I wrote this piece today for the Developmental Educators Newsletter. They asked me to offer some suggestions to instructors who had not used Blackboard previously.

Do you remember your most memorable class? For me it was freshman high school English that introduced me to a new world of literature. I had no idea there was more to English class than diagramming sentences.
Often a student’s most memorable class is one that introduces them to new concepts or new ways of thinking. What if you were able to introduce your class to the world of educational technology?

Blackboard LMS

A Learning Management System (LMS) is a software package that allows the development and delivery of educational content through a secure course website. Our LMS, Blackboard, is available for all instructors to use to complement their on-campus courses.
Blackboard has a user-friendly interface that allows you to upload and organize course content (Word, RTF, TXT, PPT, AVI, and many more file types). Included with Blackboard are tools to create assessments (subjective and objective), discussion boards, and other instructional and communication features.

Using the Discussion Board

A discussion board is an asynchronous communication tool within a Blackboard course that allows students to post a comment or question online. Other students enrolled in the class view the discussion board and reply with their comments and questions.

Unlike a face to face discussion, a discussion board affords students time to reflect and review before responding. Students might look something up online to make certain they have the correct information.They might include a hyperlink to an Internet resource or attach a file that prompts further discussion. Some students may be more comfortable with writing than speaking and may thrive using this method of communication.

The advantage of using educational technologies like asynchronous discussion boards (in addition to a face to face course) is that it allows instructors to represent the world in different ways for different learners. It gives students the opportunity to interact, communicate, and connect with their instructor and peers in ways that are not always possible within the immediacy of the classroom.

Many of your students almost certainly use discussion boards (on Facebook, MySpace, Craigslist, etc) for entertainment. Introducing it as an educational tool might be something new to them, and that is something they will remember.

I have the great pleasure of being a student at University of Illinois Global Campus, studying to get my Master of Education with a concentration in Elearning.