orientation part one-Introduction: browser check, log in, and my blackboard
• Orientation part two-Course home page: announcements, calendar, course tools, and my tools
• Orientation part three-Learning activities: assessments, assignments, and discussions
• Orientation part four-Communication: mail, chat and who's online
• Orientation part five-Troubleshooting
• Online Student Orientation Series - Text version

NOTE: If you have trouble viewing the video due to your Internet connection, right click on the video link and choose "Save target as" or "Save link as," and save it to your computer; then open it up with your media player.

We suggest that you save the file to your computer and watch it from there. If you have any problem watching the video online or downloading the video to your computer, please go to any of the open labs on the UA Fort Smith campus to watch the orientation.

If you are a new Blackboard Learning System student, you may need to read the Blackboard Learning System Student Handbook.