Internet2 | News
UMBC Joins Blackboard's Internet2 Project, Net+
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County has joined up with Blackboard’s Internet2 related offering, Net+, although the school has had a partnership with Blackboard for years.
But while earlier team ups were about Blackboard’s core set of learning management tools, this new partnership is a move to the company’s collaboration and analytics tools that are open to all Internet2 members, as part of the Net+ project.
Earlier this year, Blackboard announced Net+. According to a blog post on the subject it provides access to the company’s "teaching, learning and collaboration solutions, as well as robust analytic and learning outcomes tools, a cloud-based, cross-institutional content repository that supports most LMSs, and helpdesk and adoption services."
There’s also access to an online and mobile version of the flagship LMS, as well as free use of the aforementioned open content repository, xpLor, which lets instructors create course materials and use them across various LMSs.
"Our students and faculty need access to environments and tools that help them generate the best learning outcomes," said Jack Suess, vice president of information technology and chief information officer at UMBC in a statement. "The adoption of this solution will help us use technology better to support pedagogical innovation. We will be able to connect to a wider community of research universities using similar tools to see how we might improve our understanding and support of teaching and learning."
About the Author
Stephen Noonoo is an education technology journalist based in Los Angeles. He is on Twitter @stephenoonoo.
