Student Tip #1: Get Help
Get On-site Help: If you are having difficulties using the system or one of its functions contact the TRCC Blackboard Vista support person.
a.    Phone: 860-885-2313 or 860 885-2334
b.    Email:  TR-DistanceLearning@trcc.commnet.edu or
                amactaggart@trcc.commnet.edu

c.    IM: AIM – AMACTatTRCC  or MEEBO – AMACT_at_TRCC
d.    Facebook:
      Group: TRCC Distance Learning
      Profile: Search by E-mail amactaggart@trcc.commnet.edu
e.   MySpace:
      Group: http://groups.myspace.com/TRCCDL
      Profile: www.myspace.com/trcc_dl_help 

Student Tip #2: Navigate
Navigation:
a. Blackboard enables professors to customize their individual course shell’s to their liking. Because of this, it is important for you to familiarize yourself with each and every course shell you are required to utilize during the semester. Access to Blackboard is granted two weeks prior to the start of classes, use this time to orient yourself to your course and all of its features and components!

b. There is an interactive Blackboard tutorial loaded into the TRCC-Orientation - Student Orientations and IT Help shell. Watch it. Then attempt to perform the basic activities outlined in the tutorial to strengthen your skills.

Student Tip #3: Anticipate
Don’t wait until the exact due date/time to submit assignments. Anticipating possible problems and taking steps to avoid them will help you in the end. Avoid lost work by typing your e-mails, message board postings, homework assignments, and essays in a word processing programs (Word, AbiWord, etc) and then attaching or pasting them into the Blackboard environment.

Passwords expire every ninety (90) days; this means you will need to reset it during the course of the academic semester. Keep a scanned copy of a state or federal issued photo id on your pc (saved as an image file) so that you can e-mail it tr-distancelearning@trcc.commnet.edu along with the password reset form (Reset Password via Email) for a quick and convenient reset.

If you prefer to rest your password yourself, make sure to bookmark the NetID site in your internet browser.

Student Tip #4: Access
MyCommNet asks requires you to enter your NETID in order to gain access to the online portal. Your NETID is your student id number followed by the domain @student.commnet.edu. Know your username and password before class starts.  Write them down.

Student passwords are reset to the default schema at the start of each semester. The default schema is:
  The first three letters of your birth month (Ex. Jan)
  The ampersand “&”
  The last four (4) digits of your Social Security Number (Ex. 1234)

  Example of a complete schema: Jan&1234

Memorize the requirements of the default schema (i.e. eight (8) characters in length, one capital letter, one special character AND/OR number). You will be required to use this format when resetting your password.

Student Tip #5 Get Your Computer Ready
It is imperative that you are fully aware of the technical skills and physical computing requirements required for your online, hybrid, or web enhanced course. Before enrolling in one of these courses, Find out the computer and software specifications before your class and take the necessary steps to prepare your system. Take a look at the web-based, presentation and decide for yourself if online learning is right for you.
ELearning - What It Takes to Be Successful

Student Tip #6: Save in the Correct Format
TRCC is a Microsoft based campus. This means that assignments will more than likely be posted to your course in the default Microsoft Schema depending upon the application. If you do not have Microsoft Office, make sure to download the free viewers. The viewers will allow you to access the file’s content, but you will not be able to edit the file. You can download the viewers from the Microsoft Viewer (Office file converters) site.

Get in the habit of saving your documents in either Microsoft Format (.doc or .docx depending on the version) OR in universal form (.rtf or .txt). Again, because Three Rivers is a Microsoft based campus, professor will not be able to open Corel WordPerfect (.WPT) files, AbiWord (.ABW), or other word processor specific files unless saved in the formats discussed above.

Student Tip #7: Double Check Your Submissions
Double check that your submission went through! Vista keeps a record of everything successfully transferred/sent to an instructor through the system. If you don’t have a record (in the e-mail sent folder, on the “Assignments” sent tab, or in “Assessments” completed attempts), neither will your professor.

Student Tip #8: Bookmark and Use myCommNet
Bookmark this site: http://my.commnet.edu. This is the address for the student portal. It is the only way you can gain access to your Blackboard courses, your financial records, transcripts, final grades, online registration, etc.

Student Tip #9: Check in
Get in the habit of checking back often. Because Blackboard is available 24/7 students can make posts and submissions any time; so can professors. Be proactive; send your professor an e-mail inquiring when they post content online. Most professor's choose a standard day and time. Once you know it, you can set or adjust your schedule accordingly.

Student Tip #10: Use the HTML Creator
Use the HTML creator to add formatting and make emails and message board posts more readable. Without it, despite displaying to you with formatting, the message will be sent as a TXT file that strips away all space and paragraph formatting making it difficult to read. Most professors require that students re-submit assignments or messages in the correct formatting when received this way. Utilizing the HTML creator will prevent you from having to duplicate your efforts.

Student Tip #11: Use Proper Netiquette
Familiarize yourself with the general rules and etiquette of posting message boards before creating a thread or making your first post. Here is a resource to familiarize you with college expectations and etiquette: Santa Fe Community College Netiquette Rules. Your professor may have additional expectations to share with you.

Student Tip #12: Know Your Professor's Schedule
Realize that just because the system is available 24/7, that doesn’t mean your professor will be.  If their online hours and response times are not clearly stated in their syllabus ask for them.  This should help reduce some of the anxiety you feel with regards to response time.

Student Tip #13
You can forward your Blackboard email to your personal email account. Start by clicking the hyperlink labeled “My Settings” click the button labeled “Edit Profile” . Type your complete e-mail address in the appropriate box and hit save. Next, click on the tab labeled “My Tool Options” and place a check mark in the box labeled “Mail forwarding.” Every e-mail sent to you in Blackboard will now result in a copy being sent to your personal e-mail account.

Student Tip # 14: Organize Your Course List
Which course is it? Avoid potential confusion. Hide inactive courses from being displayed on your “My Blackboard” page by clicking the pencil icon located in the top right-hand corner of the “Course List” box. Follow the steps shown when the icon is clicked. You can also use this screen to rearrange your class listings using the move tool.

Student Tip #15: Tune Up Your Browser and Supporting Aps
Blank Page? If a page appears blank when selected, check the file extension, you may need a specific viewer or player (Acrobat, JAVA, Flash, Office 2007 Converter, Shockwave, etc) in order to view the content. If you are sure that you have the appropriate readers/players try opening the file in another supported browser. You may also choose to run the browser tune-up: Browser Tune-up.

Student Tip #16: Prepare for the Test Before Beginning
Testing Don't enter a test site before you are ready, as many online tests are set to only allow you to access the test once for a score. Make sure you are ready for the test BEFORE you open it. Select a time when you will be free of distraction (phone, family/work obligations). You may also want to review the objectives for the content covered by the exam, as well re-read study guides, instructor posts, your notes, and any other materials that will help you prepare.

Student Tip #17: Avoid Time-outs
Operation: Get in the habit of closing myCommNet AFTER you have launched Blackboard Vista. Doing so will enable Blackboard to function separately and will prevent your session from timing out after only fifteen (15) minutes. DO NOT log out of myCommNet, simply close the window or tab that it is open on.

Student Tip #18: Clear Cached Files
Cache: A cache folder stores temporary internet files when you load a web page, which are saved on your computer so that if you later decide to open the same page again, it will open a lot faster. If you receive an error message intimating that you already have a session running, locate and clear your cache folders. More than likely, taking this step will remedy the issue you are experiencing.