alan hayes_moodle case study
TRANSCRIPT
Moodle at Bath: a case study
- Dr Kyriaki Anagnostopoulou (Head of e-Learning)- Hittesh Ahuja ( Senior Educational Software & Systems Developer)
Moodle• VLE, LMS, MLE, ILMS, learning platform, PLE?• Established in August 2002• One of the first universities to use it in the UK• Educational and flexible• Open Source
Moodle @ Bath• Current version 2.8.9 *• Customised responsive theme• MySQL Server ( 5.5.13) [ 35 GB ]• NFS Filestore [~ 1TB ]• 16 custom plugins
Moodle Analytics
VLE Usage
Chart from 2013-14, average daily users: 4387
2014-15 – average daily users: 5180, peak time: 9471
Stats
• Approx. 4000 courses• 90% of SAMIS units have presence• 35,000 users (students + others)• 1,780 assessment submission points• 145,000 files submitted online in 2014-15• 2,400 quizzes – inc. online exams• 8,400 discussion forums• 6 years of read-only archives
Maintenance• Regular Moodle upgrades and updates• Moodle security updates• Maintenance window - Tue / Thu 7-9am• Integrations – SAMIS, Turnitin, Panopto, OUE, Exeter,
Reading List software…• Archive
CommunicationMoodle Service Blog -https://moodlebath.wordpress.com/ Twitter - @eatbathBanner on MoodleUniversity webpagesMoodle Staff Support SiteMoodle Support HubStaff only email: [email protected] via Security Desk
Project Management
Project Management
..continued
Server side – PHP5Client Side – JavaScript ( JQuery,YUI,AngularJS)Database – SQL, MySQL, PL/SQL
Example developments:• iTrent updates - Research integrity, H&S, Bribery Act…• Academic integrity – pass data to SAMIS
Developments
PhpStorm IDE
Contributions to moodle.org + othersSearch courses autocomplete
Version control @ BathGit version control systemWeb interface @ github.bath.ac.ukRepositories / Branches / Tags Custom shell scripts
Ticketing systems + people• Github Issues for Developers & Learning
Technologists
• Topdesk for issues raised with BUCS
• Request Tracker (RT) for issues raised by general public to e-learning team
Github Issues
Ticketing systems + people• Github Issues for Developers & Learning Technologists
• Topdesk for issues raised with BUCS
• Request Tracker (RT) for issues raised by general public to e-learning team
Topdesk
Ticketing systems + people• Github Issues for Developers & Learning Technologists
• Topdesk for issues raised with BUCS
• Request Tracker (RT) for issues raised by general public to e-learning team
Request Tracker
Current work and next steps
Moodle Mobile App
Moodle Mobile App (sneak preview!)
Current work and next steps
New theme?
Current work and next steps
External Hosting/Outsourcing
Why?• Internal bottlenecks• Shortage of skillset nationally • Aggressive recruitment techniques in the local area • Commercial companies paying significantly higher salaries• Staff turnover - legacy code, documentation
Options• Do nothing• Retain external consultants• Externally host• Move to a commercially-backed product
Benefits• Safeguard Moodle• Free up time for development
Approval and project management• Approval from University Planning Team and Vice Chancellor’s Group• Project Steering Group
• Chaired by Vice President (Implementation)• Director of Computing Services• Director of Learning and Teaching Enhancement• Head of Procurement Services• Head of e-Learning (PM)• Director of Studies• Academic user
• Project Team – similar make up• ‘Route to market’: Government G-Cloud framework• Requirements document• Two stage evaluation
Risks
Sep-15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Aug-16 Sept-16 onwards
Set up Project Board/TeamEstablish requirements/criteriaIssue invitation to suppliersReceipt of proposalsTender evaluationVendor PresentationsAward ContractPreparation for transitionTransition to external hostMonitor and manage new arrangements
Timescales
Accurate requirements, relationship management, disenfranchising of staff, hidden costs, increased security concerns (CLOUD), user experience of transition, risk of network saturation
