As it stands, students can get text-message updates from Facebook.com, CNN.com and other services - but what about messages from a site that would help them do work, rather than procrastinate?
Students soon may be only a text message away from getting updates about classes, now that Blackboard has acquired The NTI Group, according to a January news release from Blackboard.
NTI, which is a provider of mass messaging for educational and government organizations, may allow Blackboard to provide a service that would send students updates about their classes when new information is posted on Blackboard.
At Tufts, which operates on Blackboard Basic, such a messaging system could not currently be implemented. However, the university is looking to employ a more advanced learning management system, according to Assistant Director of Instructional Services Neal Hirsig.
"We've been examining a whole lot of types of learning management software," Hirsig said. "What [Blackboard Basic] is going to be replaced with, and when it's going to be replaced and how hasn't been decided yet."
The decision to upgrade from Blackboard Basic was made at the end of last semester by Tufts' Information Technology Committee, which is responsible for examining how technology is used on campus. Hirsig said that the committee agreed that Tufts "should be looking at learning management systems that have more tools."
Tufts is currently looking at a number of different options, including a more advanced version of Blackboard, Blackboard Enterprise. A program called Angel, as well as two open-source options, Moodle and Sakai, are also being considered.
Hirsig said that he has received inquiries from teachers and students about advanced features for Blackboard that would make the site more accessible to portable devices, as well as requests for features that could connect the site with blogs and podcasts.
One benefit of a more advanced system, Hirsig said, would be the possibility that students could have an archive of the work they've done throughout their college careers. Hirsig said that he was interested in a feature that would involve "personal portfolios, so students can keep all the work they've submitted to courses throughout their college careers online."
Sophomore James Kennedy said that a messaging feature would probably make him check Blackboard more than he currently does. "It's not like Facebook. It's not one of those sites you check every day," Kennedy said. "Since I don't go out of my way to look at [Blackboard] ... this would bring my attention to it. So I guess in that respect people will use it more."
While mobile messaging capability is not the primary factor that will determine the new system, Hirsig does think that such a feature would be beneficial.
"Personally, I think it's a great service," Hirsig said. "But, like all services, they cost money, and eventually it'll come down to cost-benefit."
Kennedy said that he was definitely in favor of getting the most out of Blackboard or another Blackboard-like website. "Blackboard, if utilized correctly, can be a pretty useful resource," Kennedy said. "If Tufts can capitalize on that and get more people to use it, I think it's a good move."
Jennifer David, a junior, said that the Blackboard system has been helpful in some of her classes. David is currently taking a class on Egyptian pop culture, and much of the material it covers is available only online. "A lot of the material we use you can only find on YouTube or foreign Web sites," she said.
David, however, had mixed feelings about a messaging feature. "It has both pros and cons," she said. "It would be much more convenient if you could post a discussion answer from anywhere ... but it means you never have an excuse. You can never take time off."
Freshman Daniele Bourne was skeptical about the utility of such features, and expressed similar concerns about schoolwork encroaching on her personal life.
"The teachers that actually post stuff on Blackboard usually send out an e-mail to the class," Bourne said. "I don't think it's something that would be necessary or convenient."
"My cell phone is kind of separate from my schoolwork," Bourne added.
Hirsig said that it was important to keep in mind that the planned Blackboard upgrades are still in their early stages.
"I don't know when all this is going to happen. I wish I did. That's the bugaboo right now," Hirsig said. "My guess is that we're going to be using Blackboard Basic for at least the next academic year. But after that, I don't know."
