Professor Stephen Brown
JISC Technologies Centre
Choosing and Using MLEs and VLEs10 April 2001 Sheffield Hallam University
Choosing and Using MVLEs: An Australian Perspective
Overview
• Key decisions
• e-tools
• Australia
• Criteria
• UK
Key decisions
• VLE or MLE?
• DIY or Buy?
MLE or VLE?
MLE/VLE tools• AdminSTAR• Blackboard• British Aerospace• CBT Campus• Centra Symposium• ClassAct• Colloquia• CoMentor• COSE• First Class CC Gold• inClass• Ingenium• Interactive Training Manager• LearnWise • Lotus Learning Space• Lotus Pathware • Manager’s Edge• Merlin
• MENTOR• Mindlever• PARS• PHOENIX Networks• PHOENIX Web• Registrar 7 for Windows• SABA• SkillVantage Manager• Solstra• STAR• The Learning Environment• TopClass• Virtual Campus• Virtual Learning Network• Virtual U• WebCT
• WISDOM
MIS tools
• EBS• Genesis• HEMIS• MicroCompass• SAP• SCT/Banner
DIY or Buy?
• Open standards/”best of breed”– cost– flexibility– performance
• Proprietary systems– cost– speed of implementation– performance
Australia
• 38 funded universities• 2 private universities• Self accredited – audited by federal
government• Student numbers increasing• Increasing proportion female• 59% full time• 14% studying DL (94,000)
Australia
• < 50% straight from school
• 19% in 20s
• 34% 30-39
• 21% 40-49
• Mainly high – mid socio-economic groups
• 60% live in cities
Australia
• Reductions in teaching and support staff • Social justice/equity to economic drivers
– Savings – Revenue
• Shift from pure DL to hybrid delivery• Shift from print media to media mix• Shift from marginal activity in few HEIs to
mainstream activity widespread
RMIT
Goals
• Strengthen on-campus delivery
• Expand off-campus delivery, esp. Asia
• Market share in Global markets
• Efficiency gains/cost reductions
• Improving teaching quality
• Being seen to be current
• Graduate employability
History
• In-house RBL
• Web site proliferation
• Limited impact of earlier schemes
• Started 1996-1999
Management
• Strong VC with vision
• Top down leadership
• Central budget
• Senior champion
• Integrated IT Services/Educational technology units
Strategy
• DIY• Best of breed• Compulsory/voluntary• Standards
– mixture
• Tools– generic– simple
• Re-usable objects• Active server pages• Authentication hub• Single sign-on
Criteria
• Usability• Accessibility• Functionality• Robustness• Scalability
• Sustainability• Portability• Cost• Strategic framework
Conclusions
• MVLEs here
• 2/3 year lag
• Strategic tool
• DIY
• Proprietary systems temporary fix
• Best of breed
• Standards
UK developments
• FE MLE SG
• JCIEL projects
• CETIS
• E-University
Help
• http://multimedia.marshall.edu/cit/webct/compare
• http://www.ctt.bc.ca/landonline
• http://www.olin.nf.ca/landonline/index.
html
• http://www.focus.ac.uk
• http://www.jisc.ac.uk
Contact
Stephen Brown
JISC Technologies Centre
+44 (0)1904 434239
http://www.ltsn.ac.uk
Usability
• Interface design
• Badging
• Navigation model
• Language, spellings, terminology
• Support for learning?
• Pedagogic neutrality?
Accessibility
• Platform
• Software
• Network types
• Bandwidth
• On/off campus
• On/off line
Functionality (learners)
• Course schedule
• Course content
• Assignments
• Feedback
• Class lists
• Student home pages
• Individual student records
• Multimedia resources
• E-mail• Conferencing tools• Noticeboard
Synchronous collaboration
• Off-line working• Search tools• Bookmarking• Print• Customisable?
Functionality (tutors)
• Add/create/edit courses
• Student grouping• Assignment marking• Progress recording• Course/class
statistics
• Communication– individuals– groups
Functionality (admin)
• Student and staff registration
• Links to MIS• Authentication• Security • e-commerce
• System performance– availability– response times– usage volumes– usage patterns
Robustness
• Reliability
• Authentication
• Security
• Systems integration
• Installed user base
• Support 24 x 7
Scalability
• Single server?
• Single site?
• Network requirements?
• Staff development
• Technical support
• Content management
• 3rd party content
Sustainability
• Product development
• Market position
• Strategic alliances
Portability
• Content
• Pedagogic style
• Navigation models
• Interface design
• Standards
• Copyright
Cost
• Per user
• Per server
• Per site
• Per level of functionality
Strategic framework
• MLE/deployment strategy
• Institutional vision
• L&T strategy
• IT strategy
• Resourcing strategy
JCIEL
• CoManTLE• MARTINI• The Virtual Desk• SMILE• Institutionally secure
integrated data environment
• Student focus
• Generic integrated MIS
• Integrating CAA into an MIS
• CO3• Content packaging
and management• TIRCs
http://www.ecampus.dmu.ac.uk
Professor Stephen Brown
JISC
Senior Technology Adviser
