The University Web Strategy (https://edin.ac/web-strategy-2018) identified a programme of activities, including the development of new web publishing tools or web publishing platform. “There is a fragmentation of technology, working methods and standards, which leads to uneven and, in some cases, broken user journeys.” – University Web Strategy The strategy stated that “it is important to recognise that technology is …
Author: mhighton
hoarding behaviour online
Hoarding and storage of old stuff indefinitely is a challenging user behaviour for several of our platforms. Cloud storage costs the university money. Users may be unaware of the need to align with data protection rules and to reduce our impact on the environment, every little bit helps and we have a huge amount of …
Evaluating VLE change
The University of Edinburgh’s Learn Ultra upgrade aimed to enhance the virtual learning environment (VLE) to better support the diverse student body and align with other strategic initiatives and objectives. The Learn platform hosts over 6,000 courses with an average of 39,000 daily logins from students engaged in on-campus, online, and hybrid studies. The Learn …
summer migrations
In LTW we meet in person twice yearly for LTW All Staff meetings and our summer gathering this year takes place next week at the recently opened Bessie Watson Lecture Theatre at the Outreach Centre. There will presentations from colleagues, group exercises and snacks. Every 6 months I ask each of the LTW Heads to …
who learns online and who attends class?
We have been looking at the data about students attending skills courses. At University of Edinburgh students have a choice of whether to work through online materials in LinkedIn Learning at their own pace or to attend synchronous teacher-led sessions with our Digital Skills Training team, in person or via webinars. The data show that …
Short Courses Platform
Our new Short Courses Platform has met its first major milestone. We have 18 early adopter courses and over 250 learners enrolled and using the new learning environment. This allowed us to establish and test the basic platform configuration including notifications, basic learner/course set up, as well as the courses templates, training and guidance. This …
International Women’s Day 2024-Bessie Watson
My honour to open the Bessie Watson Lecture room on International Women’s day. Beautiful ribbons in green, white, purple and red! Not yet 100 years. Thank you to Lauren Johnston-Smith Lesley Greer, Katie Grieve Karen Howie Ellen Groen, Susanne Knowles for organising and Gillian Kidd for the fabulous artwork. These women have got the skills …
Building a new learning platform for University of Edinburgh
It’s not often you get to start from scratch putting together a new learning platform for a University. Most learning technologists and digital leaders have experienced the procurement of a replacement VLE, or a migration or upgrade. It is rare that we get to work with partners to design from the start, thinking about the …
Summer interns 2024
I aim to promote an inclusive culture in my organisation. I have a focus on promoting cross-generational working. We welcome student interns as staff, and while not all students are young, they do tend to lower the average age about the place. I am delighted to have such a great group of interns who will …
Marking and Assessment projects 2024 – a crowded space
There is a sudden urgent interest in improving systems which support assessment in the University. Possibly related to the considerable impact felt from the Marking and Assessment Boycott (MAB) by the staff union (UCU) last year. The role of learning technology systems in enabling assessment, and the student experience of assessment ( and feedback) is …
International Womens Day 2024
This year we will be naming of the Bessie Watson Lecture Theatre in the Outreach Centre, Holyrood Campus on International Women’s Day 2024. Please join me from 9.15-10.15 a.m. on Friday 8th March to honour Bessie Watson (1900-1992), Scotland’s youngest suffragette. Bessie marched and played the bagpipes for the Women’s Social and Political Union in …
FLORA Project
FLORA (Feedback, Learning, Online Rubrics and Assessment) Ensuring staff and students have an appropriate platform for Exams / Digital Exams Digital tools to support assessment done under exam conditions (with an open question about what ‘exam conditions’ mean in digital contexts … could be in-person computer lab, online, take-home … and involve different types of restrictions to support academic integrity: …