This document discusses analyzing course data stored in a Blackboard database to understand how courses and tools are used. It provides SQL queries to summarize data on course shells, top tools used, assignments, assessments, discussions, blogs, wikis, announcements and grades. Running the queries on an institution's own database can provide insights into how courses are structured and which tools see greater faculty adoption. Some enhancements are suggested such as incorporating additional data sources and slicing the data in different ways.

1. Open Database
and DIY Analytics
SCOTT KODAI
Manager, Distributed Learning Technologies
California State University, Chico

2. ABOUT ME
SCOTT KODAI
Manager, Distributed Learning Technologies
California State University, Chico
skodai@csuchico.edu
I have used Blackboard for 8 years (WebCT + Blackboard)
I lived in a cabin in the mountains without electricity or
running water for 4 years in high school.

3. ABOUT CHICO STATE
Chico, CA – 90mi north of Sacramento
FTE: 15,000, with 95% from CA
Most popular majors: Business Admin,
Psychology, and Liberal Studies
Strong history of integrating technology
with teaching and learning

4. ABOUT CHICO STATE
Focused on distance education
to reach rural areas
Started online courses in 1999,
using HorizonLive
Distributed Learning Tech team
has 4 people, TLP has 6
Instructional Designers.
98% of students use Bb
83% of instructors use Bb

5. WHAT WE ARE GOING
TO LEARN TODAY
This session will dig into the structure of the database,
describe some of the relationships between the tables
and the Blackboard Learn tools.
• How many faculty are taking advantage of the various
tools that are available?
• Which courses have assessments with 'Force
Completion' turned on?
• Are courses typically used as content repositories, or
are they used more for student collaboration?

6. OUR CHALLENGE
• Chico State creates a “blank” course shell for every
course offered
• We need to determine how many of those course
shells are used by faculty
• We also want to know *how* those course shells
are used by faculty

7. COURSE SHELLS USED
BY FACULTY

8. TOP 15
TOOLS USED

9. THE QUERY
Oracle:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zb2P_5jSSKNEgktc
7pqjHe2c7MLFgSM2VLrSb6d1B38/edit?usp=sharing
SQL Server (thanks to Bruce Tenison!):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wIRaB2Tfie7i_aOvi
ujqF1a3geSyMlbL4DwxtSAfrIs/edit?usp=sharing
This query can be exported as a CSV for further analysis.

10. COURSES WITHIN A
GIVEN TERM
select cm.pk1
from course_main cm
left join course_course cc on cm.pk1 = cc.crsmain_pk1
left join course_term ct on ct.crsmain_pk1 = cm.pk1
left join course_main cp on cp.pk1 = cc.crsmain_parent_pk1
where ct.term_pk1 = (select pk1 from term where name = 'Spring 2013')

11. ENROLLMENTS ERD

12. INSTRUCTOR
ENROLLMENTS
List of instructor‟s user IDs:
select cm.course_name, listagg(to_char(u.user_id), ',')
within group (order by u.pk1) as faculty
from users u, course_users cu, course_main cm
where u.pk1 = cu.users_pk1
and cu.crsmain_pk1 = cm.pk1
and cu.role = 'ci„ – Default instructor role is „P‟
and cu.row_status = 0
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name;

13. COUNT OF STUDENT
ENROLLMENTS
select cm.course_name, count(cu.pk1) as students
from users u, course_users cu, course_main cm
where u.pk1 = cu.users_pk1
and cu.crsmain_pk1 = cm.pk1
and cu.role = „S„
and data_src_pk1 = 264
and cu.row_status = 0
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name;

14. COURSE CONTENTS

15. CONTENT HANDLERS
resource/x-bb-lesson
resource/x-bb-flickr-mashup
resource/x-bb-textbook
resource/x-bb-video
resource/x-bb-forumlink
resource/x-bb-wiki
resource/x-bb-document
resource/x-bb-asmt-survey-link
resource/x-bb-file
resource/x-bb-chatlink
resource/x-bb-collaborate
resource/x-bb-assignment
resource/x-bb-syllabus
resource/x-bb-courselink
resource/x-turnitin-assignment
resource/x-bb-bloglink
resource/x-bb-journallink
resource/x-bb-grouplink
resource/x-mdb-assignment
resource/x-bb-image
resource/mcgraw-hill-assignment
resource/x-bb-externallink
resource/x-bb-blankpage
resource/x-bb-folder
resource/x-bb-toollink
resource/x-bbpi-selfpeer-type1
resource/x-bb-lesson-plan
resource/x-bb-audio
resource/x-bb-module-page
resource/x-bb-asmt-test-link
resource/x-bb-youtube-mashup

16. COURSES WITH
LEARNING MODULES
select cm.course_name, count(cc.pk1) as LearningModules
from course_main cm, course_contents cc
where cm.pk1 = cc.crsmain_pk1
and cc.cnthndlr_handle = „resource/x-bb-lesson‟
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name
order by cm.course_name;

17. COURSES WITH LESSON
PLANS
select cm.course_name, count(cc.pk1) as LessonPlans
from course_main cm, course_contents cc
where cm.pk1 = cc.crsmain_pk1
and cc.cnthndlr_handle = „resource/x-bb-lesson-plan‟
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name
order by cm.course_name;

18. COURSES WITH
WEB LINKS
select cm.course_name, count(cc.pk1) as WebLinks
from course_main cm, course_contents cc
where cm.pk1 = cc.crsmain_pk1
and cc.cnthndlr_handle = „resource/x-bb-externallink‟
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name
order by cm.course_name;

19. COURSES WITH
FILE CONTENT
select cm.course_name, count(cc.pk1) as FileLinks
from course_main cm, course_contents cc
where cm.pk1 = cc.crsmain_pk1
and cc.cnthndlr_handle = „resource/x-bb-file‟
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name
order by cm.course_name;

20. COURSES WITH
ITEMS
select cm.course_name, count(cc.pk1) as Items
from course_main cm, course_contents cc
where cm.pk1 = cc.crsmain_pk1
and cc.cnthndlr_handle = „resource/x-bb-document‟
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name
order by cm.course_name;

21. COURSES WITH
TURNITIN ASSIGNMENTS
select cm.course_name, count(cc.pk1) as Turnitin
from course_main cm, course_contents cc
where cm.pk1 = cc.crsmain_pk1
and cc.cnthndlr_handle = „resource/x-turnitin-assignment‟
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name
order by cm.course_name;

22. ASSIGNMENTS
• Looking for assignments in COURSE_CONTENTS
will lead to inaccurate numbers due to hidden, unused
assignments
• Best way I‟ve found to identify actual assignments is
to start with the gradebook tables:
• GRADEBOOK_MAIN
GRADEBOOK_GRADE

23. ASSIGNMENTS ERD

24. COURSES WITH
ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSIONS
select cm.course_name, count(distinct
gg.gradebook_main_pk1) as NumAssignments
from course_main cm, gradebook_main gm,
gradebook_grade gg
where cm.pk1 = gm.crsmain_pk1
and gm.pk1 = gg.gradebook_main_pk1
and gm.score_provider_handle = 'resource/x-bb-
assignment„
and gm.deleted_ind = 'N„
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name;

25. ASSESSMENTS ERD

26. COURSES WITH
ASSESSMENTS
select cm.course_name, count(distinct
gg.gradebook_main_pk1) as NumAssessments
from course_main cm, gradebook_main gm,
gradebook_grade gg
where cm.pk1 = gm.crsmain_pk1
and gm.pk1 = gg.gradebook_main_pk1
and gm.score_provider_handle = 'resource/x-bb-
assessment„
and gm.deleted_ind = 'N„
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name;

27. COURSES WITH
SURVEYS
select cm.course_name, count(distinct
gg.gradebook_main_pk1) as NumSurveys
from course_main cm, gradebook_main gm,
gradebook_grade gg
where cm.pk1 = gm.crsmain_pk1
and gm.pk1 = gg.gradebook_main_pk1
and gm.score_provider_handle = 'resource/x-bb-
assessment-survey„
and gm.deleted_ind = 'N„
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name;

28. DISCUSSIONS ERD

29. COURSES WITH ACTIVE
DISCUSSIONS
select cm.course_name, count(*) replies
from forum_main fm
left join msg_main mm on fm.pk1 = mm.forummain_pk1
left join conference_main confmain on confmain.pk1 =
fm.confmain_pk1
left join conference_owner co on co.pk1 =
confmain.conference_owner_pk1
left join course_main cm on cm.pk1 = co.owner_pk1
where mm.msgmain_pk1 is not null
and co.owner_table = 'COURSE_MAIN„
and co.owner_pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name;

30. BLOGS/JOURNALS ERD

31. COURSES WITH ACTIVE
BLOGS
select cm.course_name, count(distinct b.pk1) AS Blogs,
count(be.pk1) as Posts
from course_main cm, blogs b, blog_entry be
where cm.pk1 = b.crsmain_pk1
and b.pk1 = be.blog_pk1
and b.journal_ind = 'N„
and b.groups_pk1 is null
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name;

32. COURSES WITH ACTIVE
JOURNALS
select cm.course_name, count(distinct b.pk1) AS Journals,
count(be.pk1) as Entries
from course_main cm, blogs b, blog_entry be
where cm.pk1 = b.crsmain_pk1
and b.pk1 = be.blog_pk1
and b.journal_ind = „Y„
and b.groups_pk1 is null
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name;

33. WIKIS ERD

34. COURSES WITH COURSE
WIKIS
select cm.course_name, count(distinct w.pk1) as
CourseWikis
from course_main cm, wiki w
where cm.pk1 = w.course_main_pk1
and w.dtmodified > '27-JAN-13„
and w.group_pk1 is null
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name
order by cm.course_name;

35. COURSES WITH GROUP
WIKIS
select cm.course_name, count(distinct w.pk1) as
GroupWikis
from course_main cm, wiki w
where cm.pk1 = w.course_main_pk1
and w.dtmodified > '27-JAN-13„
and w.group_pk1 is not null
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name
order by cm.course_name;

36. ANNOUNCEMENTS ERD

37. COURSES WITH
ANNOUNCEMENTS
select cm.course_name, count(ann.pk1) as
Announcements
from course_main cm, announcements ann
where cm.pk1 = ann.crsmain_pk1
and ann.dtcreated > '13-JAN-13„
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name
order by cm.course_name;

38. GRADEBOOK ERD

39. COURSES WITH POSTED
GRADES
select cm.course_name, count(gg.pk1) as PostedGrades
from course_main cm, gradebook_main gm,
gradebook_grade gg
where cm.pk1 = gm.crsmain_pk1
and gm.pk1 = gg.gradebook_main_pk1
and gm.deleted_ind = 'N„
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name
order by cm.course_name;

40. USER ACTIVITY (HITS)
select cm.course_name, count(aa.pk1) as Hits
from course_main cm, activity_accumulator aa
where cm.pk1 = aa.course_pk1
and timestamp between „20-JAN-13‟ and „25-
MAY-13‟
and cm.pk1 in
[list of courses in given term]
group by cm.course_name
order by cm.course_name;

41. RUNNING THE QUERY
The query should run on your own system, with a couple
caveats:
• You have to use terms to group your courses
• You will need to adjust any dates to reflect the term
you are interested in
• You will need to adjust DSKs in some areas to suit
your own business rules

42. FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS
• Using hierarchies should allow us to slice
this data in more interesting ways
• This query misses some course content
that‟s linked only from the course menu
(course_toc table)
• I‟d like to incorporate student accesses by
content into the statistics to more accurately
determine content usage

43. THANK YOU!
SCOTT KODAI
Manager, Distributed Learning Technologies
California State University, Chico
skodai@csuchico.edu