© University of Reading 2006 www.reading.ac.uk

Claire Jones &Tania Lyden

Developing an advanced Blackboard site

Claire Jones &Tania Lyden

Today’s session• Traditional CMS• Aims of the project• Subject areas• Main content area• Thorny issues• Subject specific sites• Wraparound survey• Evaluation• What next?

Traditional CMS

• Compulsory to all second year students

• 5 Credit module• Based around the

DOTS model• Taught sessions +

Assignments + Online learning

Aims of the project• Embed Destinations in CMS activities at

Reading• Promote the benefits of Blackboard to CMS

tutors• Enable all u/grad students to have access to

Destinations• Develop a good quality site that is visually

appealing and interactive in all subject areas• Increase tutor engagement in CMS• Incorporate use of online evaluation in CMS

activities• Evaluate materials produced by the project• Disseminate findings internally and externally

Subject areas• Fine Art• Maths• Systems

Engineering• Soil Science• Plant Science• Statistics

• Biological Sciences

• Film, Theatre and TV

• Chemistry• European and

Modern Languages

• Politics

Main content areas

• How to study the course• Taught sessions• Online learning• Assessment• CAS• Staff information• What’s on

Advantages and thorny issues• Engaging students

in online learning• Subject specific

information• Unwieldy nature of

Blackboard

• Subject specific tailoring

• Increased rigour• Less need for

printed information

• Differentiate information

Subject specific sites: Fine Artwww.bb.reading.ac.uk

Subject specific sites: Biological Sciences

Wraparound survey

• What is a wraparound survey?• Benefits:

– To the student– To the Careers Advisory Service– To the school/department

• Challenges– Completion– Clunky blackboard– Analysis

43210

BeforeCMS

After CMS

Have you reached any useful conclusions about the career areas

you want to explore further and those you do not?

Strong conclusions (4)Some conclusions (3)

Limited conclusions (2)No conclusions (1)

Computer Science and IT Students

Some feedback…Have you reached any useful conclusions about the career areas you want to explore further and those you do not?Limited conclusions: “If you have made a start on looking at your options and made some limited decisions, then CMS will help you go into things in more depth. Make the most of section that help you explore your options and make sure you reflect on what you want from a job in order to differentiate between them. Session helping you to develop your self awareness might help here. Don’t forget that if you want to consider your options unrelated to your degree then use the Careers Advisory Service for more information.”Some conclusions: “If you are beginning to narrow down the alternatives that’s great. Keep going! If you feel you need more ideas on how to research specific areas then do ask a Careers Adviser. Remember there are many central events that can help you explore career areas further, such as fairs, presentations by employers and Headstart events.”

Evaluation

• Student focus groups

• Tutor evaluation

What next?• More tailoring• More visually appealing• Roll out the project to all years • Input from other university services• Advertising vacancies