Context
This section is included to provide some context for the course facilitator and my peers, and would not be included the actual proposal.
Although not followed in sequence, my approach is loosely based around Bates and Poole’s (2003) framework in combination with other strategies that I’ve discovered through Internet searches.
Rather than suggesting a full blown Moodle installation, I’m proposing a limited pilot project that’s being tabled by a maverick group of teacher’s who feel that their exiting LMS (WebCT) lack’s the required functionality to accommodate a novel use that they envision. It is anticipated that the pilot project will provide both enhanced learning for students and improved processes for faculty. While a team venture, I am acting as a project lead.
Purpose and Scope
This proposal is seeking support and approval to pilot the Moodle open-source Learning Management System (LMS) within Fleming College’s School of Environmental Studies and Natural Resources (SENRS). Included within is a summary of our needs assessment, project rationale, implementation strategy, costing analysis, compliance/evaluation framework and organizational alignment connection.
Background
Compared with other products on the market, WebCT, while practical for course material deployment and student management, appears to lack pedagogical functionality in the areas reflective practices, collaboration, portfolio preparation and social networking features that are needed in some courses/learning situations.
Approximately 500 SENRS students undertake co-op placements in between second and third semesters, usually in the summer months. These supervised co-ops count towards course credits and require significant reporting and communication among students, employers, and affected faculty. Students returning to the college in third semester have cited the need to be able to communicate, report and reflect on their experiences as they unfold. Faculty often feel overwhelmed with the volume of reports coming back to them at one time, and feel badly when negative or difficult experiences (actionable) are revealed after the fact.
Rationale
Interested SENRS faculty began a dialogue and formed a group who would like to pilot a Moodle implementation, designed to allow students and faculty to meet, communicate, and collaborate in real-time during the co-op period. It is expected that the Moodle forums and other collaborative tools would replace the hard copy journals and reports that are submitted currently. Students will also be encouraged to use the e-portfolio functionality to build a repository of skills, abilities and experiences.
Moodle is an established, scalable, open-source LMS with a substantial user/developer base that continues to grow each year. Unlike BlackBoard-WebCT, there are no license fees, however, institutions assume a heavier responsibility for support. Ease of use for faculty and students is inherently better than BlackBoard-WebCT.
Strategy
SENRS project faculty are prepared to undertake the pilot project in lieu of other professional development release time normally occurring during the project cycle. It is proposed that the project team has the necessary technical skills to develop the pilot modules.
While there are no license fees to use Moodle, there are costs associated with installation, customization, maintenance, and support. For the purposes of this pilot, and due to the relatively small scale of the implementation (approximately 500 users), it is proposed that the SENRS Moodle implementation be hosted by one of Moodle’s recommended commercial hosting partners (two in Canada). Each offers similar services with prices packages that vary according to the number of users, level of support required, customization, and server configurations.
Costing Analysis
The cost to host the SENRS Moodle pilot is approximately $5000.00 or $10.00 per student. This configuration includes a guaranteed level of access, support and security that is compatible throughout the industry. The college Student Services Association collects a small fee from students each semester for the benefit of enhancing student services throughout the college. The SENRS project group has approached the Student Services Association for financial support of the project initiative. They have agreed in principal to fund the project out of reserve fees that they have accumulated. This support is only for the duration of pilot project.
While the funding and implementation time (work) required to pilot this project are self-supporting, a larger scale implementation would require institutional funding/budgeting and Information Technology (IT) support. In the longer term, the costs to implement Moodle as an alternative to WebCT would likely result in measurable savings over time.
Compliance/Evaluation Framework
Once approved, project standards will be documented and published. The target date for the pilot is May 2011. Faculty, in consultation with students, will collaborate and report at benchmark periods throughout the pilot. Project findings and debriefs will occur by Mid-September 2011.
Organizational Fit
In terms of organizational fit, this proposal supports several core principles espoused by the institution:
- In terms of budgeting, the pilot project is cost neutral, at least for the duration of the intended implementation.
- It will provide faculty with a new vehicle for increasing student engagement and eschews the college’s core promise to provide learners with enhanced and personalized services resulting in more meaningful bonds among faculty and students.
- It is congruent with key elements of the college’s strategic plan involving sustainability and community building.
College wide, the current license agreement with BlackBoard/WebCT expires in two years. This pilot may be useful to engage other stakeholders in a LMS review process that will eventually take place.
Glenn Allen
SENRS Project Lead
References
(Academic)
Bates, A.W. & Poole, G. (2003). Chapter 4: a Framework for Selecting and Using Technology. In Effective Teaching with Technology in Higher Education: Foundations for Success. (pp. 77-105). San Francisco: Jossey Bass Publishers. Accessed online 22 September, 2010
Comparison of WebCT & Moodle Course Management Systems (CMS) Helen Mongan-Rallis & Shelly McCauley Jugovich March 22, 2007. Presenation. Accessed online 02 October, 2010.
www.d.umn.edu/~hrallis/…/cms/cms_compare_monganrallis.pdf
Panettieri, J. (2007). Addition by subtraction. University Business, August, 58-62. Accessed online 28 September, 2010
http://www.universitybusiness.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=845
Perkins, M., Pfaffman, J. (2006). Using a Course Management System to Improve Classroom Communication. Science Teacher, 73(7), 33-37. Accessed online 28 September, 2010
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.125.6880&rep=rep1&type=pdf
(Non-Academic)
10 Things to Consider before Choosing an LMS. Nd. Accessed online Ocotber 2, 2010.
http://www.mozealous.com/11-things-to-consider-before-choosing-an-lms/
Differences between Moodle and WebCT (Blackboard). Nd . Accesssed online 02 October, 2010
http://skillspark.ca/info/MoodleandWebCTComparison.pdf
Moodle Moodle™ Moves To the Front of the LMS Adoption Pack, Learning Solutions Magazine, October 2009. Accessed online 05 Ocotber, 2010.
