The Future of Course Management Systems Dr. Deborah Everhart, [e-mail] Sr. Architect, Blackboard Inc. Adjunct Assistant Professor, Georgetown University

1
The Future of Course Management SystemsDr.
Deborah Everhart, everhart_at_georgetown.eduSr.
Architect, Blackboard Inc.Adjunct Assistant
Professor, Georgetown University

• At Blackboard, Dr. Everhart provides leadership
  in product strategy and development. Her
  responsibilities include researching, analyzing,
  and designing features and functionality for new
  products, including the next generation of
  Blackboard and WebCT integrations.
• She teaches in Georgetown University's Medieval
  Studies program. She received her Ph.D. in
  English from the University of California,
  Irvine. Dr. Everhart has been using computers in
  the classroom since 1985. The Labyrinth, the
  medieval studies Website that she co-directs with
  Martin Irvine, was the first Web project at
  Georgetown University.
• She served for six years as the Sr. Internet
  Development Coordinator in University Information
  Services at Georgetown University, where she
  acted as Internet2 Applications Representative,
  coordinated the University's Web development and
  policies, and implemented and supported
  Blackboard.

2
YesterdayInefficiencies and Lost Productivity

• No such thing as online
• Manual processes
• Walking to offices to fill out forms
• Waiting in line for course registration
• Ordering textbooks on hardcopy forms
• Typing the syllabus and other handouts
• Photocopying

3
YesterdayLimited Access to Content

• Only hardcopy
• Students lost the syllabus
• Difficulty adjusting the syllabus
• Out of date textbooks
• No good way to make links between the materials
• Books checked out of the library
• Interlibrary loan

4
YesterdayFew Communication Methods

• Classroom
• After class
• Office hours

5
YesterdayKnowledge Sharing and Creation

• Faculty to student knowledge sharing outside the
  classroomoffice hours, mentoring
• Student to student knowledge sharingstudy groups
• Student knowledge creationsolitary, often
  unverified

6
TodayEfficiencies and Improved Productivity

• Materials can be always available online,
  anytime, anywhere
• Processes and services can be delivered online
• Syllabus and assignments are online
• Auto-grading of quizzes and tests
• Online Gradebook
• Performance Dashboard to monitor student progress
  and participation
• Online calendar, tasks, contacts
• Full environment of supporting services to enable
  success

7
TodayAccess to Content

• Always available online
• Links to library materials
• Online journals (and entire books)
• Online course reserve readings
• Rapid updates in textbooks
• Online connections to supplementary textbook
  materials and tools
• RSS subscriptions for personalized delivery of
  updated information
• Real time news connections

8
TodayCommunication Methods

• Discussion boards
• Email
• Chat
• IM
• Whos Online
• Online presentation tools
• Conference calls
• Virtual Classroom

9
TodayKnowledge Sharing and Creation

• Faculty/Student knowledge sharing via
  collaboration online without physical barriers
• Feedback instantaneous
• Online testing
• Self-testing
• Student to student knowledge sharing organized
  both by faculty and by the students
• Student group work in online private spaces

10
Near TermEfficiencies and Improved Productivity

• Web 2.0inline editing, personalization, memory
  of recent actions and preferences
• Early notifications of student progress
• Efficiencies of online evaluation and continuous
  improvement processes
• Online tools for institutional surveys, course
  evaluations, and other feedback mechanisms

11
Near TermAccess to Content

• Learning Object repositories
• Unbundling content
• Static content gt Collaborative content
  development
• Wikis
• Blogs
• Podcasts
• Online gt untethered

12
Near TermCommunication Methods

• Increasingly portable
• IM and email on cell phones
• Forwarding services

13
Near TermKnowledge Sharing and Creation

• Course-centric gt learner centric
• Faculty-centric gt Empowering students
• ePortfolios
• Solitary learning gt Social learning and peer
  review
• Notes to oneself gt social tagging

14
Future Think Efficiencies and Improved
Productivity

• Proximity alerts
• Ubiquitous wireless
• Access to the Web of global information from any
  device
• Search agents

15
Future ThinkAccess to Content

• Augmented reality
• Global online libraries with full content
  digitized and highly hyperlinked

16
Future ThinkCommunication Methods

• Ubiquitous real-time communication and
  collaboration

17
Future ThinkKnowledge Sharing and Creation

• Vast networks of socially constructed knowledge
• Bookmarks and tagging/commentary of peers--
  folksonomies
• Subscriptions to follow the paths of others