Extending the Reach with Blackboard+
Enhancing the Student Blended Learning Experience through Good Online
Course Design
Ruth Greenaway
Centre for Support and Advancement of Learning and Teaching, University of the Sunshine Coast,
Maroochydore, Australia
Keywords: Blended Learning, Blackboard, Bottom-up Approach, Engaging Learners, Structuring Learning,
Online Learning Environment, Online Course Design, Change.
Abstract: The implementation of Bb+ supports the increasing use of a blended learning approach in tertiary education:
a fundamental requirement of modern tertiary education. The use of a blended approach facilitates the
expansion of the University both physically and virtually as courses are increasingly offered online across
the sector. The Blackboard Plus (Bb+) initiative has been developed to broadly and significantly improve
the quality of the student experience when using the University’s online learning environment. This will
ensure consistency in design and structure across courses in a degree program to improve access to learning
materials and for ease of navigation. Bb+ consists of a number of components to guide and support
academics with its implementation as they design blended educational programs. To empower academics a
bottom-up approach to the implementation of Bb+ is utilised to create the change and to maintain
momentum and lasting change across the University.
1 INTRODUCTION
The learning journey that students take as they
navigate through tertiary education is unique and
their interaction with technology can define or
enhance their experience. Ensuring that each student
has access to digital resources and are fully
supported through the effective use of technology is
an important step in enhancing that journey.
Ensuring each student has a good experience with
technology was the driver for the introduction of
what has been called Blackboard Plus (Bb+). The
learning management system, Blackboard (Bb), is
used at the University where Bb+ was designed and
is to be implemented in 2016. At this University the
courses were primarily taught face to face but over
the past few years the University has moved towards
a blended learning model and is now considering
fully online courses. Regardless of the delivery
mode all courses have a Blackboard course site,
whether the course is taught face-to-face or online,
locally or globally. Academics are encouraged to
consider their Blackboard course site as an extension
of their physical classroom, to enhance student
learning by extending the reach to students in
environments away from the main University
campus.
Students require instructions to navigate the
Blackboard course site just as they do in a face-to-
face learning environment. This notion ensures that
the curriculum is student-focused, explicit and
relevant with intentional integration and sequencing
of knowledge, skills and attitudes to enhance their
learning experience (Nelson et al., 2014). However,
all too often Blackboard course sites are organised in
different ways and students have told us that the
inconsistency of navigation and organisation of
materials across courses and programs is confusing
and frustrating. This additional problem solving and
navigation leads to cognitive overload and fatigue.
Thomée’s (2012) study revealed that “computer
work requires prolonged concentration and mental
presence and is therefore a risk for cognitive
overload and fatigue”. To improve the student
experience the Centre for Support and Advancement
of Learning and Teaching (C~SALT) at the
University worked closely with a team of academics
to develop and implement Bb+. The team included a
representative from each School, namely the
Blended Learning Academic Leaders and Course
488
Greenaway, R.
Extending the Reach with Blackboard+ - Enhancing the Student Blended Learning Experience through Good Online Course Design.
In Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2016) - Volume 1, pages 488-493
ISBN: 978-989-758-179-3
Copyright
c
2016 by SCITEPRESS Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
Coordinators who coordinate large first year courses,
to impact as many students as possible. The team of
academics play a vital role in the success of this
initiative therefore we have chosen a bottom-up
approach. A bottom-up approach seeks to involve
those most affected to avoid the pitfalls of imposed
change. When innovation is needed a bottom-up
approach is more appropriate (Anderson, 2014). An
important element of a bottom-up project structure
requires collaborative knowledge sharing, and
knowledge building, to support one another and to
create new knowledge for the institution (Carbonell,
et al., 2013). A key advantage of using such teams
for bottom-up change processes is their cross-
functionality (Edmondson, 2008). The team piloted
Bb+ and gave feedback prior to the full
implementation across the University. We refer to
this group as the ‘first adopters’. The first adopters
were assisted in developing their courses through a
series of workshops and one-on-one help from
technical staff. These courses are now being used as
examples for colleagues to view as the Bb+ initiative
is rolled out across the whole University.
The inclusion of academics in the development
process is key to the approach taken and to the
success of Bb+. Ultimately it is the academics that
will design their course site and the learning
experiences as they would for delivery in a physical
learning space. To empower academics a bottom-up
approach to the implementation of Bb+ is utilised to
create the change and to design blended educational
programs suited for local and global needs
(Carbonell et al., 2013). A bottom-up approach to
Bb+ has harnessed the enthusiasm of the first
adopters to create momentum and lasting change
across the University.
2 WHAT IS BLACKBOARD+?
Bb+ is a University-wide initiative to broadly and
significantly improve the quality of the student
experience in the Univerity’s online learning
environment. The initiative, supported by the
C~SALT curriculum support team, is designed to
assist academic staff in making the change from a
face-to-face to a blended approach to learning. It
aims to bring consistency of course design and
presentation across courses and programs whilst
ensuring that the underlying pedagogy enhances
learning. The goal is to improve the student
experience when navigating Blackboard, which in
turn will improve the opportunity to meet the course
learning outcomes. A logo has been created that is
easily recognisable and states the intention of the
initiative: to enhance the student experience. The
logo is used to pull together all the support materials
and to model the underlying principles of Bb+ of
consistency across courses.
2.1 Why are we doing this?
The challenges of working with the University
learning management system, Blackboard, were first
highlighted by students who voiced their frustration
regarding access to learning materials on their
Blackboard course sites. Learning materials are
sometimes difficult to find or are housed in different
areas or folders in each course across their programs,
resulting in students expectations not being met.
Examples include missed readings or activities that
prepare students for the next tutorial, valuable
assistance with assessment items being missed or
quizzes which aid in revision for exams not being
attempted.
The University has an online database of
frequently asked questions where students can find
assistance with a range of issues. The number of
visits to the database was investigated to establish
where students greatest challenges lie during their
studies. The most visited question at 45 per cent was
“Where can I get Blackboard help?” and many other
visits were to questions regarding the use of
Blackboard, where to find things in Blackboard or
general technology questions. This evidence
supported the need for greater clarity for students
regarding their Blackboard course sites and the need
for a University wide Blended Learning Strategy.
The implementation of Bb+ supports the
increasing use of a blended learning approach in
tertiary education. “Blended Learning is the fusion
of educational technologies and teaching in physical
and virtual environments to enhance the student
learning experience, which is the present and future
for modern tertiary education. It is not an optional
activity. It is fundamental to modern tertiary
education” (Blended Learning Strategy, 2014-2016).
The use of a blended approach facilitates the
expansion of the University both physically and
virtually as courses are increasingly offered online
across the sector. The University implemeted a
Blended Learning Strategy to provide a roadmap for
increasing the presence of blended learning across
its programs. Utilising the enormous potential of
modern educational technologies and the connective
possibilities of the Internet, together with informed
and creative pedagogies, blended learning provides
an opportunity to maintain and leverage the
Extending the Reach with Blackboard+ - Enhancing the Student Blended Learning Experience through Good Online Course Design
489
University’s existing strengths, while using
technology to extend its reach, in terms of student
numbers and locality.
The intended outcomes of the Blended Learning
Strategy is to systematically embed educational
technologies that enrich the student learning
experience, specifically to:
Accelerate and deepen learning;
Increase flexibility of access to, and
participation in, formal and informal blended
learning experiences;
Align learning, teaching and assessment
practices and
Advance the use of mobile devices for
learning.
The enrichment of the student learning
experience in a blended learning environment is
becoming more and more important because the way
we learn is changing as society becomes
increasingly digital (McIntyre, 2010). Keppell
(2014) summarises the value of blended learning by
stating that it offers more opportunities and spaces
for student learning, and that it caters to the students
of the future.
To ensure the needs of students are being met,
each school has a Blended Learning School Plan
outlining how these intended outcomes will be
realised. In each of these plans, Bb+ is the main goal
for 2016 as it assists and supports academics to meet
these intended outcomes.
One Faculty investigated the use of blended
learning across its schools. They conducted a course
mapping survey in Semester 1 and 2 in 2015
involving 169 undergraduate courses. Although the
final results are not available, a cursory investigation
provides some preliminary findings supporting the
need for an initiative such as Bb+. It was revealed,
yet not unexpected, that academics use their course
sites as a repository for holding information rather
than an extension of their physical classroom. The
traditional face-to-face model of learning and
teaching is well entrenched at the University despite
a range of enabling technologies being readily
available for use by academics. Greater availability
of professional development opportunities is
required to ensure students are being offered flexible
and blended learning opportunities.
Another driver for the implementation of Bb+ is
the issue of attrition, particularly in the first year of
tertiary study. The University is implementing first
year initiatives that target attrition such as attending
to first year transition pedagogies that, “seek to
mediate the diversity in preparedness and cultural
capital” of first year students (Kift, 2009). Bb+ plus
will support these initiatives by improving access to
curriculum in Blackboard course sites. Kift (2009)
reports that the curriculum is one thing within
institutional structures that students have in
common. Bb+ will assist to, harness the curriculum
as the academic and social organising device, as “the
glue that holds knowledge and the broader student
experience together” (McInnis, 2001). The
University is assisting academics to organise the
curriculum through the implementation of Bb+ due
to its importance in enhancing the student
experience regardless of delivery mode.
2.2 Why is it Important?
Bb+ is important because it:
Makes it easier for students to engage in
learning through an improved course site by
moving Blackboard from an online resource
repository to a dynamic online learning space
with improved functionality.
Extends the reach of the classroom because it
helps students to more easily access, navigate
and contribute to online content and activities.
Assists academic staff by providing a
framework for building, reviewing and
renewing curriculum in their Blackboard
course sites.
Provides a way for course coordinators to offer
the same experience to students across multiple
sites regardless of the delivery mode.
2.3 Multisite Delivery with the
Expansion of the University
The University is one of the fastest growing
universities in Australia and its footprint now
extends from the Sunshine Coast to the Fraser Coast
with a range of study locations. The University
provides a regional experience to an ever-increasing
number of students to the north of Brisbane and its
surrounding regions. It is necessary to strive to
maintain high quality program delivery and provide
equitable student experiences across the various
learning sites. It is important to note that multi-site
delivery poses both challenges and opportunities for
learning and teaching
Classrooms across the world are changing. In
addition to face to face teaching, blended learning,
online and technology-enhanced models of
education are fundamental to the way that university
students interact with course content, their teachers
and peers, and the broader world. The single site
bricks and mortar institution is becoming a rarity in
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Australia’s higher education scene. It is being
replaced by multiple campus locations; work
integrated learning (WIL) sites and online learning
spaces. These developments challenge educators to
reconceptualise and redesign how quality-learning
experiences can be sustained in new environments.
Even more challenging than managing quality and
consistency is leveraging this variety of learning
sites to capitalise on the diversity that is inherent
within them. Another important challenge for multi-
site projects is effectively evaluating the innovation
in terms of student learning outcomes, achievement,
retention and student satisfaction and balancing this
against other considerations such as sustainability
and financial viability of the innovation. Bb+ will be
the beginning of a number of initiatives to connect
students from all sites with each other, with the
learning materials and with academics.
2.4 What are the Components of Bb+?
A successful bottom up approach takes a high level
of commitment from the Institution administrators
and academics (Carbonell et al., 2013). With this in
mind the components, resources and support
provided for the implementation of Bb+ have been
thoughtfully produced over an extended period of
time. There are a number of components that make
up Bb+. The Core Elements, Course Templates, a
Content Layout Tool, a Bb+ Sample Course:
Bb+101 and a learning module for academics called
Extending the Reach. The Core Elements identify
important requirements informed by universal
design principles (CAST, 2011) that assist students
to connect with the course and the learning
outcomes. The other resources assist academics in
developing and creating their course sites.
2.4.1 The Core Elements
The Core Elements assist students to connect with
the course as they work towards the learning
outcomes. The core elements were developed as a
part of the Blended learning Strategy which
recommended a minimum standard be applied to all
course sites. The minimum standard was developed
by C~SALT in conjunction with the team of
academics mentioned in section 1. As the
terminology minimum standard may be limiting we
have chosen to refer to them as the Core Elements.
The core elements are presented in a good practice
guide, supported by a checklist.
The good practice guide outlines the core
elements that every course site should contain to
structure the curriculum because the curriculum is
where “time poor students are entitled to expect
academic and social relevance, support and
engagement” (Kift, 2009). The good practice guide
is organised in two sections: Structuring Learning
and Engaging Learners. In each section there are a
number of important principles and practices of
good online course design. The principles are:
Course organisation should be simple, intuitive
and consistent across courses in a program.
Course structure should be logical, easy to
navigate and consistent.
Content should actively engage learners,
promote deep learning, model academic
integrity and support students to achieve course
learning outcomes;
Provide multiple opportunities for
collaboration and interaction using a variety of
synchronous and asynchronous tools and
To provide authentic and well-explained
opportunities for students to demonstrate
learning through assessment.
The core elements good practice guide also includes
a statement of the results that can be achieved if the
core elements are applied to a Blackboard course
site. The results of implementing the core elements
will be:
Increased predictability and reduction in
cognitive overload on students helping them to
intuitively locate information, assessment and
resources across courses in a program;
Content is easy to find and predictable,
supports flexible and individual learning
pathways;
Students learn disciplinary theory and practices
that directly relate to the learning outcomes,
through access to scaffolded learning
experiences that use multiple (copyright
approved) resources;
The development of a community of learners
that leads to improved student learning and
course satisfaction, and
Student assessment output represents
meaningful and consolidated learning across
time.
An icon is used consistently throughout Bb+ to
represent each of the principles. Similar icons are
found in the good practice guide and the sample site
and will be used by academics in the Blackboard
course sites. Students will become familiar with the
icons and can use them as another guide when
navigating their course site. The icons are arranged
in the course templates to support academics in the
design process.
Extending the Reach with Blackboard+ - Enhancing the Student Blended Learning Experience through Good Online Course Design
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A checklist containing guiding questions is
included at the end of the good practice guide. The
questions enable academics to reflect on their course
site after implementing the core elements to ensure
that they have all been met. The questions are
generic and include questions such as:
Do you consider the course organisation to be
logical, consistent, and easy to access and
navigate?
Are there clear and well-explained assessment
task with a marking rubric and instructions
available in one location?
Are there clear expectations of how students
will receive feedback?
Have you provided students with opportunities
to collaborate?
Has your degree program team developed a
consistent layout, look and feel?
Course coordinators across a degree program of
study are encouraged to discuss a standard approach,
design or format for their course sites. This will
ensure the course sites for students will be easy to
navigate and materials will be found in the same
area as they attempt all courses in their degree
program resulting in a reduction in cognitive fatigue.
2.4.2 Course Templates
The course templates are automatically uploaded for
academics by the Educational Technologies Team
within C~SALT. Academics can choose to use the
templates or create their own structure. If academics
decide to use and fill in the templates with their own
information and content they will be meeting the core
elements. The content of the course will be found
under the Learning Materials heading. The learning
materials can be organised into folders or modules
and a template has been provided for each design. A
content layout tool has been developed to enable
academics to organise the learning materials with
explicit instructions as to the purpose of each item. It
also enables them to apply their personal touch to the
course and to improve the “look and feel”.
2.4.3 Content Layout Tool
The content layout tool was developed to provide
academics with additional functionality without
having to learn any web authoring language. One of
the challenges with using web technology to deliver
online and blended learning is that content authors
(academics in this case) are unfamiliar with the web
authoring language - Hypertext Markup Language
(HTML). Blackboard comes with a basic TinyMCE
WYSIWYG editor (What You See Is What You Get
editor), however the Bb+ initiative needed to deliver
a user experience beyond the functionality of this
basic editor.
In forming the foundation of a Blackboard
building block ‘JSHACK’, an interactive Content
Layout tool was developed, allowing academics to
quickly prepare consistent, pre-designed learning
materials. The tool works by providing a library of
pre-designed HTML artefacts, stored in JavaScript
Object Notation (JSON) format that can be chosen
from a drop down menu and dropped into course
sites ready for academics to populate the learning
content. The Content Layout Tool supports the Bb+
initiative with the benefits of rapid course building
and consistent design elements whilst concealing
HTML code from the users.
2.4.4 Sample Course Site: Bb+101
The purpose of the sample course site is to provide
academic staff with an annotated course that
demonstrates the Core Elements of Bb+. It has
examples of how each of the core elements and
templates can be used and how a course can be
designed. Each section of content has explicit
instructions as to its purpose and is annotated
highlighting the applicable Core Elements, icons and
design notes. It is designed to model good online
practice for academics to replicate if it suits the
needs of their course. The underlying theoretical
principles behind the core elements taken from the
learning module: Extending the Reach provides the
content for the Bb+101 sample course site.
2.4.5 Learning Module: Extending the
Reach
Extending the Reach online learning module
provides background theoretical principles that
outline the rationale for the structure and design of
Blackboard course sites. The learning module guides
academics through two topics, which are closely
linked to the Core Elements: Structuring Learning
and Engaging Learners. The learning module is self-
paced and provides readings, activities and
reflections to encourage participants to think about
the materials they develop for their students and how
they could be improved to enhance the student
experience and to meet the Core Elements.
Academics are introduced to the idea of
integrating constructive alignment processes and
learning centred approaches to structure their
Blackboard course site for greater learner
engagement. Constructive alignment is considered to
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be the systematic alignment of teaching strategies.
The learning activities and assessment tasks are
aligned with the intended learning
outcomes. Constructive alignment structures the
curriculum design and purposefully centres the
learning activities – what students do – into the
fabric of the course learning outcomes. Seminal
research by Biggs and Tang (2007) into teaching
quality at universities reported increasingly large
numbers of university teachers found value in using
constructive alignment practices. Constructive
alignment is encouraged when renewing curriculum
and applying Bb+ to course sites.
2.4.6 Support
Support will be made available to academics who
feel that they need assistance to organise and
redesign their course. Others however, have already
organised their course sites meeting the core
elements and in fact are the driving forces behind the
implementation. This bottom up approach is key to
the success of the changes. As Carbonell, Dailey-
Herbert and Gijselaers (2013) report a bottom-up
approach contains the potential to unleash necessary
creativity to accomplish complex change processes
such as design; development and scaling-up blended
learning programs at an institutional level. It is
expected that all course sites will have a Bb+
makeover in 2016.
3 CONCLUSIONS
A bottom-up approach to the implementation of Bb+
has been deemed the most advantageous as it
empowers academics to create the change that
students are seeking (Edmondson, 2008).
Additionally, the University has put in place the
resources and support required to enable academics
to make changes. It is committed to enhancing the
student experience and ensuring first year students,
in particular, have the tools they require to be
successful. An evaluation of the changes will be
conducted at the end of semester 1 and again at the
end of semester 2 in 2016 through a series of focus
groups with students and academics. The results of
the implementation of Bb+ will be reported in 2017.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author acknowledges the staff from the Centre
for Support and Advancement of Learning and
Teaching and the team of academics for their work
on this initiative and their contributions to this
article.
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