I have been inserting Radio processes into my online-only Blackboard classes since last summer. The major tool that seems to help the most is the outliner qua 'dynamic syllabus.' Specifically it is a 'dynamic' syllabus because:

a) the expand-contract option of the activeRenderer outline allows each student to visit on web and structure the information that is presented around their present concern; the web page is individually configurable as per visitor need on- the-fly! and

b) I add information to the outline per category or date as indicated by student requests and apparent needs; it changes frequently.

Next process to add: The weblogging process. I've offered the option to replace an electronically submitted journal (already a requirement) with a weblog (Blogger because free and familiar). Without demo and technical support for students the response was the online equivalent of a blank stare. I'm pretty sure that's a teaching sequence and priority-setting problem. However, lack of easy and integrated access to weblogs via Blackboard makes everybodies' time and difficulty investment for weblogging much higher, however.

IMHO Blackboard should include weblogging in its integrated array of online instructional processes. BB should make a collaborative pact with a weblogging source (Radio Userland, Blogger, etc) or even write its own code for a Blackboard weblogging process. The lost opportunities for important instructional gains, without integrated weblogging, are becoming increasingly obvious.

As James Farmer's quote below indicates, weblogging and threaded discussions (as one example) could/should work together, intro-spect and extro-spect dovetailing beautifully.

Seminar weblogs and students weblogs. James Farmer sketches his concept for weblogs in education: each member of a project runs his own weblog and he/she will contribute to a group weblog. [owrede_log]