Because I know you want to know, here’s an update on the Blackboard course I’m taking through the Osher program this month.
The class, taught by my friend Debbie, is The Legacy of Elizabeth I: Her Life, Leadership, and Loves.” Debbie and I first met when she took my Osher class on genealogy a few years ago; when that class ended, she led the effort to convert the class members into a permanent club, the Williamsburg Area Genealogical Society (WAGS). We now have more than 50 members and have been going strong for five years.
Debbie pioneered the use of the Blackboard platform for our Osher program during COVID, and she has continued to teach courses on this platform ever since. I signed up for this class because I want to know more about English history of the 16th and 17th centuries. My early ancestors came to America during the first decades of the 17th century, and their motivations were shaped by what was going on in England at the time. This class will help me understand this history.
Blackboard courses are asynchronous – that is, members of the class don’t need to be “in” the class at any specific times. Debbie has loaded several narrated PowerPoint presentations onto YouTube and then provided the links for class members to view these slides when we have time. She has also linked videos that provide a deeper dive into various elements of this history. In addition, she has provided us links to some documents and readings that will give us further insight.
Debbie has organized this class into three modules and provided us with a pacing guide to suggest what we should be doing throughout the month of June (while the course is operating).
The platform offers opportunities for discussion and journaling. These questions are organized by module. The first discussion question asked class members to introduce themselves and explain what motivated them to take this course. It also asked whether this is our first Blackboard experience. This is the first time for me, and I’m finding it interesting. The subsequent discussion questions ask class members to focus on specific elements of each module. Discussion entries are visible to everyone in the class, and members are encouraged to respond to other entries as the class moves along. I’ve posted my response to this question (I am an unrepentant over-achiever) and I’m looking forward to seeing what the other members of this class (there are nine of us) have to say.
Journal entries are also organized by module, but they are visible only to the instructor. This provides an opportunity for members to interact one-on-one with the instructor, either with technical questions or reflections that may be more private in nature. I’ve completed the first discussion question but won’t be doing a journal entry until later this week.
I’m already enjoying this process. I think it would be particularly valuable for people whose personal or family situations don’t allow them to be in a particular place at a particular time to attend a regular class.
One reason I took this course was to experience the Blackboard platform. I know that it became extremely important throughout the world during COVID, as instruction at many levels had to accommodate a virtual environment. I’m thinking about teaching a Blackboard class through Osher, perhaps next spring. I have several courses “in the can,” so to speak, and I can envision what it would take to turn them into Blackboard courses. I’ll have to explore this over the next several months – including getting a tutorial from Debbie on exactly how to do some of the things she has done in this course.
I have taken all of Debbie’s blackboard courses. They are wonderful and a lot of fun, too. Debbie is a delightful instructor who makes the entire blackboard experience simple and easy. I expect you will enjoy the course, too! 😎