Winter 2002 Blackboard Survey: Instructor Comment Report:

Blackboard assisted your teaching process comments

Respondent	Comment
1	I was able to post my lecture notes.  I was able to post announcements if I forgot something in class.
2	Gave me a chance to see when material was being understood or misunderstood.  Encouraged me to think more deeply about how students handle material.  Helped to direct lesson planning by articulating students' interests.
3	Used in Group Discussion Board in groups area.  Group Discussions centered around reading and answering questions and responding to other students' comments thus facilitating reading- critical thinking- writing skills- while learning basic social processes.
4	Students enjoy doing things at their convenience.  Students enjoy technology.
5	Announcement--didn't have to spend time in class.  Allowed students to have discussions and instructor could view later.  Allowed presentation of class material.
6	I could communicate with students easily.  Announcements were given in a timely fashion.  Students could download course documents if they lost theirs.
7	Helped students share ideas.
8	I am a dept chair and sometimes hard to access for students.  Blackboard allowed more frequent communication to all.  It allowed more consistent communication.  Students knew their grades and what they needed to hand in.
9	Current list of grades is most important.  Ability to contact all students.  Announcements.  Course documents including syllabus.
10	Presentations available outside of class.  Group projects.
11	Provided visual and kinesthetic learners options for success.  Decreased in-class management time.  Provided students a forum to exchange work and ideas.
12	It helps me stay in touch with students while they are in field.  It also provides a tool of reflection that I can guide students within.
13	Organization of content.  Convenience of communication.  Use of internet.
14	Able to reach different outcomes.  On-line grade book saved time.  Quizzes on-line saved classroom time to do other things.  Discussion board shows application of course concepts.
15	Kept the students well informed even outside class hours such as at weekends etc...  Organizing teaching material.  Ease of sending announcements.
16	Discussion boards are helpful.  I use them much more in my creative writing classes.  Announcements and assignments always kept students updated.
17	Allowed me to expand my interaction with students.  Allowed more access to my assignments.  Allowed group activities outside class time.  Allowed students to see grades anytime.

Comment Report: Blackboard drawbacks comments

Respondent	Comment
1	Not difficult to use.  Don't like the points in grade book.
2	Gradebook is a blessing and a curse--having grades posted is helpful but students who do not pay attention while I explain that I will sum up--weigh--and represent 15 quiz grades in one score are upset when they lose points for no reason {when each quiz score is replaced} by one score.  I do not know how to prevent this sort of misunderstanding.
3	Creating groups:  pages of names of existing users should contain 50 names--not 25.  Should be able to receive e-mail within Blackboard.  Would greatly increase ability of students to communicate with group members--or at least reduce excuses for not doing so.  Should be able to keep items from Gradebook for nest semester course.
4	I need to expand my range of assignments/comfort level.
5	Quizzes--changing correct answers/making them available and not available.
6	Students weren't required to use it.
7	Hard to know how to get a good discussion going among students.  They seem to put priority on meeting requirements.  Most didn't see it as a meaningful forum for discussion.
8	Not all students had access or computer skills.  Student e-mails not all correct in the directory.  Having to report documents in an already built course archived.
9	Takes time to use/enter grades in Blackboard when making changes in individual grades or to modify items.
10	Projection to some SVSU classrooms not reachable due to projector equipment
11	Features I was able to access last year were removed from my access--caused frustration--increased time to get things done.  Also requesting courses to be created or duplicated through the website were lost and courses weren't created on time.
12	Reading all of the student papers--finding time to load external links and assignment extensions.  Basically it seems to take more time to do similar assignments.
13	Time consuming setting up groups with each student and instructor.
14	When things didn't work it was a HUGE time drain.  It is very time consuming to set up a course with no extra compensation or recognition.
15	On-line grading not fully flexible.  Need more options in main menu.
16	Gradebook--I need more training.  When I posted work from a 3 1/2 disk via a word document it reads as if it can be edited/changed.
17	I still don't know about mega data and doing something with video.

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

Respondent	Comment
1	Eliminate copy costs of lecture notes.  Post answers and results immediately.  Keep all scores ready to export to Excel.
2	Know in a more accurate way how students feel about what happens in class.  Let students have access to final grades prior to report cards.  Make general announcements {answer questions} publicly on days that class does not meet.
3	On-line asynchronous communication among students to further outside interaction and group learning.  Keep better track of grades.
4	Teach during snow days/grade during snow day/illness.  Teach while away for a conference.  Instant e-mail roster.  Sharing of all students.
5	Take exams on computer.  Have a class time on-line where students didn't have to come to campus.
6	Keep in touch with students 24/7.
7	Easy access to students through e-mail--announce things--respond on line {which is quicker than responding with a pencil.
8	Better assessment.  Better communication.
9	See #1
10	See individual student group interaction.
11	Easily share info with students.
12	Guide student reflection in a group process.  I certainly have done this before in the classroom but not through a great amount of writing.
13	Communicate easily with students 24/7.  Easy to correct mistakes and misunderstandings regarding assignments.
14	Increase seminar reflection and consequently thinking time and better results.
15	Keep students informed and up-to-date.
16	Keep students up-to-date on assignments.
17	distance learning/group interaction--seeing group dynamics happen in chat archives and discussion boards

Comment Report: Activities you spent the most time on comments

Respondent	Comment
1	Developing course/lecture notes.
2	Discussion Board
3	Creating groups.  Creating items in Gradebook.  You should hand this out in late September when the efforts and problems of using Blackboard are fresh in our minds.
4	Developing--Downloading
5	Checking student work.
6	Posting and checking on how it was used by students.
7	Discussion forums
8	Changing file types {.rtf} and zipping and html.  Creating course documents--rebuilding courses.
9	Developing material whether Blackboard or not.
10	Developing material.  Evaluate student's weekly work.
11	Developing materials and updating grades.  Creating group discussion boards.
12	Developing materials--posting materials--checking student work
13	Developing materials.
14	Developing materials--grading student work
15	Developing/posting material
16	Posting announcements and assignments and grade book
17	posting/downloading/putting in quizzes and surveys