UWE Online for Students

Blackboard for students

In response to discussions with students I thought it would be helpful to make the Faculty position clear. We think that the use of Blackboard has many benefits:

• The ability to add interaction and live links to online materials that aren't possible in paper based media.

• Flexibility in updating - the latest version is always the one that's available

• Easy accessibility to the materials; helpful if they are lost, misplaced etc.

• The ability for students to collaborate on some materials with each other and with staff and for the outcomes of these collaborations be shared across the cohort group.

We see the use of Blackboard as one plank in our development of approaches to learning and teaching were we want to:

• Use electronic resources as part of our Faculty based teaching as well as other learning opportunities;

• Use them in conjunction with lectures and seminars to help us use lectures to bettereffect.

• Distribute current knowledge and understanding and seminars as the key place for discursive learning;

In order to better achieve this the Faculty has advised colleagues that the buttons on Blackboard should be used consistently across modules and programmes.

All module and unit leaders for primary ITE and other undergraduate programmes have been asked to lodge one hard copy of the weekly breakdown of module content, reading list and assessment requirements with the Resources Centre in 2S709.

It is always helpful to hear from students on learning and teaching issues and you can contact me on in the Faculty.

Dr Richard Eke

Faculty of Education Modules 2006/07 – Common standard use of Blackboard

1. Discussion Board - to add threads for all to participate in discussions
2. Send email - to communicate with the whole group (or selected members)
3. Groups - to set up small groups for project work discussions