In an earlier article we talked about course management and learning management systems. As part of that discussion it was clarified that a course management product like Blackboard focuses on the individual course; whereas, the best learning management systems look at the learning environment from an enterprise approach.

Recently, after nearly a year of evaluation and consideration, a decision was made to go with the Blackboard product for course management. As we begin to roll out this learning tool, it is important that we build a common understanding and set of expectations. Over the past six weeks we have been holding overview sessions on features, functions and issues related to the introduction of a course management product. Those initial sessions intended to solicit dialogue with key academic leaders. Customized sessions are also being offered to individual academic departments. At the same time, the next sets of sessions are inviting key service support units to give input and feedback. Shortly, these overview sessions will be opened to all.

The purpose of these sessions is to have candid conversations about the advantages and disadvantages of the product, to help us all to understand the specific customization issues that are unique to a roll out at Old Dominion, to discuss options for roll out, and to hear about specific concerns that need to be addressed as part of a planning process. It also gives departments and faculty an opportunity to do their own planning as they consider how they want to employ the product to best advantage.

What began as collaboration between students and faculty at Cornell University is now a common practice on more than 1,000 college campuses. We can think of Blackboard as being like the Lotus Notes tool in that it offers an integrated package - except it is for teaching/learning activities instead of administrative ones. For example, the Lotus Notes tool brings together e-mail, an address book, a meeting scheduler, a "to-do" list, and so on in one place where data can be moved back and forth easily without having to worry about data conversion, different formats or different versions (for the most part). It saves time. Individual products as stand-alones are no doubt superior. I still miss pine (an e-mail product). As a stand-alone e-mail it was faster. But when brought together with setting up meetings and an address book - in other words, when I look at multiple tasks, Notes saves me more time overall. Blackboard is similar.

There are about a dozen features with most of the better course management products. By the way, the better course management products are really only two: Blackboard and WebCT. These products include: uploading and downloading grades easily to Banner, building a course Web site without having to know any html, using digital modules (called cartridges) that come with textbooks and easily upload to the course page, having a date stamped electronic drop box where students can drop off homework and instructors can pick up homework without worrying about document conversion, building quizzes online so that students can self-assess how they are doing in the class, sorting e-mail to the individual class, and various communication tools including whiteboards and chat rooms. None of the tools individually is superior. Together, they offer convenience, time savings, and a more student-centered approach to learning. Another important feature is that because the product is Web-based, instructors can more easily work from home.

One of the real advantages of working with the Blackboard product is that we have colleagues all across the country who have already been working with it for several years. Our colleagues at Cal State and Florida State have already been on the cutting edge - and so we don't need to be. What to do, how to do it, things to be aware of - most of this has already been figured out by our colleagues and discussed (and even resolved!) in several of the discussion lists that talk about these sorts of things. Who are some of our colleagues? Virginia Tech, William and Mary, VCU - in fact, virtually all of Virginia except George Mason. Others include some of our partners, the Virginia community colleges, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy distance learning program, as well as other colleagues such as University of Texas, Dallas County community colleges - and the list goes on.

What will be new for us will involve 1) those characteristics that are unique to Old Dominion, such as how Blackboard interfaces with Banner, and 2) our preferences for how we introduce this tool to the campus. We have some real opportunities here to rethink some of what we are doing, to leverage priorities and to improve how we do learning. The goal is to improve both the instructor and student experience. Our conversations over the next months, if approached thoughtfully, can do just that.