Background
Blackboard has introduced Release 9, a new version which is their first attempt to bring together the best features of WebCT and the Blackboard Learning Management Systems since the merger in 2005. This new release introduces many new and improved features and promises to resolve some of the limitations of the current version, 7.2. Some of the new features are:
- Improved Gradebook with capabilities to create student's gradebook view, to automatically drop the lowest grade(s), etc.
- Incompatibility issues with Firefox 3 and Internet Explorer 8 resolved
- Blog and Journal tool
- Capabilities to allow self-enrollment and random-enrollment in Groups
- And many more (see below for a list of new features in What's New in Bb 9)
Planning Process
The Learning Management Systems (LMS) Planning Task Force has been formed to serve in an advisory role to help I&IT explore and examine various options of LMS solutions, both short-term and long-term, for the Cal Poly Pomona academic community.
This LMS Planning Task Force, consisting of 9 faculty, 7 Bb support staff, and 1 student (2 more seats available), has begun meeting and its recommendation is to bypass Release 8 and upgrade to Release 9. I&IT, in consultation with this Task Force, is in the process of making plans to upgrade the current Blackboard 7.2 environment to the new release 9.
For details on the background, please review the presentation.
Upgrade Timeline
The timeline will include vigorous testing internally by the Blackboard support team. Demonstration and information will be given to faculty before they leave for the summer. Updating tutorials and more testing will take place in Summer. During the Fall 2009 and Winter 2010 Quarters pilot testing of Blackboard 9 will continue while most of the courses are taught in the current version. If all goes well with the testing, all courses will be migrated to the new version in time for the Spring 2010 Quarter.
New Features in Blackboard 9
The new features of Blackboard 9 can be found at What's New in Bb 9.
Blackboard 9 Upgrade
Getting Started with Blackboard
Student Resources
Blackboard News
Posted on November 10, 2009
Attention Blackboard 9 Pilot Users (Downtime for Bb 9)
On Thursday, November 12th, Blackboard 9 will be down for maintenance from 9:30pm until 11:00pm and therefore unavailable to Bb 9 pilot participants. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Posted on October 30, 2009
Winter 2010 Course Creation in Blackboard 9
All courses scheduled for Winter 2010 Quarter will be automatically created in Blackboard 9 (Bb 9) Pilot environment by November 3rd at 5 p.m. Please note that Winter 2010 Quarter student enrollment will not occur until the Blackboard quarterly maintenance. For details, please see Blackboard 9 Migration section.
Posted on May 8, 2009
Blackboard 9 Upgrade
Blackboard has released Version 9 with many new and improved features. And Cal Poly Pomona will be upgrading our Blackboard environment to this new version, Bb9, starting in Summer in a limited, pilot test mode. During the Fall 2009 and Winter 2010 Quarters pilot testing of Blackboard 9 will continue while most of the courses are taught in the current version. If all goes well with the testing, all courses will be migrated to the new version in time for the Spring 2010 Quarter. Please review "What's New in Bb9" for a brief summary of the new features.
Posted on September 2, 2008
Blackboard Weekly Maintenance
Effective beginning April 5th, Blackboard weekly maintenance, which performs weekly course backups, will move from Sunday 2:00 a.m. to 4:15 a.m. to Saturday from 2:00 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. During this weekly scheduled time, Blackboard will not be available.
As far as the Blackboard 9 Pilot weekly course backups, it is scheduled on every Saturday from 1:00 a.m to 3:30 a.m. During this scheduled time, Blackboard 9 Pilot will not be available also.
Posted on March 13, 2008
Other Possible System Maintenance
Campus networks and services may experience maintenance outages between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on Sundays and between 9:30 p.m. and midnight on Thursdays. These outages may affect Blackboard. For more information, see the Alerts, Status, and Maintenance. http://www.csupomona.edu/~ehelp/
alerts.html
