This document summarizes the implementation of the Schoology e-learning platform at the School of Engineering (SOE) in 2014. It discusses the training provided to staff, the two-phase implementation plan targeting diploma and degree programs, outcomes of each phase, feedback from users, and future plans for 2015. Based on a survey of 53 users, 80% felt Schoology was important for interactive learning and 87% utilized the platform regularly, with most accessing it via mobile devices. While navigation was rated easy to moderate, only 34% felt it significantly helped independent learning outside class time. Plans for 2015 include workshops for students, continued implementation and measurement of effectiveness.

1. Can we manage?
Teaching and Learning Colloquium 2014
by
Salina Mohmad & Yew Foong Ching
1

2. CONTENT
• Introduction
• SOE 2014 Schoology implementation plan
• User’s feedback (phase 1 of implementation)
• Conclusion
• Future plan for 2015
2

3. Why we need e-learning?

4. With the advancement of Information Technology in Malaysia
and throughout the world, learning institution should take the
advantage to upgrade their teaching and learning
environment.
4

5. Students should be allowed to learn anytime, anywhere
and at their own pace.
5

6. Lecturer should be able to share all teaching related
materials online and keep a collection of test/tutorial
questions online.
Lecturers can also go a step further by doing online
discussion or forum for more interactive online
activities with student. 6

7. Educators from different schools or department should
also be able to share resources and exchange ideas
through the internet. 7

8. Of course, one of the platform available and adopted by our
university college is through
8

9. SoE 2014
Implementation Plan

10. Activity May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
1 Commencement of Schoology Phase 1
Project Owner: All Diploma Lectures
2 Schoology Phase 1 Implementation
Project Owner: All Diploma Lectures
3 Progress Checkpoint 1*
Process Tracker: Ms Salina, Ms Yew
4 Progress Checkpoint 2*
Process Tracker: Ms Salina, Ms Yew
5 Final Checkpoint*
Process Tracker: Ms Salina, Ms Yew
6 Schoology Phase 2 Implementation
Project Owner: All Degree Lectures
7 Progress Checkpoint 1*
Process Tracker: Ms Salina, Ms Yew
8 Progress Checkpoint 2*
Process Tracker: Ms Salina, Ms Yew
9 Final Checkpoint*
Process Tracker: Ms Salina, Ms Yew
10 Review and feedback session
10

11. No. Item Date/Time Action
Progress
Status
1 Schoology Training 1: Introductory Session Feb 2014
All SOE
Staff
19 February
2014
2 Schoology Training 2: Enterprise Session
April/May
2014
All SOE
Staff
16 April 2014
3 Phase 1: Implementation of Schoology into Diploma
Programmes
 Upload subject/course information and teaching
plan
 Upload teaching materials
 Upload continuous assessment materials
 Setup forum/discussion room/ bulletin board/etc.
 Other online educational activities
May 2014
All Diploma
Lectures
Done.
Monitoring:
17th June – 20th
June 2014
4 Phase 2: Implementation of Schoology into Degree
Programmes
 Upload subject/course information and teaching
plan
 Upload teaching materials
 Upload continuous assessment materials
 Setup forum/discussion room/ bulletin board/etc.
 Other online educational activities
Aug 2014
All Degree
Lecturers
In progress
5 Review and Feedback Session
Dec 2014
All SOE
Staff 11

12. OUTCOME
• Schoology Training 1:
 Staff were introduced to Schoolgy and learn how to upload
teaching materials, prepare online quizzes, add student to a
course, do discussion online, etc.
 Attendance was made compulsory, thus all academic staff
joined the training.
 All lecturer start to use Schoology and with the training
provided, we were able to resolve minor problems
regarding the usage of Schoology.
12

13. OUTCOME
• Schoology Training 2:
 Staff were introduced to the Enterprise version of
Schoolgy and additional feature that comes with it.
 They learnt how to merge Schoology account
 Lecturers’ manage to merge their free account with
the enterprise account, even few of them decided not
to merge.
13

14. OUTCOME
• Phase 1:
 More emphasis on Diploma programme but other
programmes were encourage to use Schoology as
well and the response is good.
 After monitoring, 2 subjects were not really updated
mainly because the number of student in the class is
very few (1 or 2 student)  easier for lecturer to gave
out teaching material directly.
14

15. OUTCOME
• Phase 1:
 Guidelines for student on how to use the Schoology
were put up on the notice boards around the
Engineering Lab.
 Contact information on respective staff they can
contact regarding Schoology was also made available
in case student faced with problems while using
Schoology.
15

16. OUTCOME
• Phase 2:
 Implementation now are focused more on the Degree
subject.
 No tracking had been made yet – plan to carry out
middle of the month after all lecturers finish preparing
their exam paper.
16

17. OUTCOME
• Phase 2:
 Our school administrator had made full use of
Schoology by making all UC and school
announcements available on the Schoology through
our own channel – SOE channel.
17

18. 18

19. OUTCOME
• Phase 2:
 Another initiative was taken by the Degree PL in order
to ‘force’ the student to use Schoology by asking
them to do self-assessment on each of the subject
they take, at the beginning of the semester.
19

20. 20

21. User’s feedback
(Phase 1 implementation)

22. For the 1st phase of implementation according to SoE plan, one
short survey was conducted among staff and student in the
school.
The objective of the survey is to find out what are the users’
impression and acceptance on Schoology for the first
time as the platform of interactive learning in the school.
We manage to get 53 responses (with no incomplete answer)
from the school to answer a 5 questions survey and the results
are as follows.22

23. Question 1:
In your opinion, how important is it to have an e-learning platform
such as Schoology in tertiary education level to promote interactive
learning environment?
9
34
7
0
3
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Extremely
important
Important It does not matter Not important Not important at
all
23
80 % of the
response accepted
the idea

24. Question 2:
Approximately, how frequent do you log-in to Schoology?
9
25
12
5
2
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Everyday Few times a week Once a week Once a month Never
24
87 % of the
response utilize
the platform

25. Question 3:
From which platforms would you likely to access the Schoology
website?
21
31
0
1
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Mobile phones /
Tablet
Personal computer /
Laptop
Computer in the Lab Cyber Cafes
25
98 % of the response show that it
is convenient to login to
Schoology, anytime and anywhere

26. Question 4:
How do you find the usability and the ease of navigation of the
Schoology website?
4
21
22
1
5
25
20
15
10
5
0
Very easy to
navigate through/
No trouble
Easy Moderate Difficult Very difficult /
Not user friendly
at all
26
47% find it is easy to navigate.
42% find it moderate.

27. Question 5:
Do you think Schoology is useful in helping the student to learn
independently outside the learning hour they have in college?
3
14
18
15
3
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Not useful at all Slightly useful Indifferent Mostly useful Very useful
27
34% of user think that
Schoology did not affect
their learning experience
outside the class.

28. Conclusion
• Schoology is indeed an important e-learning platform
for interactive learning experience.
• SOE is progressing well in embracing Schoology
according to the plan laid for 2014.
• 80% of users accepted Schoology as the e-learning
platform in SOE – good response.
28

29. Future Plan for 2015

30. Future Plan for 2015, Q1
• Workshop for SOE student to enhance the usage
of Schoology.
• Start with January 2015 intake – Introduce Schoology
as an e-learning platform to new student during their
orientation day.
• Promote Schoology as an instrumental platform in
teaching and leaning experience as a whole and not
only for downloading lecture notes.
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31. Future Plan for 2015, Q1
• User’s feedback (phase 2 )
• Conduct a technical survey to have a more precise
measurement on users’ satisfaction on Schoology
features and usage.
• Measurement on the effectiveness of Schoology in
teaching and learning experience will also be
conducted.
31

32. Future Plan for 2015, Q2
• Bi-directional learning platform
• Implement a 2 way experience platform between
student and lecturer – online discussion, feedback and
comments
• Enhance flexible teaching and learning experience
• Alternative method in learning besides the traditional
way of teaching with books and whiteboard
32

33. Future Plan for 2015, Q2
• Study on ways to implement online teaching and
learning on specific subject such as Mathematics.
• Mathematics is always a subject that lecturer find hard to
teaching online since a lot of formulas and numbers are
involved.
• Student find submission online for mathematics is also
difficult especially when they have to solve long
mathematical equation using software.
• Plan – study what other universities did and find computer
programs that can help with the mathematical equation
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34. End of Presentation