Support Your Local (and Distance) Blackboard User
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Shawn Brewer has served in various instructional technology consulting roles at Western Kentucky University since 1998. The university, established in 1906 and located in Bowling Green, KY, utilizes Blackboard for academic and technical support, providing helpdesk services that include telephone, live chat, and a video tutorial library. The helpdesk staffing includes full-time, part-time personnel, and students, primarily handling a majority of tickets related to technical support and Blackboard services.
Support Your Local (and Distance) Blackboard User
- 2. Shawn Brewer shawn.brewer@wku.edu • Student Consultant – 1998 – 1999 (18 mos.) • Technology Consultant – 2000 (6 mos.) • Instructional Technology Consultant – 2000 – 2006 • Senior Instructional Technology Consultant – 2006 – present
- 3. Western Kentucky University • Founded in 1906 • Located in Bowling Green, KY • 3rd largest public institution in KY – 20,456 actual enrollment Fall 2013 – 16,362 FTE Fall 2013 • Using Blackboard since 1998
- 4. IT Structure • Academic Technology • Communication Technologies • Enterprise Applications and Programming • Enterprise Systems • Technical Support Services
- 5. Blackboard Support • Academic Technology • Senior Instructional Technology Consultant • Instructional Technology Consultant • Enterprise Systems • System Administrator • Database Administrator • Technical Support Services • Helpdesk
- 6. Previous Avenues of Support • Dedicated Blackboard Helpdesk – Telephone – Email • Knowledgebase – Interspire
- 7. Current Avenues of Support • Helpdesk – Telephone – Live Chat – Service Catalog
- 9. Current Avenues of Support • Helpdesk – Telephone – Live Chat – Service Catalog • Video Tutorial Library
- 11. Current Avenues of Support • Helpdesk – Telephone – Live Chat – Service Catalog • Video Tutorial Library • Blackboard online help
- 15. Blackboard Support • Academic Technology • Senior Instructional Technology Consultant • Instructional Technology Consultant • Enterprise Systems • System Administrator • Database Administrator • Technical Support Services • Helpdesk
- 16. Helpdesk Staff • 5 Full-Time • 2 Part-Time • 2 Student Leaders • 8 Students
- 17. Supporting the Helpdesk • Blackboard training in advance • Blackboard Debriefing Meetings • Knowledgebase Articles • Blackboard Support site
- 25. Helpdesk Structure • 1st Level – primarily students • 2nd Level – Full-time staff – Part-time staff – Student Leaders • 3rd Level – Subject matter experts
- 26. Helpdesk Tickets August 1, 2013 – September 30, 2013 Other 10193 (94%) Blackboard 636 (6%)
- 27. Blackboard Helpdesk Tickets August 1, 2013 – September 30, 2013 Helpdesk 575 (90%) Atech 61 (10%)
- 28. Helpdesk Tickets August 1, 2014 – September 30, 2014 Other 10145 (93%) Blackboard 764 (7%)
- 29. Blackboard Helpdesk Tickets August 1, 2014 – September 30, 2014 Helpdesk 690 (90%) Atech 73 (10%)
Editor's Notes
- #4: Regional campuses in Elizabethtown/Ft. Knox, Glasgow, Owensboro
- #5: Blackboard support has always fallen inside IT, not in a Faculty Development unit. Talk more about structure of IT support for Bb later.
- #6: Also additional staff for peripheral support (Respondus, Tegrity, etc.)
- #7: Dedicated Blackboard Helpdesk was pretty much me. A reorganization in IT led to the creation of a centralized IT Helpdesk. Academic Technology was quick to turn over support of Blackboard to the Helpdesk (pretty much the first group to do this). Provided training and other support to allow them to close more tickets (more about this later). There is still residual contact with me directly, especially among those who attend f2f training or who have been around since these days.
- #8: Helpdesk hours: 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM Saturday 12:00 PM (noon) – 8:00 PM Sunday SysAdmin, DBA, and Instructional Technology Consultants on call in emergency
- #16: Also additional staff for peripheral support (Respondus, Tegrity, etc.)
- #17: Part time will become full time January 1, no more part time
- #18: Helpdesk staff are kept in the upgrade loop and provided with training on new features in advance of the upgrade Blackboard Debriefing Meetings: Weekly in Spring & Summer (leading up to and following upgrade) Bi-weekly in Fall Includes all Blackboard support staff, some peripheral support staff, and 2 Helpdesk staff
- #19: These tools are for Academic Technology and Helpdesk staff only.
- #26: Incoming request is fielded (could be anyone, but primarily students) If resolved, ticket closed – This is becoming more common with the implementation of the knowledgebase for internal use If not, ticket routed to Routing Group – Helpdesk If believed a Second Level can resolve, routed to Work Group – Helpdesk If not resolved at Second Level, routed to the appropriate 3rd Level Routing Group Someone in the 3rd Level Routing Group sends the ticket to the appropriate person for resolution In Atech, 2 primary 3rd level routers who alternate days. We resolve Blackboard tickets and route other Atech issues appropriately After hours, Helpdesk can call Instructional Technology Consultants in emergency, and we can then notify the on-call SysAdmin if necessary Unlike other schools, we WANT the Helpdesk to handle as many tickets as possible
- #27: 10,829 total tickets Unlike other schools, we WANT the Helpdesk to handle as many tickets as possible
- #28: Unlike other schools, we WANT the Helpdesk to handle as many tickets as possible
- #29: 10,909 total tickets
- #30: Unlike other schools, we WANT the Helpdesk to handle as many tickets as possible