Center for Technology Enhanced Learning

Blackboard Help for Students

On This Page:

 "How do I find my online course?"

USM’s online courses are located on a website called “Blackboard”.

  1. You will need the username and password of your UMS Account. This is the same username and password you may have already used to access your course schedule, financials, or student email.  If you need assistance with your UMS account, you can consult the resources on the UMS Accounts page (accounts.maine.edu), or call the tech support center at 1-800-696-4357.

  2. Log into the USM Portal (my.usm.maine.edu) with your UMS Account.

  3. Select the Blackboard button in the Launch Pad at the left of the screen.A screenshot of USM's Portal webpage with the Blackboard button circled in magenta.

  4. You will be taken to the Blackboard main page. Any online courses you are registered for are listed in the “My Courses” block, as seen in the image below.
    A screenshot of the Blackboard front page with the My Courses block highlighted in magenta.

  5. Finally, click the name of your course to be taken to it.

 

You can also use this link to go directly to Blackboard (bb.courses.maine.edu). The advantage of going through the USM Portal first, is it gives you access to all of the other tools the university provides in one place.

 

Fall 2017 Blackboard Information Sessions for Students

The USM Library's Learning Commons hosts Information Sessions for Students at the beginning of Fall and Spring semester. If you'd like to learn from your fellow students how to navigate Blackboard, the following dates and times are available.

  • Thursday, August 31 - 10am-12pm in Portland - Group Study Room 2
  • Tuesday, September 5 - 11am-1pm In Gorham - Group Study Room 2
  • Thursday, September 7 - 10am-12pm in Portland - Group Study Room 2

 

Meet with a Technology Assistant for Blackboard Instruction

At any point in the semester, USM students can find support for Blackboard. For a quick question, the best option is to call the USM Help Desk: (207)780-4029 or 1-800-696-4357 (HELP).

Feeling comfortable and confident with Blackboard is just as important as getting a quick question answered. Sometimes more in-depth instruction on how to use Blackboard is what a student needs, and the Technology Assistants at the Learning Commons can provide this personal instruction. All appointments can be either in the Learning Commons location or online.

To reserve a time with a Technology Assistant (in 50-minute blocks), students can use the self-scheduling system on the Learning Commons’ website. It allows students to see all the appointments in every subject area on all three campuses, with each campus having its own calendar for the semester. The Technology Assistants’ availability can be found by using the subject drop-down menu. Here is the the link to the website.

Appointments can also be scheduled by calling the Learning Commons at (207)780-4228, or visiting either of our locations:

  • 2nd Floor, Glickman Library, Portland Campus
  • 1st Floor, Gorham Campus Library, Bailey Hall

Video Tutorial

Here is a video from our friends at University College that demonstrates how to get to your Blackboard course. It is slightly different than what we showed you above, as it skips going to the Portal.

BB Essentials Quickstart: first-day, first-week

Additional Blackboard Resources

The following links will take you to various tutorials on how to use various tool Blackboard provides. These should cover most of the tasks you will use as an Online student.

Technical Support

If you are having technical issues with Blackboard, call the University Technical Support Center via 1-800-696-4357 (HELP). You can also e-mail them via techsupport@maine.edu.