bSpace sees sharp increase in usage at semester start

The start of the Fall 2009 semester has seen a sharp increase in the number of bSpace users across campus. As a result, the ETS Instructional Support team, the group who supports and educates the campus community on bSpace and related technologies, has found itself supporting a growing number of newly innovative course and project sites.

An increase in volume

UC faculty, GSIs, and staff  created a record number of sites in the first two weeks of the semester: 2737 course sites, 528 project sites, up from 2008 course and 200 project sites at the start of Fall 2008.

Why the growth?

One reason may be familiarity. bSpace has been on the Berkeley campus since 2006. We have many more users--around 50,000. And as instructors, staff, and students grow comfortable with this platform, they seek it out to meet an increasing number communication and collaboration needs in and out of the classroom. Our customers are also growing more aware of what they can do with bSpace and other technologies, and they're seeking help with specific tools that can meet their needs.

Budget is surely another reason. The ability to reduce time spent on the administrative aspects of teaching has a strong lure more this year as instructors are being asked to do more with less. Several GSIs and faculty have also mentioned the ability to go green with bSpace as a motive for using bSpace more fully; this year, departments are reducing budget for paper and xeroxing, compelling instructors to use online materials whenever they can.

One other potential factor may be the increased focus the campus is putting on instructional continuity in the face of a disaster such as a pandemic or earthquake. Using bSpace fully is one of the ways that has been identified to manage such an event.

The ways we help

This increase in demand has led to an increase in the support tickets we process and to our “sold-out” bSpace workshops. This semester, we're offering 19 out-of-the box workshops on creating course sites, managing sites, and on end-of-the-semester grading tasks (see our schedule for details). Additionally, to date we have held about a half dozen custom workshops, which cater to the specific needs of departments or of a teaching cohort, as well as over 30 one-on-one consultations.

The Instructional Support team is pleased to see so much activity in bSpace and will do whatever it can to facilitate the campus' use if it this year. Be sure to check out this web site for news about bSpace and related events. And please contact us to request assistance.