A Holistic Approach to Encouraging the Use of Blackboard

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A Holistic Approach to Encouraging the Use of
Blackboard

• Charmian Eckersley, charmian.eckersley_at_newcastle.e
  du.au
• Education Services
• Tammy Robinson, tammy.robinson_at_newcastle.edu.au
• Faculty of Health
• Ron Sharkey, Faculty of Health
• The University of Newcastle
• 20 November 2003

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Exponential growth in Blackboard Use

• Number of Courses 1,100 - 2003
• Number of Enrolments 88,000
• Number of Instructors 1,476 
• Hits on Most Active Date
• 6 Aug 2003 254,909

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Escalating Use
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Organisational Context

• University Review 2002
• Devolution without duplication
• IT Review 2002-3 Teaching and Learning Working
  Group

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Management Framework for Teaching and Learning
Environment
Deputy Vice Chancellor
Pro Vice-Chancellor Information Technology Pro
Vice-Chancellor Teaching and Learning
IT Portfolio Committee (ITPC) Curriculum Teaching
Learning Portfolio Committee (CTLPC)
ADVICE INFORMATION
Exec Directors USD
Asst Deans IT and TL

• USD system operation support
• Infrastructure services
• Education services
• Student Alumni Community Services
• Human Resource Services

• User Groups (USD Faculty representation)
• Blackboard User Group

• Faculties through
• IT Committees
• Curriculum Teaching Learning Ctees

Teaching Learning Systems Blackboard Library
databases Theatre technologies (AMX) Videoconferen
cing Tutorial tracking system Professional
placement system NURAPID Timetable system
(Syllabus) Computer Laboratories Skillbuilder
Administrative Systems Curriculum Tracking System
(CTS) Groupwise (email) NUSTAR (student course
records) Concept (staff records) Finance systems
Student Systems Studentmail etc
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Support Groups
Blackboard User Group Faculty reps
Education Services (system owner)
Infrastructure Services (System Database
Administrators)
Network for Innovation In Teaching Learning
Human Resource Services
Information Desks (for students)
Call Centre (for staff)
Training
Integration Project Peoplesoft, Course Tracking
System, etc. Blackboard Upgrade Project
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Blackboard User Group

• Terms of Reference
• The User Group aims to be representative of all
  users of the course management system
  (Blackboard). It will encourage representatives
  to gather views from within their organizational
  units. The User Group shall have primary
  responsibility to advise on planning and
  operation of Blackboard.
• Advising on issues and questions relating to the
  operation of Blackboard in relation to the core
  business of teaching and learning including
  central support, Faculty responsibilities, use in
  research, teaching and learning.
• ...

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Support Teams in Partnership Training
Network for Innovation in Teaching Learning
Human Resource Services
Training Workshops
Trainers usu. from Faculties
Network for Innovation in Teaching Learning
Seminars, Forums, QA Sessions
Faculty Leaders or Working Group
Presenters usu. from Faculties
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Overview sessions


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CommunicationAssessmentEvaluation of teaching
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• Blackboard _at_ Newcastle
• Supporting webpages
• Welcome to Blackboard course for new users.
• All instructors are registered - news
• Documentation Dos and Donts, student

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Technical Support Team

• Education Services
• Infrastructure Services
• Servers
• Software
• Systems integration
• Tutorial Placement System -gt Groups
• NUSTAR PeopleSoft student system
• Concept staff system

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Faculty of Health - Bb

• History of dissatisfaction with Topclass and
  Motet subsequent move to Blackboard.
• 2001 3rd Year Bachelor of Nursing Clinical
  Course and Post Graduate Nurse Practitioner
  Program delivered online via Bb.
• 2003 All Nursing Midwifery Postgraduate
  Undergraduate Programs using Bb
• Most Programs in Faculty of Health using Bb.

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Bb Support - Faculty of Health

• Mentoring for staff who are not competent with
  computers or learning management systems.
• Open-door access to support for staff/students.
• Contact details posted in all Bb courses for
  students.

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Evaluation
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Strongly Agree 2
   Agree 2
   Neutral 2
   Disagree 2
   Strongly Disagree 2
This course has been presented in an interesting
and stimulating way.
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Online Assignment Submission

• Problems with Digital Dropbox (large numbers of
  students and multiple lecturers/tutors)
• Created online form which utilises Bbs email
  function to send assignments to a nominated email
  account.

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I liked having a choice in the way that
assignments could be submitted.
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The electronic form for submitting assignments
was easy to use
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Two-way Sharing

• Faculty the innovators
• Re-developed as a resource for the whole
  University
• Facilitating opportunities for sharing
• GradSchool resources
• Blackboard orientation re-worked into
• Blackboard Walkthrough
• On CD via the web

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Interview with 50 academic managers

• Attend a workshop - but specific questions arise
  when you actually have to develop the curriculum
  
• Not everything relevant to your design project
  can be covered in the workshops
• Hesitant to ask proficient colleagues - an
  imposition
• Mentoring service Exemplar course

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Mentoring

• Facilitating a Blackboard start-up mentoring
  service for those requesting more intensive and
  relevant help in course design
• Production of specialised learning materials by
  the multi-media skilled team
• Exemplar facilitating an understanding of
  pedagogical principles underpinning course design
  and delivery online

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Practical Skills Teaching Programme
Blackboard Workshops
Exemplar course In Blackboard
Workshops Seminars
Postgrad Course in Education- Fully online
Mentoring
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Selection of the exemplar

• 100 online course exploring all new pedagogies
  3 years
• Author the recipient of the University award for
  excellence in teaching
• An educationist with theoretical underpinnings
  applying new knowledge
• Researching and evaluating teaching and learning

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Course design

• The use of role playing (Bonk, 2002)
• Its constructivist approach to learning (Dick
  Carey, 1990)
• Provision of plenty of resources for learner
  inquiry and critical thinking (McLoughlin
  Oliver, 1999)
• A focus on outcomes (Oliver, 2000)
• Encouraging deeper learning (Carmean Haefner,
  2002)

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Course design

• Use of the authentic context of classroom
  scenarios (Herrington, Oliver, Stoney, 2000)
• Use of authentic assessment activities (Oliver,
  2000 Reeves Okey, 1996)
• Careful planning of the organization of the
  curriculum

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Deeper learning

• Constructed around the five core deeper learning
  principles
• social, active, contextual, engaging, and
  student-owned
• Creating of the learning community via thoughtful
  use of the Discussion Board.
• assessment requirements
• social café

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Achievable

• Teaching Learning Support team
• Multimedia enhancements for the scenarios.
• Static images and sound clips to help students
  make the connection between the theory and the
  work they will be performing

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Teaching Online Forum
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