A web 2.0 approach to MIS

Joining Up Systems – 7 May 2010

Mick Kahn, Head of Application Services

Software approaches

• Proprietary software

• Custom solutions

• Open source

Architecture (1)

• Separate solutions for each function (student records, finance etc)

– Best of breed for each function

– Focused on needs of particular function

– Issues about interworking

– Inconsistency of user experience

– Some things don’t neatly fit into one product

Achitecture (2)

• Single supplier of all systems

– Uniformity of user interface

– … though not always the case

– Clear responsibility for interworking

– Jack of all trades…

– May become bloated and unweildy

– Difficult to move to new solution

Evolution of systems

• Traditionally have been focused on individual functions

• Joining up comes later

• Each institution does things differently

• Sticking plaster around the edges

• Spreadsheet to get around problems

• Use of additional reporting tools

Rethinking the strategy (1)

• Taking a holistic approach

• Involve all the stakeholders

– Students, Teachers, Administration, Management

• Establishing principles (for example)

• single source of information/ownership of information

• automated Information Flow through the Corporate System

• remove duplication of effort and information and manual intervention

Rethinking the strategy (2)

• Start with use cases

• Be prepared to change your processes as well as the software

• Have a long term vision, but implement incrementally

• Look at good practice elsewhere

Personalised e-Learning

VLEVLEPortfolioPortfolio

PLPPLP

AssessmentAssessment

ULCC Framework for Personalised e-Learning

PortalPortal

Personalisation Model

Process Element

ProcessOwnership

Focus Key attributes

VLE Institution Course delivery • MIS Integrated• Differentiated Learning

PLP Institution Tutorial Support • Target Setting• Reviews• Status

e-Portfolio: Assessment

Institution Awarding Body • Criteria• Tracking• Verification

e-Portfolio: Learning Space

Learner Personal Showcase

• User defined• Transportable

Shared services

• Opportunities for economies of scale

• Greater control than standard commercial models

• Need to recognise what is common and what is distinctive for each institution

• Need to understand competition as well as collaboration

• Can exploit the potential of Open Source

Standards

• Simplifies the interworking of systems

• Requirements of funding and awarding bodies

• Progression and transfer

• Economies of scale

• Open standards are not the same as Open Source

The web 2.0 approach

• Web 2.0 MIS – perhaps a bit unnatural

• Use each component for what it is best at

• A mixed economy

• Use standard ways for components to interact

• Iterative approach to development

• Use mashups to solve problems

• Light weight portal to join up the user interface

A new focus?

• What is the current focus – finance, admin, reporting?

• Learner and teacher focus is increasingly important

• Maybe start with the student portal and learning systems

A vision (1)

• A prospective student registers on the web site and then uses the same username and password for all interactions

• The student enrols on line and immediately joins college course and social networks

• When the student leaves, they can take information with them

A vision (2)

• Staff can update courses and prospectus and interact with students online, through the same route.

• Staff have access to all the information they need

• Regular reports are available online and are sent to funder and awarding bodies automatically

• Ad hoc reports can be provided to Managers quickly and easily

• Information is reliable and constisent