Blackboard Learn: Teaching Models and Methods

How do you plan to teach this Fall? Will you teach face-to-face, online, or a blend of both face-to-face and online? Administrators in higher education finalized decisions for the return of faculty, staff, and students to the overall learning experience. The same is true for primary and secondary education as well. Now, faculty at all levels are faced with adjusting their teaching approaches to meet the threat of the COVID-19 virus and to engage their students more meaningfully with their studies. Given some recent, cutting-edge research on how students learn, several studies argue that it may be wise to approach both teaching and learning from a student-centered perspective. The teacher-centered approach is the traditional scenario in which the teacher is in control of the content and delivery while the students passively receive instruction (Deksissa, Liang, Behera, & Harkness, 2014). In contrast, a student-centered approach encourages students to play a more active role in their learning (Brown, 2014). This article briefly discusses the student-centered approach in conjunction with different teaching models and methods based on recent research.

The many virtues of a student-centered approach to teaching and learning have been discussed and evaluated positively in several recent studies. They reveal that a student-centered environment is a student-driven, collaborative, and more problem-focused classroom that is rich with interactive technologies (Thiele, Mai, & Post, 2014).  Instructors using a student-centered approach give students an opportunity to be active participants in the construction of knowledge (Deksissa et al., 2014). One positive outcome of this approach is that students become responsible for their learning in an interactive environment where instructors act more as facilitators who guide and support their students’ engagement with the working dynamics of the material (Toven-Lindsey, Rhoads, & Lozano, 2015). Using learning management systems, such as Blackboard Learn, instructors can shift their efforts away from a traditional, teacher-centered approach in the teaching and learning environment and toward a more student-centered learning experience (Foroughi, 2015).

In a recent, qualitative research study, participants discussed changes in their instructional approach and adopted features and tools in Blackboard Learn for use in the traditional face-to-face environment in higher education (Washington, 2017). Participants specifically mentioned team-based learning, blended learning, and flipped classroom/learning as teaching models and methods that provided a student-centered approach for teaching and learning. Participant P3 switched instruction to a team-based learning (TBL) format where students read something outside of class. Back in the classroom, students took individual and group quizzes and worked through cases and problems together. Also, P3 gave a mini-lecture that focused on concepts with which students struggled the most and later posted them in Blackboard Learn. Participant P3 was the ‘guide on the side’ verses the ‘sage on the stage’.

Other participants shared their experiences with using Blackboard Learn to support blended learning and flipped classroom/learning. Participant P12 felt that the blended learning approach did not constrain students to a certain time frame to get their learning done. Instead, “It just allows them more flexibility to be able to do that in a blended class and that’s important.” Participant P9 viewed technology as a new and refreshing way to teach and now posts her lecture and the repetitive information on Blackboard Learn. She shared, “I know much more about what Blackboard can do to support my teaching and my students’ learning. I am now totally bored by teaching a traditional face-to-face class and find lecturing a complete waste of my time.” Participant P9 also said that “Blackboard allows flipped learning. I would not know how to do flipped learning without Blackboard.” Participant P18 now tends to do less lecturing in class and hold more open discussions of the content. Using a flipped classroom frees time up for more questions and answers in class versus pure lecture because “a lot of the content, the pure book content, or the content that I want to cover, can be delivered through PowerPoints, through additional readings, and through articles that I may post on Blackboard.”

In summary, using Blackboard Learn as a teaching and learning platform allowed instructors to change from traditional, face-to-face teaching methods and to embrace the student-centered approach. The instructors participating in the study conducted by Washington (2017) used different types of delivery methods and student-centered models to enhance learning in the traditional face-to-face environment. Features and tools in Blackboard Learn were necessary for providing teaching and learning opportunities beyond the traditional classroom environment. The findings in the current study align with findings by previous researchers related to student-centered learning and learning management systems.

References:

Brown, L. (2014). Constructivist learning environments and defining the online learning community. I-Manager's Journal on School Educational Technology, 9(4), 1. Retrieved from http://www.imanagerpublications.com/

Deksissa, T., Liang, L. R., Behera, P., & Harkness, S. J. (2014). Fostering significant learning in sciences. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 8(2), 12. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/ij-sotl/

Foroughi, A. (2015). The theory of connectivism: Can it explain and guide learning in the digital age? Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 15(5), 11. Retrieved from http://www.na-businesspress.com/jhetpopen.html 

Thiele, A. K., Mai, J. A., & Post, S. (2014). The student-centered classroom of the 21st century: Integrating web 2.0 applications and other technology to actively engage students. Journal of Physical Therapy Education, 28(1), 80-93. Retrieved from http://www.aptaeducation.org 

Toven-Lindsey, B., Rhoads, R. A., & Lozano, J. B. (2015). Virtually unlimited classrooms: Pedagogical practices in massive open online courses. The Internet and Higher Education, 24, 1-12. doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2014.07.001 

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)

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Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2020, July 31). Blackboard Learn: Teaching Models and Methods [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/

Blackboard Learn: Communication and Interaction

Communication and interaction are important in teaching and learning environments. In this blog article, I continue to provide the findings from the narrative inquiry research study which explored experiences of instructors using Blackboard Learn in traditional face-to-face courses (Washington, 2017). The findings, based on the original Blackboard Learn platform might assist instructors with course design, development, and delivery for face-to-face, online, blended, and hybrid courses.

Communication and Interaction emerged as a theme related to communication, collaboration, and interaction outside the face-to-face classroom environment. The Announcements feature was considered a feature for instructors to communicate with students, while Send Email was a communication tool for instructors to connect with students and for students to connect with the instructor and other students.  The Discussion Board was considered a collaboration, communication, and assessment tool. Although blogs, wikis, and groups were also considered interaction and collaboration tools, few participants used them.

Posting announcements and sending email messages within Blackboard Learn were therefore the most popular tools used by participants in the study (Washington, 2017). Participants identified the Announcements and Send Email tools as being ideal ways for instructors to communicate with students. Instructors reported posting announcements for general reminders of due dates for assignments, projects, tests, and exams; for changes to the syllabus and content; and for ongoing communications outside the face-to-face classroom.  Participant P2 posted announcements as mostly communications for the entire class.  When needed, participant P2 used the Send Email tool outside announcements to send supporting information, such as attachments.  Participant P7 posted announcements to give students information about supplemental instruction and other tutoring opportunities and a grade calculator so students could figure out where they stood in the class.  Participant P10 changed from mainly communicating through only email using the Send Email tool to posting more information through Announcements after hearing from students about the best way to communicate.  P10 stated, “If it’s a class thing, I put up the announcement and mark send it [email] to everybody.  So then, if they [students] don't get the email, they can see the announcement.”

Most participants required students to participate in discussion boards after reading required chapters from the textbook and other sources. Participant P17 set up small group discussion boards to support and expand what students learned in class each week. Participant P9 used discussion boards within groups to engage the students in conversations (debates). Participant P3 used the discussion board to post information for clarification from the reading material before students took quizzes. Participant P2 believed “A true virtual discussion is interactive.” Participant P2 used discussion boards for small group discussions but opened it up to the entire class in cases where some wanted to read all the posts from all the students. Participant P10 used discussion boards to flip the classroom and check student learning. Students watched videos on Fridays and then used the discussion forum to discuss some of the major points from the videos. Although the discussion board feature was mainly used for collaboration and interaction, some participants mentioned using them to share information with students. Students posted questions and the instructor responded through discussion board threads so all students would see questions and answers about the course and course readings, assignments, and tests.

In addition to the Announcements, Send Email, and Discussion Board tools, blogs and wikis are also incorporated into LMS’s such as Blackboard Learn. Blogs and wikis are set up by instructors for students to create, share, and collaborate online, anytime, and anywhere. However, only a small percentage of the participants in the present study used blogs and wikis to extend interaction and collaboration outside the classroom, despite the availability of these useful interactive features. For one example, Participant P9 used groups for blogs. The number of students varied per group and the group membership assignment was random. Within each group, students collectively wrote a blog about some major disaster, something recent or historical but something that did not really fit into the lectures. Then, students posted comments to each group to evaluate their blog entries.  Another participant used an ungraded wiki for student interactions: “My students have wikis where they can get to know the other students and post comments. I don’t use the wiki for any sort of content or course material related work at all. So, this is really just a personal who’s who in the class opportunity.”

In summary, the use of communication, interaction, and collaboration tools in Blackboard Learn can provide a connecting thread to what happens in face-to-face classroom environments, both in terms of reinforcing important material and in developing a sense of community.  In addition to the findings in the current study, Walker, Lindner, Murphrey, and Dooley (2016), and Lento (2016) also found that announcements, email, and discussion boards are still the most frequently used communication and collaboration tools for student interactions with the instructor, the content, and other students.  While the use of wikis and blogs to enhance the learning experience remains limited,  Almarashdeh (2016) and Walker, et al. (2016) found that they not only extended learning outside the face-to-face classroom but also enriched the teaching and learning process through their ability to stimulate student engagement. 

References:

Almarashdeh, I. (2016). Sharing instructors experience of learning management system: A technology perspective of user satisfaction in distance learning course. Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 249-255. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.05.013

Lento, C. (2016). Promoting active learning in introductory financial accounting through the flipped classroom design. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 8(1), 72-87. doi:10.1108/JARHE-01-2015-0005

Walker, D. S., Lindner, J. R., Murphrey, T. P., & Dooley, K. (2016). Learning management system usage: Perspectives from university instructors. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 17(2), 41-50. Retrieved from http://www.infoagepub.com/quarterly-review-of-distance-education.html

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)

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Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2020, June 30). Blackboard Learn: Communication and Interaction [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/

Blackboard Learn: Instruction and Assessment

The focus of this month’s blog article is on the use of learning management systems for instruction and assessment. The theme, Instruction and Assessment, emerged from the analysis of data in the narrative inquiry research study discussed in the March and April blog articles this year. Participants in this study (Washington, 2017) reported on their success when using the original platform of Blackboard Learn for instruction and assessment.

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/

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Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2020, May 31). Blackboard Learn: Instruction and Assessment [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/

Blackboard Learn: Course Administration and Management

In continuation from March’s blog article, this article focuses on course administration and management features and tools within the original platform of Blackboard Learn learning management system (LMS). Teaching in face-to-face, blended, and fully online environments involves delivering content, but it also involves course administration and management as well. The findings presented in this article represent the overall usability of LMSs for course administration and management. As face-to-face instructors move into preparing for summer courses online, there is time to rethink teaching and learning.

Based on a qualitative, narrative inquiry research study on the use of Blackboard Learn in face-to-face courses, five major themes emerged from the analysis of data. Course Administration and Management was one major theme. Participants included instructors at a primarily residential university in the southeastern United States. Participants discussed using features and tools in Blackboard Learn for storing and organizing content, getting to know students, setting up the grade center, and copying content from one course to another (Washington, 2017).

Blackboard Learn features and tools for course administration and management pertained to Course Documents, Content Folders, Photo Roster, Grade Center, Course Calendar and Course Copy. Participants shared the benefits of having a centralized location for courses.  Course Documents referred to a feature in Blackboard Learn for delivering learning content to students in one location for anytime access. Course Documents also served as a repository for course resources and materials. Content Folders functioned as organizational structures for courses. Participants used Content Folders for breaking the instructional materials, activities, assignments and assessments into smaller chunks of content. In addition, the course menu provided further course organizational structure with consistent navigation for students to find course materials, assignments, discussions boards, and assessments, which led to an improved learning experience for the students. The Photo Roster was considered a course administration tool for instructors to identify students in face-to-face courses. The Grade Center classified as both a course administration and feedback tool. Participants discussed using Course Copy to easily copy course content and course settings from one Blackboard Learn course to another. Few participants mentioned using the Course Calendar feature for due dates. The following are some quoted responses from the participants (Washington, 2017): 

P11: “Blackboard Learn holds everything, so I really couldn’t do without it. I pull it up every day. Anywhere I can access the internet, I can get access to the materials.”

P2: “I like having a central repository for everything that’s course related, because the courses I teach most times don’t have a textbook. So, everything is posted under the Course Documents except for what I want students to find themselves.”

P7: “Blackboard allows me to make folders in the Course Documents section, so when you're looking for a particular course document it is very easy to find. That's where you find worksheets, worksheet solutions, quiz solutions, pretest, pretest solutions, and the study material for the final exam.”

P8: “Photo Roster has helped me to identify students right away and personalize my classes because I can match the name with face from week one.  So, I've used that a lot since I found out it existed.”

P2: “It [Blackboard] allows me to organize the grading so that the grading matches the syllabus.”

P4: “It’s just a very nice place to kind of collect everything. Once you have it there you don’t have to keep recreating it you can just copy it forward the next semester.”

P10: “The course calendar automatically fills in if you set the due date.  For any submission due date that’s on there they get the reminders.  So, I go in and make sure everything's on the course calendar.”

The findings of the present research were consistent with an earlier research study. Hodges and Grant (2015) investigated the potential benefits of using course administration and management tools, including the module structure of LMSs for organizing and sequencing content into units and the course calendar for organizing due dates for learning activities and assessments. These researchers found that the use of course administration and management tools helped students with organization, time management, and content knowledge. By using these features and tools, instructors became better able to draw their students’ attention to the topics at hand, which is important from the cognitivist perspective.

In view of the practical advantages offered by the course administration and management features and tools in Blackboard Learn, educators who use this LMS are now much better prepared to move forward into developing and designing their summer online courses. Course structure and organization play important roles in improving student success in locating and interacting with course content, the instructor, and other students in the class. Blackboard Learn serves as a repository for course materials, such as the syllabus, PowerPoint presentations, and video lectures, giving students access to a full range of their course materials in one central location. This ease of centralized access helps students to stay more focused and remain on track with due dates for assignments and assessments.

References:

Hodges, C., & Grant, M. (2015). Theories to support you: Purposeful use of learning management system features. In T. Bastiaens, & G. Marks (Eds.), Proceedings of Global Learn 2015 (pp. 481–486). Berlin, Germany: Association for the

Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved from https://www.editlib.org/p/150895/

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)

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Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2020, April 30). Blackboard Learn: Course administration and management [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/

Blackboard Learn Matters in Face-to-Face Courses

Blackboard Learn, like other learning management systems, matters in face-to-face courses. Prior to COVID-19, much of teaching and learning happened in a physical classroom. In light of this pandemic, the coronavirus is credited for increasing online use exponentially (Hechinger & Lorin, 2020). Face-to-face courses in higher education and K-12 schools are left with no choice, but to be taught in virtual environments. Until this pandemic is controllable and people are safe for physical interactions, virtual instruction will be the method for teaching and learning. Discussed in this article are results from a qualitative narrative inquiry research study on the use of Blackboard Learn original in face-to-face courses. Results from the study might help instructors realize the educational potential of Blackboard Learn for teaching and learning to enhance traditional face-to-face courses.

Although a learning management system (LMS) is at the center of online courses, it is not a given in traditional face-to-face environments. Researchers analyzed the uses for an LMS in face-to-face courses in higher education and consistently found instructors used an LMS as a course management and administrative tool, rather than pedagogically, for the transformation of face-to-face courses (Adzharuddin, 2013; Bousbahi & Alrazgan, 2015; Wichadee, 2015, & Washington, 2017). Many instructors lacked knowledge of effective ways for using an LMS, and they found it challenging to implement in face-to-face courses to enhance teaching and improve learning (Wichadee, 2015; Washington, 2017). A narrative inquiry design was used for the qualitative study summarized in this article. Narrative inquiry is a way of understanding and inquiring into experience through life stories told by individuals (Clandinin, 2013). Stories and narratives served as the primary means of understanding individual instructors’ experiences with using Blackboard Learn in traditional face-to-face courses in higher education (Washington, 2017)

As such, the researcher captured a first-person account of each participant’s experiences from the instructors’ points of view. The study was conducted on the main campus at a major research university in the southeastern United States. The university was primarily residential, offering traditional face-to-face, asynchronous, and synchronous instruction. All instructors had access to Blackboard Learn and a course site was generated for every course offered through the University system. Participants included twenty instructors who taught traditional face-to-face courses at the main campus, utilized the university’s central professional development center for teaching and learning, and implemented Blackboard Learn LMS into at least one face-to-face course. Participants were selected using purposive, non-probability and snowball sampling methods and were diverse based on current academic rank and primary teaching discipline.

To collect the data for the study, 16 interview questions were designed to explore, understand, and describe the experiences of instructors using Blackboard Learn LMS in traditional, face-to-face courses in higher education. There were embedded opportunities for observations of the Blackboard Learn LMS environment used to solicit responses aligned to the primary research question: What are the experiences of faculty and adjunct instructors concerning the use of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) in traditional face-to-face courses in higher education?. Data collection was conducted using in-depth, face-to-face semi-structured interviews with participants who met the criteria for the study. Thematic narrative analysis served as the systematic process for data analysis and included three steps: organizing the data, placing the data into themes, and interpreting the data. The following table shows features and tools used most often by participants in their face-to-face courses.

Use of Features and Tools

Blackboard Learn Features/Tools	Not aware of the feature	Never use it in traditional course(s) but aware of the feature	Use only once in traditional course(s)	Use multiple times in traditional course (s)	Use regularly in traditional course(s)
Test	1	4	2	3	10
Assignment	1	1	1	4	13
Discussion Board	0	3	1	6	10
Announcements	0	0	0	0	20
Send Email	0	0	0	2	18
Photo Roster	2	3	3	0	12
Grade Center	0	1	0	0	19

In summary, the study results identified the features and tools used most frequently in Blackboard Learn LMS. All participants used Blackboard Learn in their traditional face-to-face courses to post announcements and send email. Course management tools and features were used to support administrative practices specific to organizing course content unrelated to teaching and learning processes. Only participants with extended knowledge of Blackboard Learn used features and tools specifically for teaching and learning purposes. This study sheds light into the importance on virtual instruction, then and now. The pandemic has given greater understanding as to why educators are rapidly understanding the importance of learning management systems. In next month’s blog, I will discuss the results based on the themes that emerged from the analysis of data collected from the participants and provide some practical applications of LMSs that would be of use for educators during this crisis, such as Blackboard Learn, for teaching and learning in traditional face-to-face courses.

References

Adzharuddin, N. (2013). Learning management system (LMS) among university students: Does it work? International Journal of e-Education, e-Business, e-Management and e-Learning, 3(3), 248-252. doi:10.7763/IJEEEE.2013.V3.233

Bousbahi, F., & Alrazgan, M. S. (2015). Investigating IT faculty resistance to learning management system adoption using latent variables in an acceptance technology model. The Scientific World Journal, 2015, 1-11. doi:10.1155/2015/375651

Clandinin, D. J. (2013). Engaging in narrative inquiry. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press.

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)

Hechinger, J., & Lorin, J. (2020, March 19). Coronavirus Forces $600 Billion Higher Education Industry Online. Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-19/colleges-are-going-online-because-of-the-coronavirus

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/

  

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Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2020, March 31). Blackboard Learn matters in face-to-face courses [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/

Blackboard Learn Learning Management System

January’s blog article provided an overview of learning management systems (LMSs). A learning management system serves as a platform for teaching and learning by offering features and tools for communication, instruction, assessment, and collaboration. Blackboard Learn is one of the most popular and widely implemented LMSs adopted by administrators at colleges and universities (Gomez, 2015; Washington, 2019). Other LMSs, such as Desire2Learn, Canvas, Moodle, and Sakai, are similar to Blackboard Learn with only core LMS functionality. This article focuses on the original platform of Blackboard Learn and provides an overview of its features and tools.

Blackboard Learn is a learning management system developed by Blackboard Incorporated with functionality to support fully online, hybrid/blended, and face-to-face courses. Developed as an educational technology, there are several features and tools within Blackboard Learn for teaching and learning. There are available features and tools for course delivery, course administration, interaction and collaboration, communication, and assessment. As part of course delivery and administration, instructors can provide course materials, such as a syllabus and schedule along with instructional materials, such as lectures. Instructors can organize the course content and provide students with timely released course information. The discussion board is an asynchronous collaboration tool for holding discussions online. Consisting of forums and threads, instructors and students can build an online learning community to collaborate and communicate among each other (Osman, Nasir, & Alzoubi, 2017).

Blogs and wikis are two other collaboration tools within Blackboard Learn. Instructors must first create a blog or wiki for student participation. A blog is an area for students in the course to express ideas in a more informal setting. Blog content, also referred to as entries, is presented in reverse chronological order with newer content appearing first on the page. Entries are text, images, links, multimedia, and attachments. Comments are responses or remarks to the blog entries. Instructors can create a blog for the course, individuals, or groups.  A wiki serves as a repository of knowledge complied by users. Instructors can create a wiki for all students or for specific groups of students. Students share content and collaborate among each other and the instructor by contributing to and modifying one or more web pages (Osman, Nasir, & Alzoubi, 2017).

Email, messages, and announcements are communication tools within Blackboard Learn.  Through the Send Email feature, instructors can communicate with students one-on-one or as a group. Email is sent externally to the email address specified within Blackboard Learn. Email messages are not stored in Blackboard, but instructors can choose to receive a copy. Using course messages, students can communicate with the instructor or other students within the course.  Course messages are like email except students and instructors must log in to the Blackboard course to retrieve and answer any of the course messages.  Instructors can post announcements within the course and choose the option to have the Blackboard system send an announcement to students via email (Washington, 2017).

Although blogs, wikis, and discussions can serve as assessments, assignments and tests are specific assessment tools within Blackboard. Instructors can allow students to submit assignments, such as papers, for grading using a rubric within Blackboard. Also, instructors can create quizzes and tests using different question types, for example, essay, multiple choice, true false, and fill-in the blank. Blackboard has the ability to automatically grade certain question types (Washington, 2017).

Summarily, Blackboard Learn provides a variety of features and tools to facilitate teaching and learning. This article provided a quick overview of the features and tools associated with course delivery, course administration, interaction and collaboration, communication, and assessment. In the next blog article, I will dive deeper into using features and tools in Blackboard Learn based on a recent research study.

References

Gomez, J. F. (2015). Higher education faculty use of a learning management system in face-to-face classes (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database. (UMI 1687759824).

Osman, I., Nasir, M., & Alzoubi, R. (2017). Blackboard Usage: An Investigative Study among CCSE Female Faculty Staff and Students at University of Hail. International Journal of Economic Perspectives, 11(2), 508–515.

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)

Washington, G. Y. (2019). The Learning Management System Matters in Face-to-Face Higher Education Courses. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 48(2), 255–275. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239519874037

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Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2020, February 29). Blackboard Learn Learning Management System [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/

Photo from https://www.pexels.com

An Overview of Learning Management Systems

Learning management systems (LMSs) have emerged as critical teaching and learning platforms at nearly all institutions of higher education. Many college and university administrators implemented at least one learning management system, such as Blackboard Learn, as the campus-wide learning management system (Chaw, & Tang, 2018). In fully online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses, LMSs leverage the web to offer features for communication, instruction, assessment, and collaboration along with course administration and content management. This article provides a quick overview of LMSs.

Learning management systems are e-learning software containing an integrated set of teaching and learning tools with capabilities to link with other institutional functions (Tumbleson & Burke, 2014). Learning management systems can be used in fully online, hybrid, and traditional face-to-face courses. In fully online courses, the primary purpose for LMSs is to provide a location for teaching and learning that is accessible at any given time (Chaw, & Tang, 2018). In traditional face-to-face courses, LMSs have the potential to extend and enhance students’ learning experiences beyond the classroom walls.  There are several LMSs available for use in higher education.

Learning management systems have different operating functions depended upon the industry, however all LMSs have common features and tools (Walker, Lindner, Murphrey, & Dooley, 2016).  Commonly found in LMSs are functions for course administration, collaboration, communication, instruction, and assessment.  Calendars, announcements, drop boxes, and gradebooks are examples of features in course administration tools.  Discussions, chats, and email are common collaboration and communication features.  Assignments, tests, self and peer assessments, and learning outcomes alignment are common assessment tools (Hodges & Grant, 2015). Features and tools in LMSs support online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses.

Purposeful uses of LMSs are grounded in constructivism and connectivism learning theories. According to Hodges and Grant (2015), instructors can use discussion, blog, journal, assignment, and rubric features and tools in LMSs to support constructivist activities. Constructivists view interaction as an important part of the learning experience. On the other hand, Siemens (2005) proposed connectivism as a new perspective on how learning takes place in digital learning spaces. Using connectivism in combination with LMSs instructors can enhance and enable learning beyond the walls of traditional classrooms. Both the constructivist and connectivism learning theories are appropriate for the implementation of LMSs into teaching and learning environments.

  

In conclusion, LMSs are an integral part of the higher education infrastructure. The intended use of features and tools in LMSs by instructors determines how LMSs support teaching and learning. In upcoming blog articles, I will explore the usage of the Blackboard Learn LMS in traditional face-to-face environments in higher education. As you move into a new year, consider rethinking the use of LMSs to further enhance and support instruction at optimal levels for teachers, and learning at the highest achievement levels for students.

References

Chaw, L. Y., & Tang, C. M. (2018). What makes learning management systems effective for learning? Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 47(2), 152-169. doi:10.1177/0047239518795828

Tumbleson, B. E., & Burke, J. J. (2014). Embedding librarianship in learning management systems: A how-to-do-it manual for librarians. Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

Hodges, C. & Grant, M. (2015). Theories to support you: Purposeful use of learning management system features. In Proceedings of Global Learn 2015 (pp. 481-486). Berlin, Germany: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved from https://www.editlib.org/ p/150895/

Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for a digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1), 3–10. Retrieved from http://itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm

Walker, D. S., Lindner, J. R., Murphrey, T. P., & Dooley, K. (2016). Learning management system usage: Perspectives from university instructors. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 17(2), 41-50. Retrieved from http://www.infoagepub.com/quarterly-review-of-distance-education.html

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Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2020, January 31). An Overview of Learning Management Systems [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/

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