Redesigned Interface for VCU’s eLearning Environment
The Learning Systems team just completed the Blackboard upgrade, and you will immediately notice that it looks different. For several years, Blackboard has maintained the same look, and over time it has become very “dated”. The Learning Systems team, within Academic Technologies, has redesigned and customized the interface to have a more professional, streamlined and current look. Additionally, emphasis was given to ensuring the new interface is more ADA compliant. Online teaching and learning is at the forefront of education more than ever before, and the focus of this redesign is to position VCU’s Learning Management System for the next evolution of eLearning.
Rest assured that everything you had before is still there, and easy to navigate. The changes are mostly cosmetic, with only a few items moved off the main page in order to have the most important eLearning features readily available. Please take a moment to view the cheat sheet for “How to Navigate the New Look of Blackboard“, which has a side-by-side comparison of the old and new interfaces. Documentation in the askIT knowledge base has also been updated for the new Blackboard version and the new look. If you prefer to have the moved items on your main page, we have information on how to easily add the module to your view. Click here for details.
You will also notice the name “Blackboard” has been replaced with “eLearning”. It is important for the future of eLearning to direct attention to what our eLearning system and tools can do, rather than what vendor or application is used.
Please send us your feedback and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions or need assistance.
Learning Systems Website – Here, all in one place, you will find information about all of our support services, our team, news, alerts, how to contact us, and links to teaching and learning resources. The following information and/or links can be found on our new website:
- Teaching & Learning with Technology blog – (TLtech) is a blog hosted by Learning Systems whose purpose is to serve as a resource for anyone interested in teaching, learning and technology. New posts are added weekly.
- Learning Systems Academy – A new space in Kaltura where subject-matter experts on the Learning Systems team creates and stores short how-to videos on a range of topics (eLearning, VoiceThread, Collaborate, etc). A link to the Academy can be found on our new website,
- Workshops and Accompanying Resources – Learning Systems develops and delivers workshops designed specifically for VCU faculty and staff. Check our website for the current schedule and registration links.
- Consultations – Learning Systems offers individual or small-group consultations for faculty during Open Office Hours. On our new website home page, look for the orange buttons that will allow you to schedule a consultation during an available time-slot, or submit your request via email.
- Request Assistance – Faculty and staff can request assistance from Learning Systems, especially for consultations and customized workshops by sending an email to consultLS@vcu.edu. All non-consultation/workshop requests, and student requests should be submitted through the IT Support Center, via any of the methods shown on their website.
We look forward to continuing to support you and your students with the technologies Learning Systems provides.
The VCU eLearning Team
Learning Systems, Academic Technologies
VCU Technology Services