Blackboard has several features that have been of great use, including Course Information, Course Documents, Announcements, and email communication.
Blackboard's modular composition allows for additions of new features, and improvement of existing features.
The organization of the information in Blackboard, however, is often confusing, inconsistent, and illogical. A reexamination of the way that the modular pieces of Blackboard relate to one another and a reformation of the informational architecture would allow for a much improved user experience.
One challenge that Blackboard faces to find new and more effective ways to integrate with existing UAA resources (even when these resources are sorely lacking), such as the UAA email. In this instance, part of the challenge is to lobby to improve the UAA technological infrastructure to support a better Blackboard experience.
Another challenge that Blackboard faces will be to respond to ever evolving digital literacies and find ways to integrate them into the Blackboard world. The modular construction of Blackboard lends itself to this process, and should serve it well.
Some of these evolving digital literacies are worth mentioning here. First of all, the email system could be significantly improved - with much more storage; dependable deliveries; larger attachment capacities; and improved and integrated calendar, task, and address book functions.
An effective chat program could be developed and integrated. It might be worth researching to see if there are ways that existing chat programs (and even email programs) could be integrated into the UAA system.
A social networking site would also be useful, similar to myspace or facebook.
A section for the storage and sharing of digital photos and videos would be a nice addition, along the lines of Flickr and YouTube.
An improved discussion board feature that utilized Bulletin Board technology would be useful for each course.
Finally, an expanded Help section would be a great benefit. This section could include the User Manual, and the Student resources on the Blackboard Login Page. Furthermore, some dedicated IT staff could provide phone assistance and chat assistance to faculty and students with Blackboard questions. A more expansive FAQ section could be added and maintained. Additionally, a bulletin board could be formed for Blackboard questions, so that students and faculty would have another resource to research for support.
The evolving and emerging technologies continue to create new challenges and opportunities. Blackboard has been at the center of many related tensions at UAA and will continue to be a site where these tensions are contested, reconciled, and recontested. Hopefully Blackboard will continue to be an invaluable support to Faculty and Students and will also adapt and evolve along with the changing digital world.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Course Tools
There are 14 features under the Course Tools link (Figure 32):
The Address Book should be more readily accessible through the email program and integrated with the UAA email. Additionally, a view all feature should be added, rather than the scaled down search feature that is now available (Figure 33).
The Blog Tool is another nice feature; however it appears to be very sparce (Figure 34). Ideally it would have all of the features as something like Blogger.com (Figure 35).
- Address Book
- Blog Tool
- Calendar
- Digital Dropbox
- Glossary
- Homepage
- IDEA Online Surveys
- My Grades
- Personal Information
- Podcast
- Tasks
- User Manual
- View Grades
- Wiki Tool
Figure 32 - Course Tools
The Address Book should be more readily accessible through the email program and integrated with the UAA email. Additionally, a view all feature should be added, rather than the scaled down search feature that is now available (Figure 33).
Figure 33 - Address Book
The Blog Tool is another nice feature; however it appears to be very sparce (Figure 34). Ideally it would have all of the features as something like Blogger.com (Figure 35).
Figure 34 - Blackboard Blog Tool
Figure 35 - Blogger.com
The Calendar feature can be accessed from the Blackboard homepage. It has the basic features one would want in a calendar.
The Digital Dropbox is a good idea in theory (Figure 36); however, in practice there have been may complaints about documents getting lost in the process. These complaints need to be resolved and then this feature may be useful. Another option would be to set up this area like an ftp site.
The IDEA Online Surveys are a relatively good idea, but uneven in execution. In all of my courses, this function had no content (Figure 38). For surveys, the feature could aim to work like survey monkey (Figure 39). For evaluations, a site like RateMyProfessors seems to work well (Figure 40).
The Digital Dropbox is a good idea in theory (Figure 36); however, in practice there have been may complaints about documents getting lost in the process. These complaints need to be resolved and then this feature may be useful. Another option would be to set up this area like an ftp site.
Figure 36 - Digital Dropbox
A Glossary is not a bad idea, but it is dependent on what the Faculty member adds.
Figure 37 - Glossary
The Homepage is supposedly linked to the roster, but did not function when I tried it.
A Glossary is not a bad idea, but it is dependent on what the Faculty member adds.
Figure 37 - Glossary
The IDEA Online Surveys are a relatively good idea, but uneven in execution. In all of my courses, this function had no content (Figure 38). For surveys, the feature could aim to work like survey monkey (Figure 39). For evaluations, a site like RateMyProfessors seems to work well (Figure 40).
Figure 38 - IDEA Online Surveys
Figure 39 - Survey Monkey
Figure 40 - RateMyProfessors
Figure 39 - Survey Monkey
Figure 40 - RateMyProfessors
The My Grades section is only as effective as the Instructor chooses. If Instructors use it, the feature can be useful.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Personal Information section needs to be reviewed and overhauled by IT.
The Podcast feature may have some future use, but for now, it is usually empty.
The Tasks section may have some use, but for now it appears to be difficult to add a task and associate it with a specific course. This feature should have most of the functionalities of the tasks feature is Microsoft Outlook, or in the tasks feature within Yahoo! email.
The User Manual appears to be a very valuable feature (Figure 41). The help icon on the top of the page could be linked to this manual. Another link to this manual could also by created on the Blackboard homepage under the Tools module. This feature might be the most useful and most overlooked part of Blackboard. On a technical note, the horizontal navigation bar described as Section 4 is missing from this page.
The View Grades Feature appears to be a duplicate link with the My Grades. One of the two could be eliminated (Figure 42).
The final Course Tool - Wiki Tool - is confusing to operate, but is a good idea with a high potential for usefulness once some of the design kinks are worked out.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Personal Information section needs to be reviewed and overhauled by IT.
The Podcast feature may have some future use, but for now, it is usually empty.
The Tasks section may have some use, but for now it appears to be difficult to add a task and associate it with a specific course. This feature should have most of the functionalities of the tasks feature is Microsoft Outlook, or in the tasks feature within Yahoo! email.
The User Manual appears to be a very valuable feature (Figure 41). The help icon on the top of the page could be linked to this manual. Another link to this manual could also by created on the Blackboard homepage under the Tools module. This feature might be the most useful and most overlooked part of Blackboard. On a technical note, the horizontal navigation bar described as Section 4 is missing from this page.
Figure 41 - User Manual - Most Useful and Overlooked Course Tool
The View Grades Feature appears to be a duplicate link with the My Grades. One of the two could be eliminated (Figure 42).
Figure 42 - My Grades and View Grades Duplication
The final Course Tool - Wiki Tool - is confusing to operate, but is a good idea with a high potential for usefulness once some of the design kinks are worked out.
Communication Features
If you click on the Communication link, you will come up with a list of eight additional features:
The next feature, Collaboration, is a little unclear - it appears to be a combination virtual classroom and chat (Figure 29).
Both a virtual classroom and a chat are good ideas. Ideally, a virtual classroom would have all of the features of Second Life, and a chat would have all of the features of a chat such as Yahoo! Messenger.
The Discussion Board is another very nice idea. In practice, however, the discussion board in Blackboard works more like a like an old listserv (Figure 30). A more effective solution would be to use Bulletin Board technology (Figures 31a, 31b, and 31c).
It is unclear what the functions of Elluminate Live and Group Pages are, so I will defer any review at this time.
The Messages, Roster, and Send Email features could all easily be combined into one feature. At this point in the development of technology, it is a bit embarrassing to describe something so basic as what should be included in an email program. However, the email program at UAA needs a lot of work.
One central issue is how the Blackboard email section interfaces with the current UAA email system. These connections need to be worked out.
In integrating the roster, the best method would probably be to have a feature that automatically adds other students as contacts and tags them with the specific class number.
The biggest problem with the email system is that there is often a delay of 2 or 3 days, or more from the time someone sends you and email to when you receive it.
Another major problem is the minimal amount of storage that UAA offers. Since you can buy an external hard drive with 1 TB of storage for around $200 from Amazon, it seems insane to limit email accounts to MBs. Additionally, the size of allowable attachments for email should be increased significantly
- Announcements
- Collaboration
- Discussion Board
- Elluminate Live
- Group Pages
- Messages
- Roster
- Send Email
Figure 28 - Double Listing of Announcements
The next feature, Collaboration, is a little unclear - it appears to be a combination virtual classroom and chat (Figure 29).
Figure 29 - Collaboration
Both a virtual classroom and a chat are good ideas. Ideally, a virtual classroom would have all of the features of Second Life, and a chat would have all of the features of a chat such as Yahoo! Messenger.
The Discussion Board is another very nice idea. In practice, however, the discussion board in Blackboard works more like a like an old listserv (Figure 30). A more effective solution would be to use Bulletin Board technology (Figures 31a, 31b, and 31c).
Figure 30 - Current Look of Blackboard Discussion Board
Figure 31a - An Example of a Discussion Board Using Bulletin Board Technology
Figure 31b
Figure 31c
It is unclear what the functions of Elluminate Live and Group Pages are, so I will defer any review at this time.
The Messages, Roster, and Send Email features could all easily be combined into one feature. At this point in the development of technology, it is a bit embarrassing to describe something so basic as what should be included in an email program. However, the email program at UAA needs a lot of work.
One central issue is how the Blackboard email section interfaces with the current UAA email system. These connections need to be worked out.
In integrating the roster, the best method would probably be to have a feature that automatically adds other students as contacts and tags them with the specific class number.
The biggest problem with the email system is that there is often a delay of 2 or 3 days, or more from the time someone sends you and email to when you receive it.
Another major problem is the minimal amount of storage that UAA offers. Since you can buy an external hard drive with 1 TB of storage for around $200 from Amazon, it seems insane to limit email accounts to MBs. Additionally, the size of allowable attachments for email should be increased significantly
Sunday, May 4, 2008
My Courses Module - Features and Components
The My Courses Module allows you to go to the homepage of a specific course. On this Course homepage, their are numerous components and features, most of which are listed in the vertical navigational bar at the left margin of the page (Figure 18). These components usually include the following:
To further confuse things, there is also a list of Tools directly below this list that includes more items:
The Announcements feature here works well - an expand and collapse feature could be added to the individual announcements to respond to long announcements, but other than that, it works well.
The Course Information feature is used infrequently by Faculty; however, when it is used, it is basically a useful feature.
Staff Information - I have never had a course where the Instructor used the Staff Information feature; however, I can imagine that it might be helpful to see an Instructor's resume, in part as an example for grad students to use in building their own.
Course Documents, Readings, and Assignments. For some courses these features are distinct, and for others they are all lumped together. At any rate, this is one of the most effective parts about Blackboard. Faculty frequently load electronic versions of reading assignments to Blackboard and make them much more readily available than the old days when articles were put on reserve in the library. It is always handy to be able to access an electronic syllabus of the class when you just can't find that hard copy. I would have to rate this feature as a 10.
External Links - None of my professors have used this feature yet, however, it seems to be a nice feature with a lot of potential. Another related feature that would be nice to see added would be to allow students to bookmark sites and store their bookmarks in Blackboard.
There are three remaining features in the top part of this section: Communication, Discussion Board, and Tools.
There is also a lower part of this section under the heading Tools, which includes Communication, Course Tools, and Course Map.
That makes for a lot of Communication and a lot of Tools as shown in Figure 23.
Figure 23 - A Lot of Communication and Tools
In the case of Communication, both of the communication listings link to the same page (Figure 24).
Figure 24 - Communications Page
Both of the Tools links also connect to the same page (Figure 25).
This duplication is unnecessary and leads to confusion - one of the extra sets of links could be eliminated.
Another duplication occurs with the Course Map and the Detail View. The Course Map opens a new pop-up window with an expandable view of the feature links. The Detail view performs a similar function in the original window (Figure 26).
Since the Course Map opens in a new window, it is less practical to use than the Detail View and could be eliminated.
The Refresh feature does not seem to be any different from the refresh feature on you browser, and as such, could also be eliminated.
Since the Communication and the Course Tools feature are so complex, I will discuss them in separate blog entries.
- Announcements
- Course Information
- Staff Information
- Course Documents
- Assignments
- Communication
- Discussion Board
- External Links
- Tools
To further confuse things, there is also a list of Tools directly below this list that includes more items:
- Communication
- Course Tools
- Course Map
- Refresh
- Detail View
Figure 18 - Features and Components
The Announcements feature here works well - an expand and collapse feature could be added to the individual announcements to respond to long announcements, but other than that, it works well.
Figure 19 - Announcements - Rating 8.5
The Course Information feature is used infrequently by Faculty; however, when it is used, it is basically a useful feature.
Figure 20 - Course Information - 9.5
Staff Information - I have never had a course where the Instructor used the Staff Information feature; however, I can imagine that it might be helpful to see an Instructor's resume, in part as an example for grad students to use in building their own.
Course Documents, Readings, and Assignments. For some courses these features are distinct, and for others they are all lumped together. At any rate, this is one of the most effective parts about Blackboard. Faculty frequently load electronic versions of reading assignments to Blackboard and make them much more readily available than the old days when articles were put on reserve in the library. It is always handy to be able to access an electronic syllabus of the class when you just can't find that hard copy. I would have to rate this feature as a 10.
Figure 21 - Sample Course Documents Page - Feature Rating - 10
Figure 22 - Sample Readings Page - Feature Rating - 10
External Links - None of my professors have used this feature yet, however, it seems to be a nice feature with a lot of potential. Another related feature that would be nice to see added would be to allow students to bookmark sites and store their bookmarks in Blackboard.
There are three remaining features in the top part of this section: Communication, Discussion Board, and Tools.
There is also a lower part of this section under the heading Tools, which includes Communication, Course Tools, and Course Map.
That makes for a lot of Communication and a lot of Tools as shown in Figure 23.
Figure 23 - A Lot of Communication and Tools
In the case of Communication, both of the communication listings link to the same page (Figure 24).
Figure 24 - Communications Page
Both of the Tools links also connect to the same page (Figure 25).
Figure 25 - Tools Page
This duplication is unnecessary and leads to confusion - one of the extra sets of links could be eliminated.
Another duplication occurs with the Course Map and the Detail View. The Course Map opens a new pop-up window with an expandable view of the feature links. The Detail view performs a similar function in the original window (Figure 26).
Figure 26 - Detail View
Since the Course Map opens in a new window, it is less practical to use than the Detail View and could be eliminated.
The Refresh feature does not seem to be any different from the refresh feature on you browser, and as such, could also be eliminated.
Since the Communication and the Course Tools feature are so complex, I will discuss them in separate blog entries.
My Courses Module - Overview
The heart of Blackboard is the My Courses Module (Figure 14) on the Blackboard homepage.
Figure 14 - My Courses Module
From the My Courses Module, you click on any listed course.
Generally, the page will look something like Figure 15.
On occasion, the Professor might modify the look a bit, as shown in Figure 16; however, the informational architecture is generally consistent. The content will vary significantly based on how involved the Instructor is.
The standard Course homepage could be divided into five main sections (Figure 17). The first section is similar to the Blackboard homepage - a horizontal navigation bar. The second section is also similar to the Blackboard homepage - a set of horizontal navigational tabs. The third section is a vertical navigational bar at the left margin. The fourth section is a new horizontal navigational bar below section two. The fifth section is a content section.
In Section 1, the same critiques apply as mentioned in the Blackboard Homepage blog entry - The home icon should be designated UAA home, and Blackboard Home icon should be added, and the help icon should connect to some kind of help information (rather than the distant education homepage). Furthermore, if the UAA icon is listed on the top left of the Blackboard homepage, it should be listed in the same place on all other Blackboard pages for consistency.
In Section 2, again, the same critiques apply as mentioned in the Blackboard homepage blog entry - there is no real need for a Courses tab, and the tools information from the Blackboard homepage could be placed in tabs.
Skipping Section 3 for a moment, Section 4 is a very nice addition - it is a compact navigational map that shows you where you are in the website. I rate this section 10.
Section 3 is a nice example of a vertical navigational bar that stays consistent on all webpages within the course.
Section 5 is where all the content exists. It is a good sized space - not too small and not too large.
Generally, the page will look something like Figure 15.
Figure 15 - Standard Course Homepage
On occasion, the Professor might modify the look a bit, as shown in Figure 16; however, the informational architecture is generally consistent. The content will vary significantly based on how involved the Instructor is.
Figure 16 - Modified Course Homepage
The standard Course homepage could be divided into five main sections (Figure 17). The first section is similar to the Blackboard homepage - a horizontal navigation bar. The second section is also similar to the Blackboard homepage - a set of horizontal navigational tabs. The third section is a vertical navigational bar at the left margin. The fourth section is a new horizontal navigational bar below section two. The fifth section is a content section.
Figure 17 - Sections of a Standard Course Homepage
In Section 1, the same critiques apply as mentioned in the Blackboard Homepage blog entry - The home icon should be designated UAA home, and Blackboard Home icon should be added, and the help icon should connect to some kind of help information (rather than the distant education homepage). Furthermore, if the UAA icon is listed on the top left of the Blackboard homepage, it should be listed in the same place on all other Blackboard pages for consistency.
In Section 2, again, the same critiques apply as mentioned in the Blackboard homepage blog entry - there is no real need for a Courses tab, and the tools information from the Blackboard homepage could be placed in tabs.
Skipping Section 3 for a moment, Section 4 is a very nice addition - it is a compact navigational map that shows you where you are in the website. I rate this section 10.
Section 3 is a nice example of a vertical navigational bar that stays consistent on all webpages within the course.
Section 5 is where all the content exists. It is a good sized space - not too small and not too large.
Tools Module
As mentioned in an earlier post, the Tools Module is divided into five sections:
This post will briefly review each of the Tools.
Announcements
The Announcements feature works fairly well. All Announcements are listed by default, and four tabs allow you to choose views: view today, view last 7 days, view last 30 days, and view all. Additionally, a pull-down menu allows you to select a particular class in order to view announcements for that class only.
A few features might help the Announcements section improve. A sort feature could be added that allowed the Announcements to be seen both newest to oldest or oldest to newest. Also, in their current form, all of the announcements are listed in their entirety. It would be nice if just the titles of the announcements were listed and the detailed text could be expanded or collapsed. As a smaller note, the choice of the push pin as the icon is a little confusing since it signifies a bulletin board entry that has been "pinned" or placed permanently due to its importance. An alternate icon would be preferable.
One improvement is needed for each of the pages in the tools module - unless the items are listed in the tabs navigational bar, the actual tools module should be visible in each sub-page to function as a vertical navigational toolbar.
Calendar
The Calendar function is relatively standard with four major views: day, week, month, and year. Events can be added in a typical fashion. A sort function allows the events to be shown by the course they are attached to. When adding events, however, it's unclear how to associate them with a particular course.
As a navigational issue, the Tools module should be shown as a vertical navigational bar on each calendar page (or on the tabs).
Tasks
The Tasks page is similar to the Calendar - the basic functions of any task programs exist, including priority, status, and due date. Like the calendar page, however, it is unclear how to associate a specific task with a particular course.
View Grades
The View Grades page seems to work well. The first click takes you to a list of your courses. Clicking on an individual course takes you to your grades. This is not the official source for grades on the transcript, it is a place where the instructor may or may not have listed grades for assignments throughout the course. As such, the value is dependent upon how much information the Instructor adds.
The basic architecture appears sound (except for the common omission of the list of Tools as a vertical navigational bar).
Figure 12 - Specific Grades Page
Personal Information
The Personal Information Page contains six links:
- Announcements
- Calendar
- Tasks
- View Grades
- Personal Information
This post will briefly review each of the Tools.
Announcements
The Announcements feature works fairly well. All Announcements are listed by default, and four tabs allow you to choose views: view today, view last 7 days, view last 30 days, and view all. Additionally, a pull-down menu allows you to select a particular class in order to view announcements for that class only.
A few features might help the Announcements section improve. A sort feature could be added that allowed the Announcements to be seen both newest to oldest or oldest to newest. Also, in their current form, all of the announcements are listed in their entirety. It would be nice if just the titles of the announcements were listed and the detailed text could be expanded or collapsed. As a smaller note, the choice of the push pin as the icon is a little confusing since it signifies a bulletin board entry that has been "pinned" or placed permanently due to its importance. An alternate icon would be preferable.
One improvement is needed for each of the pages in the tools module - unless the items are listed in the tabs navigational bar, the actual tools module should be visible in each sub-page to function as a vertical navigational toolbar.
Figure 8 - Announcements - Rating - 7.5
Calendar
The Calendar function is relatively standard with four major views: day, week, month, and year. Events can be added in a typical fashion. A sort function allows the events to be shown by the course they are attached to. When adding events, however, it's unclear how to associate them with a particular course.
As a navigational issue, the Tools module should be shown as a vertical navigational bar on each calendar page (or on the tabs).
Figure 9 - Calendar - Rating - 8.5
Tasks
The Tasks page is similar to the Calendar - the basic functions of any task programs exist, including priority, status, and due date. Like the calendar page, however, it is unclear how to associate a specific task with a particular course.
Figure 10 - Tasks - Rating - 8.5
View Grades
The View Grades page seems to work well. The first click takes you to a list of your courses. Clicking on an individual course takes you to your grades. This is not the official source for grades on the transcript, it is a place where the instructor may or may not have listed grades for assignments throughout the course. As such, the value is dependent upon how much information the Instructor adds.
The basic architecture appears sound (except for the common omission of the list of Tools as a vertical navigational bar).
Figure 11 - View Grades - Rating - 9.0
Figure 12 - Specific Grades Page
Personal Information
The Personal Information Page contains six links:
- Edit Personal Information
- Change Password
- Set CD-ROM Drive
- Set Privacy Options
- Set Visual Text Box Editor Options
- Set Locale
Figure 13 - Personal Information - Rating - 1.5
Blackboard Homepage
Once you login, you go to the Blackboard Homepage (Figure 3).
This page has four main sections - a horizontal navigation bar, a set of horizontal navigational tabs, a set of horizontal navigational buttons, and two modules.
Under Section 1, the UAA logo is a live link to the UAA homepage. In the center, the Home logo is also a link to the UAA homepage - this logo could specify "UAA Home." Another logo could be added for "Blackboard Home." The Help button is mysterious as it links to the Distance Education Homepage. It would be better to link to the Blackboard Login page, which at least has several resources to help with Blackboard. The Logout logo does link to the Blackboard Login page, which is appropriate.
Under Section 2, there are two tabs. The UAA tab is basically the blackboard homepage. The Courses tab links to a page with three modules: Course Search, Course List, and Course Catalog (Figure 4).
The three modules under the courses tab are not very useful in any practical way. The Courses for almost any student would be few enough that a Course Search module would be unnecessary. The Course List module here is also unnecessary since it duplicates the information on the homepage under the Courses module there. The Course Catalog section might theoretically be useful; however, the most recent catalog posted on this page is dated Fall 2001. Additionally, schedules are readily available electronically from the UAA homepage. This tab could be completely eliminated. I would rate the page 2.0.
As mentioned earlier, Section 3 of the Blackboard homepage has two buttons: Modify Content and Modify Layout. The Modify Content button serves no practical purpose and could be eliminated. At present, it leads to a Modify Content page that allows for the choices of two additional modules: Courses Quick View and My Announcements (Figure 5). The basic problem is that the My Courses module already includes the information from the other two modules, making them redundant. I would rate this page a 1.5, only due to the fact that more modules could be developed.
Figure 6 shows a Blackboard homepage with the additional modules added.
The Modify Layout button leads to a Modify Layout page that allows you to move modules from one column to another and to change the color of the theme. These changes are very basic, but could be expanded at some point. I would rate this page 3.5.
The Modify Content and the Modify Layout buttons could be added as individual tabs in Section 2, or they could be added as links to the Tools module.
Section 4 of the Blackboard homepage typically contains two modules: Tools and My Courses. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that it contains one vertical navigational toolbar (Tools) and one module (My Courses).
I will review these sections in later blog entries
This page has four main sections - a horizontal navigation bar, a set of horizontal navigational tabs, a set of horizontal navigational buttons, and two modules.
Figure 3 - Blackboard Homepage - Rating - 2.5
Under Section 1, the UAA logo is a live link to the UAA homepage. In the center, the Home logo is also a link to the UAA homepage - this logo could specify "UAA Home." Another logo could be added for "Blackboard Home." The Help button is mysterious as it links to the Distance Education Homepage. It would be better to link to the Blackboard Login page, which at least has several resources to help with Blackboard. The Logout logo does link to the Blackboard Login page, which is appropriate.
Under Section 2, there are two tabs. The UAA tab is basically the blackboard homepage. The Courses tab links to a page with three modules: Course Search, Course List, and Course Catalog (Figure 4).
Figure 4 - Courses Tab - Rating - 2.0
The three modules under the courses tab are not very useful in any practical way. The Courses for almost any student would be few enough that a Course Search module would be unnecessary. The Course List module here is also unnecessary since it duplicates the information on the homepage under the Courses module there. The Course Catalog section might theoretically be useful; however, the most recent catalog posted on this page is dated Fall 2001. Additionally, schedules are readily available electronically from the UAA homepage. This tab could be completely eliminated. I would rate the page 2.0.As mentioned earlier, Section 3 of the Blackboard homepage has two buttons: Modify Content and Modify Layout. The Modify Content button serves no practical purpose and could be eliminated. At present, it leads to a Modify Content page that allows for the choices of two additional modules: Courses Quick View and My Announcements (Figure 5). The basic problem is that the My Courses module already includes the information from the other two modules, making them redundant. I would rate this page a 1.5, only due to the fact that more modules could be developed.
Figure 5 - Modify Content Page - Rating - 1.5
Figure 6 shows a Blackboard homepage with the additional modules added.
Figure 6 - Modified Blackboard Homepage
The Modify Layout button leads to a Modify Layout page that allows you to move modules from one column to another and to change the color of the theme. These changes are very basic, but could be expanded at some point. I would rate this page 3.5.
Figure 7 - Modify Layout Page - Rating 3.5
The Modify Content and the Modify Layout buttons could be added as individual tabs in Section 2, or they could be added as links to the Tools module.
Section 4 of the Blackboard homepage typically contains two modules: Tools and My Courses. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that it contains one vertical navigational toolbar (Tools) and one module (My Courses).
I will review these sections in later blog entries
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Blackboard Login
The homepage for the UAA website (Figure 1) has a Quick Links section, which contains a link to Blackboard. (If you click on the figure it will expand to fill your screen - then just click the back button on your browser to return to the blog.)
This link will take you to the Blackboard Login page (Figure 2), which is actually part of the UAA Technology website. In addition to the Blackboard login, this page has additional information for students and faculty to help them with the Blackboard system.
For students, this information includes:
The Blackboard Login page has a relatively clean and functional layout and I would rate it 8.5.
Figure 1 - UAA Homepage
For students, this information includes:
- Student Blackboard FAQ
- Student Blackboard HowTo
- Blackboard Student Manual
- System Requirements
The Blackboard Login page has a relatively clean and functional layout and I would rate it 8.5.
Figure 2 - Blackboard Login Page - Rating - 8.5
Introduction
Colin Lankshear and Michele Knobel insightfully discuss some of the implications of digital technologies for education in their article "Do we have your attention? New literacies, digital technologies and the education of adolescents." In one particular section, Lankshear and Knobel refer to the work of Richard Lanham and his 1994 article "The Economics of Attention" and Lanham's perspective on the challenges of "the information economy" as it replaces "the goods economy." Lanham's main interest is in the development of "attention structures." Lanham sees one of the challenges of the information age / information economy as finding a way to process and interact effectively with an overwhelming amount of raw information. Lanham's "attention structures" sometimes serve as "information structures" in their actions of prioritizing and organizing information. Ultimately, Lanham emphasizes the need for an informational architecture to form gateways that enable users to function in this overwhelming informational world.
At the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), there are several areas that may be seen to function as informational gateways. The UAA website is a prime example of an informational gateway that serves to sort and arrange a wide variety of information into architectural structures that serve the needs of the diverse individuals who access it. The Blackboard system could be seen as another more specific gateway, which also serves to organize and distribute information to select users. I would suggest, however, that the Blackboard system could be significantly revised to better serve students and faculty.
The main idea of this set of blog entries is to perform a close analysis of the current Blackboard system and to begin to explore ways that the informational structures in Blackboard could be improved. In this exploration, I am particularly concerned with two areas: first, I am interested in the wide range of digital technologies and literacies that exist in today's digital world and how they might be integrated in to Blackboard to improve its existing functioning. Second, I am interested in informational design structures that allow for easy access to and use of these new technologies.
The following blog entries focus on specific aspects of Blackboard, including detailed explorations of several Blackboard pages. Numerous screenshots are provided - if you click on the sceenshots, they will expand to fill the screen. To return to the blog, simple use the back button on your browser. A final entry summarizes this exploration.
At the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), there are several areas that may be seen to function as informational gateways. The UAA website is a prime example of an informational gateway that serves to sort and arrange a wide variety of information into architectural structures that serve the needs of the diverse individuals who access it. The Blackboard system could be seen as another more specific gateway, which also serves to organize and distribute information to select users. I would suggest, however, that the Blackboard system could be significantly revised to better serve students and faculty.
The main idea of this set of blog entries is to perform a close analysis of the current Blackboard system and to begin to explore ways that the informational structures in Blackboard could be improved. In this exploration, I am particularly concerned with two areas: first, I am interested in the wide range of digital technologies and literacies that exist in today's digital world and how they might be integrated in to Blackboard to improve its existing functioning. Second, I am interested in informational design structures that allow for easy access to and use of these new technologies.
The following blog entries focus on specific aspects of Blackboard, including detailed explorations of several Blackboard pages. Numerous screenshots are provided - if you click on the sceenshots, they will expand to fill the screen. To return to the blog, simple use the back button on your browser. A final entry summarizes this exploration.
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