Migrating courses from WebCT CE 4.1 to Blackboard CE 8

Kaskaskia College is moving its online courseware system from WebCT 4 to Blackboard CE 8 (formerly WebCT 6). This change will take place during the 2009 calendar year. Blackboard CE 8 is an enterprise wide solution that will tie in directly to Colleague, the Student Information System.

Kaskaskia is using a phased-in approach to implement this migration.

Phase 1: Fall 2008
The three servers have arrived and should be in place by the middle of November 2008. These servers include the platform server, a SQL database server, and a test server. The test server will contain a duplicate of the Blackboard CE 8 platform. This will be used to “test” upgrades to the Blackboard LMS before installing them on the “live” server. Project manager (Ann Kurtz) will be notified when the servers are in place and Blackboard will remotely install Blackboard CE 8.

2.1 CD Installation - Remote installation of the LMS by Blackboard In November 2008

2.2 CE Production System Mentoring (2 day onsite service) – Blackboard will oversee the deployment of the Blackboard Learning System. This service provides the necessary skills to help the IT staff maximize system performance and minimize down time.

After the Blackboard learning system is installed on KC servers the Director of Distance Learning and Instructional Designer will enroll in Blackboard 8 GUI Administration training offered online (November 2008).

Phase 2: Spring 2009
A pilot group of instructors and classes will be formed that includes representative online instructors. Regular contact will be made with the pilot group to gain insight and feedback into the new system.

During the spring and summer of 2009, KC will begin to move sections to Blackboard. KC will:

• Have Webct 4 and Blackboard CE 6 running concurrently during the spring semester.
• Create, migrate and pilot courses in Blackboard CE 8 beginning Spring 2009 and continuing through the Summer.
• Allow courses currently taught in WebCT 4 to continue to be taught in CE 4 through spring 2009.
• Offer Blackboard CE 8 training classes for faculty in the spring and summer 2009.

2.3 Enterprise License Event Integration (Datatel Integration)

2.4 Project Management

3.1 Integration Customization maintenance

Phase 3: Summer 2009
Beginning 2009, all courses using Online Courseware will be using the Blackboard CE 8 application.

This time frame is subject to change.