Documentation:Learning Environment

Learning Environment Project Page

Dedicated to enhancing TRU's online learning and teaching environment.


Improving the learning and teaching experience includes consistency in the learning environment for our students and staff. Moodle has been determined to be the potential preferred institutional fit at this point as it is open source and already used on campus. We are currently in the information gathering stage and are starting from a values perspective and drilling down to required functionality to meet those values. Please add your comments, thoughts, opinions and suggestions to these pages to help us capture all possible requirements. If you want to say something but not in a public forum, please contact Tanya, Brian or Jacquey to have the conversation.

Goals & Objectives (Draft)

To develop a learning environment students and faculty love that is alignment with the TRU Academic Plan and:

Is easy to use appropriate support when required
Supports learning that is:
1. Engaging and interactive
2. Supported (technical end user support? or...)
3. Open
4. Applied
5. Flexible
6. Research and data-driven
Is cost effective, sustainable and supports continuous improvement while encouraging back end efficiencies
Is implemented using a process that supports the needs of staff and faculty through appropriate process development, training and ongoing support

.

Prototype

A small group from Production, Instructional Design, Program Delivery and the Centre for Student Engagement have started work on a model to help visualize the possibilities.

Information Gathering

OL and Campus Students - Surveys and Focus Groups completed - Waiting on minutes from Student Advisory Committee
OLFM Workshop Feedback - Complete
Instructional Designers Feedback - In progress

Information Gathering

Phase I consultation with Faculties
Faculty Council meetings - Brian is working on being added to the upcoming agendas

Information Gathering
High Level Discussion Questions (click a link below)
What Do We Know (Or Think We Know)? What Do We Need to Find Out? What Do We Hope For? What Do We Fear? *** * Updated * ***
Drilling Down (click a link below)
What Do Open Learning Faculty Want? * * Updated * * What do Students Want? * * Updated * * What Does the Curriculum Development Team Want? * * New' * * What Does Campus Faculty Want? * * 'New' * *
Emerging Themes (click a link below)
End user Interface Developing a system easy for both students and faculty Course Development and Delivery Process Processes, Information, Rules and People Successful Learning Research & Data Driven, Supported, Engaged & Interactive, Open, Applied Other Considerations Anything missed in the above categories

What are other universities and colleges finding?

Ryerson University conducted a survey of the Ryerson community and asked "What Do You Need from Ryerson's Online Learning and Teaching Systems?"
- http://lms.blog.ryerson.ca/2013/11/18/survey_results/
Washington State University has posted the top ten findings from their Learning Management Survey Results.
- http://lmsevaluation.wsu.edu/Documents/WSU_LMS_Survey_Summary.pdf
The University of Calgary has provided a well defined document that provides their process of moving to Desire 2 Learn. The document includes LMS Evaluation Survey Comments in Appendix A:
- http://web.archive.org/web/20140801131817/http://elearn.ucalgary.ca/files/elearn/LMS-RFP-Engagement-Report.pdf (please note, this in an archived webpage displayed using the wayback machine from April 23, 2014)
Learning Analytics: What do students want from a learning analytics app?
- http://sclater.com/blog/what-do-students-want-from-a-learning-analytics-app/
Educause: Selecting a Learning Management System: Advice from an Academic Perspective
- http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/selecting-learning-management-system-advice-academic-perspective