Summary
Teaching and learning activity at universities and colleges is managed within academic units,
whereas large software systems (e.g., student information systems, payroll, HR, and network
administration) are commonly controlled centrally. What happens when instructional software
makes the leap from innovation to enterprise?
When e-Learning Goes Enterprise Wide
Using a timeline metaphor, this poster tracks strategic, community and technical developments
that mark the trail blazed by UBC's “homegrown” course management system, WebCT. We
summarize our “lessons learned” and examine the implications of this experience for
accommodating the next “e-Learning Enterprise Systems”.
Michelle N. Lamberson, Director, Learning Technology; Neil Guppy, Associate VP, Academic Programs;
Ted Dodds, Associate VP, Information Technology; Doug Quinville, Manager, e-Learning Systems and Services
1,000 acre main campus & downtown Campus
38,500 students, 150 countries
1900 FTE Faculty, 4700 staff
Robust Continuing Studies and Distance programs
Research attracts > $375 million annually
109 spin-off companies since 1984
Decentralized administration
Strong executive leadership
e-Learning Snapshot
Funding Sources
• 1991- ongoing: UBC Teaching and
Learning Enhancement Fund
• 1994 - 1997: BC Innovation Fund
Emerging Areas
• Wireless applications
• Weblogs, RSS
• Network-enable
scientific instruments
• Telehealth
• 1999 - current: CANARIE
• 2003 - BCcampus Development Fund
• Increasing share of general operating funds
Technology Governance: De-Centralized Collaboration
Decentralization is rooted in the culture of the institution. UBC's five vice presidents have
functional and operational control of their major IT systems.
STRATEGIC
from: http://www.iam.ubc.ca/ubctour/ubctour.html
Current Priorities
• Enterprise level use of CMS
• Mixed-mode & large enrolment courses
• Learning objects
• e-Portfolios
• Enrolment expansion in key faculties
1998
1999
Vision - TREK 2000
Trek 2000 Pillars
· People
· Learning
· Research
· Community
·Internationalization
2000
2001
2002
2003
Academic Committee for the Creative
use of Learning Technologies e-Strategy
Academic Plan
Recommendations
· Develop learner-centred undergraduate
llcurricula
· Integrate IT with instruction in all areas
· Ensure faculty and staff are prepared to
llfunction in a learner centred environment
· Support alternative course delivery methods
--and lifelong learning
TREK 2010
ACCULT Key Findings
·Enhance quality student learning
·Decentralized initiative and control
·Central facilitation
·Coordinated LT and IT
e-Business
e-Learning
People
University
Networking
People
Business
Process
Redesign
University
Networking
Applied
Science
EdTech(Science)
Sustaining Operations
VICE-PRESIDENT
EXTERNAL &
LEGAL AFFAIRS
VICE-PRESIDENT
RESEARCH
VICE-PRESIDENT
STUDENTS
Barry C. McBride
Terry Sumner
Dennis Pavlich
Indira Samarasekera
Brian Sullivan
Learn | Info
HR | Finance
Development
Research
SIS
Service
SKYLIGHT (Science )
OLT
Grass Roots Growth - Wide-spread growth of Web Technologies for course delivery
Within the Provost's portfolio, technology support units evolved during the late 80's - 90's at the
Faculty and department level. These units began to take on learning technology support in the
late 90's and early 00's, hiring technically adept educators as well as technical staff. As a result,
many Faculties have learning technology and research support groups.
Grass Roots Growth - Multiple servers across campus
Barry C. McBride
Ted Dodds
Neil Guppy
Office of
Learning Technology
AGRICULTURAL
SCIENCES
ARTS
DENTISTRY
COLLEGE OF
HEALTH SCIENCES
The Learning
Centre
ARTS ISIT
TST Group
ETC
APPLIED SCIENCES
SCIENCE
EDUCATION
MEDICINE
Centre For
Instructional Support
SKYLIGHT
Education
Computing Services
Division of Educational
Support & Development
FORESTRY
LAW
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIAN
GRADUATE
STUDIES
Faculty based units,
report to Dean
Central units focus on technical system support (e-mail, single sign-on, student help desk and
operations), faculty development, distance education and learning technology coordination,
whereas the Faculty based units provide local support for their constituencies. There is a high
level of exchange of best practice and lessons learned amongst the learning technology
professionals via formal and informal community groups.
Description
CMS Steering
Committee
New proposal
Budget Proposal
Approved, partial funding
Transitioning to Enterprise - Consolidating
Enterprise Use
CTConnect development
productionized
January 2002
UTAW Released
CTConnect rollout
Fall 2003
WebCT Usage Stats
Fall 2002 - Series of
server slowdowns & 1 ugly bug
3,800
8,000
Sept. 1999 - Pilot Program
initiated
Sept. 2000 - Pilot Program to
Production Server
(Hosted by ITServices)
20,000
79,805
95,318
June 2001 - Homebrew
Migration Project
(v 1.31 to 3.x)
Jan. 2002 - Running two
versions 3.1 and 3.6
Nov. 2002 - version 3.7
on a single
Production Instance.
Instructor
Requests Course
Enterprise Systems mid 90’s
email,
phone
email,
phone
email,
phone
Sept. 2003 - version 3.8
on a single
Production Instance.
Instructor
Distributed to Faculty Support Units
Requests Course
web
form
support unit
email,
phone
Central or
Faculty
Support Unit
Available to End User
email
administrator
creates course
WebCT
CTConnect
UTAW
PSFT FM
2000
?
instructor course
profile description
DBA
notified
1999
Enterprise Systems mid 2003
WebCT
WebCT
1998
Centralized providers need to be organized to be
responsive to their users needs and users must be
willing to provide constructive, considered feedback.
Current
email
1995 1996 1997
28,000
Instructor
email,
phone
Central or
Faculty
Support Unit
Course Creation Process
116,391
2001 - 2003
1999 - 2001
2001
2002
2003
Decentralization is a source of strength, enabling
innovative activity to take place. However, in order for
decentralized collaboration to succeed, collaborative
activity has to be recognized as a core job activity, not
an “off the side of the desk” expectation. In order for
the planning processes related to e-learning systems to
succeed, all levels of the institution need to be
engaged in the process.
Shared governance is crucial to the success of an
enterprise e-learning system. Central service providers
and users must mutually own Enterprise e-learning
systems, with each feeling that they are important to
the success of the system.
Number of
Seats
Unique
Students
Institutional Implications
It is important to be able to express the nature of
stresses placed on e-learning enterprise systems in a
university wide frame, concentrating on the needs of
the institutions primary client: the student.
Legend
Track II
Administrator
email test course
Technology Related projects are tied to UBC's vision and strategic plan through
e-Strategy - a strategic university-wide initiative to support work, learning and
research through the use of new Internet and Web technologies. As shown in
the timeline, e-Strategy's foci have changed with time, paralleling changes
in community and institutional goals.
Development
Spring 1997
WebCT Inc.
TECHNICAL
ASSSCOCIATE
VICE-PRESIDENT
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
• Collaborate in defining roles and responsibilities – a community based service definition, rather
than a vendor-consumer (SLA) approach
• Communicate, communicate, communicate……
CTConnect development begins
May 1999
WebCT sold to ULT
Sept. 1999
Central Server pilot begins
Winter 1996
WebCT created by
UBC Faculty
Murray Goldberg
VICE-PRESIDENT
ACADEMIC
AND PROVOST
ASSSCOCIATE
VICE-PRESIDENT
INFO. TECHNOLOGY
CMS Planning
CMS Admin Resource Team (CART)
AGSC (Learning Centre)
Martha Piper
VICE-PRESIDENT
ADMINISTRATION
AND FINANCE
e-Community
Health Disciplines ETC
PRESIDENT
AND
VICE-CHANCELLOR
VICE-PRESIDENT
ACADEMIC
AND PROVOST
• Do NOT ignore complexity
• Community based approach yields most sustainable results
• Be Grassroots but, engage Executives when appropriate
• Collect and share data that speaks to widespread use
(unique students, faculties involved) and demonstrates
teaching and learning implications (e.g., Tool Use)
• Align efforts with institutional goals and priorities, and pay
attention to other significant efforts ($8M ERP upgrade,
expansion of medical program, doubling of engineering
enrollment…)
WebCT Institute
Pharmacy
ARTS ISIT
e-Learning
e-Business
Sustaining Operations
Computing & Media Services (Education)
• Formation of interdepartmental “communities of practice” FATE,
CART from grassroots
• Gained Executive attention by presenting convincing usage data.
• Recognition by community of the need for CMS service to be part
of the overall budget process
• Buy-in for first joint budget (OLT and ITS, with support of faculty
& central units) for enterprise e-learning.
• Development of enterprise tools (data collection,
devolved administration).
• Allocation of “first step” budget by executive.
• Formation of CMS Steering Committee
Lessons Learned
Faculty Alliance for Technology in Education (FATE)
COMMUNITY
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1995 1996 1997
W eb C T
Course
Course
Course
Course
ADMIN
About UBC
Important Milestones on the Road to Enterprise
Lea
rning Objects
At the end of the day, the most important aspect of centralized support organization is service.
A key aspect of this service is to spend time and develop metrics that both users and service
providers agree are meaningful.
Acknowledgements
Portions of this poster are derived from the WebCT 2003 conference presentation "Surviving Enterprise by Default - UBC's
WebCT Experience", by Michelle Lamberson, Jim Tom, Doug Quinville, and Warren Scott. The authors thank Cyprien Lomas for
providing community historical information for this poster. Graphics by Novak Rogic, UBC.