Blackboard Unveils Groundbreaking New Institutional Effectiveness Platform, the Blackboard Outcomes System
Multi-Year and Multi-Million Dollar Investment Results in Comprehensive Solution for Academia to Plan, Measure and Improve Learning OutcomesWASHINGTON, DC, Jan 18, 2007 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB), a leading provider of enterprise
technology to the education industry, today unveiled its latest and
most significant product offering, the Blackboard Outcomes
System(TM). The new solution facilitates the continuous improvement
of academic and administrative processes with a focus on student
learning, academic programs and co-curricular activities.
The Blackboard Outcomes System is a comprehensive, flexible platform
to guide institutional effectiveness across the entire higher
education institution or system -- from classrooms to the President's
Office. It was developed with guidance from national assessment
experts and dozens of academic institutions including private
teaching colleges, research universities, systems, and community
colleges. The Blackboard Outcomes System leverages the capabilities
and familiar user experience of the Blackboard Academic Suite(TM) to
help institutions make evidence-based decisions, streamline
assessment processes, and engage students in their own learning.
A Comprehensive, Flexible Platform
"Educational assessment is driven by the standards and culture
specific to the discipline and school; one size does not fit all,"
said Michael Chasen, President and CEO of Blackboard. "The Blackboard
Outcomes System is a flexible, customizable solution with tools that
can be tailored to meet the needs of each individual course, program,
department, college, system or administrator."
The platform is organized around the stages of assessment, 'Plan,'
'Measure,' and 'Improve;' with specific tools to help users meet the
challenges in each stage. Tools enable building rubrics; documenting
curriculum maps; managing standards; collecting and evaluating
artifacts of student learning; surveying attitudes and interests,
running online course evaluations; managing departmental improvement
projects; analytic and operational reporting, and other key
activities. Such a diverse set of tools in one system dramatically
simplifies the work for faculty and administrators trying to improve
learning at their institutions.
"Higher education has moved from collecting and reporting data to
analyzing and acting upon it," said Mary Allen, Ph.D., Professor
Emeritus of Psychology at California State University -- Bakersfield,
a national expert on assessment, and one of several Blackboard
advisors who influenced the design of the new system. "At the center
of this new platform is the fact that it fosters visibility into the
various assessment activities taking place, enabling people to see,
interpret, and use data that have been collected to improve
learning."
Accountability Cited as Top Priority for Academic Leaders:
In recent years a number of factors have contributed to an increasing
demand for accountability in education, including changes in
accrediting requirements and the creation of a Federal Commission on
the Future of Higher Education by U.S. Secretary of Education
Margaret Spellings.
A recent third-party survey of higher education leaders across the
country commissioned by Blackboard found accountability and assessment
to be their second highest priority, following student experience.
Chasen added, "Before we began developing the technology for this new
platform, we traveled around the country to meet with our education
partners to learn about their critical institutional challenges. We
worked very closely with them and others across the education
industry to create the Blackboard Outcomes System, which we believe
will enable institutions to meet increased demands for accountability
and streamline their assessment processes. Most fundamentally,
however, this solution will give our clients clear new visibility
into their effectiveness and insight to drive improvement."
About Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard Inc. (NASDAQ: BBBB) is a leading provider of enterprise
software applications and related services to the education industry.
Founded in 1997, Blackboard enables educational innovations
everywhere by connecting people and technology. Millions of people
use Blackboard everyday at academic institutions around the globe,
including colleges, universities, K-12 schools and other education
providers, as well as textbook publishers and student-focused
merchants that serve education providers and their students.
Blackboard is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in
North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
Blackboard
Educate. Innovate. Everywhere.(TM)
Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans
and prospects for Blackboard and other statements containing the words
"believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "will," and similar
expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning
of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual
results may differ materially from those indicated by such
forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors,
including the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of our
Form 10-Q filed on November 9, 2006 with the SEC. In addition, the
forward-looking statements included in this press release represent
the Company's views as of January 18, 2007. The Company anticipates
that subsequent events and developments will cause the Company's
views to change. However, while the Company may elect to update these
forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company
specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking
statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's
views as of any date subsequent to January 18, 2007.
Senior Manager Public Relations at Blackboard:
Melissa Chotiner
Blackboard Inc.
202-463-4860 ext. 2404
Contact via http://www.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=581CB7DA05B235EE
Media Contact, Fleishman-Hillard:
Amy Storey
Fleishman-Hillard Inc.
+1 202 828-8819
Contact via http://www.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=D6DD0FD4AFDE3569
SOURCE: Blackboard Inc.