Going beyond structure: developing a VLE course template that supports, engages and inspires [18-181 Home : ALT Annual Conference 2018

Going beyond structure: developing a VLE course template that supports, engages and inspires [18-181

Public Group Active 3 years, 8 months ago

Tue, Sep 11 2018, 4:30pm – 5:30pm

Authors: Adam Elce

Room: Rm 1.219

Theme: Collaboration for Learning Technology

Type: Work-in-progress report/experimental session – 30mins

Description

Session Description

BGU have spent the past 18 months evaluating their use of their VLE in collaboration with students, staff and sector specialists, leading to a move to the latest version of Blackboard, the take up of new and innovative tools, and the construction of a new course/module template with the aim to promote the value of digital technologies and create a culture of innovative digital practice.

Earlier in 2017-18 we launched our new digital framework, mapping our ambitions as an institution to the work being undertaken on the ground and this new template, together with an accompanying rubric that supports academic staff in its use, we hope to challenge our colleagues to maximise the opportunities presented to them by modern learning technology to best prepare our students for their future careers.

This session links to the theme of Collaboration for Learning Technology on two accounts. The first is relating to the consultation process involving various support teams and a wide range of academics that led to the decision to remain with Blackboard, adopt the new Blackboard Ultra system, and informed the development of the template and rubric document. The second is how the new VLE template has been configured to promote greater engagement with the VLE, learning materials and learning process, with a focus on collaboration utilising some of the new and existing tools that facilitate social learning.

Session content: evaluation and reflection

We will present our approaches to consulting with users in order to understand key requirements, showcase our refreshed VLE template and share our digital framework and VLE rubric with those present. We will encourage feedback from the floor, take questions and even provide an offer to support those that are interested in replicating our methods. There will be opportunities either in session or afterwards to access and navigate the template and also for others to share their own experiences of similar projects.

Participants will be invited to access the template and rubric documents and provide feedback, whilst benefitting from our shared experiences of evaluating the use of the VLE, developing a new aesthetically enhanced template and the approach that we are taking to support our users’ use of learning technologies. Following the session and event, BGU are keen to share our work further afield and if there is interest, support those that are currently in this process or considering reviewing their use of digital tools or enhancing their learning management systems.