Blackboard
Storyboard Innovation
Emmorfia McKinstry
EDUC-7101-2: Diffusion and Integration of Technology in Education
Dr. Amar Almasude & Dr. Timothy Powell
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Improved communication
Increased availability
Quick feedback
Skill building
Tracking
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Blackboard Inc formed by the joining of two
companies Blackboard LLC and CourseInfo LLC.
1997 - Founded by Matthew Pittinsky and Michael
Chasen (started as consulting firm providing
technical standards for online learning applications)
1998 – Merged with CourseInfo LLC, a small course
management software provider that originated at
Cornell University, which was founded by Daniel
Cane and Stephen Gilfus
2004 – Went public
2009 – Purchased ANGEL Learning (educational
software development company developed by
Indiana University
To increase the impact of education by transforming the
experience of education.
 Intended Audience:
 Textbook Publishers
 Government
 Corporations
 Associations
 Military
 Educational Institutions
▪ Administrators
▪ Faculty/Staff
▪ Students
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Integrate with various other technologies
Integrate with mobile phones
Alert & Notification Systems
Product line includes
 Blackboard Learn (learning system, community
system, and content system)
 Blackboard Transact (transaction system and
community system)
 Former WebCT, Inc’s products (Vista and Campus
Edition)
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To provide a user-friendly means of inputting course information,
such as syllabi, references site, and study guides on the web.
Used to manage e-learning, transaction processing, ecommerce,
and online communities
Develops & Licenses Software Application
▪ Over 12 million users
▪ 2200 education institutions
▪ More than 60 countries
▪ 12 languages
Product line includes:
▪ Blackboard Learn (learning system, community system, and
content system)
▪ Blackboard Transact (transaction system and community
system)
▪ Former WebCT, Inc’s products (Vista and Campus Edition)
To provide a user-friendly means of
inputting course information, such as
syllabi, references site, and study guides
on the web.
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Distance Learning
Technical Difficulties
 Software hard to learn
 Certain options restricted to specific operating
systems
 Inefficiencies in bandwidth when downloading
materials
 Cost
Blackboard Inc formed by the joining of two
companies Blackboard LLC and CourseInfo LLC.
 1997 - Founded by Matthew Pittinsky and Michael
Chasen (started as consulting firm providing
technical standards for online learning applications)
 1998 – Merged with CourseInfo LLC, a small course
management software provider that originated at
Cornell University, which was founded by Daniel
Cane and Stephen Gilfus
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2000 – Acquired Richmond based competitor
MadDuck Technologies
2001 – Purchased CampusWide Access
Solutions Inc. from AT & T and CEI
SpecialTeams from iCollege Inc.
2002 – Purchased Promethius from George
Washington University
2003 – Acquired SA Cash
2004 - Went public
2009 – Purchased ANGEL Learning
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Used globally
Contracted to the IMS Global Learning
Consortium
Worldwide non-profit organization within the
National Learning Infrastructure Iniative for
Educause
Named to Forbes.com Most Connected Campuses
List
Products offered in 12 languages to over 2200
learning institutions
Contain more than 2500 supplements from
educational publishers
Traded on the NASDAQ
(Based on Research by Everett Rogers and Geoffrey Moore)
Innovators
Early
Adopters
Early
Majority
Late
Majority
Distribution of User Categories
Traditionalist
Innovators
Early
Adopters
Early
Majority
Late
Majority
Number of Users
Time
Traditionalist
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Content delivery with custom
paths
Assessment tools for
feedback and analysis
Participation in common
cartridge/IMS development
Portfolio capabilities
Communication tools
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Innovators – Educational institutions,
corporations
Early Adopters- technology savvy teachers,
students
Laggards- veteran teachers
Most Useful Perceived Attributes- observability,
trial, and relative advantage.
BlackBoard is a valuable learning tool.
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Decentralization is the preferred diffusion
method
▪ Problem-centered approach
▪ Shared diffusion decisions
▪ Local experimentation
▪ Horizontal networks
▪ Peer diffusion
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Key Change Agents: Educational institutions,
teachers, students, corporations, military
Use of 7 roles
 Identify and discuss a need
 Exchange information with others that can help
impact the process of change
 Analyzing the problem
 Develop possible solutions and began action
 Determine level of stability and respond
accordingly
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BlackBoard has reached it critical mass
 Gives instructors, CIOs, technologists, systems
administrators and others dedicated to the success
of e-learning access to a broader expanse of
expertise and best practices, and allow them to
maximize the value and usefulness of their elearning systems
 A full online campus with learning communities and
shared digital content resources
 Easily integrated with other technology
 Used globally
ROLE of CHAMPIONS
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Need
 Improved
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communication
Increased availability
Quick feedback
Skill building
Tracking
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Matching Need
 Creation of
BlackBoard
 Accessed anytime
anywhere
 Mini applicationsBuilding Blocks
 Collaborative tool
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Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th
ed.). New York: Free Press
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www.blackboard.com