Developers+

I know, over the years I’ve spoken to many of you about my love for Washington, D.C.  It’s my hometown – I grew up just outside the District and have lived here my whole life.  I think we’ve got it all: a historical yet vibrant city, mountains, ocean – all within a few hours.  I’ve even invited a few of you to visit me over the years.

I’m extending that invitation to a slightly larger group this year.  Who’s invited?  Well . . . all of you! 

Mark your calendars for BbWorld '09 being held from July 14 – July 16, 2009, at the Gaylord National Resort, just outside Washington. 

The annual Blackboard users conference provides opportunities for us to discover, share, learn, experience and network.  There’s no better place for you to connect with others who share your passion for e-Learning!

Eric Kunnen, coordinator of instructional technologies at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) in Michigan, and a doctor in the Ask Dr. C program, is using Google Analytics to track use of GRCC's Blackboard implementation.  He posted some rather interesting results today on his blog. 

By Maisie Caines, Blackboard ECP Director, MC-OnLine Consulting, Campus Administrator, College of the North Atlantic (Newfoundland, CA)

I’ve been posting about the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program.  First, an entry about my eight-year experience as a review and then director, and then entries highlighting best practices in two past winning courses (General Biology and Public Speaking).  In this post I’ll explain exactly what I do as volunteer course reviewer in the program and why I find it rewarding, because I hope you'll join me.

I always begin the task of reviewing an online course by visiting the course discussion board.  You can learn so much about a course by spending some time browsing through the various threads and postings of both the students and facilitators.  I look for answers to a series of questions:

Are students engaged?  Is there evidence of learning?  Have critical-thinking skills evolved?  Are students collaborating in teams?  Are the students helping each other?  Who is moderating and driving the interactions—students or facilitators?  Is the discussion board organized around topics, objectives, teams?

Gail P. Rankin, Director Faculty Support Services, Salem State College (Salem, Massachusetts)

Initially, when I joined the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program, I thought the process was a bit intimidating.  The ECP rubric was new to me.  (View it as a PDF here.)  And it contained topics I hadn't really considered before, when looking at courses.  Before participating in the program, I mostly had looked at just course design.

The program seemed like such a great opportunity, however, and certainly not one to pass up, so I encouraged faculty members at Salem to join the program with me.

Participating was a terrific experience for me, for the faculty and for our school.  I met more faculty members on this campus and some from other locations.  The ECP process spawned discussions amidst the faculty, about the rubric itself and course size, and other larger pedagogical concerns they held, about using technology in the curriculum.

I've been posting here a series of brief clips of informal interviews with members of Blackboard user groups conducted with simple Flip video cameras at conferences and events by their peers and Blackboard Client Success team member Sahar Javadi.  I love these videos, being able to actually see who is using the same software, learning comparable things, in places far from where I live.

Some of the interviewees have discussed e-Learning at their schools and campuses or students who are spread around the world.  Others have reviewed Blackboard products, sites and services.  Many have described with passion the networks of support and collaboration that occur within their user groups.  A few have plugged future user group conferences (all of us are always selling something, aren't we?).  And one man asked the Blackboard K-12 community to build a global user group.

Seems only fair to also post a clip in which the camera is pointed at a Blackboard team member.  Here Blackboard User Experience Architect Rob Fay introduces himself and explains what exactly a "user experience architect" (my vote for the best Blackboard job title) does:

More interview clips with community members can be found on the BlackboardTV Channel on YouTube.