LMS Weekly Update: FAQ and Training Updates
April 4, 2018
Last month, we were happy to be able to announce the new Learning Management System the College will be adopting: Brightspace by D2L. We are excited for the changes this will bring to the College’s digital landscape, allowing faculty members to focus even more on teaching concerns and, hence, on their students’ success.
There are a number of different resources available to faculty who are eager to learn more about the new system. Algonquin College’s LMS website is your up-to-date hub for all information surrounding the implementation and migration process, and in the near future you will be able to find training tools and D2L resources. The D2L website also provides background information on this new system, and allows for users to explore the new features that Brightspace will be providing.
The LMS team has also conducted 10 faculty/staff and 2 student consultation sessions. We have heard from over 125 participants (staff, faculty, and students) and here are some of the things we are hearing from you so far:
• Faculty want to have training prior to leaving in June
• Faculty want their previous course content available in Brightspace in May so that they can prepare their courses for the fall
• Faculty and students identified that the current hours of support for Blackboard are not meeting their needs. Request for 24/7 access or at a minimum until 10 p.m. and on Saturdays when classes are running. Students would like a live chat support option.
• Want to ensure plagiarism tool like Turnitin is still available. Yes, Turnitin will be available in Brightspace.
• Faculty and Students were concerned about whether there would be response time issues as experienced with Blackboard and if the current infrastructure will support the new LMS
• Faculty were concerned about having access to their previous course content. Blackboard will remain available until March 31, 2019 and all course content will be archived and a process will be in place for faculty to request previous course content.
• Faculty and students want different modes of training that would include online self-paced and classroom training.
• Students expressed a need for standardization of the courses from a navigation perspective. Students complained that each instructor had very different course pages and expectations.
• Faculty expressed a concern about whether the publisher apps would work with Brightspace. The LMS team is investigating and will provide information for any publisher apps that won’t work in Brightspace.
• Faculty would like to know as soon as possible if there is any functionality that existed in Blackboard that won’t be available in Brightspace. The LMS website will keep you informed as to what features are not available in Brightspace and what features can replace the functionality not available.
• Concern expressed about whether Brightspace would work with Apple and Android devices.Yes, Brightspace is compatible with Apple and Android devices.
• Faculty want their previous course content available in Brightspace in May so that they can prepare their courses for the fall
• Faculty and students identified that the current hours of support for Blackboard are not meeting their needs. Request for 24/7 access or at a minimum until 10 p.m. and on Saturdays when classes are running. Students would like a live chat support option.
• Want to ensure plagiarism tool like Turnitin is still available. Yes, Turnitin will be available in Brightspace.
• Faculty and Students were concerned about whether there would be response time issues as experienced with Blackboard and if the current infrastructure will support the new LMS
• Faculty were concerned about having access to their previous course content. Blackboard will remain available until March 31, 2019 and all course content will be archived and a process will be in place for faculty to request previous course content.
• Faculty and students want different modes of training that would include online self-paced and classroom training.
• Students expressed a need for standardization of the courses from a navigation perspective. Students complained that each instructor had very different course pages and expectations.
• Faculty expressed a concern about whether the publisher apps would work with Brightspace. The LMS team is investigating and will provide information for any publisher apps that won’t work in Brightspace.
• Faculty would like to know as soon as possible if there is any functionality that existed in Blackboard that won’t be available in Brightspace. The LMS website will keep you informed as to what features are not available in Brightspace and what features can replace the functionality not available.
• Concern expressed about whether Brightspace would work with Apple and Android devices.Yes, Brightspace is compatible with Apple and Android devices.
Please continue providing us with your valuable input by participating in the focus sessions or posting your suggestions on the website.
We also have a number of training updates to share today:
• There are 11 programs with Level 01 intakes that will be using Brightspace for the first time this Spring. Early adopter faculty/facilitator training begins April 11th and goes to May 4th. These programs are:
o Environment Management and Assessment
o Computer Engineering Technology - Computing Science
o Computer Systems Technician
o Computer Programmer
o Mechanical Engineering Technology
o Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technician – Robotics
o Welding and Fabrication Techniques
o Autism and Behavioural Science (CCOL)
o Technical Writer (CCOL)
o Client Relations (CCOL)
o Regulatory Affairs (CCOL)
o Computer Engineering Technology - Computing Science
o Computer Systems Technician
o Computer Programmer
o Mechanical Engineering Technology
o Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technician – Robotics
o Welding and Fabrication Techniques
o Autism and Behavioural Science (CCOL)
o Technical Writer (CCOL)
o Client Relations (CCOL)
o Regulatory Affairs (CCOL)
• Frontline employees in Student Support Services and ITS Client Care will participate in training beginning on April 17th.
Stay tuned for more information on how you can take advantage of flexible training opportunities this May/June. In the meantime, feel free to visit the Brightspace Community where you can review a variety of training resources: https://community.brightspace.com/s/