Improving Data Management processes in CloudDeakin

In July this year, CloudDeakin unit sites were upgraded to the cloud-hosted Brightspace by D2L. Now, all unit and learning sites are stored in the cloud, ensuring that content is always up-to-date and providing access to the latest features and tools for delivering engaging learning experiences.

The next step in this process is to implement good Data Management practices by archiving any unused content on unit sites that is older than seven years. Archiving of information will commence in December 2020 and will be managed by DLF with support from eSolutions.

Once unit sites are six years old, they will be set to ‘inactive’, which means that students and staff will no longer be able to access content on those sites. The student experience of accessing unit sites will not be adversely affected during the archive process. Students will see a message on the front page of the sites that are getting close to expiration, encouraging them to back-up any material they need from these sites.

Teaching staff and learning content developers don’t need to take any additional actions in the archival process. News items will be posted on unit sites when they are close to the expiration date and once a unit site is inactive, staff will have 12 months to back up any content they need before the unit site is archived.

These improvements to Data Management processes will both increase efficiency in managing unit site content and improve the student experience as content is reviewed and refreshed regularly. For more information and support in the archiving process, staff can speak to their Faculty Support teams and students can contact IT Help.

The DLE3 project: Delivering new tools to innovate teaching and learning

The Digital Learning Environments 3 (DLE3) project is wrapping up after providing exciting new tools to innovate teaching and support digital learning at Deakin University.

There’s a lot we try to achieve as teachers – introducing students to new ideas and ways of thinking, helping them develop their understanding and capabilities, and creating a sense of connection to us and to each other. Deakin’s Digital Learning Environment is designed to facilitate these goals and to help us do what we need to do as teachers in as integrated a way as possible.

Over the last two years, the Digital Learning team in Deakin Learning Futures has been working with staff across the University to evaluate and incorporate some new tools into our arsenal. The DLE3 project aimed to improve our ability to:

• provide collaborative, connected learning experiences;
• support self- and peer-assessment and help students develop their evaluative judgement; and
• incorporate portfolio learning, within units and across courses.

DLE3 tools

You’ve probably heard about some of the tools we’ve implemented as part of the DLE3 project – you may even have used them in your own teaching! These tools were selected because of excellent learning opportunities they offer us and our students in digital learning.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams supports students to work collaboratively, easily share documents and connect with each other, either via chat or a quick meeting – all while giving you oversight of the process and their progress.

Mentimeter

Mentimeter, a digital polling tool, allows you to gauge students’ understanding or perceptions of a concept, and gather their questions and feedback, in different ways.  

FeedbackFruits

Through FeedbackFruits, students can review and provide feedback on each other’s work, evaluate their group members’ performance, and assess their own work. FeedbackFruits have recently introduced interactive study materials, which allow you to embed quizzes and polls within video, audio and text documents – and encourage students to ask questions as they work through these materials.

PebblePad

You can use PebblePad to help students build a portfolio evidencing their learning and skills, reflect on their learning, set and track progress towards their goals and develop their professional identity. Students can take their portfolio with them, and continue to add to and refine content following graduation.

Learn more

We are wrapping up the DLE3 project at the end of 2020, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop working with these tools. Keep an eye out for more information about other tools in the Microsoft Office suite, and our upcoming resources about using portfolios in your teaching.

For more information about any of these tools, check out the DTeach website or contact digital-learning@deakin.edu.au

Give us your feedback with the CloudDeakin User Experience online survey

What is your experience of using CloudDeakin? We’re currently running a CloudDeakin User Experience online survey seeking feedback from academic staff to improve our CloudDeakin sites. The rapid transition to online teaching and learning due to COVID-19 has offered us an opportunity to review our current practices and to evaluate how our use meets the needs of our students and staff for the longer term.

We’ve recently run a series of User Experience (UX) workshops to learn more about staff experiences and gather ideas. We’re also running the CloudDeakin User Experience online survey to make sure that all staff have the chance to provide their feedback on Deakin’s current digital learning environment.

We want to better understand the realities of the staff and student experience so we can clearly identify and prioritise the areas and issues that need to be addressed. It’s important that our future plans be based on real lived experiences so we can truly improve the day-to-day experience of our staff and students while teaching and learning online.

The feedback we receive will inform our recommendations for changes to the CloudDeakin minimum standards for course and unit sites. Sharing your experiences and ideas can help to shape the outcome.

If you’re a Deakin academic staff member who has experience with designing, creating and supporting unit and course sites, take the CloudDeakin User Experience online survey to give us your feedback.