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NERCOMP EVENT
The Big Switch: Evaluating Learning Management Systems
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Today, many institutions view their Learning Management Systems (LMS) as a mission critical technology and many integrate their decision making process into their strategic plans. The process of assessing the institutional needs, evaluating LMS options, making a decision to switch LMS solutions, and implementing a new LMS solution can be a very daunting and extended process as more options have appeared in the marketplace.
During the LMS SIG, institutions will have the opportunity to learn from other institutions who have recently evaluated (or are in the process of evaluating) their LMS solutions and hear how the assessment, decision making and implementation process affected a change – or not.
Please note: The focus of this SIG is on the evaluation and implementation of a LMS solution. It is not a comparison between LMS products.
Outcomes for the Day:
-Learn from institutions that have recently conducted a LMS evaluation and/or implemented a new solution
-Exchange resource information to help you plan for and implement your own LMS evaluation
-Build collaborations among institutions around a LMS review
-Network and make connections with colleagues
Topics:
- Discovery (decision making process)
- Assessment (assessing the institutional needs)
- Planning (making a decision to switch LMS solutions)
- Evaluation (evaluating LMS options)
- Implementation (implementing a new LMS solution)
Workshop Organizer/Host: Andrea Pickles and Robin Robinson both of Framingham State College
Date/Time:
Thursday, May 14, 2009
9:00am - 3:15pm
Registration begins at 8:00am
Location:
Four Points Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center
1125 Boston Providence Turnpike
Norwood, MA
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Special instructions:
Your fee includes unlimited am and pm break service and lunch.
Pricing:
NERCOMP Members: $125
Non-Members: $250
By clicking on the "Register" button below, you are indicating a commitment to attend and will be held responsible for the registration fee.
Your fee can be refunded if you notify us of a cancellation at least 8 days prior to the event via email to nercomp@nercomp.org.
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Additional Information
Event Schedule:
8:00am - 9:00am Registration and Coffee
9:00am - 9:10am Welcome & Introduction
9:10am – 9:55am Should We Invest in Considering Major Change?—A Discovery Process
Speakers:
Gregory Devine, CEO, Global Synergies
Lori Mathis, Senior Consultant, Global Synergies
It is a considerable investment for any campus to thoroughly evaluate alternative learning management systems. This presentation will detail a streamlined process for examining your current online learning services and evaluate whether it is wise to invest in considering major changes.
9:55am - 10:50am Assessing Institutional LMS Needs: Tufts University Case Study
Speaker: Gina Siesing, Associate Director for Educational Technology, Tufts University
The Tufts University LMS project has involved two important threads in project planning and institutional needs assessment: 1) we have worked through discussions with senior university leaders and stakeholders across the complex Tufts LMS ecosystem to develop a shared vision for university-wide LMS analysis and selection; 2) our community requirements-gathering process has enabled us to learn about essential and desired next-generation LMS features from the diverse perspectives of faculty, students, and staff colleagues across the university, as well as from our peers in the educational technology community. This presentation will describe our LMS context and project model with emphasis on our planning and needs-assessment phases.
10:50am – 11:15am Break – Table Talk
11:15am – 12:00pm Deciding for Ourselves: A User-Driven LMS Change Initiative
Speaker: April Bellafiore, Dean of eLearning, Bristol Community College
Bristol Community College (BCC) is a comprehensive community college located in Southeastern Massachusetts. BCC serves approximately 9700 credit-bearing students through its physical campuses in Fall River, New Bedford, Attleboro, and Taunton and online through its virtual campus. In 1999 the college adopted the WebCT Learning Management System (LMS) to support its emerging distance learning program. As the distance learning program has grown, so too has the use of WebCT. It forms the backbone of the virtual campus and has become an integral component of the college’s technological and pedagogical infrastructure. In June of 2008 BCC began a LMS change initiative to consider whether or not to move to a new LMS platform or to stay with our existing implementation. This multi-step change process was based on John Kotter's 8-step "Leading Change" model and was built using a participatory model in order to directly involve faculty and students in the selection and adoption of a new LMS.
12:00pm – 12:45pm Lunch
12:45pm – 1:30pm LMS: Selecting the Right Product for the Right Campus
Speakers:
George Claffey Jr., Chief Information Officer, Charter Oak State College
Kevin Corcoran, Associate Executive Director, Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium
The Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium (CTDLC) provides eLearning services and support for multiple platforms including Angel, Blackboard, and Moodle for K-20+ institutions. The CTDLC will review it assists institutions in evaluating which LMS product is appropriate for their current and forecasted needs.
1:30pm – 1:55pm Break – Table Talk
1:55pm – 2:40pm Moodle at Brandeis: Year 2 Retrospective
Speakers:
Bren Campbell, Research & Instruction Technology Specialist
Brandeis University
Adam Lipkin, Academic Applications Administrator, Brandeis University
Garth Sainio, Senior Web Developer, Brandeis University
Presenters will review the Brandeis Moodle implementation, LATTE (Learning and Teaching Technology Environment), and talk about recent developments and future trends. Talk will range from the initial project to our practices and plans; we'll focus on three areas: user support, product management, and technical infrastructure.
2:40pm – 3:15pm Table Talk and Wrap-up
3:15pm End
Speaker:
Adam Lipkin
Adam Lipkin is an Academic Applications Administrator within Brandeis University's Library & Technology Services. Before coming to Brandeis, he spent twelve years as an instructional technologist at Emory University, where he helped manage the pioneering LearnLink community and course management system, as well Blackboard. Shortly after coming to Brandeis in 2006, he worked on the team that implemented Moodle as a replacement for WebCT. Since then, he has helped administer the system and develop new functionality. Adam has previously presented at NLII; this is his first NERCOMP presentation.
Speaker:
April Bellafiore
April Bellafiore, as the Dean of eLearning, April oversees the eLearning program and the Center for Instructional Technology Expertise (CITE) at Bristol Community College. Prior to arriving at BCC, April was an Associate Professor of Computer Technologies and the Director of Distance Education at the Stratham Campus of New Hampshire Community Technical College. Her professional background has been focused on understanding the impact of emerging technologies, generational differences and societal changes on the teaching and learning process. April received a BA in Philosophy from the University of New Hampshire and a MS in Organization and Management from Antioch New England. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Leadership and Change from Antioch University.
Speaker:
Bren Campbell
Bren Campbell is a Research & Instruction Technology Specialist within Brandeis University’s Library & Technology Services. She graduated with an M.S. in Educational Technology from Long Island University in 2006. Bren has supported Brandeis’ Moodle implementation since it’s beginning, creating much of the initial documentation for LATTE; more recently, she has become responsible for the oversight of the support desk. Her interests include computer-mediated communication, virtual realities, and the use of games in education.
Speaker:
Garth Sainio
Garth Sainio is a senior web developer at Brandeis University, Library & Technology Services. For nearly 11 years, he has been programming Perl on *nix and working with the rest of the LAMP stack. In addition to Brandeis’ Moodle implementation, he contributes to other projects for the university.
Speaker:
George Claffey
George Claffey has been involved in technology and technology education for the past fifteen years. George is currently employed by the Board for State Academic Awards and serves as the Chief Information Officer for Charter Oak State College, Connecticut’s largest provider of online learning, and also the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium, a consortia providing ASP based eLearning, ePortfolio, and eTutoring collaborative environments to K12 and Higher Education entities nationally. As the Chief Information Officer, he provides technology vision and leadership for developing and implementing IT initiatives that create and maintain strategic value for the enterprise.
Over the past 10 years, George has modernized and matured the Charter Oak State College IT infrastructure, leveraging technology to reduce the physical distance between the college and the students it serves. As a member of the Charter Oak State College Executive Staff, he helps define strategic goals and facilitate the decision making process to create institutional improvements and improve student success.
As Chief Information Officer for the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium he works with K-12 and Higher Education institutions to address challenges in information technology and distance learning. George oversees all technology operations including the BSAA data center that supports over 70 institutions and 70,000 students nationally that use the CTLDC to support their eLearning, ePortfolio, eTutoring, and disaster recovery operations.
Speaker:
Gina Siesing
Gina Siesing currently co-directs the UIT Academic Technology (AT) department at Tufts University. Gina works with AT colleagues and academic resource colleagues to develop, evaluate, and continually enhance educational technology services for a diverse university community. A primary focus of Gina’s position is communication and collaboration with academic deans and faculty across the university to understand instructional technology goals and to envision best approaches to meeting these goals both at the institutional level and in local departmental and course contexts. Working with colleagues at Tufts and beyond, Gina researches trends in teaching, learning, and research technology and makes determinations about appropriate places to introduce new resources and initiatives based on the vision and needs of the academic communities at Tufts. Gina also serves happily as a member of the NERCOMP Board of Trustees, participating this year with the SIG Committee, the Institutional Representatives/Membership Committee, and the Annual Conference Program Committee. Prior to arriving at Tufts University, Gina worked for six years in Harvard’s Instructional Computing Group and, before that, served as Assistant Director of the Computer Writing and Research Laboratories at the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed a Ph.D. in English and got hooked on academic technology.
Speaker:
Greg Devine
Greg Devine is an accomplished academic technology executive with over 14 years of experience in a variety of enterprise technologies, including course management, ERP, content management and CRM systems. Mr. Devine is currently CEO of Global Synergies, a leading education technology consulting firm. Prior to founding Global Synergies, he led Blackboard’s North American Higher Education consulting practice. Mr. Devine is a recognized thought leader in the industry and is a trusted advisor to many academic professionals.
Speaker:
Kevin Corcoran
Kevin Corcoran, as Associate Executive Director, Kevin provides leadership, coordination and assistance on all CTDLC issues including technology, resource management, strategic planning, partnerships, staff development, marketing, and product & service development. Kevin oversees the core technology services of the CTDLC, including application hosting, product development, and customer support. He has 10 years experience in supporting Learning Management Systems, such as Blackboard (LS, CE, & Vista), Moodle, and WebMentor, and has participated on various advisory boards within this arena. In product development, Kevin was instrumental in the creation and ongoing design of the ePortfolio and eTutoring platforms. Leveraging his knowledge of LMS platforms, he guided the CTDLC Product Development Team in integrating these products with the various LMS platforms, and continues to work with staff to develop new concepts in learning technology.
Speaker:
Lori Mathis
Lori Mathis is a senior consultant with Global Synergies with deep experience in course management systems, web-based communications, and digital repositories. Previous to working with Global Synergies, Ms. Mathis gained 15 years experience in academic technology services and faculty support at the University of North Carolina and Ohio State University. She has expertise in project management, application services, change management, and faculty development.
Related Media Files:
LMS_CTDLC.pdf
LMS-SIG-Tufts-GS-051409.pdf
NERCOMP_Discovery_Session.pdf
LATTE_NERCOMP2.pdf
LMSChange_ProcessOverviewBCC.pdf
LMS Project Planning Workbook_final.pdf
Contact Information:
Lisa DiMauro
860-345-2081
ldimauro@nercomp.org
Hotel Information:
Rooms are available at the Sheraton Norwood, the conference location.
To make reservations contact the Sheraton Norwood at 781-769-7900 and request the "NERCOMP Room Block".
The room block for May 13, will be released on April 22, 2009. Double queen and king guest rooms are available for $150 per night.
Technical Requirements:
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NERCOMP reserves the right to use any photographs or other mechanical recordings taken at NERCOMP events in promotional materials.
No mechanical recordings of any kind may be used at NERCOMP events without the prior written consent of NERCOMP organizers and presenters.
The views and opinions expressed at NERCOMP events do not necessarily reflect those of NERCOMP, nor does NERCOMP make any representation regarding the information presented at NERCOMP events.
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