Bye-bye Blackboard

No matter the class, the faculty or the academic year, there is one tool that most students experience at some point during their time at Dal: Blackboard Learn.

As of the start of the summer term, however, Blackboard will be replaced by the new Brightspace system.

Doug Rogers, project manager for technology assisted learning at Dal, says “We did a multi-institutional learning management system review last year, and the unanimous answer from all the institutions that participated at Dal was Brightspace by D2L, so that’s why we’re switching.”

The system is already being implemented on a pilot approach. Five faculties started using Brightspace in September, and another six will begin using the system in the winter term.

This new step in e-learning for Dalhousie is starting off with extensive preparation.

Professors are being trained in Brightspace, in order to avoid much of the confusion that often stemmed from use of the Blackboard system.

“We’re doing training that we’ve never done before for the learning management system and using it as an opportunity for faculty to push it to the next level,” says Rogers.

Professors need not fear: this will not be a rigorous technological course. Instead, training is offered in progressive steps.

“The first training program they’re put through is called “Bright Space Basics,” it’s an overview of the full suite, so that they know how to use it, and then we’ll be going to some more advanced design-style workshops after that,” says Rogers.

While this new system is offering an opportunity to advance e-learning at Dal, it will not include the style of plagiarism detection software that was offered through Blackboard.

Instead, the university is looking for a new type of software in order to avoid plagiarism in student work. The Nova Scotia tender listings show a tender from Dalhousie for Plagiarism Detection Software.

Mike Drane, Director of Procurement at Dal, responded to an email request to view the tender. “We normally do not send copies of tender documents to individuals who are not responding to the tender.”

While the tender is not available, Rogers says that this software will not only be used in order to detect plagiarism, since students traditionally use such software for much more than a sole purpose.

“Plagiarism detection software is really a pedagogical tool for students. It’s not about detecting plagiarism all the time, it’s also a tool for students to upload their assignments and get an originality check back,” he says.