Is there a place for Blackboard Collaborate in blended learning design?

@mattcornock #durbbu Padlet: http://bit.ly/durbbu-collab-ws
Is there a place for Blackboard
Collaborate in blended learning design?
Matt Cornock
University of York
Durham Blackboard Users Conference 2016

Blackboard Collaborate
Blackboard Collaborate provides synchronous online learning with voice/video chat, text chat, remote
presentations, breakout rooms, polling, application sharing and shared whiteboard space. The mobile
app is particularly good, with an intuitive interface that works well. The desktop ‘classic’ version works
on both PC and Mac but requires a launcher programme that can sometimes be difficult to install. The
new ‘ultra’ version runs in-browser but doesn’t have the same functionality, yet.

learning from failure?
Why hasn’t Blackboard Collaborate and other synchronous online platforms
permeated campus-based courses with blended learning design. Our
experience, and indeed that of the delegates at #durbbu, was that Collaborate
is primarily used in distance learning courses. How might this software, and
the learning experiences it offers, support learning objectives on face-to-face
programmes?

Issues
Sound quality
Connection reliability
Launcher installation
Whiteboard quirks
Photo: flickr.com/122794378@N08/19920120966

“the usual spontaneity of a face-to-face
workshop was lost”
Case Study: Iain Barr, Centre for Lifelong Learning
Seminar on campus Distance students
Teaching seminar
Photo: flickr.com/gogostevie/4148516651
“remote students had largely formed their
own small learning community”

Support and scalability
Photo: flickr.com/mattring/6315771461
The complexity of the software, and more significantly the complexity of learning designs, often
requires support from learning technologists or technicians. Support is often to boost confidence in
the use of the technology, waving the magic wand (or sonic screwdriver) where appropriate. This
form of technology hasn’t got the ubiquitous use that drives independent use yet.

Case Study: John Blase, Health Sciences
Expert tutor Distance students
Distance learning
Photo: flickr.com/callmewhatever/19703676578
Ease of contact, scheduled time
Increased engagement and enjoyment
Tutor and technical facilitator
Structured, regular pattern in sessions

Use cases at York
Research seminar
Individual tuition
Teleconferencing
Teaching seminar
Tutorials from experts
Careers workshops
Distance learning
Learning technology webinars
Photo: flickr.com/meddygarnet/3250387807

Collaborate versus…
Whilst Skype is used regularly professionally and socially, it does require an account, has limits to participants and doesn’t offer the
structured learning activities that can be designed in with Collaborate. Google Hangouts is useful for Google Apps institutions, but
getting a Hangout set up requires knowledge of Google interfaces and terminology, not always intuitive.

what about blended learning?
Michael (2012, p.161) asserted ‘many academic staff continue to prefer
traditional teaching methods and, more importantly, are quite sceptical
about the potential for student learning in online environments’.
This may be an overstatement of the apprehension of new technologies,
though the ‘pilot’ effect can put off staff. Or, is reticence because
Collaborate doesn’t fit into a blend but is the domain of distance learning?

blended design
online
in class
A strong relationship is needed between both learning spaces for: learning objectives, content, activities.

collaboration in isolation
online
online
onlinein class
Risks of use of Collaborate where it has not been embedded and links between online
and in class activities creates disjointed learning experience.

learning design: additional point of contact
De Freitas and Neumann (2009)
in class teaching collaborate webinar
The use of Collaborate is loosely connected to the scheduled teaching programme (supervision, reading
groups). De Freitas and Neumann (2009) discuss ‘Synchronous audiographic conferencing’ multimodal
models of cognition, meaning and interaction - the way webinars support communities of inquiry, a
pedagogical approach that values social interactions, in particular the construction of understanding by a
group of learners through shared expertise and experience.

learning design: delivery of content
Wang and Hsu (2008)
collaborate webinar independent study
Collaborate webinars are used to deliver the core content of a module, required or in preparation for students’
independent study. Doesn’t work for all types of content delivery (e.g. technical training). Wang and Hsu (2008)
suggest a number of approaches to facilitation of remote lectures with particular emphasis on developing
conceptual knowledge through interactions. They also caution against requiring students to do too many disparate
activities, or practical tasks remotely, due to the challenge of keeping participants on track with the session.

learning design: double-flip
pre-session lecture or
reading activity
in class teaching
collaborate webinar
A flipped-classroom model requires students to undertake preliminary tasks, usually in the form of watching an online lecture or reading, to
develop a theory base for discussion or practical activities. The insertion of a collaborate webinar between these two stages provides
opportunities for expert viewpoints that may not be able to be brought into the face-to-face session, but none-the-less require some form of
theoretical grounding first. Each phase addresses a different level of learning towards of higher order objectives.

appropriateness of Collaborate
- is Collaborate an appropriate tool for blended learning?
- what learning designs could take advantage of Collaborate?
Starting points…
problem-based learning, conveying information, experiential learning,
tutor-mediated discussion, reflective learning, research-driven learning,
competency based learning, self-directed learning, peer-teaching
DISCUSSION

how do we get people to use it?

promoting Collaborate
 Newsletter
 Roadshows

 Newsletter
 Roadshows
 SlideShare overview

 Newsletter
 Roadshows
 SlideShare overview
 Online demonstrations
 Using it for staff development

how to develop staff buy in?
- what approaches have you taken?
- what works and what doesn’t?
DISCUSSION

does Collaborate have a place in
blended learning design?
- failure points
- strengths for distance learning
- possible design models
- methods of promotion

References
Examples and discussion of learning design at http://bit.ly/eldt-syncdesign
de Freitas, S. and Neumann, T. (2009) Pedagogic strategies supporting the use of Synchronous Audiographic Conferencing: A
review of the literature, British Journal of Educational Technology, vol.40, no.6, pp.980-998.
Faulds, D. (2015) Overcoming Geographical Obstacles: The use of Skype in a graduate-level social media and marketing course,
American Journal of Business Education, vol.8, no.2, pp.79-94.
Michael, K. (2012) Virtual classroom: reflections of online learning, Campus-Wide Information Systems, vol.29, no.3, pp.156-165.
Wang, S. and Hsu, H. (2008). Use of the Webinar Tool (Elluminate) to Support Training: The Effects of Webinar-Learning
Implementation from Student-Trainers’ Perspective. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 7(3), 175-194.

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