Easing the Transition to Higher Education with Blackboard and Social Networking

Successful transition from further to higher education is a key factor in student retention. This presentation explains how the University of Huddersfield used Blackboard Learning System, Release 8.0 and Ning to provide an integrated solution for pre-induction students to support this transition. Combining the academic functionality of Blackboard with the social interaction available on Ning, the presentation will demonstrate the site's content, explain how and why the particular tools were chosen and present student feedback of their experience.