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Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed - Are We Blue ?. Nichola Hayes Educational Designer Course Design and Development U nit University of Leicester. VLE Back Story. Photo credit: Jesuscm via photopin. VLE Back Story. Photo credit: Jesuscm via photopin. Stick or Twist.
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Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed - Are We Blue? Nichola Hayes Educational Designer Course Design and Development Unit University of Leicester
VLE Back Story Photo credit: Jesuscm via photopin
VLE Back Story Photo credit: Jesuscm via photopin
Stick or Twist Photo credit: canonsnapper via photopin
Our Approach: Evidence, Evidence, Evidence Photo credit: dgray_xplane via photopin
Our Approach: evidence, evidence, evidence • Server logs to quantify the usage of particular tools. • An online questionnaire to all staff (academic, administrative and central support), which explored VLE use, attitudes, needs and challenges. (262 staff responded). • Interviews with all 32 academic departments and student-facing central services. • A focus group involving a representative sample of students from 13 departments.
Project Oscars – the people who made it possible Photo credit: Dave_B via photopin
Staff Survey Results • Dissatisfaction with Blackboard. • Blackboard used as a content repository. • Standardised templates that allow flexibility welcomed by the majority. • Centrally provided extra help required for any Bb upgrade fall-out and moving to a template.
Student Focus Group Questions • Q1.What role does Blackboard currently play in your course? • Q2. Is it easy to access course materials on Blackboard currently? • Q3. What do you find most difficult to use in Blackboard? • Q4. Where and when do you need to/would you like access to course materials? • Q5. What sort of materials would you ideally like? • Q7. If you could design an ideal VLE – what would it look like?
Q7. If you could design an ideal VLE – what would it look like? • Keep it simple • Bb Home page for your department, should be cleaner, with ‘button’ links to DISCUSSION BOARDS, YOUR GRADES, MATERIALS, ASSESSMENT, SEARCH, CAREERS, DEPARTMENT NEWS • Notifications should use colours to highlight new information or updated information. • Use shorter file names • Timetable • Link to library and notification of when books are due back • Pre-populate address book with relevant students and staff
Blackboard Audit • Upgrade Considerations • Blackboard roles within the department • Usability and fit for purpose • Navigation/organisation and templates • L&T tools • Site administration • Assessment and Feedback • Support and Training
Blackboard Audit Results • July best month for downtime • Difficult time of year – Start of year and semesters • Demanding tasks – • Enrolling students • Deleting students/instructors from previous cohorts/years • Uploading multiple documents on a one-by-one basis • Adaptive release • Navigation - Not user-friendly (too many clicks, frustrating…) • Templates - Would like templates with ability to personalise/adapt • L&T tools outside of Bb – large percentage are and favourites were Google tools (Plus, Docs, tools), specialised tools (geological mining software), Facebook, WordPress, Screen Capture, Twitter etc.) • Academic staff and module convenors doing as much administration as the administrators (blurred roles) • Training - Current style of training is not useful or staff do not have time to attend. Key question(s) – What is Blackboard for? What can we do with it? How do we enhance the experience? What training is available? Discipline specific training
Project Outcomes Photo credit: DenisDenis via photopin
Upgrade to Bb 9.1 SP8 Photo credit: ajmexico via photopin
VLE Policy & Guidance Document Photo credit: Hotel Ocho via photopin
Default View – our approach • Task and finish Group • Paper Prototyping • Student Focus Group Photo credit: Doug Aghassivia photopin
Support Resources • Online Help resources: go.le.ac.uk/blackboardhelp • Access from Help page in Blackboard
Learning Objects http://preview.tinyurl.com/ckxq2lk Podcasts http://preview.tinyurl.com/coqov4c Blogs http://preview.tinyurl.com/ckf9ptn Wikis
SITS integration Photo credit: Samyra Serin via photopin
VLE re-launch part II Photo credit: DazF {mostly absent} via photopin
Are We Blue? Photo credit: Roger Smith via photopin
Questions Photo credit: mag3737 via photopin