Elgg at the University of Brighton Stan Stanier

Brighton setup Using Blackboard MLE not VLE - significant integration 95% of all modules active 30,000+ users, 3,500 course/module areas Using Elgg ( http://elgg.org )

Using Blackboard

MLE not VLE - significant integration

95% of all modules active

30,000+ users, 3,500 course/module areas

Using Elgg ( http://elgg.org )

Why Elgg? Wanted to provide all students with proper blogs Only system to offer the kinds of integration we needed The need to break our dependence on Blackboard A sense of community as well as just blogs Designed with learning & teaching in mind Wanted to increase student participation

Wanted to provide all students with proper blogs

Only system to offer the kinds of integration we needed

The need to break our dependence on Blackboard

A sense of community as well as just blogs

Designed with learning & teaching in mind

Wanted to increase student participation

Integrating with Bb and MIS Single sign-on with Bb LDAP integration XML feeds from MIS systems Commnity@Brighton appears as a tab within Bb Automatic creation of communities for all modules and courses and linking to them from within Bb course areas Communities automatically default to private Simple linking from Bb course areas to communities

Single sign-on with Bb

LDAP integration

XML feeds from MIS systems

Commnity@Brighton appears as a tab within Bb

Automatic creation of communities for all modules and courses and linking to them from within Bb course areas

Communities automatically default to private

Simple linking from Bb course areas to communities

Usage Good mixture of social and academic Several courses and modules Many student-created communities Good take up from student support services Mutual support Policy discussion

Good mixture of social and academic

Several courses and modules

Many student-created communities

Good take up from student support services

Mutual support

Policy discussion

Academic usage General discussion Photography - photo galleries & comment PDP & ePortfolios Cross course video sharing Graphic design (collaboration with computing students) Creative writing New media studies

General discussion

Photography - photo galleries & comment

PDP & ePortfolios

Cross course video sharing

Graphic design (collaboration with computing students)

Creative writing

New media studies

Issues Academic understanding/seeing potential External use Visibility of Bb tabs Students don’t get ePortfolios or reflection Creating a sense of community/critical mass

Academic understanding/seeing potential

External use

Visibility of Bb tabs

Students don’t get ePortfolios or reflection

Creating a sense of community/critical mass