Journal of Online Learning Research and Practice
Workflow
In the spirit of agile , an LMS team might follow a workflow , such as the following :
• Establish an initial plan with all stakeholders , publishing clear assumptions of roles , processes , timelines , and workflows .
• Build early prototypes of a few courses with a small group of stakeholders .
• Test prototypes with faculty and students .
• Revise prototypes based on faculty and student feedback .
• Repeat the build-test-revise process with incremental releases on an accelerating schedule of 5 , 20 , 50 , 100 , or more courses at a time .
• Document feedback , learning , and adjustments in each increment .
• Recognize errors , adjust processes , update the user experience , and improve courses iteratively until all courses are successfully migrated .
American Public University System used such a process in 2020 to migrate over 1,700 courses in less than 12 months . While there were inevitable challenges and setbacks along the way , each was faced with respect and collaboration among technology teams and academic leadership teams . The agile mindset and iterative process contributed to the successful LMS migration , just as much as the expertise of the people involved in the project did .
Conclusion
By adopting an agile mindset during LMS migration , a lengthy and painful process for students , faculty members , and staff may be less punishing , and completion may be quicker and smoother than legacy project management models provide . While there are many frameworks of agile project management available , the Agile Manifesto provides a set of foundational principles to guide whichever process a university may choose . Such principles guide the team in creating a project plan and assembling a cross-functional team to complete one of the largest instructional technology projects that a university undertakes .
Dr . Michael E . Cottam is Associate Provost of Academic & Faculty Services at American Public University System ( APUS ). He has been leading , designing , and teaching in the online learning space for more than two decades , focusing his work on using online technologies and interactive multimedia to enhance student engagement , student learning , and student success in the virtual university classroom .
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