Supporting further and higher education MLEs and the JISC SWaNI Programme Veronica Adamson Jane Plenderleith Glenaffric Ltd

Background to JISC MLE Programme JISC Five year strategy ( ) Help institutions create and maintain Managed Learning Environments (MLEs) to support students JISC leads UK FE and HE sectors in the innovative use of technology –Funds JANET –Funds many services including advisory services, licensing deals for electronic content, delivers thousands of electronic objects to FE and HE –Funds development programmes that work with FE and HE to explore key technologies –£60m annual budget

Institutional context and drivers English FE funded and encouraged to research MLEs and open standards Scottish FE funding specifically for VLEs HE: –increasing use of technology and VLEs –mainstreaming learning technologies –national strategies such as NGfL, UfI/SUfI and the e-University

MLEs defined ‘The whole range of information systems and processes of an institution (including a VLE if appropriate) that contribute directly, or indirectly, to learning and the management of that learning.’ (JISC MLE Steering Group, 2000) MLEs are concepts not physical systems MLEs are particular to an institution UK-specific term at the moment (growing international interest)

Quality Process Business Systems Learning Resources Curriculum Mapping Assessment Communication Delivery Tutor Support Tracking Other Agencies (e.g. HESA) Other Organisations Virtual Learning Environment Student Record System Off-Line Learning Registers Managed Learning Environment Reproduced by kind permission of BECTa

Business functions and supporting systems Administrative systems –Student registration Financial systems –Payroll Resource collection and maintenance –Estates management Staff and student support systems –Library systems –Student loans –Online learning (eg VLEs)

Interoperability Communication mechanisms between different MLE components: –Data for exchange –Data validation –Transport mechanism –Reusable learning objects –Student transcripts

IMS Leading body in terms of educational standards International body –Extensive UK representation Specifications are generic –Can be modified with extensions for local needs

Strategic MLE development Working with universities, FE colleges, and commercial companies to develop MLEs or parts of MLEs –Soft and hard issues –Technical systems integration –Using standards and specifications to: Describe what we want e-learning systems to do (e.g. learning design) Get systems to work together (interoperate) –Exploration of institutional processes and cultural change to support MLE implementation

JISC role in MLE development Funding institutions/consortia through development programmes –Providing support Project management Technical implementation –Providing resources Financial and technical –Providing impartial advice From a national (and international) perspective –Working with system vendors Making the outcomes available –Workshops, conferences, briefing papers, reports etc

JISC MLE Programme /2000 –MLE Steering Group –Building MLEs in HE programme 14 funded projects of 1-2 years –MLE Interoperability Projects in FE Awareness raising programme 12 funded projects of 1 year –Supporting activities Centre for Recording Achievement (CRA) CETIS Specific studies - authentication, landscape, cultural and organisational issues

JISC MLE Programme /2002 –Building MLEs across HE and FE Phase 1 - NIIMLE and SHELL –SWaNI FE Interoperability Projects 7 funded projects across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland –Linking Digital Libraries with Virtual Learning Environments (DiVLE) Recommended by Inspiral project 10 funded projects 2003/2005 –Building MLEs across HE and FE Phase 2 - NIIMLE and SHELL continue plus 9 other projects

SWaNI Programme Aims Follow-on from English FE pilots Further explore the theory that vendors can achieve interoperability between core component systems found in MLEs by designing and building each component system to agreed specifications To use IMS specifications (with FE extensions)

SWaNI Projects Scotland –Banff and Buchan –Perth (plus Lauder) –Falkirk (plus Stow, Stevenson, Fife and Glenrothes) Wales –Llandrillo –Menai –Sir Gar –Ystrad Mynach

Project Themes Perth - MIS/VLE (2-way) Falkirk - MIS/VLE Banff & Buchan - MIS/VLE/Intranet Sir Gar - Content packaging Menai - MIS/VLE + language Llandrillo - MIS/VLE Ystrad Mynach - Student transcripts/PDP

Formative Evaluation To contribute to the overall achievement of the programme which will maximise the long- term benefits to the sector and provide synergy with the MLE for Lifelong Learning Programme (01-01)

Objectives 1.To identify the project management activities and systems that are most effective in achieving project objectives 2.To explore factors influencing effective relationships with vendors and how these relationships may be sustained 3.To explore the models of consortium working used in the projects and evaluate their effectiveness 4.To identify and explore the organisational factors that are influential in determining the impact of project deliverables 5.To identify the aspects of programme management that most contribute to project activities 6.To investigate the overall impact and potential benefits of the SWaNI programme 7.To explore the extent to which cultural differences influence the achievements of the SWaNI programme 8.To establish the lessons that can be learned from the SWaNI programme with relevance to the MLEs for Lifelong Learning Programme and for future interoperability initiatives 9.To suggest themes, indicators and methods that may inform the summative evaluation of the SWaNI programme

The Process Initial consultation with Project Managers (telephone interviews) Attend SWaNI meetings Engage with MLE Evaluation Team (01-01) Documentary analysis: 1.Interview summary transcripts 2.Project reports etc 3.Related programme reports and studies Visit projects Other interviews - vendors, partners etc

Key Respondents ASWaNI programme manager, project leaders, project partners and other project workers BLead institution senior manager ideally with a strategic role in the provision of information systems, support and management within their institution CAdministrative staff who may be involved with the newly interoperable systems within their institution DAcademic staff who may be involved with the newly interoperable systems within their institution EVendors of the interoperability system technologies FAgencies with an over-arching role (CETIS, RSCs)

Project Management Hit the ground running Scope/Capacity/Naivety Project management toolkit Buy-in versus nurture

Relationships Vendors –Kite marking –Development planning Lead time Future direction Clear link to business objectives –Opportunity costs covered Attending meetings - travel etc –Need to be harassed to do things Consortia –Models Subgroup of larger consortium Chums –Formal agreements

Organisational and Cultural Factors Organisational Factors –The big ideas and plans versus reality –Academic staff and VLEs –Reasonable expectations Cultural Differences –FE/HE –Timing and national differences Scotland ahead? Northern Ireland SIS Wales LLWR

Impact and Benefits Sector Institutional Individual –Project staff –College staff –Learners

Findings on MLEs to date MLE development is particular to each institution Organisational issues are key to successful implementation Have not yet seen a ‘complete MLE’ in the UK FE or HE sectors (though many are under development) Standards and specifications have an important role to play –But are not a ‘magic’ solution to integration To be successful, institutions need to identify the drivers for change

Technical issues Application profiles –English FE pilots + extensions –Profiles agreed with vendors –XML schema devised Use cases –Understand business processes –Steep learning curve - slow to develop Transport mechanism –SOAP with attachments –Timescale too short for vendors - ad hoc solutions Testing –System –User

FE/HE community benefits MLE developer’s pack – step-by-step guide to MLE planning and implementation (Early 2004) –Case studies of implementation –Recommendations and guidelines for good and bad practice –Recommendations about the use of standards to create MLEs (the ‘building block’ approach) MLE Landscape Study – survey and report in July 2003 –More information about what the Jones’ are doing Free tools and ‘glueware’ Input to the development of international e-learning standards

Sources of information and advice Regional Support Centres JISC InfoNET –Started on 2 nd Jan 2003 –Supporting UK FE and HE in the planning and implementation of Information Systems –Information systems; learning and teaching technologies; approaches to technology

Supporting further and higher education Contacts Veronica Adamson - Jane Plenderleith - Glenaffric Ltd 14 Lewiston, Drumnadrochit, Inverness, IV63 6UW T: F: W: