Categories: Communication Design, Technology
Summary and Citations:
In addition to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, this natural disaster created an educational crisis for the University of New Orleans. This paper study presented online education as a method of dealing with institutional crisis. The University officials relocated to Baton Rouge following the disaster and decided to use online education as a means for meeting the school's needs in the wake of the disaster. This paper shared the ancidotal experiences of teachers and students from UNO's business school during an immediate, emergency shift to online education using the Blackboard learning management software.
Though offering online courses helped student continue their schooling, regain some normalcy in their life, and move past the disaster, the shift created stress for instructors and administrators. Those involved had never created an online course, and faced many of the difficulties those who embark in such an endeavor experience without training or knowledge of best practices. The commercial course management software facilitated this possibility, without it, they would not have been able to move forward with their courses. They were highly complimentary of the Blackboard LMS and the administration's choice to immediately shift to online education.
