Question

Is it possible to have a CD version of a WebCT/Blackboard unit as backup if connectivity to WebCT/Blackboard becomes a problem at our off-shore locations? Can we get this done this week?

Answer

It is not feasible to produce a stand-alone CD version of a WebCT/Blackboard unit in one week.

A WebCT/Blackboard unit contains many html, text and graphic files, all of which are stored in a proprietary database and must be delivered through a server via the WebCT/Blackboard platform. All tools are dynamically generated - as are the folders (i.e. all pages with icons on them), tests, communication tools, learning modules etc. While it resembles a website, WebCT/Blackboard is nothing like a website internally.

To port WebCT/Blackboard content to a stand-alone medium such as a CD or DVD requires the creation of a website-like entity containing new content, graphics and Flash components, new quizzes and a new system of navigation links which in turn requires a different approach to the course architecture.  Unless connected to the internet during its use, any references to external sites would be lost unless that content was duplicated on the CD.

It can take 6- 8 weeks to create a complex WebCT/Blackboard unit, so it would take at least that (possibly more) to recreate a version that could work on a CD. That version would also be severely restricted in communication functionality compared to the online version.

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