The document summarizes the origins and development of Moodle@uvic.ca. It began organically through grassroots interest from various faculties. A Moodle team was created in 2007 to pilot and centrally support Moodle across the University of Victoria. Their plan was to integrate Moodle with the university's systems like authentication, enrollments, and portals. They faced challenges like technical issues and instructor buy-in, which they addressed through solutions and improved support. By 2009, Moodle saw widespread adoption across UVic with over 400 courses on the platform and a focus on instructional design and pedagogical uses of the LMS.

1. Building moodle@uvic.ca:
Could you run that script again?
Scott Gerrity
Mark Van Hoek
Learning Systems,
University of Victoria

2. We plan to cover…
 Context: Origins of moodle@uvic.ca
 What’s (been) the plan: Building the project
 Technical implementation
 Objectives
 Architecture and processes (evolving still!)
 Challenges
 Back-end tools (wew!)
 Instructional
 Objectives
 Challenges

3. Technologically speaking,
 is your institution top-down or ground-up in its
implementation of technology?
 how has that affected the development of Moodle at
your institution?

4. How did moodle@uvic.ca come into being?
 Ground-up
 Groundswell of interest: Humanities, Social Sciences, Fine Arts, Education
 Multiple instances and versions being created ad hoc in these Faculties
 Small panel discussion…unexpected turnout
 Blackboard Issues (upgrade WebCT 4 to BB6)
 Ongoing technical issues, lack of technical support
 Pedagogic alternative to WebCT/Blackboard
 We responded with …
 Moodle “team” created within Learning Systems, July 2007
 Pilot project running throughout academic year 2007-2008
 Enterprise services, Banner integration in 2008-2009

5. Identities: The 4 faces
of the “team”
Hard Computing Systems (1) Plan
Identity Management (1) Implement
Database admin
Report
Enterprise Services (2)
Helpdesk (2)
Soft Computing
Application admin (1)
Instructional design/support (3)
Teach
Web designer (1)
Build Materials
Instructors Build Profile
Champions
Report
Converts
Sign off
Managers Project Management Office
Report
Project Sponsor (CIO)
Manage
Manager(s)
Build Profile

6. What was the plan?
 Aug – Dec 2007  Sept – Dec 2008
 Development and Production  Integration planning
instances, v.1.8 on (Red Hat Linux)  ePortfolio/Moodle
 Enable LDAP authentication  Beyond the basics support
 Enable automatic enrollment  Basic branding (by Faculty)
 Develop of support materials  Single Sign-On in uSource portal
(http:moodlehelp.uvic.ca)
 Jan – April 2008
 Increase consultation and course
support (workshops)
 Build Moodle Showcase
 Integration Moodle/Banner
Student (March 11th release?)

7. Go live Moodle Pilot (15)
Instructor consultations
& course set up
Moodle Phase 2
example Instructor survey
Project Plan
courses
Student
Instructor Moodlehelp.uvic.ca survey
consultations &
course set up
Soft Comp
Move
courses
to Prod Manual Enrolments Auto
enrollment
Prod completed
complete
Hard Comp
Banner
Prod integration
scheduled research
Dev
server Auto
ready enrollment
scheduled

8. Go live Courses (70)
Instructor focus groups
Moodlehelp.uvic.ca (Canceled)
F. of Business
Instructor Pilots (Canceled)
Consultations & Showcase
Instructional
course set up
Workshops
Showcase
Auto (Complete)
enrollment Auto
completed enrollment
OLSA & LMSA tools
testing
Testing
Testing
•uSource Go Live
Moodle Customization Business
Banner Integration
•Banner integration
(Canceled) Moodle
Go Live set up

9. Go live Courses (220) Go live Courses (420)
FBusinessMoodle
planning
Workshops & Online
Customized Dept.
Class orientations Learning
workshops
Instructional
Showcase
Workshops
Banner integration issues
Upgrade 1.8 to 1.9 Integration
•ePortfolio
•audiorecorder
Storage issues: moved
from disc to SAN
Single Sign on uSource

10. Let’s here it from you…
How have the administrative structures and academic
culture defined the notion of “teamwork” in course
delivery at your institution?

11. Technical Implementation: Objectives
Institutional Moodle
•Single sign-on into Automatically…
uSource Portal  Generate categories and
course shells
•Integrate LMS’sin  Create user accounts
Banner Student  Enroll students &
instructors
 Assign “Teacher” and
•Create “Self – Selection”
“Student” roles
Dashboard
 Drop/Add students
 Basic design support

12. Administrative Flow
1. Courses: generated
Course through uSource “dashboard”
Creation
Create Instructor
2. Accounts: created
and Student
through Banner student query
Accounts in Moodle
3.Enrollment:
4. Roles: Instructor and 5. Updates: Student
Enrol Student In Students with
student roles are
Specific Course enrolments
Netlink IDs are
assigned to their
enroled in Moodle updated daily
courses
course
Revise Student
Enrolment. Drop
6. Drop/Add: Students are
and Add Students
added/dropped daily

13. Another uSource
Users
form
Choose Moodle
View for Banner-listed
course
OLSA BANNER
Admins Oracle APEX
form
Updates
Nightly
Affiliation check
User info
LDAP
Authentication &
update user info
Create Views
based on changes
in Banner since
last update
IMS XML import
Generate XML
Python
<?xml ….> (pull from
imports
Uvic Moodle
User accounts
<enterprise>
Enrolments
python script)
XML into
Courses
Moodle
TSM
backup

14. Course Creation “Dashboard” in uSource
banner
1. 2. 3. 4.
Instructor Course information is Banner processes and Moodle course
fills in online form sent to Banner validates information is created

15. Resolved Challenges Solutions
 Instructors unable to see the
Dashboard
Faculties not wanting instructors to

OLSA Tool
choose LMS themselves
LMSA Tool
Depts making late teaching

assignment or changing them
Log Checks

Banner scripts not creating courses

Fix view timing
nightly
Move moodledata to SAN
Ran out of disk space

Manual accounts/role creation
IDM: Guest Access into Moodle

New strategy for Jan 2009
Cross-listed/Multi-sectional courses


16. Unresolved Challenges Work-arounds
 Had instructors test
 Unable to test dashboard
“dashboard” and send us
adequately
screenshots
 Moodle IMS import not
 Merge user profiles on
handling username
complaint
changes properly (neither
ID number nor username  Email to all course
unique) instructors, no opt-out
 Updating our mailing list
challenging

17. Instructional Supportat a Glance
Phase One (Pilot): Sept 2007 15 courses
 Origin: Organic growth, ground up  Champions: Ed or Ed tech leaders
 Faculties: Humanities, Education, Human  Researchers in some area of pedagogy
and Social Development, Fine Arts  Heavy feature use
Phase Two: Jan 2008 70 courses
 Origin: centralizing services, word of mouth  Converts: Blackboard/WebCT
 Faculties: Humanities, Social Sciences,  Like and use CMS’s proficiently
Education, Fine Arts, Human and Social
 Heavy administrative use (more
Development
balanced feature use)
 First time users Blackboard converts
420 Courses
Phase 3: (Sept 2008 – Jan 2009)
 Work closes with LTC
Greater focus on pedagogic use
 Focus on course design possibilities
Course conversion process and tools?
 Focus on multi-media integration

18. What’s the buy-in?
Objectives
Plan & Implementation
Phase I (15 courses)
 Build on group of “champions”  Mandatory consultations, class
orientations, Showcase participation
 Build recognition for “Moodle team”
 Instructor and student surveys
 Build in review and assessment
 Online support site
Phase II (70 courses)
(moodlehelp.uvic.ca)
 focus on “BB converts”
 Standard range of workshops
 Build recognition for support materials
 High profile “Moodle” showcase
and processes
 Focus groups, surveys, assessments
 Build in review and assessment
 Instructor/student interviews
Phase III (420 courses)
 Customized “team” led workshops
 Focus on full range of users
 High profile “Online Learning”
 Build recognition for instructional use
Showcase

19. Unique Future Challenges
(maybe not so unique?)
 Perceived threat to autonomy of depts. and
instructors
Perceived (and real) shift in funding priorities

Lack of policy creation processes (lack of policy)

Cultural buy-in (shifting landscape of pedagogies and

delivery modes)
Customizing wide range of uses

Leveraging successes


20. Questions?
Scott Gerrity Mark van Hoek
721-8283 721-8323
sgerrity@uvic.ca markv@uvic.ca