BEYOND “CLICK THIS” Blackboard Integration into Teaching/Learning A Panel Discussion
Mar 31, 2015
BEYOND “CLICK THIS”Blackboard Integration into
Teaching/Learning A Panel Discussion
The Panel
• Karen Adsit, Ed.D., Director, Walker Teaching Resource Center, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN
• Tracy Chapman, M.Ed., Interim Director of Information Technology and Learning Resources, School of Pharmacy and Allied Health, Creighton University, Omaha, NE
• Ellen Nathan, M.Ed., Instructional Technology Coordinator, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN
• Dean Shaffer, M.S., Director, Instructional Technology, DeSales University, Center Valley, PA
Institutions
Key Points
• Overview of Institutions• How we got started (initial
implementation/integration)• Training (faculty & students)• Influence on teaching• Changing responsibilities• Lessons Learned
Blackboard
• Web-based course management system• Easy to use, non-html, venue for creating
and maintaining course materials on-line• Incorporates theories of Distance Learning• Total On-line courses as well as on-line
resources for classes. • Tools: post documents, send e-mails,
discussion boards, chats, calendars, tests, grade book
• Gentle learning curve for users (teachers and students)
University of Tennesseeat Chattanooga
• Public, comprehensive university (masters and some post masters programs)
• Located in Chattanooga, TN• 8,485 students
– 7, 105 undergraduates– 1,380 graduate & professional
students
Campus Resources• Information Technology Division
– Systems and Networks (administrative & academic systems, networking & systems)
– Technology Support Services (Help Desk, Student Labs, Media Resources)
• Center of Excellence for Computer Applications (CECA)
• Walker Teaching Resource Center– Blackboard– Faculty Development– New Faculty Orientation– Faculty Computer Lab
Creighton University
• Private, Jesuit, Comprehensive University (9 undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools)
• Located in Omaha, NE (population 700,000)
• Approx. 6,300 students (3,700 undergraduates)
• 622 full time faculty
Technology Resources
• Campus Information Technology– Administrative computing– Client Support Services– Help Desk– Operations– Student labs
• Office for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
• Campus Media Services• SPAHP IT support
– Office of Information Technology andLearning Resources
Butler University
• Private residential Liberal Arts University in Indianapolis, Indiana
• 4,100 students– 3,573 undergraduates– 691 graduates
• 257 full time faculty/69 part time faculty
Information Resources
• Administrative Computing (PeopleSoft)• Network and Systems• Academic Computing
– Instructional Technology– Student Labs– User Services
• Help Desk• Technical Team
– Media Services• Web Services• Telecommunications
DeSales University
• Private, four-year liberal arts university affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church
• Located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania
• 2,730 students– 1,266 undergraduates– 1,464 graduate and evening students
Technology Resources
• Administrative Computing (Datatel)– Telecommunications
• Academic Computing– Network and Systems– Student Labs
• Instructional Technology– Blackboard– Distance learning– Videoconferencing services– Electronically enhanced classrooms
Systems and Stats
How does it work?Infrastructure
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
• Software Version: 5.5 - Build 139– License Type: License Level 1 - MS
SQL*Server– Server OS—Windows 2000.
• System Stats:– 501 Courses– 11,175 users– 4,388 students– Instructors: 238– Average hits per day: 8,969
Creighton University
• Software Version: 5.5 build 139– License Type: Level 1 – MS SQL
Server– Server OS – Windows 2000
• Systems Stats:– 332 courses– All students have Bb accounts
Butler University
• Software Version: 5.5.1 – License Type: License Level 3 - – 2 Solaris servers (Data & Application) Oracle
8.17.12– PeopleSoft version 7.6
• System Stats:– 7,924 Courses (all University courses/semester)– 11,175 users (faculty, staff, and registered
students)– 10,423 students– Instructors: 730– Average hits per day: 9,280
DeSales University
• Software Version: 5.5.1 – License Type: License Level 1 – Linux
Redhat 6 server
• System Stats:– 399 Courses– 1,370 users (faculty, staff, and registered
students)– 1,208 students– Instructors: 147– Average hits per day: 4,026
Getting Started
Initial Implementation and Integration
Blackboard at UTC
• Before Summer 2001: Web Course in a Box (3 years)
• Summer 2001: 6 selected faculty tested Blackboard
• Fall 2001:– Full implementation and faculty training
instituted• Spring 2001: Moved to a larger server to
accommodate load • Faculty create courses; users are added
through an upload available to faculty from the student information system
Blackboard at CU
• WebCT (spring 97-present)• Blackboard - Fall 2000• Space allocations per course
suggested, but not enforced at this time
• Faculty request course creation via online form, students enrolled in courses by Campus IT
Blackboard at Butler Univ.
• Summer 2000: 15 selected faculty on CourseInfo 4.0
• Fall 2000:– 248 courses represented– 170 Faculty – 2,868 Students enrolled– Manual creation of courses and enrollment
• Spring 2001: at capacity with 85% faculty • Fall 2001: Bb 5.0, all campus integration
– $120,000.00 cost (license, hardware, consults)– Automated course creation and enrollment by
Peoplesoft extracts into Blackboard
Blackboard at DeSales U.• Before winter 2001 – handful using FirstClass
and Serf• Winter 2001: 5 MBA faculty on Blackboard 5.0• Fall 2001:
– 113 courses represented– 68 Faculty & 656 Students – Manual creation of courses and enrollment
• Currently up to 399 courses– Still manually creating courses, but students
self-enroll– See the need to integrate into administrative
system
Training
Faculty and Students
Blackboard at UTC• 2.5 hour faculty workshops throughout the
year • Bb Advanced Users Groups meetings
once/month• BB4Students developed (web page, pdf
file)• Blackboard Online course on Bb for
faculty and administrative personnel• Small group, one-on-one instruction • Common ID (user name) for students for
all UTC systems
Blackboard at CU
• Initial full day training from Bb for 15 faculty
• Day long seminars by Media Services and OITLR
• One-to-one tutorials• SPAHP students introduction to Bb
sites during orientation (online and on campus students)
• SPAHP – course developer’s guide to encourage standardization in use of navigation buttons
Blackboard at Butler Univ.
• 2 day overview faculty training during the year
• Blackboard course for faculty • ½ hr. Student Training sessions
beginning of each semester and during Early Registration
• Currently: Student Training is self-tutorial multimedia program on desktops in labs
• Development: Self-tutorials on web for both faculty and student training
Blackboard at DeSales U.
• Faculty workshops throughout the year• Special evening/weekend programs for
adjunct faculty• Bb Guide for New Users – for both
students and faculty• Online Course Development Guide for
instructors to get started• Lots of one-on-one instruction for
faculty• Email or letter to students before
course starts (if totally online course)
Influencing Teaching
Pedagogical Modifications
Blackboard at UTC• Encourage faculty to begin small• Faculty seminars on teaching
styles– Encouraging and managing
discussion (F2F and online)– Online teaching and learning– Web-based graphics, video
– Augments traditional classroom material--few totally online classes
Blackboard at CU
• Faculty seminars– Building in interactivity– Building learning communities– Use for just-in-time teaching model– Course design for online teaching– Integration of multimedia– Managing online courses
Blackboard at Butler Univ.
• Extension of courses beyond the walls– As Residential University, reflects
Mission qualification that learning happens in the “community”
• Preparation for computerized exams:– certification licensure– graduate/professional schools
• Skill set mastery for job market
Blackboard at DeSales U.
• Faculty workshops– Student Interactivity– Online teaching and learning– Online course development– Web-based graphics and video
• Augmenting traditional classroom material
• Anxious to try video, graphics, links
Increased Job Responsibilities
Help!Our jobs [roles] have changed!
Blackboard at UTC
• Blackboard System Administrator• ITD supports server and network,
student down/uploads• Balancing Blackboard responsibilities
with instructional design, faculty development, administrative responsibilities
• First weeks and last week of class are 85% Bb related
Blackboard at CU
• Blackboard systems administrator also manages WebCT
• Campus IT Help desk supports students and faculty with access issues
• Media Services supports faculty with course development
• OITLR supports SPAHP faculty with course development, uploading students into courses so students are able to use NetID for all courses
• OILTR supports SPAHP students with access questions
Blackboard at Butler Univ.
• Now wearing Blackboard System Administrator hat
• Share work with another IT person• 50 – 75% time on Blackboard related work
– More 3 weeks prior/2 weeks after semester begins
• Balancing Blackboard responsibilities with Instructional Designer responsibilities
Blackboard at DeSales U.
• Also wearing Blackboard System Administrator hat
• Have IT support for server and database problems
• Balancing Blackboard responsibilities with Instructional Design, Faculty Development, Distance Learning, and Electronic Classroom responsibilities
Lessons Learned
If we were to do it over again…
Questions and Answers
The Panel
• Karen Adsit: [email protected]• Tracy Chapman:
[email protected]• Ellen Nathan: [email protected]• Dean Shaffer: