Blackboard Blogs

Listening to Secretary Duncan

On Wednesday March 3 I had the opportunity to attend the Software and Information Industry Association's, Ed Tech Government Forum.  The keynote speaker was current US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.  Joining our gathering was the annual meeting of the Association of American Publishers.  The Secretary laid out an impressive vision for using technology in education based on three attributes mobile accessibility, digital content and social networks.  The technology plan was published and made available for public comment at The Department of Education's website.  The Secretary talked about the importance of creating new open educational repositories that would allow instructors and learners to personalize and remix learning.   At the same time he called for research and experimentation that would use evidence based methods to weight the improvements in productivity and outcomes against the costs.  Secretary Duncan articulated a vision that demonstrated a good understanding of the ongoing transformation of education happening in the context of web 2.0.

I'm happy that Blackboard and its customers are demonstrating leadership in the areas that the Secretary mentions.  When I think of mobile accessibility, I consider the power of the Blackboard Mobile Central solution. This product easily allows institutions to make information like podcasts, campus directories and maps available to students through their mobile devices.  As we combine our growing expertise in mobile application development with our deep experience with teaching and learning I think we will be well positioned to support the Secretary's technology vision.

Blackboard Learn, Release 9.1 is Just Around the Corner…

Hello! It’s Sheryn Anthes in Product Marketing. I am delighted to share the news that a new and more powerful release of the Blackboard Learn™ platform is on the horizon.

So, what’s so special about Blackboard Learn, Release 9.1? It starts with our clients. Client feedback, concerns and questions powered the development. They are at the center of the equation; they helped to shape Release 9.1 into the most powerful release of the Blackboard Learn platform ever. But the feedback and conversations don’t end just because the launch is coming soon; our clients have more to say, and we want to hear it. We invite everyone, our client community and prospective clients, to join the conversation at TalkToBb.com.

Who said change is good? We did. Over the past months and years, we've heard from our client community about the real challenges they face. And, we've been listening to the suggestions on how we should help. We’ve built a powerful combination of tools and resources for Release 9 to ease the change management process and facilitate adoption. Check out all the Release 9 tools and resources that will be updated and enhanced for Release 9.1, read about beta client successes and join the conversation at TalkToBb.com.  You’ll find:

Tools that give you future insight - Get a look at possible new features at the Project NG (Next Generation) Playground. Try out these possible features and experience them from student and instructor perspectives. Valuable insights from you, our client community, will be instrumental in influencing future releases under Project NG. 

Tools that help you prepare - Evaluate all of your transition options at the Blackboard Upgrade Center. This one-stop-shop outlines the five-step process for defining upgrade options, installations, and resources, delivering valuable information by version. While visiting, be sure to download the Upgrade Planning Checklist.

Tools that help you drive adoption - Blackboard has created the On-Demand Learning Center to provide a variety of FREE Quick Tutorial videos about specific features, Getting Started Guides and Best Practice podcasts. Quickly train faculty and instructors on all the new features of current releases and drive faster and more cost-effective adoption. 

Find the new tools and resources at TalktoBb.com. And together, we’ll make the upgrade to Blackboard Learn, Release 9.1 a successful and seamless change for your institution.

*Currently has Release 9 information and will be updated with Release 9.1 specifics at time of launch.

We may make statements regarding our product development and service offering initiatives, including the content of future product upgrades, updates or functionality in development.  While such statements represent our current intentions, they may be modified, delayed or abandoned without prior notice and there is no assurance that such offering, upgrades, updates or functionality will become available unless and until they have been made generally available to our customers.

BbWorld '10: Present to Your Peers

My name is Dara Millen and I have recently joined Blackboard’s Corporate Events and Conferences team as the Manager of Educational Programs.  I’ve been at Blackboard for four years so I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of you in person at events over the years or through some of our Client Programs – Betas, PDPs Focus Groups, etc.

As a member of our Corporate Events and Conferences team, I manage all the content at BbWorld events, and am excited to use this blog to update you about upcoming events and different ways that you can get involved!  As you know, BbWorld is a great way to connect with other users around the world and share your ideas.

So, what’s coming up?  Registration is now open for BbWorld ’10 being held in Orlando, FL, at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Conference Center from Tuesday evening, July 13, through Friday, July 16.  Be sure to mark your calendars!

Trends in 2010: Mobile Computing

The trend of mobile devices providing more and more functionality is nothing new.  And, the days of students using cell phones to simply make phone calls seem like the dark ages.  Today, college students can use their cell phones to make calls, send text messages, check emails, listen to music, manage a calendar, search for directions, and take notes in the classroom – many of these things at the same time! 

Just recently, The New Media Consortiumand the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative released The 2010 Horizon Report highlighting emerging technologies that will impact higher education.  At the top of the list is Mobile Computing.  The report says, “An increasing number of faculty and instructional technology staff are experimenting with the possibilities for collaboration and communication offered by mobile computing.  Devices from smart phones to netbooks are portable tools for productivity, learning, and communication, offering an increasing range of activities fully supported by applications designed especially for mobiles.”  

"Lifewide Learning": Supporting Today's Students through National Broadband

Posted by Michael J. Stanton, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs

At Blackboard, a student is anyone who wants to learn. A student learning the fundamentals of algebra. A college student grappling with Plato’s Republic. A professional who needs to keep up with state-of-the-art equipment and operating systems. And e-learning supports each of those constituencies with anytime-anywhere instruction built around individual learning needs and pace.

At Alexandria City Public Schools, online learning enabled new voices to be heard, as students who previously would not speak in class become vocal online. Through venues such as class discussion boards, students felt more comfortable to participate. Students tend to interact with technology on a regular basis, and are sometimes more comfortable in an online situation than they are in a physical classroom. Using Blackboard technology brings added familiarity and reassurance to student learning, and engaged more students in the classroom.