Blackboard Support

1. On the college’s homepage (www.westgatech.edu), hover over MyWGTC and select My WGTC Portal, which will open the OKTA sign-in page.

2. Sign into OKTA

   • Your username is your West Georgia Tech student email

   • If you are a new student, your initial password is your birthdate as follows: month, date and year, Ex: 01012001.

3. Once you log into OKTA, select the Blackboard app.

You must take the Course Agreement Quiz, located in the Course Information module in your Blackboard class(es).

NOTE: After launching the Course Agreement Quiz, remember to click the Check Answer button before clicking the Finish button so that your grade of 100 will be reflected in the gradebook; then, close the Course Agreement Quiz tab and refresh your Blackboard tab. You should see all available course content.

In the Course Information module, the module with the Start Here image.

All WGTC students have been enrolled in a Blackboard Ultra Orientation for Students organization, which introduces students to Blackboard Ultra structure and navigation. You can access this organization by logging into OKTA, clicking the Blackboard app, and selecting the Organizations link in the black navigation panel on the left of your monitor. 

If the organization is helpful or if you have suggestions for improvement, please email  WGTCOnlineSupport@westgatech.edu.

1. Clear your browser cache.
2. Close your browser.
3. Reboot your computer.
4. Log back into OKTA, using your email address and password.

NOTE: If this process does not allow you to log back into your OKTA and access Blackboard, please submit a helpdesk ticket. Provide your student and personal email and check both several times a day. Do NOT submit more than one ticket as doing so slows response time.

The Respondus LockDown Browser is a proctoring software free to WGTC’s students. It allows students to take proctored tests from home or at a campus library with the librarian serving as the proctor. If you take your proctored test at home, you will need a properly functioning webcam and microphone as well as the Respondus LockDown Browser software downloaded to your computer.

If you do not have these hardware items, you will need to take your proctored exam in the library so that the librarian can serve as the proctor. During the first week of class, you can check that you have properly functioning hardware by take the Respondus Practice Exam.

Respondus is required for all students taking online classes; however, depending on your major, some instructors require the Respondus LockDown Browser for all tests.

Use an Updated, Supported Browser: When you log in to your Blackboard account at the beginning of the semester, please take time to click on the “Computer Needs” link at the bottom left of the WGTC landing page. This will take you to a page telling you which browsers and versions (Firefox, Chrome, etc.) work best with Blackboard and give you the chance to test your browser. If you click on the Browser Checker, you will find out whether your current browser is supported by Blackboard. You will also be able to see the status of plug-ins Blackboard might need to use and whether your pop-up blocker is enabled. You may need update your plug-ins or turn off your pop-up blocker while you work in Blackboard.

Disable Pop-up Blockers: Most tests will work whether the pop-up blocker is enabled or disabled, but if an instructor has created a test to open in a new window (not recommended), your pop-up blocker will need to be off before you begin the test. Using the browser version information given to you by the Browser Checker report, do a Google search to find instructions to disable the pop-up blocker for your particular browser (e.g. Firefox 43.0), and follow those instructions.

Clear Browser Cache: Browser cache keeps information from web pages you have visited in a temporary memory connected with your browser. This allows you to quickly return to a page without having to download it from the web, but this causes problems when you make changes to that page, particularly when taking a test. We strongly suggest that when you work in BBL you regularly delete your browser cache so the cache doesn’t “undo” something you do.

Close Other Programs: Some programs on your computer may interfere with Blackboard, and it is a good idea to shut down all programs other than the browser in which you are taking a Blackboard test.

If you are still experiencing difficulties, please open an IT Helpdesk ticket.

Avoid Testing During Your Computer’s Scheduled Software Updates and Virus Scans: If your computer is set to run software updates or virus scans at certain times of the day, avoid testing during these times, or change your computer’s schedule for scans/updates.

Avoid Being Timed Out of a Test: Blackboard and Internet Service Providers time out after a certain amount of time with no activity – 90 minutes for Blackboard, for example. To avoid being timed out of a test, be sure to begin with a fresh browser session and a fresh Blackboard session. Be sure to stay active in the test, saving answers as you go, especially if it is a longer test. On all-at-once tests, even after you save an answer, you can go back and change and save it again if you think your first answer was incorrect.

Read Directions Carefully: Before you click “Begin” to start your test, be sure to read all the directions and information provided about your test. Your instructor should provide directions under the link to the test and again at the top of the screen when you click into the test. Information about timing and the availability of the test should also be listed there. You should also be able to see if the questions are given “All at Once” or “One at a Time.” If questions are delivered “One at a Time,” your instructor may have an option chosen to keep you from backtracking. If backtracking is prohibited, try to be as sure of your answer as possible before saving it and moving on to the next one.

Be Sure to Save and Submit Your Test: Once all questions in a test have been answered, you can click “Save All Answers” to save your answers, but you will also have to click “Save and Submit” to complete your test.

Most tests will be set to auto-submit as soon as your time is up. If the timer is set on the test, you must finish all the questions within the allotted time to receive credit on them. Once you start the test, the timer runs whether or not you are logged into the test, so be sure to complete the test during the allotted time.

You should never enter a graded homework or other assignment until you are prepared for the work. Often heartache can be avoided by simply looking carefully in your text and working through problems and questions manually that may be either within the chapter or at the end of each chapter.

Graded assignments in Blackboard or in other external software systems such as “Connect” or “My Math Lab” will almost never be the exact same questions as the text work. However, there is often similarities in the questions and the steps for solving the question or problem will often be the same or similar. A good rule of thumb is, “if you can complete the problem manually, you stand a much higher chance of completing the assignment in Blackboard and with less stress.”