eLearning test drive gears up

Kristie Hsin

Senior Reporter

Eastern’s Office of Information Technology is requesting the help of faculty members in test-driving two or three learning management programs that could replace Blackboard.

The process will kick off during the first few weeks of February. Participants will be given an evaluation rubric and are asked to review each system by posting content, creating online discussions and creating online tests.

Faculty involved will provide input and opinions on each of the systems. Executive decisions will be made by the university’s Academic Systems Advisory Committee.

The university’s current learning management system, Blackboard 8.0, will soon reach the end of its subscription and a new learning management system will be phased in. Possible new systems include Moodle, Blackboard 9.0, Sakai, and Canvas.

“We are participating in a statewide request for purchase where vendors respond to the [request for proposal],” said Dave Dean, manager of eLearning services, in an email. “Vendor responses are scored and evaluated and the top candidates are asked to provide pricing. As this process takes place, the participants in the RFP will negotiate with the vendor regarding pricing and associated services.”

Washington State University, the University of Washington, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and Central Washington University are also alongside Eastern in this request for proposal.

According to Dean, the main goal of the operation is to provide Eastern with a learning platform that updates or replaces the university’s existing version of Blackboard. The new learning platform will offer an expanded set of tools that instructors can use.

“Depending on the result of the [request for proposal], we look forward to providing instructors with a more integrated way to take advantage of instructional tools such as course blogging, video content, as well as the use of social and mobile tools. Students will interact with these tools as faculty employ them in instruction,” Dean said.

Another aspect of this effort is to increase dialogue and coordination at a statewide level regarding the tools being used for instruction.

According to Dean, such coordination will help offer the university pricing leverage with the tools used. By providing a larger number of online instructional tools similar to all other institutions, students are able to interact easily with other institutions.

The Office of Information Technology continuously gathers student feedback regarding Blackboard throughout the course of the school year. Over the course of this past year, the department has gathered student feedback regarding Moodle.

The department had a class of students in a technical writing course share their opinions regarding Moodle after they conducted a study of using the system.

“We also gather input from the help desk system which includes inquiries and feedback from students for multiple student learning systems,” said Dean. “As a product is selected and is being implemented, student input will again be gathered.”