Like other, similarly designed learning management systems, Blackboard Learn provides instructors with a central location for both instructional materials and assessments. Participants in the study discussed access to course resources and materials, posting PowerPoint documents from lectures, the use of supplemental instructional materials, online learning activities, preparation for class, online quizzes and tests, and assignment submissions. The following are some quoted responses and discussion from the participants related to instruction and assessment (Washington, 2017).
P1: “When we had inclement weather recently,
rather than falling behind in pacing, I created and uploaded a voice-over
PowerPoint. It was a short one with an
assignment embedded in there. The
students viewed a PowerPoint lecture and completed an assignment posting on
Blackboard. I made a separate tab that
said makeup assignment or something that’s what I usually do now that we have
had three major catastrophe events.”
P5: “[I] add voiceover narration to
PowerPoint presentations in order to help students focus on the content.”
P5: “All my essay assignments and reflection
assignments are graded through Blackboard so that I can use the rubric.”
P7: “My student use course documents to
access handouts or weekly assignments.
Students must print a blank weekly worksheet from Blackboard, complete
it by hand, and submit it in person.”
P9: “Learning opportunities outside the
classroom is where they [students] build in my notes for each chapter. For example, I would use a traditional
textbook with notes that I have written highlighting what I consider the most
important outcomes in the chapter as to what I think they need to know.”
P11: “Even in the course that I do use a
textbook. I still summarize the
information from that textbook in PowerPoints and pull out those key features
that they will further examine when they do the additional reads they have to
do in conjunction with a textbook reading.”
Participant P16 used the Test tool in Blackboard regularly to get the students to look at the material before it was covered in class. The open book quizzes were opportunities for students to spend time with the material independent of the instructor and a way to encourage students to interact with the information outside of class. Participants P16, P3, and P5 used SafeAssign with students’ written assignment submissions to check for plagiarism. In addition, many of the other participants frequently praised Blackboard rubrics as useful tools for grading assignments of many differing types. All participants reported consistently high levels of success in their use of Blackboard Learn to post materials that support and expand on what students learn in the classroom, and they endorsed it as a useful, central location for assignment submissions, quizzes, and tests. The participants’ satisfaction with Blackboard Learn for instruction and assessment supports previous, positive research findings on the pedagogical benefits and advantages of using learning management systems (Davis & Surajballi, 2014; Wichadee, 2015).
In summary, assessments are an integral part of instruction. Providing students with learning opportunities outside the face-to-face classroom enhances instruction and helps students accomplish course learning outcomes. Through the use of learning management systems, instruction and assessment do not have to happen only when students are in a face-to-face environment.
References
Davis, R., & Surajballi, V. (2014). Successful implementation and use of a learning management system. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 45(9), 379-381. doi:10.3928/00220124-20140825-12
Washington, G. Y. (2017). Learning management systems in traditional face-to-face courses: A narrative inquiry study (10639584) (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (10639584)
Wichadee, S. (2015). Factors related to faculty members' attitude and adoption of a learning management system. TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 14(4), 53-61. Retrieved from http://www.tojet.net/
Cite this blog:
Washington, G. (2020, May 31). Blackboard Learn: Instruction and Assessment [Blog post]. Retrieved
from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/
