The document summarizes Kate Boardman's presentation on getting started with Blackboard at the University of Durham. Some key points: - The University of Durham has around 10,000 students and 800 staff across two campuses and chose the Blackboard learning management system. - An initial small pilot was expanded to over 380 courses across most departments and over 6,000 students within a year. - Support for staff and students included training sessions, documentation, and a test environment. Implementation was done gradually on a departmental level. - Ongoing efforts focused on expanding use across more programs and services, increasing uptake by staff and students, and promoting best practices for pedagogical use of the tools

1. Kate Boardman June 17 th & 18 th 2004 Blackboard: Getting Started Presentation

2. Background Institutional Implementation Decisions and Procedures Customisation

3. University of Durham 670 academic / 280 academic-related staff 9400 undergraduates / 2400 postgraduates Split campus Research led Traditional university Learning Technologies Team

4. Learning Environments Develop your own high risk but flexible Nationally funded project high risk not flexible Commercial low risk but less flexible How to choose?

5. Evaluation Criteria (i) Interoperability must link with student records Robustness large user base from many institutions User interface easy to use for both students and staff Security only registered students should view material

6. Evaluation Criteria (ii) Multimedia support different file formats Accessible on & off campus. Web access? Client software? Assessment progress of students trackable by students and staff Feedback must be possible

7. Evaluation Criteria (iii) Collaboration allow groups of students within modules Discussion/chat must support Help good online help for staff and students Paper backup must be easily printable

8. Decisions at Durham Commercial product Blackboard v WebCT Cost - similar price Deciding factor = ease of use Possibility of progression (Level 3) (NB. 4 out of 5 NE HEIs chose Bb independently)

9. Blackboard Academic staff ease of use flexibility limited choices Students ease of use ease of access

10. Support / Training Demonstration course A Test Centre Voluntary training sessions x 2 (200+ staff = c. 50% total) Instructional guides x 2 can use to self-teach Information sheets x 7 Student demonstrations

11. Implementation Strategy Pilot - choose pilot courses carefully quality content, communication, images commitment, risk Departmental create any courses requested - move to all dept/year. University wide

12. The Plan . . . 3 courses, 3 departments, 200 students Geography year 1 IT skills module History year 3 special subject ‘Mau Mau’ Sport PGCE Physical Education

13. The Reality . . . 383 courses, 23 departments, 6121 students (data correct June 12th 2001) All faculties Cross-campus research groups

14. Expansion Module Resources to Online Community Colleges Tutor/Tutee support JCR / MCR / SCR ‘Livers out’ Placement students – e.g. year abroad Alumni

15. Expansion (cont) University Administration Academic Office Admissions Widening Participation Part-time students Senior Tutors / Heads of Houses / Bursars University Services Careers

16. Uptake by course

17. Uptake by staff

18. 2004

19. Gift-wrapping the box Freshers International students Careers advisory service Library Resit registration Postgraduate training University Office

20. Our model of implementation Presentation: 15-20 mins, 3-5 people Demonstration: 45-60 mins, 15-25 people [ Departmental policy discussion ] Implementation: module codes, titles, staff Development: training @ 1-2 weeks, follow-up @ 4-6 weeks, revision with dept @ 12 weeks QAA PRIORITY

21. Progress with duo? LTT looking at content/activity Little initial change in teaching methods Some staff aware of the potential Beginning to move to online teaching Any intervention encourages staff to think about their teaching

22. The Learning Experience University: a community of scholars - sharing & refining knowledge & understanding VLE > MLE > E-moderating provide the environment let confidence grow offer targeted training regular ‘health-checks’ gradual change in techniques

23. Walk before you can run What am I saying? Add materials gradually Do things that are NOT a leap in technology Give students tasks involving appropriate use of Bb Ensure sound pedagogy Keep focus away from technology (especially where for technology’s sake)

24. Community of Practice Horizontal Vertical Within Without

25. Some ideas Raise awareness Identify generic projects Work in departments Examine training & help

26. VLE: Valuable Learning Experience Promotion of learning through discussion groups Self-test assessment with feedback Media-rich content Enhanced use of existing CAL applications Development of ‘e-tivities’

27. Welcome! blackboard.com / behind.blackboard.com JISCMAIL: [email_address] ASU mail-list: [email_address] Blackboard UK Users http://www.dur.ac.uk/ltteam/bbuk

29. SysAdmin? SysAdmin panel overview Configuration of gateway System tools System options Course management User management

30. Getting Started Issues to consider when you start out: Technical System Courses Users Support Institutional implementation/rollout

31. Technical issues Do you have enough memory? 2 quad processors, 4Gb RAM, 2x 137Mb hard disks > load balancing Back-up procedures? We close our system down entirely for 30 mins every night - a full back-up only if database is stopped (Unix) Virus protection? Worth ensuring virus-checker added to server

32. System options Think about initial options before going live very messy to alter options after system in use options to ‘create’ need careful monitoring Admin roles try to keep minimum staff with sys-admin authority System identity beware changing tab buttons! identity = strong focus edit login page

33. Courses Course IDs use identifier for year - think rollover use same identifier as student records for batch upload departmental identifier first = easier to search CAN NOT CHANGE even through snapshot Checklist consider a checklist for new staff when creating unavailable until satisfactory? available by default?

34. Users User ID / Passwords Student – is it unique, secure? Do they know it? Staff - often don’t know email passwords.. Passwords at least 1 character, no spaces, special characters – link to IT change password Policy: change email allowed? Change User ID Only through snapshot

35. Support ADMIN TAKES TIME!!! Help queries to general IT help desk - fast! Rolling programme of drop-in training sessions - not so much formal staff training Good examples / best practice for staff Students need little training using system BUT do need guidance what/when

36. Institutional rollout Policy development email addresses printing credits hard copy/photocopies ‘essential’ info Student records data is often unreliable batch uploads need constant verification use roster to check

37. Make sure… Catalog has enrol button in student view Email send to self – audit trail Address book – off Removing system area removes content Institutional announcements always top Access to brief help documents

38. Tips & tricks Admin/communication course hierarchy HTML basics (even with WYSIWYG) Test as ‘Joe Student’ Create a ‘guest’ instead of guest Add a course banner Prepare an introductory email Tools/links on menu

39. Rollover Process – through web forms Removing users New courses New students Automatic wherever possible