Srimana Niyomkar's Online Journal

Blackboard

Wow!!! I have my own course on Blackboard.
There are three students in my class, Genevieve, Mridu, and Kung. We all had interactive participation in the class. I used most tools such as course tool – assignment, announcement, course document, course information -, communication and collaboration tools - chat, virtual class room, blog, discussion board -, assessment tools - test, survey, grade book -, and user management. Blackboard is also allow instructors to record their virtual classrooms.

I want to say that Blackboard is user-friendly software. It allows instructors to put course materials, links, and quizzes onto the World Wide Web without knowing HTML. All its easy handle tools will definitely encourage my college, who are unknowledgeable about computer technology, can create our online courses willingly, and enjoy to use it.

However, I found that it need a huge money to invest with this system.

According to
Blackboard executives, costs for their network environment products, including Blackboard Learning
System, may start low but as subscribers integrate more functions into Blackboard, subscription
licenses may be $200,000 to $400,000-a-year(Bradford, porciello, Balcon, & Backus, 2007).

Although it provides powerful and easy to use systems for educational instruction, communication, and assessment, I do not think that my school can afford this burden. Looking for open sources probably be the best solution.

Course management systems that I have known are Blackboard, ecollege, CourseInfo. Other open source systems are , for instances, Moodle, and Atutor.

What is blackboard? Here is answer. Anyway, the article form Bradford, porciello, Balcon, & Backus (2007) give me more information about Blackboard.

* Course management systems (sometimes called courseware) are web-based software program that provide online versions of class rosters, course outlines, assignments, discussions, quizzes, and grade books.