Blackboard Bulks Up In Ohio Via A Pair Of UC-Led Pilot Projects

Capitalizing on years of instructional technology success on campus, the University of Cincinnati will now expand its expertise across Ohio by bringing the latest teaching technologies to a whole new set of students.

UC has been a pioneering user of Blackboard, the world's leading learning management system. Now a pair of pilot projects, one with the Ohio Learning Network and a second with the Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati, will use UC as the guiding partner in introducing Blackboard to broad new audiences around the state.

Blackboard uses Web-based enterprise applications it has developed to transform the educational process from one anchored primarily in the classroom to an ongoing, flexible and responsive educational experience better suited to both students and teachers.

UC has been a national leader in implementing Blackboard across campus, with 2,800 courses now available online through Blackboard and more than 85 percent of the university's 33,000 students using the system for at least one course. Recently, the number of UC faculty using Blackboard in their classes just passed the 50 percent milestone. UC also maintains a seat on Blackboard?s product advisory board.

The pilot program with the Ohio Learning Network will use UC to provide Blackboard services to other Ohio higher education institutions. Funded by the Ohio Board of Regents, the program will use UC to host the schools? courses and attendant systems support, along with providing training and support for faculty and student users as required.

Already, two schools -- Edison Community Colleges and Marion Technical College -- have elected to join the collaborative.

The project with the Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati marks the continued expansion of Blackboard into pre-collegiate environments. Beginning in the upcoming school year, UC will provide Blackboard services to seven pilot schools in the archdiocese. Several other Cincinnati schools, including the Sycamore district and the Cincinnati Country Day and Summit Country Day schools, are also using Blackboard with their students.