New WebLearn Service – Feb 2008 Adam Marshall, Learning Technologies Group, OUCS, Oxford University.

Objectives of Talk Sakai vs Bodington Sakai vs Bodington Toolset Toolset Content migration Content migration Timeline / Plan Timeline / Plan Pilots Pilots How to follow progress How to follow progress

Current Situation Based on Bodington OSS ( Based on Bodington OSS ( Campus metaphor: buildings, floors, rooms Campus metaphor: buildings, floors, rooms OUCS introduced in OUCS introduced in Production service from 2004 Production service from 2004 – 2004: 3411 users, resources, hits/week – 2005: 4781 users, resources, hits/week – 2006: 6790 users, resources, hits/week – Med Sci (32%), Life Sci (22%), Humanities (18%) – 50% registered Oxford users have logged in – most departments and 1/3 colleges on board Same team for both systems: less Bodington development now. Thinner upgrades. Same team for both systems: less Bodington development now. Thinner upgrades.

Why Change? Bodington community too small: 3 HEIs Bodington community too small: 3 HEIs Leeds & UHI replacing Bodington anyway Leeds & UHI replacing Bodington anyway Out of date software: poor architecture Out of date software: poor architecture Lack of tools Lack of tools Current situation is unsustainable Current situation is unsustainable

WebLearn Future Strategic decision to shift delivery framework to Sakai (sakaiproject.org) Strategic decision to shift delivery framework to Sakai (sakaiproject.org) Called ‘WebLearn Beta’ Called ‘WebLearn Beta’ Will run in parallel with Bodington for 2 years. Dual service: ‘WebLearn’ Will run in parallel with Bodington for 2 years. Dual service: ‘WebLearn’ Addresses many user requests Addresses many user requests Will maintain most Bodington tools / services Will maintain most Bodington tools / services

Why Sakai? Sakai satisfies all original requirements: Sakai satisfies all original requirements: –Flexibility, devolved administration, group management, news, calendars, tracking, assessment, personal space, timed-release, syllabus info, …. Enterprise application Enterprise application Better OSS model & community (Affiliates: Oracle, IBM, Sun; Support: rSmart, Unicon) Better OSS model & community (Affiliates: Oracle, IBM, Sun; Support: rSmart, Unicon) Large user-base Large user-base Good UK community (Cambridge, Hull, CCLRC, Lancaster) Good UK community (Cambridge, Hull, CCLRC, Lancaster)

Sakai USPs Cleaner interface Cleaner interface Better usability and accessibility Better usability and accessibility Simpler access control!!! Simpler access control!!! Extensive documentation incl. videos Extensive documentation incl. videos More tools (see later) More tools (see later) File management vastly improved File management vastly improved –Easy bulk upload: webDAV ‘Proper’ search (indexes Word docs, PDF, PPT) ‘Proper’ search (indexes Word docs, PDF, PPT) Site statistics Site statistics Facebook iGoogle integration Facebook iGoogle integration Oodles more……. Oodles more…….

Tool Comparison Most Bodington tools are bettered Most Bodington tools are bettered –Maybe not: logbook and peer marking. –Survey & stats tells us importance (WL wiki) –See: (in progress) No Buildings / Floors! No Buildings / Floors! We are writing We are writing –Hierarchy / devolved admin –Translate to UK English –Webauth –Groups Service interface –Bring tools in line with Bodington, new EasyWriter –Content migration code

New Tools Announcements Announcements More question types More question types Site membership / user profile Site membership / user profile User poll (vote) User poll (vote) Wiki (based on SnipSnap) Wiki (based on SnipSnap) Mail list / archive Mail list / archive Tutorial sign-up sheet (2009) Tutorial sign-up sheet (2009) Chat Chat Diary / course ‘blog’ Diary / course ‘blog’ Usable forum! Usable forum!

So what about groups? Groups service being written by OUCS Groups service being written by OUCS Essential for ODIT ‘Groupware’ project Essential for ODIT ‘Groupware’ project Also for Uni’s ID Management project Also for Uni’s ID Management project Will be read / write: use cases from Bodington Will be read / write: use cases from Bodington Will integrate with the New WebLearn service (but not Bodington) Will integrate with the New WebLearn service (but not Bodington)

Accessibility We are currently running trails with Disability Office We are currently running trails with Disability Office Promising comments: “Better than Bodington” Promising comments: “Better than Bodington” No major issues No major issues Some small tweaks Some small tweaks

Documentation / Training Courses will be similar to Bodington Courses will be similar to Bodington –ITLP course (starts 2009/10) –VLE team courses Documentation: will modify existing Documentation: will modify existing –Tool based –Activity based –Working with Cambridge and Hull –Video tutorials –On-line (pop up) help –FAQ (see WebLearn wiki) –Look at Documentation / Help site in WebLearn Beta

Data Migration Quite a task! Quite a task! Ideally users do it Ideally users do it –Seems reasonable for MyWebLearn –Opportunity for consolidation / tidying up Realistically we must help but manpower limited! Realistically we must help but manpower limited! Pilot migration from Michaelmas 08 – initially partially manual, zip up to desktop then webDAV? Pilot migration from Michaelmas 08 – initially partially manual, zip up to desktop then webDAV? Easy: files, HTML, links, RSS Easy: files, HTML, links, RSS What about Questionnaires? Forum? Logbook? Deeply nested rooms? Must work out details. What about Questionnaires? Forum? Logbook? Deeply nested rooms? Must work out details.

User Consultation Stakeholders very important Stakeholders very important Survey – see WebLearn wiki Survey – see WebLearn wiki –Have also looked at usage stats (Wiki) Will talk face to face Will talk face to face Early adopters site: Early adopters site: –

Timeline – Key dates Mini-pilots now Mini-pilots now Jun 2008: Pilot year (Sakai v2.5) Jun 2008: Pilot year (Sakai v2.5) –Read only Groups Service –Data migration –Try out some training Jan 2009 Production hardware starts Jan 2009 Production hardware starts Jun 2009 Production service (Sakai v2.6?) Jun 2009 Production service (Sakai v2.6?) –Dual service, single login –Read write Groups Service –Training starts week 8 –Data migration Sep 2011 Bodington becomes read only Sep 2011 Bodington becomes read only

Follow Progress Via wiki – lots of material: Via wiki – lots of material: Tasks in Jira: Tasks in Jira: Overview: Overview: VLE news feed VLE news feed LTG newsletter LTG newsletter

Fin