The course content page is the homepage you will be taken to every time you open the course. The Content page contains modules and folders containing the readings, assignments, etc provided by your instructor. Other important features visible on the Content page include: the top navigation bar, the name of your instructor(s) (Course Faculty), and information on your progress, attendance, additional tools, etc (Details & Actions), as shown in the screenshot on the right.

The calendar section provides an opportunity to sort and organize your assignment deliverables. Course dates entered by your instructor such as deadlines for assignments, labs, discussions, tests, quizzes, etc., are compiled automatically in the Calendar. 

You can select between Schedule and Due Dates to determine the number of upcoming items, or the closest due items in the Day or Month.

• Due Dates will give you a vertical scrolling list of items and their due dates starting with the current date on top.

• Schedule provides you with a daily or monthly view of all course items that have a date entered by the instructor, including assignment due dates, class/lab meetings, events, etc.

For more information see the Student Calendar page. 

Announcements are used by instructors to alert students about new information that pertains to the course. New announcements will pop up the next time you open the course. 

To check for all announcements you can click the Announcement tab in the top navigation bar. 

Discussions

The Discussions area contains all the discussion activities for your course. Discussions may also be cross-listed in the Content area along with other readings, assignments, etc. Click on the discussion to view the instructions, read responses by your classmates, and write your own replies.

When there are unread posts in a discussion, you will see a blue or purple notification icon next to the discussion title. When you open a discussion, new posts will be highlighted purple until you click/scroll over them.

View the Discussion Board Participation Guide from Blackboard Help to learn how to navigate discussions

The Gradebook section provides you with key information regarding your academic progress in the course. All graded items in the course will be listed here. You can click on any item in the gradebook to go straight to that assignment in the course content area (note: your instructor may have placed a date restriction or other conditions on some assignments that will prevent you from opening them right away)

View the complete Answers guide to Gradebook for Students for more in-depth information on the gradebook and feedback features for student success. 

You can send and receive email messages to other members of the course, and also receive messages from your instructors by clicking on the Messages tab. Unlike announcements, new messages do not pop up when you open the course. If you have an unread message(s), you will see a colored number icon appear next to the Messages tab in the top menu bar.