Learning Management Systems

Blackboard Partners with Fishtree for Personalized Learning

• By Rhea Kelly
• 05/12/16

A partnership between Fishtree and Blackboard is bringing the former's personalized learning technology to the Blackboard Learn LMS.

The Fishtree "learning relationship management" platform creates an adaptive, personalized learning experience for each student based on his or her learning profile. The integration with Blackboard Learn allows educators to personalize their courses from within the LMS, providing a streamlined way to launch digital courseware and transition to student-centered instructional models such as competency-based education.

Features include:

• Customization of digital courseware via access to licensed content, open education resources and user-generated materials;
• The ability to personalize content according to student needs, as well as align content with learning standards, competencies or outcomes;
• 55 "Technology-Enhanced Test Items" for building assessments (instructors can also use licensed assessments or upload their own); and
• Real-time analytics that evaluate student engagement, success and content efficacy.

"The integration of Fishtree within Blackboard is absolutely crucial for us," said Christopher Lilly, chair of the Department of Education Technology at Concordia University Chicago, in a press release. "Not only will it help us expand our program offerings but it will also help faculty dramatically reduce the time and tediousness often required to customize curriculum. It is this ease of customization that will deliver better teaching and learning experiences, ultimately helping our students reach their academic goals."

"With more schools and institutions launching digital courseware, our model will help Blackboard users deliver quality learning opportunities to their students," said Fishtree CEO Terry Nealon in a statement. "We recognize the need for instructors and instructional designers to easily build flexible and engaging courses that are measured by what content is working and what is not. This partnership is simply the easiest way to scale personalized learning today, enabling users to attend to the needs of every student while driving better learning outcomes at low cost to students."

For more information, visit the Fishtree site.