Creating a UW Online Environment for Learning Andrea Chappell LT3 and IST, University of Waterloo Presentation for MBET Group 14 June 2002

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)2 What is a UW online Environment? A place for … Course content – Basic, supplemental, remedial, etc. Communications between instructor/student, student/student, student/expert, etc. Online activities to support the course Supporting the instructor and student online

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)3 Learning Management Systems? A LMS provides a lot of those features There are lots to choose from … even a couple we could afford! UW has chosen Blackboard as a LMS, but … – we’re using it differently than most – we don’t want to stay committed to one

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)4 When is an LMS the answer? When you want … … an easy way for faculty to control their own course environment. … to present a common course look & feel. … to improve course administration processes. … to standardize on a toolset to economize on cost and support.

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)5 I say again, when is an LMS the answer? (Rephrased) When you want … … a way to dump course notes on the Web for no pedagogical gain? … to present a VendorX look & feel while paying them to advertise their Product? … to add to course administration processes? … to pay a lot of money for a mediocre toolset which the vendor might not progress?

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)6 Our Goals for UWonE Provide support for rethinking teaching while moving online – Content isn’t “king”, our professors are! Create "buffer zone" between courses and tools – So we can change tool sets! Unify UW look and feel (a UW "branding”) Build a framework for new online courses with equal support across campus

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)7 UW online Environment (“UWonE”) Three infrastructure components: 1. Pedagogical model (T5) is foremost! 2. Tools for online course activity (discussions, self assessment, group work, assignment feedback) 3. “Gateway” (pulling it all together)

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)8 T5 Model: a “T’s”-er Tasks (drives student through Topics) Tutoring (feedback: generic, peer, instructor, …) Tools (online activity: discussion, quiz, simulations, …) Topics (the content: course notes, online resources, animations,...) Teams (groups working together)

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)9 UWonE: Pedagogical model – T5 1) Pedagogical model for going online: T5 Founded in: – Tasks which drive students through the course content – Tutoring that provides feedback to students 2)Tools 3) Gateway

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)10 UWonE: Tools 2) Tools Used to support course: – Online activities – Online course “task holder” creation (not content) – T5 editor – Delivery – Course admin. 1)T5 3) Gateway

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)11 UWonE: Gateway 3) Gateway Integration – Central authentication – Population from classlists, synch’ing drops and adds Supports online users – Tips and how-to’s for students and faculty – Status information 1)T5 2) Tools

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)12 In a picture …

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)13 T5 Model: Supporting the Process “The New Classroom” Workshop 3 half days over 3 weeks Up to 20 faculty at a time Focus on designing task and tutoring Support for move online via the T5 Editor

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)14 T5 Model: T5 Editor Homegrown template++ editor Supports model by: – Providing layout structure (template) for task creation – Automatically integrate tools to task area (coming this summer) Exportable to standalone HTML

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)15 T5 Model: Big Finish Key is to tie pedagogy to the technology – Some “faculty development” programs teach why and tech., but don’t pull them together – T5 model provides framework for online activity – T5 editor provides mechanics for instructor: independence and support for their model adoption Tech to back burner, puts learning model first

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)16 Tools: Current Blackboard WebBoard – online discussions DE developed tools: – Group assignment upload, management, feedback – One minute summary (frequent course review) – Automated group assignments – Audio feedback from professors – Etc.

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)17 Tools: Blackboard One of the top two LMS (other WebCT) “OK” for self-assess quizzes, online discussions, marks, assignment upload Very restrictive model (linear, disjoint) Very $$ to hook into enterprise systems (e.g. SISP) Can’t modify it at all!

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)18 Tools: Blackboard (cont’d) Not going through front door! – Use direct URLs into specific tool for specific course (turn LMS upside down) – Not for content storage! …T5 db contains task content + resource uploads Solid trustworthy system that we will someday want to replace How to change if too many “hooked”?

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)19 Tools: What’s next? Maybe QuestionMark Perception quiz/test Angel from CyberLearning Labs (LMS!) – Have access to code and API so, …Modifiable! – Want to reach in to more tools – Make changes to tools – Has some “gateway” features

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)20 Supporting UWonE LT3 supports UWonE through: – departments/Faculties with local support, – individuals already working with LT3 New DCE person to support tool sets IST contribution: – Software system support – some tech-only tool use – recent retreat voiced agreement of more LT support

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)21 Recapping (finally) Want our own online model (T5) for engaging students online – LMS don’t offer enough pedagogical flexibility – Waiting for a “drop in your model” LMS! Meanwhile, T5 editor and workshop and tools Want to be able to maneuver in tool space – Avoid being tied to VendorX LMS Want to experiment, but live through it!

MBET Overview (14 June 2002)22 Questions? UWonE: LT3: Angel: