1. TEACHING AND LEARNING
1.1 Designing for learner engagement, supporting innovation in courses
1.2 Providing technology support in many new ways frees faculty to teach
1.3 Improving usability, offering more functionality through Bb Vista Learning Management System
1.4 Faculty participation in adopting tools and methods

2. BUILDING COMMUNITY
2.1 Creating online communities for knowledge production and sharing
2.2 Inviting Rich Conversations
2.3 Fostering Global Relationshipsfor Curriculum Inovation
2.4 Improving Internal and External Communications
2.5 Supporting Undergrad Research-Thinking
2.6 Supporting Student Study Space Access
2.7 Supporting Student Social Learning

3. IMPROVING OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES AT SAUDER
3.1 Administration Systems and New Services

4. LTS: ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE
4.1 Overview

1. TEACHING AND LEARNING

1.1 Designing for learner engagement, supporting innovation in courses

Sauder’s new large technology-enabled classrooms invite practices that engage learners in new ways and contribute to their academic success.

The launch of Comm 101 is one example of several courses where instructors are integrating social media, real-time web conferencing, the use of iClickers and other tools that bring ideas and activities together into a complete experience.

The use of Wimba LiveClassroom web conferencing has connected learners with projects and experts far beyond the walls of the UBC campus.

LTS works with instructors to design and deliver these complex activity-centred learning environments.

1.2 Providing technology support in many new ways frees faculty to teach

Several Sauder professors and instructors are teaching with and through social media, such as blogs. Blogs provide a web-based environment for students to showcase their learning, reflect and synthesize knowledge, share and integrate expert thinking, and learn to write effectively in this medium. To support students with overcoming technical issues, Dr. Blog is online, helping students to get set up successfully in this online medium.

To support professors and instructors with innovation and new teaching methods and technologies, LTS offers hands-on support in the classroom until the instructor is confident to “go it alone”.

At the Nov 2010 Faculty Retreat guest speakers Massy and Jarmon talked about supporting teaching and learning in new environments.  Sauder’s large classrooms, after-class tutorials, new technologies, and team-and project-oriented classroom practices – all point to the need for new models for training Sauder teaching assistants (TA’s). In 2010, LTS initialized formalized training for TA’s, preparing them for supporting teaching and learning that is beyond “being a marker”. This helps free faculty to concentrate on academic rather than logistical tasks, both in and beyond the classroom.

1.3 Improving usability, offering more functionality through Bb Vista Learning Management System

After undertaking an analysis of usability and publishing practices in Bb Vista for the MBA Core, LTS integrated a shared Google calendar and a blog for publishing announcements.Both of these are embedded in Bb Vista and are accessible through subscriptions so students can view MBA Core announcements and academic activities using personal mobile devices.

Improved assessment and academic administration methods are underway through the design and administration of fully online exams that go beyond the limits of multiple choice exams.

In 2010, iPeer was introduced and is being used in several courses. A peer rating format can encourage a greater sense of involvement and responsibility, establish a clearer framework and promote excellence, direct attention to skills and learning and provide increased feedback (Weaver and Cotrell, 1986).

The anti-plagiarism and rich feedback tool is now used extensively in Sauder courses. The service compares papers to 135+ million archived student papers. It is hard to imagine how original thought could go undetected!

1.4 Faculty participation in adopting tools and methods

 Sauder professors and instructors are actively participating in sharing their experiences and practices through lively discussions in Springboard sessions. 

Effective Assessment: Options for the Changing Teaching Environment The ROI of Learning Objectives Team-Based Learning for Business Education Putting Story to Work Ask the Students Exploring Blended Learning

LTS hosted a Sauder-wide ‘Collaboratory’ in late August and again in December 2010. Staff and faculty were invited to test drive tools and technologies that support teaching strategies while in a ‘sandbox’ learning environment. Featured technologies included Kaltura, SmartPodium, TurnitIn2, iClickers, Blogs, Comapping and Wimba Live Classroom.In 2011 Collaboratory will become part of the permanent facilities for LTS.

Case Teaching Workshop with Dr. Jim Erskine in late January and early February 2010.

The November 2010 Faculty Retreat focused on Teaching Excellence themes. Several Sauder professors showcased their innovative practices; a breakout session got everyone talking about approaches that would support change; keynote speakers William F. Massy and Carolyn Jarmon presented ideas about integrating technology into teaching and learning – and the challenges and benefits.

2. BUILDING COMMUNITY

2.1 Creating online communities for knowledge production and sharing

LTS assisted in the design and development of this D-Studio webspace, which provides an online space for connecting people and ideas around design-thinking frameworks and projects.

LTS collaborated with David Lam Library on webspace design and development, plus the design of online learning activities, integrating Wordpress and Buddypress to provide information, tutoring help and an online community-of-practice.

2.2 Inviting Rich Conversations

As part of the launch of Canaccord Learning Commons, LTS helped to organize and provide the special events design for the first of many CLC Conversations. A provocative presentation, Hacking Work, featuring Josh Klein and Bill Jensen, and line-ups for the book, created a memorable kick-off.

2.3 Fostering Global Relationshipsfor Curriculum Inovation

A collaboration between University of Sydney’s Faculty of Economics and Business, and Sauder LTS resulted in student exchange, a forthcoming 2011 faculty exchange (W.Antweiler) and a peer reviewed paper presented at a conference (Forssman and Treleaven), all around the theme of embedding sustainability values into business school curricula.

2.4 Improving Internal and External Communications

LTS provided the backend infrastructure, plus publishing software (Coolsign) and the business processes so that Sauder news, events and university culture is communicated in all public spaces. In addition, LTS provides live cable streaming and backend technical support for the Video Wall in CA Hall.

LTS improved Sauder-wide internal and external communications with easy-to-use e-newsletter templates from Industry Mailout.

2.5 Supporting Undergrad Research-Thinking 

The LTS team fostered research-thinking in undergraduate communities and enhanced student experience through a Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund project, SERA.

Projects in 2010 included: Support to First Year Math Success (Client: UGO) Digital Media Studio Provisioning (Client: LTS) Student Preferences for e-textbooks (Client: LTS) Enhancing Student Academic Success (Client: Dean’s Office) DLAM Library Website Services (Client: David Lam Library)

Effective January 2011, Sauder students will have improved access and management of their own facilities through the Online Student Room Booking System.

2.7 Supporting Student Social Learning

Commerce Undergrad Society (CUS) Elections – Bb Vista used for authenticating voters to assure secure democratic processes.Consider the possibilities for emergent states!

3. IMPROVING OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES AT SAUDER

3.1 Administration Systems and New Services

The Executive Education Enrolment and Registration System went into full production in late 2010. This system provides a dashboard of revenue activity to administrators for decision-making and program optimization.Streamlined admissions and enrolment processes for Executive Education (ERS) and Graduate Admissions went into production in 2010, following extensive development and vendor evaluations in 2009.These systems have been major implementation milestones for Sauder, involving extensive systems integration.The Executive Education Enrolment and Registration System is architected to be re-used for other course and event registration requirements at Sauder, as new systems demands emerge.

Sauder now complies with UBC and industry-standards for secure credit card transactions.The Sauder web payment gateway system went into production in Fall 2010 and this application can now be integrated with any web form or web application to provide payment and revenue accrual that efficiently maps to individual Sauder speedcodes.The Sauder community uses many web forms for events registration, lab fees and other data capture purposes. Sauder web forms are now integrated with the secure web payment gateway, and recent improvements have included integration with some Sauder databases to offer features such as “autofill”.

To improve IT service management, LTS partnered with UBC-IT, CTLT, MedIT and other key stakeholders to define and develop a UBC-wide IT Service Catalogue.Over the next year, all IT services websites throughout UBC will have a consistent representation of services as provided through the multiple service providers (i.e. Sauder, CTLT or UBC-IT), making it easier for all to understand the mix of IT services available.

In 2010, LTS decommissioned the Sauder 4th Floor server room and centralized most Sauder IT infrastructure, in partnership with UBC-IT, at the Klinck Data Centre.Most Sauder applications now run on UBC-IT’s virtual servers, complete with power, air conditioning, back-up and network redundancy.This centralized Data Centre approach reduces energy consumption costs for UBC, labour costs for Sauder and provides 24/7 managed environment for information technology infrastructure.

4. LTS: Organization Structure

4.1 Overview

In December 2010, the Sauder Learning and Technology Services organizational structure evolved to better align the functions and responsibilities of the unit to support technology-enabled learning, in both classrooms and through web-enabled tools such as Bb Vista Learning Management System and Wimba web-conferencing. These functions have now been aggregated under the management of Rob Peregoodoff, Manager Learning Technologies.

The unit has 17 full-time staff, plus employs approximately 30 undergraduate and graduate students through various UBC subsidy and grant arrangements throughout the year. The students provide classroom support, helpdesk services, learning technology integration, digital publishing and research services.