How often and when is the DLE updated?
What can you do if you have a request for change for a functionality in an application?
The ditital learning environment (DLE) at the Radboud University consists of Brightspace and the applications linked to Brightspace (H5P, Kaltura, Pitch2Peer, Traintool, Ouriginal, Virtual Classroom, Readspeaker, ePortfolio). Furthermore the stand alone tools Weblectures and SOWISO belong to the digital learning environment.
All DLE applications are SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions. This means the RU 'hires' software as a service from an external supplier. These services are the same for users all over the world.
How often and when is the DLE updated?
Most DLE applications are updated frequently. The schedule of this depends on the supplier. The updates are implemented monthly in the DLE.
Most of the time users won't notice any differences after the update, but sometimes it can have consequences. A tool might not work for a while or the functionalities have changed.
At the Radboud University updates from miltiple DLE applications are managed by functional management DLE. They developed a controlled process for assessing, testing and possible implementation of changes in the applications. Besides updates from the supplier, requests for changes from faculties and profit centers are included in the process too.
The process for change from functional management DLE is supported by a key user from each faculty and each profit center. The key user provides the link between functional management DLE and the faculties and profit centers. With their practical knowledge they can give advice to functional management and answer questions about the desirability of changes at the various faculties and profit centers.
Each month the changes relevant for teachers are communicated through What's new.
What can you do if you have a request for change for a functionality in an application?
- Describe your request as clear as possible, preferably with examples.
- Contact the ICT in Education support from your faculty (TIP) or profit center and propose to them your request. They will help you solve the request via a workaround. If that's not an option, they will contact the key user. In practice the key user is often someone who also works at the TIP.
The key user will submit the request to the change process.
There the request will be discussed with other key users and functional management DLE.
- What do other faculties think of the request?
- Does the proposed change have consequences for other parts of the DLE?
- Are there more users with the same request?
- Do the other key users understand the request?
- Are there any reasons not to consider the request?
- What are the most important items to take into consideration?
Functional management DLE determines whether they can (partly) implement the request themselves by changing the available settings in the relevant tool. When this is not possible they will communicate the request with the supplier. Functional management DLE registers the request in the Wishlist, where progress is recorded. The key users and TIP employees at the faculties have access to this Wishlist.
Whether a wish will be picked up and implemented by the supplier is uncertain. Due to the SaaS model, RU has very little influence on the development of the applications. After all, a wish from the RU may not be desirable for other customers of the supplier.