There are seven essential steps you should consider when forming a user group, whether its a user group for local area, larger regiona or a special-interest. They are:

1. What is the need for this group? (why are we coming together)

2. What identity will this group have? (what type of people will participate)

3. What kind of structure will this group require? (who'll lead it, who'll help, etc.)

4. Who will join the group? (get members to join)

5. How will people communicate with each other? (list-serve, connections, etc.)

6. How will we come together? (in-person, web, industry conference, etc.)

7. How will we leverage Blackboard? (what resources are relevant)

For more resources on starting a new Blackboard user group, please contact Sahar Javadi.

SLATE: A Community of Practice for Supporting Learning & Technology in Education an article published in the International Journal of Instructional Technology & Distance Learning