Many students who plan to print out lecture notes or have to submit an assignment online this semester may find themselves navigating unfamiliar territory as The University of Alabama transistions from the eLearning online instructional facilitation program to the Blackboard Learn system.

Rachel Thompson, director of Emerging Instructional Technology, said the switch was largely prompted by eLearning’s inability to provide adequate support for the University’s needs moving forward.

“ELearning is no longer able to meet UA’s growth in enrollment and in technology use, and eLearning will not be supported by the vendor after December 2012, so the University had no choice but to move to another system,” she said. “In comparison to other options, Blackboard Learn is the best available system to meet UA’s technical and academic needs, particularly given our rich use of technology and growing enrollment.”

According to Jennifer Greer, professor and chair of the journalism department, the University began piloting the Blackboard Learn system in the spring semester of 2012. However, less than 20 classes participated in the switch at that time, so most students and professors have yet to be exposed to the new program. Approximately half of students’ classes will transition to Blackboard Learn during the fall semester.

“During Fall 2012, students will have courses in both Blackboard Learn and eLearning,” Thompson said. “Starting Spring 2013, courses will only be in Blackboard Learn.”

Thompson advised students needing to save eLearning course materials before the complete transition to visit the Faculty Resource Center website for instructions.

Greer said most professors in the journalism department have made the swap and she personally switched from eLearning to Blackboard over the summer.

“I had 190 students in my lecture in the spring semester and I had 11 in my summer course,” she said. “I felt more comfortable trying out Blackboard in the summer and getting used to how it works, so I could use it more confidently this fall.”

Housing and Residential Communities utilized Blackboard Learn for this year’s end-of-summer resident advisor training sessions – the first time the division of Student Affairs has taken advantage of any online curriculum system.

“We have used binders and jump drives with information,” Amanda Ingram, HRC’s assistant director for residence education, said in an emailed statement. “Sometimes binders and jump drives can be lost, and then the RA doesn’t have access to those resources any longer. With this system, they can always access the information and resources as long as they have a computer and Internet.”

Both Ingram and Greer are optimistic of the opportunities Blackboard Learn’s capabilities present.

“I was blown away this summer by Blackboard,” Greer said. “I’m especially excited about the improved interactive tools it presents. The method of setting up groups is not as clunky [as with eLearning], which along with group chat will open up the door for all sorts of online group projects.”

Greer also cited online textbook and quiz functions as features of which she planned to take further advantage.

Ingram said HRC plans to use the system to facilitate an online simulation of its chain-of-command structure for interactions between RAs and community directors.

“A great feature is that we can set up supervisors as instructors and TAs so that they can use it in a more staff-specific way,” she said.

New features or not, students’ reactions to the online change are divided.

“I love Blackboard,” Kilee Saxe, a junior majoring in nursing, said.

Candace Hill, a junior majoring in English, said she would prefer the University move away from an online system altogether.

“I prefer an old-fashioned method where work is given directly to the professor in class,” she said.

The majority of students expressed more ambiguity toward the transition.

“I had a few issues with eLearning,” Meghan Steel, a junior majoring in anthropology, said. “I had a lot of freezing issues, but I thought that was more my Internet browser. So there were a few improvements, but I don’t know if this new system is going to fix those or not.”

Greer said the transition to Blackboard Learn may prove to be rocky at first, like many transitions, but she expects the swap to be a rewarding one in the end, especially as professors gain proficiency in the new system.

“Students aren’t going to be impressed with how cool [Blackboard Learn] is until instructors know what to do with it,” Greer said.