Blackboard has updated its mobile app to accommodate test taking and to deliver alerts to students when changes happen to their courses without the learning management system (LMS) app being opened. Version 3.0 of Blackboard Mobile Learn allows students to take tests through their devices. That includes a feature that enables the user to start a mobile-based test by “cutting” a red ribbon on a traditional exam blue book. He or she can flag a question for later review by tapping a corner of the screen to create a “dog ear” and eliminate multiple choice answer options from the list by swiping them.
The new features of the latest release are currently available only for Apple iOS and Google Android devices. The company said the previous version of the app will continue being supported on Blackberry and WebOS and it will “continue to evaluate viable platforms for future development based on usage and popularity.”
On the instructor side, the tests can be set up using a test authoring tool as quizzes to be done in class or as exercises for outside the classroom, during field trips or other activities. For example, a teacher could ask a student to submit a photograph from their device as part of an answer. Grades can be instantly entered into the Blackboard gradebook.
Full Text: Blackboard Adds Testing to Mobile Learning App — Campus Technology.