Blackboard and the LSE are two of the most important systems for supporting learning and teaching at the University, and their use grows on an annual basis.

Staff and students’ expectations of the functionality available in the VLE, and the accessibility of materials, have also grown as technology continues to develop.

It is important that the University has a system that encourages staff and students to take full advantage of its tools and capabilities to enhance the learning and teaching experience, and that this VLE offers opportunities for online collaboration and intellectual development outside of the classroom. There is also a need to consider the requirements for future VLE provision given the University’s ambitions for increased delivery of online courses.

The VLE Review is a three year project which will consider all of these elements. There are four key stages to the project:

The review will encompass both the Blackboard and LSE systems to determine if there is a product that meets the requirements of all of our University programmes. Blackboard is currently licensed until July 2020.