After five years of using LearningSpace as its dominant groupware product, UW-Eau Claire is making a transition to two new groupware programs.

LearningSpace is financially supported by the UW System, but that support will end when the 2000-01 fiscal year comes to a close, according to the university’s CITI Web site.

The groupware products, World Wide Web Course Tools and Blackboard Course Info, are provided by other UW System Groupware Utilities. WebCT is provided by UW-Madison, and Blackboard is provided by UW-Milwaukee.

There are 15 Blackboard courses being taught this semester and 21 WebCT courses. Students enrolled in these courses still meet with their professors face-to-face, but the class is enhanced with the online options.

Kathy Finder, who works with Center for Instructional Technology Improvement and Innovation, said the behind-the-scenes work needed for the new programs is less than what was needed for LearningSpace. She said the new programs have the option of online chatting and have stronger features for quizzes than LearningSpace.

“The faculty and students who have been working with Blackboard and WebCT seem excited about the new features,” Finder said.

History lecturer Oscar Chamberlain has used LearningSpace to assist him in the courses he teaches, but this semester he is using Blackboard.

“All in all, I think Blackboard is a better program for my needs,” Chamberlain said.

He said the greatest advantage of Blackboard is he can post information from any computer because it is Web-based. When he used LearningSpace, he was only able to update it from one computer.

Chamberlain said he is pleased with the assistance a program such as Blackboard can add to the classroom experience. He said it is easier for students, too. If they miss class, they can just get the information off of the computer rather than trying to track him down.

Chamberlain said it is also useful to get a discussion going online when there is not time for one in class.