A new Blackboard plug-in allows campuses to connect Google’s free e-mail and document-sharing services with Blackboard, eliminating the need to log into both platforms.
The integration program called Blackboard Building Block, developed by Northwestern University, is already being used by about 1,000 students at Northwestern and is now available to other institutions to use or build on the technology at no cost, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.
“It allows instructors to make a link to a Google document or calendar or spreadsheet,” said Brian Nielson, project manager for Faculty Initiatives at Northwestern. “For instance, as soon as a link is posted, all students have access to it immediately. The open sharing is great.”
Jim McCabe, Blackboard manager of the Center for Teaching, Research and Learning, said AU is still unsure whether it will make this plug in available for students and professors.
Some members of the AU community have already expressed their support for the new feature.
“It’s a great idea for Blackboard users, particularly given that so many are dedicated users of Google applications,” said Sarah Irvine Belson, dean of the School of Education in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Students could go to one place to both build content and also check their grades.”
However, not everyone agrees. Some members of the CTRL are hesitant.
According to McCabe, students could use better programs other than Google’s services. He said students are not using more sophisticated programs like Microsoft’s Excel program that would help in their post-graduate careers and schooling.
“If it is purely writing assignments, the plug-in sounds like a great tool, especially if everything is in one place,” McCabe said. “However, most students would miss out on the necessary computer skills for their particular area of study if they only were to use Google’s services.”
Wendy Woodward, director of Technology Support Services, told the Chronicle the new plug in will make it easier for students to access both Gmail and Blackboard. She went on to mention that the program would allow students to work outside of the classroom more efficiently.
Geraldo Cadava, a history professor at Northwestern, told the Chronicle this integration is the perfect platform for class members to collaborate with one another.
Most AU students asked said they felt the program would benefit their campus.
“It would be easy to share everything with my professor,” said Tamara Braunstein, a graduate student in the School of Communication. “If you have any documents you or your professor would want to share, it would all be in one place.”
“I think it’s a really interesting idea,” said Evan Fedeli, an undergraduate student in the Kogod School of Business. “It makes the collaboration feature of Google documents more well known because [right now] it is hidden in the student e-mail program. Not every student knows about those features. If it is more integrated and open, everyone could take advantage of them.”
In the meantime, AU and CTRL are investigating the Blackboard plug-in and making sure it is secure before deciding whether or not to install it.
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