New Blackboard Teaching and Learning Online Certification Series Receives High Grades From Participants

Blackboard Inc., a leading provider of technology to educational institutions announces a new Blackboard instructor certification series titled, "Teaching and Learning Online." This online training series, comprised of three facilitated asynchronous courses, provides an introduction to the pedagogy of online learning and presents best practices for teaching in both Web-enhanced and distance education environments.

Participants who complete all three courses in the series receive "Certified Blackboard Instructor" status - a standard helpful to both schools and higher education institutions to determine if instructors are prepared to deliver online courses.

Registration is now open for online training classes being offered in February and March. Additionally, a variety of in-person Blackboard training classes will be offered at Blackboard's upcoming Users Conference, Bb World 2006, scheduled for February 28 - March 2nd, in San Diego. More information on the conference and training programs is available at blackboard.com

"The Teaching and Learning Online course was Excellent," said Dr. Barbara A. Harper, a professor at Berkeley College who completed the series this month. "The instructor's expertise, dedication and selfless guidance were always readily available. The course activities focused simultaneously on the student's point-of-view and learning style while, at the same time, demonstrating the most highly effective and innovative teaching methods available today. I have not only incorporated these new techniques into my online courses but am also able to utilize some of this new material in my traditional classroom courses as well -- what a "plus"!"

Participants in the Blackboard Teaching and Learning Online series:
--  explore basic instructional design principles
--  learn how to create and organize learning materials
--  build robust courses
--  discuss facilitation and communication techniques
--  review methods for assessing student performance

"As Blackboard becomes more ubiquitous in schools classrooms and on campuses across the United States and abroad, there is a real need for instructors to have access to just-in-time training," said Matthew Pittinsky, Chairman of Blackboard. "Clients are developing so many new and innovative uses for Blackboard it is becoming increasingly important that users can access the specific instruction they are looking for at a time and location that is convenient for them. Blackboard training addresses all of these needs."

The series is delivered in the Blackboard Learning System(TM), the core of the Blackboard Academic Suite which provides an open and flexible platform enabling online instruction, communication and assessment.

For more information on Blackboard Certification Training, visit blackboard.com/services/training/