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Driving Organisational Change and Academic Innovation
Formed in October 2004 from the merger of The Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST, The University of Manchester is the largest single-site higher education institution in the UK. With over 40,000 students, it possesses a strategic ambition to be in the top 25 in the world by 2015. Toward that end, the institution’s strategic plan Towards Manchester 2015 articulates a goal of “Enriching teaching and learning through the provision of highly interactive on-line learning environments drawing on international best practice in elearning.”
Meeting 21st Century Challenges
Following the ambitious
merger, like most institutions,
Manchester had a learning
management system, some
excellent examples of
best practice with a select
group of champions, and
enthusiasts within every
faculty. However, online
learning was not embedded
within the professional culture
of the University nor was the
understanding of how learning
technology could enhance
educational value and promote
innovation.
With growing demand by
2007 the University became
increasingly aware of the
educational challenges and
barriers it needed to face and
overcome. First, there was no
overarching strategy to deliver
the pedagogical imperative
and benefits of online learning
articulated in the strategic plan.
Second, Manchester’s institution-
wide technological infrastructure
was not geared to support the
elearning demands of 40,000
students. Further, there was
no effective staffing model for
online learning development and
support and limited experience
in implementing an institution-
wide learning management
system impeded progress
toward attaining the institution’s
strategic goal.
It was clear that Manchester
had much work to do if it was to
drive the adoption of elearning
Online Learning at the University of Manchester
Quick Facts
• Blackboard active users increased from 3,000 in 2007 to 32,000 in 2010.
• Number of courses increased from 1,000 to 4,500.
• An average of 14,377 users log in each day.
• In 2010, usage reached a peak level of 300,000 Blackboard server requests per hour and 4 million per day.
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and enrich teaching and learning in line with the
Towards Manchester 2015 plan. It therefore set itself
the objective to move from tactical to strategic use
of learning technologies, to enhance the quality and
diversity of the student experience, enrich learning,
and strategically position the University as a leader in
higher education.
Securing Strategic Change and Success
Manchester understood it must engender
confidence in the central provisioning of virtual
learning environment (VLE) services and that it
would need to draw on executive sponsorship as
well as sourcing external expertise in the area of
deploying an institution-wide elearning environment.
Professor Colin Stirling was appointed as Associate
Vice-President for elearning and together with Sarah
Morgan, a Strategic Projects Manager in the Teaching
and Learning Support office, assembled a cross
institutional team backed up with the resources and
skills to deliver.
Given the clear challenges of deploying an
institution-wide VLE that maximizes strategic
impact and embedding online learning across
the UK’s largest institution, the Manchester team
chose to work closely with Blackboard Consulting.
Blackboard brought significant experience with
deploying an institution-wide elearning environment
and embedding its use within the institution’s
culture as well as experience in managing related
strategic, tactical, and operational challenges
and opportunities. Not only did Blackboard bring
product knowledge and technical expertise, it also
brought a deep understanding of the organizational,
educational, and change management issues that
needed to be addressed.
Working as a team, Manchester and Blackboard
developed the University’s VLE strategy, which
included developing and implementing an achievable
roadmap for the initiative, establishing a scalable
technical infrastructure, reengineering business
processes, staff development, and also helping
address the broader organisational and management
issues that required change.
Working with Blackboard helped newly implemented
organisational structures and teams work together
more effectively — facilitated cross-University
planning and implementation activities have resulted
in stronger internal working relationships, knowledge
transfer, and enhanced service provision. The
University’s decision to use Blackboard’s Managed
HostingSM Service also allowed it to focus on its core
business: improving the quality of teaching, learning
and assessment practices for on and off-campus
students.
The University of Manchester is the largest single-site higher education institution in the UK. With over 40,000 students, it possesses a strategic ambition to be in the top 25 in the world by 2015.
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“The University has made significant progress with the effective use of educational technologies over the last 3 years and has achieved genuine transformational change in online and blended learning; a position we will continue to build on to face the opportunities and challenges ahead. We faced a number of challenges in 2007 that needed solutions and we were able to work with Blackboard to find the right answers. Our partnership with Blackboard has helped the University to plan and implement the right technology solutions and to manage the many organisational changes along the way very successfully.”
Professor Colin Stirling, Vice-President for Teaching and Learning
www.blackboard.com/learn650 Massachusetts Avenue, NW 6th Floor Washington, DC 200011-800-424-9299, ext. 4
Copyright © 1997-2010. Blackboard Inc. All rights reserved. Blackboard, the Blackboard logo, BbWorld, Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Transact, Blackboard Connect, Blackboard Mobile, Blackboard Collaborate, the Blackboard Outcomes System, Behind the Blackboard, and Connect-ED are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackboard Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. U.S. Patent Numbers: 7,493,396, 7,558,853.
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Strategic Benefits
The experience of working strategically with
Blackboard has fundamentally changed the way
that online learning is managed at Manchester
and helped to establish consensus and a shared
understanding of what was needed to overcome
the many challenges and secure sustainable change.
The two organisations have worked together closely
to develop a shared vision for success and achievable
organisational change that is helping the University
meet its teaching and learning goals and realize its
institutional strategy - Towards Manchester 2015.
As a result, the University has seen the number of
active users grow from 3,000 in July 2007 to 32,000
in July 2010 with currently more than 14,000 people
logging in on average each day of the week. The
positive reception is showing in higher satisfaction
ratings and positive feedback from students using
the Blackboard environment. Adoption amongst
staff has been equally impressive with the number
of courses growing from 1,000 to over 4,500 in
the same timeframe. Staff has taken on the new
technological and organisational infrastructure and
is using it to support innovation in teaching and
learning and developing new assessment solutions.
Online learning at Manchester has undergone a
radical cultural change into a position where it is now
accepted as a legitimate and strategically important
cornerstone of contemporary high quality higher
education that can deliver real benefits to students
and teachers. This will allow the institution to respond
in a more dynamic and flexible way to the changing
world and diversify its revenue streams in response
to the political, economic and social changes that
are shaping how universities will operate in the 21st
century.
For More Information
If you are interested to learn more on how Blackboard can help you and your organization increase the impact of
education, please contact your account manager or visit us at www.blackboard.com
“Over the past three years Blackboard has become a trusted part of the Manchester team providing ideas, effective practice, and solutions based on experience from across the globe, which helps to reduce risk, identify barriers and effective solutions to overcome them to support the University in continuing to drive change and offer a distinctive student experience. Importantly, working with Blackboard has helped Manchester engage with change in a more responsive and effective way which is progressively changing the culture of the organization.”
Sarah Morgan, Strategic Projects Manager
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