Blackboard Usage at NIU

Academic Courses

Blackboard is used by nearly all NIU faculty and students for 78.6% of all course sections (Fall 2022). We have also analyzed how faculty are using Blackboard, and find that a majority of courses each semester make extensive use of the capabilities of the system. Blackboard integrates with other cutting-edge tools for teaching and learning including video applications, publisher platforms, student engagement systems, and exam proctoring. 

Other Uses

In addition to scheduled academic courses, Blackboard is used in a variety of ways to support the mission of the university:

• Departmental communication to students by major/minor on events and program deadlines
• Development and storage of course materials for upcoming and previous semesters
• Student portfolios for program assessment and supporting job searches
• Department and programmatic assessment across courses, including general education assessment
• Storage and delivery of electronic reserves using a process custom-developed by the University Libraries and DoIT
• Secure storage and sharing of files for graduate student application review