Creating a UW Online Environment for Learning

1. Creating a UW Online Environment for Learning Andrea Chappell <chappell@uwaterloo.ca> LT3 and IST, University of Waterloo Presentation for OUCC 2002 27 May 2002

2. What is a UW online Environment? A place for … • Course content • Basic, supplemental, remedial, etc. • Communications between instructor/student, student/student, student/expert, etc. • Online activities to support the course • Supporting the instructor and student online OUCC2002

3. And your response is …?? • Gee, Andrea, sounds like the job for a Learning Management System! • There are lots to choose from … and, at least a couple you could afford. OUCC2002

4. When is an LMS the answer? When you want … • … an easy way for faculty to control their own course environment. • … to present a common course look & feel. • … to improve course administration processes. • … to standardize on a toolset to economize on cost and support. OUCC2002

5. When is an LMS the answer? (Rephrased) When you want … • … an easy way for faculty to dump course notes on the Web for no pedagogical gain? • … to present a VendorX look & feel (while paying them to let you advertise ProductX)? • … to add to course administration processes? • … to pay a lot of money for a mediocre toolset which the vendor doesn’t progress? OUCC2002

6. Our Goals • Provide support for rethinking teaching while moving online • Content isn’t “king”, our teachers are! • Create "buffer zone" between courses and tools • So we can change tool sets! • Unify UW look and feel (a UW "branding”) • Build a framework for new online courses with equal support across campus OUCC2002

7. Blackboard: What’s wrong with it? • No more wrong than most LMS • “Good enough” tools (but not best of breed) • Very restrictive in model (linear, disjoint, very little IMS tagging) • How to change if too many “hooked”? • Very $$ if want Level 2/3, or new Enterprise • Can’t change it! OUCC2002

8. UW online Environment (“UWonE”) Three infrastructure components: • Pedagogical model (T5) is foremost! • Tools for online course activity (discussions, self assessment, group work, assignment feedback) • “Gateway” (pulling it all together) OUCC2002

9. T5 Model: a “T’s”-er • Tasks (drives student through Topics) • Tutoring (feedback: generic, peer, instructor, …) • Tools (online activity: discussion, quiz, simulations, …) • Topics (the content: course notes, online resources, animations, ...) • Teams (groups working together) OUCC2002

10. 1) Pedagogical model for going online: T5 Founded in: Tasks which drive students through the course content Tutoring that provides feedback to students 2)Tools UWonE: Pedagogical model – T5 3) Gateway OUCC2002

11. 2) Tools Used to support course: Online activities Online course “task holder” creation (not content!) Delivery Course admin. 1)T5 UWonE: Tools 3) Gateway OUCC2002

12. 3) Gateway Integration Central authentication Population from classlists, synch’ing drops and adds Supports online users Tips and how-to’s for students and faculty Status information 1)T5 UWonE: Gateway 2) Tools OUCC2002

13. In a picture … OUCC2002

14. T5 Model: Task Examples • Political Science course in Distance Ed - lots of thoughtful discussion between students (and prof) • PSCI102M OUCC2002

15. T5 Model: Supporting the Process “The New Classroom” Workshop for faculty • 3 half days over 3 weeks • Up to 20 faculty at a time • Focus on designing task and tutoring for aspects of course (e.g., for “bottlenecks”) • Support for move online via the T5 Editor OUCC2002

16. T5 Model: T5 Editor • Homegrown (gasp!) template-plus editor • Supports model by: • Providing layout structure (template) for task creation • Automatically integrate tools to task area (coming this summer) • XML-based, with a developing rich set of tags • Exportable to standalone HTML • Tech: MySQL content db, PHP for editor function OUCC2002

17. T5 Editor • Started out as a prototype • Like many prototypes, moved to pilot • Like many pilots, suddenly it’s “production”! • But, a long way to go! • Code review and tightening S2002 • Demo of editor OUCC2002

18. T5 Model: Big Finish • Key is to tie pedagogy to the technology • Some “faculty development” programs teach why and tech., but don’t pull them together • T5 model provides framework for online activity • T5 editor provides mechanics for instructor: independence and support for their model adoption • Tech to back burner, puts learning model first OUCC2002

19. Tools: Current • Blackboard • WebBoard – online discussions (better than Bb) • DE developed tools: • Group assignment upload, management, feedback • One minute summary (frequent course review) • Automated group assignments • Audio feedback from professors • Etc. OUCC2002

20. Tools: Blackboard • For self assessment quizzes, online discussions, some marks, some assignment upload … “OK” • Not going through front door! • Use direct URLs into specific tool for specific course (turn LMS upside down) • Not for content storage! …T5 db contains task content + resource uploads • Good solid trustworthy system that we will someday want to replace OUCC2002

21. Tools: What’s next? • Maybe QuestionMark Perception quiz/test • Angel from CyberLearning Labs – a LMS! • Have access to code and API so, …Modifiable! • Want to reach in to more tools • Make changes to tools • Has some “gateway” features • (Like Prometheus?) OUCC2002

22. Challenges of Supporting Model • LT3 supports UWonE through: • departments/Faculties with local support, • individuals already working with LT3 • New hire to support admin side of Bb, Wb, etc. • IST contribution: • some tech-only tool use • recent retreat voiced support of more LT support • Where do others go? • Balance of expectations (early adopters vs starters) OUCC2002

23. Challenges: Maintenance & Scalability • T5 Workshop and follow-up resource intensive • LT3 Faculty liaisons take over promo and follow-up • Blackboard is interim • Not spending $$$ on Enterprise so “manual” course admin costs • T5 editor!! • Homegrown … very scarey, but LT3 inherently needs to take some more risk to do “the right thing” • Expectation: constant mods • What is its lifespan? OUCC2002

24. Coming … the Gateway • What is it? • Portal-ish interface to all of Online Environment • Recognizes user to tailor info to suit • User can tailor information • Status for professor and students on course progress • Single sign-on? • Central authentication? • What’s Happening? • uPortal investigation (to end May) • Angel investigation (starting end May) OUCC2002

25. Support – Who’s involved? • 2 workshop facilitators (~ 0.30, 0.6 FTEs) • 1 T5 workshop co-op • 1.2 co-op T5 editor coders • Part of 1 courseware support person • 0.4 FTE for 4 months for uPortal • 0.6 FTE co-op for Angel development OUCC2002

26. How far along are we? • T5 model • workshops in S2001, F2001, W2002 , S2002 • Total of ~60, with ~12 courses using results • T5 editor • In use as of March, revamping over S2002 • Angel for Phase II • Portals and other black holes of effort OUCC2002

27. Recapping (finally) • Want our own online model (T5) for engaging students online • LMS don’t offer enough pedagogical flexibility • Waiting for a “drop in your model” LMS! Meanwhile, T5 editor • Want to be able to maneuver in tool space • Avoid being tied to VendorX LMS • Want to experiment, but live through it! OUCC2002

28. Questions? UWonE: http://ist.uwaterloo.ca/~chappell/LT3/UWonE LT3: http://lt3.uwaterloo.ca Angel: http://www.cyberlearninglabs.com OUCC2002