Online video has quickly become accepted among our students much like the use of computers in delivering off-line, face to face classes. The use of video offers the ability to provide instruction in multiple learning styles such as listening and seeing. Does this mean that TV is taking over our courses and that we must broadcast our entire course and materials? I hope not! I have always prepared my courses to offer something special to the student in the face to face interactions. This offers an incentive to participate and attend class on a regular basis. I can see how this must be modified for online courses, but am unsure of what might work best. The discussion board offers some interaction, but I feel it is a poor substitute. Maybe our discussion boards could be more like Facebook where we just cant wait to see what is going on with our friends. I could imagine a Facebook type of interface becoming part of Blackboard or something that could be used by students and instructors. The problem with Blackboard is that you lose all of the content that makes up the course once the course ends and is closed. More ownership and participatiion might be instilled if we the course could be part of our online identity where we could keep in touch with instructors, fellow students and future alumni of the same course.
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"he problem with Blackboard is that you lose all of the content that makes up the course once the course ends and is closed. More ownership and participatiion might be instilled if we the course could be part of our online identity where we could keep in touch with instructors, fellow students and future alumni of the same course."
ReplyDeleteGood call. I agree 100 percent!
Well the recent version of Blackboard known as Blackboard NG (Next Generation) is really two versions. Blackboard 9 (which came out this past spring) and Blackboard 10 (which will be released early spring 2010). They have incorporated many web 2.0 tools directly into the course. However, I still believe the content will only reside in the course itself. I think we already have the tools to embed, add to Blackboard (wikis, blogs, Ning) and really don't need to use the tools they are adding to the system. Now, I've only seen tutorials on the new system when it was in pilot phase. I haven't actually used it yet, so I could be speaking out of context here...I think we'll look at upgrading to Bb 9 next summer and see how it goes...until then...
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