This document outlines the goals and progress of the Digital Department project at UCL, which aims to professionalize teaching administrators (TAs) through training, accreditation, and developing best practices for using technology to enhance student experience. The project has so far involved workshops, case studies on areas like quality assurance and distance learning, and provided initial training opportunities. Next steps include formalizing an accreditation framework and professional development program for TAs.

1. The Digital Department
Project Team: Stefanie Anyadi (PaLS), Lorraine Dardis (Internat. Affairs),
Alison Gilry (ICH), Ciaran Moynihan (ICH), Clive Young (LTSS)

2. Aims
• Professional profile and expertise of UCL teaching
administrators (TAs)
• Training programme
• External accreditation via
....semi funded by Aug 2011 to July 2013

3. ... Becoming more flexible and focused
Students - must become skilled at identifying and
integrating learning opportunities to meet their
personal needs.
Academics - support Administrators -
and feedback to students complex enrolments and
seeking a range of timetables, new modes
learning outcomes, of study, courses
maintaining contact and delivered in different
support progression. settings.
Key: Enhancing student experience and meeting new expectations

4. Range of tools used in HE administration
Productivity tools
HR and financial systems
Teaching and learning systems
Communication and networking tools
Marketing and events management
Other admin systems

5. Some of the tools UCL TAs use
UCL admin and financial systems Communication and networking tools
Portico – student information service Email – inefficient way of contacting students?
Financial Information System (FIS) - financial data and Facebook– seen mainly as a communication tool
management Phone Text messaging – no UCL service but a strong demand
Timetabling/CMIS - room bookings and timetabling Messenger - text messaging
Service in Partnership (SiP) – HR forms Skype – video conferencing
Rome - online recruitment Linkedin – professional networking
Web content management (silva) Blogs – UCLWordpress service
Scanners – being piloted as attendance checks for Points- Twitter –how to use in HE?
Based Immigration System (PBIS) YouTube – online videos
UCL teaching and learning systems Productivity tools
Moodle - e–learning environment MS Office – Word, Excel, PP, Acrobat
Turnitin – plagiarism detection Dreamweaver – web page development
Lecturecast – automated lecture recording Etherpad – collaborative note taking
Opinio - web-based surveys Evernote – stores notes, photos
My Portfolio – staff and student e-portfolio Google docs – share web documents
Electronic Voting Systems (EVS) – audience response Google analytics – web usage
'clickers'
UCL Dropbox – exchange large files
Wiki – collaborative web pages
Dropbox – web-based online storage
Blackboard Collaborate – virtual classroom
Marketing and events management
Eventbrite – events management
“It is almost impossible for busy academic Find a Masters – marketing
staff to stay up to date” (SLiDA) Oxboffice – ticketing service
Google Adwords – online advertising

6. Context: The student view
NUS “New Technology in Higher Education Charter”
Administration should be made
more accessible through the use
technology, including e-
submission, feedback and course
management
The use of technology in institutional
administration will simplify and
improve
assessment, feedback, registration
and module selection.
Technology should also be utilised to
support effective communications
within institutions for both students
and staff“.

7. Support, and recognition, should be available for those who provide
support to students
There are many people who provide support to students, from central student
services, academics and library staff to students themselves. Institutions
should give these people time and resources to develop their skills as a
mentor, and should give them the space to discuss the challenges they face.
This will not only ensure that they feel that their contributions make a
difference, but also help institutions to develop their support practices by
sharing best practice across the institution and highlighting any development
needs.

8. Milestones so far - 1
• TA and Student Workshops
• Presentations, consultations and interviews with
Academics and Senior Management
• Conference presentations
• Link up with AUA

9. Milestones so far - 2
• Case study working groups:
– Quality assurance and student feedback
– Internal systems and operations
– Distance learning
– Communications, social media and VLE
• First cohort for CMALT accreditation Jan – July
2012 (projects/portfolios linked to TDD priorities)

10. Early tangible benefits
Emerging good practice guidelines in some areas identified
as problematic
Emerging cross-institutional network of teaching
administrators and relevant central services staff
CPD opportunities
Boost in self-esteem and reduction in isolation for some TAs
Lessons for cross-institutional sharing of best practice

11. Next steps
Accreditation – map knowledge, skills and experience
against AUA professional behaviours and design
accreditation framework with AUA
UCL TA induction and professional development – produce
handbook and standard operating procedures and work with
UCL HR to design a professional development programme
for TAs
Best Practice – produce best practice guidelines for TA
responsibilities cutting across departments
Professionalisation – investigate and report on recent
developments in university administration

12. Your Views
• Links to relevant other activities
• Links to development for support staff in other
areas
• Lessons for cross-institutional working
• Any questions?