By Graham Cook

Project team releases report to guide the process on to the next phase

Following a consultation process which took place over much of the previous academic year by the WebCT Replacement Project team, the results have now been released. The report, titled “Principles and Needs to Inform the Determination of a LMS [Learning Management System] at SFU”, outlines what the group found to be needed in a replacement for the current system. The replacement process was prompted by Blackboard’s decision to phase out the program at the end of 2012 and is occurring across North America.

The report stated that 21,000 students used WebCT during the Spring 2011 semester. Of these students, over 6,600 of them, a number higher than anticipated, participated in a student survey that ran throughout January 2012. Also, an “admittedly limited” group of 16 students, ranging from first years to graduate students, took part in face-to-face consultations. Most of these 16 were described as stating that “WebCT is more difficult and cumbersome to use than they would like,” as well as pointing out that the system does not operate well on mobile devices.

The report deals extensively with assessing what the university needs in a new LMS. Quoting feedback from the consultation process, it states that “one size does not fit all when it comes to learning management systems. So we need to be able to customize our systems.” It concludes by emphasizing that, among other points, the new system must advance “learner-to-content, learner-to-learner, and learner-to expert teaching and learning.”

Mark Bachmann, communications officer at the Teaching and Learning Centre, spoke with The Peak about the recent release. He described the document as “a compilation of the responses we got from the students as well as faculty and staff,” with the overarching goal of receiving commentary from everybody involved in the academic community at SFU. Bachmann also added that the number one priority mentioned during the consultation process was flexibility. He credited this to the movement that has occurred from desktops to more mobile devices, adding that it is impossible to predict what will be in place three or five years in the future. Therefore, his position is that the new system must be able to address these changes.

The director of academic community engagement for this project, Martin Laba, also commented on the report. He described his role as being “front and centre on consultation, interpretation, and ultimately implementation of the needs and aspirations of those in the academic community throughout SFU.” Laba outlined the importance of an in-depth and comprehensive consultation process in getting a sense of what is important in the future of educational technology at the university. He also added that the new Learning Management System must be driven by the priorities of teaching and learning with a strong focus on participation and engagement. He explained that it should be more of a Learning and Management System with new enhancements to expand the student experience.

In addition to the two cornerstones mentioned by Bachmann and Laba — flexibility, and teaching and learning — the document also outlines three more principles. These include integration capability, ease of use, and portability. Further suggestions were echoed by third-year history major Keerth Kumanan, who shared with The Peak that while he was not aware and did not participate in the survey, he feels that “a secure and reliable system that can allow students to submit assignments online” should be implemented.

Bachmann also pointed out that WebCT will not simply be shut down at the end of 2012, but will instead continue to work with all courses and content still accessible. As far as an approximate date for the change to take place, he mentioned that at some point in 2013 the administration will begin phasing courses over. He continued to explain that rather than a mandatory process, it will be ongoing, and will most likely begin with new courses and instructors that request for their courses to be migrated.

The project will be moving on to the next phase, “selection and implementation planning,” for a new LMS in June 2012.