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An MLE Integrated IT Interlaced Lives
Dr Richard Parsons Centre for Learning and
Teaching University of Dundee r.parsons_at_dundee.ac
.uk
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Background and rapid development

• In 2001 Dundee deployed an initial basic VLE
• Rapidly embraced by the students and staff
• MLE project plan developed (late 2002) by our
  group (LTT in response to student and academic
  staff expectation) and submitted to management
  group (PAG)
• Project funded and put into action over summer
  2003.
• Led by the Learning Technology Team

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UoD MLE The Model
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UoD MLE - History

• Pre 2001 Range of IT learning support systems in
  use, VLEs evaluated by academic committee
• Oct 2001 Blackboard VLE Basic deployed by new
  LEU unit
• Nov 2001 to present Intensive staff development
• June 2002 Additional QMP licences purchased
• Oct 2002, Bb 5.5 Basic VLE suffers problems due
  to intensive use
• Dec 2002 Upgrade to MLE planned by LEU. Approved
  by PAG
• Feb 2003 MLE construction work begins to LEU
  project plan
• May 2003 Bb consultants visit
• Summer 2003 Intensive work continues involving
  many units
• 15 September 2003, MLE deployed
• Oct 2003 MLE in intensive use. VLE with typically
  30 to 100 or more concurrent connections, CAA
  delivering up to 1400 assessment sessions a day.
  Over 500 modules are active with 8000 users.

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UoD MLE Components
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UoD MLE The Reality
GroupWise Web Email
Student Management System
P3
QMP formative server CAA-02
User exists 3 weeks before appointment Completed
daily
Module enrolment Bb client Mark return
Student exists Staff details also stored in
SMS Module enrolments of students Module
assessment mark storage LDAP client?
Blackboard VLE ELS 6.0
QMP Exam server CAA-01
Hardware 2 480s Version 6.0.8 Users created
from SITS SMS system Module enrolment Staff
assignments from web system LDAP client Module
assessment mark storage Consultancy visit 12 May
16 May Training teaching staff
Special exam enrolment Mark return
Library
Catalogue access Resource management system LDAP
client?
e-Directory
LDAP
Create user name and email process LDAP
authentication Remove user process
File Store
Staff Assignment Record
Novell Fileservers Student Desktop
Secure web access
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Richard Parsons, CLT LEU
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UoD MLE Interlaced lives
Holiday cover 24/7 support Out of hours
updates Illness Absences Meetings Priorities,
esp. short term Sequential events Industrial
action Parity in promotions Individual expertise
and teamworking Cross department responsibilities
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Interlaced Lives

• A holiday by the DBA in AIS stops Life Sciences
  assessments from running
• Distance learning students need a Faculty
  Secretary to complete enrolment, before they can
  see the VLE
• Changing a username does not affect anything!
• VLE team frequently asked to develop short-term
  workarounds as Registry procedures are not yet
  quick enough
• Communication and understanding of procedures has
  to occur throughout the organisation (at all
  levels)

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UoD MLE Key Benefits

• Single authentication for VLE, CAA, Webmail,
  Novell network, Netstore, increased access and
  decreased support
• VLE modules more flexible, templates, interfaces
  and innovative use
• Large classes receiving high quality assessments
• Both VLE and SMS can work together to improve
  data quality
• No barriers to the use of CAA at Dundee have
  staff development, software, servers, policy
  procedures BS7988, VLE links, staff to support
• Less administration for academic staff, more time
  to develop skills and sophistication of module
  material or research
• Same number of staff (LEU and ITS) are supporting
  a larger set and depth of modules
• Other key systems developing library, portal,
  content management, e-portfolio, online SMS.

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UoD MLE Strategic Issues

• Developed from grassroots now institutional
• A key part of the L T Strategy
• University has produced a Towards 2007 Vision
• Key aspects include markedly better IT,
  Library, VLE, the most IT-literate graduates,
  build on VLE success, CAA activities will
  broaden
• Led by Prof Geoff Ward, Deputy Principal. MLE
  development is clearly a key component

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UoD Managers observations

• Hard work, everyone taking their share.
• Many challenges in managing, particularly
  sequential events.
• Followed general project management procedures.
• Took moderated risks.
• Complexity of systems and processes is greater
  than generally recognised.
• Having lunches - good, regular meetings for
  coffee good.
• Joint workshops were an innovation where people
  worked together to complete activities.
• Someone has to request, manage and follow through
  every step of the development.
• At times seems to be a virtual construction
  project. Built by email requests and replies.
• Life for the project manager becomes a series of
  daily to-do lists with substantial and detailed
  items, some requiring colleagues to complete.

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UoD Managers observations

• Very useful to have a clear budget supporting the
  development.
• Prioritisation of team and individual activities
  becomes routine. Negotiating this and justifying
  inaction on low priorities is a fact of life.
• A few instances of unforeseen consequences of
  changes in the integrated systems are seen. NDS
  users need multiple logins, Personnel provide
  temporary contracts, but VLE access needs to be
  continuous, E-directory name changes require a
  route to SITS then the VLE to be completed (takes
  overnight). Many academics would like all their
  students to have 100 accurate VLE access from
  day 1, week 1. Needed to rapidly develop
  workaround to allow for urgent registration of
  students on modules for assessments.
• Significant performance issues occur immediately
  at the start of term.

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UoD Managers observations

• Out of hours support needs to be clarified. If a
  system breaks on Friday evening and needs a DBA,
  Unix administrator and VLE administrator, is it
  likely to be repaired before Monday?
• Need to be careful to manage staff and student
  expectation. Not to promise too much or too
  little.
• Students have found a shift in printing
  expectations, although CDs can be produced
  containing summary VLE courses.
• The systems created are getting ahead of standard
  University procedures. Is email a recognised
  formal communication route? What about TXT
  messaging? Is e-learning embedded in QAA
  procedures? Are the departmental (and budget)
  responsibilities of the new services clear? Is
  the University offering a 24/7 service or not?
  How is e-learning represented in the various
  University committees? The Faculty Secretaries
  may not appreciate the importance of the SITS
  student record.

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More on Integrated Systems

• One of the drawbacks of integrated systems

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Summary - UoD MLE to date

• Rapid implementation to predicted student and
  staff expectation
• VLE and CAA are our flagship systems
• It integrates our lives, not merely our IT
  systems
• This is only the beginning, changing processes
  within the institution will continue to fuel MLE
  developments, lead by student needs and wants
• Next steps are a unifying portal, e-portfolios,
  content management, active library links and
  greater depth in learning resources

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Background - Blackboard 6.0 VLE

• Now in our third year of providing a central VLE
  8000 active users
• Enterprise deployment has just been completed
• Usage is widespread and comprehensive, includes
  modules from every Faculty and almost every
  Department
• Some departments have a policy that every module
  will have a VLE module supporting it
• 95 usage of the VLE is to support traditional
  on-campus teaching, but it can support them in
  non-traditional ways
• A small amount of distance or e-learning only
  modules
• Now recognised as a mission critical system,
  supporting over 500 modules and 6000 users.
• Central administration of modules, which can be
  created to departmental templates, rolled over
  from year to years and quality checked against a
  recommended health check.

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Background CAA by QMP (i)

• Central system question delivery is by the web
  version. Question authoring is either
  browser-based or Windows-based (greater
  flexibility). Has long history at Dundee. Like
  many systems, the licence costs are a small
  component of the service costs
• QMP is rapidly proving very successful. Can be
  used as a simple or complex system
• QuestionMark Perception 3.4, dual server system
• CAA-02. Low stakes/formative server coupled to
  Blackboard (Oracle Unix database)
• CAA-01. High stakes/summative server runs stand
  alone (Oracle Unix database)

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Background CAA by QMP (ii)

• We have developed templates and procedures to
  permit complex questions to be easily created.
  Examples are including random values within
  numerical questions.
• Perception Secure Browser is a nice tool that we
  have available. Lock down workstation and very
  useful for exams.
• Policy and Procedure guidelines for the use of
  CAA at Dundee are available and follow good
  practice (BS7988) to ensure QAA standards are
  maintained.
• Risk assessment is a key factor in the design of
  systems and procedures.

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Background - UoD MLE (i)
Integration of VLE, CAA, Student Management
System, Webmail, LDAP and more

• Enterprise Learning System Blackboard version 6.0
  system installed on dual Sun/Solaris servers
• Student and staff users and enrolments created
  from an automatic batch feed from the SITS
  student record system (linked to Personnel
  system)
• VLE user account authenticated to NDS database
  via LDAP protocols with a backup route available
• QuestionMark Perception computer aided assessment
  software integrated with the ELS Bb VLE
  (Formative Summative servers)

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Background - UoD MLE (ii)

• Additional University resources accessible
  through the VLE (University website, Advance,
  webmail, Library, network file store and
  transferable skills resources)
• Academic staff development program available to
  support good pedagogical practices utilising key
  features of Bb ELS 6.0 and QMP

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UoD- The E-Learning Express
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