Taking Resources For Granted

        Blackboard is an incredible resource. You could put it past the majority of those who use it as it has not been used to its potential in any course that I have taken at the University of Montana. There are many ways that Blackboard could be used, in many disciplines, and by all students across campus that now represents wasted development and innovation.  As a leader in the field of educational cloud computing, Blackboard Inc. offers a fully integrated and multimedia approach to supplementing class time with online content. By utilizing more of the functionality of Blackboard Academic Suite, the University of Montana, and more specifically its School of Business Administration, could create value for students and faculty with a marginal impact on operating costs. 

       The University of Montana has implemented Blackboard across campus and it is available to every department on campus. The professors that choose to use the application mainly use it for file transfer and a grade book. The fact that a teacher can post documents and announcements to groups in a class directory as well as information pertaining to a specific student in the the user directory in a web based environment should be applauded. What an advance in the modern classroom especially for students who study fields that directly include technology. As a member of this group I can personally attest to the fact that being able to retrieve assignments and other content in practically any file extension allows students to use the technology to increase understanding of the topic as well as a famialiarity with the devices that dominate business as we know it. The students that are not directly involved in the use of technology gain exposure in organizational systems that have come to replace some trainings, paycheck applications, and mail systems in modern companies and agencies. There are functions that can be taken advantage of within Blackboard that many professors fail to utilize.

              Blackboard Academic Suite is an incredible tool in terms of functionality. The user interface features a "click and drag" interface and can be customized with gadgets and web feeds. Students who have been added to particular classes can view digital class materials and download files of many types. The familiar tabbing layout is easy to navigate to tabs that the host institution has chosen. Currently the tabs are set to a view of classes currently in progress, a Mansfield library splash page, and a "sandbox" or help section for new users to learn to interact with the web based environment. The default user interface is predictable and simple to manage. Navigation is also predictible and intuative. Blackboards product is very functional.

          The application allows collaboration amongst students and the professors and other stake holders in a forum format. All parties can  post comments and solutions to question posed by others as well as participate in a conversation in individual "threads". The use of the collaboration tools would surely increase if the effort were orchestrated by the professor of each class. Not only would individual students be able to help others but the technology that is revolutionizing communication would be encouraged to the managers of tomorrow. Implementing the use of these technologies in the classrooms of today will give students a leg up in terms of modern communication methods in the world today. In addition, collaborating is a natural human tendency and students collaborate in many other ways. The use of the Blackboard tool would encourage that collaboration in an environment that could be managed by faculty to filter inappropriate posts and direct converstion in a productive manner. The faculty members would also have a better feel for how the class it digesting current information and what previous content is still unclear.

                The use of web based supplemental learning tools has improved the quality of the class room experience. Taking the steps to fully integrate the available tools can create value for all users. The content management and modular interface make the environment tailored to the user and can have interactive tools embedded in the environment as well. It is web based and authenticated with University credentials so it can be accessed from any internet terminal. Taking full advantage of tools where student interaction is encouraged or required would round out the suite of tools in terms of functionality and value added to all users. 

, security, and collaboration.