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Enterprise Blackboard @ Havering College of Further and Higher Education. Ashley Garner VLE Manager. College Background. VLE System Information. Enterprise, currently v6.2.3 Blackboard launched in February 2005
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EnterpriseBlackboard @ Havering Collegeof Further and Higher Education Ashley Garner VLE Manager
VLE System Information • Enterprise, currently v6.2.3 • Blackboard launched in February 2005 • All VLE courses created automatically from UNIT-e (MIS System) using overnight snapshot All students automatically enrolled Tutors must make course available
The History • HCFHE Struggling with LearnWise (LW) • LW was purchased because it integrated well with UNIT-e (eventually) • LW also ran most NLN materials well • Decided to switch platforms • I had chosen Bb @ Lambeth College but they could not justify the cost for Enterprise
The Criteria • It had to work • We had to be able to migrate content • It had to connect to UNIT-e • It had to run SCORM materials • It had to be easy to use • It had to be supported by a reliable company • “Mission critical” for Inspection – cost not a large consideration
Why Blackboard Enterprise? • Basic would not give us: • UNIT-e Connection • SCORM Playing • We have installed Building Blocks: • Document Unpackager (used to copy courses from LW) • Seneca Who's Online • We have a Java developer
The Custom Enrolment Module • We paid Bb Services for our installation and snapshot integration • We didn’t want bulk creation of all students in Bb • At a student’s first login attempt their details will be authenticated against LDAP and then Bbenrolments • Bbenrolments is a view on the UNIT-e database
The Custom Enrolment Module • Bbenrolments has details of all of the student’s college course codes • The tool then enrols the students on the correct Bb courses • The student sees the right course(s) if the tutors have made them available
Thames Gateway College • Partnership with Barking College • Centre of Excellence for Manufacturing and Engineering (CEME) • All 3 College preciously used LW • Barking went to Moodle
The Choices • Bb Enterprise, Moodle or Microsoft Learning Gateway? • Developed two comparison grids: • Pros and Cons • Costs • Assign rank and weight for each grid
The Choices • Using EduTools VLE Comparison Tool (http://www.edutools.info/) to compare features: • Bb gets 7.43 • Moodle gets 6.93
The Choices • Other Issues: • Cost • Integration with college systems • Authentication • Enrolment of Staff and Students • Product Support (version variation/customisation) • Product Development and Testing