1. Solving, Tracking and Answering Student Questions/Problems in Real-Time Online Supporting Documents http://bbhelp.vccs.edu/public/merlot/presentation.doc If you are asked for a username & password just click on cancel.

2. In order to help your students you have to know your students and provide them with real-time solutions. We take a 4-prong approach. Student surveys Course Evaluations Knowledge Database (FAQs) Organized Question/Problem Submission System

4. We are evaluating a 5 th approach through the use of Online Conferencing Software. Elluminate is the product that we are currently piloting in our study. http://www.elluminate.com

5. Live student help Advising Office hours Live & recorded instruction

6. Virginia Community College System 23 colleges 40 campuses 1,035,000 user accounts in Bb 185,000+ Distance Learning enrollments 50,311 unduplicated active students enrolled in SP 04 courses 20% of students take courses from 2 or more of our colleges

7. -Fall 02 = 2,800 courses -Spring 03 = 5,100 courses -Fall 03 = 8,800 courses -Spring 04 = 12,261 courses Courses on our Blackboad system:

8. What we know now Students 88% do coursework off campus 81% do coursework from home 45% connect with 56k or less modem 61% work more than 20 hours a week 22% work more than 40 hours a week A large portion of coursework is done outside of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

9. System Support Needs 24/7 user support for Bb question/problems Student support system that automatically answers 70% or more of user’s questions/problems

13. -3 reports in the last 15 minutes will send Email to CSC Help Desk, Bb System Administrator and Bb Administrator Listserv -7 reports in the last 60 minutes will send Email to the above and cell phone of the VCCS Bb System Admin. -7 reports in the last 30 minutes will send Email to the above plus our network & hardware engineers. Also calls cell phones & pagers of the Network & Hardware engineers -20 reports in the last 60 minutes causes mass alarms to go off. Based on the number of submitted server error reports the AskThemOnline Help Desk software can be configured to send alerts.

15. Knowledge Database Lookups Jan 2004 = 5,662 lookups Dec 2003 = 1,412 lookups Nov 2003 = 1,261 lookups Oct 2003 = 1,651 lookups Sep 2003 = 2,877 lookups Aug 2003 = 1,277 lookups 14,140 lookups Question/Problem Submitted Jan 2004 = 346 tickets Dec 2003 = 126 tickets Nov 2003 = 88 tickets Oct 2003 = 91 tickets Sep 2003 = 150 tickets Aug 2003 = 82 tickets 883 tickets = 6.2% (883/14,140 lookups)

16. Knowledge Database use by Hour

18. Local College Bb Admin Role Course creation & enrollments Help college faculty Help college students Meet with the Bb System Admin, System Office staff, and Utility staff as a group to discuss and resolve Blackboard related issues.

19. Robert Vawter, Jr. Director, E-learning Delivery Systems Virginia Community College System 804.543.3563 rvawter@vccs.edu Solving, Tracking and Answering Student Questions/Problems in Real-Time