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Blackboard Breeding – Case Study on Strategic Development – Multiple Websites

Paul WorthingtonMark Graber

Curtin UniversitySchool of Information Systems

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Agenda• Presenter Background• Introduction• Course Overview• Perceived Benefits• Potential Issues• Course Pedagogy• Administration Strategies• Lessons Learned• Future Directions• Questions

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Presenter BackgroundPaul Worthington• Lecturer• Unit Controller• PHD Candidate• WEBCT / Blackboard

Administrator• Computer Security• Auditing• Web Designer / Master

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Presenter BackgroundMark Graber• Lecturer• Unit Controller• Web Designer / Master• Mathematics Educator• WEBCT / Blackboard

Administrator• Commencing Phd

Candidacy

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Introduction• Some things are just too important to ignore

• Anticipating lecturer needs as an online instructor and the student’s needs as an electronic learner will provide for a more efficient educational experience.

• Integrate high levels of interactivity Students work collaboratively, cooperatively on assignments. Online should not mean correspondence.

• Have a complete course curriculum and orientation that will insure students get off to a good start.

• Central management of the network – A technical support resource team is available for troubleshooting. An ideal support system includes help lines for students provided by the host institution, standardised software, and skilled systems operators supporting electronic learning. No use having help desks that “don’t” or only available 9-5pm (Blackboard open 24/7/365)

• It doesn’t hurt for you to be technologically efficient also!

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Course Overview• Information Systems 100• Core Unit Undergraduate Bachelor of Business

Degree• Curtin Business School located in the Information

Systems School• Enrolment 4000 students per annum• Multiple Unit locations; • Bentley, Canning College, Curtin International

College, AIUS,Metropolitan College (Kuala Lumpur), Miri (Sarawak), Medan (Sumatra), African Virtual University (Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya), Binus NuSantara –(Jakarta), Columbo (Sri Lanka) Marketing Institute Of Singapore

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Overview IS 100• 1. Introduce information systems

and its relevance to commerce• 2. Introduce the concept and

phases of a systems development life cycle

• 3. Provide an environment for students to attain a basic level of skill in office application software

• 4. Introduce the IS professions• 5. Introduce the IS courses

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E-Learning - Definition• E-Learning technologies can provide:• Exposure to international experts and

researchers –which can be incorporated into the curriculum.

• Also opens up opportunities for global research collaboration

• Eliminate the time an expense required to travel

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Access to a wealth of resources

Transferable skills

Active participation

Giving competitive

edge

Enhancing the learning experience

Anytime, anyplace

Reflective thinking

Building virtual online communities

Integration learning environments IMS compliant

and joined up

New forms of learning

Sage on the stage to guide on the side

Strategy Development: Perceived Benefits

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Strategy Development: Potential Issues

Information overload and portal wars

Basic ICT skills

Peripheralparticipation

Everyone’s doing it

Student back-lash

Restricted access

Transmission mode

Isolation

Standardised environments

Management of the learning process

Same forms of learning

Confusion of roles

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Strategy Development: Cognitive Maps and Strategic Option Development Analysis (SODA)

OptionsOptions Options

Options

Eg: Authenticated Users

Issues IssuesEg Security DataIssues

Goals GoalsEg Secured SystemGoals

Professor Colin Eden, University of Strathclyde

*Session Exercise Time Permitting

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Strategic Development: Getting The Right Balance

Tools Resources

Pedagogy

Reference & course materials, questions, examples, interactive

Individual or aggregate Synchronous or asynchronousPush or pull

Active,Transmission, Collaborative

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Pedagogy• Chickering and Gamson• SEVEN PRINCIPLES FOR GOOD PRACTICE IN

EDUCATION (1987)• Encourage contact between students and faculty, • Develop reciprocity and cooperation among students, • Encourage active learning, • Gives prompt feedback, • Emphasize time on task, • Communicate high expectations, and • Respect diverse talents and ways of learning.

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Possible Blackboard Administration StrategiesScenario: Multiple classes – requiring same material , different

time schedules, different tutors and different locations.

There are three basic options available1. Ten separate course websites created, and upload all of the

course materials to each one.2. One course Web site created, upload all of the course

materials to that course, and have sections copied from that course Web site.

3. One main course web site – where all the course materials common to all courses can be uploaded. The other course web sites would be location specific course web sites. Section specific would be stored in those course web sites as well as providing a space for section-specific user interactivity. The students would be enrolled in both the main course and the appropriate section-specific course Web site.

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IS100 Blackboard Administration Solution• Blackboard for Tutors

• Communication tool• Collection of Resources• Student support tool

• Blackboard for Locations• Assessment / Grading

Instruction• Demonstration• Communication• Support• Time Management

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Before Blackboard Strategy

TutorsStudents

Lecturer

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Tutors StudentsAfter

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Blackboard Features• E-mail forums • On-line chat• Course Calendar• Group Collaboration• On-line test/quiz/survey/

feedback• Student webpages• Student progress

tracking,• And Much more !

Pros

Cons

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Blackboard Technical Considerations• Platform – Stability , Data

Management• Version / Portals – Web

Access• Security – Access Levels /

Roles / Access to Function Areas – Content , Tools, Options, User Management, Assessment

• Instructor, Teaching Assistant, Grader, System Administrator

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Future Directions : Where we want to be heading?

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Student Management Tips• Plan for problems: Murphy’s Law runs rampant in

cyberspace and students are notorious enforcers of Murphy’s Law.

• Develop a peer support system to facilitate student self-help.

• Help your students to understand that the online skills they are learning in your course are transferable to other situations such as work and home.

• Limit and manage student email by establishing ground rules. Make it clear, for example, if you wish that you won’t answer email on weekends.

• Direct your students to other self-help resources relating to basic computer competencies eg video tape tutorials, websites – tutorgig.com

• Create an email / ICQ emergency system: designate a special phrase to be used in email headers when the situation is urgent.

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Lessons We Have Learnt

1. No vision.

2. Equating technology with strategy.

3. Putting Learning at the centre of a strategy.

4. Looking at development and delivery rather than

the bigger business picture.

5. Focus on creating a traditional training offer online.

6. Failure to reach consensus.

7. Misreading executive support.

8. Thinking this is part-time or short-term work.

9. Ignoring weakness and threats.

10. Failure to manage change.

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Future Administration Model

IS100 Main

Location ALocation B

TutorsLocation D

Location E

Location C

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How to Link Sites BB4,BB5 Creating links between course Web sites in Blackboard CourseInfo

4 In Blackboard CourseInfo 4, the format for the URL of a course will be: http://server.yourinstitution.edu/courses/courseid

Click <A HREF="http://courses.yourinstitution.com/courses/Spanish101sec1"> HERE </A> to go to section 1 of Spanish 101. Click <A HREF="http://courses.yourinstitution.com/courses/Spanish101sec2"> HERE </A> to go to section 2 of Spanish 101. Click <A HREF="http://courses.yourinstitution.com/courses/Spanish101sec3"> HERE </A> to go to section 3 of Spanish 101.

Assume User Authenticated to Main Course and AppropriateSection

www.su.edu/staff/alycan/facTR/Level2Docs/BBD%20training/ BBD%20tips/Webpages/MultSections.htm

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Future Challenges

• Is the Internet changing teaching and learning practice?

• What is good e-learning practice?

• What is e-learning ?

• What is an online knowledge base?

• What is a community of practice?

• How do schools plan for e-learning?

• What are the assessment and evaluation issues?

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Harder Challengers … • Will you start with the use of technology or with

vision? • Can you admit you do not know all the answers? • Can you trust learners to know what they need to

know? • Do you have the energy and commitment to take

this on? • What kind of support can you find in your

community? • What are the evaluation and assessment issues? • When should this process be started?

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Questions