Using the VLE to Enhance Learning and Teaching

We run the College’s Virtual Learning Environment, Blackboard, which is used for e-learning on some 1500 online course areas, and is now part of daily study for most of our students. This is the core technology for most course-based e-learning activity at QM. We offer training and advice on the practice and pedagogy of using it effectively, as well as day-to-day user support for staff and students, and comprehensive online resources.

Key links and documents:

Contacts

For practical help, see the support pages first, then the online helpdesk to submit a specific query.

If you have a question (or an idea) about how to use the VLE to solve a particular problem, or for particular educational advantage, please get in touch with us on elearning@qmul.ac.uk.

Operational responsibility for the VLE within the E-Learning Unit is with Eoin McDonnell, Senior Learning Technologist, and strategic responsibility for the deployment and use of the VLE is under Sam Brenton, Head of E-Learning.

Relevant Articles

Below are some recent articles or news items we have posted about the VLE on this site.

See also this page for VLE Service Announcements.

DateTitle Category Tags
February 1, 2012 Naming the new online learning environment

We wish to thank everyone who submitted a name to our naming competition. We received almost 400 entries and have managed to narrowed this down to only six.

We now invite the QMUL community to vote for their favourite name using the link provided in this post…

 New Learning Environment
News and Events		 , ,
January 20, 2012 Announcement: A New Online Learning Environment for QMUL

Blackboard, the centrally offered platform for e-learning is being replaced.

The new online learning environment will be an integration of Moodle (for VLE) and Mahara (for student-led learning and group tools for informal learning).

The new platform will be available for previews and training from March, and people will be able to move and enhance (or start afresh) their course areas from April until September 2012).  It will then be available for teaching over the 2012-13 academic year.

 New Learning Environment
News and Events		 , ,
March 11, 2010 E-Portfolio tool will be turned off on the 18th of March

Dear Users, We are discontinuing the E-Portfolio tool as of the 18th of March. There are two reasons for this decision: Blackboard, the software vendor, is no longer developing this tool. It is unlikely that anything created inside your e-portfolio will be transferable to any future system. Secondly, the software has not seen the scale [...]

 VLE Service Announcements , ,
January 25, 2010 Training session: Introduction to QM’s VLE

If you are just starting out with the central College virtual learning system (VLE), Blackboard, or you are wondering about what it might have to offer, you might be interested to know about our “Introduction to QM’s Virtual Learning Environment” session which is taking place this Wednesday afternoon. The session is aimed at staff who [...]

 News and Events , , ,
January 2, 2010 VLE Description of Service

As part of a step-change in E-Learning Provision at QMUL we are expanding our range of services, hiring new team members and formalising what we already do. This document is part of the latter. The VLE has become a core college service at QMUL and it is important that we are able to describe that [...]

 News and Events ,
December 4, 2009 Restart planned for 5pm today (04/12/09)

We will have to do an unplanned restart of Blackboard at 5pm today. We are very sorry for any disruption this may cause. If you are working in Blackboard at this time – please save your work and log out. The restart will take approximately 15 minutes. Apologies again

 VLE Service Announcements ,
October 28, 2009 Roles in Blackboard

Course Instructor, Designer, Teaching Assistant, Student, Auditor…you may be aware of the terminology but how much do you know about roles in Blackboard and what they mean? This article explains what the various roles are and provides you with enough information to allow you to ensure that the right people have the right level of access to your Blackboard course area.

 Introducing... ,
September 22, 2009 Getting your Blackboard course ready – Part 1

As we are approaching the beginning of a new academic year, many of you may be in the process of preparing your course areas on Blackboard before the start of teaching. This article is the first of two detailing the key tasks that you will need to undertake to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

How-to guidance ,
July 24, 2009 Archiving Blackboard Assignment Submissions

If your students have been busy submitting their assignments in Blackboard throughout the year, you will have a large number of submissions that you’ll need to keep for a number of years to come. This post explains why you can’t leave old assignments in Blackboard and how to get them out.

 How-to guidance , , ,