We’ve been using Blackboard at Mount Marty College for several years now and developing mastery has been an evolutionary process. We’re using our installed version near to its limits and I’m ready for some new capabilities. I’m particularly interested in podcast support and student photo logs of my sections. Remembering names is a personal weakness and I could use the help.
Fortunately Blackboard keeps improving its course management software. There are tons of new capabilities in the latest release. What this clip to find out what’s new.
I’m impressed! The University of Cincinnati is using the latest version of Blackboard in lots of new ways:
student photo roster
integrated grade book
podcast building block
student-controlled portal
campus polling
multiple community organizations
integrated campus services
I’m going to ask the Dean to make an investment in this update.
Blackboard makes adding podcasts to your course easier than ever!
This podcast shows you exactly how to add a podcast to your course using the latest version of Blackboard. Its easy and powerful. Those of us still using an earlier version can add them as Learning Units. Just insert the URL or upload the podcast. Its just that easy!
One of the greatest challenges in teaching undergraduate students is accommodating diverse learning styles but doing so is can improve learning (Chickering & Gamson, 1987). Yet its hard work. There are very few opportunities to learn how and there is much to do within our own disciplines. What is one to do?
The beauty of Blackboard courses is they are available 7/24. Its available whenever students want to study and you’d e surprised when that is. Many of our students are actually working online while you and I are snoring like a buzz-saw. So it makes sense to make content available in Blackboard.
Adding content means more than posting syllabi, assignments, and scores. That’s filing. Adding content requires inserting nuggets of information online that are traditionally presented in lecture and text. It means entering into the exciting world of multimedia. But it doesn’t mean you need to become a creator of multimedia programs. You’ll have greater success as a wise consumer of multimedia and one of the best places to shop is the iTunes store.
This podcast shows you how to shop and neatly tuck your purchases away into your Blackboard course. The best thing about this is you don’t have to bring your wallet or purse. Everything you need is free.
One thing we know about undergraduate students today is they are consumers of electronic gadgets. They grew up watching television, playing video games, and listening to MP3 players while skating around the park. They can relate to podcasts and use them in ways we may not fully understand yet. We can accommodate diverse ways of learning by putting the content in students’ hands and iPods.
DePaul University released 6 vods (videos on demand) on using the Blackboard course management system to iTunes U. These vods are released in the spirit of the open learning which means they are freely available to all.
The first vod entitled SNL Blackboard Training was recorded on March 14, 2007. SNL stands for School for New Learning and its a DePaul initiative to offer degree programs online. This first vod in the series is a videotape of a live faculty in-service. The production quality is low. The lighting is poor and the sound fades at times. The room was dark while taping and the screens shots are merely projector screen images. Shooting was from an angle rather than straight on. The course was based on the book Blackboard to Dummies and I’m sure you’ll get more out of the book than watching this vod for two hours and thirty-five minutes. I could only watch it for about seven minutes. However, I did spot check it throughout and the lack of quality was consistent.
Use this vod if you ever want to demonstrate the need for professional technicians on campus to your superiors.
Moving on. The next two vods consist of the same video-taping session offered in two halves rather than a whole. This is slightly better because the vods are shorter but that is the only improvement. Still too long given the lack of production quality.
There is hope though. The next two vods entitled Explorer Print Tutorial and Firefox Print Tutorial demonstrate how to print Blackboard web pages. They are brief and to the point at just over a minute in length. It appears they are using screenshots with an out of focus camera but no but I believe they are actually videotaping from an overhead projector which causes focus issues. Why does DePaul want to kill trees anyway? Let’s become the promised paperless society and let the forests grow.
The final vod Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) and Vista Blackboard Tutorial is produced in the same manner but the focus seems a little better. Unfortunately all this vod does is show a work-around to solve problems with Microsoft’s new products. It seems Microsoft’s new operating system and browser don’t like user input. I have a better idea! Use a Mac.
Nice try but no cigar! This series illustrates the difficulties involved in video production. All in all I have to assess this work as a failure. There is information here but its too much effort to glean it. DePaul’s effort is appreciated and I’m sure their hearts of are in the right place but they need to redo. It is a great topic and need to be done well. Next time I hope they have a professional camera man and a director. They also need to break the material down into manageable segments. These are smart people. They’ll get it right.
Kudos for trying!
The rest of us need to remember taping a vod is the same thing as taping a television show or movie.
I’m deleting this series from my hard drive ASAP. Sorry DePaul, better luck next time.
