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NYC Department of Education Taps Blackboard Collaborate for iLearnNYC

  • By Jim Barthold
  • 06/11/12

The New York City Department of Education, the nation's largest public school system, will use Blackboard Collaborate as part of its iLearnNYC program, starting with the 2012-2013 school year.

The NYC DOE reported that it will use the platform to offer more courses, such as Advanced Placement, foreign language, and credit recovery, to students located throughout the city. It also said the new online learning resource will allow schools to offer a "more personalized learning experience based on student needs," according to information released by Blackboard.

Teachers, the two continued, will be able to create workflows specific for help and tutoring environments, give learners immediate feedback through ad-hoc video chats, and create break-out rooms designed to encourage interaction based on skill sets, segmented outcomes, or other criteria. Additionally, the schools may also use the Blackboard Collaborate program for online parent-teacher conferences, intra-city meetings between instructors and administrators, and teacher professional development.

The NYC DOE selected Blackboard Collaborate after evaluating multiple online education technology solutions. The program will allow the iLearnNYC program to expand by including online materials and "removing the barriers to using them," Sandeep Chellani, executive director of product development for the New York City Department of Education, said in a prepared statement, adding, "We anticipate greater engagement through this effort, which will eventually lead to improved student outcomes."

iLearnNYC is already offered in about 100 city schools. The new effort will add 100 more schools for the 2012-2013 school year, the NYC DOE said. Blackboard Collaborate will be integrated into the Desire2Learn learning management system to provide users with a single point of access to the interactive learning platform.

About the Author

Jim Barthold is a freelance technology reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].

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