The University of Maryland Collaborates with Blackboard Inc. to Offer a Single, Campus-Wide Teaching and Learning System

The University of Maryland, in partnership with Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB) will launch the university's first single, campus-wide family of integrated applications for teaching, learning, community-building, and knowledge sharing. Release 7.1 of the Blackboard Academic Suite(tm) will be Maryland's new enterprise learning management system (ELMS) and will be deployed during the fall 2006 semester. When ELMS is launched, users will be able to take their research, projects, and class work to another level of sophistication with one standardized, easy-to-use system in addition to a large content repository.

"With an eye on a more efficient use of university resources, the selection of a central product has resulted in the ability to provide a robust campus-wide learning environment to offer faculty and students functionality well beyond the course delivery system currently available," said Dr. Jeffrey Huskamp, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, University of Maryland. "This system provides an environment in which any student or teacher can view instructional content, collaborate with educators, evaluate academic performance, and access learning resources anytime from anywhere in order to achieve their educational objectives," Huskamp continued.

The university has been using two major course management systems for at least the past five years - WebCT Campus Edition and Blackboard Learning System. The transition will take up to a year to complete, so WebCT will run in parallel with the new replacement system through the end of the spring 2007 semester. Faculty training workshops in support of the new ELMS will be added to the summer roster as soon as implementation is underway.

"With the support of university officials, administrators, and faculty, the Request for Proposals (RFP) process was undertaken by the Office of Information Technology (OIT) to gain efficiencies in terms of support and resources across campus and to provide a single interface to all students and faculty at Maryland," said Ellen Borkowski, OIT's Director of Academic Support, and project leader for this endeavor. "Two committees were involved - a technical committee and a faculty committee formed through nominations from the deans - and the extensive process involved defining a large set of functional requirements and evaluating multiple vendor proposals against those requirements," Borkowski said.

This system will help faculty to easily share and reuse learning objects across sections, courses, organizations, and institutions. It will provide students with better tools to navigate learning resources and document their work. Other important benefits ELMS brings to faculty and students include:

• Offers student-centered learning, greater instructor efficiency, anytime anywhere access, improved evaluation and outcomes management, and access to high quality learning content.
• Supplies content management and collaboration features that enable instructors to more easily create and integrate content into the curriculum, share content with colleagues, and utilize learning objects created by others.
• Enables instructors to distribute quick and convenient communications with one student or an entire class via announcements, e-mail, and messaging features.
• Allows for techniques that support individual and alternate student learning styles, individualized programs, and customized release of content and activities.

For more information, visit www.elms.umd.edu.

Media Contacts: Phyllis Dickerson Johnson, Director, OIT Communications, University of Maryland, 301.405.4491

Melissa Chotiner, Public Relations Manager, Blackboard Inc., 202.463.4860 ext. 2404,