What platform does WNMU use?

WNMU students, I was wondering which platform the online classes at WNMU use. Is it Blackboard, Angel or what?

 

They use Blackboard Vista.

-Matt

 

How is that different than standard Blackboard?

 

I don't know if I could give a detailed analysis. I think the biggest difference is the look, but I know that's not everything. I never saw BB Vista from the instructor point of view, but from a student point of view, it was much more user friendly that Black Board 9 which I use with the community college.

-Matt

 

Blackboard Vista is the learning management system that used to be called WebCT. In 2006, Blackboard acquired WebCT so that it could access a more robust platform (Blackboard's, which was built on 1999 technology was getting pretty long in the tooth). Blackboard Version 9 (Blackboard Learn) is the first that is built from the WebCT platform. Vista is no longer marketed as a separate product. Neither is ANGEL, which Blackboard acquired in 2009. Blackboard's strategy is to have its former WebCT and ANGEL clients to migrate to the Blackboard Learn platform and to discontinue support for the Vista and ANGEL platforms.

 

That makes sense. When I first started with WNMU back in spring 2009, they used WebCT, and then that summer, I believe, they switched to Vista. I just remember Professor Warren in Railroad history making a big deal about it because he had to redo everything. Bummer...

-Matt

 

They were probably using WebCT Version CE (Campus Edition), which was a somehwat less complex version of the product. When WebCT Vista came out, it was more full-featured, but had a different interface that people had to learn, which was not easy for some. Some institutions kept using the "lighter" CE version, while others upgraded to Vista. Then Blackboard bought WebCT and inherited both versions of WebCT. They are now trying to get all of their customers to standardize on the latest version of Blackboard Learn, which incorporates a lot of features from WebCT Vista (in fact, the latest version is based more from WebCT technology than old Blackboard technology). Now, Blackboard is trying to get features and capabilities from ANGEL to work within Blackboard, as they do not wish to lose their ANGEL customers, when ANGEL ceases to be a supported product in 2014.

 

Very interesting. So Blackboard appears to be attempting to create a bit of a monopoly in the platform business? Move over Rockefeller.