Notes for Adobe Connect Replacement, LTI Governance

Housekeeping

  • Google Apps for Edu allows for up to 15 participants on hangouts (as opposed to 10).
  • Storage project is now underway (Zach)
    • Goal: reduce dependency on local storage infrastructure and improve access across devices and locations.
    • Email migration was first step, second step will be migration of home directories on Midd/MIIS files to the cloud.
    • Strong sense that we will be recommending One Drive as default best option, but Google Drive will continue to be supported.
  • Checking in on how Hangouts is working for our team communication/meetings
    • Have presenters join individually via Hangouts so that they aren’t just presenting “to the room”?
    • Would be helpful to provide docs/resources referenced in the meeting via the Hangout chat (Jamie)
    • Lower thirds have been super helpful
    • Core team has been meeting exclusively via Hangouts (everyone joins separately), would be great if we could practice this for extended team meetings, as well

Adobe Connect Replacement

    • Features for Web Conferencing Platform (adobe connect replacement)
    • Mack and Petar presented  to us on the status of this project in July
    • 80 host licenses on our current Adobe Connect contract – we’ve hit capacity and purchase 10 or more licenses a year
    • Adobe got rid of edu discount, so next fiscal year we’ll be using an alternative
      • 4 alternative platforms are being considered:
      • Related to another IT driven project – phone system replacement at the College
        • Most of the systems being considered have a UC (unified communications) component.
        • Webex and Vidyo are being considered as alternatives to AC as part of the phone replacement project
      • Zoom and Blue Jeans are two additional web conferencing platforms being considered (independent of phone replacement)

 

  • If there is a clear front runner after rigorous testing of different options, we will proceed with a pilot (Mack)

 

    • Zoom Webex and Blue Jeans meet our needs as a replacement for Adobe Connect, according to the criteria we set in above form
    • Options that have been ruled out for various administrative/functionality-related reasons
      • Skype for business
      • Gotomeeting
    • How AC is currently being used
      • School of Hebrew hybrid program
      • Language School pre-immersion (Russian + Korean)
      • Administrative working groups at College
      • MIIS: probably 20 active users per semester
        • IEM program relies heavily on web conferencing each semester
          • Symposium, synchronous practicum course throughout the semester, guest speakers
        • Recruiting: virtual recruiting series each semester
        • Annual Nonproliferation teacher training – virtual workshops

 

  • For now, how do we test these different tools?

 

      • Our group will test out the 4 different platforms during our meetings
        • Musical chairs, 15 minutes?
      • Our group will try to identify the one tool that stands out and then pilot that group with the various academic/administrative groups reliant AC

 

  • During those 15 minutes, we’ll be evaluating

 

  • Project team: Mack, Petar, Joe, Bob, ODL (Sean or Amy C)
    • Project team will share meeting links with us to attend via the different platforms, a member of the project team will lead each test.

LTI Governance

    • Learning Technology Integration (LTI)
    • Canvas has the ability to link to other services internally
    • LTIs can be linked at
      • Course level (by faculty)
      • Subaccount level (MIIS, Breadloaf, etc.)
      • Uber admin level (available for all courses across the board)
    • Eduapps
      • Right now, faculty can find direct links to services and add them directly
    • Governance questions and next steps

 

  • Next steps: Joe has drafted a recommendation and will be sharing for feedback, then we’ll decide how to move forward

 

  • Additional questions from the group
    • What was the process for Moodle/LTI? (Petar)
      • College only had one LTI request ever – no precedent
    • Replace “student data” with “protected data” in flowchart?
      • Comply with FERPA
      • Health data?
    • WordPress parallel – how do plugin requests get vetted? Do we need to be talking about governance processes more broadly? (Bob)
    • If we do approve the request, at what level does that take place? Subaccount? Everyone?
    • If the LTI has a cost, which budget would it come out of? (Mack)
      • Cost will be addressed on a case by case basis
    • Streamlining the faculty experience – should we try to ensure that this request process is similar to requesting WordPress plugins or Google Apps integrations (Zach)?
      • Joe’s gut reaction: we should stick to focusing on Canvas, the governance question is new to us. Let’s focus on success with Canvas governance and then think about how it could be a model for future platforms. We can have the conversation about Google Apps at a later date.
      • Currently no governing body that approves or denies WordPress plugin requests. There has never been a formal system for vetting requests beyond whether adding them will break anything. (Adam)