Morehead State Sticking with Blackboard Learn

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 10/20/11

Kentucky's Morehead State University chose to upgrade from Blackboard 7.3, its previous learning management system, to Blackboard Learn version 9.1 instead of implementing open source alternative Moodle. The decision came after a faculty pilot determined that release 9.1 was the best fit for the university. The upgrade took place this fall.

According to a statement from Blackboard, an evaluation team concluded that the technical transition and faculty training on Release 9.1 would be much easier than a move to Moodle. They were also concerned about support and continued development should they choose the open source option.

"Release 9.1 was the best decision for our students and faculty and their online learning needs," said Misty Hanks, coordinator of instructional design at Morehead State University. "The transition went smoothly, it is easy to use and we were able to move to the new system quickly, without problems. The on-demand resources that accompany Release 9.1 are critical to our staff and we are impressed with the responsiveness of Blackboard for any support we may need--something we weren't confident we would get from the open source option we considered."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • college student sitting at a laptop writing a college essay

    How Can Schools Manage AI in Admissions?

    Many questions remain around the role of artificial intelligence in admissions as schools navigate the balance between innovation and integrity.  

  • a hobbyist in casual clothes holds a hammer and a toolbox, building a DIY structure that symbolizes an AI model

    Ditch the DIY Approach to AI on Campus

    Institutions that do not adopt AI will quickly fall behind. The question is, how can colleges and universities do this systematically, securely, cost-effectively, and efficiently?

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • laptop screen showing Coursera course

    Coursera Introduces New Gen AI Skills Training and Credentials

    Learning platform Coursera is expanding its Generative AI Academy training portfolio with an offering for teams, as well as adding new generative AI courses, specializations, and certificates.