Rethinking the VLE

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Rethinking the VLE

• Rose Heaney
• Mike Patten

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Format

• Interactive
• 3 sections
• Intro group activity (design a future VLE)
• Current use of new technologies at UEL
  discussion
• Blackboard Incs plans for the future of VLE
  final thoughts
• Groups with different perspective
• Main outcome input to UEL plus admin team
  planning processes for VLE over next few years

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Part 1
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Definitions context

• VLE Virtual Learning Environment
• UEL Plus UELs current VLE
• WebCT/Blackboard product
• Others out there (Moodle et al)

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UEL VLE Timeline

• Pre-2000 Academics developing web support for
  students mostly unaided and unsupported
• 2000 VLE (WebCT v 1.3) Piloted at UEL
• 2000/1 UEL adopts WebCT as VLE and upgrade to
  WebCT v3 standard edition
• 2001 Centre for Learning Technolgies (CLT)
  inaugurated, to support the institutional VLE and
  to promote the embedding of E-Learning
• 2002 Learning Technology Advisors (LTAs) -
  Academic "Champions of E-Learning" seconded from
  / for each School...
• 2003 (and onwards) LTAs recruited externally
  (more E-Learning experience and increased staff
  development focus)

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UEL VLE Timeline

• 2004 E-Learning Strategy adopted
• 2005 VLE strategy includes migration plan for new
  VLE with resilience and stability ( Plans to
  move from WebCT to UEL Plus WebCT Vista)
• 2006 UEL Plus piloted in Sem A (2006/7)
• 2007-8 UEL Plus replaces WebCT by end of academic
  year, benchmarking E-Learning and HEA Pathfinder
  project to embed e-learning
• 2008 SDEL sets up an E-Learning Lab for staff
  development and innovation
• 2008 Vice-Chancellor's strategic plan includes
  minimum online requirement for academic
  programmes
• 2009 ?

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Alternative representation of VLE

• Mike the boxes

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Way ahead - factors to consider

• VLE-centric
• Access control
• Consistent look feel
• Support available
• Monitoring/tracking
• Cohort specific

• Pick Mix
• Quality of tools
• Contemporary look-and-feel
• Cost savings (often free!)
• Greater choice, more functionality
• Community focus

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Whole Group Activity

• Agree e-learning toolkit on flipchart

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Small group activity

• Using the list, design a VLE direction for next
  few years from the perspective of your group
• student
• academic staff

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Part 2
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UEL Plus Web 2.0

• Where we are now
• Communications tools
• Discussions
• E-mail
• Announcements
• Chat
• Whos Online
• Blogs Journals
• Collaborative tools
• Group Manager
• Assignment drop box and discussion tool and can
  be used to submit share group work
• No wiki as yet

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Case Studies of current Web 2.0 use in UEL Plus
context

• Hedley Roberts use of Facebook, shared weblinks
• See also
• http//www.uel.ac.uk/sdel/staff_development/case_s
  tudies.htm

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Part 3
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VLE Futures

• (According to Blackboard)

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The Story So Far
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3 Principles of Project NG

• Student achievement
• Engagement
• Assessment
• Openness
• (Where it suits Blackboard)
• Web 2.0
• Inside and out

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Make It So

• Instructor dashboard
• Whats new?
• What needs attention?
• Are students
• logging in?
• submitting work?
• accessing resources?
• Sophisticated authoring interface
• Drag-and-drop
• Drop-down menus
• Mashups

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Make It So

• Interface designed for usability and
  accessibility
• This time they mean it! (No, really)
• Interoperable with other systems
• WebCT, Moodle, SAKAI and others
• Community System
• Student profile
• Content System
• Like the Vista (UEL Plus) repository except
  apparently it works

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Make It So

• Outcomes System
• Single point-of-reference possible both for
  faculty and for students
• Based on Vista (UEL Plus) gradebook
• Scholar (social bookmarking)
• Within courses or within communities
• External alerting
• SMS, BB Sync (Facebook)

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In Perspective

• All these features will be implemented over the
  next three releases/versions of Blackboards
  systems
• Numbers start with Vista 8
• Available now
• To reach UEL by September
• Most will not appear until Blackboard 10
• Many will not be part of the basic package

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More info on Project Ng (videos)

• These became available after the conference but
  may be of interest
• http//www.blackboard.com/projectng/

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VLE / E-learning Contacts
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Email addresses

• E-Learning Team (inc. all LTAs)
• E-Learning Mailbox - elearn_at_uel.ac.uk
• UEL Plus Admin
• UEL Plus Admin Mailbox - uelplus_at_uel.ac.uk
• UEL Direct
• Different contact for staff and students
• For staff
• Corporate Systems Team - corpsys_at_uel.ac.uk
• For students
• UEL Direct Portal Mailbox - ueldir_at_uel.ac.uk

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Online Resources

• E-Learning Staff Development
• http//www.uel.ac.uk/sdel/staff_development/
• E-learning training by SDEL
• E-Learning Case Studies
• UEL Plus
• http//www.uel.ac.uk/uelplus/
• How to and FAQ
• Getting started and troubleshooting guide