Blackboard vs. Blog
The Chronicle of Higher Education has an article weighing the pros and cons of using Blackboard software or using free blog software (such as blogspot or wordpress). It is a discussion that recently occurred at CUNY. I know the link may not be accessible if you do not have an account (personal or institutional) with the Chronicle, so here are some snippets: Instead of using a course-management system to distribute materials and run class discussions, why not use free blogging software — the same kind that popular gadflies use for entertainment sites? The approach can save colleges money, for one thing. And true believers like Mr. Groom argue that by using blogs, professors can open their students' work to the public, not just to those in the class who have a login and password to a campus course-management system. Open-source blog software, supporters say, also gives professors more ability to customize their online classrooms than most commercial course-management software does...