This wiki is designed for us to accurately look at and assess our own Learning Environment. I've made a comparison to "Best practices". Even I have trouble understanding how a practice can be the "Best" in any context, but I meant it as a goal. I have seen most (all) of these 'best Practices" used at some postsecondary educational institution delivering at a distance. Or think of these as the competition.
I've seeded the wiki with my first look at these. There are those here who are better able to judge than I - thus the Wiki can be edited, to correct any inaccuracies. You can also add rows, to add additional components of our teaching/learning environment. There is a comment feature as well, if you wish to leave the table as it is but wanted to add commentary to any of the 'scores'
Note: There is no single AU learning Environment as our system has both continuous enrollment and cohort models as well as large differences between faculties in terms of direct student support. Nonetheless, as a self proclaimed leader in online learning, we should have an accurate assessment of the current state of our Learning Environment.
Component | Athabasca | Best Practice |
Hardware | Good? | Excellent |
Helpdesk | limited hours | 24 Hour, text chat, help bot |
Online Help | OK, no community help | Both readily avaiable help and active help community |
Student Enrollment Management | Good Plan, no resources yet | Extensive from first interest (course, transfer, application) to allumni |
Learning Analytics | primitive | extensive knowledge of student behaviours and effective interventions |
Faculty/Tutor Development | Technical only | Integrate learning activity, pedagogy with affordances of technologies |
LMS | OK, takes VERY long time for upgrades. Slow process for innovation and plugin support | Clear way for innovations to integrate into mainline systems |
Social Networks | Landing, world class, suffers from cold start/ adoption and support issues | Easy flow between external networks, semi private and secure contexts |
Language/writing support | Write Site - good?? | ?? |
Online Library | good? | ? "library of the Future |
Real time conferencing software | Adobe Connect - Good? | Immersive/text/meeting and class support |
Admin Applications |
Landing- wikis, files, photos, schedules etc Grad Studies, still using PDF forms |
Cloud based, mobile ready |
Student Records | ? | ? |
E-Portfolios | Mahara - stable, but "not production" supported | Integrated with LMS and externally accessible |
Aacdemic Computing | No designated respources | |
Research Computiung | 1/2 day/ a week for whole university | |
Speed of Course Production/ | ||
Continuous Enrollment | Poor, Monthly Batch processing | Continous enrolment/tutor assignment etc. |
Accessibility/UDL | ASD provides accommodations but there is no policy/plan for implementation of UDL principles (i.e. offer variety of means of representation, engagement, expression) | UDL / Application of WCAG or AU Guidelines / eCampus AB Quality Suite (some categories) |
Technological neutrality (capacity to deliver courses in digital, print, and other media for maximum openness of access to education) | ||
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