Eight Ways to Increase Social Presence in Your Online Classes

Excellent Post from: Faculty Focus

By: Hong Wang, PhD. in Online Education

 Social presence is an important concept in distance education. So, how can we increase social presence in online teaching? Here are some ideas for you to try.

A welcome letter. It is helpful to send a welcome letter to your students or post it on the online course site at the beginning of the semester. This will make online learners feel welcome and sense the instructor’s virtual presence from the very beginning of the course.

A personalized introduction. As instructors, we all know that it is important to hold students’ attention in the first class, and this can be accomplished through many techniques such as an interesting teaser, an overview of a well-planned course, a display of a fun and humorous personality, and more.

Together with a paragraph introducing yourself, it would be nice to add a still image, a hyperlink to a home page if you have one, an audio clip, or a video clip to add a human touch to the online classroom.

Make good use of email. Email can be used in three ways in online teaching: class email, group email, and individual email. Class email is “email broadcast” according to Horton (2000). It is used for important announcements such as schedule changes or correcting misunderstandings or misconceptions. Group email can be used to provide students ideas, guidance, or feedback on group projects. Individual email can be used for many situations such as answering individual questions, providing feedback on assignments, motivating students to learn, and following up with students for special situations.

Use course announcements frequently. Making announcements in a Web-based course is another way to connect with the students. I have been trying to post one to four messages each week, depending on what and whom I teach.

Take advantage of the discussion board. Most online instructors use the discussion board, but not all of us are active in participation. It is important to get involved in the discussion and engaged in the conversation, commenting on students’ posts and guiding their learning. We continue to explore how to use discussions effectively. The ways I have tried include both group and class discussions; having a group leader facilitate the group discussion; summarizing the group discussion; and sharing with the rest of the class, using a rubric to grade discussions.

Use synchronous communication to enhance social presence. Immediacy is a critical element in social presence, and communication in real time often enhances social presence when handled well.

Try Web 2.0 tools for fun and collaboration. I tried blogs for a couple of classes, and I’ve found students enjoyed it. They had fun and a sense of achievement in creating their own blogs. Through the blog creation and communication, there was more interaction between students as well as between the students and me. Some of them maintain the blog and keep communicating with me and other students even after the completion of my course.

A concluding remark and best-wishes statement. After the final exam, final project, or other type of final learning assessment at the end of the semester, always remember to send all students an email or a class announcement. This message functions as a conclusion of the class. From a welcome letter to a wrapping-up best-wishes statement, you as an instructor show your social presence at both the beginning and the end of the class.

References

Horton, W. (2000). Designing web-based training. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Hong Wang is the director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning Technologies at Fort Hays State University.

Information Literacy at UDC

[Special weekly post from Rachel Jorgensen, Digital & Information Literacy  Librarian, University of the District of Columbia]

Once a week this space will be dedicated to providing information on the Information Literacy Program within the Learning Resources Division, as well as related services and topics.

Before we get going full-tilt on such a topic I thought it might be best to define what “information literacy” is in general, as well as what I mean by “information literacy” within the context of the Learning Resources Division and the University of the District of Columbia and why information literacy is important.

What Is It?

…information flows in all directions and does as it pleases, for better or for worse, serving no masters and obeying no party line. -- Walter Kim “Little Brother Is Watching.” New York Times Magazine, October 17, 2010, p. 18.


In essence, information literacy describes a set of skills that allow you

• to collect information
• critique that information
• use the information for a specific purpose.

Many institutions and organizations have created their own definition of information literacy, but these definitions, when compared, are very similar to each other. (See the Resources section below for links to information literacy documents.)

For most academic librarians (of which I am one) information literacy is a set of five competencies, as described by the Association of College and Research Libraries (a sub-division of the American Library Association.)

These competencies are:

• Determine the extent of information needed
• Access the needed information effectively and efficiently
• Evaluate information and its sources critically
• Incorporate selected information into one’s knowledge base
• Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
• Understand the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and access and use information ethically and legally

Why Is It Important?

I remember as an undergraduate having three basic types of resources to use when researching a paper: reference books, academic books and journal indexes and I had only three places to go to find these: the card catalog, the print index section and the reference desk.

By the time I graduated, the library’s catalog had been computerized (and searched using DOS commands), JSTOR had arrived and I found myself doing research using the computer, rather than hoofing through the shelves. In the short span of four years undergraduate life had changed drastically.

Today, students must deal with a plethora of information sources – websites, article databases, web-based library catalogs, on-line reference resources, in-print books, in-print articles, etc. They receive competing and contradictory direction: Don’t use web resources! Use web resources! Use nothing electronic!, etc.

Often, students are stymied by the amount of options available to them -- they cannot find the clear access point for what they need. (Except for Google and its nice, neat one search-box interface, which many library databases are attempting to emulate…but that’s a whole different discussion for another day.)

Students who are information literate are able to identify what information they need, how to access it and how to use it. They are efficient researchers and critical thinkers.

The worth of being information literate is not limited to college -- this type of competency is applicable to multiple aspects of life: personal finance…job skills…home ownership… In contemporary life information comes at us in a steady stream and having the ability to critique information, judging it for validity and accuracy, is an essential skill.

How Does One Become Literate?

There are many ways to become information literate and just like every other type of learning, repeated exposure to the fundamental concepts is the best way to internalize the skill. In my opinion, the best practice is to have the librarian and instructor work together to provide cohesive learning opportunities.

Generally speaking, teaching "information literacy" occurs when the the librarian is invited to provide instruction to a class and give a one-shot presentation during which the students learn about the library catalog, article databases and other resources.

In such sessions there is no time to teach even basic information literacy skills, let alone teach them how to effectively use library resources for basic tasks.

A different tactic would be to have the instructor and librarian work together to create a graduated research assignment in which students would be guided through the steps of defining a topic, finding back-ground information, conducting the research (finding appropriate books, articles, etc.), critiquing those materials for validity and usefulness and, finally, producing an end product – such as a paper or presentation.

I believe it is this type of structure that gives students the opportunity to truly learn the process of consideration, which is at the heart of information literacy.

This is only one example of how teaching to information literacy can be embedded within a curriculum. There are many other techniques that can be used -- a further discussion of these techniques will be the subject of some of my future posts.

Resources

Professional Standards and Guidelines

• Association of College and Research Libraries Information Literacy Overview
• ACRL: Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Edcuation
• Institute of Museum and Library Services Museum, Libraries, and 21st Century Skills
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education Guidelines for Institutional Improvement
• American Association of School Librarians Standards for the 21st-Century Learner

Next Post

In next week's post I will provide more information on the LRD Information Literacy program and how it relates to student learning and the curriculum.

Want More Information?

Feel free to contact me! rjorgensen[at]udc[dot]edu

How Long Does it Take for Technology to go Mainstream?

The Gartner Group recently released a report examining the time to maturity for 1800 technologies.  Living in this digital age, as educators we have found ways to adapt to new ways of creating, reviewing, and sharing information.  For some, this means just ignoring new methods and sticking with what works.  For others, it's a seemingly never-ending game of 'let's see if THIS works', as new tools are replaced by newer ones.

Education will always be lagging behind the rest of society when it comes to the use of technology,  but as the pace of 'new' continues to increase, it's imperative to jump on the bandwagon sooner than later.  Many of these newer technologies are dependent on working knowledge of it's predecessor, so the longer we wait, the longer it will take to understand them.

Here's the graphic.  Note, most of these technologies are predicted to take 2-5 years for mainstream adoption. Don't get left behind!

Stepping Up Your Web 2.0 Game

As a trainer, I've probably introduced or explained Web 2.0 about 50 times. At least! I came up with this little graphic to help educators understand that Web 2.0 is not something that you instantaneously DO, it's kinda like a lifestyle, a werb not a noun.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), provides some great standards for educators. If you haven't, do take the time to visit their National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) page.

To make the connection to jobs and the workforce, check out the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, they have a nice framework showing the connection between school success and workforce success.[President Obama quotes the need for 21st Century Skills in a speech (as covered by CNN.com)]


The following graphic from Radar Networks shows some of the tools associated with Web 1-4.  They all have some type of learning curve, it's best to jump on the train now!

** View this post for definitions of Web 1 through web 4.

The following graphic attempts to provide some steps for getting involved with Web 2.0.
Start slowly, make friends, and share your knowledge with others.

Graphic by Andrew J Ryan -- don't steal!  

Blackboard 9.1 Features

I created this Tagul word cloud as an introductory activity for my Intro to Blackboard workshops. Faculty often come into the workshops with varying levels of readiness and I typically ask the room which (if any) of these words are they unfamiliar with as it relates to online learning.

Unlike Wordle, Tagul can be setup to feed the words into a search query (you can choose which one) so when the user clicks on it, they go to that search result. It also zooms in on words to make them bigger, a little visual animation not yet in Wordle.

In the Tagul below, clicking on any of the terms will bring you to the Blackboard forums where that term is discussed/explained.



This semester, the Center for Academic Technology is offering workshops on Blackboard and other technology related topics.  Sign up now!

100 Reasons to Use Blackboard 9

A nice post from Gonzaga University

100 Reasons to Use Blackboard 9

1.    New Drag-and-Drop user interface
2.    No More control panel, now just hit an edit tab and edit.
3.    List daily assignments.
4.    Post course description.
5.    Provide syllabus.
6.    Post classroom guidelines.
7.    Provide teacher biography.
8.    Create groups.
9.    List external URLs for pertinent web sites.
10.  Add videos and audio clips
11.  Post a quotation for the day.
12.  Use discussion board-all students must post a response (thus reaching the quiet ones).
13.  Monitor student use of the site.
14.  Provide review questions.
15.  Track student progress on review quizzes and tests.
16.  Email all students.
17.  Conduct "office hours."
18.  List required texts.
19.  Link to online textbook resources.
20.  Enter dates that appear on students' calendars.
21.  Post lecture notes.
22.  Post PowerPoint presentations.
23.  Create task lists.
24.  Allow self-enrollment for other teachers and students.
25.  Combine forces with team-teacher to minimize duplication of efforts.
26.  Offer extra credit activities for those who visit or participate in discussion groups.
27.  Post passages to which students must post a response.
28.  Create a discussion group for students to discuss the latest books that they have been reading.
29.  Create leaning units that allow students to self-pace.
30.  Post a poem of the week for discussion purposes.
31.  Model appropriate "netiquette" behaviors.
32.  Provide instructions for download Adobe Acrobat Reader (a free utility that displays PDF files).
33.  Create an inviting banner using free software. (http://www.flamingtext.com/)
34.  Post rubrics for class assignments.
35.  Update assignment due dates changed because of unexpected school closures.
36.  Import course content from colleagues.
37.  Create a virtual art gallery pertinent to class readings.
38.  Allow students to read or listen to material repeatedly for understanding.
39.  Include glossaries pertinent to your units.
40.  Provide on-line homework help.
41.  Encourage collaborative learning - group papers.
42.  Send specific emails only to a sub-set (group) of students.
43.  Conduct student surveys for quick feedback.
44.  Create drill and practice exercises.
45.  Post test review materials.
46.  Conduct peer editing within groups.
47.  Reduce printing, copier costs, and number of handouts needed.
48.  Provide models for writing assignments.
49.  Collect students' favorite quotations.
50.  Control time-access to documents and assignments.
51.  Create and use new Group Blogs.
52.  Access course content from anywhere at any time.
53.  Provide FAQs to eliminate the repetition of those nagging classroom questions.
54.  Eliminate late papers - all can be submitted via the new assignment tool.
55.  Collect papers electronically; add comments via Word; return papers to students electronically without touching a page.
56.  Have students discuss a film after viewing it by using the discussion group feature in Bb to save class time.
57.  Provide tasks and assignments for a variety of learning styles.
58.  Create categorizing activities.
59.  Allow multiple attempts on review materials.
60.  Import test banks that grade-level teams use.
61.  Create sub plans for as many days as you are on leave.
62.  Create groups that can collaborate on-line when they cannot find time to meet.
63.  Share your course with a colleague by archiving it.
64.  Take your course with you when you move to another school or system.
65.  Develop your materials during the summer when you have time to explore possibilities.
66.  Add a colleague as an instructor to share the burden of curricula development.
67.  Combine like classes into one section to reduce the number of postings and entries.
68.  Invite reluctant learners to become a part of your class.
69.  Provide opportunities for students to post reflective writings.
70.  Assist students to become efficient users of distance learning.
71.  Let students create and use online journals
72.  Post field trip forms.
73.  Post minutes of meetings.
74.  Track individual use of Bb site.
75.  Track group use of Bb site.
76.  Track content area use of Bb site.
77.  Provide opportunities for administrators to see your work.
78.  Post models and guides pertinent to specific assignments, i.e., Works Cited examples.
79.  Grade papers electronically.
80.  Post glossaries for your units of study, i.e., poetry, drama, fiction.
81.  Change the language in which your course appears.
82.  Track which parts of the course students are reviewing.
83.  Set conditions under which students can see new content. i.e., students who pass an assessment get new assignments; students who do not pass get review materials.
84.  Permit students to save answers to test questions after each answer.
85.  Randomize the order of multiple choice questions.
86.  Upload an image and mark part of it as the answer to a question.
87.  Build a glossary of terms pertinent to the course.
88.  Use the import feature to share grade-level glossaries, review items, surveys.
89.  Alert students to course content that is new since the last time they logged in.
90.  Place an item on the task list in a course so that it will show up in the students' task list.
91.  Make your life in the classroom easier!
92. Ok...so there's not 100, but working on it still :)

Originally from:
"75 Reasons to Use Blackboard." Instructional Technology Development. 16 Dec. 2005. 27 Jul. 2006. <http://www.itd.depaul.edu/website/documentation/75ReasonstoUseBlackboard.pdf >

"Blackboard Tip Sheets and Tutorials." Geisel Library. Saint Ansel College. 9 May 2005. 27 Jul. 2006. <http://www.anselm.edu/henceforth/blackboard/tipsandtuts.htm>

"Flaming Text Generator." 27 Jul 2006. <http://www.flamingtext.com/>.
100 Reasons to Use Blackboard Susan Latour, SBTS at WSHS Page 3 of 3 2/12/2007

Changing the Entry Point for your Course

This demo will demonstrate how to set your course 'splash' (or entry point) page. This is the page students see when they first login to your course.

Asccessing the Style Panel

Go to the Control Panel and click on STYLE.

Go to OPTION 4

Select the button you would like your course to open from. Then hit submit. NOTE, if you JUST added the button, you may have to logout and then log back in. Otherwise, the ENTRY POINT box may bnot have your desired selection.
If you have other questions, please contact the 24x7 Blackboard Helpdesk at (877) 736-2585 or visit their homepage.

Using FlipCams in the Classroom

Today, I conducted a workshop on the use of FlipCams in the classroom.  FlipCams cost about $150 and can record up to 2 hours of video.  The greatest feature of the flipcam is its ease of use.

You press the red button to record, press it again to stop.  You can zoom in and out and the sound is excellent.  And to top it all off, to get the video from the camera, all you do is stick it in your USB port.  From there, you can upload to youtube or share via the web.

The Center for Academic Technology has 2 FlipCam's which can be used by faculty.   Please contact Dr Suzan Harkness to use them.

Using FlipCams in the Classroom
I've used or seen used FlipCams used in the classroom in a number of ways:
1. Recording a mid-term or final exam review
2. Recording student presentations
3. Explaining a math or science concept (5 minute lecture)
4. Capturing performance (music/drama)
5. Experiential Learning... having students record out of class experiences

Educause has a great website which discusses 7 Things you should know about Flip Cams in higher education.

Here's an example of the FlipCam in use:



Around the Web

There have been a number of very good web posts [TechLearning, FreeTechnologyforTeachers,  on FlipCams.  I really like this post which lists 10 Educational uses for Flipcams (list below).  Duke University also has an excellent site on the use of FlipCams in the classroom.

1. Video is the new PowerPoint

2. Field Trips

3. Science Experiments

4. Journalism and English

5. Drama

6. School Assemblies

7. Student Council

8. Technology and Design

9. ICT Coursework

10. School Websites and PR

Lastly, this presentation gives all types of ways to use Flip Cams.  

Here are the slides I 'use' in the workshop.

7 Things ... A Great Resource from Educause

I've used Educause as reference in multiple workshops. Frequently, I find myself ushering faculty to their "7 Things" website, one of their Learning Initiatives.

These 2 page primers are on emerging learning technologies and written FOR higher education professional and educators. There's nothing worst than a great resource which only discuss K-12 but not higher education perspectives.

Their latest topic: **Online Team-Based Learning** joins nearly 40 other briefs including: Collaborative Annotation, Second Life, FlipCams, and Personal Learning Environments.

All of the reports are free and worth the read.

Incorporating Synchronous Elements into Online Courses to Enhance Student Engagement

By: Mary Bart in Online Education

A funny thing happened to some graduate students at Drexel University. They enrolled in an online program, drawn by the anytime/anywhere convenience the medium affords, but found that one of their favorite aspects was the live synchronous learning elements.

During the past decade, Michael Scheuermann, PhD., an adjunct faculty member at Drexel, has required of his students a set number of synchronous sessions each quarter. What he’s discovered is that not only do the live online chat sessions heighten the learning experience by engaging students in a highly meaningful manner, but they’ve provided an additional facet of student performance.

In the online seminar Engaging Students with Synchronous Methods in Online Courses, Scheuermann gave an overview of how he uses synchronous chat and offered guidelines for building synchronous elements into online courses. He also cautioned that, like anything else, you must first consider how it fits within your pedagogical construct and not simply do it because you have the technology to do so.

One of the best ways to get started with synchronous elements is to hold online office hours and gauge student participation. Many instructors also provide live online course orientations. But there’s no reason it has to stop there. When you’re ready to test whether chat will work with your students and course goals, Scheuermann suggests the following tips:

1. Set up a few optional online chats. These could be for extra credit or as a make-up assignment.
2. Establish one mandatory session and grade students on their participation. Start with a 60-90 minute time slot, no longer. Be sensitive to time zones and dispersion of students.
3. Establish additional mandatory session(s). For quarter-based courses, two-three mandatory sessions usually work well. If your school is on a semester-based schedule, you can increase that number to three-four sessions, or whatever works best for your specific situation.

Scheuermann stressed the importance of soliciting and then reflecting upon student feedback at each step of the way, and making the appropriate adjustments. It’s also a good idea to inform students who’ve registered for your course that there are required synchronous sessions at scheduled dates/times. This helps prevent unwanted surprises for students unaccustomed to synchronous elements, and who may be unable to participate. And while some may end up dropping the course once they learn about the requirements, most seem to find the synchronous discussions beneficial.

“To date, the evidence indicates that online students and course facilitators overwhelmingly find considerable value in synchronous course elements,” says Scheuermann. “Between 70 and 100 percent of enrolled students, on a course-by-course basis, have stated that I should retain the online chat sessions in future offerings of my courses.”

Permalink: http://www.facultyfocus.com?p=11753

Online Tools for Educators -- and a Diigo demo

I was asked by a faculty member to create a list of online tools [view as list or slideshow] I use in the classroom. It was hard because I go back and forth with some tools, like mindmeister, that didn't make the list, versus mywebspiration, which did. Or for timelines, dipity versus timerime (not on the list).

Naturally, I had to employ a Web 2.0 tool in sharing the list.  I used Diigo for this one.  Diigo is a social bookmarking site like del.icio.us or digg, but it includes a utility (diigolet) that allows you to 'tag' and store pages on the fly.  Once a list is stored, you can create a webpage slideshow of all the sites you've archived.

Below is my web 2.0 tools  list from diigo.  I'd love to hear your comments if you've used any of these!



or as a slideshow:


The show will rotate through each site (every 10 seconds), or you can click on the site you like.

Finding the Right Community-Building Tools for Your Online Course

A throw back post from last semester...as mid-terms and eventually finals approach, these tools/ideas may be helpful in giving students a different way of digesting information.  Please drop by the Center for Academic Technology in Building 41 Room 106 if you'd like to find out more on these tools.

Finding the Right Community-Building Tools for Your Online Course

By Rob Kelly 

---

There are many ways to create a sense of community within the online learning environment. The challenge is finding tools and techniques that suit your course without creating too much of a burden for you or your students.

The process of selecting the technology to create an online learning community should be “very purposeful so that it has meaning and adds value,” says Dr. Fran Cornelius, associate clinical professor at Drexel University.  Cornelius and her colleague Mary Gallagher-Gordon,  assistant clinical professor at Drexel University, recently spoke with Online Classroom about how they develop learning communities in their online courses using the following tool.

Voice email—Before a course begins, Cornelius sends students a voice email welcome message to set the tone for the course. Also, when giving students feedback on their assignments, she often includes a voice email message with the marked up assignment to reiterate the main points of her feedback and to “soften the blow because a lot of times a marked up paper can be very intimidating,” she says.

Voice board—Each course begins with an introduction. The instructors ask students to talk about where they live and work, where they see themselves in five years, and any other personal information they would like to share. Voice recordings convey personality. For example, one student recently had two young children lead a cheer and introduce the student. It was a unique way of introducing herself and clearly demonstrated that she likes children—something this student deemed an important part of who she is.

Once the course is in session, the voice board can also be used as a means for students to share their opinions.  “It’s a very good opportunity for students to very succinctly state a position. Like NPR’s ‘This I Believe,’ it forces them to be concise,” Cornelius says.

Photo gallery—Students have the option of posting photos of themselves to further convey something about who they are and what’s important to them.

Student café—To encourage students to interact informally, Cornelius and Gallagher-Gordon set up private areas within Wimba, a collaborative online learning platform that features voice and text chat, breakout rooms, and other tools. There also is a program-wide area that serves the same function for a broader group of students. “It’s the virtual equivalent of the student union, and it’s off limits to faculty unless they are invited by the students,” Cornelius says.

Voice over PowerPoint—The purpose of narrated PowerPoint presentations is to provide students with content that they can access independently so that when they meet synchronously, the focus is on discussion rather than lecture.

Synchronous class sessions—Cornelius and Gallagher-Gordon use Wimba for their synchronous sessions. Like other virtual classroom platforms, it has several tools that can help create learning communities, including the ability to create breakout rooms for group work and a polling feature, which generates interaction similar to what occurs with face-to-face use of clickers.

“We don’t want to waste people’s time with content and activities that they can be doing independently. That’s really critical when planning those synchronous sessions. For us, it’s very important philosophically to have students to be able to think on their feet. If you have a synchronous session and you pose questions and generate discussion students have to articulate their positions and be able to pull the information together and connect the dots in a more spontaneous situation,” Cornelius says.

In addition to synchronous class sessions, Cornelius and Gallagher-Gordon encourage students to meet within Wimba independently to work on group projects. “If it is a group project, we tell students that it might be easier to be in the same time zone or to have the same clinical background—some variable that pulls them in,” Gallagher-Gordon says. “They come back from [these breakout rooms] with strong relationships. They find out that these are the people from their last couple of classes who they have never spoken to. A lot of times it’s online in a room using Wimba where we first see communities develop.”

Blogs—Cornelius and Gallagher-Gordon primarily have students use blogs for their private journals, which encourages them to reflect on the learning experience.

Wikis—They use wikis for collaborative writing and, in the case of an education course, students create a course within a wiki. “The wiki allows the students to utilize a wide variety of available tools to create an interactive online course, which at the end of the term becomes public and is peer critiqued,” Cornelius says.

Virtual office hours—Cornelius and Gallagher-Gordon often develop mentoring relationships with students that continue after a course has ended. One tool that has helped facilitate these relationships is the virtual office hours, which they conduct in Wimba.

Contact Fran Cornelius at fc28@drexel.edu and Mary Gallagher-Gordon at mag45@drexel.edu.

Source: http://www.magnapubs.com/issues/magnapubs_oc/10_4/

Useful Web 2.0 Tools for the Clasroom

Getting Started with Assignments

Assignments in Blackboard is a gateway technology (a quick Google Search shows this term has not been defined).  In my mind, a gateway technology is a web tool, utility, or a service which (once understood) that can open the doors to more complex technologies.

For example, if you understand discussion boards, you will be better prepared to employ adjacent technologies (nearby technologies which are similar in functionality and use -- think of adjacent technologies as those on a horizontal plane and gateway technologies as those on a vertical plane) such as journals, wikis, and blogs.

Blackboard allows you to create assignments (such as a critical essay) and have students submit their papers electronically.  This means no more collecting papers, but it also means building your skills for grading papers electronically.  [Here's a nice reference from Cal State Poly on grading electronically]

Blackboard also allows you to create assessments such as quizzes, surveys or tests, and manages the grading process.  Once you start using assignments, assessments are the adjacent technology which you should explore.  The goal is to allow Blackboard to facilitate the assessment process.  It doesn't REPLACE, just facilitate.

Here's a great comparison of some adjacent technologies in Blackboard  from North Dakota State University

This semester, the Center for Academic Technology is offering workshops on Blackboard and other technology related topics.  Sign up now!

Here's some information from Blackboard on Assignments.Using Assignments in Blackboard

Source: https://blackboard.uic.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/ITL/bb9.0%20documentation/bb9Assignments.pdf