Presentation at the Internet Fair
2006 CALL Interest Section Special Events
The 40th Annual Convention TESOL 2006: Daring to Lead
March 15-March 18, 2006
Tampa, Florida, USA
Integrating Web-based
Blackboard™ into ESL Discussion
and Writing Activities
Presenter: Professor Lyra Riabov
Southern New Hampshire University
E-mail: l.riabov@snhu.edu; Web: http://acadweb.snhu.edu/riabov_lyra/
Presentation Discussion
 What is Web-based Blackboard™?
 What features of the Blackboard™ do I use in
my ESL class and why?
 Review selected assignments and activities
 What are the gains for students and the
instructor?
 Recommendations
What is Web-based Blackboard™ ?
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SNHU Blackboard
Education Environment
Online course delivery system
Educate
Innovate
Everywhere
What features of the Blackboard™
do I use in my ESL class and why?

Announcements: Instructor posts daily
or weekly announcements here.

Assignments: Day by day homework and
class assignments

Faculty: Information about the instructor
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Syllabus: Outline of the course: Syllabus
and Weekly Assignments
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Discussion Board: It consists of Topic
Discussion Forums for students,
reflections, reactions and comments to
the reading material, peers’ comments
and instructor’s suggestions. Students
can use a limited Text Box or attach any
file in MS Word, PowerPoint, and
pictures to support their arguments.
Communication: Additional way to check
out Announcements, get to the Discussion
Board, Roster of the class and Send E-mail
section. The last section is very important as
this is the students’ way to ask questions and
express concerns, request help with the
course content or sent an e-mail to their
classmates when they are outside the class.

Tools: Students’ Digital Drop Box is a
convenient way for confidential
communication with the instructor or
classmates. This is the place to submit
papers or presentations for grading and the
instructor’s comments.

SNHU Library: Access to the SNHU Library
online
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External Links: Connection to the
instructor’s web site and other Internet
resources
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Course Documents is a place to post
course materials for students
Assignments and Activities
• Syllabus
• Homework
• Connection to the Internet and
Library resources
• Discussion Forums
• Written and oral discussions
• Process writing
• Drafts and peer comments
• Grading and MS Word
comments feature
What do students gain?
• Motivation and fun
• Constant peer communication
• Competition and motivation to
do better the assignments
• Exchange of arguments
• Learn to discuss
• More time to review their
written input
• Visualize their writing problems
and better address them
• Peer Evaluation
• Motivation for rewriting drafts
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Easy access from everywhere
Fast e-feedback
Paperless class
No printing
Online dictionary and
resources are at your finger tip
• Constant communication with
the instructor
• Convenient e-folders of the
drafts and discussion postings
• Preparation for the college
technology supported learning
Participation in the Discussion Forums
Q1: increased the volume of my writing;
Q2: helped me to learn how to express my point of view and support it with examples;
Q3: helped me to learn how to express my point of view and support it with examples;
Q4: helped me to learn to edit my writing.
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
%% Strongly-Agree
%%Agree
%%Disagree
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Q1
Q2
Q3
Que s tions
Q4
Communication Advantages
Q5: I learned from my classmates writing;
Q6: Using BB and E-mail Improved communication between the peers and the instructor;
Q9: I liked to read my classmates postings and compete with them for higher quality of my postings;
Q13: Instructor’s e-comments helped me to edit my drafts and postings
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
%% Strongly-Agree
%%Agree
%%Disagree
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Q5
Q6
Q9
Questions
Q13
Assignments and Grading
Q7: Assignments section was very useful;
Q8: Using BB I was motivated to do assignments on time;
Q11: It was convenient not to print papers;
Q12: Grading was confidential and easy to access to.
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
%% Strongly-Agree
%%Agree
%%Disagree
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Q7
Q8
Q11
Questions
Q12
Blackboard Usage Advantages
Q10: Blackboard provided me with an easy access to my files, e-mail, class materials and
external links from everywhere on campus and at home;
Q14: It was not difficult to use the Blackboard;
Q15: Learning and using the Blackboard prepared me well for my future studies in college.
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
%% Strongly-Agree
30.0%
%%Agree
%%Disagree
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Q10
Q14
Questions
Q15
What do instructors gain?
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Increased volume of students’
writing
Focus on academic language
Active student participation
regardless of the student
learning styles
Motivation and
competitiveness
Peers’ active involvement in
the learning process
Everybody participate in the
discussions
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Increased sense of the
students’ responsibility for
the completion of the
assignments on time
E-portfolio
Fast and easy feedback
Convenient organization of
assignments, grades and
materials
Availability of the instructor
outside the classroom
Recommendations
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In a traditional ESL class use only
selected features of the Blackboard
Don’t overuse it
Make Blackboard features user
friendly: simple and clear
Avoid chats and chat language in the
Discussion Forums
Developing daily activities: create a
habit of writing every day
Be prepared to spend more time
working on assignments, e-feedback
and communication with your students