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Opinion
A Graduate's View of the Course Management System
7/10/2006
It was especially frustrating when a faculty member would not require students to sign up for the Blackboard instance of the course. More than once, a faculty member might post an assignment that a substantial portion of the class would never see. This resulted in our using class time to resolve issues that could have been easily avoided by requiring full student participation via Blackboard.
Often, professors had little or no instruction on Blackboard capabilities. Furthermore, many faculty members were not willing to learn about Blackboard. Professors who were content to use just the basic features – grades and syllabus – barely enhanced their classes. On the other hand, departments that actively and consistently utilized the depth of online capabilities had a stronger foundation for classroom learning without having time diverted away from instruction in the classroom.
Recommendations
It is hard to believe that the university could spend a large amount of money on an effective instructional tool like Blackboard, but spend so little effort helping faculty and students learn how to effectively use this valuable tool. I realize that not all faculty embrace technology and change. However, to buy into this assumption means that a valuable resource sits underutilized. More importantly, valuable instructional time is lost in nearly every classroom session.
The university needs to demonstrate to faculty the advantages of supplementing personalized in-classroom instruction with a technology that promotes active learning in the student body. We need to build enthusiasm in the faculty. I realize that it is difficult to make individual faculty adopt any new technology, yet faculty peers and department heads are currently untapped resources. Little effort has been made to provide easily implemented exemplars. Active campus leadership is necessary to ensure global adoption of this valuable resource.
In addition, we need to provide consistent instruction for both faculty and students. The current laissez-faire training is insufficient to educate the faculty. Training is infrequently available, and there is a lack of easy-to-find supplemental material. From my position as an IT help desk consultant, I noticed a large number of unnecessary calls from confused professors. Rarely are the questions complex, but because faculty are largely learning on their own, they stumble through the basics. A training class posted on Blackboard about Blackboard could get faculty quickly up-to-speed. Simple steps like this are needed to ensure consistent and easily available instruction for the faculty.
The Grade
Last time I issued an “Incomplete” grade to faculty for their use of Blackboard. As I leave the university, I cannot issue the same grade. The expectations are now higher; I am looking to see how Blackboard usage enhanced my undergraduate education. I will admit to cutting the university a little slack as I award a “B” as its final grade.Cite this Site
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