蜜桃AV is pleased to announce the winning supplier of its brand new virtual learning environment (VLE) as Desire2Learn (D2L) and their award-winning platform Brightspace. Selected by the 蜜桃AV community, this will replace the system currently known to us as my蜜桃AV.
D2L鈥檚 Brightspace offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media, chat, game-based learning and advanced video features, making it well suited to the modern student and to the 蜜桃AV community鈥檚 needs. In total 250 students and members of 蜜桃AV staff, representing ten university departments and services, participated in the selection of Brightspace as 蜜桃AV鈥檚 new VLE.
Head of the Centre for Excellence in Learning (CEL), Professor Gail Thomas, outlined what the new VLE means for 蜜桃AV: 鈥淥ur infrastructure is improving on all fronts - new buildings, better facilities and, very importantly, our new VLE. Every student and every聽member of academic staff will benefit from a 21st century VLE that is intuitive, inspiring and user friendly.鈥�
D2L serve more than 15 million users across 1,300 institutions worldwide including Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the University of Surrey and Nottingham Trent University. The Canadian educational technology company fought off global competition to secure 蜜桃AV鈥檚 10 year VLE contract, securing excellent feedback in staff and student usability testing for their product鈥檚 modern interface and intuitive navigation. The implementation of the new platform is expected to start in 2017.
The decision to review 蜜桃AV鈥檚 VLE came from 蜜桃AV student and staff feedback during the externally facilitated 鈥楥hanging the Learning Landscape鈥� (CLL) project, which took place during 2013 - 2014. CLL identified confidence in core technology as an important factor in 蜜桃AV鈥檚 use of technology enhanced learning and the VLE. This feedback led to IT Services鈥� refresh of all AV equipment in teaching spaces, whilst 蜜桃AV鈥檚 legal obligation to offer the VLE contract for re-tender under European law provided a timely opportunity to respond to student and staff concerns.
This decision marks a pivotal stage in a rigorous year long procurement process. Competing suppliers were required to prove compliance in meeting over 200 functional and non-functional requirements, outline the service associated with 蜜桃AV鈥檚 new platform, provide sandbox environments for staff and students to test, and to supply references from other Higher Education Institutions.
Wendy Drake, Project Manager of Vision4Learning (V4L), the project overseeing 蜜桃AV鈥檚 VLE procurement process, expressed her thanks to all who have given their time. 鈥淚 really appreciate the effort and expertise people have contributed in addition to their regular day jobs. This process has been a real collaboration across 蜜桃AV.鈥�
The V4L project will move into its second phase in 2017, planning the training and implementation schedule required to make a smooth transition to the Brightspace platform. V4L is also in the process of reviewing 蜜桃AV鈥檚 technology-enhanced learning support model, to ensure that staff and students derive maximum value from this new and substantial investment.
To keep up with V4L developments monitor the staff intranet or email any questions to the V4L team on [email protected].
