ARTICLE 2

Implementing Blackboard Online Delivery System at a High School: Lessons Learned.
Samsonov, P. & Beard, M. (2005).

Summary of central themes

Blackboard is a delivery system for online teaching. The Blackboard program has been successfully used across America, mostly in universities and colleges. It has many unique features which include the grade book, discussion board, digital drop box and others. One valuable advantage is that it is very suitable for use in schools. Although schoolteachers may not always have the need to teach online, and school students may not be prepared to be taught online, the software can successfully enhance and improve a teacher’s ability to communicate. The project focuses on twenty high school teachers who were selected for an ongoing project to implement the Blackboard online delivery system at their school. After a one-day seminar the researchers assisted the teachers in setting up their accounts, enrolling students and using Blackboard. The parents of the students enrolled in the Blackboard courses were given their children’s user names and passwords to monitor their progress. The process of implementing Blackboard and encountered problems are described and discussed.

Intended audience

This article is aimed at academics who are interested in the use of Blackboard as a LMS interface. It would also be beneficial to educational leaders who have already begun to implement other LMS but have found their staff to be lacking motivation or engagement in the process.

Methodology and results

The project was conducted in three stages. Preliminary work started in the spring semester of 2004. The administration and the investigators identified 20 participants from the Lafayette High faculty. Each participant was interviewed in order to determine her/his computer skills, and a short questionnaire was completed by every participant to identify his/her level of computer preparedness. The project then moved into the workshop stage which was carried out on August 5, 2004. The workshop lasted 7 hours in the computer lab of Lafayette Parish School Board. During the workshop the 20 participants were taught the methodology of using Blackboard. They assumed the roles of teachers and students using Blackboard, learned technical and pedagogical issues of Blackboard. The participants exchanged ideas of how to use Blackboard in their particular subjects. The final stage was a stage of assistance and research. From the beginning of the school year the investigators assisted the participants in practical application of Blackboard. It was expected that some participants would need to enroll new students, convert their teaching material into electronic format, and program their grade books. It was also expected that they would probably encounter other difficulties. All problems and difficulties were recorded during this process. Problems which were identified were the need for individual assistance, the turn around time for student enrollment, the current grading system of Lafayette was not compatible with Blackboard and teachers complained about being “overwhelmed with work”.

How does this article relate to the topic?

The article again raises the issue of relevant professional development opportunities for teachers using new LMS interfaces. It identifies many problems associated with the implementation of the Blackboard interface. The article highlights the importance of gaining staff support to achieve successful implementation of new LMS interfaces.