Overview
The Unified Digital Campus consists of three interrelated components: Website, Virtual Campus, and Database Management System. Working together, these three components provide a seamless virtual portal for prospective students, enrolled students, faculty, staff and alumni to access information, transact business and communicate in a secure environment. The diagram below illustrates how the pieces work together.
Website -The website serves as the marketing, recruiting and community relations component of an institution. The website is a virtual extension of the marketing and admissions departments. The key feature of the website is Learning Network’s EasyManage technology. This technology allows a limited number of authorized users to update and manage an assigned portion of the website by filling out a FirstClass form or message.
Virtual Campus - The Virtual Campus represents all aspects of the college except admissions and public relations. It is a social, collaborative and transactional workspace equipped with lounges, meeting spaces, department areas, transactional capacity (course registration, bookstore etc) , bulletin boards and virtual classrooms.
The Virtual Classroom is a learning space. Every course, cohort or learning community is assigned a virtual space to be used by the faculty to teach courses online and/or augment existing traditional face-to-face courses. This process is automated and is controlled by the Database Management System. Learning Networks will customize the layout of the virtual space and the faculty tools to manage it to be consistent with the pedagogy and audience of the college.
Drawing from experience working with a number colleges and other institutions, we suggest the use of asynchronous threaded discussions using FirstClass and synchronous discussions using Elluminate. FirstClass and Elluminate are effective at supporting such discussions. The interface can be client and/or Web-based. Other Web-based technologies can be easily integrated. Learning Networks utilizes FirstClass to support this component of the UDC.
Database Management System - The Database Management System manages the entire UDC. It contains information about students, faculty, staff and courses. This data controls the appearance, content, and access to the Virtual Campus and website. The database also contains vital student records, transcripts and portfolios. The data can come directly from your institution’s student information system. If necessary Learning Networks can build an intermediary database to handle this function.
Student Desktop – Antioch New England Graduate School & Goddard College
Why a Unified Digital Campus?
1. Provide 7x24 access to all services, classes and information of the college.
2. Reduce the use of paper for communications and transactions, and reduce or eliminate staff
time for redundant data entry - thus reducing expenses.
3. Maximize the investment in the college’s current technology by linking all of the technologies
together.
4. Expand the reach of the college by providing the means to deliver and support students at a distance.
5. Augment face-to-face contact with a virtual component.
6. Enhance communication between and among students, faculty and staff.
7. Simplify the access to information, e.g., one ID and Password logs into all services.
8 Provide an efficient means to share information college wide (post once and display in many places)
Overall, a Unified Digital Campus provides an additional means of communication, increases the
productivity of faculty and staff, enhances and extends learning opportunities and is another tool
to promote a sense of community among the students, faculty, staff and alumni.
Learning Networks can evaluate, design, manage, host and support your UDC. Contact us for a free demonstration and initial assessment. We also provide consulting services and design, and support customized Student Information Systems.
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