De Montfort University
MLE Project (JISC JCIEL/004)
Deliverable D2.1
Title / User and Services Assessment ReportVersion / 1.0
Author / Mark Simpson
Date / 1 May 2001
Contents
Introduction......
1. Initial discussion of MLE concepts and aims......
2. Identify available electronic resources......
3. Identify current administrative processes and services......
4. Potential user groups and their requirements......
4.1 Selection of groups......
4.2 Remote and Distance Users......
4.3 Disabled Users......
4.4 Information Needs Assessment......
5. Initial discussion of evaluation methods......
5.1 Overview......
5.2 Stage 1: Formative Evaluation......
5.3 Stage 2: Summative evaluation......
5.4 Comment on the evaluation process......
References......
Appendix A: Resource Database Listing......
User_Service_Assess_v1_0.docPrinted 05/10/18
De Montfort University MLE Project (JISC JCIEL/004)Deliverable D2.1: User and Services Assessment Report (version 1.0) / Page 1
User and Services Assessment Report
Introduction
This report describes the user requirements of the Managed Learning Environment [MLE] and the resources and services that it could provide access to.
The MLE is intended to provide a single sign-on information portal to online resources for students enrolled at De Montfort University, with consideration of the needs of other UK Further and Higher Education Institutions. Therefore, this report and the design of the MLE will focus on student user issues (including remote, disabled and other disadvantaged users). In assessing these requirements, it soon became clear that the University administration and academic processes would play a key part in the design, creation and use of an MLE. While the needs of these supporting groups will also be considered, it will be done in the context of providing services to the student users.
The report is divided in to the following sections.
- Initial discussion of MLE concepts and aims.
- Identify available electronic resources.
- Identify current administrative processes and services.
- Identify potential user groups and their requirements.
- Initial discussion of evaluation methods.
Appendices
A. Resource Database Listing
Document Summary
A definition of what is an MLE for this project has been presented, along with some guiding principles that will be deliberated as the project progresses. This is followed by a review of the most important electronic resources available to DMU students. A database of these resources is being developed in an effort to maintain a web-searchable list. The contents of this database can be found in the Appendix. From the long list – in the Appendix, 10 have been selected which are likely to be used during for the prototype development and the MLE evaluation. Their final inclusion will be dependent on technology issues, academic support and available time.
Whilst the on-line learning resources will feature centrally in the MLE, it is clear that administration issues also play a significant role in both the life of the student and the smooth running of the University. The project has identified and documented the key stages in the administration life cycle of a “typical” full-time undergraduate. This proved to be a useful exercise for understanding the collection and movement of data into and around the University departments. It also highlights the overall complexity of the processes and the level of inter-dependence that exists in order to achieve accurate and reliable data. The project will attempt to identify key areas of administration that could be helped or supported by a controlled and secure, personalized MLE.
In order for the MLE system to be used by students in their day to day studies, it needs to be developed and populated with appropriate content. To do this for the whole population of over 30,000 students would take many years. Therefore, in order to develop a representative level of content, student evaluation groups have been identified. This has been done by determining the amount and quality of currently available on-line resources and the interest of their academic course leaders.
The evaluation process is the focus of Work Package 6. Early work done on User Needs and Evaluation (EvalUser_v0_011.doc and GUserSpec_v0_011.doc) has now been included in this document and the MLE_Design_Guidelines_v0_010.doc document.
1. Initial discussion of MLE concepts and aims
The DMU concept of a Managed Learning Environment or a “Virtual Desk” for students brings together a variety of learning resources and support systems into a single sign-on, personalised, web-site. These resources include on-line learning materials, assessments, timetables, conferencing and email systems, individual performance records and contact information, library resources, Internet search tools, a module database, examination papers, and other student information services. In so doing it places the student at the centre of the university information space. (For a review of the early DMU Virtual Desk concept demonstrator, see document Virtual_Desk_Review_v0_011.doc.)
There have been many research projects that have included definitions of what a Managed Learning Environment is (and Virtual Learning Environments), and what goes to make up one. For a more detailed discussion of defining an MLE and more on the Guiding Principles, reference should be made to the MLE_Guiding_Principles_v0_016.doc.
After reviewing this work, the DMU MLE Steering Group has agreed on a definition that encompasses our goals for this project and is shown on table 1.
Definition / A Managed Learning Environment (MLE) is a collection of learning resources, including support materials, activities and interactions, organised and presented to the user, in a way that reflects the users changing status. The MLE enables the user to engage systematically with the learning resources and to discover, organise, reflect, communicate and publish materials to the system. The MLE will also contain a range of management and administration tools to support the learning process.Explanation / Learning Resources includes - other people, administration processes, databases, programs, web pages, email, chat rooms, newsgroups, bulletin boards, books, journals, CD-ROMs, examination papers, all of which may be locally or remotely held and maintained.
Collection implies a grouping of materials with some identification, brought together by a person or system. Individuals will see their own view of the collection depending on their current status.
Users Changing Status reflects their identification, current location, memberships of groups and sub-groups, rights of access and use, payment models and financial status, progress and current position in course or module, and their assessment record. This status will vary throughout their use of the system.
Guiding
Principles / Consideration of Data
Representation and Access
Improved on-line Support for Learning
Appropriate Levels of Security
Recognition of Legal Responsibilities
Manageable and Extensible Service
Ability to Inter-operate with Remote Services
Major Components / Institution-wide Support
Administration
Joined-Up Services
Access to Resources
Support Collaboration
Structured Learning and Assessment Tools
Learning Support and Nurture
Table 1 Defining an MLE and the Guiding Principles.
2. Identify available electronic resources
There are a number of existing online resources at DMU to which student users should have access. The resources have been identified by holding interviews with the university’s administration, academic and support staff and by searching the university’s Intranet and Internet web pages. There are also a large number of external resources that may prove to be beneficial for student research and study. A list of the most relevant resources that could provide content for student users is included in appendix A.
A resource database is being prepared which will be made available on-line, with a search interface. The current structure of this database includes the fields is shown on table 2.
Field Name / Type / DescriptionRes_ID / Num Key / Unique record Key – auto-generated by the system
Res_URL / URL / Main web page link for this resource – e.g.
Res_Name / Text / Short Name or Title – e.g. HELIX
Res_Description / Memo / Longer description of the resource – free text
Res_MLE_Assessment / Memo / Further description of how the resource might relate to the MLE project and its identified evaluation user groups.
Res_Category / Text / Selectable Category –
Administrative; Learning Resource; General Information
Res_Subject_Domain / Text / Selectable Generic Subject Areas – e.g.
Art; Architecture; Computing; Design; Engineering etc
Res_Contact_Name / Text / Resource owners name (or responsible person)
Res_Contact_Phone / Text / Resource owners contacts telephone number
Res_Contact_Email / Text / Resource owners contacts email address
MLE_Priority / Num / Value to the MLE project – 1-5 (1 is high, 0 is undefined)
Date_Entered / Date / Date first added to the database
Entered_By / Text / Name of person first adding resource to this database
Date_Validated / Date / Date of most recent validation/update of this record
Validated_By / Text / Name of person making validation
Connection_Type / Text / Network connection protocol – e.g.
HTTPD; FTP; LDAP; ODBC; Z39.50
DB_Name / Text / Name used to access a database resource
TCP_IP_Address / Text / Address used to connect to resource – e.g.
146.227.5.40 or resource.dmu.ac.uk
Port_No / Num / The machine port number that the service resource is listening to – e.g. 80; 8080; 3950
Combines with TCP_IP_Address to create a service address – e.g. 146.227.5.40:8080
User_Name / Text / User name (if required) for making the connection, could include some predefined markers, such as –
ATHENS:User_Name; SPARTA:User_Name;
Password / Text / User password (if required) for making the connection
Table 2 the structure – field names, type and description for the online resource database.
The data held by the University on students is held in a central database. This data includes all of the students’ personal details and academic records. It is expected that student users will be permitted access to their own data, assuming appropriate security safeguards can be put in place. It may be that access is not given to the “live” database, but to a copy of the latest information, updated by regular exports of relevant information. Students will be able to view the information and suggest updates, as necessary. This could be done in a number of ways, but care must be taken to avoid unchecked editing of system data and long complex paper trails.
An initial list of resources that may be provided for student users on the MLE prototype is given Table 3. The full list of online resources currently available at DMU is included in appendix A.
The list of resources in Table 3, are those which are probably going to be highly useful, or critical for the take-up of the MLE. The MLE project team has selected them, after discussions with members of University staff. These resources represent a wide range in terms of; courses supported, volume of content, design, structure, navigation, and consistency and feedback features. Furthermore, they represent a range of connectivity issues for the project to investigate, for example, is it possible to access and retrieve data from inside the Web/CT environment.
In order to collect and record some user requirements for the MLE from staff and students at DMU a series of focus group meetings were held. The results from these were combined with a series of user surveys carried out at DMU over the last two years. These surveys collected information on the following: IT skills, computer ownership, the use and identification of information for research and resources beneficial to improving the student experience. This meta-analysis resulted in a more complete survey of user requirements being carried out than would have been possible using a questionnaire based survey solely for the MLE project. The results of this survey can be found in Meta-analysis of User Surveys document.
It was apparent from the survey research that the resources currently available at the University were useful and informative guides to user requirements. The resources have been rated as either being critical, necessary or desirable. Resources that are rate as critical would be implemented first, necessary second and given the constrains of the project desirable last. The rating is simply a method of providing a structure to the design of the MLE and ensuring that those resources that would provide the most value are given the most time. The resources are shown on table 4, the order of the resources is no indication of priority or importance.
Resource / Location / Assessment of applicability to the MLEWebCT
frame/maintext/MT-wct.htm
/ This is used to either create on-line course modules, or to publish materials that supplement existing courses.
Students would use this to access online course materials and programme communication tools.
If access to WebCT were a critical part of a module then it would in turn be critical to the MLE.
Question Mark / Provides input to WebCT and could be used by academics to provide self-assessment tests for students.
If access to WebCT is not possible or not effective in the MLE environment and also, as a stand-alone resource it is critical to the MLE.
Module Browser
westworld.dmu.ac.uk/fmp/web/mbh/mb.htm / It can be used to search for the following module and course information: title, code, module leader, aims and objectives, syllabus, teaching and learning strategy and assessment criteria.
Students would use this to choose their modules online. It would reduce the amount of duplicated data. It is necessary for the MLE and could help prospective students evaluate and choose courses.
Library and information centres
/ A library resource for all staff and students
Access to this resource is critical to students and must be included in the MLE.
Academic and Learning Support from individual web sites / Many lecturers have, independently, already produced web based teaching resources relevant to the modules that they teach. Some of these resources will be included in the MLE to permit evaluation of the interface, its interactivity and well how it connects to existing online learning resources.
This is critical to the MLE
Snowball / DMU Intranet
snowball.dmu.ac.uk
intranet.dmu.ac.uk / This is the University’s Intranet.
It currently allows students limited access to the intranet. However it is consider a critical resource for the MLE. Provides access to online resources mainly for academic and administration staff.
QLS Student Records
[Web address not known] / This resource is part of the Registrar’s office.
Student users should have access to their information on QLS and is a critical resource for MLE. Access would be via a secure system.
Outlook
[Loads when logging onto networked machines.] / The university uses this as its email facility and is consequently a highly beneficial resource. It could be adapted to provide a booking service for meetings or equipment or rooms, together with traditional type of diary functions.
This is a critical resource for student users of the MLE.
DMU WEB
Dmu.ac.uk / The University’s web pages for outside users and current students.
This is a critical resource for students. It provides useful content for existing students or staff and links to resources not found on other sites.
HELIX
/ A resource of over 52,000 images with annotations. Includes photographs, paintings, prints, and engravings covering a wide range of subjects from botany to jewelry, ceramics and textiles, to the social and political history of Britain.
This will provide an example of an image resource that staff could add to. It is also a demonstrator of the MLE linking to non-text based resources and is necessary for the project.
Examnet
/ This is a list of past papers for examinations.
It is necessary to provide this resource.
Table 3 - A list of the resources that have been identified as being beneficial for student users of the MLE
3. Identify current administrative processes and services
The information route diagram and tables provides a summary of the path that a typical student will take through the administration system at DMU. Having documented the route, it should be possible to both determine what information is held about each student and what information a student may need to see about themselves whilst at DMU. This can then be used as a guide to determine the information that could be provided on the MLE interface. The information used in this document resulted from meetings with individuals in departments that collect and process student information. The information route only considers the “typical undergraduate” route. This will be a student on a three-year undergraduate degree, who passes their assessments, selects modules, pays their fees and graduates with honors. This is because, this type of person is expected to be the typical user of the MLE. In the future it may be possible to expand this model to include variations, once the typical undergraduate case has been documented and verified.
The information route is simply a method of identifying what administrative information the MLE may provide to users. It should be noted that it is not meant to be a record of all the information needed by students as they pass through the university. For example, it contains no references to academic resources and learning tools that are available.
Each box in the information route has a code, which is used to help track the process and show, which table and row to refer to for further information. An example of the code is: