2008 Woodie Awards
With the discontinuation of WebCT, Hopkins looks into new alternative
Issue date: 2/28/08
Hopkins students will no longer log on to WebCT to turn in their homework and complete practice quizzes.
The University will begin using e-learning software Sakai after a task force was formed to investigate a future replacement for WebCT.
The University will replace WebCT before the specific version of the software will no longer be supported by its parent company, Blackboard.
"WebCT was bought out by another company and would have required JHU to transition to that company's product eventually," said Scott Smith, chair of the computer science department.
Blackboard announced that WebCT would be phased out in the next couple of years.
The announcement came after Blackboard bought competing education software provider WebCT for $178 million in February 2006.
Although initially claiming on its website that "both Blackboard and WebCT product lines will remain intact and supported," the company has announced end of life status for this version of the WebCT product line.
The exact date of WebCT's replacement at the University has yet to be determined.
Students and faculty at Homewood use WebCT for both undergraduate and graduate studies. WebCT is currently used to supplement classroom teaching.
"The product itself is a number of years old. There are a number of new functions in Blackboard's other product lines or in competitive products," said Geoffrey Corb, senior director of student systems and educational technologies.
Two different solutions, Moodle and Sakai, have been under consideration by the administration to replace WebCT.
"I was called in once and we fiddled around with the various systems. I found that Moodle and Sakai have a great deal of interactivity possibilities for posting materials and having discussions and essentially making it a multimedia interactive experience," said Writing Seminars Professor Douglas Basford, one of the instructors asked to test out the new software.
The University will begin using e-learning software Sakai after a task force was formed to investigate a future replacement for WebCT.
The University will replace WebCT before the specific version of the software will no longer be supported by its parent company, Blackboard.
"WebCT was bought out by another company and would have required JHU to transition to that company's product eventually," said Scott Smith, chair of the computer science department.
Blackboard announced that WebCT would be phased out in the next couple of years.
The announcement came after Blackboard bought competing education software provider WebCT for $178 million in February 2006.
Although initially claiming on its website that "both Blackboard and WebCT product lines will remain intact and supported," the company has announced end of life status for this version of the WebCT product line.
The exact date of WebCT's replacement at the University has yet to be determined.
Students and faculty at Homewood use WebCT for both undergraduate and graduate studies. WebCT is currently used to supplement classroom teaching.
"The product itself is a number of years old. There are a number of new functions in Blackboard's other product lines or in competitive products," said Geoffrey Corb, senior director of student systems and educational technologies.
Two different solutions, Moodle and Sakai, have been under consideration by the administration to replace WebCT.
"I was called in once and we fiddled around with the various systems. I found that Moodle and Sakai have a great deal of interactivity possibilities for posting materials and having discussions and essentially making it a multimedia interactive experience," said Writing Seminars Professor Douglas Basford, one of the instructors asked to test out the new software.
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