When Blackboard Goes Bigtime: Centralizing Support, Unifying the Message
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Transcript of When Blackboard Goes Bigtime: Centralizing Support, Unifying the Message
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When BB Goes BigtimeCentralizing Support, Unifying the
Message
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UNC-Chapel Hill: The Basic Stats
2500+ courses each semester9,000 – 12,000 unique users each day
Used in all schools
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History
Courses Available in Bb
24 62369 474
740 8201015 1078
15901775
2028 2064
2535
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Most popular uses
Post course materials &readings
Send email
Post grades
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Past support model
IT ResponseCenter
CIT
Students Faculty/Staff
Schools/departments
Faculty/StaffBb
company
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Current support model
Faculty/Staff Bb company
IT ResponseCenter
CIT
Students Faculty/Staff
Schools/departments
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CIT involvement with help requests
Opening Semester Weeks 1-3
Spring 2006
12%
CIT & ITRC
ITRC
458 requests
Fall Fall
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How did we do it?Key #1—Planning
Dec 2004
Announced transition toIT staff in
schools/depts
Feb 2005
Mention transitionto faculty who
contact us directly
Mar 2005
Post announcement to Blackboard.unc.eduNews site/log in page
Include announcement in personal voicemail
Auto-responder for email
requests
Mention transitionto faculty who
contact us directly
October 2004
Discussed transition with
ITRC and established their buy-in
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Apr 2005
Posted transition reminder on login page
Transition: 4/11
Calls forwarded to ITRC
Updated auto-responder for email requests
Updated personalvoicemail
Referred faculty who contactus directly to ITRC
Post-transition
Disconnectedphone, with msg
referring toITRC's number
Auto-responder
Personal voicemail
Refer faculty who contactus directly to ITRC
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Key #2—Keep it Personalwithout identifying a Bb go-to person
– Central help request system– Shared email boxes– Shared phone number
Resources
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Key #3—Building Trust among Support Staff
– Long-term relationships– Training– Agreement for admin access– Visit each other’s locations– Instant messaging– Backing each other up in client cases
Resources
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Key # 4—Multiple Help Options
http://help.unc.edu/?id=5264
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Key #5—Communicate Once, Receive Many Ways
http://www.unc.edu/cit/bb/bbnews
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Feedback
• Process went smoothly• No large red flags in faculty feedback
However• Some individual cases drop through the cracks• Concerns over self-help options
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Wake Forest University• BB Campus since 1998• Undergrad, Graduate, MBA and Law
all on our installation• Roughly 7000 users• Currently 300+ active classes per
semester (and lots of non-course classes)
• LS Only (Enterprise) running on Linux • BB 6.3 (as of December 2005)
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Current BB Support at WFU
• Primary training and support rests with the Library
• Central Help Desk manages course copy, course delete and password issues
• Departmental Instructional Technology folks (ITGs) do some (irregular) support
• Support primarily via email and phone (listserv gets some use)
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Upcoming Integration
• Spring 06 we will be integrating Banner with Blackboard
• Summer I will be first semester for automatically generated courses and enrollment management
• Use will increase (100% or more??)• Necessitates revision in support
structure
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New Support Model
• Shared support responsibility between main Help Desk and ITGs (Law and MBA have their own support people).
• Backup support offered to these groups by library staff
• Library continues to provide training• To be in place by August 2006
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How Are We Getting There?• Got approval for moving support to Help
Desk and ITGs from Help Desk manager and Dean.
• Created bbsupport listserv for ALL support people (including sys admin)
• Schedule of monthly classes for support people January – August
• Training on Course Administrator role planned for the summer
• Posting support docs on the Faculty Support web page (open to all).
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Our Timeline• August 2005 got approval from the Dean (for
ITG support)• September 2005 got approval from Help Desk • September-October worked with Project team
to put a plan in place• December had first BB Support meeting• January 2006 – August 2006 Monthly Meetings• August 2006 support will switch completely• Then a miracle happens
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How are we doing so far? • B-• Great enthusiasm from the Help Desk• Resistance (not open) from the ITGs • Moderate support from the Dean • No good knowledge base in place
currently for us to use• Will spend summer improving
documentation
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Our Advice to Others
• As much as possible do this from the top down
• Get the approval from the necessary folks in writing EARLY on
• Encourage open discussions of issues • Manage expectations• Make use of a knowledge base if you
can