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Academic and IT departments often find it difficult to work together. Here we describe the tools we used to form an effective partnership
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Blackboard Users' Conference - Durham 2014
Working with the Enemy?
Sue Lee and Nicola RandlesStaffordshire University
Blackboard Users' Conference - Durham 2014
Ye Olde Blackboard 8
Blackboard 9
• Move to Information Services • Move to Managed Hosting• Lockdown system• Many business critical
systems
Blackboard Users' Conference - Durham 2014
Models of Working (IT)
• Structured• Linear Model• Establish Requirements upfront• Time constraints• Future proof• System focus• Stability
Blackboard Users' Conference - Durham 2014
Academic Development Unit
• Executive Led• eAssessment project• Sept 2012– Quality Processes– Feedback– Faculty Learning Technologists– Academic Support
• Bb Community & Content
Blackboard Users' Conference - Durham 2014
Models of Working
• Innovation Background• Agile/fluid• Flexible• Dialogue/Consultation• People focus• Subject to cultural influences• Flexible deadlines
Blackboard Users' Conference - Durham 2014
Pre ConceptionsInformation Technology
• Guardians of the Technology
• Blockers not Enablers• Imposing Restrictions• Risk Averse/Slow• Conservative/Rigid• Defensive
Academic Dev Unit
• Demanding/Interfering• Unstructured• Changeable• Fashion led• Too flexible• Too accommodating
What we did• Weekly meetings• Build up trust• Agree on a common language• Build a communications
strategy• Agreed role permissions• Co-wrote Support
Documentation• Collegiate approach to support
Blackboard Users' Conference - Durham 2014
To do.....• Mobile Technologies• Assessment and Feedback• Develop a personalised
student experience• Establish processes• Involve administrative staff• Student Information System
integration
Blackboard Users' Conference - Durham 2014
• ...it really is time we stopped the blame game. Universities ...need to work collegially to face some of the challenges of the next decade, if they don’t then they will fail miserably and a lot of people will be unhappy in the process.
Mark Smithers (2009)
Blackboard Users' Conference - Durham 2014
Any Questions
?Sue Lee: [email protected]
Nicola Randles: [email protected]
