Efficiency with flexibility: connecting the VLE to the curriculum.

Abstract

This poster will demonstrate the development of an administrative system, known as the VLE Data Management System (DMS) which was designed to provide integration between Bournemouth University’s source systems. This system draws data from the HR records system (HRInfo) and the student records system (UNIT-e) in order to populate curriculum data, student enrolment and staff assignments within myBU, the University’s VLE (Blackboard).The systems origins lie in the need to provide efficiencies and remove redundancy by synchronizing the VLE with source systems whilst also recognizing the need to provide flexibility for online unit delivery. Our journeythrough scoping the requirements of this project revealed not only the current transitional structure of our formal curriculum but also the realisation that our units were not always delivered in the exact structure specified in the student records system. Ever increasing pressure for efficiencies were leading some units to be merged to enable delivery to a wider audience whilst others needed to be specialised for a specific pathway and audience. The DMS enables this flexibility whilst supporting the automation of online unit delivery as well as providing administrative control over other Blackboard activities. This project was delivered through formal project management involving collaboration between learning technologists, academics, school administrators and information systems to ensure that needs were met across various levels of the institution and that the curriculum structure was accurately manipulated and replicated within myBU. Outcomes of the project have included improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of administrative processes and integrated BU systems relating to myBU, and increased robustness of myBU to facilitate continued extension of the use of the system, resulting in an enhanced student experience. In the future the system can be developed for example to facilitate the transfer of student assessment data within myBU units to UNIT-e.