Job Discussion Forums

[John Hall]

I have to use Blackboard, the Internet-based software program that allows students to participate in discussion forums, submit assignments online, communicate with the teacher, etc., in my university English courses.

Primarily, I use it for writing assignments. It is also useful for certain types of grammar and reading activities. It does require a lot of time on my part, but I also enjoy the fact that it prevents me from having to carry around tons of students' papers with me most of the time.

One of my favorite ways to use Blackboard is for a "rewriting" assignment. I give the students an incorrectly written paragraph which they have to correct and resubmit to me on a special forum. I use the highlighter tool to indicate by color code the errors that remain, and what type they are (grammar, spelling, vocabulary, or punctuation). The students have to keep making corrections, over several weeks, until they get everything right (if they want to get a perfect mark).

This type of "rewriting" exercise would normally require an enormous amount of writing on the part of the teacher to indicate what type of errors exist. But this way, I can do it quite fast, and it is the student who must figure out how to correct the errors (instead of the teacher dictating what they are and how to correct them).

And of course, all of this is paperless, and both teacher and student can submit the work whenever it is convenient for them.

However, Stephen Jones is not a fan of Blackboard, as he wrote on another thread:

[bearcat]

There are multiple ways to use BB but it should of course not be the driving force of the class but more or less another classroom resource.

There's also a company I am familiar with that uses voice and video in the manner that some use BB for assignments both to get and turn in too.

[Stephen Jones]

There are varying things I detest about Blackboard-WebCT, starting with its flaky integration with other web programs, and continuing through its utterly non-user-friendly interface, (look at the status bar when you are restoring a backup), and topped above all by its absolutely lousy help system and internet tutorials.

If a piece of software is so badly documented that I have to take a course to work out how to run it, then it is dire indeed.

[saint57]

BB6 is ok. I post every note on there. Some students use it as an excuse to skip class, but most don't and I believe it benefits them.

[John Hall]

[gaijinalways]

Strangely enough, one university I was at had it, but they didn't tell most of the teachers about it nor did they give me a password to use it! talk about some people are more equal than others!