The following are USER rollout questions and that administrators and other users have raised with Blackboard about the Scholar service. (>>View Admin TECHNICAL Rollout Questions)
- What will change in the Blackboard Learning System interface for users?
- What sort of training will end users need?
- What strategies can I use to inform users about Scholar and allay any concerns?
- If we do have problems how can we get help?
Q: What will change in the Blackboard Learning System interface for users?
A: Roll out is controlled by the institution. Nothing is available to any end users until the admin has made the service available in the Blackboard Learning System via configuration of the Building Block or PowerLink. Similarly, faculty have control over the availability of Scholar course tools within their courses.
In the Blackboard Learning System -- Enterprise License, the system admin can enable the following integration points:
- Scholar tab
- Scholar tool in the "My Institution" Tool Panel
- My Scholar Home course tool
- Scholar Course Home course tool
- My Scholar portal module
- Custom Scholar stream portal modules
In the Blackboard Learning System -- Vista Enterprise License and the Blackboard Learning System -- CE Enterprise License, the system admin can enable the following integration points:
- My Scholar Home tool on the My Blackboard page
- My Scholar Home course tool
- Scholar Course Home course tool
Q: What sort of training will end users need?
A: Scholar should require minimal training. The Scholar Wiki -- http://wiki.scholar.com-- has multiple FAQ's and How To's for novice and intermediate users. Users should be up and running with the application after reviewing these documents. There are also contextual links to this documentation within the Scholar interface.
Q: What strategies can I use to inform users about Scholar and allay any concerns?
A: Try one of the following:
- Send them to the Scholar site to investigate: http://www.scholar.com. The site can be viewed, without account creation. Account creation is required in order to save resources
- Send them to the Scholar support wiki to investigate: http://wiki.scholar.com. The site can be viewed, without account creation. Account creation is required in order to edit and add resources
- Install the Building Block or Powerlink on a test server and allow users to try it out
Q: If we do have problems, how can we get help?
A: There are several means for assistance:
- If you have difficulty installing, registering, or configuring the Scholar Building Block or Scholar PowerLink, submit a ticket to Blackboard Product Support through Blackboard's client extranet, Behind the Blackboard: http://behind.blackboard.com.
- Visit the Scholar Wiki and investigate: http://wiki.scholar.com.
- Communicate with the Ask Dr. C's at http://www.blackboard.com/communities/ask_drc.
- Submit comments or questions via the Contact Us form in the Scholar service.