Funded by the: Jisc e-Learning programme.
Lead Institution: New College Durham.
Learner Provider Type: Further Education
Project Duration: January 2012 - March 2013
Key Words: Course Data
Case study tags: course data, enterprise architecture (ea), course information, stakheolder engagement, new college durham
Note: This is an abridged version of this project's final report. The full version is available here.
Project Summary
Prospective students rely on, and expect, accurate information when making choices about their education. Therefore, the effective management and presentation of course related information is central to our ability to attract students. Currently universities and colleges provide detailed information on the courses they offer in a variety of ways, as no standard way of describing course-related information has yet been widely adopted. The XCRI-CAP (eXchanging Course Related Information – Course Advertising Profile) is an information standard which specifies the structure and definitions of course marketing information which, via standard external data feeds serves to inform prospective students’ decision making.
Enterprise Architecture (EA) principles were used as the conduit in aligning the technological solution (XCRI-CAP) to the business problem (course related information).
New College Durham (NCD) initially began 2009 - 2010 researching Information Management Strategies and Jisc case studies from 2002. From the 2008 Jisc review of information strategies we found that the strong recommendation going forward was to investigate the benefits of Enterprise Architecture as an approach to strategic development. NCD found that it could more easily see EA as a way of auditing, analysing and organising its information systems rather than embracing a specific model (eg. TOGAF).
As a way of aligning the college’s business goals with its resources, a management framework for information systems was established. After publishing an Information Management Strategy and establishing a framework for managing changes to information systems NCD quickly established an information asset register and an information projects register (to represent the college’s as is state in EA parlance). A resultant action plan explicitly reflected the iterative process expressed by the EA approach with emphasis on continual analysis and improvement. The idea of efficiency improvements with data became popular with college management when it became obvious that external financial pressures would be brought to bear in future years.
The XCRI-CAP project, therefore, represented an ideal opportunity to test the structures we had put in place. It also reinforced the will at all levels of the organisation to achieve an efficient and elegant result.
Having delineated course and related information flows, level of stakeholder involvement/contribution, ICT Services were then able to produce the standard external data feeds. This is also expected to bring significant internal benefits, having streamlined information management processes and improved communication between academic departments, the marketing team and ICT Services.
What did we learn?
Although ostensibly obvious, the importance of the detailed involvement and inter-communication of the Marketing Department and ICT Services cannot be over emphasised. However, whilst there was a tacit acknowledgement of the importance of such communication, in practice it was not always consciously recognised prior to the start of the project. Therefore, given the significant demands on both functions (recruitment campaigns, outreach, Academies promotion, FDAP implementation, revised ICT infrastructure, staff changes, etc), formally adopting the principles of EA helped ensure:
- Identification of systems and information needed to support College business processes
- A framework for the communication, interpretation, and implementation of College's objectives
- Adoption of a proven standard promoting consistency and integration
- Course information system mindful of the needs of all users
- Delineation of responsibility for systems and data
Given the success of this approach, one would see the obvious benefits to institutions of the application of EA principles under such circumstances as above.
However, a key lesson to be learned was that although the above appear entirely reasonable, considerable time had to be devoted to stakeholder meetings in order that they may be fully apprised and aware of each other’s issues and considerations. A lingua franca had to be established, particularly between ICT Services and the Marketing Department. This served to ‘promote’ the implicit acknowledgement of communication to an explicit, operating acknowledgement.
The Initial Plan suggested that Loss/Redeployment of Key Staff as having risk factor of low probability and medium severity. However, with the unanticipated resignation of the Marketing Manager in August 2012, the Risk Score proved to be somewhat of an under-estimate.
However, the impact of this was negated by the appointment of a Marketing Manager and the establishment of a Marketing Project Group comprising the Marketing Manager, Graphics Designer (and Web Designer designate), SharePoint™ programmer, and NCD Project manager. Conscripting the SharePoint™ programmer addressed the under-estimated need for staff with appropriate skills.
For reasons given above, mitigating Project Slip proved challenging. However, regular review of outputs against timeline and representation at appropriate forums helped militate against disruption. There were, therefore, no significant amendments to the Implementation Plan, due in large part to regular meetings of the Marketing Project Group to attenuate the impact. One may see that adhering to such principles of project management to be highly recommended.
The importance of representation at Information Management Steering Group and Business Systems Group cannot be overstated especially given enterprise-level initiatives and changes (eg, updated e-Finance, ICT network, internet/intranet systems changes and commissioning) and the corresponding effects on the project.
It proved essential (and at times challenging) to agree a complete description of the business problem in order that the individual requirements to be viewed in relation to one another in the context of the overall problem. Therefore, great care was needed to avoid a suboptimal solution. From the outset, this required the involvement of senior management as well as other stakeholders but which resulted in gaining the necessary adoption of and adaption to the overall project and its end product.
During the course of the project, three Assembly Group meetings were convened with Grimsby, Myerscough, North Lindsey and Cornwall Colleges, all of whom operate Capita™ Unit-E management information system. These proved to be a very successful vehicle for communication and exploring common issues. For example, following a Jisc meeting in Leeds (November 2011), these colleges identified a particular technical Unit-E issue which affected their XCRI-CAP implementation. Following discussions, the issue was resolved by Capita™. Two other initiatives remain ongoing: the *.NET development between NCD and Cornwall College; a Curriculum Information System project involving Grimsby and NCD. This is particularly interesting inasmuch as it’s actually outwith the XCRI-CAP project but was initiated as a result of meetings between the colleges originally as of the project.
Immediate Impact
The focus of the project was to facilitate the publishing of on-line course information in a standard format for all types of courses, especially online, distance, part time, post graduate and continuing professional development. This standard data could then be shared with many different aggregator agencies (eg, UCAS) to collect and share with prospective students.
Owing to the nature of NCD’s course profile (being a mixed economy college) and the revised course information common database, the XCRI-CAP feed incorporates all of the college’s programmes. This comprises the main stream FE offer from each of the curriculum areas across the college, as well as it’s HE and Management and Professional programmes. CPD modules are also offered from each of these areas.
Notwithstanding certain difficulty in co-ordinating with the Marketing Department, all college stakeholders are committed and engaged. The project team comprised complementary rôles with each member contributing fully to facilitate effective project management. Therefore, project outputs correspond with those detailed in the project plan. From discussions, actions and technical development to date, there is evidence of a more effective service for users.
As the project was conducted under the principles of EA, by examining the major challenges presented by the current course information system, a more robust and reliable system is aligned with business needs.
Whilst stakeholders believed they were aware of their – and others’ – contribution to course related information processes, on reflection there was concern about the disparate nature of the information and the complexity of the business processes. Formal, and thorough, identification of systems and information has indeed contributed to a framework for the communication, interpretation, and implementation of College's objectives. Consistency and integration of a course information system mindful of the needs of all users is now actively promoted. This was considered by NCD to be a major outcome.
Future Impact
The Regulatory Partnership Group (RPG) was established in September 2011 by HEFCE and the Student Loans Company (SLC) to advise on policy, strategic and operational issues arising from the development of the new funding and regulatory regime for higher education. One sees the Course Data Programme as being an integral element of the RPG’s deliberations on the higher education data and information landscape, specifically:
- Strand 2, the definition and agreement of a sector-level data model, lexicon and thesaurus;
- Strand 4 – Specific areas of data standards.
One sees the universal adoption of the XCRI-CAP standard as a valuable facility in informing these strands. Whilst XCRI-CAP does indeed feature in RPG’s discussions, though the final outcomes are yet to be seen.
As the costs to prospective students rise, NCD is already seeing increased student expectations. More and more, prospective students think of higher education as a considered purchase and want to know more about the academic experience a course will provide and be able to compare this with other courses. They will expect detailed information via KIS will also want more detailed comparative information as provided by an XCRI-CAP feed.
When one considers the above, the future integration of KIS, and the need to maintain a reliable, robust, and efficient course information system, it is the view of the Project Management Team that the college is so positioned as to accommodate and seamlessly operationally assimilate such changes. Furthermore, the links established with the colleges mentioned... affords opportunities for further collaboration and development as discussed.
Conclusions
The over-arching aim of Stage 2 was the development of a Course Advertising information system. This proved more problematic than first envisaged. Whilst the original course information was contained in a SharePoint™ database, mapping data requirements for all provision to the XCRI-CAP feed necessitated a revision of the SharePoint™ data structures. This, in itself, was anticipated from the outset. However, the co-ordination and engagement of management, Marketing, curriculum delivery and support staff required constant monitoring, communication and iteration.
Improved quality and assurance thereof giving rise therefore to more efficient and effective course data
Significant effort and adherence to the tenets of EA were required to ensure that all stakeholders remained aware of their contribution and responsibility to the development and maintenance of a course information system.
Increased and intuitive accessibility to, and objective comparison of, courses, especially those which may not currently be as intuitively accessible (eg, those delivered by distance learning, CPD, bespoke provision, etc).
The project is predicated upon XCRI-CAP, the UK standard for describing course marketing information. At the time of compiling this report, a working course data feed has yet to be consolidated. However, internal testing suggests that XCRI-CAP will indeed enable information about NCD’s learning opportunities to be shared efficiently with the community it serves to engage.
NCD is able to make appropriate and informed decisions about its processes for managing course-related data, leading to a reduced administrative data burden, cost-effective working, and better business intelligence
A key conclusion is that the process of arriving at an XCRI-CAP implementation has improved the manner of course information collation and publishing. It gives organisations the capability to offer new and enhanced services to users of course related information. It is fully anticipated that when a working feed is commissioned XCRI-CAP’s standard format and common definitions will successfully make it possible for NCD’s course information to be seamlessly represented and updated on internal/external systems without having to re-enter data.
This project was about course information which entailed institutional introspection, change management and technological solution. The success of this project was due to continued cognisance of these elements and vigilance.
NCD uses information about its courses in a variety of different contexts, from internal validation and approval through applications and admissions to student record systems. Another key conclusion is that capturing – from well-meaning, committed individuals – detailed information to inform the development of the project proved to be deceptively complex. Developing relationships with, and understanding the culture of, all stakeholders proved to be at times challenging yet ultimately very rewarding.
Recommendations
Through the continued scrutiny of strategic college and building upon the outcomes of the project, we must continue to ensure that course information is indeed managed as a valuable resource for staff and students. It must be centralised, reliable, updated regularly and subject to rigorous version control.
From the outset, the project looked to the possibility of integrating KIS and HEAR. Whilst these were concomitant developments in which the college was (and still is) engaged, it has not proved possible to reconcile these initiatives. A synthesis of the November 2012 Project Reports (Ferrell, 2012) concluded that many of the issues will not be solved during the life of the course data programme but firm foundations have been laid in terms of developing an understanding of the problem, identifying the rôle of standards in moving forward and the formation of peer networks who are working together to solve common aspects of the problem. We’d recommend that Jisc formally recognise and support such networks.
The Course Data Programme has proved to be of great value to NCD by providing sufficient funding, technical support, and a network of contributing institutions to facilitate the meaningful introspection of our course information system. This would be of academic interest but more importantly, it also facilitated the revision of business processes and information systems resulting in a course information system which we believe will fully achieve the stated objectives of the course information system.
References
Dr Gill Ferrell (December 2012), Feast or famine: progress in implementing standardised course data feeds, Jisc Report
Jisc (2011), XCRI Knowledge Base, Simple Single Stream Model, http://www.xcri.co.uk/planning-a-process/96-xim-simple-single-stream-model.html
Further details: email and contact names etc
Project Director Tony Lewin
Project Manager Malcolm McBain
Contact email malcolm.mcbain@newdur.ac.uk
Project Web URL newdur.ac.uk/xcriProject