This document discusses strategies for integrating external content into online courses in Blackboard. It outlines reasons to use external content such as providing high-quality, diverse learning materials beyond an institution's means. It also discusses important considerations for selecting content such as academic integrity, accessibility, and rights of use. Finally, the document presents various sources of external content including commercial publishers and vendors, non-profit and open educational resources, as well as a decision-making model for evaluating and implementing external content.

1. Integrating External
Content in
Blackboard
Michael Anderson
Assistant Director
University of Texas System
TeleCampus

2. Why Use External Content?
 High-quality and diverse usually beyond the
means of institutions
 Multi-modal learning experiences for students
 Allows instructor to focus on designing the
learning experience
 Saves time and money
 You wouldn’t write a textbook would you?

3. Where to begin: Selecting Content
What kind of content would add value?
 Multi-modal or media-rich presentations
 Simulations and interactivity
and is appropriate?
 Academic Integrity
 Bandwidth and Accessibility
 Support and Reliability
 Design and Usability
 Rights of Use
 Costs
What content would help achieve course
goals and learning outcomes?

4. Wide Range of Sources
Commercial Sources
 Print publishers (course cartridges)
 Course vendors (Thinkwell, SIRIUS/McGraw-Hill)
 Supplement providers (WebAssign, Curriculum
Pathways)
Non-Profit & OER Sources
 Courses (NROC, MIT-OCW, CMU-OLI, SOFIA)
 Repositories (Wisconsin)
 Referatories (MERLOT)
Institutions and Colleagues
 Communities of Practice (TLT Groups)
 Local Initiatives (Orange Grove, SCORE)

5. Sources: Commercial
Print Publishers
 Vetted high-quality content (confidence in
editorial quality saves time)
 More costly, per student charges
 Textbook specific materials usually provided as
course cartridges at fee to students
 Often lacks media-rich content
 Lack of flexibility for instructor customization and
hosting

6. Sources: Commercial
Course Vendors (i.e., Thinkwell)
 Vetted high-quality content (confidence in
editorial quality saves time)
 More costly, per student charges
 Services in addition to courses
 Lack of flexibility for instructor customization
and hosting

7. Sources: Commercial
Supplement Providers (i.e., Curriculum Pathways,
United Streaming)
 Vetted, permissioned content
 Search and choose
 Flexibility to download (United Streaming) or
access in hosted environment (CP)
 Breadth of coverage
 Transaction model for the content (license,
statewide purchase, student purchase, etc.)

8. Sources: Non-Profits & OERs
Course and Content Developers (i.e., NROC,
MIT-OCW, SOFIA)
 Vetted content at affordable prices
 Some sources require additional review
 Flexibility for customization and hosting
 Inclusion of media-rich, multi-modal content
varies significantly
 Commitment and funding
 Educational non-profits provide balance
between vetted content, flexibility and cost

9. Sources: Non-Profit Organizations
Learning Object Repositories & Referatories (LORs)
 Low cost or gratis access to content
 Contributed by dedicated academics
 Academic integrity, but single perspective
 Flexibility varies significantly (format of the
content)
 Usually not vetted (uneven quality)
 Usually requires time commitment to visit to
multiple sources
 Technology incompatibilities

10. Strategies for Evaluating Online
Content
Does the content and technology fit the design
philosophy of the online program?
 Objectives and outcomes
 Instructional design philosophy
 Flexibility to fit within the course format
 Institutional branding
 Transparency
 Development process

11. Strategies for Evaluating Online
Content
Is it easy for instructors to use?
 Transparent technology
 Technology support staff and training
 Instructional design staff and training
 Support and feedback loop with the
developer

12. Strategies for Evaluating Online
Content
Is it easy to use for students?
 Quality directions for using the content
 Transparent navigation and access
 Transparent technology
 Appropriate bandwidth
 Is any additional help desk support required
and how does that affect student success?

13. External Content:
A Decision-Making
Do I want to use No Continue building
Model 3rd party content? course on my own
Solo
Yes New
Replace
Augment
Time and Cost
How do I plan to
use the content?
Augment existing Replace existing Start with all
content content new content

14. Augment existing Replace existing Start with all
content content new content
The Ecology of
External Content What sources do
I want to use?
Community of Repositories/ Publishers &
Practice referatories non-profits
Publish
CoP
Reposi
Reposi
CoP Publish
Time
Cost Time

15. Augment existing Replace existing Start with all
content content new content
What computer-aided
Pedagogical strategies do I want to utilize?
Strategy terminology research design
theories
Vocabulary Access Video Lab
Podcast
practice to tools cases simulation
PBL
VR
Game

16. Quality
Quality Publish
Standards Evaluate search results
CoP Reposi
Design Integration Technical Integration
flexibility reliability
• Color • Linked location
• Editing/CMS • Embedded location
• Navigation • IP/storage
• Detachable/target • SCORM
• Plug-ins • Support
Implementation

18. www.thinkwell.com

19. www.wisc-online.com

20. lor.theorangegrove.org