Strategic Learning Environment Configurations in the Higher Education Sector in the U.K. and the U.S.
Hanover Research Council

This report discusses emerging trends in the use of strategic learning environments at higher education institutions. It includes a summary of the trends in usage of various virtual learning environments, as well as discussions of the ways in which institutions are using new technologies such as Web 2.0 tools and personal learning environments.

Link: Strategic Learning Environment Configurations in the Higher Education UK and US.pdf

College 2.0: A Wired Way to Rate Professors—and to Connect Teachers
Jeffrey Young

The Blackboard administrator at the University of Maryland-Baltimore tracks usage and publishes a list of most-active instructors. That list helps technology-troubled professors connect with more experienced peers for help – “faculty learn best from other faculty,” he says. Other aspects of the report include giving people bragging rights, aiding in the measurement of teaching, and helping notice teachers who are interested in using technology. Read more at the link below…

Link: http://chronicle.com/free/2009/01/9311n.htm

bFree is a free java-based tool for Blackboard™, created by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which can be used to open a course archive file and display an outline of the course. It can also preview and extract individual content items, or extract any or all content as an independent web site that mimics the original Blackboard™ course.

Link: http://its.unc.edu/tl/tli/bFree/index.php

Let’s face it. You would live on Facebook if you could. Imagine a world where you could manage your entire life from Facebook – it’s not that far off! Right now, though, one thing missing is your academic life. You have to access a different system to get your course information and you don’t always know when something new has been posted or assigned, so it’s difficult for you to stay on top of your studies. We get it. That’s why Blackboard is offering Blackboard Sync™, an application that delivers course information and updates from Blackboard to you inside Facebook.

You can find out if you have a new assignment, grade, new forum posts, etc., without having to leave Facebook. Blackboard Sync also cross-references your courses’ Rosters with Facebook to make it easier to connect with your classmates through Facebook.

So go ahead and install Blackboard Sync and start getting course updates and connecting with classmates through Facebook right away.

Link: http://www.blackboardsync.com/
Link: http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=27522527824

The Blackboard Learning Management System at the University of Washington Bothell has been upgraded to version 8! Many of the accounts and courses have been archived and removed during the transition process, so you will need to create a new account if you are one of the students who cannot log in with their old one. For more information, see the Blackboard Self-Enrollment Handout.

Faculty members who need a new course to be created or an old one to be restored in the Blackboard System can fill out and submit a Blackboard Course Request Form.