Faculty and Instructors Can Boost Student Success With New Blackboard Tool This Fall

Faculty and instructors who use Blackboard Learn to teach classes on campus or online can add another tool this fall to help them monitor student performance and improve learning outcomes.

The Analytics for Learn tool, also known as A4L, is available now, and instructors can turn it on in less than 5 minutes by following the step-by-step instructions listed on the Teaching Innovation and Pedagogical Support website.

"It is a great tool for online instruction or large face-to-face courses that rely on Blackboard Learn," said Elaine Terrell, curriculum designer for student success at the Global Campus. "The more assignments and assessments you collect through Blackboard, the more useful the tool will be."

The tool uses data collected about assignments and assessments stored in Blackboard Learn to produce detailed graphics that express data in meaningful ways. Instructors can use the tool periodically during the academic term to monitor individual student performance. At the end of the course, instructors can use it to reflect on the overall course and its components, deciding what changes might improve learning outcomes.

"It is another way to identify students who need more support or encouragement," Terrell said. "It also helps instructors evaluate their courses and understand which modules might have been more troubling for students."

Instructors decide how and when to use the data tool. They can view it through activity and grade scatter plots, a student activity matrix, and a report that compares one course with others in the same academic department.

TIPS staff can help instructors set up and use Analytics for Learn. Faculty can drop by weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at one of two TIPS Center locations: the TIPS Center located in Gibson Annex or TIPS Underground at the Global Campus, 2. E. Center St., on the downtown Fayetteville square. Assistance is also available at help.uark.edu and the TIPS website.

The TIPS website provides quick teaching tips, faculty spotlights, upcoming events, and help with academic technology tools. TIPS is a partnership between the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center, IT Services, and Global Campus.

The Global Campus provides support for online and on-campus faculty who use learning technology, including Blackboard Learn. Global Campus is committed to enhancing learning outcomes by offering academic colleges learning technology support, instructional design services, media production services, and assistance with strategic academic development.