Frequently-Asked Questions

for Technical Problems in RVCC Online Courses
(using the Blackboard CE Learning System)

Jump down page to...

Can't find the answer here?
Please contact online@raritanval.edu
or call 908-526-1200 ext. 8306 or 8451
during normal business hours.

In E-mail, please be sure to include
your full name, the name of your course,
course number, and instructor.

Question:

Answer:

1. First, try clearing the Java cache and delete any existing Java and Blackboard Certificates:

2. If this doesn't work...start Internet Explorer 7.
In the toolbar click the Blue gear with the hole in it, or in the text menu "Tools".
Select last entry "Internet Options" > under Browsing History, the button "Settings" > Button "View objects"
(If you don't see a list come up with 6 columns of information select the "View" menu and check off "Details".)
Delete all instances of Java Initiator and Java Runtime Environment 1.x.x by right-clicking over them and selecting "Remove".
Close all windows.
(If an item in the list won't allow you to right-click over it, please call 908-526-1200 extension 8306 for further instructions)

Then, uninstall ALL your previous versions of Java (TM) or Java Runtime Environment 1.x.x_0x or J2SE or all three:

Remove anything that resembles:
"Java(TM) 6 update x"
"Java Runtime Environment"
"JRE"
"J2SE Runtime Environment"

Then go to www.java.com and download and install the latest.
 
For assistance, please contact online@raritanval.edu.

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Question:
I can see only a few postings in the Discussion area, where are the rest?

Answer:
When In the "Threaded" view ("Threaded" button depressed), click the plus sign "+" to the left of each boldface topic heading.  If there are responses to the originating post, the thread will open so you can see the message subjects, which are clickable hyperlinks.  Click a link to open the message.

Question:
I posted something to the Discussion Board and I can’t see my posting.

Answer:
Right-click over the Discussion postings area and select "Refresh" in Internet Explorer, or "This Frame" and "Reload Frame" in Mozilla Firefox.

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Question:
Why can’t I see any of the entries that my instructor says she/he has posted on the Calendar?

Answer:
Please E-mail your instructor and ask him/her to make sure the posted Calendar entires are "Public" and not "Private" .

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Question:
In a Math course, when I log in to EDUspace the first time, why do I get a warning that my browser must be set to accept cookies?

Answer:
Further down the page are instructions how to set your browser's cookies so that this won't happen.
You need do this only once.
Even if you reset your browser cookies back to the way they were, EDUspace should subsequently come up without a warning page.

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Question:
How do I attach a file in E-mail? or
How do I send a file to my instructor from E-mail?

Answer:

  1. In the "Mail" tool, either respond to a classmate's existing message or "Create Message".
  2. Near the bottom of the page, next to "Attachments", click the button "Add Attachments".
  3. Click the blue-screen icon "My Computer".  If you see a red "x" instead, install the latest version of Java following these instructions.
  4. Select the file or files from your hard drive so that its name shows below the button "Add Attachments".
    (The small icon that look like a page with an arrow at the bottom is for removing the attachment or attachments.)
  5. You're now ready to "Save as Draft", "Preview", or "Send".

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Question:
Why can I log in to Lion's Den, but not my online course?

Answer:
If in Lion's Den the link under "My Courses" takes you properly to the list of courses but, upon clicking the course name, either of these happens:

  1. Nothing.  In the Web browser window Status Bar (left, bottom of window) you may see a message "webctNull".
  2. A blank window pops up and sits there.

then you may have a popup blocker.  Please see the section on removing popup blockers.

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Question:
Why can I see only a few icons on my course Homepage?

Answser:
Your instructor may have hidden your Homepage icons until the official starting date of the course.
Please check to see when your online course starts at the Virtual Campus page link for your semester or term.

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Question:
Where are my weekly lessons/course contents/chapter lessons?

Answer:
Your instructor may have hidden the icon.  Please send an E-mail within the course.

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Questions::

Answer:

There can be as many as four sources of popup blockers.
You may need to find and adjust all four.

  1. Internet Explorer
  2. Internet security suite (like Norton or McAfee)
  3. Toolbars, like Yahoo! or Google
  4. Internet access software and toolbars that installed from your Internet Service Provider

If your browser is Internet Explorer 5.5 Service Pack 2 or higher...

  1. Under the browser's "Tools" menu, open "Pop-up Blocker", then "Pop-up Blocker Settings..."
  2. In the box labeled "Address of Web site to allow:" - enter the following - "raritanval.edu".
  3. Click on the "Add" button.  You should then see the address added to the "Allowed sites:" box below.
  4. Click the Close button.
  5. Close your browser and then reopen it.

If your browser is Netscape 7.1 or Mozilla 1.5 or higher...

  1. Open the Preferences dialog under the browser's Edit menu.
  2. Scroll down to the Privacy & Security Category in the left column and expand it by clicking on the arrow.
  3. Click on the Popup Windows topic.
  4. Here you should see the option selected to block unrequested popup windows.
  5. Click the Allowed Sites button to the right of it.
  6. In the Add field, add the URL http://luminis.raritanval.edu/, and click the Add button.
  7. Click OK in the Allowed Sites screen, then click OK again for the Preferences screen.
  8. Now click the Continue button on this screen.

If your browser is Safari 1.2 or higher...

  1. Open the Safari menu.
  2. Here you should see the Block Pop-up Windows option checked.
  3. If there is a check mark next to it, click it and then click the Continue button at the bottom of the page.
  4. If there is not a check mark, you probably have some other pop-up blocker running. Follow the next set of instructions.

If your browser is anything else, or if either of the above sets of instructions didn't work...

  1. You probably have a 3rd party popup blocker that you downloaded from your ISP or other source.
  2. You will need to find and add these sites to its list of allowed sites:
  3. Once completed you can click the Continue button on this screen.

Keep in mind that you may have one or more popup blockers running...

  1. You may have a Google, Yahoo, or other toolbar that also includes a popup blocker or a popup blocker that is supplied by your Internet Service Provider.
  2. You will need to find and add the http://luminis.raritanval.edu/ site to its list of allowed sites or turn it off.

To bypass the popup blocker you can hold down the Control key, labeled "Ctrl" on your keyboard, when you click on the Lion's Den entry point from the College website. You will then need to continue to hold the Control key when clicking on any popup-generating features within Lion's Den, such as the eMail icon or entry into another area.

If you have any problems with any 3rd party popup blockers you will need to contact that 3rd party vendor.

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Question:
How do I restore the message "Do You Want to Open or Save this File"?
I lost it by once unchecking the box next to "Always ask before opening this type of file".

Start > My Computer > Tools > Folder Options... > tab "File Types"

To quickly jump down the list, type the first letter of the file type you want.
Example: "R" for RTF

Click once on the file type to select it.
Click the button "Advanced".
Click the option "Open", then click the button "Edit..."
Uncheck the box next to "Use DDE".
Click the button "OK" to close the small "Editing action for type:" window.
Click the button "OK" to close the "Edit File Type" window.
Click "OK" to close Folder Options.

Question:
I have all the correct software.  Why can't I see the PowerPoint slides in my course?

Answer:

The PowerPoint presentations in your course have been converted with a program called Impatica and require two things:

  1. Java (TM):
    Please make sure you have the latest version and no other, multiple versions installed.
  2. Allowing Pop-ups in your course:
    If you click on your "Getting Started" icon or your "Syllabus" icon and they pop-up and open in a new window, you probably don't have this problem.
    If you want to check anyway, you can look here.

Question:
How do I see PowerPoint slides on my computer if I don't have PowerPoint installed?

Answer: Get one of the free viewers, for PC or Mac.
(The smaller Windows installer -1.9 Mb - works just as well for Windows XP as the big one - 26 Mb.)

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Question:
Why does Lion's Den time me out and close after I do nothing for a while?

Answer:

To protect your personal information, inactivity timeout value for Lion's Den has been set to 185 minutes. The timeout value for WebCT is 180 minutes. This allows the WebCT session to timeout first, and then 5 minutes later, the Lion's Den session will timeout. Both provide notification to the user prior to session expiration.

If timeouts are happening too frequently in your online course during critical times like test-taking, close Lion's Den completely and log in to WebCT independently.  If this doesn't help, please check to see that it is not your Internet Service Provider (ISP) who is timing you out.

Computers in RVCC's two Open Labs, S130 and W212, the Library, computer labs, and CATT rooms have had the screen savers invoke after 15 minutes of inactivity. When the screen savers invoke, the computer is locked and can only be unlocked by the user who was logged on, or by one of the MIS staff. Should a student or other user walk away from his or her PC and forget to log off, the computer will be locked and the screen saver will turn on after 15 minutes. If another user attempts to gain access to the session, after the screen saver comes on, he or she will not be successful.

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Question:
Why am I getting a message “Your session has expired” and then get returned to the login page?

Answer:
Juno and NetZero customers, please see http://luminis.raritanval.edu/cp/site/loginhelp.html and scroll down to the heading "Juno/NetZero ISP Issues".

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Question:
The bottom part of my screen is cut off and I can’t scroll, what can I do?

Answer:
Try changing the screen resolution that your computer uses:

  1. Right click a blank area on the Desktop.
  2. From the dropdown menu, select "Properties".
  3. Click the tab "Settings".
  4. Try a larger screen area.

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Question:
Why can't I see video in my course?

Answer:
Some of our courses use a free browser plugin "RealPlayer".  You may need to install it or reinstall it.
It's available from www.real.com.
Look for the button "RealPlayer — Free".
Download the install file to a place you can find it again.  Please be sure to run it to finish the install process.

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Question:
How do I clear my Web browser cache?

Answer:

In Internet Explorer 7:

  1. In the upper right toolbar click the icon that looks like a blue gear with a hole in it.
  2. First entry "Delete Browsing History..."
  3. Topmost button "Delete files..."
  4. button "Yes"
  5. button "Close"

In Internet Explorer 6:

  1. Click the text Menu "Tools" at the top of the browser window
  2. From the dropdown menu, pick the lowest item "Internet Options..."
  3. Click the button "Delete Files..."
  4. On the new, small popup window, fill the small checkbox "Delete all offline content"
  5. Click the button "OK" to close the small popup
    Note: it may take a minute or more depending on how many Internet files you have accumulated.
  6. Click the button "OK" to close the larger popup window

In Mozilla FIrefox:

  1. Click the text Menu "Tools" at the top of the browser window
    From the dropdown menu, pick the lowest item "Options..."
  2. Click the (5th) icon "Privacy".
  3. In the area "Private Data" click the button "Settings..."
    Make sure the box next to "Cache" is checked.
    Button "OK"
  4. Button "Clear Now"

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Raritan Valley Community College Distance Learning Home

RVCC Home: www.raritanval.edu

Updated 2008/12/2 by L.W.B.