Five questions with Cathy Carson: My NVIT and Moodle

1. How does Moodle support students and faculty at NVIT with the delivery of information and courses?

The Nicola Valley Institute of Technology is an Ellucian Colleague school and has the Colleague Portal called myNVIT. Moodle is fully integrated with NVIT’s Colleague system and myNVIT Portal. That means that when staff in Enrolment Services create a class section and add a faculty member to that class, the class is automatically created in Moodle and the instructor is added. As students register in classes (either in-person or online), they are automatically added to the Moodle class. These activities are seamlessly built into our business processes and are invisible to our students and faculty.

Students access Moodle with Single Sign On (SSO) through the myNVIT portal and their assignments, news and classes show up on their myNVIT portal home page under their myWeek (calendar) and To Do lists.

NVIT is also testing Ellucian Mobile allowing students to see their classes on their smartphones. This mobile integration will be part of our seamless integration of teaching and learning at the college. We also use a tool called Retention Alert that is integrated into our myNvit and Moodle. Retention Alert allows staff to identify students who may need support and connects them with individuals who can assist.

2. How does using Moodle and/or technology innovations assist NVIT with its core mandate?

As a provincial institute, we deliver courses and programs across B.C. NVIT’s strategic priorities:

  • Academic Excellence
  • Organizational Effectiveness
  • Student Centered and,
  • Community Relevance.

Technology and integrating Moodle into our portal not only meets each of these strategic priorities but also our mission of “…providing support choices, knowledge and tools to build a better future.

3. In general, what are your thoughts about where post-secondary education is going with its use of technology and open platforms?

For students, the answer is Mobile! Students want to be able to access services and courses from their mobile devices. Access needs to be seamless and on demand. Social media needs to be integrated. For Faculty, they want a seamless integration of teaching with the administrative tools (e.g. grading). NVIT will be implementing an enhancement to the Moodle/Portal integration that will include the Course Materials Manager (CMM) — a SharePoint repository, which will allow faculty to store and share materials in Moodle. Integrating this SharePoint repository will add additional features and functionality.

4. What are the gathering places?

NVIT is a gathering place. Our Portal is our virtual gathering place where students and employees can come together to access services, courses and team sites. This is where events and activities are posted. Students enrolled in locations throughout the province use the Portal as a means of connecting with NVIT.

5. What makes NVIT unique?

As B.C.’s Aboriginal Post-Secondary Institute, we are grounded in Aboriginal Experience and Indigenous knowledge and have a vision of strengthening communities and individuals. Our curriculum is infused with Aboriginal knowledge and teachings, our Elders are part of our NVIT family and they participate in classes and share their teachings.

Notable quotes:

  • For students, the answer is Mobile! Students want to be able to access services and courses from their mobile devices. Access needs to be seamless and on demand.
  • Our curriculum is infused with Aboriginal knowledge and teachings, our Elders are part of our NVIT family and they participate in classes and share their teachings.

To learn more

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Posted by BCcampus Editorial Staff