Guide to Student Information Systems

Blackboard and BannerWeb

Lawrence Tech's extensive computer resources have been developed with the goal of enhancing your educational experience and making it easier for you to obtain important information. The University's comprehensive e-learning and services portal—http://my.ltu.edu/—offers an ever-expanding variety of resources and conveniences. Through my.ltu.edu, you can access online library services, view the Unversity calendar, and use the Academic Achievement Center's tutor management system. Two of the most important components of the my.ltu.edu portal, however, are Blackboard and BannerWeb. Blackboard is a course management system that allows you to access information about your classes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your professors can post course syllabi and assignments online, as well as documents and links to external sources that support the course content. Communication tools such as the announcements section, email, digital dropbox, chat rooms, virtual classrooms, and group pages make it possible for you to interact with your professors and fellow students outside the traditional classroom environment. Blackboard also includes tools that enable you to set up a calendar and task list to help you organize your time; check your grades; and manage your personal information. BannerWeb is the service-oriented portion of the my.ltu.edu portal. Using BannerWeb, you can read course descriptions; review the schedule of classes or schedule of final exams for a particular semester; register for classes; check your account balances; and make inquiries about financial aid disbursements. The instructions outlined in this booklet will help you to take full advantage of both the advanced learning opportunities made possible by the Blackboard system and the services provided by BannerWeb.

For questions regarding Blackboard, call 248.204.3750.
For questions regarding BannerWeb, call 248.204.2280.

Blackboard

1. Logging into Blackboard
2. Accessing Information About Your Courses
3. Course Information
4. Staff Information
5. Communication
6. Course Documents
7. Assignments
8. Tools and the Digital Dropbox
9. Important!

BannerWeb

10. Logging into BannerWeb
11. Registering for Classes Online
12. Viewing Your Schedule
13. Forgotten Your PIN?
14. Troubleshooting

Blackboard

Logging into Blackboard

1. Open Internet Explorer
2. Type http://my.ltu.edu in the address bar
3. Enter your username by keying in your first and last initials in capital letters, followed by your nine-digit Banner ID number
4. When logging in for the first time, your password is your nine-digit Banner ID number without your initials
5. After logging into Blackboard, change your password and specify a preferred email address by clicking on “Personal Information” in the Tools menu located on the left side of the welcome page (fig. 1)

Accessing Information About Your Courses

To access information about a course for which you are registered, click on one of the highlighted course titles located in the blue myCourses box on the right side of the welcome page (fig. 2). The main page for each course will display a menu bar on the left side.

Course Information

The course information section contains documents such as the course syllabus, goals, and objectives (fig. 3). To view the syllabus: left-click on the underlined file name To print the syllabus: select “File” and then “Print” To save the syllabus to your c:drive or a:drive: right-click on the underlined file name and select “Save Target As”

Staff Information

This section will provide the instructor's name, email address, office location, and office hours. It may also include information about any additional staff, such as teaching assistants or graders (fig. 4).

Communication

You are encouraged to communicate with fellow classmates and instructors as part of the learning process. The Communication area (fig. 5) allows you to:

• Send email
• Access course Discussion Boards
• Use the Collaboration tools
• Review the student Roster
• Access student Group Pages

The Send Email feature (fig. 6) enables you to send email to classmates, instructors, teaching assistants, or groups within a course. You can create a message and choose who will receive it on the Select Users page (fig. 7).

Course Documents

This area (fig. 8) contains information posted by instructors for student use. Items can be downloaded from here by right clicking on the file name and then selecting “Save Target As.” To view the file in Blackboard, simply left-click on the file name (files must be compatible with Blackboard).

Assignments

Instructors often use the Assignments section (fig. 9) to post homework, projects, papers, and other tasks. Clicking on this tab will display current assignments and their requirements.

Tools and the Digital Dropbox

The Tools page includes many invaluable functions. You can use the calendar as an online planner; view your course grades via the My Grades link; and access your personal information. One of the most useful tools located on the Tools page is the Digital Dropbox. The Digital Dropbox enables you to exchange files with your instructors. Follow these steps to open the Digital Dropbox page:

1. Open the course's page
2. Click “Tools” on the course menu
3. Select “Digital Dropbox” (fig. 10)

4. Click “Add File” (fig. 11)

The file has now been placed in the Dropbox (fig. 12). To send it to your instructor, click the “Send File” button (fig. 13).

Important!

Make sure to use the LOG OUT button when exiting Blackboard! (fig. 14)

BannerWeb

Logging into BannerWeb

1. Open Internet Explorer
2. Type http://my.ltu.edu in the address bar
3. Click on the BannerWeb tab
4. Click on “Login to Secure Area”
5. Enter your nine-digit Banner ID number in the User ID field and your six-digit PIN in the PIN field (your initial PIN is the six-digit number representing your birthday (mmddyy) (fig. 15)
6. After logging into BannerWeb, change your initial PIN to a permanent one
7. Click on “Personal Information”
8. Click on “Change PIN” and follow the directions

Registering for Classes Online

1. Login to BannerWeb, then click on “Student Services & Financial Aid” (fig. 16)

2. Click on “Registration” (fig. 17)

3. Click on “Select Term” and choose the semester for which you are enrolling (fig. 18)
4. Select “Add/Drop Classes” (fig. 18)

5. Enter the CRN (Course Reference Number) for each of your classes (fig. 19). Make sure there is only one CRN per box and note that there will probably be extra blank boxes. Before completing the process, be sure you want these classes. Once you have registered, you will be assessed a nonrefundable $110 Registration Fee.
6. Click on “Submit Changes” (fig. 19)

Congratulations! You are registered.  If you have trouble registering, please consult the troubleshooting section below.

Viewing Your Schedule

1. Click on “Registration”
2. Click on “Student Schedule by Day and Time” (fig. 20) or

“Student Detail Schedule” (fig. 21)

Forgotten Your PIN?

1. Enter your nine-digit Banner ID and then click “Forgot Pin”
2. Your security question will appear. Enter your answer
3. You will be asked to enter a new PIN and then to confirm the new PIN.
You are now logged in!

For more PIN assistance, contact the Help Desk at 248.204.2330 or the Office of the Registrar at 248.204.3100.

Troubleshooting