- The document summarizes Blackboard updates including the launch of Blackboard Mobile Learn, upcoming additions of photo rosters and video assignments, and a future upgrade to Blackboard NG9. - It outlines timelines for implementing new features over the short and medium term, and plans for a GeNIEus infrastructure upgrade in December 2011 before upgrading the Blackboard platform to version 9.1 in July/August 2012. - Training sessions for instructors on the new Blackboard version will take place from March 2012 onwards before the official platform upgrade.

1. GeNIEus (NIE Blackboard) New Generation version 9 (NG9) Co-presented by Eric & Sally

2. Blackboard Roadmap Short term Blackboard Mobile Learn– Go live! Photo roster – coming soon! Medium term Video Assignment Learning Activity Management System (LAMS) GeNIEus infrastructure upgrade Blackboard upgrade (NG9)

3. Blackboard Mobile Learn The feature makes learning more effective and efficient, empowering instructors with tools to engage every learner Tapping on what the students are already using, access via smart phone and mobile devices are possible to login to Blackboard

4. Blackboard Mobile Learn Available from iTunes Apple Store, Android Market, Blackberry App World Launched late July 2011

5. Photo Roster To enable instructors to see a list of students enrolled in their course, along with their photograph Retrieve students’ photos from SSC Photo upload can be done by students in NIE Portal and populate over to Blackboard on the following day Target to implement in Aug/Sept 2011

6. Learning Activity Management System (LAMS) For designing, managing and delivering online collaborative learning activities Introduction to LAMS http://bit.ly/qUbih3 Request budget in Sept 2011 Target implementation in Nov 2011

7. Video Assignment Video has grown in popularity over the past few years with more courses including this form of media as part of regular assignment and course material To implement a solution to enable our lecturers to add video content to the course material and for our students to submit video / media assignment & enable viewing by student / instructors Need to budget for this in Sept 2011

8. GeNIEus infrastructure upgrade Objectives: Support the next generations of eLearning systems and tools at NIE. Meet the projected users growth for GeNIEus. Provide a resilient architecture with the aim of achieving a 98% availability of the e-learning platform. (minimise the number of scheduled and unscheduled downtime) Provide a responsive system (At least 90% of all transactions have a response time requirement under 2 seconds.)

9. Blackboard Upgrade Why upgrade? When will it happen? When is the training? When will it officially cut over?

10. Why upgrade? Improved interface Mashups integration, the system has the ability to integrate web2.0 technologies such as youtube, flickr, slideshare, Google Docs within the Blackboard site

11. New Features Fostering student engagement Promote active collaboration Integrate visually engaging content Keep students connect Increase accessibility for the disabilities learners Powerful search Bring real events into course instruction http://www.blackboard.com/resources/learn/Bb_Learn_91_WhatsNew.pdf

12. When will it happen? Test Platform in Q3 2011 For familiarisation For feedback GeNIEus infrastructure upgrade in Dec 2011 February 2012 upgrade of the staging environment to 9.1 From March 2012 – Training of Instructors July / Aug 2012 upgrade of GeNIEus to 9.1

13. When is the training for New Blackboard? Sharing session September 2011 e-Champions Support staff assisting instructors Awareness October 2011 Instructors Mass Training 1st session from March 2012 –new Staging 2nd session from Apr / May 2012

14. When will it officially cut over? Roll out Blackboard Learn 9.1 on July / Aug 2012