Why does blackboard not work

While using Blackboard, if you are unable to view discussion postings, quiz windows, and download links, then you need to disable pop-up blocking for your Blackboard server. For more information about turning off pop-up blocker on your machine, please select your current web browser:.

Your Internet browser keeps a record of all the websites you visit in its History. Your Internet cache acts as a roadmap for all the web sites you visit by storing copies of these sites locally on your computer. Because this site information is stored locally, web sites load faster. Sometimes, this stored data can create problems for Blackboard users trying to login to the system.

For more information on clearing your Internet history and cache, please select your current web browser:. Java Java is a programming language and software platform, similar to Flash, that is required for certain features of Blackboard to function properly.

Some of the important features of Blackboard which use Java include:. Skip to content. If you click on the Collaborate link from your Blackboard course, but all you see is a spinning purple circle, you need to enable 3rd party cookies in your browser.

Ensure the option to Block third party cookies is greyed out as per the screenshot below:. If you are having difficulty joining a Blackboard Collaborate session, or your connection is disrupted, you may see an error message with a failure code. Below are some common Collaborate failure codes, what they mean, and recommended actions to take.

Blackboard Collaborate uses the time on your computer to identify when live sessions should start, so you must ensure your clock is set for your current local time zone. Also check you have selected the correct time zone, and have the correct daylight saving settings. More information is available at Microsoft Support. You may need to click the padlock icon to make changes.

Click on the Time Zone tab to select the appropriate Time Zone. More information is available at Apple Support. If you are screen sharing in Collaborate, and your browser becomes unresponsive or crashes when using Google Chrome, please try using Firefox or Microsoft Edge.

Alternatively, try disabling Hardware acceleration in Google Chrome. Scroll to the bottom of that page, and click on Advanced 3. Under the System menu turn off " Use hardware acceleration when available " 4. Relaunch Chrome. If the image looks very dark, or greyed out in a Collaborate session, a dialogue box is covering the page. This can happen if you have no webcam or microphone available on your computer.

If you do not have a webcam or microphone on your computer, you may need to close the dialogue box that appears. Click the small white 'X' highlighted in the screenshot below to enter the Collaborate session. If you do have access to a webcam or microphone on your computer, you should follow the steps in the 'Check your microphone and webcam' section. Collaborate can be accessed from within China, but we recommend students download Firefox on to a computer to access sessions if Google Chrome is not available.

Collaborate works best from a computer, and you should always try and connect your computer to the internet via a network cable. Using a phone to join Collaborate sessions from China is not recommended. Local browsers such as UC Browser are not supported.

Testing by Blackboard indicates that users with China Unicom have the best performance with Collaborate, followed by China Mobile. Users with China Telecom can experience problems accessing sessions. For immediate technical assistance with a Collaborate Session please use the live chat listed on the Blackboard Support Pages. On a Mac, click on the Apple logo in the top right corner of your screen and select System Preferences.

Click Sound from the menu. On the Output tab, select the device you are using and ensure the volume is turned up. On the Input tab, select the microphone you are using and ensure the volume is turned up. Solution: If you have adjusted the sound profiles and volume on your computer, but you are still having problems, check the speakers and microphone you are using, especially if you are using external speakers.

Check that the device is powered on and that the volume dial on the device is turned up. If your microphone has a mute button, you will want to check that the mute button is turned off.

Solution: Some users on Mac OS Users will need to modify their operating system permission settings to allow their web browser to share their computer screen. If you are using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra in your courses, you might want to share the following link with your students, as it provides detailed navigation guides on how to access Collaborate Ultra, participate and troubleshoot common issues. View in admin portal Edit content on web Edit in desktop. Faculty Guides and Documentation Here you will find documentation and tutorials for the various software and services supported by UT Online.

Search term. Blackboard Collaborate Troubleshooting Guide This guide details some of the issues most commonly encountered by students and faculty and how to help resolve them. Course Room vs Scheduled Session Problem: I am in my session at the scheduled time but I do not see other participants.

Here are instructions on how to give your web browser permission to use your webcam and microphone: Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Safari Edge In addition you may need to allow permission in your operating system to use the webcam and microphone MacOS Mojave Windows 10 Lenovo laptops with Lenovo Vantage installed may require additional permission settings to be enabled in Lenovo Vantage.

More information can be found here Additional troubleshooting information can be accessed here: Link to additional resources Problem: When I turn my camera on, I get a blank image Check to make sure the camera shutter is open and that nothing is covering the camera.

Right-click the speaker icon in your system tray. This is usually at the lower right of your computer monitor. Select Open Sound Settings.