Blackboard and 7 Principles of Good Practice
How can Blackboard be leveraged to help meet Chickering and Gamson’s Seven Principles of Good Practice in higher education? This page connects a variety of Blackboard capabilities to the 7 principles.
Good Practice and the Online/Hybrid Course Peer Review Rubric
Teaching online? If so, don't miss the "Good Practice Teaching Standards" derived from the GVSU Online Education Council's Online/Hybrid Peer Review Rubric.
Teaching and Learning with Blackboard
Be sure also to review "Teaching and Learning with Blackboard" to discover more powerful ways that blackboard can:
- enhance students success
- increase student engagement
- improve instructor efficiency
- build and share course content
- establish teaching presence
- provide effective course design
7 Principles of Good Practice in Education
1 – ENCOURAGES STUDENT/FACULTY CONTACT
Tips: Respond to student e-mail within 24 hours. Facilitate multiple forums of communication with students. Be available electronically and in person, and inform students of availability, office hours, etc.
Recommended Blackboard Tools
- Announcements
- Discussion Board
- Live Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Sessions
- Blogs and Journals
- Wikis
- Embedded Video Orientations and Welcome Messages
- Embedded Panopto Videos
2 – ENCOURAGES COOPERATION AMONG STUDENTS
Tips: Use online communications tools for groups, collaborative learning, and problem solving. Create electronic opportunities for class discussion of assignments and concepts.
Recommended Blackboard Tools
- Discussion Board
- Groups
- Live Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Sessions
- Blogs
- Wikis
- Journals
3 – ENCOURAGES ACTIVE LEARNING
Tips: Leverage live real-time collaboration. Design lessons that use universal design and active learning principles, are hands-on, and facilitate engagement.
Recommended Blackboard Tools
- Live Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Sessions
- Discussion Board
- Journals
- Blog
- Wikis
- External Links
- Gamification (Kahoot, etc.)
4 – GIVE PROMPT FEEDBACK
Tips: Strive for effective use of e-mail, assignments, gradebook, etc. to give students prompt, constructive and meaningful feedback. Regularly monitor classroom environment (in person and online) to ensure student concerns are addressed and quality timely feedback is provided.
Recommended Blackboard Tools
- Assessments
- Assignments
- SafeAssign
- Grade Center
- Discussion Board
- Wikis/Blogs/Journals/Portfolios
5 – EMPHASIZES TIME ON TASK
Tips: Ensure appropriate amount of time to complete online content and assignments. Refer students toward available resources. Design online experiences that allow for flexibility and universal design principles.
Recommended Blackboard Tools
- External Links
- Providing Estimated Times on Activities in Content Areas & Assignments
- Extend Classroom-based Activities Online
- Adaptive Release
- Due Dates/Deadlines/Availability of Content
- Assignments
6 – COMMUNICATES HIGH EXPECTATIONS
Tips: Provide criteria for evaluating assignments/activities that are clearly articulated. Collaboratively create course expectations with students. Provide samples of excellent, average, and/or poor performance.
Recommended Blackboard Tools
- State Learning Objective at Beginning of Week or Activity in Content Areas
- Group Work
- Provide Examples of Student Work for Assignments
- Wikis
- Adaptive Release
- Use Praise and Model in Discussion Boards to increase Participation
- Provide Gradebook Feedback
- Provide Discussion Board Feedback
7 – RESPECTS DIVERSE TALENTS AND WAYS OF LEARNING
Tips: Leverage different methods of learning through visuals and well-organized narrative. Establish course tasks requiring analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, with application to real-life situations. Encourage self-reflection and self-evaluation. Assess student learning styles and tailor the educational experience. Facilitate student collaboration and group problem solving. Provide opportunity for empathy for students with different levels of technology literacy using universal design principles.
Recommended Blackboard Tools
- Embedding Videos and Digital media
- Creating Animations
- Group Work
- Discussion Board
- Journals and Blogs
- Wikis
- Offering Choice in Assignments/Assessments