Over the Christmas break, the Department of Distance Learning and Industrial Technology (DLIT) was hard at work making updates to Blackboard. When students came back the changes were met with mixed reactions.
Since 2009, the university has been using Blackboard as its online service to aid students and faculty. On occasion, DLIT will make updates to Blackboard to make the website more efficient and user friendly, one of which was over the 2019 holiday break.
The update, which had been planned since Spring 2019, was made live at the beginning of the Spring 2020 semester the day before the first day of classes. As the new website does not look or work the same as the previous version, students have had varying opinions
Madison Ortega, communications major, shared her feelings about the change.
“Honestly, I don’t like it because I was used to using the old version for so long that it’s hard to adjust to the new version, and I don’t really know how to navigate it so that’s the most difficult part,” Ortega said.
On the other hand, biomedical major Natalia Flores likes the desktop update but has not had success with the app.
“It is much more aesthetically pleasing. However, the Blackboard app no longer works which is very annoying,” Flores said.
After hearing complaints from students about the app not working, the DLIT team quickly got to work. Garza confirms that usage of the app has been restored.
Here’s how to use the app. For those who have previosly used the app, the first line on the login screen says the university name. To access the app again, just delete this first line and retype the university name. It will then redirect you to JNET to sign in.
One of the biggest changes to Blackboard is the inability to login through blackboard.tamuk.edu. Instead, Blackboard is now accessed through JNET. However, as Rolando Garza, the interim director of DLIT said, “The new update allowed Blackboard Learn to comply with Informational Technology Services’ (ITS) security policy that JNET is the SINGLE SIGN-ON PORTAL for Texas A&M University-Kingsville for all academic needs, university email, financial aid, grades and Blackboard Learn. All faculty and students must logon to JNET to access Blackboard Learn.”
With the update, some new resources have been added such as Ally, an accessibility feature that gives students the option to download their documents as mp4s for listening or translate them to electronic braille.
For people who are having issues or have any comments on the Blackboard update, just create a support ticket through the 24/7 ITS Help Desk; the ticket will then be redirected to DLIT who will promptly help.
