Presentation from ALT-C 2012 about lessons learned when migrating between Virtual Learning Enviroments, though the lessons would also be relevant in migrations of other types of software platforms
Automation Ops Series: Session 2 - Governance for UiPath projects
A Tale of One City: Intra-institutional Variations in Migrating VLE Platform
1. Dr. Ian Glover, Anna Campbell,
Farzana Latif, Leona Norris,
James Toner, Connie Tse
City University London
2. Switching from WebCT (CitySpace) to Moodle
◦ 2 year absolute deadline
◦ Each school allowed different strategy
Different levels of Ed. Tech. & VLE use
between schools
◦ Ranging from ‘No Usage’ to ‘Fully Embedded’
◦ Corresponding variations in Ed.Tech. support in
each school
3. CitySpace switched off – September 2011
Collaborative groups focused on
implementation and migration
◦ All schools needs/views represented
Varied school migration strategies
◦ From ‘Big Bang’ to ‘Cohorts’ to ‘Disciplines’
◦ Brief case studies in Proceedings paper
5. Creating a sense of Inclusion
◦ E.g. involving staff in planning each department
migration
Ownership
◦ designing course templates request features
6. Templates
◦ Department Specific
Visual Style
◦ Restructuring course
content
Consistency
◦ Encouraging good
practice
7. ‘Limited edition’ increases desirability
◦ Most people want to be in the ‘In Crowd’
Helps generate a ‘buzz’
◦ Can be positive or negative though!
People want to prove they are ‘worthy’ of
inclusion
◦ Engagement increases
8. ‘One-shot’ training
◦ Easy to forget unless put straight into practice
◦ Doesn’t respond to changes well
◦ Can come too late to result in changed practice
TeTo
◦ Reinforce earlier learning by ensuring regular use
◦ Gives time for people to explore and implement
new ideas
9. EAs can bridge the gap between ‘Us’ and
‘Them’
◦ Right language for the context
◦ Go through the same processes
◦ Have same pressures
‘If X can do it, so can I’ vs. ‘I’m not doing it
because X does it’
◦ Don’t underestimate personal rivalries (both
positive and negative)
◦ Select the EAs carefully.
10. Situated learning theory
◦ skills best learned in the same context they will be
used
◦ ‘Personalised’ training materials
◦ Using their real module
Going to them
◦ Makes them feel ‘special’/important
◦ Puts them at ease, so easier to suggest other ideas
◦ Gives a view on their other processes
11. Keep it an informal chat, not a lecture!
Discuss their current approaches
◦ Find out reasons and problems
◦ Many people just doing things as they’ve always done
Better approach. Is there one?
◦ Push/pull factors
◦ Entrenched ideas – ‘white-lies’, best practice showcase
12. e.g. JISC PREDICT
– Curriculum Evaluation and Redesign Project
Implications:
School/University overall strategy and vision
Project management
◦ Resources
◦ Time schedule
Change management
◦ People already invested in change
– Threat? Opportunity?
14. Moving to Moodle 2.x for 2013/14
New video and CMS platforms being
implemented
Strategies being informed by the above
lessons
◦ So watch this space!