An Agile Approach to LMS Migration
analysis to quick design , development , testing , and implementation with actual users . Then , the users ’ ( e . g ., faculty and students ) feedback flows back into the process quickly to help design , develop , and test the next version of the interface and model courses . Getting the product in the hands of the users early in the development cycle results in many small pivots along the migration project path , and it also surfaces issues while the project and impacts are small and more easily corrected before scaling up implementation .
Stakeholder Input
Agile teams value individuals and interactions over processes and tools . In the case of LMS migration at a large university , this means putting the technology team in contact early and often with instructional design , faculty , and student groups . They meet not to produce extensive process and tool documentation , but instead to build and test the product and migration process in rapid , iterative steps , with significant input from those who will use the LMS the most . Early and consistent interaction among stakeholders is key to successful migration .
Experiential over Theoretical
Agile teams value working software over comprehensive documentation . The technology and instructional design team builds sample courses and models in close collaboration with the faculty . Those models may be quickly applied to migrating courses in numerous disciplines from the legacy system into the new LMS . Teams iteratively establish course models , along with documentation of best practices , as learned from experience , rather than a theory of how the migration might work . Hands-on experience in the LMS , with candid feedback and design pivots , is paramount to success .
Collaboration
Agile teams value customer collaboration over contract negotiation . In a university team , collaboration with a diverse group of faculty members , staff , and students is a part of shared governance and is essential for instructional technology success . The team of faculty , staff , and students regularly collaborates on all stages of the LMS migration in a flexible , changeable arrangement . The team needs a basic set of working agreements , rather than a comprehensive migration contract . Throughout the project , teams may need to adjust course migration sequences , quality checks , and publication dates based on data from the stakeholders who are most affected by the system ’ s change .
Flexibility
Agile teams value responding to change over following a plan . An effective LMS migration team makes a plan while recognizing that requirements and feature requests will emerge as the faculty and staff interact with the new LMS . Rather than adhering rigidly to a predetermined project schedule , based on the initial theoretical analysis of users ’ needs , the team engages with change requests to design , develop , and test new features during migration .
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