Blogs and Wikisin Blackboard
NERCOMP - Blackboard User Group, December 6, 2006Barbara Knauff, Senior Instructional
TechnologistAcademic Computing
Session Overview
• Bb at Dartmouth• Why blogs and wikis? • Learning Objects implementation• Use cases• Tips
Dartmouth
• 4,100 undergrads• 1,600 graduate/professional
students• 475 faculty• 400-500 courses/term
Dartmouth
• Residential student body• No distance ed programs• Study abroad > 50%• Face-to-face instruction at core of
institutional identity• Liberal arts• Bb used as a supplement
Bb at Dartmouth
• 1999: adopted CourseInfo• 2002: integration with Banner• 2006: more than 2/3 of courses
have active Bb site• Cross-platform support crucial
(40% Mac users)
Bb growthBlackboard Courses, 2002-present
15
7585
115
45
170
200 200
55
210 218 219
64
240
275 283
82
323
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Summer 02
Fall 02Winter 03Spring 03
Summer 03
Fall 03Winter 04Spring 04
Summer 04
Fall 04Winter 05Spring 05
Summer 05
Fall 05Winter 06Spring 06
Summer 06
Fall 06
Number of Courses
Early uses of Bb
• Tool adoption weighted towards administrative functions
• Instructor disseminates content• Students consume content• One-way street: faculty to student
So what’s the problem?
“… students do not always complete the readings, so sometimes come to class with no ideas and questions about new knowledge.”
So what’s the problem?
“The issue with which I really struggle is that […] students seem to not want to think or take responsibility for their own learning.”
So what’s the problem?
“Another problem that new technologies may address is the range of student competence […]”
So what’s the problem?
“… students […] often seem unwilling to apply what they know to their classmates’ presentations.”
Deeper Learning Principles
• Social• Active• Contextual• Engaging• Student-owned
Carmean, Colleen and Jeremy Haefner. "Mind over Matter: Transforming Course Management Systems into Effective
Learning Environments." Educause Review, Nov/Dec.
2002, pp. 27-34.
Discussion Boards
• Implemented in Bb• Limitations:
– Linear structure– Can be cumbersome to read– Focus on text– No cross-platform WYSIWYG editor– Cannot embed media in page– No commenting– Access: all or nothing
Wikis
• “A web application that allows users to add content, as on an Internet forum, but also allows anyone to edit the content.” (Source: wikipedia)
• A website (non-linear, hyperlinked)• Collectively authored• Supports comments
Blogs and Wikis in Bb
• Based on Building Block technology• Enterprise clients only• Learning Objects:
http://www.learningobjects.com• Substantial cost• Cross-platform support• Excellent customer support• Rapid development cycle
Basic clients?
• Link to free services from within Bb• No seamless authentication
integration• No integrated assessment• Recommended services:
– PB Wiki: http://pbwiki.com/– Blogger: http://www.blogger.com
Teams LX
Toolbar supports:– Word-like changes in display– Links– Images– File uploads– Special characters– HTML editing mode– pseudo-CSS
Wiki examples
• Scientific Basis of Medicine Program (SBM.Program-AY0607):– Student presentation of medical case
studies– Use of pathology images crucial
Wiki examples
• Whitman and Dickinson (ENGL.066.01-SU06):
– Class-built literary glossary– Class-built annotated bibliography– Tendency to append, not overwrite
Wiki examples
• Composition and Research (WRIT.002.04-FA06)– Collection of sources– Class-built historical synopsis– Orphaned pages
Wiki examples
• Expository Writing (WRIT.005.13.14-FA06)– Group web project instead of paper– Multi-media included– Course administration: signup sheets
Wiki examples
• Expository Writing (WRIT.005.01-FA06)– Student-generated questions– Wiki functions like an erasable
whiteboard
Wiki examples
• Biology & Politics of Starvation (BIOL.009.01-SSOC.009.01-WI06)– Final projects– Charts and images– Some poor design choices (colors,
width)
Wiki examples
• Collaborative article (ORG.computing.curricular.CMS-article)– Used wiki as shared writing space
Wiki positives
• Student engagement and ownership
• Multi-media• Sharing work in class / outside of
class• Wikis enhance other work
Wiki positives
• “Group writing doesn’t produce good papers - but the next individual paper will be improved”
• Engages deeper learning principles:– Social, active, contextual, engaging,
student-owned
Wiki problems
• Confusion between general course wiki and wikis deployed in content areas
• Confusion between “edit page” and “new page”
• Concept of linked web of pages difficult• Browser problems (Safari)• Locked-up documents• Assessment difficult• Poorly designed sites, image sizing problems• Orphaned pages• Flashy instead of substantive
Wiki suggestions, 1
• Brief & clear technical instructions• Disable course wiki• Clearly define expectations of wiki
assignments• Create demo wiki for students• Consider “seeding” wikis/pre-
establishing structure• Don’t expect beauty• Be aware of time commitment required
Wiki suggestions, 2
• Be aware of file size quota• Iterative process:
– Create– Review and comment, feedback– Refine– Final Assessment– Consider separating process/product
in assessment• Require commenting
Journals LX
• Single-page• Multi-author• Users can only edit their own posts• Versioning• Commenting• No assessment tool• Option: students can view only own
posts• Option: RSS feed
Sample journal assignments
• Individual reading or progress journals
• Group project progress reports• Student blogs• Peer review• Link collection
Journals positives
• Easy for students to use• Good replacement for some single-
page wikis• Alternative to discussion board
Journal problems
• Less used at Dartmouth than wikis• Student engagement seems lower• Few technical/conceptual problems
– Browser problems
• Problems similar to discussion board:– Student motivation– Integration with course
Expo LX
• Formerly called “Backpack”• Not deployed at Dartmouth• Blogs, wikis associated with user• Module-based (not course)• Rudimentary permissioning• E-portfolios• Personal student spaces
Conclusion
• Contact: [email protected]
• Slides: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~bknauff/NERCOMP2006/
Questions!