eLearning

LearnX Learning Management System Pilot & Deployment

Duration: 
November 2021–December 2022

Background

In 2013, The University of Queensland (UQ) entered a partnership with edX for hosting MOOCs. Part of this agreement allowed UQ to use the Edge platform, which as an instance of edX for delivery of up to 50 Small Private Online Courses (SPOCs), generally for internal use. Following the popularity of UQ’s MOOCs, the VC asked ITaLI to start placing undergraduate course content into the edX platform to leverage some of the lessons from UQ’s investment in edX. The initial advantage of the edX platform was how it could be used to create scaffolded learning experiences for students, through a guided ‘learning journey’ with progress tracking, and the ability to co-locate a range of rich media and activities in sequence.

Subsequently, in support of learning innovation it was decided that Edge could also be used to design, build and host bespoke UQ learning technologies, and this would be greatly enhanced by UQ acquiring and hosting its own instance of the Open edX platform. Later still the uptake of Edge meant UQ had reached the limit of its licencing allowance. 

During 2021 UQ embarked on a project to build its own unlimited instance of Open edX, called LearnX. The initial focus for LearnX was to deliver wholly online and blended learning experiences to UQ students that add to our pedagogical capability and host innovations and experiments in bespoke learning technology, as well as facilitate the delivery of alternate credentials and facilitate strategic partnership opportunities.

Status of migration of courses to LearnX

Course typeDescriptionTreatment and status of transition to LearnX

SI-net courses

 

 

 

Course sites related to a coursework offered at the University into which students enrol via SI-net or other UQ student system.

 

 

In January 2022 all SI-net courses for 2022 (S1 and S2) were migrated from Edge to LearnX. All requests for courses in future semesters will be created in LearnX via the new improved site request form.

 

 

Non SI-net Courses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non SI-net courses cover a wide variety of use types from:

- Modules used across multiple courses.

-Organisation sites used for the purposes of student support or improvement of administration within the University (related to teaching, learning, research, staff development and induction activities.

- Sites used to support general staff professional development at UQ - in rare cases desired by Staff Development team over Workday.

- Sites used to support  professional development within a particular program at UQ.

- Since July 2022 - courses that require automatic (e.g. SI-net) based enrolments are now suitable for migration on request (except organisation site based enrolments and where course starts in following year). Migrations of these courses will be done on request. 

Courses that do not require automatic enrolments from a student system can now be migrated by request.  To migrate go to the course standard site request page - Select a "Copy" under Non SI-net Course/Organisation Site.

 

 

 

 

 

Public courses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course sites available to external users who may not have UQ credentials and will be able to create a user profile. Examples might include:

- course sites used to support a UQ research project and available to external users who may not have UQ credentials

- courses sites related to courses delivered through a UQ partnership with an industry partner

 

 

For the time being these courses will remain in Edge.

Technical enhancement including self enrol to handle external user accounts may be developed in future, starting with requirements analysis. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New requests for a LearnX site?

If you wish to make a new request for a LearnX site, you will need to submit a site request form. Please submit your request as soon as possible to avoid any delays due to peak demand during O-week and Week 1 of Semester. More information is available on this page.

Is your LearnX site set up correctly?

Now you have your LearnX course site set up, we have provided you a checklist to ensure that it is ready for your students.

What is the benefits to staff and students?

It is anticipated that there will be some small impacts (e.g. normal requirement to update links) but largely users will find the environment is similar to edX (Edge), but with some new features and capabilities:

  • Students and staff are provided with UQ-branded interface.
  • Single sign-on capability providing seamless user experience for staff and students.
  • Removes the contractual limit on the number or types of courses as imposed by edX (Edge).
  • Unified integration with UQ IT system and processes.
  • Allows further customisation of the LearnX course site.
  • Provides an innovative space to foster transformational teaching and learning e.g. alternative credentials.

The project’s next phase will focus on leveraging in-house and partnered opportunities to provide more digital learning features and seamless integrations.

How has the LearnX project been communicated?

  • LDC/Teams consult and update on course types May 2022
  • Updated digital uplift team again with course type treatments with explanations 24 Feb
  • Added detailed course type treatments with explanataions to project page 24 Feb
  • Attended digital uplift team standup meeting to provide update on project
  • LearnX checklist page created 21 Feb 2022
  • LearnX checklist developed and emailed to key faculty support staff on the 16 Feb 2022
  • Email sent to relevant course coordinators on the 7th and 10th January 2022
  • Email regarding LearnX migration process sent to LDC, ELOF community and dig uplift team on the 13th January 2022  
  • Articles regarding this project have been featured regularly in the Teaching and eLearning News newsletter to all teaching staff.
  • Workshops have been advertised to inform the UQ community of LearnX features.
  • A project page is created to inform stakeholders.
  • Updates have been given at the eLearning Operational Forum (eLOF) for faculty learning designers.
  • eLearning support teams updates (Library, ITaLI, ITS etc) .
  • Dedicated updated to Library support teams via AskUs.
  • Updates to Associate Dean's Academic at Digital Learning Sub-Committee (DLSC).

What support is available for LearnX?

Staff technical support is available as are staff professional development workshops. LearnX support has be incorporated into the eLearning support standard services, including:

Support for updating content in LearnX course sites is available through attending one of the workshops above, or through local school/faculty learning designers, or through an application to the ITaLI Digital Uplift service.

Pilot feedback

In Summer Semester 2021, the LearnX platform was piloted with approximately 700 Economic students. The aim of this pilot was to evaluate the stability and performance of the platform and establish robust operational support. The feedback from users so far indicated that the LearnX platform is stable and almost identical to the original edX (Edge) Platform.