ABOUT ONLINE@UT
What is Online@UT?
The Online@UT website provides access to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's online course management system, as well as related support documentation. We strive to be the starting point for any online course or organizational work required by faculty, students, and staff.What is Blackboard?
Blackboard is the company that makes the course management software currently in use by Online@UT. In the fall of 1997, a task force addressing teaching and learning online charged the Innovative Technology Center (ITC) with reviewing popular course management systems (CMS) and recommending one for the University. After extensive testing and review by a team of faculty members, administrators, and support staff from across campus, Blackboard's CourseInfo was selected. The name of the software was eventually changed to Blackboard Learning System.Some people use the name to refer specifically to the software, while others use it generally when they really mean Online@UT. On this site, any references to Blackboard are limited to either the company or the software.
How does all of this work? (or why doesn't this work?)
The process involved in teaching and learning in an online environment is extremely complicated. There are several factors that have to come together seamlessly, and any error along the way can create problems.The software
It's impossible to create software that makes every user happy, and while Blackboard tries, there will always be certain features that don't work for certain people. Sometimes it seems like there are features that don't work for anybody, but we strive to help users solve these problems or find workarounds.Though it will vary depending on which browser you use, at some point you will more than likely have an issue trying to use the Blackboard software. Rather than banging your head against the wall in frustration, or even worse, giving up, take a look at our Technical Support page. If you can't find your problem, or the proposed solution doesn't work for you, submit a ticket so that we can help you.
Common problems associated with software issues:
- the same action produces different results in different browsers
- browser crashes when you try to use certain tools
- inability to open some files in your course sites
The hardware
The software that runs Online@UT's course and organization sites resides on servers in Washington, DC. To maximize resources and provide the best performance possible, the university chose to have Blackboard host their software. This arrangement is known as ASP (Application Service Provider) hosting. While this is beneficial in many ways, it does mean that when there are technical problems, UT is often dependent on Blackboard engineers for resolution.Common problems associated with hardware issues:
- cannot connect/login to Online@UT
- cannot access certain areas, such as tests and quizzes
- cannot submit tests, quizzes, or other assignments
The network
An individual user (if pressed to think about it at all) might assume that there is a direct connection from his or her computer to the website he or she is viewing. The reality is much different: internet connectivity is provided by many different Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Each of these companies has a network or pays another company to use their network, and there are complicated agreements concerning how requests are routed.As an example of how complicated network routing is, the university uses several ISPs for the majority of off-campus or "commodity" Internet connections; Blackboard uses another; and if an individual connects from off-campus, yet another ISP is involved, such as BellSouth or Comcast. When someone attempts to login to Online@UT, his or her request might be routed from Knoxville to Cincinnati, from Cincinnati to Atlanta, and from Atlanta to Washington, DC; making connections to multiple servers in each city. A breakdown at any point in the convoluted path can cause any number of problems.
Roll over the image to see an example of the network map for just a few of the ISPs involved in connecting to Online@UT.
Common problems associated with networking issues:
- cannot connect to the Online@UT site
- error upon submission of assignments
- connection timeouts
- poor performance speeds
The data
An amazing amount of work goes on behind the scenes to create course sites and place students and instructors in the correct courses. In the early hours of each day, a process known as the "Snapshot" transfers data from UTK to Blackboard's servers in Washington. Campus information comes from several different sources, including, but not limited to, the Registrar's Office, Human Resources, and the Office of Information Technology. Before it can be uploaded, the data has to be merged and manipulated into a form that the Blackboard database understands.To get an idea of the amount of data processed on a daily basis, here is an estimate of the data processed to build one Spring semester 2007 course site:
- Course list: 6000+ courses
- Enrollment: 25,000+ students
- Employment 8,000+ faculty and staff members
So while everything might look the same when you login each day, in reality, the entire system is recreated every morning.
Click on the image for a larger version.
Common problems associated with Snapshot issues:
- students and instructors cannot see some or even all of their course sites
- instructor activation or combination requests incomplete more than 24 hours after submission
- incorrect personal data in Blackboard