From 2014 Stellenbosch University’s electronic learning management system will switch from Vista and Blackboard to Moodle, an  open source eLearning system. The switch to another system was necessitated from a change in the University’s strategy and shortcomings in the existing system that could not be corrected. The decision was based on a thorough investigation. Henceforth Moodle will be the standard eLearning system of the University.

A task team (Johann Kistner, drs Antoinette van der Merwe & JP Bosman and ms Marinda van Rooyen) facilitated the evaluation, including consulations with academic, administrative and support services staff. The success of systems, as well as the scale on which they were used by other universities, were also looked at. In the end a decision was made based on a set of predefined, weighed criteria. The following was taken into account:

1. Off-campus access to the system must be reliable, because of the significant growth in the use of e-Learning Technology from outside campus:  service courses,      postgraduate modules, and students working from their homes.
2. A reliable assessment component, because e-assessment is increasingly  used.
3. A mobile interface that works on all equipment, due to the huge increase in the use of mobile devices (phones, tablets, laptops) to access the learning        management system.
4. An accurate tracking system, because the tracking of students’ progress are critical for student success.
5. Off-line functionality, which is very important in the (South) African context. The system must provide for students learning materials and other information to easily sync to their devices while on campus or via the network, and then to work at home without having to be online all the time.
6. A more flexible licensing model, because community involvement and working with schools and other universities, especially on the African continent (e.g. in the CHEC courses and schools support) means that restrictive license agreements is not sustainable.

On a practical level this means that Moodle will be used for all modules from January and Vista and Blackboard will only be available for 2013 modules until March 2014. (until after the  last exam opportunity)

The short time span before implementation is planned presents substantial challenges for lecturers to migrate information in time and also for IT to ensure that servers are ready for the change. The project is currently being defined and the team is sticking to a tight time line to ensure that this goal will be achieved.

More information will also be communicated in future editions of Bits & Bytes.

Vanaf 2014 skakel die Universiteit se elektroniese onderrigleerbestuurstelsel oor van Vista en BlackBoard Learn na ‘n oop-bron e-Leer-stelsel, Moodle. Die oorskakeling is genoodsaak deur  ‘n verandering in die Universiteit se strategie en tekortkominge in die bestaande stelsel wat nie reggestel kon word nie. Die besluit is gegrond op `n deeglike ondersoek. Moodle is dus voortaan die standaard e-Leer stelsel van die Universiteit.

‘n Taakspan (Johann Kistner, drr Antoinette van der Merwe & JP Bosman en me Marinda van Rooyen) het die evaluering gedoen, insluitend konsultasie met akademiese, administratiewe en steundienste personeel.  Daar is ook gekyk na hoe die stelsels suksesvol en op groot skaal by ander universiteite gebruik word.  Uiteindelik is die besluit gemaak op grond van ‘n stel vooraf gedefinieërde, geweegde kriteria. Dit het volgende in ag geneem:

1. Toegang tot die stelsel van buite kampus moet betroubaar wees. Daar is `n beduidende groei in die gebruik van e-Leertegnologie van buite die kampus:  dienskursusse, nagraadse modules, en studente wat vanaf hul huise werk.
2. E-assessering word toenemend gebruik, dus is `n betroubare assesseringskomponent noodsaaklik.  
3. ’n Mobiele koppelvlak wat op alle toerusting werk, agv die groot toename in die gebruik van mobiele toerusting (selfone, tabletrekenaars, skootrekenaars).
4. ‘n Akkurate tredhoustelsel om rekord te hou van studente se vordering. 
5. Af-lyn funksionaliteit om voorsiening te maak dat studente die leermateriaal en ander inligting maklik kan sinkroniseer na  toerusting terwyl hulle op kampus is en dan tuis kan werk sonder om aanlyn te wees.
6. ‘n Meer soepel lisensiëringsmodel aangesien beperkende lisensieooreenkomste nie meer volhoubaar is indien daar groter gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid en samewerking met skole en ander Universiteite, veral op die Afrika kontinent (bv in die CHEC kursusse, skole ondersteuning) in die vooruitsig gestel word nie. 

In praktyk beteken dit dat Moodle vanaf Januarie vir alle modules gebruik word, en dat Vista en BlackBoard net tot Maart 2014 vir 2013 modules beskikbaar bly (tot na die laaste eksamengeleentheid).

Die kort tydperk voor die implentering moet plaasvind bied `n groot uitdaging vir dosente om inligting  betyds te migreer, asoof aan IT om die bedieners betyds gereed te kry.  Die projek word tans gedefinieer en daar word streng by `n tydlyn gehou om te verseker dat hierdie doelwit bereik word. 

Meer inligting sal ook in volgende uitgawes van Bits & Bytes kommunikeer word.