Services
1
Agenda
 Overview
– Managing the Transitions of The Networked Learning
Environment
 Blackboard Consulting
– Who We Are and What We Do
 Blackboard Training
– Who We Are and What We Do
 Blackboard ASP Services
– Why Choose Blackboard ASP
 Blackboard Client Support
– How Blackboard Provides Support
 Summary and Discussion
– Next Steps
2
What we are seeing…
 Leading institutions are harnessing the power of information
networks to connect people and resources in new and powerful
ways.
 In moving beyond Course Web Sites, these institutions are
deploying their core technologies in an effort to establish a dynamic
and cohesive learning network
…a networked learning environment.
3
The Networked Learning Environment
A true networked learning
environment exists when
any student or teacher can:
– view instructional
content
– collaborate with
educators
– evaluate academic
performance
– access any learning
resources at any time
to achieve their educational
objectives.
4
The Path to the
Networked Learning Environment
EXPLORATORY
SUPPORTED
INSTITUTIONAL GROWTH
• Course web sites
Phase I
• Commercial
enterprise course
management
system
Phase 2
STRATEGIC
TRANSFORMATIVE:
THE NETWORKED
LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
• When any student
or teacher can view
instructional
content, collaborate
with educators,
evaluate academic
performance, and
• Online courses,
• A full online campus access learning
organizations, and
with learning
resources at
institutional services communities and
any time to achieve
integrated with
shared digital
their educational
back-office systems
content resources
objectives.
Phase 3
TIME
5
MISSION
CRITICAL
Phase 4
Phase 5
Transitions to be Managed
EXPLORATORY
SUPPORTED
STRATEGIC
TRANSFORMATIVE:
THE NETWORKED
TRANSACTION
ENVIRONMENT
INSTITUTIONAL GROWTH
Transition 4
Transition 2
Transition 3
Transition 1
Phase I
Phase 2
Phase 3
TIME
6
MISSION
CRITICAL
Phase 4
Phase 5
Organic vs. Planned Adoption
Organic Adoption
Planned Adoption




 Planned/Foundational Adoption
 Initially driven by Executive
Sponsor
 Accelerated growth
 Strategic planning upfront
Organic / Exploratory Adoption
Initially driven by End Users
End User Plateau
Strategic Phase Necessary for
continued growth
EXPLORAT
ORY
SUPPORT
ED
STRATEG
IC
MISSION
CRITICAL
TRANSFORMA
TIVE
FOUNDATION
AL
SUPPORT
ED
MISSION
CRITICAL
Transitio
n4
Transitio
n2
Transition
3
Transitio
n3
Transition
2
Transition
1
Transitio
n1
Phase I
TRANSFORMAT
IVE
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Phase 5
Phase I
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4
Transition Management is the key to successful adoption regardless of approach.
7
Managing the ETF Phase Transitions to Achieve
Adoption
 The Transitions represent specific steps that must be
managed to mature along the technology framework
 Two components for successful transition management exist
– Implementation Approach: A specific process for managing the
institution’s maturing technology environment and usage
– Implementation Activities: Those specific activities required for
successful transition at each phase
8
Blackboard Services
 Blackboard Consulting
 Blackboard Training
 Blackboard ASP
 Blackboard Support
9
Blackboard Consulting: Who We Are
 100+ consultants
 Experienced in leading and
assisting with Bb Academic Suite
implementations
 Consultant Profile
–
–
–
Technical consultants experienced in
core Blackboard languages (Java, Perl),
databases, and operating systems
Project managers experience in
software requirements and project
implementation
Special skill sets in advanced database
operations, backup and recovery, OS
management, and network operations
 Experience since 1999 with 450+
client engagements
10
Blackboard Consulting:
What We Do
Plan
Design
Implement &
Maintain
 e-Education Planning:
– Blackboard System Planning
– Business Continuity and Recovery
 Systems Architecture Design:
– Application Load Balancing and Database Clustering
– High Availability Infrastructure Design
– Performance Engineering
 Solution Implementation and Maintenance:
–
–
–
–
–
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Application Installation, Migration and Configuration
Systems Integration
Application Development and Building Blocks
Business Intelligence Reporting
Systems Maintenance Programs
Blackboard Academic Suite Planning
Client Objective


Partner with Blackboard in the implementation and ongoing growth and management of
Blackboard infrastructure
Ensure that the joint Blackboard-Loyola team focuses on improving the Loyola student
experience
Blackboard Consulting Deliverables



Design Loyola’s Blackboard system infrastructure, integrate it with the Datatel Colleague
system and train staff on the intricacies of the new system.
Jointly manage system upgrades with client
Collaborate on implementation of the Blackboard Content System and the Blackboard
Community System
Outcomes


Secure and reliable Blackboard environment and prepared support team
Loyola well-positioned to take advantage of new features and functions within the
Blackboard Academic Suite.
Plan
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Design
Implement &
Maintain
Blackboard Learning System Planning
Client Objective


A course management system to power online and web-enhanced learning for all Dallas ISD
students, faculty, and staff.
Need for planning assistance to prepare for the integration of data systems, the development
of courses and the training of multiple groups of users
Blackboard Consulting Deliverables



Assisted Dallas ISD in identifying its goals for online learning, developing a strategy for
achieving these goals, and creating an implementation plan
Interviewed Dallas ISD personnel, analyzed strengths and weaknesses of current online
education processes and technical support infrastructure.
Delivered Blackboard system administration training and provided specific recommendations
for achieving its online teaching and learning objectives.
Outcomes

Dallas ISD was prepared for the various challenges it would face and was able to budget its
capital and resources expenditures appropriately in order to achieve stated goals.
Plan
13
Design
Implement &
Maintain
Blackboard Community System Planning
Client Objective

Implement the Blackboard Community System to
personalize Minnetonka Public School’s web site creating a powerful and dynamic communication
link between the district and the community.
Blackboard Consulting Deliverables


Working with key stakeholders, Blackboard
Consulting developed a strategic framework for
community building activities.
This framework enabled Minnetonka to build and
tailor its portal services to meet the ever changing
needs of its user community.
Client Outcomes


Fully implemented Blackboard Community System
that will eventually replace their existing public
website
Branded Blackboard application that maintains the
school’s identity and marketing strategy
Plan
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Design
Implement &
Maintain
Blackboard Content System Planning
Client Objective

Need to provide content to the right people, in a timely fashion, and in the right format. The
challenge was that enterprise content at BCUC spanned many different departments, and had a
multitude of content providers and consumers
Blackboard Consulting Deliverables



Defined a strategic objective for the Blackboard Content System and audited BCUC’s current
content management practices – including reviewing the content lifecycle to identify content
providers, consumers, and reusable data elements, all of which were captured through usecases.
Designed a solution, leveraging the content lifecycle and required metadata to derive a structural
permissions model
Implemented the system for enterprise-wide usage
Client Outcomes

BCUC has streamlined many of its internal processes. For example, the process for validating
new courses and building their syllabi is clearly defined and requires far less manual intervention.
Plan
15
Design
Implement &
Maintain
Business Continuity and Recovery
Insert Client logo
Client Objective

Need to provide advanced levels of system availability and immediate response times to system
outages and/or failures
Blackboard Consulting Deliverables




Designed highly available infrastructure, minimizing single points of failure, as well as a robust
backup solution
Developed business continuity plan, outlining exhaustive list of potential system failure scenarios
and their proper response activities
Documented detailed steps for system recovery for every failure scenario
Rehearsed recovery processes for every failure scenario
Client Outcomes

Pearson is able to deliver its Blackboard content through a highly-available environment and
recover from system failures with minimal end user impact
Plan
16
Design
Implement &
Maintain
Application Load Balancing and Database Clustering
Client Objectives

Implement a highly available, centralized system for all 19 CUNY member campuses and
200,000 users.
Blackboard Consulting Deliverables


Designed and developed an infrastructure capable of supporting over 200,000 users and
reliable enough to minimize system outages.
Built redundancy into each layer of the application, leveraging best of breed solutions. For
example, collaborated with SUN on a clustered back-end solution which facilitates real-time
failover of both the database and file system.
Client Outcomes


CUNY supports its user community on an infrastructure capable of sustaining expected load
and scaling as the need arises.
CUNY contracted a third-party load testing firm to push the limits of the system, which
yielded highly positive results.
Plan
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Design
Implement &
Maintain
High Availability Infrastructure Design
Client Objective

A robust backup and recovery solution to increase
overall system availability
Blackboard Consulting Deliverables


Designed a backup and recovery solution tailored to
VSC’s specific recovery needs, documented its
supporting processes and developed an
implementation plan that minimized system downtime.
Implemented, tested the solution thoroughly and
trained VSC staff on various problem-solution
scenarios within the system.
Client Outcomes


Hot Backups
Production
Database
Archiving
Recovery
Archive Log Files
Transfer
Archive Log Files
VSC has increased operational availability of their
Blackboard system and alleviated administrations
concerns around data security.
In the event of failure, VSC can minimize the risk of
data loss and downtime of the database and
application servers to a number of hours until full
recovery.
Plan
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Standby
Database
Design
Implement &
Maintain
Performance Engineering
Client Objective

Surge in Blackboard system usage led to increased number of system errors and
ultimately to degraded performance.
Blackboard Consulting Deliverables



Audited system infrastructure in order to diagnose the performance problem’s roots.
Followed performance improvement methodology to optimize the environment,
recommending configuration and infrastructure changes and developing a schedule for
rapid implementation.
Educated the management team on the routine maintenance needed to support the
system and maintain performance levels.
Client Outcome

Cornell experienced increased operational availability of the Blackboard Learning System
Plan
19
Design
Implement &
Maintain
Application Installation, Migration and Configuration
Client Objectives


Migration of existing data to a recently upgraded Blackboard Learning System (Release 6.2.)
To allow Blackboard to perform real-time authentication against Susquehanna’s LDAP
servers.
Blackboard Consulting Deliverables



Configured and executed a test migration to identify data and/or network-level errors as well
as determine time and system requirements for production process.
Updated Susquehanna on the implications of the new system, executed the production
migration and prepared the system for enterprise-wise usage.
Defined LDAP authentication workflow and security requirements and configured Blackboard
to validate login credentials using Susquehanna’s LDAP servers
Client Outcomes


All Susquehanna’s users and courses were migrated to the upgraded system in a timely
fashion with limited change management requirements.
Blackboard users no longer have to remember an additional username and password, limiting
administrator challenges
Plan
20
Design
Implement &
Maintain
Systems Integration
Client Objective

Implement an integrated, enterprise scale e-Learning
solution to enhance the technological and social
development of Colombia’s educational system.
Blackboard Consulting Deliverables


Automated process for generating user accounts and
courses as well as enrolling students. This eliminated a
great deal of manual effort formerly associated with
system administration.
An infrastructure capable of supporting expected growth.
Client Outcomes

With a high-performance, scalable, and reliable solution,
SENA is able to focus its efforts on the user outreach
and improved teaching and learning.
Plan
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Design
Implement &
Maintain
Application Development and Building Blocks
Client Objective

Introduce parents to FCPS online
community to facilitate greater participation
in their students learning experiences.
Blackboard Consulting Deliverables


Developed an integrated calendar that
displays a student’s multiple activities. This
allows parents to see all of their children’s
progress “at a glance”.
Built a module that simplifies a parent’s
ability to participate in their children’s
educational experience. It lists each of their
children and provides “observer” access to
each of their classes.
Client Outcomes

FCPS achieved a fully implemented
Blackboard Community System that brings
parents, students and teachers together in
the partnership for learning.
Plan
22
Design
Implement &
Maintain
Business Intelligence Reporting
Client Objective

Gain insight into specific Blackboard course usage
in order to measure outcomes and return on
investment
Blackboard Consulting Deliverables



Defined reporting goals and developed a flexible
Blackboard Building Block to meet goals
Reporting interface made available through a
portal module that allows an administrator to query
active courses and/or active users (students or
faculty) by timeframe
Report generates a delimited file that allows for
further analysis
Client Outcomes

South Carolina understands specific usage
numbers and growth rates, which provides
information for return on investment calculations
and public funding needs
Plan
23
Design
Implement &
Maintain
Systems Maintenance Programs
Client Objective

Assistance to manage, maintain and support Cincinnati’s advanced usage of the Blackboard
Academic Suite.
Blackboard Consulting Deliverables



Ad-hoc consulting to assist with are non-software related issues, such a hardware and network
engineering as well as Building Block development support
Scheduled services including semi-annual “health checks” to evaluate system performance,
capability and general health. This is followed by a performance assessment, whereby
Cincinnati is able to assess system capability in conjunction with expected usage growth.
Dedicated project manager and system architect manage the process and review and
communicate all activities and plans
Client Outcomes


Cincinnati experienced increased operational effectiveness through a holistic approach and
documentation that treats the system as one entity; rather than a group of disparate hardware
and software systems
Cincinnati is better able to plan for upgrades and identify and manage risks
Plan
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Design
Implement &
Maintain
Blackboard Training: Who We Are
 100+ trainers
 Trainer Profile
–
Skilled project managers and
professional educators with
extensive experience in K-12
teaching, higher education and
commercial training
 Experience since 1999 with
training thousands of users
from 900+ client institutions
 Play substantive roles as part
of Bb Academic Suite
implementation teams at client
sites
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Blackboard Training:
What We Do
 Types of Training:
–
–
–
–
Administrator and System Support Training
Instructor and End User Training
Developer Training
Custom Training
 Training Series:
–
–
–
–
Administration Series
Essentials Series
Effective Course Design
Building Blocks Training
 Training Location Options:
– Onsite Workshops
– Online Workshops
– Regional Events
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Blackboard Administrator and System Support Training
Client Objective

Train system administrators and support staff on management of the
Blackboard Academic Suite
Blackboard Training Deliverables

Blackboard Learning System Administration
–
–
–

Blackboard Community System Administration
–
–

Introduction to tools and functions of the System Control Panel
Reviews the administrative features of the application and the procedures for in
stalling and managing system extensions.
Provides an overview of the Blackboard Learning System™ Operations Workbook
which is designed to help administrators maintain the Black board application.
Introduction to community-related tools and settings of the System Control Panel
Reviews the distributed administration features of the application and the
procedures for managing roles, assigning tabs and importing and exporting
modules.
Blackboard Content System Administration
–
–
–
Introduction to content-related tools and settings of the System Control Panel
Reviews four main areas of the application – personal online file storage, learning
content management, e-Portfolios and library digital asset management
Introduces strategies for effectively managing the Blackboard Content System
Client Outcomes


27
Reduced support costs with well prepared Blackboard administrators who
can effectively anticipate and address end user questions
Improved system uptime and performance with administrators who know
how to properly manage the system
Blackboard Instructor and End User Training
Client Objective

Train instructors, instructional designers and other end users on the
Blackboard Academic Suite to ensure successful adoption and maximum
return on investment
Blackboard Training Deliverables

Blackboard Learning System Essential
–
–
–

Blackboard Community System Essentials
–

Introduction to features and functions for building online communities, managing
information exchange and delivering community-based information and services.
Blackboard Content System Essentials
–

Introduction to content areas, communication tools, assessment and course
management settings
Reviews the pedagogy of online learning
Presents best practices for teaching and learning online
Introduction to web folders, e-Portfolios, document management (tracking,
permissions, versioning, passes and searches), workflows and the linking of
content to the Blackboard Learning System
Blackboard Effective Course Design
–
–
Introduction to instructional design theory
Provides practical exercises to help individuals plan the overall architecture of their
courses.
Client Outcomes


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Greater adoption and more effective use of Blackboard applications
Minimized support costs due to strong base of end user knowledge
Blackboard Developer Training
Client Objective

Train technical developers on Blackboard Building
Blocks to enable them to develop system
extensions
Blackboard Training Deliverables

Building Blocks Essentials training
–
–
–
–
–
–

Blackboard Architecture and APIs
Development environment overview
Data integration system extensions
Bb Community System extensions
Bb Content System extensions
Reporting system extensions
Designed and facilitated by trainers who have
technical experience with Blackboard Consulting
Client Outcomes


29
Academic clients empowered to develop their own
unique solutions
Commercial vendors prepared to make their
software interoperate with Blackboard applications
Blackboard Custom Training
Client Objective

Columbus Public Schools engaged Blackboard
Training to develop a customized program
designed to ensure rapid Blackboard adoption over
the course of a semester by the entire district
Blackboard Training Deliverables



Delivered Blackboard System Administrator
training
Provided Jumpstart training to teachers: 6 trainers
delivering intensive training to 11 schools
simultaneously
Delivered consultation training: Blackboard trainer
deployment to Columbus Public Schools on a
monthly basis to promote adoption
Client Outcomes



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170+ teachers trained on Blackboard
Secured new grants to extend the use of
Blackboard in Columbus and across Ohio
Blackboard to power Columbus Virtual High School
Blackboard Services:
Blackboard ASP Services
 Over 300 Customers from All Market Sectors
 Over 3 Million Users in our Systems – Over 2 Million Enrolled
Users
 500,000+ Courses
 1000+ Servers
 11 Terabytes of Storage Capacity & Growing
 7 Terabytes of Data Transferred Daily
 72,000,000 + HTTP Requests Served Per Day
 99.7% or Better Uptime Guarantee
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5 Key Reasons to Choose Blackboard ASP Services
Security
Reliability
Cost
Control
Fully
Managed
Service
32
Scalability
Reliability: Build Redundancy & Stability
 ASP Infrastructures located in Tier-1
Datacenters at key Internet hubs
 Multiple physical connections to three Tier-1
ISPs for redundant access to Internet &
aggregate 2.4 Gbps capacity
 Multiple, Redundant Routers, Firewalls, Load
Balancers, Switches & Servers
 4 levels of power backups for 100% power
availability
 Climate control for optimal network
environment
Cost
Control
Fully
Managed
Service
33
Security
Reliability
Scalability
Security: Protect Network and Backup Data
 Physical Security – Tier-1 datacenter security
including:
–
–
–
–
limited access to authorized personnel
identification badges
security cameras
24x7 on-site security
 Network Security – Including:
– Firewall & Intrusion Detection System
– Full-time Security Engineer
– Third Party Audit
 Data Security: Multiple levels of database and
file backup
Security
Reliability
Cost
Control
Fully
Managed
Service
34
Scalability
Scalability: Build an Environment to Support Growth
 Bandwidth and Storage is Never Capped
 Additional Bandwidth on Demand
– Available in 1 Mbps increments
 Additional Storage on Demand
– 10 GB unit increments for Learning System
– 1 TB unit increments for Content System
 Additional Servers Added as Needs Grow
 Additional Active Users Support
– Includes incremental bandwidth, storage and hardware
 Software Updates/Upgrades Made Easy
Security
Reliability
Cost
Control
Fully
Managed
Service
35
Scalability
Fully Managed Service: 24x7 Operations and Support
 One Stop Client Support from experts who
design and host the software
 Services backed up by 99.7% Availability
Guarantee – credit issued for violations
 24 x 7 ASP Support
– Dedicated Application Support Manager
– Single Point of Contact for Blackboard Software and
Hosting
– Two Designated Client System Administrators
– Phone, Web and Email based Ticketing System
– Escalation and Response Time based on Severity
– All Upgrade and Patch Applications Provisioned by
Experienced Professionals
36
Security
Reliability
Cost
Control
Fully
Managed
Service
Scalability
Cost Control: Lower Costs than Self-Hosted
 By hosting their Blackboard systems through
Blackboard ASP Services, institutions realize
significant savings when compared to hosting the
systems on campus.
 Savings depend on the type & size of
implementation & institutions’ circumstance.
 Blackboard ASP can provide a customizable threeyear Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
calculation document.
Security
Reliability
Fully
Managed
Service
37
Cost
Control
Scalability
Blackboard Services:
Blackboard Client Support



38
System Administrator Support
– Dedicated Technical Support
Manager
– 24 hour support and toll free
number
– Access to Behind the
Blackboard, the web-based
support solution
– Surveys, newsletters, and
other client communication
– Client service reviews
– Six global support locations
Faculty and Student Support
– Professional support staff
provide a customized enduser support experience via
phone, web and email
Premium Support
– Advanced system consulting
and health checks
“You and your staff quickly
responded to the problem and
understood its importance. The
service we received this week
in response to this issue was
exemplary. You really care about
your product and your
customers.”
Larry McGrath,
University of California Riverside
"I simply can't be happier
with the level of quality support
that I'm receiving from
Blackboard right now!“
Eric Kunnen,
Grand Rapids Community College
Blackboard’s Support Standards: The 4 C’s
 Competency
– Professional and efficient communication
– Thorough analysis
– Leverage of knowledge resources
 Commitment
–
–
–
–
Exceeding expectations
Ownership
Developing relationships
Holistic and forward-thinking approach to assisting clients
 Communication
– Responsive
– Proactive
– Clear
 Care
– Respect and understanding
– Sensitive to the importance of every situation
39
How Blackboard Implements our Support Standards
People
Technology
• System
Administrators
• Behind the
Blackboard
• Client Advocacy
• Peoplesoft
• Underlying
Technology Expertise
• Google
• TSM
• AM
• IP Telephony
• Parature
Process
• Project 24
• Client Satisfaction
• Engineering Services
• Response Time
• Global Services and
ASP Operations
• Case Reviews
• Client driven
requirements
• Lab infrastructure
• Enhancement
Requests
• User Groups
• “How to”
Documentation
• Application Packs
• List_serv
• Release Notes
• Performance
Benchmarking Team
• Community
• Tutorials
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Performance
Indicators
• Root Cause Analysis
• Live Call Rate
• Total Contacts
• Employee
Satisfaction
• Cost/Productivity
Goals
• Organizational/
Maturity goals
Next Step
 Questions and Comments
 Follow-up Items
41