Northern Illinois University transitioned from using the Wimba synchronous collaboration tool to Blackboard Collaborate. They conducted a pilot with 50 faculty/staff users of Wimba and found that Blackboard Collaborate had additional features. NIU provided training to faculty support staff on Blackboard Collaborate and allowed all courses on their Blackboard system to use the tool. The transition process included testing the integration with Blackboard, creating documentation, and conducting a survey of faculty Wimba users to understand what features they found most useful and important.

1. Upgrading is Not an Uphill Battle:
How NIU Easily Transitioned to
Blackboard Collaborate
j.mp/niubbcollab @jrhode

2. Jason Rhode
Assistant Director
Faculty Development and
Instructional Design Center
jrhode@niu.edu
twitter.com/jrhode
j.mp/niubbcollab @jrhode

3. Journey Begins…with Wimba
Inquiry begins into Funding Documentation
available for pilot page for NIU
synchronous phase created
collaboration tools approved
Concept paper Survey of NIU
submitted for pilot
phase funding Implementation faculty who
NIU with Bb used tool
Announces WC available
Strategic Pilot began Pilot ended
Demo to for all NIU
Planning Council of 2-day onsite (~50 courses using
Initiative Deans training faculty/staff) Bb
Pilot Phase
9/07 10/07 11/07 1/08 8/08 9/08
j.mp/niubbcollab @jrhode

4. Blackboard Collaborate @ NIU
• Online office hours
• Reducing in-class “seat time” with virtual lectures
• Guest presenters
• Online group collaborations
• Online group presentations
• Orientation for online classes
• Training sessions for graduate students prior to starting
clinical internships
• Long-distance “pen-pals”
• Task force committee meetings
• Pre-admissions counseling with prospective students
• Faculty Development online & simulcast workshops
j.mp/niubbcollab @jrhode

5. Transitioning to Bb Collaborate @ NIU
Testing & Config
Blackboard Begins of Bb Documentation
Collaborate 11 Collab 11 & Bb page for NIU
Released Learn building 2-day onsite
created training for
block
faculty support
FacDev begins staff
using Bb Collab Faculty
Bb Collab
NIU previews
available in all
Participants
Bb courses
in Wimba Survey of WC
Upgrade faculty Wimba Upgrade disabled
Cohort users to v12
Non-academic
uses enabled via
Communities
Dual Deployment Limited Release
7/11 8/11 9/11 2/12 3/12 6/12 7/12 8/12
j.mp/niubbcollab @jrhode

6. Faculty Previews of Bb Collaborate
niu.edu/facdev/programs/archives/20120427.shtml
j.mp/niubbcollab @jrhode

7. Feature Comparison
niu.edu/blackboard/guides/bbcollabvswimba.pdf
j.mp/niubbcollab @jrhode

8. Faculty Survey
surveymonkey.com/s/BZJQLHK

9. Which features have you used in WC?
Response Percent
Pre-load content from Blackboard course 19%
Application share 25%
Download mp3/mp4 archives 50%
Archives 37%
Telephony 31%
Informal polling (check mark or X) 13%
Survey questions 31%
PowerPoint slides 63%
Whiteboard 25%
Setup wizard 50%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
9
j.mp/niubbcollab @jrhode

10. How long do you make archives available?
Response Percent
I use archives for multiple semesters 17%
Until the end of the semester 25%
For a set time - a few days or weeks 17%
I do not make archives available to my
42%
students
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
10
j.mp/niubbcollab @jrhode

11. How do you feel about these features in Bb
Collaborate, not currently in WC?
Mobile app for participants
Scientific & math notation…
Up to 6 simultaneous video…
Realtime indicators of activity Neutral
Like
File exchange Can't wait!
Web tour
Echo cancellation
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
11
j.mp/niubbcollab @jrhode

12. How important are these features in WC, not
currently in Bb Collaborate, to your teaching?
Download mp3/mp4 versions of
archives from Bb
Unlimited active speakers
Not Important
Important
Telephony
Critical
Persistent content
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
12
j.mp/niubbcollab @jrhode

13. More at Bb Collaborate @ NIU
niu.edu/blackboard/collaborate
j.mp/niubbcollab @jrhode

14. White Paper
j.mp/bbcollabwhitepaper
j.mp/niubbcollab @jrhode