My Learning deployment complete!

Last week saw the final 5 GEMS schools in the UAE trained in the new ‘My Learning’ Learning Management System.

Along with the integration of Pearson’s Equella repository, Office 365, Google Apps for Edu, a large range of high quality digital content options and the flexibility to plug in pretty much anything else our schools need, this growing ecosystem is already proving to be a catalyst for revolutionizing the provision of digital and blended learning. We have deployed 39 schools in the UAE along with one other managed school and the Kingdom Schools in KSA. Overall, more than 100,000 students and 11,000 educators have been impacted.

The process of professional learning and digital transformation continues, as we work to deliver an ambitious digital strategy over the next five years. Next up is the launch of the GEMS My Learning parent notification app later this term, which will provide unprecedented opportunities for empowered parents to engage in their children’s learning anytime, anywhere.

Below is the article due to be published in the next edition of the GEMS Family Magazine. We look forward to seeing some great family engagement within the new ecosystem.   

   

‘My Learning’ Overview (to be published in GEMS Family Magazine, Issue 6, September 2015)

All GEMS schools in the U.A.E. have now moved from the GEMS Learning Gateway (GLG) to an exciting, dynamic new online learning ecosystem and parent portal, known as ‘My Learning’.

Research shows that average user satisfaction with institutional learning management systems is less than 50% (BrandonHall Group, 2014). In particular, the ‘features’ and ‘ease of use’ categories are often poorly rated, averaging less than 40% satisfaction.  Given these statistics, we knew we would need to innovate and do things very differently in order to provide each user with an outstanding experience that would, ultimately, inspire and optimise every student’s learning. 

We know that every student - and every school community - is unique. One size does not fit all, hence the need for a digital learning ecosystem that provides a truly personalised experience for every student, parent and teacher. And so it was that we embarked on a long process of eliciting the views of a wide range of stakeholders from our schools and implementing a solution to meet their needs. Andrew Nolan, Manager - Education Technology, visited over 20 schools, interviewing focus groups of students, parents, teachers and other school staff, asking the question: “What do you want from an online learning environment?” It quickly became clear that there were as many answers as there were people questioned, which led to the clear understanding that a successful solution would need to be a pin cushion rather than a bubble.

Pin Cushion

The history of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) in schools, colleges and universities around the world is not a happy one. Students and teachers have not, for the most part, fallen in love with online learning or digital workflows and this has been due, in large part, to the approach taken by administrators at the district and institutional level. The received wisdom has, for a long time, been that learning institutions should create a ‘bubble’, within which all learning, productivity, collaboration and communication should be contained. Teachers and administrators would control all content, tools and interactions and all learners and teachers would be safe and happy learning in their bubble, with what was on offer.

Groups of schools were forced to adopt the same ‘bubble’ VLEs and these were invariably not situationally fit for purpose. Even worse, they tended to be inflexible in developmental terms, meaning that it was difficult or often impossible for schools and individuals to request changes to the structure, content and tools. The result in every case was that innovative teachers and students naturally found new ways to learn. They burst out of the bubble to use third party blogs and wikis, social media, YouTube, Google Apps, Weebly, Edmodo, Voicethread and a host of other tools, too numerous to list. These innovators weren’t trying to rebel – they were simply attempting to improve learning by using tools they perceived to be more effective than those they had been given.

For administrators, however, it became a nightmare. They could not control access to the third party tools, teacher-student workflows became fragmented and parents were confused as to where they could find information about their children’s learning – even between classes and teachers in the same school. Worst of all, questions around students’ online safety arose, often without acceptable answers other than to force the shutdown of everything outside the bubble. In many cases, this also shut down the learning.

Developing a shared understanding that we simply could not, and indeed should not, dampen the enthusiasm, nor doubt the expertise of teachers and students in selecting the best tools for learning, was the first step towards seeking out a pin to burst the VLE bubble. That said, there was still a need to provide a structure for all GEMS schools, which would help to ensure the online safety of our students, encourage innovation and optimise learning through a clear and consistent workflow – as well as providing a system that would enable parents to engage more effectively in the learning process.

Equipped with a sea of data from stakeholders, Andrew led the mission to find the best solution, knowing that we had to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of people. This would have to be a pin cushion solution – a system that would provide clarity and structure, whilst accommodating the tools that teachers and learners wished to use. The concept of the pin cushion provides all users with a secure and robust system, together with the ability to plug in the tools they need to optimise the learning process in any given situation.

Following an evaluation of over 60 potential solutions, the My Learning platform was selected as the preferred spine of the new ecosystem. As well as the product itself coming out on top by a long way when evaluated against the stated user needs, it was also important that the provider was prepared to adapt to our schools’ individual requirements, both at the outset and in the future. My Learning is an adaptable platform and the provider has already shown impressive agility and customer-focus in delivering the modifications, improvements and integrations requested. This is vital, as it puts us in the position where we are able to accommodate innovative practices and new tools as they arise in our schools, responding quickly to development requests and ensuring seamless integration into existing workflows. 

Meeting the teaching, learning and parenting needs of so many users, in such a diverse group of schools, could only be achieved by creating a solution that is capable of on-going customisation, augmentation and personalisation. Below are some of the features that we hope will deliver an outstanding experience for all our school communities in the months and years ahead.

Interface Options

Students can customise their own dashboards and plug in the tools they need to optimise their own learning.  Flexibility and personalisation are key because students learn better when they construct their own learning ecosystems and use the tools they have chosen. My Learning has a choice of age-specific interfaces and a wide range of themes for students, making it attractive to learners across the 3-18 age range. Many students have already opted for the popular ‘Minecraft’ theme to personalise their site! Our youngest students now have the opportunity to learn how to construct an authentic digital workflow and, at the other end of the scale, students headed for university will hit the ground running as tertiary education moves rapidly towards online and blended learning.

Language Options

The site is available in over 90 languages, including Arabic, Hindi, Malayalam, Russian and Farsi, to name but a few.  We hope this will prove particularly useful for students who are new to English language learning and for foreign language learners, as well as parents who would prefer to navigate the system in their native language.

Online Safety

There is, of course, a secure login for all GEMS users, including parents. Teachers and parents can, by default, see everything their children do through My Learning. Also, the school administrator is able to track all activity, including through the use of a customisable profanity filter. A prominent ‘Report Abuse’ button acts as a medium for students to contact the school’s Child Protection Officer discreetly and in confidence about any issue of concern, including real life problems, and anything that is making them feel uncomfortable online. Together with the established Digital Citizenship programmes in GEMS schools, our young people are as safe as they can possibly be in today’s digital world.

Student Profile

Every student has a space to build his or her own social profile, within a safe and secure environment. Students can choose the information they include and how to share their profiles within the system, thereby learning good social networking habits from an early age. They can also take a personality test, which is proving to be very effective in developing emotional intelligence, empathy and self-awareness.

Options for Portfolio Building

Students have a range of built-in options for developing learning portfolios, from multimedia journals and diaries to websites. They can also bring in other tools such as Google Sites, OneNote, etc..

Parent Portal

Through the Parent Portal, parents are able to access all the information they need about their children’s learning and welfare. Each student’s homework, calendar, progress reports and on-going work are all visible to their parents. Over the course of the 2015-2016 academic year, the site will be developed further, enabling parents to access a wider range of GEMS services.

Customisable Parent App

Due to be launched in Q4 2015, the My Learning parent notification mobile app will further enhance communication and parental engagement in the learning process. Parents will have the ability to customise the information flow, enabling them to receive the updates they want in a way that suits the individual user. 

Communication with Teachers

Parents are able to contact their children’s teachers through a secure, threaded discussion system, with instant, two-way notifications.

Data Integration

Schools within the GEMS group employ different student data management systems, reflecting the diverse range of curricula provided. All of these systems are linked through My Learning, allowing the relevant access to authorised users. This will allow teachers to manage data and learning more closely and effectively and provide parents with relevant, up-to-date information on their children’s progress.

High Storage Capacity and Choice of Tools

In addition to the storage space in My Learning itself, students and teachers can seamlessly integrate their other, preferred cloud storage solutions, such as One Drive, Google Drive and Dropbox. My Learning supports over 150 file types, providing students with the opportunity to create a wide range of content and demonstrate their learning in the way they choose.

Content Library

As well as a wide range of free content, the Content Library provides Single Sign On (SSO) to the educational content already in use in the school. This functionality saves valuable learning time that may otherwise be wasted through students having multiple web addresses, usernames and passwords to remember. Also, QR codes provide instant access to content, which is particularly helpful for younger learners.

YouTube and Flickr

A huge array of filtered images are instantly available through the Flickr integration tool and YouTube videos can be easily accessed and downloaded directly into My Learning, all within a safe and secure, monitored environment.

Productivity Tools

Google Apps for Education and Office 365 are both available for students and teachers to integrate into their dashboards, again with SSO to further streamline and enhance the learning process. Other tools can be easily integrated, as required.

Social Media Plug-ins

Schools can easily plug in their existing social media feeds, such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and parents are encouraged to participate in these conversations!

Secure Collaboration Tools

Chatrooms and multimedia forums can be set up and moderated by teachers, providing students with a safe, dynamic environment in which they can perfect their online collaboration skills, whilst deepening their understanding of subject content.

Repository

As part of the learning ecosystem, all GEMS teachers have access to an area where they can share their planning, resources and innovations, helping to ensure that the most outstanding practice becomes the norm in all schools and for all teachers.

It is recognised that the impact of any system is reliant on the capabilities and engagement of the users. Teacher professional development is, therefore, at the heart of the GEMS Digital Strategy and a full programme of initial and continuous training and support for GEMS teachers is on-going. Along with the high degree of personal ownership given to all users, we hope that everyone will enjoy and engage fully in the My Learning experience.

Schools will continue to work with parents to ensure a smooth transition to the new system and, as always, we welcome your feedback as we strive to constantly improve the personalised experience for all users.