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Originally posted on The Mobile Garage by Eric Denman, lead developer for Android and BlackBerry. Today we announced the availability of an “SDK” for integrating other Android applications with Blackboard Mobile Central. Ever since we released Android for Mobile Central last Fall, we’ve known that we wanted to allow third party developers to join our Android ecosystem.  Our focus is, and always will be, on creating tools that do the greatest good for the greatest number of our users. This means that specialized tools (discipline-specific assessment tools, regional utilities, integration with specific systems) aren’t something we’re likely to develop ourselves. Now, with the Android SDK for Mobile Central, schools can integrate those tools themselves. Rather than release a structured set of tools and APIs for building Mobile Central modules like for our SDK for iOS, the Android solution leaves the door completely open: if you want to integrate your existing Android app into Mobile Central, you can, with very little effort.  Our build scripts will automatically detect the entry point, logo, and title of the module, and add it to the springboard automatically. At some point, we may release a shared library to encourage consistency of UI with the rest of Android Mobile Central, but for now we just wanted to open the door and see what solutions come out of our talented developer pool. Existing clients: if you want to get started integrating SDK modules into your Android Mobile Central app, you can submit a ticket to your Client Implementation Manager.

Almost 2,000 of you are registered for BbWorld and now that it’s just 30 days away, it’s time to plan your trip! The MyBbWorld feature is available via BbWorld.com to help you build your itinerary and create a schedule that meets your personal interests throughout the week. But with more than 150 sessions on the program, you might not know where to begin. Some of your favorite Bb employees and well-known clients have provided their list of “must-see sessions.” There’s definitely something for everyone, whether you’re a director of technology, system administrator, instructional technologist, or a professional development coordinator. Take a look here as you plot out your trip:

I recently learned what the word potable means, as did many high schoolers who attend Lucy Hammel’s virtual English class.  Hammel, a teacher for K12, Inc. who blogged about So What Does a Virtual Classroom Look Like, explained how she uses Blackboard Collaborate to connect with her kids on a more powerful, personal level, which helps them succeed via high-touch interaction.  In this particular instance, she explained that most students are not familiar with the word “potable” and they think it is difficult to remember.  So, by engaging with them via Blackboard Collaborate, she was able to tell them a funny story about how her daughters learned the meaning of the word when they visited her parents in Florida last summer – and the definition stuck.

Stephen P. Vickers is the Technology Enhanced Learning Manager at The University of Edinburgh. Please join him, along with Simon Booth from the University of Stirling, during their presentation, “A Plug and Play Learning Application Integration – Seamlessly Connect to Learning” on Thursday, July 14, 2011 from 10:15AM-11:10AM in Titian 2205. Many go to Vegas in the hopes of a big win.  Well come to Vegas next month and I can guarantee you a win-win-win.  The IMS Basic Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) specification truly delivers a win-win-win.  It is a win for teachers and learners.  It is a win for Blackboard system administrators.  And, it is a win for developers of elearning applications. One of the great things about the second week of July is that thousands of people with a common goal all come together in a single place.  The common goal is enhancing the student learning experience.  This year promises to be even more exciting.  Not only do we have OSCELOT Open Source Day 6, DevCon and BbWorld, but also the Blackboard Collaborate Connections Summit. This breadth of activity is perfectly mirrored in the impact of Basic LTI on the eLearning community.

Guest Post by Nancy Webb, Instructional Designer, College of Southern Nevada and a member of the Ask Dr. C program, a free question and answer service for Blackboard users. Often, when we think of online course instruction, and the usage of a Learning Management Systems (LMS) to facilitate it, the usage of a combination of face-to-face and online learning in the same course is overlooked. This latter method of instruction is called hybrid, or blended, learning. In short, a portion of the class is delivered via face-to-face instruction and the rest is done through an LMS, like Angel or Blackboard Learn, Release 9.1.  At the College of Southern Nevada, where we run Angel, I encourage our entire faculty to explore the usage of this teaching style.