At City Of Sunderland College we have been successfully using Blackboard since
December 2000. What lies at the heart of our thinking is the teacher/lecturer
who does not have the time/skills to construct their own html documents, web
sites etc but needs an easy to use system which provides easy to follow wizard
type instructions to upload materials, crate assessments etc. There is plenty of
scope for the more IT literate to do more ambitious things - they can still work
on their personal sites and create links etc from Blackboard or include high
tech images/ presentation.
From the students  perspective it is important that there is one system for
consistency so that access  becomes second nature and students working across
different subjects/modules can move easily from one to another. The subject
scheme of work sits at the centre of the course site and everything comes from
that. A VLE needs to be in harmony with the teaching process, teacher's styles
etc and not some super whizz tool that alienates staff. Using a VLE should
become  as natural to teaching staff as using the OHP. We all know that some
staff have moved light years ahead from the basics of OHP technology - power
point with clever graphics etc- but the main point is communicating the
learning.

A VLE must not deskill the teacher!

Cathy



Mandy Bentham wrote:

> As an academic who has used both Webct and Blackboard to support and
> compliment f2f teaching there is no doubt in my mind that Bb is easier to
> use, but as Malcolm says, it depends on what you want to do with your VLE. I
> needed an environment to support collaborative problem-based learning in
> groups (when there was a lack of appropriate physical space in the
> university & lack of available colleagues to support the groups). I was able
> to set up groups sites online without needing someone to show me how to do
> it (no time) using Blackboard and track students progress (v useful). The
> VLE made the preferred teaching method possible and has offered some
> interesting insights into group-based learning.
>
> Mandy
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Malcolm Ryan
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: 11/10/01 08:08
> Subject: Re: Which VLE?
>
> I have not used Blackboard so can not comment and have only passing
> acquaintance
> with WebCT (I have spent much of my time working in Lotus Notes). I do
> find
> WebCT highly structured to the point that it seems to 'direct' one down
> a
> particular pedagogical path (very product oriented and content-driven)
> that may
> not suit all subjects, students, tutors. Have others found this or am I
> just a
> little biased?
>
> _______________________________________________________________________
> Malcolm Ryan (Flexible Learning Co-ordinator)
> School of Education & Training, University of Greenwich, Maritime
> Greenwich
> Campus
> Old Royal Naval College, Park Row, Greenwich, London. SE10 9LS
>
> TEL: +44 (0)208-331-9741/9230      FAX:  +44 (0)208-331-9235
> E-mail:   [log in to unmask]                    URL:
> http://gre-guns2.gre.ac.uk/pcet/pcetweb.nsf
> Work at home:  +44 (0)208-488-6614   Mobile:  07808-594930 (SMS
> facility)
>
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