Setting: Northeastern faculty meeting,
Several Unnamed University Officials sit around an oak table, brainstorming ways to improve the continuing academic year.
Unnamed University Official (UUO) No. 1: “Picture this: Next year, both students and teachers alike will receive means to an online outlet. They will have the capabilities to share notes, participate in discussion forums, post assignments and propose questions.”
UUO No. 2: “Top notch! No more of this messy printer business.”
UUO No. 3: “How innovative! They’ll name a patch of the rain forest after us with all the paper we’ll save.”
UUO No. 1: “Then it’s decided. I’m pleased this meeting has been so productive.”
End scene.
Or at least, that’s how the discussion played out in my mind when I heard that faculty members are now required to use Blackboard in their respective courses. Chalk it up to another “brilliant idea” that, in theory, plays out smoothly but, when actually carried out, goes horribly awry.
During my month-short stint as a Northeastern student, I have collected more detrimental Blackboard experiences than I have promotional flyers from Northeastern organizations. I know I am not the only one plagued by this seemingly helpful website, seeing as my professors have been forced to postpone assigned tasks due to server jams. Blackboard has even taken it upon itself to unenroll some students in courses, preventing them from viewing notes and announcements.
As Blackboard allows its members to post assignments at any time, I have even caught wind that instructors are getting a little trigger-happy with deadlines. That is, projects that, sans Blackboard, would be due the next day now have to be posted mere hours after students leave class. Seeing as many students, like myself, participate in work-study shifts between classes, this presents a problem.
Coursecompass.com, like Blackboard, is also employed by many a mathematics instructor. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “What could possibly be the problem with doing math online? My answers are graded accurately as soon as I complete them and, in some cases, the computer actually shows me how to solve the problem!” These valid points would have me jumping on the Coursecompass bandwagon if it weren’t for one flaw: Coursecompass is only configured to be operated by PCs.
Much like myNEU, which we all have our individual qualms with, Blackboard shuts down nearly once a day during those peak hours of use: class time! We must predict when no other students will be using Blackboard, and we must stay up all night (or rise extremely early), just to ensure a successful post.
I know Blackboard is in the process of periodically shutting down to work out the kinks, but maybe next time the administration will consider one small fact before bringing Northeastern yet another step further into the digital age: thousands of students are at the mercy of whatever new “educational system” you subject us to. Please go easy on us next time.
– Faith Bellieu is a freshman journalism major.
