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Technology has come a long way and together with its development it has revolutionized teaching and learning and has gone from a classic centricity to the multi-centricity of the virtual world. The virtual world which we now called the web has accelerated this change. Blackboard is a program launched by the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. A part of the University of Chicago system and is currently the largest university in the Chicago area. It is a kind of virtual learning environment, a web based system designed to support teaching and learning in an educational setting. Blackboard UIC uses computer hardware and software to facilitate teachers in the management of educational courses for their students. The system works over the internet and provides a collection of tools for assessment, communication, learning courses, questionnaires and offers new features like wikis, RSS feeds and blogs, acting as an electronic extension of the school. Originally Blackboard was created for distance education, allowing students to attend classes from home or other locations, but is now most often used to supplement the customary face-to-face classroom environment. Students can directly communication with the lecturer by using emotions to “show agreement or disagreement”, “give applause” and “raise their hands.” Web-based or computer based learning interaction between teacher and student is exchanged through the internet, audio or video tapes. Online learning is divided into two categories; self-led and director instructed. Self-led from the word itself presents content and materials for self study much like reading a book or manual. Instructor directed on the other hand is more conventional, where exchanged of knowledge is facilitated by a lecturer. Both categories use media forms like text, graphics and video or audio streaming. 
Time consuming is one of a few disadvantages in using the Blackboard for online courses. This is because it takes time to learn the environment. Also, web pages within Blackboard cannot be accessed from outside the blackboard environment. So, you need to actually login to the website before you can view your assignments, projects and scores online. 
Blackboard UIC typically starts, like any other regular school process, with enrolling yourself for a class through their website blackboard.uic.edu. Enrollment process typically is run from two weeks before the semester begins until the deadline. The enrollment will then automatically add the students to the teachers' course site. The student then logs in to the website and enters the “virtual” classroom. A software application that manages all classroom tools is loaded and then the class officially begins. |
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