A Focus on Blackboard

Emily Vande LooClient: Dr. Diane Foucar-Szocki

Online Collaborative Tools:

Ice Breaker

Objectives

describe the purpose of collaborative tools

summarize the perceived performance problems

list the identified performance problems

evaluate the recommended interventions

Background Information

Background Information

Online learning: emerged to meet the needs

of students who are unable to participate in face-to-face environments

has both teaching and learning components

Increasing popularity: over 21% of degree-seeking

students take online classes

Background Information

Tools: also known as Web 2.0 tools collaborative tools allow for:

chatting audio conferencing video conferencing file sharing screen sharing whiteboarding web presenting social networking

Background Information

James Madison University: State Normal and Industrial

School for Women at Harrisonburg (1908)

Madison College (1938) JMU (1977)

In fall 2001, there were 1,822 graduate students in: 31 graduate 2 educational specialist 7 doctorial programs

Background Information

College of Education: Beginning in 2003, under the

leadership of its first permanent dean, Dr. Phillip Wishon, the College was reorganized into five departments

Background Information

Background Information

AHRD, ADSU, & Ed. Tech. Combined Mission

The combined mission of the Adult Education and Human Resource Development, Educational Leadership, and Educational Technology programs of the Learning, Technology, and Leadership Education department is to prepare professionals to initiate, design, and evaluate integral components of educational environments.

The programs focus on creating learning experiences, facilitating change, communicating vision, and using appropriate technologies to enhance communication in learning environments.

Graduate students will gain knowledge about and familiarity with various contexts, processes, products, and stakeholders in environments where people teach and learn.

Perceived Problem

Both instructors and students participating in online learning environments lack the knowledge and skills necessary to benefit from use of collaborative tools.

Time is wasted and quality is decreased.

Instrument Procedures

Qualtrics surveys coordinators instructors students

1. E-mailed surveys to coordinators and instructors

2. Gained permission to survey students

3. Provided survey link to AHRD students before class; course instructors provided link to survey for ADSU and Ed. Tech

Data Collection Process

Data Results

Surveys Measured:-frequency of use -comfort and skills

Identified Problems

Inability of instructors and students to identify similar collaborative tool features across systems.

One-third of program coordinators are unaware of most Blackboard tools including all Elluminate Live! features.

Instructor self-selected expertise is minimal for all Elluminate Live! features, a university-supported tool meant to assist with delivery of instruction in synchronous online learning environments.

Students lack

proficiency with tools they frequently use.

Recommendations

Recommendations

Questions?

Images

http://www.jmu.edu/photography/university/Campus2/photofeatures/photofeatures.html

http://www.jmu.edu/coe/ltle/ http://www.jmu.edu/coe/COE_Mission.shtml http://www.realtown.com/articles/view/zillow-

home-q-amp-a-offers-agents-virtual-neighborhood-entrypoint

http://losmuchachosdelbarrio.com/confusion-assessment-method&page=5

http://justintarte.blogspot.com/2011/12/top-10-questions-to-ask-yourself-in.html

http://relationshipsmatternow.blogspot.com/2011/01/raise-your-hand-if-you-ever-feel-like.html

http://n8tip.com/3-ways-to-waste-time-on-your-computer

http://mashable.com/follow/safranali/

Ice Breaker Sentences

When given a task, you know which Blackboard tool will be the most useful.

You can name one tool in Blackboard that allows you to share documents or files.

You can name four tools in Blackboard that allow you to share documents or files.

You can USE all four Blackboard tools to share documents or files.

You felt overwhelmed by some Elluminate features when you first used them.

You knew how to use Elluminate before entering graduate school.

You would have liked to have some sort of online training about Elluminate before you had to use it for class.

You learned how to use Elluminate and other Blackboard tools through your own work and trail and error; you did not participate in formal training.

You could teach an incoming graduate student about all Elluminate features he will need to use during his first year in AHRD.

You feel like you do fine with technology, but you would like to know more to speed things up and feel more comfortable.