Moodle, UNE’s current Learning Management System has been at the core of our online learning environment, without review, since 2011.

Earlier this year Pulse introduced the UNE Learning Management System Review project, tasked with exploring the market to assess opportunities to procure either a new LMS or upgrade Moodle.

The project is now ready to proceed to user testing following approval from the Budget & Infrastructure Committee in late November.

“We’re about to finalise preliminary shortlisting of vendors and set up ‘sandpits’ for user testing,” project lead, Dr Martina Linnemann said.

“The ‘sandpits’ will be set up by mid-January, after which we’ll invite staff and students to test the different systems and share their feedback with us. It’s a crucial phase of the project as the feedback will help us to make final decision about whether to go with a new LMS or upgrade Moodle at the end of Q1, 2022.”

A webinar to share more information is planned for Monday, 24th January at 9.30am. The team will soon send out an invitation as well as details on a survey inviting academic staff to provide more information on each of the units they teach.

“Sourcing this information will enable us to start planning for the next phase of content uplift into a new or revised LMS,” Dr Linnemann said.

“The review project is more than just a technology project, it’s an opportunity for UNE to refresh it’s learning management system and redevelop and uplift our teaching materials.

“Watch this space for more details on the user testing and how to get involved early in the new year!”

The LMS Review Project is part of UNE’s digital transformation program, Digital +. It is a key deliverable under Connect Learning, one of eight programs that will be rolled out over the next decade to improve the student experience.