Blackboard 9.1: A Learning Tool that Helps Students Succeed

By Chereese Sheen, Bloomfield College student

When students are told to go the blackboard, it’s a good thing at Bloomfield College. No, they’re not writing a punishment lesson 100 times. Instead, going to the blackboard at Bloomfield means using one of the hottest web-based learning and course management tools in colleges today: the Blackboard 9.1 computer program.

Bloomfield College is in the process of switching over to a new, upgraded version of Blackboard. Plans call for the switchover process to be completed by the end of the Spring 2012 semester. 

“Blackboard is a pioneer in Learning Management Systems,” says Yifeng Bai, director of the Center for Teaching and the Learning with Technology (CTLT) which oversees the Blackboard system at Bloomfield. 

Bai notes that the original Blackboard was founded back in 1997 and has about 50%-60% of the current Learning Management System market. 

Bai listed many benefits of the Blackboard system, including facilitating and enhancing group work, calculating and organizing grades, and allowing students to get information, such as lectures -- even when they can’t attend.  Though the use of Blackboard is not mandatory for courses at Bloomfield College, it is strongly recommended.

“Blackboard is an easy to use system and it’s convenient for both instructors and students. It has many features that can support classroom instructions as well as online learning,” Bai said. “Instead of using email for communication and distributing course materials and homework, Blackboard is a centralized Web space for class.”

For example, Bai said instructors can post announcements for important class messages, grades, send reminders on assignments and events, and also post syllabus and lecture notes. Assignments can also be handed in via Blackboard.  Classes can use a discussion board to share their understanding of concepts discussed in class.

“The new Blackboard also embeds some Web 2.0 technology to easily access online resources like YouTube video, SlideShow Presentations and flick Photos,” he noted.

Students at Bloomfield give Blackboard 9.1 an automatic A.  Most say the improvements make the new system preferable to the old Blackboard 8.

“Definitely Blackboard 9.1 [is better than Blackboard 8] because of the interface,” commented biology/pre-med student, Ceran Messam. “The menu and the options are more accessible.”

Since Bloomfield College started using Blackboard in 2002, usage of the Blackboard system has increased steadily. The current semester has the highest amount of courses ever registered on Blackboard – 258 – up from 220 last semester.  In Fall 2003, only 95 courses were registered on Blackboard, Bai said.  He attributed the dramatic increase in usage to Blackboard’s layout and features becoming more user friendly.

BC Nursing student Julissa Silva agrees that Blackboard 9.1 makes life easier.  Before she started using Blackboard, Silva says she used to have to wait for exam grades and writing assignments but not anymore. Now, she’s a Blackboard 9.1 fan.

“I think everyone should use Blackboard,” Silva said.