Appendix C: Complete student comments

blackboard > about blackboard > fall 2000 student survey > appendix c

Open-ended Questions 21 and 22

Interaction Comments

CC 306M
Put in video, or pictures that help in studying and preparing for exams.

More classes should use Blackboard! It makes things much easier for both students and faculty. The only class that I am taking which is on Blackboard is my CC306M class. If more classes were accessible through this site- students will make more progress!

Basically, a constant online chat session with other students and/or professor(s) would be ideal in working through any difficulties encountered in the class. In addition, if the quizzes or homework could be taken care of online, coordinating with students' varying schedules could maximize significantly; in my case, a great deal.

CC 336M
I would like to see Blackboard used as a major component to my courses. I find that this cutting edge form of university communication is vital to moving this university into the new technology age.

GOV 310L
Regular postings of class information. Lists of Web sites presented in class. More information like grades online.

HIS 315K
To increase group communication perhaps have a bulletin board or forum set up so students/professors can post comments and respond to others.

Video Conferencing, all course handouts available online, FTP of info to secure site, for review of group members, Internet phone conference with capability for up to 20 people, more options in Virtual Classroom.

M 408C
It would really be more proficient if more professors took advantage of the Blackboard, currently only one of my five profs uses the system regularly to post notes, another professor posted some course information, but other than that it has been of little use. Although that does not go to say that it would not be a lot more convenient to have more things available online, I know many students would prefer that there was more communication with professors online because there is a great boom in our generation and like it or not we've virtually got a modem in our bodies waiting for the World Wide Web.

Right now only one class is using it. Try to get all professors to use it, since most use private Web pages

SW 310
I like that we have a list of e-mail addresses for the people in our group. I think the Blackboard submissions are neat but should be optional and cannot be substituted for class time.

Not much to say, I'd much prefer communicating through e-mail or in person, but I like having info online (e-mail addresses, schedules, assignments, etc.)

Have it accessible all the time...too many times I am unable to access it.

It takes too many links to get to the group discussion pages. Make it to where you can have a quick link to group discussions.

I like the Blackboard concept; however, it did not work correctly during quizzes. It changed my answers and graded my assignments incorrectly. I would simply like it to work the way it is supposed to.

No suggestions at this current time.

A Listserv is better. It was a good try, but I hope use of this package is discouraged. The potential is there, but I feel this application is too cumbersome. I do not understand the need for a secure site, except when taking quizzes, when it makes sense. Discussion boards, postings, and the like do not need to be secure. I greatly prefer the more "traditional" professor pages and a good Listserv. I suppose the posting of a professor's copywritten materials could be issue, but so much of this is produced using public funds that I would prefer to see us err on the accessible side. So much of the technology here it UT is superior to Blackboard that I really think we should be able to do better.

No quizzes, or assignments please, but otherwise it is great!

I think the Blackboard course should be more of an optional part of the class. I understand that we are moving toward a more technological society, but it is very difficult for some students to access computers on a regular basis. As a full time student, part-time employee, student athlete and an active volunteer, it has been a hassle to find long periods of computer access to complete the assignments. The work I have done online has not been particularly helpful or insightful. I cannot justify having requirements online when it could be done just as easily as written assignment, which would be much more convenient for those of us who have more than just school in our lives.

Make every prof use it. So far only 1 out of my 6 profs use this

Chat abilities and rooms related to classes. Also, some of the features are more confusing to use and to navigate (try to make it simpler). Also, the site loads up slow.

I have enjoyed Blackboard...though it has been hard to get to a computer during the week and I am sure that many other students have had this problem and thus decrease communication.

I think Blackboard is good. It should not have so many difficulties and it should have a backup method if the system is down so that the work can still get done.

Your software is not very user friendly. There should be a way to know whether the class has been modified or that you have a message on the discussion board. As it is you have to go through all the hassle of getting on UT Direct to check.

I think the Blackboard does a good job of this. I feel that some interaction does need to take place in person in order to increase clarification.

SOC 317M
Blackboard is great, I would like it to be integrated into other facets of the class, like discussions and message boards, but it is great. I would love to have it for every class.

Please don't assume that everyone has access to the Internet yet.

SPN 507
I would like to have all my I would like to have all my teachers use it to post stuff.

Additional Comments ¸ Combined

It was hard to figure out at first and stuff often gets erased or is not submitted.

This has been a very helpful source to get info. and class assignments when I have missed class or was unable to write down the assignment.

I like the fact that the university is doing more to make our classes more technology based. It is very convenient to be able to access course info online.

Pretty cool. But only one out of my four professors use it.

I'm taking SPN 312K

More interactive stuff. Make all professors use it because I have different teachers using all this different stuff online that requires a bunch of annoying passwords. CONSOLIDATE AND SIMPLIFY!

Having the Blackboard in frames necessitates a great deal of scrolling. Also, the frames don't accommodate for the size of the computer monitor. As I filled-out this survey, I had to scroll side-to-side to read everything.

ADD BLACKBOARD TO EVERY CLASS...IT IS GREAT TO HAVE ACCESS TO ALL OF THESE THINGS ONLINE...PLEASE ADD IT...THE BENEFITS ARE LIMITLESS

I think professors and TAs could do a better job making useful Web pages without using the Blackboard system. It is often times too difficult to find what I'm looking for under Blackboard's cryptic categories.

This site has incredible possibility to help immensely - if students have requirements at UT, why can't faculty have the requirement of keeping a Web site up? We pay an exorbitant amount of money for books, and teachers can't take a few minutes a week to update a Web site? It doesn't make sense.

I am a faculty member and put all my course documents, assignments, etc. online. I am afraid that the numerous glitches and difficulties my students had accessing the materials in the early weeks of the semester seriously impaired the effectiveness of my use of Blackboard. Instead of becoming a tool they would automatically turn to, it became something they had to fight to get on. I wound up having to make hard copies of materials, and students got out of the habit of accessing the course online. Inability to use the class e-mail list after the first couple of days was also a disappointment.*

I wish more instructors would utilize the Blackboard. I'm a working student, and finding time on campus is difficult. The Blackboard helps students like me to become 'A' students because of the useful info online.

I think more courses should use this. I think it is also important that the teacher allows for the kind of group support that occurs on Blackboard. When we are not competing for a limited number of A's, we are more likely to benefit by conversing with our classmates.

***Note: I am in Robinson's ACC 384- Tax Research. It is not on question #23.

Notes on the Web allow you to concentrate on the comprehension in class rather than just writing down what is said!!

I thought your teaching method was very helpful for me yesterday because reading is much easier than listening, to me. Thank you so much!!

I think it is a good idea and I believe it should be made available to more professors and students as soon as the problems are fixed.

I'm taking M340L with Gerard Barbanson, but I don't see it in the pull-down list. I know he's been using it because I get homework assignments from this page.

I think the Blackboard system is fantastic, but only one of my classes make use of it... it would be more beneficial if more courses were encouraged to use their Blackboard space.

Blackboard loads very slow. UI is not that great.

All of my professors do not currently use Blackboard. In fact, one of my professors requires us to use his personal Web site for class notes. I wish his notes would just pull up on Blackboard when I check my other courses for documents. Can you require professors to use this important source of communication?

I would like to see the Blackboard run with less glitches, particularly in taking exams online.

I am taking SW 381 but I chose SW 310 on the pull down menu because that is all there was.

I found that it was very easy for me, as a student, to manipulate the discussion board. (I had the option to erase messages) I think this should be blocked from students.

The discussion board is cumbersome. Having to do a complete reload with every change is a pain in the neck. The quiz function had too many bugs. I hope my grade is not affected by technical errors. I suspect it has been. Question 23, listed below, doe not offer the course I am taking in the menu. I will select something pretty close.

Blackboard is great!

I like having notes posted online to print and take to class.

Blackboard seems like it would be more effective if more professors used it. This would make it really simple to just get online and have information from all your classes in one place instead of scattered.

File exchange is a great idea for groups, but you may also want to allow students to put up files on their Blackboard to allow other students to see and get it without being part of a group.

Blackboard helps me out a lot!

Blackboard has been of tremendous help. Most especially in my Medical terminology class CC306M.

Although important and very useful, I don't want to see the discussions on Blackboard replace discussing in class. When possible, personal face-to-face interactions are still the best.

We are using the Blackboard in a class, but this feature is not that important to me personally.

I find the Blackboard to be a valuable tool, although it still needs improvement. It is a good way to stay in touch with the class when you are not at school.

Sometimes I have a hard time getting to my class's Web Page. This is frustrating when I know I have an assignment posted and I can't get to it to start my homework.

Question #23 did not list my class. It is SW 381T with Dr. Lauderdale.

The format is not always user-friendly. For instance, sometimes things are hard to find, like the group discussion page. You have to go through several pages to get to it. Also, I think the default on announcements should be the past 7 days instead of just today.

My course wasn't listed below-it's bio211.

I think Blackboard is a good system. Need to work on quiz answers being graded accurately.

FYI: the class that I'm taking-ADV 335-is not on the pull-down menu below.

I absolutely LOVE this idea. Great work so far! UT has needed this capability for a LONG time.

The class I am taking is not listed. It is Dynamics of Organizations and Communities, 1st year graduate course in the School of Social Work.

I depend on Blackboard to stay on top of my grades and course schedules. I am very thankful to Dr. Knapp and his TAs for being involved with Blackboard and hope that all my course instructors jump on board by next semester.

My class is M 340L, which is not posted in the courses at the bottom.

I really like the Blackboard. Most of everything I need is right there. I wish all of my classed used it. I really like not having to remember my classes Web addresses since I have to use the computer labs.

I like having lecture outlines online. It allows me to concentrate on the lecture more instead of copying. Honestly, I prefer the Web sites in my other classes that don't utilize the Blackboard system. Content matters most to me.

It is very annoying to have type in a password EVERY time I want to look at my class Web site.

My course is not listed in the menu below. I am taking CMS 334K- Dr. Knapp

*Apparently this respondent was a faculty member. However, since it is possible that he/she was also a student and since they completed the student survey, the responses to the survey questions and comments associated with this respondent remain associated with the student survey.