Course Management Software Research Articles

Best Practice in Teaching General Physics Courses

General Physics I & II are a requirement for both Science and Engineering students, and approximately 1000 students are taking this course every year at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). In the Department of Physics at UAEU we have introduced the course by using a coursemanagement software "the Blackboard (BB)". Besides putting the regular lecture power point slides and continuous communication with students through BB, we have established a very elaborate database of assignments for students to take at the end of each chapter. Using the embedded technology in BB, students are allowed to take the test more than once with varying questions so that the students learn in each trial of the test. In this paper, we present an accumulated data showing the effect of this method on the students’ learning, students'-instructor interaction, and we propose an optimum way of students’ assessment for courses of this size and type.

Evaluating Student Performance on Computer-Based versus Handwritten Exams: Evidence from a Field Experiment in the Classroom

ABSTRACTThe use of course-management software such as Blackboard, Moodle, and Canvas has become ubiquitous at all levels of education in the United States. A potentially useful feature of these products is the ability for instructors to administer assessments including quizzes and tests that are flexible, easy to customize, and quick and efficient to grade. Although computer-based assessments offer clear advantages, instructors might be concerned about their effect on student performance. This article evaluates whether student performance differs between handwritten and computer-based exams through a randomized field experiment conducted in a research methods course. Overall, our findings suggest a significant improvement in student performance on computer-based exams that is driven primarily by the relative ease of producing thorough responses on the computer versus by hand.

Transitioning From Blackboard To Moodle - Course Management Software: Faculty And Student Opinions

Colleges and universities have increasingly invested in specialized software and hardware designed to enhance and facilitate the instructional process for faculty and students. One type of technological assistance is commonly known as course management software (CMS). Once learned, these CMS packages can greatly enhance and enrich the classroom experience and provide internet based access to course materials, assignments, grades, supplementary materials, such as quizzes, PPTs, and study aids. Like all moderately complex software packages (Blackboard is proprietary software and Moodle is open source software), there is a learning curve involved in mastering the functionality of each CMS. This paper examines the process of changing from one type of CMS (Blackboard) to another (Moodle). Faulty (FT & PT) and students (graduate & undergraduate) were surveyed to obtain opinions about the transition from one CMS system to another. The goal is to identify issues that may be addressed by targeted training and insights which would improve the transition process.

An empirical investigation into factors relating to the use of course management software by post-secondary faculty

This research studies faculty use of Course Management Software (CMS) in post-secondary institutions. CMS allows faculty members to demonstrate skills, share knowledge and communicate with students at various times and through various means. There are a variety of methods to make CMS available for students; however, at some point, involvement by the faculty is required. This research centres on faculty constructs such as performance and effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, privacy and security concerns and implementation time. The moderating variables were gender, anxiety, years of teaching, experience and faculty rank. After surveying the faculty, logistic regression was applied to investigate the relationship between the utilisation of a CMS system by the post-secondary faculty and the six independent variables. Different sets of factors from performance and effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and years of teaching were found to be significantly related to the utilisation of the CMS system by post-secondary faculty.

Course Reserves

Jacksonville State University's (JSU) Houston Cole (HCL) Library has always provided access to required course readings through a reserve system. In the past, this service was only available in print. Now, as JSU's programs move to the online arena, the Library is making its presence felt strongly in this new online environment. Along with providing access to required course readings through an electronic reserve system, Docutek's ERes, HCL also offers faculty the option of using their course-management software, such as Blackboard, to deliver the e-reserves to their students. This article details the technical implications of adding reserves to Blackboard courses.

Course management software adoption: a diffusion of innovations perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the adoption of course management software (CMS) among faculty in a nursing program in order to better understand the consequences that result from adoption decisions.Design/methodology/approachA case study approach was taken using a component of diffusion of innovations theory as a framework for exploring the research questions.FindingsDiffusion of innovations theory suggests there are three dimensions of consequences that should be analyzed: desirable versus undesirable consequences; direct versus indirect consequences; and anticipated versus unanticipated consequences. Consistent with Roger's theory, direct and anticipated consequences of adoption of a CMS by faculty went together. In addition, the research findings were consistent with Roger's theory in that it was difficult to separate desirable from undesirable consequences resulting from the innovation of course management system adoption.Originality/valueThe results of this research support Roger's theory while raising a number of new questions. A problem was identified with the classification of desirable versus undesirable consequences. Further research is recommended to clarify these consequences categories, while taking into account the perspectives of people who have different roles during the change process. This study only included faculty using the course management system. Additional research should focus upon the consequences of CMS use for students.

English Studies in Levittown: Rhetorics of Space and Technology in Course-Management Software

n recent College English article, Johnathan Mauk calls for those in English studies, and more particularly those in composition and rhetoric, to pay greater attention to space. Drawing on the works of several critical geographers, he argues for a pedagogy and theoretical lens that accounts for and engages the spatial and material conditions that constitute the everyday lives of (370); toward that end, he proposes heuristic for orienting teaching and learning: namely thirdspace, conceptual location he borrows from Edward Soja (as others in the humanities have done lately) that resituates students neither in the traditional abstract spaces of academia nor in the concrete conditions of their everyday lives, but rather in juncture of the two, a dimension emergent from the generative collision of academic, domestic, and work spatialities (380). Mauk's call is prompted, he says, by evolving conditions of college life marked by transient students dislocated from traditional academic places and therefore disengaged from traditional academic work. While Mauk does not define what he means by traditional, he is clear in arguing that academia must change to meet students where they are at. Designing pedagogical practices around the construct of thirdspace is Mauk's own attempt at such change within our field.

English Studies in Levittown: Rhetorics of Space and Technology in Course-Management Software

Seconding Johnathon Mauk’s call in these pages for greater attention to the politics of space, and extending it to the increasingly ubiquitous realities of virtual space, the author argues that course-management software systems such as Blackboard naturalize certain constructions of subjectivity for us and our students in ways inimical to our pedagogical goals. He argues that we and our students should not only be critically attentive to such constructions but should also wherever possible develop our own local, discipline-specific spaces in resistance to the homogenization of space and subjectivity they represent.

Using Blackboard in Library Instruction: Addressing the Learning Styles of Generations X and Y

Studies show that recent generations of college students have a learning style with identifiable characteristics. Library instruction efforts must adapt to these learning styles. Course management software (CMS), such as Blackboard, is one resource available to academic librarians to meet the challenges posed by the "Net Generation." At Stetson University, the use of Blackboard courseware in library instruction sessions successfully addressed the unique learning styles of students.

Where Is the Library in Course Management Software?

Course management software (CMS) or courseware products, such as Prometheus, FirstClass, Blackboard, and WebCT, do not include the Library as an essential, curricular component in their design. Consequently, the task falls to librarians to creatively partner with faculty to input library resources into courseware to support students effectively in their research endeavors. Distance learning students, who are off campus, will benefit as they are physically removed from the Library. Distance learners (DLs) can be intimidated by library Web sites and find it difficult and time consuming to navigate. Since the entire course content is in the course management product, the primary source for class information, it makes good sense to include library resources and services in the appropriate areas, such as the syllabus, assignments, projects, etc. Including research resources within courseware enables students to get started on their own in navigating the Library and can provide direct contact information to appropriate library staff for further and deeper resource assistance.

Faculty development initiative

This paper provides details on an initiative that includes acquisition of course management software (CMS) and a central server for use by faculty and students at eight colleges in central Kansas. ...

Preparing Vision Specialists at a Distance: A Qualitative Study on Computer-Enhanced Learning

The two systems used in this study of six students in a teacher preparation program for students with visual impairments were an interactive video, audio, and data network system and a web-based course-management software package. Overall, the students were positive about the interactive video system, and those who reported that they had moderate to high technology skills reported positive outcomes from the course-management component.

How to do it? Getting started in authoring computer-aided teaching/instruction and what software features to consider

This article is primarily intended to be a guide for accounting educators seeking to begin authoring computer-aided learning (CAL) materials, especially course management software (CMS). It discusses features of selected hardware and software that are particularly useful for classroom projections, animations, and full-motion video. Options range from getting started for less than $1,000 to videographics and multimedia options that require more funding. CMS authoring and runtime licensing options also are discussed.