A colleague at an Australian University showed me some details about where they’re going with Blackboard and blogs and oh dearie dearie me… it’s not a pretty place!
Specifically their “blog journal… [&] e-portfolio for teaching in the Autumn semester” is somewhat limited by the fact that:
“each blog will be subject bound (and it even has less functions than Blogger back in 2001) so at the end of the subject it all vanishes…..there’s no publicly published works – all secured behind the limits of students enrolled in that subject… [and more]“
Dontya just love the fact that they’re using a ‘blog journal’. I’m surprised they frickin didn’t call it a ‘blogg journal’ or my alltime favourite ‘BLOGG’ like it’s an acronym ;)
As my contact also points out the University in question is also somewhat seriously strapped for cash, and yet evidently has no problem heaping it out for these tools rather than taking the lead of many other excellent institutions and using open source tools.
And no, it’s not my place… As it happens some pretty exciting things are happening here in the OS social software sense… hope to be able to write more on that soon, it’s surprising where perseverance + time can sometimes get you!!!
The joys of the Blackboard ‘blog journal’
“each blog will be subject bound (and it even has less functions than Blogger back in 2001) so at the end of the subject it all vanishes…..there’s no publicly published works – all secured behind the limits of students enrolled…
The joys of the Blackboard ‘blog journal’.
“each blog will be subject bound (and it even has less functions than Blogger back in 2001) so at the end of the subject it all vanishes…..there’s no publicly published works – all secured behind the limits of students enrolled…
this institution would not happen to be in Victoria ?
Daily Udate — January 26, 2006
Here’s our take on news that matters for Thursday, January 26. Today’s theme is evolving education and here are a some links to headlines about technology that is changing the way we live and learn.
Gaming — Dance Dance revolution is making a s…
That would be telling ;)
So map coordinates are out of the question then :)
To be honest I get the feeling that the above might be a general rule for BB institutions… such as yours!
[...] I suspect WebCT’s efforts in this area are fairly similar to James’ report on Blackboard’s latest “developments”, even thought both teams are still, in theory, developing their tools independently. [...]
Care to expand on this?
And WebCT http://tama.edublogs.org/2006/02/02/webct-and-ahem-blogs/
So that’d be 90% of Australian HE institutions wouldn’t it.
Aren’t we a plucky, indpendent, larrikin bunch!!!
James i hope you dont think that every person at University thinks the same way towards BB and WebCT?
I subscribe to this blog because i value what you have to say…
I subscribe to it and others in the hope that it will aid me in presenting an alternative point of view.
an alternative point of view… that something thats easy to have right? :)
University reflect other Enterprise Environments, where you know what the “standards” are….
now just sit back and enjoy this PowerPoint our sales team made up …
To change things from the inside, that involves changing a culture. Can you think of anything more difficult to change than that?
Absolutely not, the amazing thing is that well over 50% of staff seem to hate it (Sts are usually non-committal or just happy to have access) I know because I’ve asked (lots!) of them.
Also, am not sure I agree that Unis are just like other Enterprise environments, in a physical and philosophical sense… I don’t think the same rules apply.
There is something very very wrong when so many staff dont want a system and yet its in use.
Would make an interesting blog as to why that is :)
From an IT/IS perspective do you think Uni are like a Enterprise?
Yes, there certainly is! Interesting question from an IT/IS perspective… in many ways I’d have to say no because by definition acads (and students) are quite independent souls and the works that we do is ‘out there’ in its range and definition.
I think that a ‘traditional’ or the majority of IT/IS systems cater for specific purposes, streamlined operations, security and stability etc. whereas in a uni context you;ve got to have a lot more slack, soft security approaches and the flexibility to deal with everyone using every different application under the sun.
Problem is that this rarely happens, often the opposite does, and it has in teh last 10 years probably been the biggest influencing factor on onlien T&L which ‘aint right.