“Like Never Before:” Exploring Blackboard Collaborate™ as a Communication Platform

1. “Like Never Before:” Exploring Blackboard Collaborate™ as a Communication Platform Dr Leigh Harris, Assistant Dean, Center for Academic Enrichment (CAE) Dr Anastasia Logotheti, Director, Teaching and Learning Center, CAE 15 June 2013

2. Blackboard Collaborate™ platform at DEREE, ACG • Adopted Spring 2013 • As synchronous tool through which courses would be • connected with similar courses in Global Liberal Arts • Alliance colleges. • The Global Course Connections Project (GCC): initiative of • GLAA piloted in 2012-13 • designed to enrich each connected course with an international perspective through direct exchange between students and faculty in two countries progressing through similar material of connected courses • 18 faculty members from 11 GLAA schools have or are teaching 10 pairs of connected courses in this first year.

3. Web Conferencing An online tool that allows multiple users to view content, exchange ideas, and work collaboratively. Web conferencing can include online “real time’ (synchronous) activities such as conducting lectures, inviting guest speakers to share their expertise from a remote location, pushing out content for students to download for review, holding weekly office hours, offering a venue where colleagues can hold meetings to discuss professional or research interests, or providing students with a virtual location to conduct collaborative activities for group assignments. Faculty wanting to utilize useful online resources during a session can take their students on a web tour, walk them through specific websites, or allow students to explore on their own. Regular web conferencing sessions in online courses can help to foster a learning community among students who may never meet face-to-face. Thus, web conferencing is recognized not only as a mechanism to distribute content, but as an opportunity to implement learning strategies that engage students, increase interactivity, and promote collaboration. Dan Cabrera, Oct 2012, http://facdevblog.niu.edu/usingBbCollab

4. Origins of Blackboard Collaborate™ • 2010 Blackboard bought Eluminate and • and its main competitor Wimba • “Collaborate appears to be a combination • of the slightly less cluttered interface of • Wimba and the greater functionality of • Eluminate.” • http://b2fxxx.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/open-university-turn-to-blackboard.html

6. Blackboard Collaborate™ • On the company website, Collaborate is presented as • providing a comprehensive online learning and collaboration platform designed specifically foreducation; • helping thousands of higher education, K-12, professional, corporate, and government organizations worldwide deliver a more effective learning experience through online, blended, and mobile learning; • assisting the creation of “virtual classrooms, offices and meeting spaces that open more possibilities to more students, wherever they are;” • promising “exciting new approaches to learning” as it “involves each student on an individual level.” • https://www.blackboard.com/platforms/collaborate/overview.aspx

7. Blackboard Collaborate™ • offers the potential • to “keep everyone engaged • like never before.” • https://www.blackboard.com/platforms/collaborate/overview.aspx • .

8. The Challenge of Blackboard Collaborate™ • In addition to its primary function as promoted by the company, does Collaborate offer other opportunities to an institution of higher learning? • How can this platform, once adopted, also be used for purposes such as training instructors and staff? • How can Collaborate enable staff meetings and team projects to take place in a virtual environment? • How is communication enhanced in an online setting through new media?

9. CAE: New academic unit at DEREE • Foundational programs • & academic support services • English for Academic Purposes • Writing Program • International Honors Program • Teaching & Learning Center • Student Academic Services • (Writing Center + Peer Tutoring) • Leadership: DEREE faculty members • who also hold administrative posts in CAE

10. CAE Staff Meetings • Composition • Frequency • Duration • Content • Process • Perks • Use of a web conferencing tool as an alternative method of communication: ideal for staff meetings on Collaborate.

11. CAE Staff Meetings on BbC • Composition: varied • Frequency: six times • Duration: over 12 hrs • Content: affected by medium • Process: linear; imposed by BbC rules • and etiquette • Perks: multi-tasking

12. Initial Complexities (prior to use and during BbC sessions) • Technical equipment and support • Knowledge of and familiarity with • the platform • Training

13. Further Complexities (during BbC sessions) • Learning BbC Etiquette: • Order of speaking (raising hand, waiting for turn, clicking talk button on and off); • Understanding Roles of Moderator vs. • Participants; • Establishing communication depends on • good speaking and listening skills • Successful discussions need to be • shaped as activities

14. Achievements using BbC for Meetings • Engagement with task necessary • Effectiveness and focus on task required • improved time management; • accomplishment of goal; • orderly exchanges: encouraged to think and synthesize while waiting to talk • Location virtual • Multitasking possible (Away button) • Excitement generated through learning a • new digital tool

15. Challenges Affecting Use of BbC for Meetings (Or how the medium affects the message) • Moderator needs to know and use the platform effectively • Moderator must keep the visual (screen, tasks) and the audio (talk, tasks) exciting! • Mode of communication seems restrictive: no body language (emoticons); less energy/buzz from sharing; using Chat and emoticons while paying attention to content is hard; perks of real meetings disappear

16. Personal and Cultural Challenges Affecting Use of BbC for Meetings • Cultural paradigms regarding • communication affect use of BbC • Personalities and personal habits • regarding communication affect use • of BbC

17. Conclusions from Use of BbC for Meetings Meetings can effectively take place on BbC after sufficient training/practice Certain types of meetings may be more efficiently managed on BbC

18. “Like Never Before”? ?YES! !NO? Thank You for your Participation!