On your marks! Get set! Go!

9:00 AM | Monday 8 July 2024

The inclusion of all NWU stakeholders is a critical factor for the New LMS project team. Our student community will now be testing the three learning management systems - Blackboard, Brightspace and Canvas. We are pleased to see that students have already started signing up for the solution testing and we would like to encourage more participation. Once students have tested the solution and provided feedback, they will be entered into a draw and stand a chance at winning a Takealot voucher worth R250. Draws will be hosted during a live broadcast on the 19th July 2024 and 26th July 2024; six names will be drawn during each session. Look out for information and the link that will be circulated closer to the draw dates, so that you can join in and listen. Come on NWU students! Get involved as your input will assist in shaping our future LMS. If you would like to sign up to participate in the testing of the three LMS solutions, click here  

LMS Proof of Concept (POC): Two down, one to go! 

09:00 AM | Monday, 03 June 2024

The POC process is now approaching its last lap which will see our workgroups testing the Blackboard environment, commencing 3rd June 2024. Canvas and Brightspace have completed their respective POCs. Our workgroups have been working tirelessly over the past few weeks; firstly, being trained in using the different learner management systems and proceeding thereafter, with the testing of the various functionalities. Our hats off to them as this is no easy feat! The Blackboard POC will conclude on 14th June 2024. The last and most exciting part of the POC is the final comparison and feedback after all the hard work done. This will be completed by mid-July.

New LMS project team's benchmarking initiative yields valuable insights!

The project team conducted benchmarking visits to several universities in South Africa, including the University of Pretoria, Wits University, University of Cape Town, and the University of Johannesburg. Accompanied by NWU officials, they aimed to understand the transition experiences of these universities to new Learning Management System (LMS) platforms—specifically chosen based on their agreements with the NWU's shortlisted vendors. The visits focused on transition processes, implementation lessons, support received, adoption enhancement, system integration, and best practices. These engagements fostered relationships and commitment to collaboration. The project team extends gratitude to the visited institutions for sharing insights, which will enhance project success.