Systems and Client Relations Manager

Synapsys NZ Ltd

steve.gallagher@synapsys.co.nz

Improving the learner experience: integrating e-Learning and student management systems at a UK university

Paper

The use of Virtual Learning Environments in the tertiary education sector is now well established. VLEs have moved from their traditional role in distance learning to becoming a critical link between institutions and their students. As their role has increased, the job of maintaining accurate information in the VLE has also increased. This presentation describes a project designed to improve the integration of a VLE with other institutional systems at City University in London. The goals of the project were to improve the learning experience for both staff and students at the university by:  -reducing the administrative load required to maintain the VLE, and   -improving student access to information.  I will describe how we went about defining the issues for the university, our process of consultation with staff and students, and describe the technology that was ultimately chosen to facilitate the sharing of information between university systems.

Presentation notes (63kb PDF)
Presentation notes (470kb PPT)

Steve Gallagher is the Systems and Client Relations Manager at Synapsys NZ Ltd. His involvement in learning design began when lecturing at the University of Otago, and led to him becoming an e-Learning designer and coordinator at a large UK university. After two and a half years in London, a desire to return to New Zealand and leave the ivory tower led him to Synapsys. Steve is a skilled facilitator and communicator, with expertise in learning deployment in complex environments and a strong interest in the use of technology to improve the delivery of learning experiences.