Blackboard acquires Elluminate and Wimba: the end of LMSs?

Kolowich, S. (2010) Blackboard’s big buy Inside Higher Education, July 8

This article leaves me as depressed as a Netherlands soccer supporter. Elluminate follows another Canadian product (WebCT) into Blackboard’s maws, and Wimba as well.

I’ve deliberately waited a few days before commenting on this, because my immediate reaction was unprintable. At the end [...]

The LMS war is over – or is it?

Carter, D. (2009) Blackboard, D2L declare truce eSchool News, December 17

The three-and-a-half-year court battle between learning management system (LMS) giant Blackboard Inc. and competitor Desire2Learn ended Dec. 15 when the companies agreed to license each other’s patents and drop long-standing lawsuits.

So does this mean that LMS wars are over? Not really. Both [...]

Incorporating Google Apps with Blackbord

eSchool News (2009) Blackboard works on Google integration, eSchool News, November 3

A report of work at Northwestern University to provide an open-source integration of Google Apps and Blackboard, facilitating group project work and other educational applications.

Pay attention, students: Blackboard is watching you

Carter, C. (2009) Tech helps students adopt good study habits eCampus News, Sept 2

Well, up to a point…Extract from article:

Purdue University is using educational technology–and online “signals”–to warn some students that their grades are dropping, offer study-habit suggestions, and provide positive reinforcement to students who are acing quizzes and exams.

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Court rules against Blackboard in patent fight

Carter, D. (2009) Court rules against Blackboard in patent fight eSchool News, July 30

In case you missed this great news for e-learning over the vacation….