WebCT vs. Blackboard

[Michael Denner]

Dear SEELANGers,

I'm working on an extensive project using WebCT at another university, while
here at Stetson we use Blackboard. I poked around a bit looking for version
information, but couldn't find any indication for either program.

That said, I can say that the version of WebCT I'm using has excellent
functionality: I've written tests, "self-tests" (sort of autodidactical
exercises), homework assignments, etc. I use WebCT's content modules,
homepages, syllabus tool, etc.  without any problems (perhaps I'm using a
different version than Dr. Langston at Georgia), and I've tested the
student-side from various computers and with IE and Netscape, and it seems
to work perfectly. I've also used WebCT's test generator, called "Respondus"
and, for the most part, it works just fine with Cyrillic encoding. So far as
I've been able to ascertain, you cannot use an outside editor like Word to
create tests, but I think if I spent the time playing with encoding choices,
this too would be possible. Still, as it stands, Respondus has a pretty good
interface that allows one to create a test in mixed Russian/English in very
little time. There are a few areas where, for whatever reason, Cyrillic text
isn't allowed or doesn't work (for instance, the category section of test
questions), but they're unimportant. I can say without reservation that
WebCT can be, with a little patience, an excellent tool for anyone wanting
to incorporate some web-based materials into their classrooms.

The less said about Blackboard, the better. The version we use here at
Stetson is, from start to finish, clunky, poorly designed, and capricious.
Despite my somewhat knowledgeable attempts to tinker and tweak it, the only
I've found to use Blackboard for Cyrillic-based functionality is to write my
own HTML/Java pages and use Blackboard as little more than a "link center."
I imagine that Blackboard is much less expensive.

Best,
mad
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
Michael A. Denner
Russian Studies Program
Stetson University
Campus Box 8361
DeLand, FL 32724
386.822.7381
http://www.stetson.edu/organizations/russian_club/mypage.htm

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