Improvements in Blackboard 6 Win Over WebCT Users -- Or Do They?

Abstract

An institutional decision to cease using WebCT 3.5 and exclusively implement Blackboard 6 had some University of South Florida faculty asking tough questions about whether the new version alleviated problems they had identified in Blackboard 5. This paper compares a selective set up features in WebCT, Blackboard 5, and Blackboard 6: a) the Digital Drop Box, b) assessment/quiz and grading options, c) student presentations, and d) customizability. From a WebCT user's perspective, Blackboard 6 offers substantial improvements over version 5, but some significant limitations remain.