Beginning in Fall 2004, the University will require that all e-reserves be accessible only through the Blackboard website. This consolidation will benefit students by placing all of the resources for each course in one, easily-accessible location. In addition, by making the change mandatory, professors who have avoided integrating their courses with online resources will be forced to do so. The University has made a significant monetary commitment to the Blackboard system, and it is correct in taking all of the necessary steps to make full use of it.
The current e-reserve system has served students and professors well for many years, but it does have limitations. First, it is susceptible to unauthorized access attempts by individuals outside the Duke community. Much of the material posted through e-reserves is copyrighted, giving the University a vested interest in keeping close tabs on who is accessing it. By integrating e-reserves with Blackboard, an automatic "gateway" mechanism will be put into place, so that only individuals with University-approved log-in accounts will be able to view e-reserves.
Additionally, the current system, which keeps e-reserves and the Blackboard program separate, is failing to make full use of the technology that Duke has already paid a great deal of money for. The Blackboard system is designed to be a one-stop source for all the needs dictated by an academic course. As it stands, many professors only make use of a handful of options on the Blackboard site, such as online file exchange and announcement posting, while ignoring other options, like posting grades or links to online readings. In most cases, there is no reason why everything could not easily be consolidated into one course page on Blackboard.
Several faculty members have expressed concerns regarding the mandatory use of Blackboard sites. Foremost, worries have sprung up around the notion that professors will be forced to set up their own page for each course they teach. It is understandable that professors who are unfamiliar with software may be hesitant to plunge into online course formats. However, the reality is that the academic culture is consistently moving towards an online culture, and all faculty will have to integrate Blackboard or a similar program into their teaching plans sooner or later. Setting up a site will take a few hours at most, and should under no circumstances be used as an excuse not to consolidate e-reserves with Blackboard.
Blackboard may have its own limitations, such as being less-than-user friendly and requiring many clicks to navigate to certain applications. However, the consolidation will not become mandatory until Fall 2004, giving students and professors sufficient time to prepare for the transition.
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