Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment

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Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment

• http//staff.bath.ac.uk/enscam/

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Structure

• Objectives
• To introduce the Blackboard VLE
• To suggest how it might be used in our courses
• To present some thoughts on the application of IT
  in teaching and learning
• Topics
• CSCW and Virtual Learning Environments
• Blackboard
• Current and possible future applications of
  Blackboard
• Thoughts on IT in teaching

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CSCW and Virtual Learning Environments
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CSCW

• Computer-Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW)
  includes
• Electronic communication e-mail, video
  conferencing, message boards etc.
• Shared workspace systems, including screen
  sharing, intelligent whiteboards etc.
• Group activity support systems, including
  workflow systems, co-authoring tools, decision
  support tools etc.
• Shared information systems

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Synchronous CSCW

• Same/real time communication
• Conferencing
• Video
• Audio
• White board
• Shared applications
• Multicast seminars
• Chat rooms

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Asynchronous CSCW

• Email
• Message boards
• Bulletin boards
• Workflow
• Blogs
• Wikis
• And others

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Virtual Learning Environments

• VLEs - learners and tutors participate in
  online interactions of various kinds (JISC
  Managed Learning Environment Steering Group)
• Integrated set of Internet tools, enabling easy
  upload of materials and offering a consistent
  look and feel that can be customised by the user
  (Economics LTSN)
• WebCT and Blackboard are typical commercial
  systems
• 3rd National Virtual Learning Environment
  Conference, July http//www.ltss.bris.ac.uk/vleday
  03/

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VLE Facilities

• Communication between tutors and students e.g.
  e-mail, discussion board and virtual chat
  facilities
• Self-assessment and summative assessment e.g.
  multiple-choice assessment with automated marking
  and immediate feedback.
• Delivery of learning resources and materials
  e.g. lecture notes and supporting materials,
  images/video clips, Web links, online discussion
  facilities.
• Shared work group areas allows designated
  groups of students to upload and share files as
  well as communicate with each other.

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VLE Facilities (cont)

• Management and tracking facilities e.g.
  username and password control, analysis of VLE
  activity
• Student tools e.g. individual student web
  pages, drop boxes for the upload of coursework,
  electronic diaries and calendars.
• Consistent and customisable look and feel a
  standard user interface, customisable for
  different courses
• Standard navigation structure
• http//www.economics.ltsn.ac.uk/handbook/vle/12.ht
  m

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Blackboard
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Blackboard

• Washington DC based, founded 1997
• the leading e-Education software company
• Used at 35 HEIs in UK including Bath, Bristol,
  Durham, Newcastle, Nottingham, Southampton . .
• Supported in Bath by the e-Learning
  Centrehttp//www.bath.ac.uk/e-learning
• Largest users are School of Management and HUSS

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Usage of Blackboard at Bath

• Faculty of Engineering and Design use
• Design project support
• General programme support
• MSc and Centre support (e.g PTMC)
• Management courses
• Research Methods for Engineering
• Further Mathematical Techniques Engineering
  Drawing
• Global Product Development
• Introduction to C
• Surveying 1

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Blackboard Course Screen
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Use of Blackboard
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Use of Blackboard
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Demonstration
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Applications in the Department
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Departmental Applications

• Course support
• Online notes, examples and answers etc.
• Timed release of material, confidentiality
• Self-assessment questions (will try to use for
  1st year Manufacturing teaching in 2003-4)
• Project support
• Group discussion forums
• File sharing areas
• email and chat rooms (including links to external
  people)

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Departmental Applications

• Digital submission of work
• Time stamping
• Easy feedback of comments
• Reduced copy costs
• Sharing of student work
• Laboratory support
• Lab handouts
• Sample data
• Guidelines to report writing

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Using Word for Feedback
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What is the Future Role of ICT?
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The Role of ICT

• ICT may be the way for the productivity issue in
  education to be addressed
• For improvement to be realised, a significant
  change in modus operandi is required, otherwise
  the effects of ICT may be negative

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How Can Productivity be Improved?

• What productivity improvement mechanisms can be
  applied in education?
• Mechanisms in industry and commerce include
• investment in equipment to reduce labour costs
• modification to the product to simplify its
  production
• modification to the process of production
• economies of scale
• Can these improve productivity in education?

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Investment in Equipment?

• The possibility for productivity improvement
  through investment in equipment has been limited
• e.g. marks processing
• word processing of papers and presentations
• Equipment can have limited effect without changes
  in unit size - e.g. use of AV aids.
• Indeed, some new equipment may require more not
  less staff effort
• chalk and talk vs. use of pre-prepared AV
  material

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Product Modification?

• Product modification is a standard technique in
  industry - e.g. Design for assembly. Can it be
  applied in education?
• Numbers of courses have been reduced, lecture
  programmes combined, laboratory write-ups
  eliminated etc. but possibility of further
  changes is limited
• Many changes have been resisted to limit the
  negative effect on students

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Process Changes?

• Decrease labour costs by process changes?
• E.g. carrying out assembly overseas eliminating
  inspection
• Again difficult in academia
• Process changes often have a negative effect on
  productivity e.g. inspection, quality
  documentation
• Other changes have had an impact on quality e.g.
  reducing the numbers of markers for project work,
  replacing academics by postgraduate assistants or
  increasing studentstaff ratios in laboratory and
  project classes

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Economies of Scale?

• What about economies of scale? E.g. globalisation
  of production, amalgamations between firms
• Again difficult in academia, because of the
  independent status of academic institutions.
• Instead, we have
• a proliferation of separately developed courses
  and curricula, of university administrations, of
  computing services and so on, and
• extra numbers have meant increased workloads,
  pressure on real wages and on participation in
  such activities as professional societies

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What are the Implications of ICT?

• ICT may enable us to achieve economies of scale,
  but may only be helpful if we change our
  approach
• Small academic units may find it prohibitively
  expensive to set up the appropriate facilities
• Computer-based assessment and teaching support
  must be supported by professional support teams
• Piecemeal effort by small groups will not work
  application of ICT will require concentration on
  small ranges of software, and on a more common
  curriculum to justify economies of scale

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Links with Industry

• Academics are paid to be experts in their fields,
  yet society makes poor use of their expertise
• New technologies may allow academic expertise to
  reach a larger audience through webcast video
• The same technologies may facilitate a greater
  involvement in university work by the wider
  community for an engineer to join in a student
  group discussion by video conferencing would be
  much less disruptive than having to travel to the
  University

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A Future Pattern in Tertiary Education

• Routine teaching will be carried out with the
  support of electronically delivered teaching
  material
• Examination of some aspects of work will also be
  done electronically
• Teaching material will be created by specialist
  units to achieve economies of scale
• In academic institutions, personalised insight
  type lectures and direct pupil-teacher tutorial
  contact will support this material
• Mailbases and video telephony will provide tutor
  and peer group support to students

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How will HEIs Respond?

• Educational institutions will concentrate on
  their specialist courses (later years of
  undergraduate courses and in post-graduate taught
  courses)
• They will offer these to a wider audience through
  video links and through well-prepared Web content
• Educational institutions will also concentrate on
  the hands-on design, laboratory and project
  elements of their courses
• Group and individual project, design and
  laboratory work will be the stimulating
  conventional experience for many students

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Questions?
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Reactions from Students

• Some reactions from students
• Social aspects of the university experience are
  very important probably the most important for
  many
• A structured programme, pressures of timetable
  and deadlines are important to academic progress
• The community of students working together allows
  valuable sharing of experience
• On-line teaching material would however allow
  students to proceed at their own pace
• There are many different lecturing styles, and
  different subjects require different approaches
• Personal touch and feedback are important

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Reactions from Students and Staff

• And some reactions from academic staff
• Lectures are not that important - it is the
  pupil-teacher contact that is vital
• Contact with physical artefacts, laboratory
  activities, and project and group work are
  important elements of high quality engineering
  education