University of Maryland Update

ELMS (powered by Blackboard)

  • Currently running Blackboard 8
    • Wimba Live Classrooms
    • Wimba Voice Tools
    • Learning Objects Campus Pack
    • Custom Grade Uploader (MicroGrade or Excel)
    • Ares Course Reserves
    • Seneca Who's Online
    • Sign-up Tool
  • Usage
    • Fall 2007
      • 1441 instructors
      • 2396 university course sections
      • 2455 ELMS course spaces
      • more than 30,000 students enrolled in ELMS courses
    • Spring 2008
      • 1466 instructors
      • 2491 university course sections
      • 2498 ELMS course spaces
      • 29,236 students who were enrolled in ELMS courses
  • To address reliability problems with Managed Hosting, we added the following to our contract:
    • RAC
    • Complex Hosting Manager (25%FTE)
    • Staging Server
  • Collaboration with Libraries to add Course Reserves (ARES tool with Blackboard building block)
    • Piloted over the summer
    • Full production for fall
  • Learning Online Tools
    • Added functionality so that local support do not need system admin access
  • Plagiarism Detection Service pilot
    • Report accepted by IT Council; Recommendation to move responsibility of pilot to Dean of Undergraduate Studies

University Course Evaluation

  • Evaluation System tool within Sakai framework (CourseEvalUM)
  • Fall 2007 - university-wide questions only with one person being evaluated
    • 5,763 course sections across campus
    • Total of 135,629 possible evaluations to be submitted
    • Total of 84,796 evaluations were completed for a 63% return rate
  • Spring 2008 - university-wide questions plus college level questions for 3 pilot colleges plus multiple instructor
    • Pilot colleges - Engineering, Business, Behavioral and Social Sciences
    • Course items and instructor items identified
    • 5,279 course sections across campus
    • Total of 123,113 possible evaluations to be submitted
    • Total of 76,106 evaluations were completed for a 62% return rate
  • Summer 2008 - university-wide questions, multiple instructor, 3 pilot colleges from Spring and 1 additional for summer II (Education)
    • Summer I
      • 443 course sections
      • Total of 7,283 possible evaluations to be submitted
      • Total of 2,847 evaluations were completed for a 39% return rate
    • Summer II
      • 395 course sections
      • Total of 7,211 possible evaluations to be submitted
      • Total of 3,263 evaluations were completed for a 45% return rate
  • Fall 2008 - university-wide questions, multiple instructor, college level items for any college/school who wants to have them
    • Still undecided - whether to add department level items

Mobility Initiative

  • Pilot program to enhance the student education experience by examining the role that mobile Internet access devices might have in the future of instruction, learning and the social growth of students on campus
  • 142 students from Banneker-Key and Maryland Incentive Awards Program
  • iPod Touch/iPhone device
    • 100 iPod Touch
    • 42 iPhones
  • Current functionality

Classroom Response Systems

  • Moved to TP 2008
  • Added XR Clicker to Bookstore inventory
  • Another support aspect added for Mobility Project
  • Developed portlet to allow students to register clickers in both Blackboard and Enterprise Manager

Digital Asset Management System

  • Luna Imaging system
  • Consortium model established
  • Currently building the image collection
  • Waiting on upgrading to Version 6 - need LDAP integration

Online Teaching and Learning (OTAL)

  • Site redesigned to help faculty find information quicker about our support services
  • Using drupal as underlying content management system
  • Added WorldPress MultiUser for blog support
  • Experimenting with online communities of practice

TerpConnect

  • File storage
  • Web publishing
  • More student services to come....blogging, wikis, etc.

iTunes U

  • Split into public site and academic site
    • Public site managed by University Relations
    • Private site managed by OIT Academic Support
  • Academic site is being piloted this Fall
    • Restricted access to Maryland community
    • Restricted to course enrollment if desired by faculty
  • Created a student dropbox tool

Center for Teaching Excellence Partnership

  • Clicker Pedagogy Forum
    • Online community on OTAL site
  • Summer Institute on Teaching and Learning with New(er) Technologies

LTC