Effectiveness of ‘Blackboard’:

Critical analysis of Need,

Implementation and
Challenges.
A presentation
By:

Dr Intakhab A. Khan
(Member, CPD committee)
..........
ikhan1@kau.edu.sa
 What is ‘Blackboard’?

‘Blackboard Learn’ is
an application for
online teaching,
learning and
knowledge sharing.
From blackboard to BB
software
Operation Blackboard
Concept and implications in India.
As per 1986 policy: start with
minimum facility available.
 BB: Learning tool
Blackboard Learn (previously
the Blackboard Learning
Management System) is a virtual
learning environment and course
management system developed
by Blackboard Inc
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackboard_Learn)
...

BB is a distance
learning
platform
Some questions by teachers
on:

Importance of BB
Que: Why should I use Blackboard when
I can meet my students face to face?

Ans: Blackboard can enhance one-

on-one virtual &academic
relationship with students by
allowing you to provide handouts,
course materials, syllabus, study
tools (quizzes, sample tests), and
online.
 Counter question
Why should I go to class if Blackboard
can enhance one-on-one virtual
&academic relationship with students
by allowing you to provide handouts,
course materials, syllabus, study tools
(quizzes, sample tests), and online
discussion.
 Que: I already have a web site that
contains my syllabus and course content.
Why do I need Blackboard?

 Ans: College or university ‘website’ is a

great resource for your students, but
with a limited space and features.
Blackboard allows you to place all of
your information in one place without
limitations. Authentication (login) will
allow only your students to sign in,
view your course, access and utilise.
 Q: How can I use Blackboard
to enhance teaching and learning?

 A: By adding contents into your Blackboard

course, you can allow students to retrieve
information from any Internet connection. BB
provides communication and group tools such
as discussion, group email, file exchange and
chat sessions to encourage collaboration
among students outside of class; this can also
increase student preparation time.
 Student’’s Q: Why should I use
Blackboard if I go to class?

A: Blackboard provides many great

features that allow you to access your
grades, content and communication
tools. As a student, you are able to
view class handouts, tests, and
discussions that are provided by your
instructor.
https://quondam.csi.edu/blackboard/csi_blackboard_student_tutorial.pdf
 Q: How can Blackboard enhance
my learning experience?

A: Blackboard allows you to view handouts,

review tests, see the progress, and more in
order to enhance your learning experience.
Blackboard enables you to contact your
instructor and other students outside of class
time. It also allows you to assist and
collaborate with others to enhance your
course experience.
 CONCLUSION:
Blackboard is a tool that allows faculty to
add resources for students to access
online. PPTs, videos, audios, animations,
and other applications that are created
outside of Blackboard and added into
Blackboard courses for students to
enhance teaching and learning efforts.
(blackboardsupport.calpoly.edu/content/about/whatis.html)
 Multiple Learning Styles
Multiple Learning
Styles: Blackboard (Bb)
can allow you to provide
multiple content formats
(text, images, sound,
audio, animations,
graphs, etc.), which
allows for students to
find material based on
their preferred learning
style.
 Repetition: .
Bb provides an area to place
information about the course,
assignments and exams in
multiple locations. In the
Syllabus a list of Course
Goals/Objectives should be
available. Repeating these
goals/objectives within the
assignment or content areas
will direct the student through
a learning path.
 Audios/Videos
Students may benefit
greatly by watching a
clip/movie . Seeing and
listening to English
speaking people across
the globe is at their
fingertips anytime,
anywhere. Small movie
clips can be added into a
Bb course and links of
youtube can be
mentioned.
 Assessment Tool:
A teacher can create
quizzes in Bb to
allow students to
test their knowledge
on practice exams
to verify their
understanding
before taking the
exam in class.
 Assignments:
Bb will allow you to create an
Assignment that is placed
anywhere within the content area.
The student can read the
information and submit the file for
grading. Once the file is
submitted, it can be accessed by
the instructor via the Grade
Center. The instructor can view
the file, score, post comments for
the student and themselves and
submit the file back (Microsoft
Word: track changes, comments,
etc.)
 . Discussion Tool:
Bb provides a threaded discussion, which
allows students and instructors the ability
to share concepts, ideas, questions and
answers. One way to use this tool is for
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
Create a Forum that allows students to
see FAQ questions/answers
 Importance of this
presentation
The aim of this presentation is to explore
the effectiveness of BB integration in
the development of academic
achievement, learning skills, self-
confidence & motivation among the
students. In addition, teachers’ and
learners’ readiness and attitude is also
looked into.
 Review of Literature
Al-Kandri (2013) aimed to identify the impact
of using e-activities in BB based learning on
the academic achievement and motivation at
a course in College of Education, Kuwait
University. Results showed statistically
significant differences between the
average scores of the two groups in the
academic achievement test in favor of the
experimental group but on motivation.
 Review of Literature
While many other studies support
the impact of BB on motivation
of learners and the teachers but,
insignificant effect on
achievement and learning.
 Literature...contd.
Abdel Aziz (2014) investigated the impact of e-
learning management system “Blackboard” on
cognitive achievement and learning
competence among the female students of the
Colleges of Arts and Education, King Khalid
University. It showed statistically significant
differences in favor of supporting e-learning in
academic achievement and learning
competence.
 Contd...
Al-Agami (2015) investigated the impact of e-
courses on the development of information
search skills among the College of
Education’s female students. They were
taught utilizing Blackboard system adopted
in King Khalid University. Results showed
statistically significant differences in the
cognitive test and card of information search
favoring the post-test.
Two aspects of BB
-BB leads to
motivation/interaction,
-It yields better results
-Sometimes both
 Studies that support and
negate
Al-Motari (2016) aimed to identify the impact of blended
teaching on the development of motivation to learning
and increasing academic achievement comparing two
groups at King Saud University. The experimental
group studied the course by BB-based blended
teaching. Differences were found between both
groups in motivation to learning in favor of the
experimental group, whereas no differences were
found in academic achievement.
Studies showing positive
effect
 Ghanimat and Alimat (2011),
 Al-Washahy and Amaar (2015),
 Kwasah (2011),
 Sharab (2013),
No effect
 Al-Motari (2016( pert.to achievement)
 Al-Ghamdi and Afshi (2017), and

Many others
 Research questions
1) What is the effectiveness of the
“Blackboard”, in the development of
academic achievement?
2) What is the level of preparedness among
teachers and learners,
3) 3) What is the effect of “Blackboard”, on
motivation and self-confidence among the
students?
 Issues/challenges
Blackboard is a great tool as several studies
have revealed especially in universities and
colleges. However, some faculty staff
members have revealed that BB/LMS can
pose serious accessibility and usability
problems for both the teachers and other
users. LMS tools such as Chat, Discussions
and Wikis has proved to be more
problematic for the users (Kim & Seo, 2009).
 Contd...
Studies by Melton (2004), Inversini et al.,
(2006), Kim&Seo (2009)and Sakai &Kruse
(2010) conducted an evaluation of Moodle,
dotLRN and proved that several problems
were associated with the usability and
accessibility of LMS. Al-Khalifa (2008) also
referred to issues related to the LMS system.
The problem becomes critical when teachers
assigns quizzes with a timeline (Meiselwitz &
Sadera, 2008).
 Which software & why?
Blackboard Vista - is the version of
Blackboard currently in use at KSU
Blackboard Learn
Blackboard Collaborate
Blackboard Connect
Blackboard Analytics
Are the teachers ready
-technical preparedness,
-professional readiness
Are the students ready?
 Do they have computers?
 Do they need training?
 Who will train?
 Who will sort out technical hiccups?
BB: TEACHING OR TESTING
TOOL?
Which one is effective?
 Testing via BB
Placement test at JCC
Can we use BB in the
classroom?

???
Can we avoid BB ?
???
WHY TO WASTE A LOT OF
MONEY

???
Any alternate?

???
 Is a teacher an information
provider or technician?
???
Or both
.................
Should we integrate BB with
teaching or teaching with BB?
What is the focus?
 Teacher centred learning or students
centred learning

 Are JCC students )especially

preparatory year) ready to use BB ?

 If not,.....
Self learning for whom?
 Is BB compatible with JCC students?
Issue of testing for home task
 How to judge the task?
 Did the student complete the
task himself on BB?
 Did he learn any thing even if

the task was facilitated by his

peers/family/friends/tutors?
 An example of drawback
 Even during PG courses while
writing projects/dissertations etc,
students seek assistance from
experts by paying money, and
.....................................................
......................
 Is BB a formality only?
 BB is good in keeping
records, but it seldom
develops the learners in true
sense.
 Barriers to Adopting the
Blackboard
The most crucial barriers that were identified
as critical to the accessibility, acceptance,
and use of the e-learning environment
were language barrier for the faculty in the
King Saud University (KSU) (Ssekakubo,
Suleman & Marsden, 2013). Most
instructions in the university are offered in
Arabic and most of the content materials
are in English.
 Contd...
Studies conducted to determine the barriers to
the accessibility and usability of BB show self-
efficacy to be one of the serious limitations.
Self-efficacy is a reflection of what the teacher
and the faculty staff belief they are able to
achieve based on the skills they possess that
can contribute to the successful interactive
use (Zins, Bauernfeind, Del Missier, Venturini,
& Rumetshofer, 2004).
 Environmental issues
Issues such the learning environment that
includes the interaction styles and features
of the e-learning software limit the usability
of the software for KSU faculty. Other
features that were determined to contribute
to the limitations of the usability of the
software include educational practises,
technical problems, time and pressure, and
anxiety. (Black, 2008)
 Interview with teachers
 Mixed results
 Local vs international

-------------------------------------------
A GREAT DEGREE of difference in the attitude
of teachers towards using BB.
There are different reasons.
 Results
Based on secondary data, some questions
raised via linkedIn, researchgate, and
interviews conducted by the presenter,
MIXED responses were received and
findings were different.
BB could be an additional facility like other
e-resources, but not crucial at all.
 Recommendations
A serious study is needed to validate if the BB
is really effective for better results and
learning English( by choosing experimental
and controlled group, taught by the same
teacher), at JCC . Mere attitude and
perception of teachers and students will not
do any good.
Variables?
 Independent variables,
 Dependent variables,
 Intervening variables etc
 Implications
 Curriculum design/modification should not
be appied unless need analysis is done. In
addition, other universities’ feedback is also
needed prioir to implimentation and total
dependance in haste.
 Teaching should not be made a mechanical
process as human interaction, and human
development is the top most priority.
 References

blackboardsupport.calpoly.edu/content/about/
whatis.html
https://community.blackboard.com/.../7206-
how-can-i-see-what-a-particular-student-s...
https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action
?pageId=2851116
https://www.researchgate.net/.../320712503_
The_Effectiveness_of_Blackboard-
Based_B...
 https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ103585
0.pdf
 www.eajournals.org/wp-
content/uploads/EFFECT-1_Corrected.pdf
 https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Admini
strator/Hosting/.../System_Effectiveness
 Thank you !

Any feedback in any mode,

(face to face or electronic),
any time and anywhere will be
appreciated!!!