LEARN Improvements project

Background

In 2023, the University renewed the contract for the centrally supported learning management system (LMS) D2L Brightspace (LEARN) for another 5 years. This decision was made following an extensive review of the LMS system. Findings indicted there are some issues with LEARN, but the majority of faculty, students, and staff did not want to see a change to the University’s LMS, preferring that time and effort be spent on improvements to the current environment.

These improvements will take place through several different initiatives, and may encompass:

  • A review of University guidelines, policies, and/or standards
  • Brightspace functionality gaps
  • LEARN configurations
  • LEARN training and support information

Objectives of this work

After careful analysis of the data collected throughout the LMS Review project, common themes relating to potential areas of improvement were identified. Actions being taken/planned to address these themes are listed below. This list will continue to be updated as other actions are identified to improve faculty, staff, and student experiences with LEARN.  

More about these themes

The common themes for improvement align with recommendations in the IT Review and the digital learning strategy (DLS). As implementation planning for the DLS continues, additional actions relating to the LEARN improvement themes are likely to be identified.

The following projects have deliverables that address improvements within these themes.

Interactive Course Content Pilot with Creator+

The Creator+ add-on to LEARN would provide tools that enable the straightforward creation of interactive course content, such as practice exercises, interactive elements, and easy-to-capture video recordings, within LEARN workflows. A series of pilots will be conducted until Summer 2025 to determine if Creator+ will meet our needs for interactive course content and compare our requirements to other potential tools.

Throughout the pilots, we will be seeking individuals who are either actively engaged in using similar tools already, or individuals whose role supports instructors using LEARN to accomplish similar goals. Please watch for opportunities to participate or contact Pam Fluttert (fluttert@uwaterloo.ca) if interested.

LEARN Data, Reporting and Analytics Pilots with Performance+

The Performance+ add-on to LEARN would provide tools and dashboards that unlock insights into course and learner data and effectiveness, performance, and key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be used towards informed teaching and learning decisioning within a class, department, program, faculty, and/or the University. A series of pilots will be conducted from Spring 2024 to Summer 2025 to determine if Performance+ will meet our needs and compare our requirements to other potential solutions.

Throughout the pilots, we will be seeking individuals who are either actively engaged in using similar tools already, or individuals whose role supports instructors using LEARN to accomplish similar goals. Please watch for opportunities to participate or contact Pam Fluttert (fluttert@uwaterloo.ca) if interested.

LEARN Infrastructure Improvements

When LEARN was implemented over a decade ago, it was configured based on requirements for academic courses. Requirements for an LMS at Waterloo today and into the future requires a new focus on possible infrastructure opportunities for improvement, including:

  • Technical configuration for email notifications in LEARN to meet Waterloo’s standards
  • Technical and manual processes to create LEARN accounts
  • Email notifications from LEARN for external learners
  • Integration with Quest for final grades

Evolution of the EdTech Ecosystem

The purpose of the Evolution of the EdTech Ecosystem project is to implement initiatives and process improvements to evolve our centrally managed educational technologies (EdTech) ecosystem. The drivers for these changes were identified in the 2018 Edtech Challenge Plan and have since aligned with the IT Review, digital learning strategy, and feedback received through the LMS review.

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