Blackboard received the certification on both our Managed Hosting and Learn systems through a DIACAP Audit that is conducted by a third party firm contracted by DoD. The DIACAP certification is in line with Blackboard Managed Hosting security measures to verify that security controls are comprehensive, effective, documented and operating in accordance with DoD standards.

So what does this really mean?  Our certification means that our network and application meet DoD’s complex standards on physical hardware, data, encryption, and more.  Above all, this means that our government clients can operate on the Blackboard system with the comfort of knowing they have extra layers of security.   Above all, we hope that our certification and our being among the “first to market” further demonstrates our commitment to the DoD, Intelligence, and Federal Civilian space.

Male Students Enjoying the Mobile Devices

Female Students with Mobile Devices

We visited the teachers at Nangwanda Secondary School in Newala last week so we could begin to understand how they teach their students and what issues they face in that process.  Some of the issues they face here are startling:  large class sizes ranging from 45-75 students each; limited number of teachers, only 13 teachers available to teach a school of over 600 students; minimal access to textbooks; and lack of reliable electricity.  In fact, we ourselves lost power last night when preparing for the week’s sessions but were lucky enough to find a generator to charge our laptops, ad hoc servers, and mobile phones.  It would have been interesting conducting a  mobile technology workshop without any mobile devices!

Today, we began our 9-day project of two workshops per day consisting of 65 to 75 students each.  The students ranged from grades 8 through 9.  The wonder and excitement plastered their faces as we handed each group their phone were alone worth the 19-hour flight here from the US. Within the first 20 minutes and with a good measure of trial and error, they had a reasonable grasp of the mechanical functions of the phone that many of us take for granted such as: how to turn the phone on; unlock it by swiping their finger across the screen; use the camera to take pictures; and type words in the text box using the on-screen keyboard.  It was remarkable to watch how quickly students began to learn how to use the phones, especially since most of them have never seen a touch-screen smartphone before in their lives.

After the workshop, when asked if she had fun today one of the students replied softly, “We have had a lot of fun because today we learned things we did not know before.”

Of course, in an economic downturn, it is easy to attribute enrollment challenges to increased financial uncertainty. However, in a recent publication by Public Agenda, With Their Whole Lives Ahead of Them, the study authors set out to better understand the challenges facing current university students by debunking a handful of myths and widely-held assumptions about those students that fail to complete college.

In addressing the realities of college drop-outs, the study paints a dramatically different image of the average university student:

• Among students in four-year schools, 45 percent work more than 20 hours a week.
• Among those attending community colleges, 6 in 10 work more than 20 hours a week, and more than a quarter work more than 35 hours a week.
• Just 25 percent of students attend the sort of residential college we often envision.
• Twenty-three percent of college students have dependent children.

While financial factors clearly play a large part, it is apparent that today’s students are managing more activities and juggling competing pressures outside of the lecture hall than previously imagined. As a result, expectations of higher education institutions have changed as students require a much more responsive and individual interaction with administrators and educators. To better respond to the new demands of today’s students, educators and administrators are using technology to offer better service, choices, personalization and immediacy with additional university offerings.

We recently had the chance to share the experience of Fort Valley State University which utilizes a combination of Blackboard tools to meet increased student demand by providing enhanced online learning programs and improving the overall campus experience. Located in Fort Valley, Georgia, FVSU, part of the University System of Georgia, is a historically black college serving about 3,500 students, with nearly two-thirds of those students living off-campus. By offering online courses and additional programs, FVSU was able to increase student enrollment and better serve students living off-campus with greater flexibility in accessing university resources.

Today, the FVSU online learning course offers four degree programs, in addition to student counseling, advising and support services. To help facilitate their online offerings, FVSU administrators use Blackboard Connect to send timely messages directly to students, providing important reminders or notifications. Blackboard Connect has proven useful across campus, as administrators use the system to send proactive messages and outreach to targeted student groups, like orientation notices, registration deadlines and attendance reminders.

As student demands continue to evolve, higher education institutions can utilize technology to better adapt to changing needs by providing online programs in conjunction with enhanced communication outreach. Through timely, targeted messaging, administrators and educators can make course and campus information more available and better ensure student success. To hear more about FVSU’s experience using Blackboard tools to enhance the college experience, download the online presentation and recording.

Want to learn how your campus can make better use of technology to meet student needs? Visit our website to learn more about how Blackboard Connect can help you improve the campus experience.

Time well Spent for University of York.

Guest Blog post by David Barrett, Virtual Learning Environment Application Manager, University of York

David Barrett, University of York

I first learned about the SP8 beta evaluation program from a colleague who attended a Blackboard Roadshow event in the UK.  It was a very smooth experience, after signing up for the BIE I was all set and was promptly given joining instructions for the webinar series that accompanied the program.

There were five webinars in all, delivered by Blackboard staff involved in product management and development. The webinars were hosted in Collaborate which provided an easy way to ask questions to the presenter and to other beta program participants.

On the whole, I found the experience to be a very positive one.  During each webinar there was an opportunity to review any installation problems, or issues tester institutions had uncovered. The open nature of the webinar facilitated some interesting discussions and it was beneficial to hear other people’s thoughts on new features. Having one webinar per week (either side of the Christmas break) was useful in focusing my attention on the beta program and testing features in advance of the webinar.

The most useful thing about attending the webinar series was the direct contact with Blackboard staff.  I linked up with Mark O’Neil from Blackboard who presented on the new authentication framework.  As a follow up to some specific questions regarding Shibboleth I was able to email Mark and access further guidance and documentation on this topic.

As part of the beta program, Blackboard provided access to a course site where participating institutions could download the service pack builds and access documentation.  The site also contained a discussion forum which could be used for posting questions to Klaire’s team. The forum provided a useful way to review the questions other institutions were asking.

In order to test SP8 I put together a light-weight test plan that covered new features and University of York developed building blocks and tools.  Two beta builds were released during the program and we installed both, treating the second as an installation dry run, a test which we will perform several times before installing anything in our production environment. Various issues cropped up during installation and we raised these issues with Blackboard Client Support with a special ‘sp8beta’ tag.

Our overall impression of SP8 is very positive. We are particularly pleased to see support for Shibboleth authentication and the new hierarchy for delegating tabs/module administration, as we have made significant use of the Community System. The new 2012 theme will also be a great improvement from our users’ perspective. At York we are upgrading from 9.1 SP5 and based on my experience and looking at the new features in SP8, I anticipate a relatively smooth upgrade from a user’s perspective as new features integrate well into the core product.

Getting early access to SP8 has allowed me to get a head start on building our test scripts, and in planning what new features York might want to deploy this summer. I joined the program to gather information to help with our planned upgrade to SP8 this summer – which it certainly did.  It was also nice to get a sneak peek at an upcoming release. I will certainly consider joining other BIE programs in the future.

If you would like to be active in any of the Bb Learn Community Programs, such as Betas, a great way to start is by signing up for the Blackboard Idea Exchange.  You can also check out our new Client Impact Report to see how clients like David impacted SP8.

The task of training the CMS team is a formidable one: surveyors are spread over twelve time zones, travel up to 80% of the time, and must maintain a broad knowledge base within the ever-changing healthcare industry.  When CMS needed a way to make this compliance training more manageable, they turned to Blackboard Learn for the following reasons:

• Ease of Access:  Even when traveling extensively, surveyors are able to stay connected to their course material and their peers online.
• Consistence of Message: Since course materials are updated from a central point, the latest federal guidelines can be accurately and consistently delivered to the entire surveyor team.
• Capacity to Integrate Training and Tool into a Single Portal: All instructional resources can be combined at one online “location.”
• Availability to Provide a Blended Learning Experience: CMS places great emphasis on combining experiential practice, collaboration, learner preparation, and instructor guidance and feedback –all of which Blackboard Learn can integrate seamlessly.

Government organizations like CMS must provide consistent, comprehensive training to teams across the country, even in the face of policy changes and tightening budgets.  Online and mobile technologies, like those CMS utilizes, are key components to learning and training in this dynamic environment.

Visit our website to find out how Blackboard Learn can help your organization utilize today’s training technologies in a cost-effective way, and read the entire CMS case study here.

Partnering with Seeds of Empowerment, a non-profit organization developed through Stanford University, Blackboard is spending 2 weeks in rural Tanzania to understand the educational imperatives in a region very different from that shaped our beginnings.  We will work with 140 students in grades 8-9 in Newala, a rural town in the Mtwara region of southern Tanzania, to introduce them to different mediums of learning technology.  Our goal is simple and may sound familiar:  To significantly improve students’ education experience through the use of easily accessible mobile devices and applications.

Students in Tanzania

Students Participating in Project Activate 2012

Join us on this journey of discovery and innovation to learn how important education really is in a place where electricity is often undependable, students learn in a language they can barely understand, and the closest thing to technology most people own is well… nothing.

Does technology stand a chance in an environment like this?  And if so, can it help improve the education experience of students and teachers?

We believe it can.  But there’s only one way to find out.

About Neha Mehta
Neha Mehta is a senior marketing manager for the Blackboard International marketing team. Neha is based in the DC headquarters for Blackboard and has been with the company for more than six years in various marketing roles. Neha has a passion for philanthropy, especially opportunities where she can assist children and families in third world countries to improve their daily life and she is participating in Project Activate to do just this. Neha is the face of Blackboard in Tanzania this February where she has partnered with a small team of students and faculty from Stanford University.

“How big a deal would an upgrade be?”

Realizing that some of our clients may be asking the same question, I felt compelled to respond.  The short answer is that the new look and feel offered with SP8 would not negatively impact an upgrade decision for 2 reasons:

• Flexibility and Choice
• Early Client Validation

Flexibility and Choice

Change management has been a core focus for us in recent years, and SP8 is no exception. In addition to having the choice to introduce new features and a modernized UI when they’re ready, through our Service Pack model, our clients also have the flexibility to choose which features and UI theme to deploy with SP8.

In other words, when it comes to introducing the new UI of SP8, our clients have options:

1. Upgrade and apply “Blackboard Learn 2012” theme system wide – the new, modern look of SP8 is a new System Theme titled “Blackboard Learn 2012.” Of course we recommend that all our clients apply the new theme introduced in SP8 as early feedback has validated that it will vastly improve the experience for all users, without compromising familiarity.
2. Upgrade and apply earlier Blackboard theme or custom theme – earlier themes that our clients have used will still be available in SP8. Although we recommend that clients apply the new 2012 theme, we recognize that they may choose to introduce new features in SP8 before introducing a design update. They still have the flexibility to do so. All in the spirit of providing clients choice when it comes to how and when they introduce new changes to their system. And when clients are ready to introduce the new 2012 Theme or new features, we offer short videos to help faculty get familiar, like this one: http://bit.ly/xC9Ch5

• Similarly, our clients can choose which tools to make available, providing them the autonomy to introduce new features and change at their desired pace.

Early Client Validation

It’s worth sharing some early client feedback on the new Blackboard Learn 2012 Theme in SP8 that reinforces our goal of improving the experience without introducing significant change.

“The visual UI changes in the SP8 2012 Theme are nicely done to minimize shock to the user, but are still a big improvement.  Our faculty testing the new theme have found it to be more modern and elegant, while not disrupting their familiarity with the locations of tools and features.”

- Chris Palmarini, Butte Community College

“The new UI is cleaner and works better. Troubleshooting is easier because of better iconography and I believe it will be easier to train people with the new SP8 design which is important.”

- Brad Boeke, Southern Methodist University (Client Impact Report)

“This service pack puts the power in the users’ hands with advanced personalization features and a well-researched educational framework to support various e-learning strategies.”

- Dolf Jordaan, University of Pretoria

Nearly 600 clients influenced the development and design of SP8, providing us ample opportunity to gather input early on and make changes along the way.  To get a better sense of the level at which our clients drive the direction of our product, I encourage you to check out our Client Impact Report on Slideshare: http://slidesha.re/zZ8Gkj

In that same blog, Joshua Kim made the following observation, “I think Blackboard’s competitors, and many educators, are at risk of underestimating Blackboard in the next couple of years.”

I wholeheartedly agree.  Blackboard Learn has introduced a whole new playing field with a modern and inviting new UI, dozens of channels for client influence and impact, the flexibility to choose when and how to introduce change, and features and workflows that save time and improve insight.

This week, as details emerged about Learn 9.1, SP8, it took me no time at all to realize how exciting this release is for K-12 educators.  From the moment you open a course, small but powerful differences catch your eye.

Course Structures and Themes – These features allow teachers to get a little quick assistance when setting up a course.  Teachers can use a Course Wizard to identify the right structure (lab, discussion, etc) and then can select a theme to match.  Themes transform the look of a course so teachers can make it their own.  The frames range from striking green frogs to colorful math symbols.  What really got me excited was the ability to add sample content into the new course.  This provides a quick jumpstart on building pedagogically sound online learning activities.

Reporting – There are two key additions to the reporting capabilities in SP8.  Now, teachers and administrators can report on student performance against aligned standards, providing greater visibility into the achievement of learning outcomes.  Also, Course and Student Activity Reports now allow administrators and teachers to see how students are using online course materials and tracking student time on various learning activities.

Automatic Regrading – Simple features can save a lot of valuable time.  Now, if a teacher realizes there is an error in a test key, he/she can correct the response in the key, and then automatically regrade all responses associated with that key.

And then finally there is just the modern, clean look.  All of the same information and tools that you are used to, but easier for both teachers and students to use and work with.

Interested in learning what’s new in SP8 for K-12? Webinars begin on February 16. Please register here. http://bit.ly/zzCOHU

Guest post by Dr. Deborah Everhart, Chief Architect in Product Management, Blackboard Learn and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Georgetown University.

As a Director in the Exemplary Course Program, I have the privilege and pleasure of reviewing dozens of course submissions each spring. Every year the Directors see course innovations that we’ve never seen before, and I’m personally gratified to see how faculty and instructional designers are using Blackboard Learn in ways that effectively address the needs of students. It expands my understanding of how we can continue to evolve our products, as well as giving me best practice ideas for my own course!

Leslie Koberna

Delving a little deeper into the ECP experience, I interviewed Leslie Koberna from Texas Woman’s University, one of the 2011 ECP winners. When I asked her what makes her Oral Radiology course exemplary, she described her methodology for getting students engaged during the first week of the course. They are expected to complete activities that acclimate them to the course and familiarize them with the course materials and objectives. For example, they take a practice quiz based on the syllabus, which not only demonstrates that they’ve read and understand the syllabus, but also introduces them to the structure of Blackboard quizzes that they will be taking throughout the semester. Leslie makes sure every student is engaged from the very beginning, greatly improving their opportunities for success in the course.

A “Course Tour” guides students through the structure of the course and explains how “all assignments are designed around the module objectives to help you learn and apply the material.” Each topic includes both textual and video materials to help the students learn the material from different perspectives. Such a well-organized course makes even a challenging topic like oral radiology approachable.

For anyone thinking about submitting your courses for review in this year’s ECP program, it’s not too late! We all know our courses are never as good as we’d like them to be, but take heart from this tale: Leslie submitted a different course for ECP review in a prior year, she got “wonderful feedback,” which she used to revise her radiology course. She submitted—and won! The value of iterative improvements to our courses, whether we “win” or not, is always an investment worth making.

“I would encourage anyone who is considering submitting to ECP to do it. Not only did my students benefit when I used the rubric to improve my courses; but since receiving the award, I have had several opportunities to share components of my course with others and to travel to Blackboard World 2011 to present best practices from my course.” –Leslie Koberna

You may already know that professional colleges and universities are well-suited for students with active lifestyles, including parents and individuals with full-time jobs.  What you may not know, however, is that many professional colleges have specific programs and services that benefit members of our military, their spouses, and veterans.

Here are a few of the top ways that professional colleges and universities serve members of our military:

• Schools such as Harrison College have specific policies in place that minimize penalties to service members who must withdraw from classes upon being called to active duty.
• Herzing University, which has been listed as a top military-friendly school, is one of many professional universities that offer credit for military training, experience, and testing.
• Many schools, such as Capella University, have experienced teams dedicated to supporting members of the military and their families. (Capella even has specialized military social networks!)
• Career colleges often provide grants, scholarships, and discounts off tuition to veterans, current members of the military, and even military spouses.

In addition to these specific programs and benefits, professional colleges also offer flexible course schedules and online degree programs that can help service members complete their degrees on time.  To learn more about the various ways in which professional colleges and universities are serving our military, search for military services on your school’s website or visit the individual pages above.