5-Year VLE Vision Implementation Progress Update

1. New University VLE: Progress Update Tony Cobb VLE Technical Team Leader

2. Agenda • The 5-Year Vision and the 2-Year Initial Expectation • What we have done so far – the evaluation & selection process • Current activities • The VLE implementation project • After the implementation project - long term support & development of the VLE 2

3. The Vision Statement • By the start of the 2011/12 academic year the use of the VLE and other learning technologies to provide a blended learning student experience will be the normal expectation for all staff and students. Face-to-face teaching will continue to be the main element of the student learning experience, with the use of technology enabling better use to be made of that contact time. All students will have online access to elements of teaching, learning, assessment and student support and guidance. The provision of appropriate technology will enable all staff and students to interact on or off campus with access to all necessary resources. • Approved by the University’s Learning & Teaching Board, February 2007

4. 2-Year Initial Expectation: At programme level • Generic help and advice for students • Health & Safety • Staff/Student Committees • Approved by the University’s Learning & Teaching Board, February 2007

5. 2-Year Initial Expectation: Administration • Printable module summaries • Printable details of staff involved with a module • Printable personal timetable • Module sub-group details e.g. tutor groups • Announcements • Module feedback questionnaire • Links to module review documentation • Approved by the University’s Learning & Teaching Board, February 2007

6. 2-Year Initial Expectation: Learning Resources #1 • A resource for every lecture e.g. • A brief summary of the content, or • Bullet points giving the structure, or • Key points to be presented, or • Full lecture notes • A resource for every other planned activity e.g. workshops/tutorials • The questions • Directions for the reading

7. 2-Year Initial Expectation: Learning Resources #2 • Links/RSS feeds to, for example, one or more of • Students’ PDP areas • Key online journals, databases, departmental software, etc. • Relevant generic skills resources e.g. maths support, referencing, avoiding plagiarism, presentation skills, note-taking, etc. • Reading list & library • Past exam papers system • Searchable FAQ section

8. 2-Year Initial Expectation: Learning Resources #3 • Assessment information including • Timetable of deadlines linked to the student calendar • Assessment results & portfolio of marks • Links to resources external to the module, e.g. • How the module fits into the programme • Research links (to emphasise T/R links) • Modules that might usefully follow-on • Ideas for more advanced study, not to be examined upon

9. 2-Year Initial Expectation: Learning Resources #4 • At least one activity, as appropriate, which may include (but is not limited to) the use of one or more of: • Pigeonhole for online submission • Short multiple choice quiz, more elaborate assessments via QMP or Maple TA, self-assessment exercise(s) • Chat rooms; Online discussion • Wikis • Polls • Blogs • Peer assessment tools • Simulations

10. 2-Year Initial Expectation: Learning Resources #5 • With instructions for carrying out the activity, & details of contribution to module mark if assessed • With assessment feedback, returned within a set timeframe • Approved by the University’s Learning & Teaching Board, February 2007

11. The Procurement Process #1 • Following EU Procurement rules • December 2006: Initial advertisement in the EU Journal • January 2007: 12 expressions of interest received • Canada, France, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, UK, USA • Evaluated the 12 companies looking at functional capabilities of the systems, technical attributes of the systems, capabilities of the companies to assist in the implementation & support of the systems, financial status of the companies • 4 companies invited to tender: • ANGEL Learning (USA) • Blackboard (USA) • Desire2Learn (Canada) • Unicon (USA): Implementation of Sakai

12. The Procurement Process #2 • ANGEL failed to submit a tender • Tenders from Blackboard, Desire2Learn & Unicon reviewed for: • Functionality • Technical requirements • Integration • Implementation support • Ongoing support • Company financial status • VLE Steering Group met on 19 March & decided to continue with Blackboard & Desire2Learn

13. The Procurement Process #3 • Evaluation of Blackboard & Desire2Learn • Face-to-face meetings • Conference calls • Access to test versions of the systems • Companies submitted extra information and revised costs • Prepared reports for VLE Steering Group on 14 May

14. Current Activities • Revised project budget now approved • Negotiations with Blackboard over contracts taking place • Exercise to recruit project staff commenced • Establishing processes for providing the Blackboard system with staff & student data • Establishing a project office • Preparing for hardware purchase, installation & commissioning • Commencing project planning • Project Initiation Document

15. Approach to the Implementation Project • This is a University project • Many responsibilities will be devolved to the faculties • Faculty VLE Implementation Teams • School VLE Implementation Teams (optional) • Faculty VLE Pilot Teams • Central project team • Project Manager: Peter Bollands • Functional Support Team: Lead is Anne Ramsden • Staff Development & Training Team: Lead is Melissa Highton • Technical Team: Lead is Tony Cobb • One overall project

17. Learning & Teaching Board Sponsor (PVC L&T) L&T Systems Steering Group (and ISSG) VLE Vision Group Project Board (VLE Steering Group) Faculty Learning & Teaching Committees VLE Project Management Team VLE Project Office & Communication Faculty VLE Implementation Teams Central VLE Staff Devt & Training Team Central VLE Functional Support Team Central VLE Technical Team Software supplier School VLE Implementation Teams (optional) Faculty VLE Pilot Teams VLE Implementation Project Organisation

18. The VLE Implementation Project: Integration • Banner, Universal Programme & Module Catalogue, SAP • Turnitin • QuestionMark Perception, Maple TA • Student Portal • Blogs • Wikis • Others…..

19. The VLE Implementation Project: Migration • Use IMS standard format to transfer from Bodington • Links to retraining of Bodington users • Testing in the period before Christmas 2007 • Blackboard will be configured in academic years for content

20. The VLE Implementation Project: Technical Areas • ISS UNIX Systems Team will support the hardware, software & database • Purchase & install UNIX hardware • Failover system • Backup system • Link to SAN • Oracle database • Install patches, upgrades, etc. • Extra member of staff recruited into ISS to support this area

21. The VLE Implementation Project: Staff Training • Commence in early 2008 (exact date to be confirmed) for Bodington users • Will be delivered by the Project’s Staff Development & Training Team • After the Project, training will continue to be delivered (probably by SDDU) • Details of the ways that training will be delivered and what the training will be are to be confirmed

22. Long term support & development of the VLE • Closedown of Bodington at the end of the 2008/9 session • New VLE support is within the project until the end of the 2008/9 session • Post-project support commences in August 2009 • L&TSSG projects for VLE development in 2011/12 & 2012/13

23. Questions