Group Admins
Description
Session Description
This is a time where many institutions are evaluating and reviewing their VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) to ensure they are providing an appropriate and best in class online learning experience for students. A post 1992 University in the North of England investigated the market place as part of a regular review process to ensure that their incumbent VLE was still best in class and fulfilling the needs of the University. The outcome of this initial review lead the University to enter a procurement process and they have now selected a new VLE which was piloted in 2017/18 and will be rolled out institutionally in 2018/19. The University will share their procurement experience.
Specifically, the following topics will be discussed
Requirements Gathering (5 mins)
Project team structures (2 mins)
Project management strategy (2 mins)
Tender scoring strategy (5 mins)
Contract negotiations (1 min)
Questions and Answers ( 5 mins)
While each institution has different requirements of a VLE driven by pedagogy, structure and institutional strategy, the VLE is unquestionably one of the most important systems to students. “Virtual learning environments (VLE’s) are now well established in educational institutions as a means to structure, manage and deliver learning activities and content. They are recognised as having strengths in student tracking and managing online assessments”, (JISC, 2016). Ensuring that the institution selects the right product which delivers against current teaching and learning practice and has the flexibility to adapt to future trends and pedagogical approaches is key to provisioning a top class, sustainable online learning experience.
Student and staff’s experience of the VLE is key to fostering institutional engagement and has the potential to affect the student experience and subsequent score in the NSS (National Student Survey)
The University went through a comprehensive and detailed review of their needs to define a detailed requirement against which vendors were invited to tender. The functional requirements gathering and subsequent tender scoring will be examined in depth.
Institutional roll-out of the new VLE will be discussed and The University will share its goals and strategy for achieving them.
Lessons learned during the process will be a key takeaway for other institutions embarking on a similar process.
Session content: evaluation and reflection
The session is based upon an 2 year successful project to procure and implement a new VLE at The University of Huddersfield
References
JISC. 2016. Virtual learning environments. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/technology-and-tools-for-online-learning/virtual-learning-environments. [Accessed 19 March 2018].
