4.45pm Thursday

Canberra Institute of Technology CIT Getting all subjects online

Moving a whole faculty online, 1.1 million ASCH, 20% through flexible centres.

The journey - started in 1999
2000 went to WebCT
2001 10% subjects in WebCT
2002 new Business Services Training Package and all subjects went into WebCT
2003 focus on staff skills in using WebCT, previously had been staff fiddling around and looking at it as a project based approach.

In 2002 put lots of material online but staff did not have the skills to use it. Skills are now a prerequisite before teaches going online.
Over 80% of business admin have gone online, have culture of get out there and do it

Minimum requirement for what goes online: subject handouts and resources that are provided in classes, then have a wide range of things that are then added on. Accounting are using a lot of revision and testing as a knowledge tool. IT are using for uploading assignments, wide range of response beyond the access to information base level requirement.

Strategies - set targets, marketing internally - explaining why we are doing it. Recognised diverse ways of using WebCT, create student demand, (had underestimated the need for internal marketing, needs to be repeated continually), technical support through the central CIT help desk, Student demand - in each area have at least one teacher who is using it so they ask why aren't all subjects done the same way? IT helpdesk is also available for the students - weekend coverage for support is still an issue. Have funded projects, used toolboxes, PD programs (in 2003 tend to emphasise more the mentoring support) did a case study of how the Learning Innovation Support Team (LIST) service works on the Flexible Learning Framework site, CIT staff information system - pushed to get intranet set up within WebCT to get people into the system, showcases, Community of Practice. Need to train teachers to present well in the showcases rather then focussing on the detail. Have both compulsory and optional sessions in the WebCT training. Have one-hour sessions for specific skills, Casual staff - paid to take part in the one hour sessions - is to teaching assistant level access and skills, mentoring is one of the key strategies is absolutely vital in CIT experience, Learning Innovation Support Team LIST
Structure is 2 teachers and some admin support - roles - short training program to get people onboard with WebCT, managed WebCT development projects by early adopters who were given time release and extensive support from LIST staff. Also in 2002 standardised lots of procedures for the flexible learning centres as well. Locating useful resources, in 2003 resource role for flexible delivery went back to delivery teams. More of an emphasis on relating to the delivery team needs rather than individual subjects for individual teachers, more department wide foci, across a range of competencies, provide both expertise and access to other expertise within the institute, finding resources - often teachers find it hard to make the time for this, sharing of best practice through showcases and involving communities of practice,
Set up a CoP - improvement network looking at WebCT issues, some who are enthusiasts in WebCT plus LIST staff, Domain: WebCT and online skills and tips
Community: WebCT champions from each dept
Practice: share examples of best practice in using WebCT, identify issues and ways of promoting WebCT, improve faculty use of WebCT. Have items in weekly staff newsletter to raise awareness.

Have a simple template to make it easy and also for consistency, layers of menus still available, standard content such as getting started, another template - not quite as many choices, Have orientation to WebCT as a separate course, teachers can add extra content such as checklists and links to other websites, use of discussion forums etc,
[Home pages can be html pages.] Advantages: consistency to look and feel. Disadvantage: teachers did not feel confident with it.
Home pages with links to resources for specific sessions, some introductory text guiding navigation on the homepage.

All students have a WebCT login
Have a Study Support Course available to all students
Also a means of creating student demand - also means that teachers do not need to show every one of their students how to use as they have used already.

WebCT as intranet - regular forms, using content modules.

Templates are getting plainer and slicker than earlier ones with icons etc.
Outline, resources and email are standard links on the homepage of template, using as a resource repository.

As well as funded projects there is a lot of richness being added to the WebCT courses online, embedding crosswords as self assessments,
Also student evaluation - easier to do - so more evaluation is encouraged.

One hour sessions - biggest problem for people is getting them started so one hour session is f2f.

Reasons for uptake or no action - lower IT skills or provision, also teachers who like the 'performance' role, cultural departments - same at other institutes, worried about needing a computer lab to use WebCT but CIT thinks focus should be about access away from classrooms.

Legacy issues to change to another LMS? Students are evaluating a possible transition to Moodle.

WebCT logins are 24hour turnaround

Teachers negotiate with managers re time

LIST is for the faculty team as opposed to being an institute wide approach

Mentoring- list staff spend vast majority of time one on one

Dreamweaver only for people with WebCT skills already