2. Creating a UW Online Environment for Learning: UWOnE Andrea Chappell LT3 and IST, University of Waterloo October 2002

3. UWOnE - October 20022 What is UWOnE? UWOnE, the University of Waterloo Online Environment, is an online learning space to facilitate: Activities Communications Online course resources Support for the instructor and student

4. UWOnE - October 20023 UWOnE: Activities Activities form the basis of learning Designed to: – Engage – Give feedback – Help track progress

5. UWOnE - October 20024 UWOnE: Communications Instructors and Students Students and students Remote content experts What are the options? (email, Web, ICQ, videoconferencing, …)

6. UWOnE - October 20025 UWOnE: Online content Only a small part of the picture! Key is the knowledge building Content includes: – Basic course materials – Supplemental – Remedial – Advanced

7. UWOnE - October 20026 UWOnE: Support “How to”, FAQs Flow of new information sources: – Library – Learning Object repositories – others

8. UWOnE - October 20027 Our Goals 1. Support rethinking while moving online 2. Create "buffer zone" between courses and online tools 3. Unify UW branding 4. Build a framework for equal support across campus

9. UWOnE - October 20028 Do environments already exist? Learning Management Systems (LMS) Provide an integrated framework Provide online toolset Many to choose from Starting to adopt standards (enabling exchange between LMS)

10. UWOnE - October 20029 What LMS has UW considered? Virtual U (1998) WebCT (2000 trial) Blackboard (2000 trial, adopted 2001) CyberLearning Labs’ Angel (2002 investigation) Also investigated: – Top Class – Lotus Learning Space

11. UWOnE - October 200210 Why not LMS for UWOnE? Don’t support Rethinking: – Restrictive, linear approach to content – Single (or no) pedagogical model No buffer zone, tools part of LMS – Tied to one set of “good enough” tools Vendor X branding, not UW branding Expensive to integrate into UW infrastructure

12. UWOnE - October 200211 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)

13. UWOnE - October 200212 UWonE: Tools 2) Tools Used to support course: – T5 editor for task creation – Online activities tools – Delivery mechanisms – Course administration tools 1)T5 3) Gateway

14. UWOnE - October 200213 Tools: T5 Editor Homegrown T5 model-based editor Supports model by: – Providing layout structure (template) for task creation – Soon will automatically integrate tools to a task Instructional “tags” will provide means to search and share content in new ways

15. UWOnE - October 200214 Tools: Activity Toolset WebBoard – online discussion forum Distance Educations developed tools: – Group assignment upload, management, feedback – One minute summary (course review) – Automated group allocations – Audio feedback from professors – Many others

16. UWOnE - October 200215 Tools: Activity Toolsets con’t Blackboard as LMS – Self assessment quizzes – Online discussions – Marks management – Some assignment upload Use direct URLs into specific tool Not for content storage Solid, but not easy to adapt to UWOnE

17. UWOnE - October 200216 Tools: What’s next? Review of quiz/test facilities Angel from CyberLearning Labs – Another LMS, would replace Blackboard – Have access to code to integrate more tightly to UWOnE – Work with CLL to make changes to tools – Has some “gateway” features

18. UWOnE - October 200217 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

19. UWOnE - October 200218 Coming … the Gateway What is it? – Portal-ish interface to all of Online Environment Recognizes user to tailor info to suit User can tailor information Status for professor and students on course progress – Single sign-on? – Central authentication? What’s Happening? – uPortal investigation (to end May) – Angel investigation (starting end May)

20. UWOnE - October 200219 Supporting UWOnE LT3 supports UWonE through: – departments/Faculties with local support, – individuals already working with LT3 New hire to support admin side of Bb, Wb, etc. IST contribution: – some tech-only tool use – recent retreat voiced support of more LT support Where do others go? Balance of expectations (early adopters vs starters)

21. UWOnE - October 200220 Support – Who’s involved? 2 workshop facilitators (~ 0.30, 0.6 FTEs) 1 T5 workshop co-op 1.2 co-op T5 editor coders Part of 1 courseware support person 0.4 FTE for 4 months for uPortal 0.6 FTE co-op for Angel development

22. UWOnE - October 200221 In a picture …

23. UWOnE - October 200222 Recapping 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 Want to be able to maneuver in tool space – Avoid being tied to VendorX LMS Want to experiment, but live through it!

24. UWOnE - October 200223 Questions? UWonE: http://ist.uwaterloo.ca/~chappell/LT3/UWonE LT3: http://lt3.uwaterloo.ca Angel: http://www.cyberlearninglabs.com