Background
From September 2005 to May 2006, QUT conducted a review of its online learning and teaching system OLT. The review recommended that QUT consider the replacement of its current Learning Management System (LMS) and adopt the Blackboard LMS.
This decision is the result of a thorough evaluation process that involved professional and academic staff as well as students, and a series of discussions in various committees such as the OLT Steering Committee, the Learning Environments Working Party, the IT Advisory Group, and Teaching and Learning Committee.
Detailed information about the OLT System Review, including key review documentation, can be found on the OLT Review page.
Project components
The Learning Management System is one of the most important university systems. The change from an existing LMS to a new one is a fairly complex task and involves many areas, people, and other systems. The LMS implementation project includes the following areas:
- The installation and configuration of the system
- The migration of all active unit websites currently in OLT to the Blackboard System
- Change Management across the university, including training for staff and students
- The integration of the new LMS with other university systems
- The identification of required policy development and business process re-engineering.
An overview of the subcomponents of these is provided in the attached diagram.
Project Schedule
The project will be carried out in a timeframe of 18 – 24 months. The following table provides an overview of the three project phases and lists the expected deliverables for each phase.
Preparation and Planning
Project planning (July - August 2006)
- Communication and change management (ongoing)
- Project planning
- Staff allocation to the project
- Griffith collaboration opportunity evaluation
Preparation (August - October 2006)
- Infrastructure planning
- Infrastructure set-up
- Migration and integration preparation (tools development and selection, faculty profiles, site re-design, etc.)
- Training (professional staff)
- System configuration
- Business process review
Phase 1
Phase 1 migration & training (October 2006 - February 2007)
- Finalise system configuration for Phase 1 faculties (templates, portlets, banners, etc.)
- Integration work
- Develop training programs and resources
- Migrate content of phase 1 faculties
- Train staff in phase 1 faculties
- Commence preparation for migration of Semester 2, 2007 sites
- Change management focused on phase 1 faculties
Phase 1 go-live(Semester 1, 2007)
Evaluation of phase 1 migration (March 2007)
Phase 2
Semester 2 unit migration (March 2007 - July 2007)
- Finalise system configuration for remaining faculties (templates, portlets, banners etc.)
- Proceed with integration with other systems
- Proceed with development of training materials and resources
- Migrate all semester 2 unit websites
- Train all semester 2 teaching staff
- Communication and change management
University wide roll-out (Semester 2, 2007)
Phase 3
Semester 1 unit migration (August - December 2007)
- Migrate remaining Semester 1 unit websites
- Train remaining teaching staff
- Proceed with integration with other systems (esp. Student Management System)
Project closure & hand-over to operational (January / February 2008)
Project evaluation (January - February 2008)
Approaches to Migration and Training
The migration of OLT unit websites to the Blackboard system is a big effort, and we understand that you may be somewhat concerned about the impact this change may have on your workload. There are several strategies we are adopting to ensure a smooth and successful transition to the new system. They include:
- Close collaboration with each faculty in the planning for migration and training. To find out who is in the working party for each faculty, see the attached Blackboard Working Parties list.
The LMS implementation team and members of your TILS liaison teams will work closely with each faculty to ensure that we take individual requirements into consideration. For each faculty, we will develop a migration and training plan, which clearly identifies roles and responsibilities, processes and timelines for the transition. Your engagement in the planning process is crucial.
- Supporting content and tools migration
The LMS implementation team will work hard to minimise the workload involved in migrating your units for you. More specific information is available in the Migration segment of the FAQ section.
- Customised training options
We understand that training on how to use the new LMS cannot be conducted in a "one size fits all" manner. More information about our planned approach to training can be found in the Training segment of the FAQ section.
- Supporting students in the transition
From experience, many students pick up the use of new systems very easily. However, we understand that our student population includes students who do not have highly developed IT skills and may need more intensive support.
The implementation team will develop online and print resources for students, and there will be presentations for students to show them the new system at the beginning of semester. Drop-in sessions will be available for students who need additional support at each campus.