Winter 2004 Instructor Blackboard Survey Essay Results
	Question responses: [ Drawbacks ][ Assist teaching ][ Most time on ][ Could not do before ]
	Drawbacks? What was difficult for you? [Return to top]
1	I don't know how to use many of the tools in Blackboard. I am currently taking the training sessions every Wednesday morning so I can better fit the flexibility of Blackboard into more of my in-class activities. I also want to incorporate the "virtual classroom" into out of class assignments when I teach in the fall. This will not only get the students "into" the assignments, it will also make them use and become familiar with the system.
2	English 380 students complained significantly about problems of access--limited time on campus, no access at home, unable to access system.
3	I've noticed a problem with the online gradebook since the upgrade to version 6. The specific problem is that the grades that I post from my home computer do not show up, even if I log out, shut down, restart and log back in. However, the grades show up when I log on from on campus. My students also have emailed me with questions about grades not showing up when they log in, and I know for a fact that I indeed have entered those grades.
4	the drop box is cumbersome and there were a few other things that didn't quite work logically like I thought they would but I eventually figured out how to get around it or make it work some other way.
5	See above
6	I don't like the gradebook because it gives a running average when that average is really inaccurate.  Many students sign up for classes and never show or disappear.  I must keep them in my gradebook.  Their "0"s  are averaged with the scores for those who completed their work.
7	The students also complain that they have trouble accessing Blackboard either because of down time by the university or other excuses (even if they are on my class list, some say that they are not able to sign-in).  This is problemsome when they need to access an assignment and they can't.
8	Minor issue this semester:  I can't single space in the Assignments and Announcements areas
9	I still need training for Gradebook. Some students want me to use it, but so far I would prefer not to.
10	This past term the biggest problem was transferring information and assignments from previous semesters onto the current semester's site. Within that, the biggest problem was making sure that the postings were accurate. I almost always make adjustments to assignments and exercises from term to term while retaining much as well. The problem for me is the need to do careful editing and proofreading in the cut and paste process.
11	There were no major drawbacks, but one thing that would be nice would be a "total points acquired" and/or "percentage of total points acquired" field in each student's gradebook page. This would have saved me some time as I had to calculate these manually.
12	I use it minimally and so it was not difficult. Although it is frustrating sometimes about posting material in a format that doesn't lose it's format when posted or downloaded. Also, there is no way for me to check on my own computer to "see" how things get posted since my computer only downloads before I can see anything. I have to go to another computer somewhere if I want to actually see what my students will see when I post a document. I need more training to feel comfortable using it for group work, gradebook, etc. These aspects will also require much more of my time to be online, and I do not really want to spend that kind of time online since I do not have internet access at home (and I do not wish to do this kind of work at home).
13	Nothing really.
14	I cannot think of any drawbacks of Blackboard itself. (Sometimes, I wonder if students have too much access to informaiton - for instance when the bug me about not having their grades posted immediately. Of course, this is due to the nature of students, rather than Blackboard.)
15	I am still not comfortable with the online gradebook section.  I list the papers, group projects, exams, etc. that will be the basis for grading, but because I use letter grades and not numerical grades, I choose not to use the gradebook as yet.
16	Nothing, actually. Although printing out the gradebook in a readable format, especially when I have numerous graded assignments proved very problematical.
17	None. Although I am interested in learning more (taking the time to add to my course) video streaming, music, and such.
18	Students now have a new source of complaint--that Teacher X is not using Blackboard in the same way as Teacher Y or not using Blackboard for the gradebook, and so on.
19	It ultimately adds to my workload and can detract from focus on course content and from face-to-face office communicaton.
20	I'm sure there is a way--but I would like to be able to use digital drop box as a way of reading a students paper, commenting on that paper, and then having my changes and comments go right back to the student's digital drop box paper.
21	I am still trying to figure out how to use the gradebook, but am working on it!
22	The gradebook still seems to be the most difficult to use. I use a point system and would forget to change the default from giving letter grades.
23	Many students were kicked off the network while taking online quizzes/exams.  It could be their ISP, but it sure happened a lot, and I had to unlock their attempt and they had to start over.
24	In the gradebook it takes awhile to get all the items on. It would be nice if you had 10 short papers, you could set up one and then copy it 9 times instead of doing each one separately.
25	I had some difficulty entering quizzes.  Also, some of the information was omitted when students tried to access the questions.  Needs further refinement.  Instructor may not use Blackboard for quizzes for Fall semester.
26	n/a
27	Well I wanted to use the discussion aspects, but have never become profeicient and so probably more training is what I need.  Also I think I need ideas as to how to utilize it effectively.
28	none
29	My students enjoyed learning about virtual classroom, and I tried to encourage it's use, especially the virtual chatroom, but most seemed relucntant to commit time to meet in that manner. As I talk to students and ask their opinions, more undergraduates are accepting this feature as a required part of t he course, thinking they would have to have scheduled time to attend a class, so virtual classroom is an opportunity to have real class time without having to drive to class.
30	The only difficulty for me is that I need to keep my skills fresh and updated in order to confidently teach students the newest and greatest features (i.e. digital drop box, uploading and downloading material)
31	I want to be sure that the way I use Blackboard is much more than e-mail.
32	none
33	One annoying thing that bothered me this past semester was trying to set the dates and times for the announcements. If I tried to modify an announcement and reset these dates/times, the announcement still would not appear, so I had to completely redo a new announcement w/ the same info.
34	Is this just a quirk?  I tried everything, clicking the boxes to show announcement after/until, and the only thing that worked was making a new announcement.
35	I need to use BB more efficiently.  I need to have pre-assessments, formative assessments as well as summative assessments set up ahead of time.  I also need to utilize more video in my BB assignments but time has been a factor (finding events on vhs tapes I have taken and getting them into the actual BB site).  I also find that my students are not motivated to go to external links that I have listed on my site to explore content information.  This summer I want to prepare some content informational places with some hyperlinks to lead students to the content sites.  Perhaps embedding them in a context will help.  I guess that time is still a drawback for me but I hope to spend much more time this summer with the set-up.
36	Students who miss class can access material without speaking to me. They can check their grades without speaking to me.
37	Students who weren't in class to receive graded assignments could check their grades online, and usually did not retrieve their work from me which included comments which could have been helpful to improving their subsequent work. In the classes in which I did not use Blackboard, this was less of a problem.
38	Technologically, it was also nice to be able to upload files with the latest release of Blackboard, but I still had to keep the same basic spreadsheet format. By default, the column headings included more information that I needed (points, type of item) that I had to delete.
39	When doing two sections of a course, using the META course is cumbersome. If the two rosters could just be kept separate, then it could all be done in one course ID.
40	I don't find the gradebook flexible enough. I do some specific things with student's grades using Excell instead. Also, sometimes I forget to make the course available for students. With what I do, there is no reason for students to not have access immediately. Still, sounds like more my fault for forgetting than a fault of Bb.
41	Using the gradebook seemed to be more time consuming than the method I was using.
42	I need to improve my skill set; so much Bb--so little time
43	The mechanics are still an issue for me, but will come with time/exposure. I'm a newbie with adding links, requesting repetition of course content for a new semester, etc.
44	I had to get students used to checking Blackboard as well as used to checking their SVSU email. I found setting up discussions very time consuming.
45	With the ability to create an assignment and to have a grade book entry created.  The problem was with the grade book process.  I had 30 students in my class and the grade book would only show 25 at time on one screen.  When I had gone to the second screen to view the rest of the grade book, click on the ?!? to grade the students answers, and then click on the submit button, Blackboard would take me back to the first 25 students screen.  I would then have to scroll down, select the second screen, and scroll over to the next student homework to be graded.  This is also true when you have scroll over the right of the screen to correct student?s answers.  Blackboard will always return back to the top left of the grade book screen.
46	I nice option would be to grade the homework group by selecting the homework assignment from the top of the column within the grade book.  You can see the ?!? within this viewing mode but can?t click on it to correct the student?s answers.
47	My biggest problem remains scientific notation and equation writing.  Blackboard 6 has an equation editor, but it is not a 'nice' one- meaning that the formating is sometimes odd.  I tried on-line quizzes, but teh equation formatting features were so difficult that I gave up.  For the occasional equation, the editor is ok, but for lots of equations, it is really hard to use.  The equations do not end up in the desired places on the page- sizes are odd, subscripts and superscipts are sometimes chopped off etc.
48	Some processes are still cumbersome: setting up Discussion Boards and Groups, for example. And occasionally I forget from one semester to the next how I did something. And I wish the Gradebook would have a way to print out the entire thing at the end of the semester without having to be converted into an Excel spreadsheet; though the new version offers more flexibility than the earlier one, the columns still take a lot of space and you can't see the entire page at once.
49	The gradebook is a blessing and a curse. Students expect immediate results, and their scores only go up once the whole class's grading is complete. I waste a lot of time answering e-mails about when grading will be completed. Also, I have never had a student want to see a final exam before Bb. Bb does, and should to an extent, make the student feel closer to the grading process. However, I do not have time at the end of the term to go over final exams with students. I have at least 100 students each term, and their "need" (which did not exist before Bb) to try and bargain for a higher score significantly wastes time in the final week and a half of the term.
50	Doing final grades I sometimes would forget where to go to input information.
51	The functions I used were straight forward and presented no difficulties. I did find the gradebook entry tedious. There should be better cut and paste functions.
52	None
53	Biggest issue, as always, involves the students' dedication to the coursework.
54	I didn't have any difficulty in using Blackboard.
55	I did not have any problem.
56	I really am not able to think of any major drawbacks.  If anything, I wish that the gradebook printed out in a much more user-friendly fashion.  I don't have Excel at home, so I print out each individual student's page.  I guess this is good documentation for my records, but I don't  think the Excel printout format is that helpful--maybe I just am not doing it correctly. I just wish I could do the whole class' grades at once instead of going to each student's separate record.
57	1. The blackboard takes time to load grades and change features.  The names of the students can not be seen as you move to the right.  This makes it difficult to enter grades.
58	2. I am not familar with some multi-media features that might be helpful.
	How did Blackboard assist your teaching process? [Return to top]
1	I was able to utilize the Course Documents and Assignment effectively.  I posted course notes and handout using the Documents area to students to view.  The Assignments area was used to post worksheets and homework assignment.  The students would download the worksheets, fill out the worksheets then re-submit or upload the worksheets for grading.
2	BB allowed my creative writing students to post their work and give peer critiques online, allowed students to download work, and provided a forum for concerns with the writing process.  As for my lit class, BB allowed students a forum for doing group work and responding to posts on the texts we read (which promoted in-class discussion).
3	If allows me to be more consistent and organized in preparing the course. It allows me to access the INTERNET in an easy, effective manner. It allows me an easy way to communicate with my students via email. It allows me to provide students with 24/7 access to assignments, student notes, etc.
4	BB helped me help my students become more thoughtful about the issues of teaching and learning.  Having to write about course concepts as well as analyze them with content group members within the class helped students "understand" the process of teaching.  Viewing videos of personal teaching episodes allowed students to do personal critique as they became more comfortable with the act of teaching specific content concepts.
5	All of the course information is available to students. I use a lot of group activities and the students are more interested in the activity when I can set it up so they can use the computers. The email process allowed the students to ask questions for clarity, submit first drafts for immediate feedback, and also send me finished assignments when unable to attend class (I don't allow makeup work). The external link option is invaluable for me to give the students tools to use to complete assignments. It is also valuable for the students to be able to see their current grade any time by checking in Blackboard.
6	The most useful feature was the ability to enhance a discussion topic from class, by asking students to respond to a weekly topic. Many students found that as useful, according to evaluations of the class.
7	Blackboard also gave me the ability to communicate with students between class sessions, since I was not on campus except for my class time and scheduled office hours before and after class. The use of Blackboard, rather than standard e-mail is more secure, especially with respect to the confidentiality of coursework.
8	As I continue to become more familiar with Blackboard, I find more ways to enhance my teaching.
9	It's a great tool!
10	I used Blackboard as a replacement for materials handed out in class or put on reserve in the library. I also used it to communicate with the students through the announcement and email functions.
11	It enables me to post information about the course online so that it is available to me and to the students at any time.
12	Made communication with the class more easy.  Made revisions along the way more easy.
13	The gradebook and submiting through the digital drop box.
14	Blackboard made the collection of information more succcessful for the students.
15	Blackboard created an audit trail for me, as students were required to post some items related to class presentations in Bb.
16	The announcements were helpful for communication
17	It allowed me to provide lecture notes to students so that they didn't feel the need to write down every word that I said during class (but could, instead, actually listen to what I was saying). It also gave me an avenue for providing enrichment activities through topic related websites, to document assignments and study guides and to make occasional announcements.
18	The gradebook was also very useful, making it possible for me to quickly check students' progress, identify those in need of extra help, and contact them via email.
19	Students who miss class can access material without speaking to me. They can check their grades without speaking to me.
20	helped me maintain order and reiterate things that were said in class so that students who couldn't be bothered with attending always knew what was going on. Also helped when I need to make changes to the schedule etc.
21	I find it a way to supplement our discussions--and see where misunderstandings have occurred, where students need more clarification.
22	I found that it assisted when weather was bad, because many students came a distance of over 50 miles. In addition, it was helpful to have asynchronous discussions--especially with students who were shy in class. They shared a lot of resources through BB discussions.
23	I like having a central location for posting announcements, grades, assignments, solutions, corrections etc.  I tried to use the discussion board features, but in my chemistry classes, I have not had much success getting students involved.  I do not require the use of discussion capabilities, but I do think it would be a good way for them to communicate with each other and me about difficulties with assignments etc.
24	I use Blackboard to supplement, not replace any aspect of classroom teaching.  It has made some tasks (listed above) easier for me.  It still surprises me that many students do NOT use their svsu mail accounts much (and despite my repeated requests) do NOT change their blackboard email addresses, so that occasionally my communication efforts fail!
25	Cut down a lot on copying handouts by posting assignments and rubrics to the class site. Provided quick access to send an email to contact a student when needed.
26	Blackboard was a great communications tool.  Students felt connected to me and to the class via the announcements, e-mail, and availability of the course documents and assignments.  If I forgot to mention something in class, I could rectify that by putting an announcement on Blackboard.  I always have received good comments from students about how well they like this feature of my classes.  Those students who use Bb appear to do much better in class than those who rarely use it (an unscientific study--just my personal observation). I would feel lost without Bb!
27	I love the gradebook feature now that I know how to use it.  It is a great backup for my physical gradebook, and students can always figure out where they stand in the class gradewise.  If they don't, they haven't looked at Bb.
28	At this point I could not teach without the use of Blacboard.  It is a necessary part of all my courses.
29	What an incredible opportunity for ALL students to participate equally. Participating in group discussion on blackboard allows students time to critically think about their postings and responses. Work shared is incredible - from word processing files, to presentations, to pictures, to lively and interesting discussions.
30	Facilitated communication with the class through posting of assignments, links, announcements; assisted some small group projects; simplified email communication to specific students and class.
31	Blackboard allows me to check in on on-line discussions, which are due before class. I look for parts of the reading the students focus in on and their specific questions. This part of Bb helps me, because I plan my classes around it. For example, I had two sections of English 301 this term. Students would do the readings and post, and I would often have two similar lessons but with different emphases, based on what the students were getting from the reading. I was much better prepared to address the groups.
32	Bb also allows students to double-check their grades to make sure that there are not errors in their assigned scores. Bb has helped me more than once to change a grade that was recorded in error before the final submission of grades.
33	1. Bb allowed access to my gradebook 24/7. That meant I had to update my gradebook more often since my students had a higher expectation with viewing their grades. At first, I thought it was more work but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it ended up a lot less work at the end ot the term. So by grading in a more uniform manner, I ended up with less bottlenecks than by waiting until the last minute.2. Bb helped me to become more organized. My student evaluations improved in the area of organization when I started using Bb more. Bb makes you think about the format and content of your course in such a way that you find yourself organizing your course in a very logical manner. 3. Once I had taught a class on Bb, the next time I taught it became a lot easier since revisions to a Bb is very easy.
34	The onus for preparation was placed on the student, who was responsible for accessing and printing off the week's lecture handouts, and accessing all announcements. The use of BB email made it a simple process to contact a student (email address was readily available--contacting a student was "one stop shopping" with BB). By posting quiz grades within 24 hr., students made virtually no requests/had questions about grades, and each student's status was tracked continuously.
35	Ease of communicating with students.
36	Timliness of assignments.
37	Update ongoing assignments.
38	Announcements and reminders.
39	(1) Helpful training sessions
40	(2) prompt responses to phone and email help calls
41	It provides a convenient way to continue class discussion between class sessions--as well as a ready resource for other information (syllabus, external links, etc.).
42	The group discussions on Blackboard are very helpful for promoting fluency and ideas for writing.
43	Assignments and announcements are very useful for effectively reaching all
44	students in the class about important events and assignments.
45	It made it easy to communicate with students, and to allow access to documents at their convenience.
46	I hoped students would use the discussion board more.  I am going to encourage this next time.  Since I utilize my web-page for posting most course materials, I did not make the full use of Blackboard.  I had a link from Blackboard to my web-page.
47	Blackboard group discussion allowed students to discuss more freely and without classroom time constraints, to discuss if they normally would not speak up in the classroom, and to get to know more of their classmates. Also the discussion sometimes functioned as a prereading activity to get students set for work with a particular assignment or concept or essay. Posting of assignments and schedules enabled me to communicate with students despite snow days, absences (of students), etc., so there were no excuses for not knowing the homework or losing assignment handouts. I could also make revisions to the homework and email students if necessary, and they could email each other easily about missed work or questions.
48	Students have easier access to information. It is helpful for them to be able to view the gradebook at any time. Also, they have access to my lecture outlines before class, so they can use it as an aid in taking notes during class.
49	I hope to use more features of Blackboard in the future (such as the assessment features).
50	It allowed my students to view and participate in activities that we did not have time to do in class. It allowed students to complete assignments at their own pace.
51	It provided me with the ability to email all students with information quickly adn easily.
52	It provided me with the ability to give my students a multitude of additional resources to enhance our learning.
53	It allowed my students and myself to have access to one another 24/7.
54	It allowed me to keep of my grades efficiently.
55	I can no longer imagine myself teaching composition courses without either Bb or something similar. It would not be possible for me to easily create a course website with all the components of my Bb course, and without the ease of Bb use, my students would not have personal webpages, be able to work easily in groups, or collaborate with students in another country. Bb enriches my teaching and my students' learning in countless ways. I am very grateful also for the excellent support we faculty receive--I always get prompt answers to my questions, and in the annual Symposia, am stimulated to try new strategies. Thanks!
56	Because I teach a field-based course, it allowed students to keep in touch with each other and me when class was in field and students were in two different schools for approximately 5 weeks.
57	I was able to post all of my assignments and lecture notes online.  This helped keep the students updated on work if they missed class.  It also made my work easier.  I mainly employ Blackboard because it is just one more platform I can employ to help my students be successful.
58	It did not change my teaching process, but did allow for the more efficient dissemination of information to students, and for students to submit assignments to me.
59	More efficient inter-connectivity between students, and between students and myself. Course materials available to students in advance of lecture, exams. Increased volume of information sharing for everyone and an opportunity to engage students more often as well as the course content.
60	As visiting professor and an spanish native speaker, Blackboard was very useful to me because it help me to communicate with my students and to make my lectures more interesting to them. Also, Blackboard helps my students to keep track on their grades. I am very grateful to all Blackboard specialists for their assitance.
61	I think that using the organizational and functional aspects of Blackboard makes me a more organized teacher.  I particularly like the announcements--they keep students on track and help me to know exactly what is up for discussion or what is due to be turned in.  I have also begun using urls in the announcements section to bridge the structure of the class to the content.  Students comment that the use of group discussions helps them process the literture that we are reading; they can also create their own discussion prompts that allow them to direct their own discussions--which gives them more autonomy over course material.  For the first time, I had students do a brief sketch of themselves in the student web page section.  In the future, I will ask students to do this early in the semester, so that I can discover their interests and know students by name earlier.
62	I used it to post documents needed for class, presentations, file transfers and quizes.  I used used the email function to communicate with the class.  Announcements were used as well.
63	There were several uses that are really helpful.  I used the Digital DropBox to gather assignments and give feedback and return assignments.  It was convenient and was much more efficient and specific than prior with faster turn around times.  I also like eing able to post Course documents and Announcements.  This allows more interaction and comunication than the once or twice per week class sessions.  And since we were on Blackboard I also got more e-mail from students than I did before I started using Bb.
64	I am able to post summaries of class case discussions onto the web (things I would normally write on the board but now type into Powerpoint for the class to see) and the students can reference these documents later and can continue the conversation, as it were, via the Bb discussion board feature. I also am able to get into easy contact with my students via email, and I am finding my student groups to use, sometimes extensively, the group features provided. This enhances convenience for the students and makes them more likely to participate, and consequently, learn.
65	Last semester was my first experience of using Blackboard.  I had some lessons for future using it.  Discussion Board was good but not convienent for my math students to  discuss math problems because of editing difficulties. (Students did not like it because of extra work.) They all liked the grade book.  I have to do more research on how Blackboard assists my class.
66	I had conferences I had to attend this semester and it allowed me to communicate to may students and also to have discussions over the assignments they were given.
67	1. The student can access their grade information.
68	2. Certain key documents (syllabus) and instructions can be accessed for by the students.  This is useful if they lost the info.
69	3. Announcements and Links are helpful and so is the use of e-mail.
70	Not applicable.
71	The two most important things Blackboard provided for my class:
72	Student access to all documents and assignments 24 hours/day.  This meant I had to generate much less paper in th classroom (and did not have to worry about forgetting something the students might need!)
73	Second, I really liked to file sharing feature.  I had multiple students working on a research project and we were able to work separately, but still easily compile results and put together a group presentation.  It really helped with peer editing too!
	What did you spend the most time on? [Return to top]
1	Not applicable
2	To create and post assignments.
3	The most time was spent in uploading my assignments and documents for the class. Answering e-mail was also up there time-wise.
4	My biggest job was reading the writing that students produced in group discussions--they were prolific and interesting.  Also, keeping up with papers deposited in the digital dropbox was also challenging.
5	posting materials
6	probably posting first then grading
7	All those mentioned above.
8	1. Checking and downloading student work takes awhile.
9	2. Developing materials takes awhile but is done offline. The actually loading onto Bb is pretty fast.
10	posting materials
11	Developing and posting materials
12	Checking student's discussion board postings.
13	I post all my assignments. I also post grades. I spend the most time doing a discussion groups because it cannot be written and put on as an attachment.
14	posting, checking and downloading student work.
15	On-line Group Discussion Project
16	Peer Evaluations
17	Right now, I am still aminly focused on course development.
18	Posting material to the site for student access.
19	Posting materials
20	Communication! with the students via e-mail. Reading all the interaction on the group discussion board and providing feedback. Takes LOTS of time! (and, is so valuable!)
21	Varied--grading student papers, assessing forum discussions, uploading new materials, new links.
22	Posting materials and grades.
23	downloading student work.
24	Developing the syllabus and the assignments for the course.
25	Probably posting materials.
26	Developing and posting materials.
27	Downloading student work
28	Downloading student work
29	Developing materials, review and critique of student responses.
30	Posting materials still takes a lot of time because there are so many things to do when uploading a file. I don't think there is anything that could be cut out, though.
31	Actually, all that you mention, including keeping the gradebook up to date for students so that they are able to conduct a self-evaluation of their progress and address problems earlier in the semester.
32	Setting up groups and Discussion Boards
33	Definitely developing materials. The most time consuming (and in the end, least valuable) was creating on-line quizzes.  These were just awful with the heavy need for the equation editor.  The equations themselves were ok, but the formatting of the equation on the quiz never came out right!
34	I spent more time developing materials. That was a real challenge for me because I had to post the materials two days in advance to my classes.
35	I spent the most time on planning and monitoring group discussions.
36	The most time was spent in class on whole-class group sessions, where the students answered "threads" within the group activity. It was both related to the current chapter in the textbook, and also with related topics where the students had to critically think through their answers. A lot of time was then spent by me going over the students' responses and providing feedback.
37	Gradebook, course documents by far.  I did a few online exams/quizzes, which I may do more of in the future.
38	downloading work and setting up groups
39	Developing materials and posting the assignments that were to be done on Blackboard. It was also very time consuming reading the many posts on the Discussion Board.
40	Reading student responses in various discussion boards and forums.
41	Providing content for required assignments;
42	Checking, entering grades, uploading slides for student use.
43	I spent most of my time grading assignment within the grade book section as mention above.
44	Developing materials and posting materials.
45	Posting announcements supplements.
46	Developing and posting materials.
47	Probably managing the course documents area. I tried to keep current information visible and at the top of the page, which meant some time spent reordering and hiding things periodically. I have a lot of folders so this was sometimes a cumbersome process.
48	Developing materials, reading student work, and responding to student work.
49	Developing and posting materials, by far. I always wonder whether it's worth it while I am doing the work, but then I almost always realize that it was well worth the effort once I begin seeing the results in student work and conversation.
50	I spent t he most time in developing and posting materials. However, once those materials are developed, I can keep it on my computer and have it readily available for future courses, Also, I appreciate that you can transfer a template from previous courses, so that I only need to add materials relevant to the new class.
51	Posting materials and checking student postings.
	What did Blackboard allow you to do you could not do before? [Return to top]
1	One biggie here is the ability to make changes to course goals/assignments to fit immediate course needs as they present themselve. Prior to Blackboard, such changes required huge amounts of effort to make sure that everybody got the word on the new plan.With Blackboard, I can pretty much trust that the whole class gets the word quickly. To support communication of these changes, I use in class announcements (of course), but now I always use Blackboard Announcements and Blackboard email.
2	"Create" a class when weather would have prohibited. Also allowed us to make calendar adjustments for differences in local school calendars, etc.
3	I had a pretty exhaustive web site before so many I had incorporated many of the functions of blackboard (announcements, course documents, assignments, etc) before.  However, Blackboard is nice because it gives me email distribution lists automatically, allows students to check their grades any time, restricts access to members of the class and so on.  I slowly migrated just about everything to Blackboard and it works very well.  I like that it is restricted from public access.  I post homework solutions to textbook problems for my students, and with my regular web site, I worried that students at other universities could use my solutions inappropriately!
4	I keep trying to get students involved in teh discussion features, because I think it could help them with their out of class assignments, but it is slow in catching on- mostly because of the difficulty of typing the scientific notation and equations!
5	email all of my students at once. Make information available to all my students that is not included in the course text. Easily correct/clarify my tests & assignments.
6	Relax in a very real sense. I could enter the classroom with the fair assumption that we were all up to speed with knowledge of the day's topic, current grades, and all had a copy of the day's slides. Besides having less to "sclep" to class, BB helped me to feel more in control of the class time.
7	See Question 19.
8	This was my first semester teaching at SVSU, and the last time I taught (at CMU) the "high tech" instructors were the ones who knew how to use computer generated transparencies. I'm not sure I can make meaningful comparisons.
9	Stay in touch; deliver more information to students in off-hours.  Students never hesitate to e-mail at 2AM knowing that I will get to them yet that day.  With the old voice-mail system, students just didn't feel as comfortable asking questions of me, in my opinion.
10	A forum for creating a community in the classroom.
11	Organize and catagorize activities and course events.  Reuse and review assignments, videos, PPoint.  I need to do more of this.
12	For one of my classes, I allow students the option of taking the Final Exam to replace their lowest exam grade from during the semester. After the last regular exam, I can post the grades online as soon as they are available so students can make their decision about taking the Final Exam quicker.
13	It allows those who prefer to be silent in a large group setting to be heard in a smalle setting.
14	It has allowed my students the opportunity to learn when it is best for them (any time) - 2am or 10pm. On any day -> for example, Monday or on Sunday. It has allowed them to learn from multiple sources and then bring all the data together to share with one another, reflect, and enhance one another's learning.
15	I love the fact that all students share equal responsibility for participation and therefore, learning. In this environment, students tend to speak their mind, encourage one another, and take risks in their thinking in a way they don't do in a traditional classroom
16	To have my students communicate and share ideas when in field.
17	I t hink it has made studetns more active in the course.  I want to develop the use of quizzes over the reading prior to the discussion of material in class.  I ahve not developed that yet.
18	Getting documents to students in a way that they can get multiple copies easily as they  misplace them is a also biggie.
19	Additional direct communication with students outside of class time.
20	sure--more syudent interaction/less papers--it's a good thing
21	The ability to create an assignment and to have a grade book entry created.
22	I am able to maintain communication with my students, since I don't have office hours other than before and after class (nor do I have an office). I can provide materials for my students without having to make volumes of copies or make large packets of handouts. Students can download what they need.
23	Gradebook is very helpful. I'm now able to transfer it tomy computer, work offlilne, than upload it again to Blackboard. I really like that feature.
24	I haven't had students submit papers for grading online, but I'd like to integrate that in my fall course.
25	To give announcement and exchange opinion with students easily.
26	Some of the things that i mentioned in #19 above.
27	Frees up a lot of time and busywork (from copying handouts etc.).
28	Easy email contact, posting case discussion to the web (could have done it, never thought of it: Bb makes it easy), allow students to earn participation points by posting written comments on cases.
29	The biggest thing is the information sharing that is a must with today's students. They are, at times, so time constrained that having the course activities available to them has allowed them to not be punished too severely for missing a class or two. A lot of points are from in-class activities where the students must be in class to receive credit. I anticipate a lot more diversity in how I present material after taking these Blackboard training sessions.
30	Reduce the copying of handouts. Provide easy access to website links used by the course.
31	Revising course documents or course schedules during the semester.
32	Keep in constant contact with students!
33	Best feature:  Allows me to communicate to students at everyone's convenience.
34	Promotes group cohesion and language development.
35	Also, it allows me to keep an ongoing record of all public communication to the class.
36	Faster student communication between classes.
37	Deliver grades to the students through the web.
38	Bb has created a space for me and my students to "come together" and share ideas and documents.  IT has made me more accessible, and it has made communication easier.
39	Send-mass mailings, post announcements when there were snowdays, save paper.
40	Be in closer contact with students; inform students immediately of schedule and assignment changes (this bonus saved me with all of the snow days we had this term); watch the students' thinking develop in writing in ways that I had been unable to do so before.
41	Make course information immediately available. Also, prepare information for a course, such as an exam, but not make it visible to students until we all arrive in class.
42	1. Bb allowed me to have more contact with my students 24/7. This was really good since many problems could be solved quickly and easily rather than letting them fester for a week until the class met again.
43	2. The best thing is in conjunction with the smart podium. I can walk into class with nothing in my hands, sign on Bb, download my PowerPoint lecture, show my agenda with links to sites and additional info, review student discussion comments on the discussion board, and even look at documents I have uploaded. The next best thing is that students can listen to my lecture, interact with the content, think and learn without having to be pressured to write down everthing I say since they know they can go on Bb and find everything from the lecture. Sometimes, I even get their group classwork that is in handwriting, scan it and post it on Bb for them to see again. (I did not think of this, they actually requested it of me, since they really liked what they turned in during class and wanted to have copies of it)
44	Incorporate more technology into my teaching approach and to address students' needs for more information and the presence of technology.
45	loved the group email.. great to keep in touch with all students
46	used announcements and assignment page often
47	It has allowed me to quickly get information to students. It also permitted me to receive Finale files in digital form without having to have students give me disks.
48	Not applicable
49	Easily distribute lecture notes, assignment descriptions and activity sheets. I've been able to cut-down on paper and what I need to bring to class. Communication is generally better with Blackboard, espeically since almost all students are now familiar with the system.
50	file transfers....saved a lot of money instead of burning cd's
51	Cover my backside with evidence of what my expectations are on a daily basis
52	Avoid needless handouts.
53	Using Blackboard has allowed me to teach more fully with technology--to direct students to websites that extend and enhance the information given in class.  I have even begun to use the electronic blackboard function in Bb, instead of using the marker board or chalk board.
54	Easier access to e-mails to students.
55	Easily access data from students.
56	Communicate often and easily with students and enable students to discuss and think beyond our class time.
57	Have discussions when I was not able to have class.