We have a few staffing updates as of February. We'll discuss these briefly at our next EET meeting in early March - and if you have questions before then, please come talk to me:
- Diana is changing the way she works for us. Her dream has been to have her own consulting business, and she has an opportunity right now to make that happen. From now on, Diana will be working on a contract basis with us while managing her existing workload. This is a win-win for both Diana and EET!
- We are currently advertising for a Manager, Curriculum Development and Renewal. This competition closes this week, and we'll be interviewing next week. Start date for this position is July 1, 2011.
- We are changing the model for the curriculum consultant positions. Over the next year, these positions will be moving from faculty to out-of-scope positions. I'll explain more about what this means and why it is happening at our EET meeting in March. As a result of this transition, we will be advertising for three positions in the near future, including a Course Development Coordinator / ID, Curriculum Consultant, and a DL (Online Learning) Coordinator.
- Connie and Julie are both transitioning back to teaching in the classroom, effective July 1, 2011. Debbie will be working with us in EET in her current position as her position was extended for one more year.
Please know that extensive discussion and thought over the last year has gone into the decisions around these changes within the context of providing excellent and innovative support for the academic community at Lethbridge College. More info will be provided at the EET meeting . . .
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
LMS (Angel) Transition Timelines
Below is a message I sent out to all faculty regarding the transition to Angel. Chris G. is taking the lead on this next transition, and he already has meetings planned with the Angel Champions this week.
It's timely that we talk to you about future plans for Angel. Many of you are aware that Blackboard purchased Angel last year, and that Angel will exist only until 2014. As a result, we know that we will have to transition to a new Learning Management System (LMS) prior to that date. Here are our projected time lines:
There is a lot of discussion happening currently around the new portal, and how it integrates very nicely with Moodle, a different LMS. Moodle is one choice of a LMS, but there are others. And integration with Datatel is only one criteria we will use as we go through the selection process. Other criteria could include such things as ease of use, appearance, choice / flexibility of tools, cost, etc. We need to make sure we make the right decision for the right reasons.
You'll know more in February about the upcoming transition to Angel 8. In the meantime, we have started our research into other Learning Management Systems / options for supporting teaching and learning. Comments and questions are welcome!
It's timely that we talk to you about future plans for Angel. Many of you are aware that Blackboard purchased Angel last year, and that Angel will exist only until 2014. As a result, we know that we will have to transition to a new Learning Management System (LMS) prior to that date. Here are our projected time lines:
- Spring - Summer 2011 (yes, this summer) - transition to the newest version of Angel (version 8). You'll be receiving more detailed information on this by the end of February.
- Spring 2012 - escalate the research and consultation process to choose a new LMS. This will involve faculty and student consultation, similar to what we did with Angel (focus groups, surveys, pilots)
- Spring and Summer, 2013 - transition to the chosen LMS for full implementation in fall, 2013
There is a lot of discussion happening currently around the new portal, and how it integrates very nicely with Moodle, a different LMS. Moodle is one choice of a LMS, but there are others. And integration with Datatel is only one criteria we will use as we go through the selection process. Other criteria could include such things as ease of use, appearance, choice / flexibility of tools, cost, etc. We need to make sure we make the right decision for the right reasons.
You'll know more in February about the upcoming transition to Angel 8. In the meantime, we have started our research into other Learning Management Systems / options for supporting teaching and learning. Comments and questions are welcome!
Examples of "Above and Beyond"
As part of the promotion for the "Make it Count" Customer Service Excellence initiative that is coming across campus, the committee is looking for examples of people who have gone above and beyond. If you have worked with someone - in EET and or beyond - please send them my way and I'll submit them. I know there are good stories out there, so please share them!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Horizon Report for 2011
Here's a report all of us should read. It's the 2011 edition of the Horizon report and includes topics on etexts, augmented reality, mobile technology - all relevant to initiatives we currently have on the go. Here's the link and executive summary:
"Each year, the Horizon Report describes six areas of emerging technology that will have significant impact on higher education and creative expression over the next one to five years. The areas of emerging technology cited for 2011 are:
Time to adoption: One Year or Less
- Electronic Books
- Mobiles
Time to adoption: Two to Three Years
- Augmented Reality
- Game-based Learning
Time to adoption: Four to Five Years
- Gesture-based Computing
- Learning Analytics"
Monday, February 7, 2011
Change to Documentation for Banked Hours
The payroll office has recommended we change the way we document banked hours. Rather than try to explain it here, I'm going to ask Donna to set up a 15 minute session sometime this week so I can explain the new process. It will be painless!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Online Conference March 18-19
NorQuest College is hosting an online conference on Academic Upgrading on March 28 and 29. Even though this is focused on academic upgrading, many of the sessions will be relevant to elearning in general. The keynote, for example, is presenting on Evidence-based Design and Development of E-Learning. And it’s online so easily accessible!
http://upgradingonlineconference.com/
Note the interesting article on this site titled, Best Practices Applied Research Literature Review
Call for proposals closes Feb 18th.
http://upgradingonlineconference.com/
Note the interesting article on this site titled, Best Practices Applied Research Literature Review
Call for proposals closes Feb 18th.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Sign the petition against metered Internet use!
Message from Tyler . . . .
Condensed version: Telecom companies in Canada want to charge you for every byte of information that you download. This can mean that downloading a youtube video could cost you a pretty penny. One of the ramifications of this type of legislation getting passed is that the technology sector in Canada will get thrown into the dark ages and put us years behind other countries and essentially turning us into a 3rd world country in terms of technological innovation. Read the article for more information and sign the petition.
Condensed version: Telecom companies in Canada want to charge you for every byte of information that you download. This can mean that downloading a youtube video could cost you a pretty penny. One of the ramifications of this type of legislation getting passed is that the technology sector in Canada will get thrown into the dark ages and put us years behind other countries and essentially turning us into a 3rd world country in terms of technological innovation. Read the article for more information and sign the petition.
Article: A metered Internet is a regulatory failure: http://www.
The petition: http://openmedia.ca/meter
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