Student BeachBoard Support
BeachBoard is a Learning Management System (LMS) for online and hybrid courses. Each instructor sets up their course according to their preferences, so you may find a variety of different features in use.
D2L (Desire 2 Learn) is the company that developed the platform upon which BeachBoard has been customized for CSULB (keep this in mind if you access their support site or review video tutorials as they refer to "Brightspace"- the name of their platform).
Access BeachBoard through your Single Sign-On (SSO) dashboard and click on the BEACHBOARD chiclet.
Need Help with BeachBoard?
- Call the Technology HelpDesk at (562) 985-4959 (available 24/7) or email helpdesk@csulb.edu
- See the CSULB BeachBoard FAQs
- Check the D2L Learners' Help Pages for detailed instructions on using all the tools in BeachBoard
BeachBoard Video Tutorials
Navigating BeachBoard
Setting up your Personal Profile
Setting up your Notifications
Emailing the ClassList
NOTE: The Instant Message tool is not available. In addition, it is not recommended that students use the email function in BeachBoard. The tool has not proven to be the best source for communications between faculty and students. Instead we recommend using campus email.
To check for the originality of students' work, Turnitin is a service used by some instructors that compares the text of student papers submitted in BeachBoard to other documents on the Internet and in commercial databases of journal articles and periodicals. When similarities are found, Turnitin provides an annotated document highlighting the similarities in the student's paper and the original source.
Instructions for Locating Instructor Feedback on TurnItIn [PDF]
Tips for Online Learning Success with BeachBoard
- Log into BeachBoard daily to check for news announcements or direct messages.
- CSULB email is the place to go for information from your instructors, and for important campus updates.
- BeachBoard email: We do not recommend emailing your instructors or peers through BeachBoard because they may not see the message. However, this link shows you how to check your own messages and find your peers’ email addresses.
Some instructors may choose to hold live, synchronous classes at your scheduled class time. If you are asked to meet via video conferencing, Zoom may be used.
- Zoom Meetings: Your instructor may host remote classes using Zoom, a video conferencing tool. Zoom is available externally to all users or it can be accessed through BeachBoard courses. If you don’t have a laptop or desktop computer, you can use Zoom on your mobile device to join remote classes.
If your instructors choose not to conduct class during your scheduled time, they may post videos, slides, texts, and other content for you to engage with independently in the Content section of BeachBoard. Check your syllabus and BeachBoard for due dates.
- BeachBoard Content: access course materials, complete required activities, and monitor your completion progress on topics contained within each course module.
- BeachBoard Media, CSULB’s video platform solution, is a place where your instructors may upload recorded lectures for you to watch at home. You can typically access these through your instructors’ BeachBoard course, or through a link they share with you.
Your instructor will create a way to submit homework electronically. Check your syllabus and ask questions of your instructor and peers to get clarification if you’re unsure when something is due or how to submit it. Some options include BeachBoard Dropbox or email. The Discussion Tool may also be used to assess learning and participation.
If you have never taken a course remotely before, you will likely need to give yourself time and space to discover all of the details of your virtual classrooms. Following these tips will help you along the way:
- Time: Give yourself more time than you think you need to complete assignments. Online classes can require more time than face-to-face, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself taking an extra hour or two to finish your work.
- Space: Imagine that you’re going to class every week, and choose a place where you feel comfortable and focused. Maybe you need a little background music or complete silence. Consider what works best for you, and create that space while you’re engaged in your online coursework.
- Calendar: Keep a calendar, weekly chart, or list of all the work you need to complete in each course. Staying organized is half the challenge to being a successful online student. Set aside regular times on your calendar to ensure you don’t fill your schedule with other obligations.
- Questions: Ask questions. In face-to-face classrooms, we rely on our ability to ask questions in the moment and get immediate feedback from our instructors and peers, but in a remote course you should expect some lag time, so set aside time to look through each week’s assignments and ask your instructor questions via email or in a BeachBoard Q&A discussion board if they have set one up.
- Interaction: Many remote courses require you to interact with your peers and instructors through video, collaborative software, or Google docs. Treat your classmates like they’re in the room with you, and find constructive ways to support each other.
- Help: Don’t wait until the last minute to reach out for help if you feel stuck. After you’ve read the course materials carefully, reached out to your instructor, and emailed a classmate, contact one of these campus resources for support:
- Learning Center for help with math, sciences, world languages, study skills, and other subjects.
- University Writing Center for support for your writing assignments.
- Bob Murphy Access Center (BMAC), formerly known as Disabled Student Services for help getting accommodations for a disability.
