Introduction

LEARNING FORUMA blank canvas: next steps with the new VLE

- About the new VLE

- Key features

- Timescales and availability

- Support, migration and training

Dr John Couperthwaite, Operations Manager (Educational Technology)

Why Change ? (1)

“Quality higher education, open to all that combines learning through doing and social interactions with world-class storytelling from renowned institutions. It can be accessed any time and anywhere; it aggregates the best online learning materials; it uses the presence of a massive number of learners and the data they produce in innovative ways to improve learning; it challenges and rewards learners and celebrates small steps of progress and the big achievements.”

FutureLearn, 2013

"The certainties of the past are no longer certainties. The models of higher education that marched triumphantly across the globe in the second half of the 20th Century are broken," write the report authors, Sir Michael Barber, Katelyn Donnelly and Saad Rizvi.

"Just as globalisation and technology have transformed other huge sectors of the economy in the past 20 years, in the next 20 years universities face transformation."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21670959

Why Change ?

Why Change ? (2)Why Change ?

“If we succeed in blending this ever-richer range of teaching and learning opprotunties, and do so in a learning environment which locally and globally remains committed to the highest quality, there will never have been a better time or a better place to be a university lecturer.”

Canvas Screen

Personalised access to core course tools

Fully editable page with simple tools to

add links to additional pages, tools and other

courses

WebCT style toolbar with tool links

activated if available

Toggle between Admin / Teacher and

Student modes

A list of recently updated files and

course tools

Key FeaturesKey Features

LEARNING

COURSE MANAGEMENT

ASSESSMENT

COMMUNICATION

- Easy page authoring- Rapid content linking- Integration with Creative Commons- Integration with social media

- Recent activity dashboard- Personalised Web2.0 alerts- Mobile website and app- Collaborative working tool

- To do lists- Fully integrated Syllabus tool- Learning Outcomes- Group sign up pages

- Custom rubrics- Rapid marking and feedback- Full integration with all tools- Analytics dashboard

Key differences· its openness (files uploaded are available to students by default; courses can be

made available to the public)

· ease of use (interface is not limited to standard form controls)

· rich content editor’s integrated multimedia features (Kaltura built in to stream uploaded video; staff and students can record audio/video on the fly)

· Web 2.0 features (students can receive notifications in other social media sites)

· integrated assessments and Speed-Grader (for rapid online marking and feedback

· Instructure’s agile development cycle (updates every two weeks)

Anatomy of WebCT

module module module module module

The Anatomy of a WebCT Section

Pages as FOLDERS

Text as HEADERS and FOOTERS

Resources as ASSETS in FOLDERS

Anatomy of CanvasThe Anatomy of a Canvas Course

Pages as PAGES

No FOLDERS

RESOURCES embedded in pages

Planned RoadmapPlanned Roadmap

Stage Milestone(s) DatesProcurement& awareness raising

Complete contract negotiations (terms; safe harbour; EU hosting)

April 2013

System Integration

Authentication and course (banner) sychronisation; support websites

May 2013

Training eLearning Team will lead a structured training programme for staff

June 2013

Live Service Canvas will be available to staff June 2013

WebCT Migration

A service will be available to export some content from existing WebCT courses

From June 2013

Launch The VLE will be available to students for the 2013/4 academic year.

Sept 2013

WebCT switch off

WebCT will be permanently switched off Jul – Sept 2014

What can you do now ? + Q & AWhat can you do now ?

1. Review your WebCT site: engagement with students; structure; and resources;

2. Sign up for a demo, http://www.instructure.com/;

3. Speak to myself, Peter Rainger or Dalbir Kang;

4. Consider if other teaching and other support staff will need training;

5. Review whether WebCT content will require migrating;

6. Consider whether releasing to your students in Sept 2013 is possible

7. …watch the demo…