3Ê]ÊÊHumboldtÊU.ÊResearchersÊCompareÊBlackboard,ÊMoodleÊ

TwoÊHumboldtÊStateÊ(Calif.)ÊUniversityÊresearchersÊperformedÊaÊside-by-sideÊcomparisonÊofÊaÊcourseÊdeliveredÊviaÊtheÊBlackboardÊcourseÊmanagementÊsystemÊandÊMoodle,ÊanÊopenÊsource-basedÊCMS.ÊTheÊFeb.Ê2005Êproject,ÊcreatedÊbyÊJoanÊVanÊDuzer,ÊanÊinstructionalÊtechnologist,ÊandÊKathyÊMu–oz,ÊaÊprofessorÊofÊhealthÊandÊphysicalÊeducation,ÊcomparesÊperformanceÊandÊstudentÊsatisfactionÊacrossÊfeaturesÊthatÊincludeÊelectronicÊassignmentÊsubmissions,ÊvirtualÊareasÊforÊworkgroups,ÊonlineÊtesting,Êsurveying,ÊandÊdiscussionÊforums.Ê

TheÊresearchers,ÊwhoÊwereÊnewÊtoÊonlineÊteaching,ÊwantedÊtoÊanswerÊtheÊquestion:Ê"canÊfreeÊsoftwareÊsatisfactorilyÊmeetÊtheÊneedsÊofÊstudents,Êfaculty,ÊandÊinstructionalÊtechnologistsÊforÊonlineÊteachingÊandÊlearning?"ÊTheirÊprojectÊfoundÊthatÊMoodleÊ1.3.2ÊheldÊadvantagesÊoverÊBlackboardÊ6.0ÊBasicÊEditionÊinÊtheÊareasÊofÊprovidingÊindividualizedÊfeedbackÊeasilyÊtoÊallÊassignments,ÊasÊwellÊasÊtheÊabilityÊtoÊtrackÊaÊstudent'sÊactivityÊinÊclass.ÊBlackboardÊhadÊtheÊedgeÊoverÊMoodleÊinÊappearance,Êgradebook,ÊandÊthreadedÊdiscussion,ÊaccordingÊtoÊtheÊresearchers.

VanÊDuzerÊandÊMu–ozÊwereÊwinnersÊofÊBlackboard'sÊ2005ÊBionicÊCourseÊContestÊforÊexemplaryÊinstructionalÊdesignÊforÊonlineÊcourses.ÊEachÊofÊfiveÊwinningÊcontestÊentriesÊwasÊawardedÊ$5,000ÊatÊtheÊannualÊBlackboardÊUser'sÊConferenceÊinÊBaltimoreÊonÊAprilÊ12,Ê2005.ÊBlackboardÊannouncedÊtheÊformalÊcompletionÊofÊitsÊacquisitionÊofÊWebCTÊlastÊweekÊinÊaÊcashÊtransactionÊworthÊ$178Êmillion.

ToÊviewÊtheÊHumboldtÊsurveyÊpleaseÊvisit:Êhttp://newsletters.101com.com/c.asp?id=603879&l=5&c=2be3685091d8efe3