An introduction to the Course Data Project

Samantha Scott – Project ManagerChris Gray – Quality Improvement Officer

What we are going to cover

• Introductions• Course information/data– our current position• The challenges• Future requirements• Project overview – meeting those challenges• Project Scope and timescales• How we could be working by March 2013• Support – what we are asking from you

In a nutshell...

“The Course Data Project is a multi-faceted project that will be a driver for change in how we develop, validate and market Postgraduate courses, leading to the creation of a single source (database) of postgraduate course information. This will support the delivery of accurate and consistent information to our customers and 3rd party organisations and reduce duplication leading to greater efficiency across the organisation, improved data quality and cost savings.”

Why?• Number of people required to

be involved in the process• Range of sources that hold the

specific pieces of information required across the institution

• Range of formats the key content is held in (PDF’s, single documents held on local drives)

• Ownership of different pieces of information relating to courses i.e. faculty, Student Office, Quality, Admissions, Marketing

• Accuracy – by having multiple sources – often creating conflicting/inconsistent information – data management

• Capacity/extra workload created due to the current practises – too busy

• Resource to manage and update sources of information our customers may use (including our own website, 3rd part aggregators and our own course information

• Not using technology effectively

ThesisTridion

3rd party aggregator websites

Central functions and faculties (the wider university) dataMultiple spread sheets, databases, files saved on individual’s computers/drives covering :

Award concept, award design, validation, data storage, documentation, reporting and content to support marketing and creation of literature and web content

Multiple administrators and various “versions of the truth”

FacultyQISStudent

OfficeMktg

and PRUK Rec and Admissions

Multiple web authors inc. Central Digital Mktg team

App

Social Media Staffs

Website

Mktg Literature

Direct mail (new and existing customers)Reporting

(HEFCE, etc)

CRM

Current

Future Challenges we have to meet

• QAA audit• KIS – currently underway for UG – PG next• Important aspect of customer engagement –

what our information says about us• Increasingly competitive marketplace• Ability to be agile and flexible in the way we

promote ourselves – to do this we need to be able to obtain accurate information quickly

• Reputation

Scope

Idea/conception (Award Planning form) build on existing process

Award development and validation and data storage (Award handbook/ programme specification, quality processes and storage on thesis)

Publication, marketing online, 3rd party aggregators, auditing and reporting

Review and re-define the way we manage PG course data internally

ScopeScope currently is detailed as:• Creation of a database that provides a single source of truth• PgC, PgD and Masters awards• Includes International• Excludes Partners• Should provide a framework that is expandable to all courses this could inc. UG, partners, B2B and hold other relevant marketing related information in future phases • Reviews and streamlines the appropriate internal processes around course management• Migrates course data from a variety of sources into one place• Can link to aggregator and third part sites such as UCAS• Includes the data fields outlined by JISC as a minimum

Includes Academic Planning, Marketing, Quality, Sales, Student recruitment, Student Office, Student Experience and CRM – then for further consultation with faculties, key stakeholders and Exec Support.

Work packages overview (May2012 -March 2013)WORKPACKAGES Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

1. Project Management Jan-MarMay - Mar

2: Detailed Review of Course Marketing Processes and Procedures

Jan-MarJun-Jul

3: Detailed Review of Course Processes and Procedures

Jan-MarJul Aug

4: Definition of Combined Marketing and Course Model

Mar-AprSept

5: Requirements Analysis of Course Database and XCRI-CAP field

May-JunAug - Sep

6: Design to-be processes and procedures for on-going management of Course Data

Jun-SepMid Oct - Nov

7: Development, Test and Implementation of Course Database and XCRI-CAP Feed

Jul-NovInitial dev (Aug-Sep)Customisation Dec-Jan

8: Data migration / Data Entry

Nov-MarJan-Feb

9: Implementation of new Processes and Procedures

Jan-MarJan-Mar

What the project needs from you• Support to identify who the change may involve so that we can talk

to and engage the right people in developing a solution that will work for them and other stakeholders and use existing practises that are working

• Advise us on the right meetings, frequency with which to provide updates

• Appreciate that we will need to embark upon training and testing – we will need faculty staff to undertake this (timing is likely to be Nov- February) and work with us to advise on the best ways to do this

• Identify and be project advocates to support internal communication/updates to staff and the change process required to may this work

How we could be working by March 2013

Core Data/course information from each stage of the creation and validation process – input to a single database from across the university (not stored on word docs/pdf’s – but entered via a web portal)

Additional information required by JISC collated an input in addition to Marketing related information entered also for each course

Outputs include automated updates to 3rd party aggregators (that are compatible)

Documents could be exported at each stage from the data within the database

Links to Thesis and Tridion to ensure 1 course list feeds other databases and that interoperability exists with other systems – less manual

Next Steps

• Please put forward ideas and suggestions by collaborating via Titan pad http://titanpad.com/or9TTdCUZW - all comments required by 7/9.12

• Useful video: http://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/coursedata/about/• This presentation is available at:

• Please have a look at the Course Data Project Blog accessible from www.staffs.ac.uk/projects

• Search for #StaffsXcri on Twitter

What does XCRI-CAP stand for?Definition: eXchange Course Related Information – Course

Advertising Profile

• The UK standard for describing course marketing information, showing how to structure the information, defines and names the data components and specifies the types of data permitted within each component.

• It gives organisations the capability to offer new and enhanced services to users of course related information. Its standard format allows and common definitions make it possible for information in different systems to be shared and update without having to re-enter it –interoperability!

• Blog: http://blogs.staffs.ac.uk/coursedata• Twitter: #StaffsXCRI