Core Area 4: Communication

SharePoint Communications Site for LOUISA

Description

I have been acting as a representative of the College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences within the LOUISA (Learn Optimised In-course Submission and Assessment) project which focuses on revamping assessment processes across the University. Part of my involvement in this project has required the creation of a SharePoint Communications site so that information about the project can be diffused clearly and effectively to those who would benefit from the content. In this case, the people are those who will participate in the early adopters programme, and those who are interested in the process without wanting to formally commit. This process has necessitated the planning and creation of a site map which covers all areas of the project. It has also required communication across the University with other teams and contractors to ensure the brief is being met and that the site will be fit for purpose.

Evidence

Reflection

The creation of the sitemap has been successful as the process was efficient and the needs of the creators and the users (aforementioned) was taken into account at every step of the process. Communication was successfully managed with those involved with creating articles and blog posts for the site, as they needed to be consulted about the location of their articles. I also wrote a blog post for this site that is being shared across the University for information.

What I was happiest about was that the other members of the project board were consulted at every stage, and this involved both formal and informal communication through different platforms. Informal chats happened in calls and in person around the site requirements, and then more formal posts were added in Teams to give those involved the opportunity to feed back on the site map. I also found it helpful to made use of collaborative Excel documents to demonstrate the sitemap, to allow for passive, asynchronous communication with others on the team, where suggestions and edits could be proposed. If I were to do this again, I would bring the collaborative document in from the beginning, rather than at the end of the process. Laying out the information in a clear way helped communicate to others what the objective was, as well as allowing direct input.

Once the sitemap was created and signed off, I set about creating the pages, keeping the structure flat within the Site Contents to allow for last minute changes. As the content is populated in the sitemap, I believe it will be best to slowly fulfil the proposed structure, rather than create a solid structure and retroactively fill it. One of the priorities is that those who need access to the information, that’s to say those involved in the Early Adopter Programme, Teaching Office staff, academics involved and Learning Technologists, will have easy access to it. The dissemination of this work is taking place iteratively and will be shared across multiple platforms: Microsoft Teams, within institution-wide meetings in person and online, and through emails. The variety of options of dissemination will ensure that no one will miss out on the information, even if they do not engage with one of the channels of communication.

Learn Ultra project

Description

In 2023, The University of Edinburgh migrated from Learn Original to Learn Ultra, which was a large-scale virtual learning environment migration project. As a Learning Technologist in the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, it was important to make sure that the changes were communicated consistently and clearly to the faculty in both an academic and professional services context. The communication to the former needed to focus on the pedagogical benefits of the migration, while that of the latter required more focus on the nature of support and how it would affect current processes.

I also wanted to give those affected the opportunity to ask questions in real time so decided that a presentation at the School’s individual departmental meetings could act as a good opportunity for this to take place. The structure of the session centred around a short presentation outlining the changes, followed by a Q&A where staff could air concerns and discuss solutions. I anticipated questions in advance and prepared some responses, however it was clear that as I am not an academic member of staff, they would have queries that I could not foresee and I would need to think on the spot.

Evidence

Reflection

The communication sessions were successful and gave context to the academic and professional services staff, while also giving me feedback that I could relay to the central team who were driving the change. What I was glad for was the opportunity to see the depth in which the virtual learning environment was being used across the School, and the live form of communication allowed for real conversation to take place.

It is true that the session could have been sent out as an email communication, however I believed at the time and affirm now that with change management, speaking to people directly and providing a real-life contact is useful for building trust and furthering professional relationships. The session opened up a channel through which academics and professional services staff would contact me to ask further questions, discuss their more complex set-ups and reflect on potential solutions together. This collaboration meant that issues were solved before the migration, rather than in reaction to it.

If I were to undertake these sessions again, I would perhaps set them up as a standing item rather than one session and disseminate the communications across multiple weeks. The reason behind this is due to the slight downside to live communication: if you miss the session, you miss the information. With an email, it is easier to catch up if on leave or undertaking other duties. It would also take the pressure off one session being the only time to ask questions, and would allow staff to reflect on what they are told, so they can consider what they require from a change as it is happening. I would also set the boundaries of each session more firmly so that time was spent wisely and did not go off track.

What I was happy with was the fact that members of staff followed up the Learn Ultra Familiarisation Sessions by making use of the booking system to book 1-1s with me. These sessions varied in topic but always led on from the information provided at the Familiarisation Sessions, delving deeper into the topics covered and giving the academics the option to ask questions and provide feedback.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse