For some time now Blackboard’s course-management software has been in need of a facelift, some college administrators say — especially because the software lacked the kind of social-networking features that are popular with students. Today the company pulled back the curtain on Blackboard 9, the first installment of its so-called “next-generation” platform, which gives the system a new look and feel.
“Blackboard was looking very early 2000s,” said Santo Nucifora, manager of systems development and innovation at Seneca College, which has been testing the new software for the past few months. Issues like color schemes and whether corners have rounded edges or not may seem trivial, but Mr. Nucifora says that such things can help shape perceptions, especially with students. “It’s like a fresh coat of paint.”
The biggest benefit of the changes is that the new system makes it easier for professors to add material for their courses, said Donna Wicks, a senior system administrator at Kettering University, which has also been testing Blackboard 9. “They’re not having to dive down four layers to add content,” she said. “Before, you literally had to do four clicks and wait for that page to load” to add something, she added.
In keeping with an announcement that the company made last year, the new release enables users to connect their system to courses built with Moodle or Sakai, free open-source alternatives to Blackboard. The system also has a connection to the Facebook social-networking service, and includes a feature that lets professors check student work for evidence of plagiarism.
Some observers have called Blackboard’s next-generation software an important test for the company, as some customers are weighing whether to stick with the company’s products or move to open-source options or other competitors. —Jeffrey R. Young
