Two years ago, instructors at NIU taught using traditional means. Chalkboards, whiteboards and overhead projectors were used to convey information. For the most part, students found out their grades in class, or by coming to an instructor’s office hours.

Former NIU provost Lynn Waldeland recognized that students needed a more efficient and technological way to interact with their classes. She organized a committee that researched several different Web portals that would allow students to check their grades, get course information and otherwise interact with their classes online. From the list of those Web portal companies, Blackboard emerged victorious.

Mertens shared that the biggest problem that students had with Blackboard wasn’t with the Web portal at all, but with AOL.

“When AOL has problems, it will time them out of Blackboard,” she said.

In previous semesters, there had been technical glitches that wouldn’t allow students to log on or to access information. This was annoying to many students, but the problems, for the most part, have cleared, Van Dijk said.

As glitches continue to be worked out and the system continues to advance, perhaps in the near future, the only blackboard in the university will not need any chalk — just a mouse and a keyboard.