Dear Faculty,
As you recall, over the course of the next two semesters we will be migrating Online Courseware from Blackboard to WebCT.
You will have the option to continue using Blackboard during this time but I encourage you migrate to WebCT as soon as you can. I wanted to share our progress and strategy for accomplishing the conversion.
We have been working with WebCT V 4.0 for the past few months and are impressed with the additional functionality and flexibility it affords faculty. Backing up courses is easy and I know many of you are looking forward to a more robust quizzing system as well as conditional content release.
All Blackboard courses will be converted on August 8, 2003 and exist on both the Blackboard server and the WebCT server. At that time you should decide which platform you will use for development. If you choose to stay with Blackboard you will need to request to have your courses migrated in January 2004 or the final conversion date of May 2004. You will continue to have access to your courses in either Blackboard or WebCT for the next two semesters.
There is an extensive series of workshops in the summer and fall, followed by a series of advanced workshops highlighting WebCT features. Additional courses will be added as we better understand the demand.
Conversion Strategy
Currently there is a WebCT Pilot Group of approximately 30 faculty who have agreed to be ‘early adopters’ of WebCT. Their courses are converted and they will continue to work with us to identify best practices and test drive our workshops.
The strategy is to have three more conversion dates in the next academic year. At no time will your converted WebCT course be overwritten. To access the new WebCT system, all faculty must attend an ‘Introduction to WebCT’ workshop -- see ACCS Workshops
Fall Conversion -- all courses
August 7, 2003
Last date to modify content in Blackboard courses before conversion.
August 8 -- August 15, 2003
Fall Semester Conversion - All Blackboard courses will be converted to WebCT and exist in both Blackboard and WebCT.
August 18, 2003 -- December 2003
‘Introduction to WebCT’ workshops are available to all faculty. You can register at ACCS Workshops
Spring 2004 Conversion -- by request only
Jan. 2004
Spring Semester Conversion - Blackboard to WebCT conversion by request only.
Final Conversion -- by request only
May 2004
Final Conversion -- Blackboard to WebCT conversion by request only.
June 2004
Turn off Blackboard
Feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, or ideas.
Kathy Barbieri
