Understand how Durham’s IT works, what blackboard learn ultra is, what SharePoint is and what to do if things go wrong.

The IT system at Durham is the main way that communications are delivered.

As a student at Durham University, you will interact with the Durham IT system on a daily basis from accessing emails, to reading lecture content. Therefore, it is essential that you are comfortable with the format and can navigate your way around the different websites and learning platforms, so you know when lectures and assessments are.

1. Set up your email. This will involve setting up multi-factor authentication (basically you have to download an app on your phone so every time you sign in you press a button on your phone like a key). Follow this link for more information:
2. Once you have set up your email and are able to login, then you will be able to access other sites if you are logged in.
3. The main sites are mytimetable, blackboard, and SharePoint.

Mytimetable – This is where your timetable is for lectures, practical’s and workshops. https://mytimetable.durham.ac.uk/weekly/activities

• • Each session is colour coded as to the type of activity.
  • The location is given as a code e.g. D/TLC025. The letter D indicates that it is in Durham. The letters TLC after / indicate that the room is in the Teaching learning centre and the first digit 0 indicates that room is on the ground floor (except where the first digit is greater than 5).
  • Clicking on the location will open the building location in Google maps.
  • You can change between calendar view and week view using the buttons at the bottom.

Note: Mytimetable will not work initially until you are enrolled.

Blackboard – This where your course content is displayed.

• • The website lands on the latest updates but select ‘courses’ on the left hand-side to find modules.
  • The modules should then be displayed. Upon opening a module a series of folders should appear under content.
  • ‘Start here’ folder contains information about the course, staff contacts (including module leader) and often course delivery and assessment information (under either ‘assessments’ or ‘syllabus’.
  • ‘Assignments & Feedback/Assessments’ folder is either at the top or bottom of the course content. This is where submission points are generally found.
  • Lecture recordings links are often found within the content under the heading of the relevant lecture or in a folder on their own labelled ‘lecture recordings’.
  • Helpful information is either in the top or bottom folders

Sharepoint – Sharepoint is the intranet (internal website) for Durham and is where information such as assessment criteria and academic advisors is often held (though not always).

• • Each course learn ultra blackboard page has a link to the relevant departments SharePoint at either the top or bottom.

If you require help with blackboard, initially contact your department learning and teaching team. For further information go to the My Digital Durham Hub (internal). For other queries contact the Computer and Information Service (CIS). 

Written by a current Durham University student