The Technical Route: E-Learning Platforms SWITCHelp · Solidarity Operations Principles: –Subsidiarity –Long-lasting investments –Anticipation of R & E requirements –Strong

2006 © SWITCH

The Technical Route:E-Learning Platforms SWITCHelp

Martin Sutter, Head of NetServices

Swiss Virtual Campus Days 2006

2006 © SWITCH 2SVC Days 2006 “The Technical Route”

Outline

M. Sutter:• Introduction• SWITCHelp• Project plan & organization

R. Brugger:• Requirement Analysis NCS• Lessons learned• Outlook


History

SWITCH was established in 1987 with the objective

"to create, promote and offer the necessary basis for the effectiveuse of modern methods of telecomputing in teaching and researchin Switzerland, to be involved in and to support such methods.”


Mission

SWITCH meets the needs of Swiss universities by

• providing customized access to SWITCH's own network with high-quality Internet technologies and bandwidth greater than thecurrent requirement,

• providing rapid connections to foreign networks and excellentinternational contacts,

•• providing network services offering additional benefits which areproviding network services offering additional benefits which arenot available on the market or which are not of adequate qualitynot available on the market or which are not of adequate qualityand which may also be offered to the public too.and which may also be offered to the public too.


Strategic Orientation

• The investment in an optical network and its operation by SWITCHconstitute sustainable benefit for the Swiss universities.

•• SWITCH engages in innovative applications and infrastructureSWITCH engages in innovative applications and infrastructureservices as a platform for efficient and effective cooperation inservices as a platform for efficient and effective cooperation inresearch and education.research and education.

• The security services are offered to protect the critical informationinfrastructure.

• The domain name registration is operated to create technical andfinancial synergies.


Embedded In e-Academia

• The new e-learning platforms services SWITCHelp are well in linewith the overall SWITCH strategy of e-academia, including thesupport of– virtual academic communities

and complementing our services for– e-conferencing (SWITCHeconf)– ubiquity & roaming (SWITCHmobile)– authentication & authorization (SWITCHaai).


Principles

Foundation Principle:

Solidarity

Operations Principles:– Subsidiarity– Long-lasting investments– Anticipation of R & E requirements– Strong cooperation with all universities– Introduction of innovative technologies

and services– National and international coordination

All our principles are well in line with the operation ofa national e-learning platforms service


Peer Review 2005

Excerpt from the conclusions of the peer team1

• ... today has a sound vision and well-developed strategic goals....

• ... that SWITCH is well embedded and respected in theinternational education and research community, and also verymuch appreciated and trusted as a reliable and competent partnerby ist customers, from the management to the technical level.

1 David Williams (Chair), Fulvio Caccia, Anthony Hey, Ken Klingenstein, Klaus Ullmann, Maia Wentland, Paul-Erich Zinsli


SWITCHelp - Context

2009200820072006200520042003200220012000

SVC Impulse Program SVC Consolidation Program

edutech: infrastructure support

SWITCH: national server WebCT Vista

SWITCHelp:WebCT Vista perpetual license

open source platform

?

?

→ evaluation


invitation

build working groups

requirement analysis

presentation to SWITCHfoundation council

testing phase

evaluation andrecommendation

proposal to SWITCHfoundation council

choice of testcandidates

Evaluation „Open Source Platform“

NovOctSeptAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebr

Project Plan 2006


Project Owner

Swiss Virtual Campus (SVC)

Project Management

Urs GröhbielRolf BruggerMartin Sutter

Working Group 1:

Technology /Architecture

Working Group 2:

Pedagogy

Working Group 3:

Organization /Finances

Working Group 4:

Users

SWITCH / edutech:

Test &Evaluation

Project OfficeAndré Redard

Advisory Board

Jean-Marc BarrasThomas BrunnerMarcel JuferHans-Kaspar von MattRaymond Werlen

Evaluation „Open Source Platform“

Project Organization


Questions To Be Answered

• What are the common requirements of the Swiss universities?• Which ones can be satisfied by a national service?• What functions are expected from a software that is offered as a national

service, complementing the existing WebCT Vista?– Learning Management– Groupware– Content Management– Portal– ...

• What kind of services are to be offered by SWITCHelp?– Hosting– Support– Interface management– Development– Repository– ...

2006 © SWITCH 13

Documents

The Technical Route: E-Learning Platforms SWITCHelp · Solidarity Operations Principles: –Subsidiarity –Long-lasting investments –Anticipation of R & E requirements –Strong