WebCT upgrade gone mad (1 Viewer)

[Scanorama]

Is it just me or has WebCT gone shitter and shitter? The version used in 2005 was awesome, easy and simple to use.

Then we had this WebCT Vista crap in 2006, I still don't see the point of 'upgrading', if you'd even call it that. Annoying pop up window appears during log in if your browser is too new, message board format is worse than before.I never liked it.

At the end of last year, WebCT received another upgrade, this time they called it the Blackboard Learning System/eLearning Space 4. What's with that? The interface is a bit different, but the rest looks identical. It is virtualy the same as the previous version, except now the pop window will appear everytime a new page is loaded, displaying the same message. The design of the forum is still very stupid compare to other common forum softwares. It can't even display the newest topic first.

If UOW don't know how to spend their money, maybe they can reduce our fees? Or spend more money to hire high quality lecturers to replace those shit lecturers in SITACS?

 

[ogmzergrush]

Is it just me or has WebCT gone shitter and shitter? The version used in 2005 was awesome, easy and simple to use.

Then we had this WebCT Vista crap in 2006, I still don't see the point of 'upgrading', if you'd even call it that. Annoying pop up window appears during log in if your browser is too new, message board format is worse than before.I never liked it.

At the end of last year, WebCT received another upgrade, this time they called it the Blackboard Learning System/eLearning Space 4. What's with that? The interface is a bit different, but the rest looks identical. It is virtualy the same as the previous version, except now the pop window will appear everytime a new page is loaded, displaying the same message. The design of the forum is still very stupid compare to other common forum softwares. It can't even display the newest topic first.

If UOW don't know how to spend their money, maybe they can reduce our fees? Or spend more money to hire high quality lecturers to replace those shit lecturers in SITACS?

You're like those old people that talk about how great life was back in the day, despite the reality of the situation being that it was miserable and they couldn't afford shoes. WebCT was *never* awesome. It was barely tolerable when I started, and has only become worse with the passing of time.

Adding to this issue is the fact that each update means that lecturers who are unable to keep up with it, or uninterested in doing so (can't blame them, it's an abortion by and large), somehow manage to be even less efficient in delivering the information and resources which it is intended to facilitate. When I think about this, I'm often left to wonder if it's the product of terrible design, or if the issues simply arise from mindbending displays of incompetency on the part of staff at the university. I suppose the sensible answer is that it is a combination of both.

Regarding your query about Blackboard, and why it's all of a sudden part of WebCT, click me.

 

[DooGseY]

The version used in 2005 was awesome, easy and simple to use.

Yes I think you're romanticising the past a bit there. Webct has always been very ugly, slow, and poorly designed, although I agree it's even worse now. I get those stupid popups too, and if you block the popups in your browser you just get an alert box instead, really helpful! Also, webct vista insists on using java for some ungodly reason I still haven't figured out, I've never seen a (visible) applet running anywhere, although they're obviously there somewhere...

As much as it sucks, at least it's not as painful as actually going to uni to do work and attending lectures.

 

[poloktim]

You're like those old people that talk about how great life was back in the day, despite the reality of the situation being that it was miserable and they couldn't afford shoes. WebCT was *never* awesome. It was barely tolerable when I started, and has only become worse with the passing of time.

I laughed at the first part, and agree wholeheartedly with the second part.

Adding to this issue is the fact that each update means that lecturers who are unable to keep up with it, or uninterested in doing so (can't blame them, it's an abortion by and large), somehow manage to be even less efficient in delivering the information and resources which it is intended to facilitate. When I think about this, I'm often left to wonder if it's the product of terrible design, or if the issues simply arise from mindbending displays of incompetency on the part of staff at the university. I suppose the sensible answer is that it is a combination of both.

On the other hand, you get *some* lecturers who aren't bothered to completely keep up with the changes, so simply create a forum, and a link in WebCT leading back to an HTML page (poorly written, but who cares about that) that contains all the details you need for the subject. Others just run websites without using WebCT. I find staff run websites to be much more usable than the WebCT garbage.

You could let the people in charge of picking a LMS know that WebCT is shit, and use of it is negatively affecting your learning experience, and if enough people complain, maybe they'll get rid of it in exchange for something just as bad.