learning - Academic Conferences Limited

Karen Hughes Miller and Linda Leake
advantages: the first is control over content and presentation since they did not need to rely on an
external vendor/developer; and the second is control of learner identification since University User IDs
are unique and learners are not likely to be confused or to have more than one record - an issue that
had occurred when using other software.
4. Case #4: Presenting online staff development with complex content
One of the newest and most technologically advanced applications of a Blackboard organization
site (with several course modules still under development) is an employee certification program on
university business practices. As budgets for higher education become more stringent and regulation
of incoming funds from research and other projects becomes more complex, there is increased
demand on the skills of individual clerks and business managers within college and university
departments. At U of L, the role of Unit Business Manager (UBM) has become highly specialized and
complex so even those employees with degrees in accounting may not have the specific knowledge
necessary to navigate the system. The Unit Business Training (UBT) curriculum was developed in
consultation with senior unit business managers and university leaders. The course content is created
with input from university subject matter experts and designed by the Delphi Center for Teaching and
Learning. Employees with certain job titles and technical permissions within the financial system are
required to complete the certification program.
To become a certified UBM, an employee must successfully complete 18 hours of general electives
focusing on soft-skills and technical training. Almost all content and testing is delivered online using a
Blackboard organization with face-to-face sessions to enhance learning. Employees enrolled in a
course must pass a quiz on each module with a score of 85% or higher with no more than three
attempts permitted. (Participants who are not able to pass the test after 2 attempts receive additional
coaching from the subject matter experts before they attempt the quiz again.) There is also a final quiz
where a score of 85% or higher is required. Experienced employees may “test out” of a course by
obtaining a score of 85% or higher on a comprehensive test in the course subject area. Both final
course tests and the “test-out” examinations are administered outside of Blackboard. A single
Blackboard organization site is used to house all courses (designed as modules) (see Figure 1) so
all employee grades are recorded in one central Gradebook.
Figure 1: The announcements screen of unit business training
After completing a prerequisite introductory course called University 101, the required core courses
focus on two general areas: “financial” systems and “people” systems. Examples of financial systems
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