The Australian National Rural Women’s Coalition (NRWC) is using the latest Blackboard Collaborate™ technology to help women in rural parts of Australia build leadership skills, network and learn better business practices. The virtual classroom environment allows the women to connect from all across the continent to engage in active learning through virtual workshops. To learn more about this e-learning and leadership program, supported by the Australian Government, check out this story from a local Australia paper.

As academic activity slows and students wrap up their finals, IT professionals on campuses around the country are just gearing up for a busy upgrade season. The winter break between semesters is a perfect time to make software upgrades and updates to the important systems on campus – like the LMS. So, when everyone returns in the spring, the latest version of Blackboard is installed – with new and improved features – like gifts under the tree. We’re hearing Ohio University, University of North Texas, Kent State University, Quinnipiac University, University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Madison Area Technical College, Palomar College, University of Alaska Anchorage and Pulaski Technical College are all working diligently to upgrade to the latest version of Blackboard Learn™ 9.1 this upgrade season.

Since 2002, California State University Channel Islands (CI) has been enriching the learning experience by extending their courses online with Blackboard Inc. software. In 2011, however, they were faced with budget cuts and decided it was an important time to determine if Blackboard Learn was the most cost-effective solution that simultaneously maintains a high level of faculty and student satisfaction. Although CI looked at a variety of learning management systems, the hands-on evaluation focused on Blackboard Learn 9.1 and Moodle 1.9. These two systems were most commonly used in other Cal State University (CSU) campuses and therefore provided an easy transition for faculty who teach across the CSU system.