University of Windsor 2010 Update

From OUCEL Wiki

Contents 1 Sakai Updates 2 Triumphs 3 Challenges 4 Links to Resources to Share

[edit] Sakai Updates

• Initiated pre-pilot Sakai Collaborative Learning environment (CLE) system locally called “CLEW (Collaboration Learning Environment Windsor)” in Summer 2006. It is now in full production and the original learning management system called ViCKi (Virtual Course Kit) has been retired in Intersession/Summer 2010.
• From 2006, over 1000 course kits were moved to Sakai, 300 were converted and less than 30 of those were complex sites. Currently, there are over 1125 instructors in our CLEW Collaboration Site (includes grad-students, sessionals and those who might have instructor privileges). Winter 2010 number of CLEW Course sites was approximately 1257.
• Several teams are involved with the ongoing operation, upgrading and administrative elements of the Learning Management System (LMS) including:
  • a) LMS Steering – decision making body
    
  • b) LMS Advisory – Joint Faculty and campus stakeholders committee to oversee the impact of major changes or reflect concerns of stakeholders
    
  • c) LMS CLEW Team – Multidisciplinary team who manage the day-to-day client-support issues of LMS
    
  • d) LMS Technical Team – Representatives from systems programming, library, client support and administration who manage major technical implementations or issues
    
• We now are involved contributing to the Sakai Community where possible with bug reporting/feature requests and software patches.
• CLEW customizations for our campus include a recent integration with an online eGrade program to post final grades to the Student Information System (SIS) (Spring 2010), a course management dashboard, automated course site requests and approvals, content viewer interface, email instructor tool and a quizzing and testing tool.

[edit] Triumphs

• The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) established a LMS Learning Community that meets approximately every 6 weeks during the school year, with faculty and technical staff in attendance.
• CLEW training has evolved into a combination of pedagogical principles coupled with implementing tools to accomplish various pedagogical tasks.
• Evening sessions have been offered since December 2009 and have been met with interest, especially from sessional instructors who work off-campus.
• Faculty, staff and grad-students are also supported through phone, email or in-person one-on-one sessions.
• Technical/pedagogical training continues with Clickers.
• The University Teaching Certificate is about to complete its first year of operation. Included in the course offerings is a half-course entitled “Online Education.” It is a hybrid constructively aligned course co-designed by CTL staff that meets SEDA (Staff and Educational Development Association – UK) standards for accreditation. It is six weeks long and has two face-to-face sessions and the balance is online. Plans are to continue this course next winter for faculty, sessionals and graduate students.
• We are combining forces with Brock University for online Sakai Support in the form of a Wiki, which is operating from the MediaWiki source code. Brock will be migrating to Sakai v2.7 over the summer. We will combine their support documentation with ours to produce a combination of generic material with site-specific content. Both institutions have agreed to develop support plans for the future to share resources in this area. To help with this conversion, there will be a call for volunteer students (University of Windsor only) to serve as a beta-team to test, review and provide feedback on the documentation.

[edit] Challenges

• The LMS Application Programmer has recently taken a job in Toronto, thus leaving a vacancy to support the LMS in the short term. Upgrades to version 2.7 have been put on hold until the replacement programmer is ready.
• Funding challenges have recently required three full-time CTL staff to be laid off. Transitions are underway as a result reallocating resources and adjusting service levels in some areas. Included in the layoffs was an Instructional Designer position, which was dedicated to Distance Education courses.

[edit] Links to Resources to Share

Link to Sakai presentation for LMS transition Sunset to Sunrise