The future of online learning environments at

Stirling

From WebCT to …

Simon Booth

•CRDLT Centre Manager

• Information Services WebCT Administrator

Current Position: Usage

•Using WebCT (Web Course Tools) 2.1 (current WebCT version 3.6)– 3,000 students taking at least a

single course– 80 courses– Education, Social Work, French,

Film & Media, Dementia, Nursing, CLI, others

Current Position: Integration

•WebCT is stand-alone system– No integration with NT password

data– No integration with Registry data

(students or courses)– The integration you see is a

sleight of hand

Working Party

•Looking at upgrade/replacement for WebCT– WebCT Campus Edition– Blackboard– Virtual Campus– SABA– And many, many others

Definitions

• VLE - Virtual Learning Environment –content, communications, assessment (standalone system)

• MLE - Managed Learning Environment = VLE + Integration with back office systems (i.e. NT password/LDAP & Registry data)

• Stirling considering move from VLE to MLE

Definitions

• IMS - Information Management Systems– Collection of specifications (not

standards)– Enterprise spec broadly about staff,

students and courses (could be used to tie together SAP and SRS and VLE)

– LIP = Learner Information Profile (interests, qualifications, competencies)

– Content Packaging is to move materials between systems (learning objects)

– Based on XML

Definitions

• SCORM – Sharable Content Object Reference Model– Focussed on moving content from system

to system (like content packaging)– XML Based

• AICC – Aviation Industry CBT Committee– Focussed to moving information between

SRS and VLE (like enterprise)– Series of tests

Web Addresses

• IMS – http://www.imsglobal.org/

•SCORM – http://www.adlnet.org/

•AICC – http://www.aicc.org/

The Future

•All proposed systems are MLEs and “support” IMS specifications

•All support enterprise deployment– Tools to automatically handle

courses (i.e. course backed-up and removed from system at set date)

– Can be integrated with back office systems

A Possible Future

•All students automatically registered with system

•All courses have “basic” site (can be used as standard web site or exploit system’s tools)

•System automatically knows what courses/units particular student is taking

A Possible Future

• Integration with portal– Students see area of portal with

their current courses– Calendar containing all course

dates (with the ability for student to add personal materials)

– Course based announcements

Summary

•University looking at online learning

•Do nothing (2.1 -> 3.7 Q1 2002)

•Upgrade– Better interface– Tighter integration with existing

systems– Scalable solution

Web Addresses

•WebCT – http://www.webct.com/

•Blackboard – http://www.blackboard.com/

•Virtual Campus – http://www.teknical.com/