Modern education programs are now widely employing Blackboard software. That has helped to expand online education resources. Distance education classes give students the opportunity to study on their own time.

Supporters also feel that distance education is less expensive. Electronic information is certainly one of the biggest advantages that Blackboard software provides. Instructors are completely free to issue whatever sort of materials they want to their students. If they have the right to do so teachers can actually give out entire electronic books.

Drop Folder Technology

Most Internet users are familiar with the idea of a network folder. Blackboard allows instructors to set up a single folder that students can upload work into. This can be an excellent way to collect assignments into one area.

Some teachers have set up multiple folders in this manner. They could create one for each week’s assignments. The system can work in reverse as well, which means that professors can issue handouts through the system. Teachers who have access to public domain materials really love this technique.

Teachers often post a welcome letter along with several PDF or RTF files that contain information about the course. Since they can change up the text printed in the header section above the drop folders, teachers often post a number of relevant links that can help students to understand the course material.

Message Board Options

Blackboard can work like any other forum system. Class discussions are carried out this way. Students who have experience with regular forums probably will not have any problem getting used to the format.

Whenever someone writes something, other people have the opportunity to reply. They can post a response that is on topic, or they can decide to post a new topic. Some installations will allow students to insert images straight into their posts. Instructors can participate in the discussions as well.

Hybrid Course Content

Some teachers have had success with hybrid courses. Blackboard has a few options for those who want to hold part of their class in a traditional classroom. Those with access to projectors can make the most out of these resources. That being said, telling students to log into the system on days that they are not in class works just as well. Some people have found the hybrid options to be unnecessary for this reason.

Networking Education Resources

One of the best aspects of Blackboard software is its wide installation base. Instructors in more than 60 different nations use Blackboard to conduct classes. Exchange students can log into their accounts from around the world.

Physical distances do slow things down quite a bit. Teachers who have students from different regions in their classes might want to tone down their Blackboard pages. Images can be provided as direct links as opposed to embedded content. Videos and flash content are not necessary when teaching most classes.

Extending Blackboard Programs

Blackboard is a closed source program, but its developers offer two systems to extend it. Building Blocks can be used to make new education resources. Teachers with any experience in computer programming or Web design can easily put together new modules to interact with students.

Power Links is a more complete architecture. Some people might be disappointed to learn that only those who buy the campus and vista packages will ever get a chance to use it. Individuals who have experience with hypertext should have no problem developing modules with the Power Links package. That being said, extendable solutions are not always the best ones.

Blackboard is powerful software. Most tasks can be accomplished with the basic package. Some instructors have very ambitious projects that never go anywhere. Start small and build on early successes when making education modules.

Author Bio

Joshua Turner is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to business. In this article, he describes a few benefits of the Blackboard system and aims to encourage further study with a masters in management information systems.