Teachers, students able to communicate online with software

by Jake A. Harris

Universities, colleges and high schoools have begun to adopt tech-centric teaching methods, and the way students communicate with teachers and each other, both in the classroom and out, is changing as rapidly as the technology.

Blackboard

One popular tool is the learning management system (LMS) developed by Blackboard, Inc., a blend of e-mail, chat rooms, forums, file sharing, grading and testing software.

Of the "Top 20 Wired Colleges" ranked by PC Magazine in late 2006, 85 percent used the Blackboard Academic Suite, according to a company press release.

Earlier this year, Blackboard bought competitor ANGEL Learning for $95 million in cash and stock after buying another competitor in 2005, leaving virtually one competitor in the LMS market, Desire2Learn.

"With the teachers that do use it, it's helpful for the class because they post their notes and anything pertaining to the class on Blackboard," said John Smith, a communications senior at Arizona State University. "I prefer when professors use Blackboard, rather than doing everything in class."

Smith said he prefers using Blackboard's built-in features for discussion and file sharing rather than sifting through a jam-packed email inbox or using a discussion forum on another Web site, but he is quick to add that frustrations arise when the system is unavailable.

The company's revenue has more than doubled over the last four years to $300 million-plus, suggesting the dominance will continue until a suitable challenger appears that can resist the temptation to sell out to Blackboard. The company is getting so much attention that The Wall Street Journal speculates that search giant Google, Inc. may be looking into purchasing Blackboard, Inc.

Blackboard Limitations

Some students say, however, that traditional learning software like Blackboard is too narrowly designed, relying too much on the teacher to disseminate information rather than producing a cohesive, cooperative learning environment.

Currently, teachers post information to the site where students manually check for updates to bulletin boards, forums, or assignments.

"The way it's currently designed, the teacher is the funnel. Any questions the students have, have to go though the teacher's tools. It puts a lot of strain on the teacher's time," said Jeremy Rudy, an ASU journalism student who researches educational technology.

"There are a whole lot of tools [like Blackboard] out there--none of them has reached critical mass," Rudy said.

Rudy and some of his fellow students are developing a new platform that will remove some of the burden from the teachers and put some responsibilities into the hands of students by focusing more on the social aspect of learning, acting more like a social media platform.

"Learning technology rarely interfaces with the outside world," Rudy said. For example, Blackboard doesn't "let you embed Youtube videos, link to blogs or anything like that. There's the Internet, and then there's Blackboard."

Beyond the Blackboard

It is for this reason that many teachers take matters into their own hands by adopting new tools or developing their own Web sites and online resources that offer assistance to students around the clock, accessible from any location.

"At Utah State University, a third of professors use services outside of what the school provides. I think that's going to be a growing trend," Rudy said.

A recent Stanford University study found the use of Internet forums, a type of online discussion board, can improve learning by providing an easily accessible tool to conduct student-led discussion and increase preparedness among students for in-class assignments and exams.

In addition to instructor-focused software, there are thousands of Web tools available for students to maximize their educational experience. There are calendars, note taking applications, to-do lists and software to help design presentations or write papers.

It is through these services that most students are finding their stride and fully embracing technology in their educations, Rudy said.

"Students usually feel like they need to use what the teachers provide," he said. "But I think students more and more want to have the control and not rely on their professors."