Since there is the suggestion here that WebCT is expensive, I'd just
like to add that compared to other products I've looked at, WebCT is
*extremely* reasonably priced, particularly for academic users. Check it
out at their website. Also, you can develop a course to your heart's
content without paying a dime. It's only when you actually add students
that you begin to be charged. I hear good things about ICA and wonder if
it really rivals the sophisticated environment of WebCT. I've used
NiceNet with some success (nice interface!) but it is more often than
not impossible to access, which makes it quite a bit less than useful.
(More than once I've set up a complicated international live chat only
to not be able to access Nicenet. I have therefore stopped using it.) I
wonder if ICA as a free product will fall victim to its success in the
same way. If my students and I can't access it when I need to be able
to, it's useless to us.
Emily Lites
American Business English Internet School
http://www.bizenglish.com/
Krb wrote:
>
> Could the answer be (c) none of the above? I'm reluctant to mention this
> because the user base is growing so rapidly, but there is a free
> alternative that provides pedagogically rich internet environments that
> rival any of the expensive commercial products like Blackboard and WEBCT.
> In many ways, its simple yet rich environment makes it a better learning
> environment. It's called the Internet Classroom Assistant (ICA) and it is
> run by a non-profit organization (called Nicenet) for the benefit of the
> educational community and hosted by the Searle Center for Teaching
> Excellence at Northwestern University. You need no special software. It
> runs through any Web browser. Check it out. It may provide everything
> you need. But keep it a secret.
>
> You can find a link to the ICA at
http://president.scfte.nwu.edu
>
> Ken Bain, Director
> Searle Center for Teaching Excellence
> Northwestern University
>
> Emily Lites wrote:
>
> > Damon,
> >
> > WebCT is really the leader at this point, in my estimation. That's what
> > I use. It's in place at over 1000 colleges, universites and institutes
> > now. There are *independent comparisons* from third party sources
> > available at the WebCT site:
http://www.webct.com/ I don't hear much
> > about Blackboard. There are others--Web in a Box and Librarian-- that
> > don't stack up to WebCT IMHO. WebCT Support is incomparable!
> >
> > Regards, Emily
> >
> > Emily Lites
> > American Business English Internet School
> >
http://www.bizenglish.com/
> >
> > Damon Roth wrote:
> > >
> > > Howdy,
> > >
> > > WEBCT or Blackboard Which one is better?
> > >
> > > I know that this question has been asked in the past, but my
> > > college is facing this decision. Which one is better? Why? Are
> > > there any sites that compare the two (other then the companies
> > > sites).
> > >
> > > We would appreciate any help that you can provide.
> > >
> > > -----------------------------
> > > Damon Roth
> > > New Instructional Media Technician
> > > Information Technologies
> > > Assiniboine Commuity College
> > > Brandon MB Canada
> > >
rothd@assiniboinec.mb.ca
> > > 204-726-6657
> > > Member, International Webmasters Association http://iwanet.org