Case Study: Learning Management System

In summary, NQcontent provides dynamic management and delivery of all types of content in a controlled and structured way. Core development modules for a virtual campus and interactive learning are available. In addition NQcontent’s ADDF (Advanced Development and Distribution Framework) provides the structure and security mechanisms to create new frameworks and learning environments and integration with existing data and applications.

• NQcontent V2 Enterprise
• Operating System: Windows 2000
• Application Server: ColdFusion MX
• Database Server: Microsoft SQL 2000

Higher Education is changing and Robert Gordon University (RGU) based in Aberdeen, Scotland, is leading the way with innovative learning via the Internet. The University’s Virtual Campus provides a flexible learning environment through innovative distance learning methods, pioneered by the University’s Department of eLearning.

The Virtual Campus is known as ‘one of the best’ and widens access to higher education for 12,500 students from 142 countries. RGU’s Virtual Campus is the UK’s first e-learning provider to be accredited with the British Association for Open Learning (BAOL) Quality Mark. This award recognises both the quality of the courses on offer and the commitment to learner support.

A course creation and delivery environment was delivered, whereby CMS users can simply create new courses, new modules within courses, and new topics within modules, using and editing a tree hierarchy of courses, modules and topics. A topic may have several learning objects associated with it: for example, the text of a lecture in PDF format, the associated PowerPoint presentation, details of formal groupwork (PDF or a Word document), a feedback form, and so on. There is a facility to edit, move, reorganise, duplicate and delete course elements and add learning objects through NQcontent’s Asset Management module. 

A workflow was implemented that automated the process, giving content creators freedom to upload and update their material in a repository while also allowing course leaders and staff at the Department of eLearning control in the assembly and release of modules. A flexible role based permissions system was provided giving the multiple permissions required.

Once a module is compiled and approved for release, a publication mechanism releases the module materials to one or more cohorts and integrates it with the appropriate discussion forums and community groups.

RGU has a core web development and elearning team that manage top level security and user privileges and undertake ongoing web development of learning tools that are all supported by the NQcontent infrastructure. Many types of learning objects have been developed, including from interactive Flash, to discussion groups question and answer modules to powerpoint presentations.

Each user has responsibility for particular areas, such as learning module development or proof reading etc. Each course has a ‘Course Leader’ who can also be multiple other roles, depending upon the area of the system they are accessing. The system automatically provides the correct permissions and content entry points for each user.

From a students perspective, they can log in to a particular course and their progression can be monitored. The system automatically configures content and the look and feel of the web environment based on the students progression. NQcontent integrates all RGU back office data and other systems to dynamically deliver relevant information to each student.

NQcontent’s tree structure makes use of ‘Content Types’, the tree structure nodes are essentially place holders for content that will be used in the development and delivery of content. Content may or may not be published, or may be made securely available to members, subscribers or visitors that login to the website. Any associated files that should not be made available are automatically locked from view and are inaccessible.

The Robert Gordon University see online learning and the development of a ‘Virtual University Campus’ as an important strategy in expanding the breadth and depth of online distance learning for students in the UK and abroad.

RGU wished to provide a Virtual Campus that connected its learners in an innovative learning environment, providing them with access to a wide range of formal and informal community groups, including discussion forums enabling students to interact, collaborate and support each other, sharing their individual experiences as they progress through their studies.

The students can choose from a range of courses in subjects such as engineering, technology, management, education, health, business, publishing and law.

In order to deliver this environment, RGU needed:

• To gain efficiencies in the creation and maintenance of modules on the Campus;
• To give system administrators, course and module leaders, individual module contributors and reviewers the maximum control possible over their learning materials without compromising quality assurance.

It was realized that a CMS was needed to support this and further, the CMS would:

• Manage the permissions of CMS users
• Allow staff with permission to upload or create learning objects to the Campus;
• Allow staff with permission to deploy these learning objects within coherent, navigable modules;
• Allow staff with permission to extensively customise the content modular frameworks, using preset templates or from a blank canvas;
• Allow staff with permission to update objects and modular information at any point;
• Manage course development so that systems administrators and course and module leaders have a clear overview of how both modules and individual learning materials are progressing through identified stages.
• Allow for the easy re-purposing of individuals’ learning materials and entire modules.

• Non-technical people across departments can independently create and produce online content, while maintaining the uniform look and feel of RGU’s Virtual Campus.
• Improved departmental and college portals enhance student and faculty recruiting, alumni relations and development efforts.
• New workflow process and organization-wide shared content trims costs and boosts employee productivity by minimizing the time and effort needed to create and manage online content.
• Better online content, improved organization and consistent design helps ensure students have quick and easy access to the information they need.

For the future, RGU have a sound platform that is integrated and can be further developed far more easily than the industry norm as new ideas and possibilities arise.

Now that RGU have a controlled content managed process to deliver online courses, they are extending their use of NQcontent’s ADDF development to further extend the learning environment, adding specialist tools to support students during their learning process.

RGU needed to maximise the use of the academic resources and allow non technical university lecturers to create online learning materials without the need to understand complex technology, other than the use of an internet browser and familiar tools like MS Word. They also needed a structured approach based around permissions and the various skill levels available. It was also required for an individual who leads one course, to have the flexibility to lead a module on another course, and contribute a few topics to another course. Necessitating the need for a multiple set of permissions for each person on the system.

NQcontent was selected from a competitive tendering process because of its inherent flexibility in both being a structured environment and being configurable to match the Course, Module, Topic, Learning Object hierarchy.