Winter 2001 Blackboard Survey Data – Instructor Comments:

Blackboard assisted you teaching process comments

Respondent	Comment
1	Enhanced communication with the students.  Problems resolved quickly.  Material could be distributed easier.
2	Allowed for student feedback and provided additional discussion points.
3	It allowed me to post information online for student access 24 hours a day.  Exams and grading them are wonderful.  Occasional problems with student access.
4	I utilized Blackboard as an "ancillary" tool.  It was used as an extension to the information presented in class.  This semester I used it primarily as a delivery tool to send files and links to my students.
5	It provided format to things I already did off the www.
6	Allowed distance learning.  Nice printout of time.  Discussion board items wonderful.
7	I'll need a lot more time to think about this question.  It's certainly caused changes in my classroom--some new and exciting--some that bother me.  So I need to think more.  But it does definitely acquaint students with practical issues that they need to be acquainted with.
8	Allows more time to respond to 'discussions'.  Time lines of class removed.
9	It allowed for more open communication between students and faculty.
10	Enabled me to include course information and eliminate extra effort and time required to generate paper copies of my course materials.
11	Blackboard enhanced the following:  clarity of organization, ease of utilizing Internet, communication with students via announcements, facilitate group projects, enhance convenience and access for students.
12	Blackboard facilitated more interaction:  1} among students in clinical teams {groups}.  2} between students and me.  Blackboard facilitated clear communication via announcements page.
13	Facilitated communication.  When one student would ask a good question-I would post the question and answer to all students.
14	Constant communication and disseminating of documents.  External links helped illustrate concepts.  I really enjoy using the system because the course utilizes technology and this is an instructional tool that they can really learn from.  They have access to learning 24 hours.  Great tool.
15	Blackboard relieves the task for copying handouts.  I usually provide one handout per week.  In the past I used e-mails to communicate {handouts--hints for homework} with my students.
16	Most students were able to access course documents quite easily.  They especially liked the ability to check grades.  I tried to set up Virtual Office hours but this was less successful--mostly due to the time I chose.  I will try that part again.
17	It allowed me to see things that were unclear/spot problems as I read the discussion.  Kept me from having to answer too many questions about grades.  Added class participation--shy students tested ideas in groups and brought them to discussions.  Digital Drop Box left students with no reason for not turning in work.
18	It provided better communication with the students.
19	Assisted students obtain materials.
20	Blackboard is helpful for on-line exchanges.  Students can write to each other about their work and generally get to learn each other better.  Blackboard is convenient for distributing course documents.
21	No more disks.  Facilitated exchange of materials.  Store grades.  Communicate with students.
22	Allows me to enhance classroom teaching.  Allows voice to all students not just vocal ones.
23	It kept me and the students on tract.  What was due and weekly schedule were extra-added attractions.  I use external links a lot to give students additional info on class topics--formatting for papers--research material.  I have learned to use folders for assignments so students don't have to scroll.  I have made hot links in poems etc.

Comment Report: Blackboard drawbacks comments

Respondent	Comment
1	Trying to engage students in the discussion forum.  A couple of students did not have access at home-so resisted using Blackboard.
3	Still have not found a good way to incorporate discussion boards.
4	Keeping the students motivated to utilize the discussion feature.  Many had a difficult time connecting.  The most difficult part lies not with the program but with the lack of literacy skills with technology.  We need a BASIC TECH LITERACY class.
5	Not being able to get names of students on e-mail.  Not easy to import quizzes into Blackboard.  Some specific features like Documents.
6	I made assignments too complex.  Requiring response to each thread.  Having one synthesized response to all threads on a single topic.
7	I missed seeing folks on a regular basis.  The communication functions here strike me more as supplements to face-to-face--rather than full substitutes.  Group dynamics were different here although I'm not totally sure about how.  Beyond this same bugs:  Mac/Netscape/Virtual Chat.  New icon only in the DB {and not in groups or front page} etc.
8	Getting labs student computers my computer all operational.  Learning some new procedures--but I did!
9	Not enough time to learn all of its capabilities.
10	Selling the students on the benefits of the program.  Also developing teaching strategies that make use of all of Blackboard's features.  Also using HTML codes somewhat limited how I could format my documents in Blackboard.
11	No easy way to record attendance without points being assigned for each day.
12	I had difficulty and never did resolve finding/going to other links to use as resources.  Specifically links for reading instruction.
13	Gradebook.  I had undergrad and grad students, which made grade book less useful.
14	Server crashed during class--high time no support.
15	Did not know how to use smart text.
16	I could not ever get Blackboard to accept MS word documents.  I ended up creating UPEGs out of everything, which was a drag especially for a multipage document.  Many students could not print things properly.  Even reformatting word docs into html didn't work well for tables and specialized formats.
17	Gradebook:  1} Shrinking size sends one back to announcements and caused me to lose grades more than once.  2} Entering grades interface could be clearer--lines should be clearer.  3} I know that at times I entered grades but they did not show up.  4} Too many clicks to modify.  I also hated how students could add their own forums.  What chaos!
18	Loading text files and having them keep format is nearly impossible.
19	Occasionally documents disappear.
20	Navigation within {four clicks at times}.  There are some features I have not used.  Blackboard does not always accept attachments.
21	The gradebook is slow.
22	Lack of contextual knowledge.  Time.
23	Gradebook was a pain.  Making groups was also tedious.  Six clicks to enter a student.  The Gradebook itself was backward for me.  Other software takes better grades and converts to numbers; Blackboard only takes numerical values.

Comment Report: Allowed you to do that you could not do before comments

Respondent	Comment
1	Have certain course materials available.
2	It really helps me to be more flexible in meeting course needs.
3	Allow my students to access course information any time.
4	It allows me to provide additional support for concepts and ideas that are presented in class.  I am able to have student’s access information and share it with their peers outside traditional meeting hours.
5	Provide a single avenue for multiple types of information.  Take better care of copyright issues versus putting things directly on the web.
6	Think on new ways to hold student's shared information.
7	Teach CMC through using CMC.  Fuller participation through DB in terms of diversity of students responding; some improvements in students' responses due to think-time {though not across the board}.
8	Take quizzes on-line.  Gradebook.  Have students participate in class that might have missed the interaction before because they were sick or absent.
9	Not feel constrained for time.  Flexibility.
10	Communicate more effectively with my students outside of class meetings.
11	Group projects.  Announcements; corrections; clarification between class meetings.
12	Communicate more with students between class meetings.
13	Give students immediate distribution of info.  Document discussions.  Respond to student while traveling.
14	Create a virtual learning center where learning could occur on the internet.
15	Yes:  Before I was obliged to e-mail everyone or copy 25 handouts/week.
16	Make documents available without physically photocopying endless handouts and solution sets.
17	Be more in touch with students.  It also gave students a place to go before coming to me with questions.
18	It allowed students to see their grades at all times.  It allowed me to keep students current with up to date announcements and access to course information.
19	Provide materials to students on an ongoing basis.
20	Nothing but it makes a lot of things easier.  For example--student access to other e-mail & documents.
21	Post assignments.  Send notes.  Chatroom.
22	Allows me to be more thoughtful about course concepts.
23	Get digital submissions from students.  Create links that are relevant and tied to course topics.

Comment Report: Activities you spent the most time on comments

Respondent	Comment
1	Posting grades/posting course materials
2	Developing materials--once designed the posting was easy.
3	Posting materials.
4	Posting materials and checking/reading discussions.
5	Grades.  Course documents--since they were on the web.
6	1st--checking/responding   2nd--downloading 3rd--posting
7	All pretty heavy--and certainly heavier that a traditional class.  Initially most of time in planning and later most of time in working with student discussion etc.
8	All of the above.  Using Blackboard does not save time.  It is just an alternate form of teaching/learning and allows instant instructor feedback to students.
9	Checking student work.
10	Developing course materials that could be uploaded to Blackboard.
11	1} Checking student work.  2} Recording grades.  3} Posting materials.  4} Developing materials.
12	Checking student work--clinical team interaction.
13	Downloading from here was time consuming.
14	Developing materials for student’s use and links.
15	Posting materials.
16	developing/posting materials--assignments--handouts--solution sets--posting grades.
17	Reading and responding to discussions.
18	Posting materials.
19	Developing materials.
20	Discussion Boards
21	Develop postings.
22	Developing materials at this point.
23	Checking-downloading and responding to student work.  I wish there was an easy way to comment on the DDB papers and put them right back for students to read.  They missed the feedback.