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E-Learning ProjectSteering Group Committee
8th September 2005
Facilitating WebCT uptake in c.40 Biology courses
Agenda
1. Background and remit of committee (PMcL)2. Technical report (KH)3. Future direction (PMcL/KH)4. Any other business
The problems
A solution
•Consistency of design – user familiarity- ease of updating (1)•Steep Learning curve for academics/secretaries (2)•Access to Information for course management (Wisard, BTO database) (3)•Updating and checking consistency of many web pages(4)•Support for “sick notes” (5)•Support for multiple choice questions (6)•Course Books – tedious to update and keep consistent (7)
FAQ (2)
Specific todesign
Biology Teaching Organisation – ColdFusion Database(3)
Consistent interface (1)
Submit sick note (5)
Manage QuestionBanks(6)
Web ContentManagement(4)
Course Book(7)
Template
Original version built summer 04 Course books are used to populate template Tidied up and tweaked this year Trying this year to give ALL course staff some
level of access
Staff & Student Feedback
Students: Course questionnaires for staff who actively used
WebCT An e-learning questionnaire filled in by 16% of the
BTO students (see appendix 1)
Staff: Informal chats An e-learning questionnaire filled in by 31% of BTO
teaching staff (see appendix 2)
Training & Help
Individual COs 4 awareness sessions ran before Xmas Face-to-face tutorials Summer: short training sessions focussing on specifics
(as requested in staff questionnaires) New documentation and training material developed
[show] Away Day for administrative staff Honours staff starting to come on-board Interest from BTO teaching staff/admin staff increasing
PRS
“Clickers” Successful in bidding for funding to run PRS with
MAC1 (400 students with a clicker each) Overlap with this project but should allow the
project to be supported for longer Hope to link the ‘clicker’ system into
WebCT/VLE eventually.
WebCT Tools
Announcements tool nearly ready [demo]Staff feedback and course usage
Hope to build more WebCT tools over the coming year.
General Issues & Problems
VLE – final decision to be madeWill impact documentation, training, and tool
development no matter what decision is made Training sessions not well attended,
everyone wants individual help! Workload slowing progress down
Course Information Database
Staff external to course can view details Keeping same info on web-site means updating
two (or three) different sources Maybe use a course database to create course
guides manually – or vice versa?
Course Information Database
Course Database
Course Data
Course Book
Intranet and WebCT
Public Web-site
Guides for years
Course Information Database
Course Database
Course Book
(coded in XML)
Intranet and WebCT
Public Web-site
…or…..
Issues…
Course books are too differentNeed to structure more strictlyToo many sources of similar information
“University owned information” will not be easy to get until EUCLID comes online (when?)
Need help to get data collected and corrected!
Current Status
Areas of course are database driven now (quick demo)
BUT no admin interface at the moment:Waiting for EASE to be installed on server
before starting to develop authentication Admin interface will also be the same for
School web-site
Future
CMS QM Perception Announcement Tool Sick note Data Entry
Searchable Help Semi-auto’ Marking PRS Course Book Update
Threats
WebCT 6 Strategy imposed Staff time Accessibility Copyright
Strategy
How to foster “e-learning” rather than just providing a repository for lecture notes?
How to make good on promise to save time?
Advisable to have database-driven course books?
Academic paper(s)?