Available Services
The PBS eLearning Team can provide a range of services to PBS academic colleagues.
These include:
- VLE unit site and course portal design and implementation;
- Training in the use of our VLE, and software application training;
- Media design and embedding, and the creation of video productions.
Making a Request for eTeam Services
To ensure that each of these services is delivered within a realistic timescale, and so that projects are properly managed from a user request until agreed handover, it is necessary for a series of procedures to be followed.
So from the 17th May 2010 onwards, no services will be provided by the eTeam without there first being a completed request form having been completed by the client - i.e. by the requesting PBS academic(s). The only exception to this rule will involve simple VLE site rollovers from one year to another, or one period to another. These will be automatically undertaken by the eTeam, without a project initiation request form being needed. Academics wishing their current VLE site to b replicated as is for the next academic period should email the eteam via the eteam@port.ac.uk address by August 20th of that year.
A VLE and Training Services Request Form will need to be filled in by Victory or training services users, other than those described above.
For those wanting to make use of eTeam media design services, up to three forms may need to be completed, so that sufficient information is required to initiate and complete the project. These forms are shown below.
The 'VLE/Training Services' Request Form
The Media Services Request Form 1 (of 3): Survey Administration
The Media Services Request Form 2 (of 3): Themes/Shot List
The Media Services Request Form 3 (of 3): Interview Questions
Project Management of eLearning Services
The procedure an academic to follow to engage eTeam help is as follows:
Decide what services are required using the above forms as a reference.
Send a short email to eteam@port.ac.uk requesting these services be provided.
Click the form link to begin to download the form to your PC.
Click the 'Download' button to receive the form (or preview it if you wish)
Click 'Pick Location' to get a file management box on screen...
Then pick the location on your computer where you keep admin documents and click Save:
You will get a 'Download Complete' message. Click OK and close the Acrobat.com webpage.
Find the form where you saved it. Look for the form in the folder where you saved it, and then double-click it to open it. The file name will be of this format:
MediaForm1_120510_distributed
The name of the form is followed by the date the request was made to the eteam@port.ac.uk inbox, followed by the '_distributed' label, indicating that the form is being processed through the Adobe 'LiveCycle' pdf form processing service.
Fill in the form, especially the red-outlined boxes, as these are mandatory. Without completing these, the form cannot be submitted back to the eTeam.
When all the boxes are completed, you can submit the form.
Click the 'Submit Form' button at the top right corner of the form.
You will be told that the form is queued for submission, and then that it has been sent. The form then appears in the eTeam inbox on the Acrobat.com website. A developer can see all returned forms by logging on to Acrobat.com, and clicking a file to view it. A record of each form is saved locally by the developer.
Once the processed form has been received, a confirmed date for the start and finish of your project will be sent to you, and the process of site/production design will start.
Agreed Lead Times - VLE Projects
It is important that academics needing a working VLE site for a certain date allow sufficient time for it to be built. For VLE projects, if students will need to use the site or portal on a certain date, then the requesting academic should allow the following time for the design process, depending on the site type:
- Simple Site Replication: 1 working day
- Unit Site from Scratch: 3 - 5 working days
- Course Portal: 10 - 15 working days
Note that if a project is held up because unit or course content is not available when the site population phase of the project is arrived at, then the lead time may well be extended due to developers starting work on another project. It is the requesting academic's responsibility to provide content as agreed at the start of the project. Creation of content should be included in considerations of when a site can be completed.
Important Note:
Academics who leave VLE content creation until a few weeks before the start of term, and then expect a course portal to be created ready for student arrival may well find the site is not ready when students arrive.
Similarly, colleagues negotiating with corporate bodies to provide executive training courses should not expect to demonstrate them to clients when developers are still editing the site.
Agreed Lead Times - Media Projects
For media design projects, typical lead times are as follows (dependent on quantity, and type of project)
VLE Site Creation Process Steps
Please feel free to contact eTeam staff to discuss your requirements, or to get advice on how to complete the project initiation forms via Adobe LiveCycle.
Advice on complicated non-standard projects or pedagogies can be obtained from one of the following:
Important Note:
Academics who leave VLE content creation until a few weeks before the start of term, and then expect a course portal to be created ready for student arrival may well find the site is not ready when students arrive.
Similarly, colleagues negotiating with corporate bodies to provide executive training courses should not expect to demonstrate them to clients when developers are still editing the site.
Agreed Lead Times - Media Projects
For media design projects, typical lead times are as follows (dependent on quantity, and type of project)
- Simple assessed presentation recordings: 2 - 7 working days
- Themed Video Production: 5 - 10 working days
- Flash/Animation Design: 1 - 5 working days
VLE Site Creation Process Steps
- A request for a site is received at eteam@port.ac.uk.
- The site request logged, and a pdf form is sent to the client via Adobe LiveCycle.
- The client downloads and completes the form, and submits it to Acrobat.com.
- The form is downloaded by the eTeam, and the job is planned into projects timeline.
- The client is advised that the design process has started.
- Meetings between the client and eTeam developers occur as necessary.
- Developers create the site outline in the VLE, and then seek content from the client.
- Project delays and project re-timing if content is not ready when needed.
- Content is uploaded to the site.
- Site testing follows the completion of design and uploading steps.
- Handover to the client follows.
- The client signs off the site.
- Client demonstrations of the site to internal or corporate users follow.
Please feel free to contact eTeam staff to discuss your requirements, or to get advice on how to complete the project initiation forms via Adobe LiveCycle.
- Educational Technologist - Rachel Short - X4185
- Online Course Developer - Mandy McCartney - X4085
- Media Producer - Anthony Harrison - 07912 755571
Advice on complicated non-standard projects or pedagogies can be obtained from one of the following:
- PBS Learning and Teaching Coordinator - David Starkey
- PBS Learning and Teaching Coordinator - Sarah Gilmore.
