Office of Information and Instructional Technology Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia Fall 1998 News Flash Board Focuses on Technology Fiscal Year 199899 has been designated "the year of instructional technology and distance education" for the Board of Regents. The Board selects a theme each year which allows them to examine key issues at each monthly meeting. OIIT's division of Distance Education and Academic Innovation (DEAI) is arranging programs related to this year's theme to be presented to the Board in each meeting. Articles in this Issue q The Georgia Learning Alliance q GeorgiaCAID: The Georgia Consortium for Advanced Internet Development q GALILEO Interconnected Libraries q Enterprise Application Systems: One Year Later q Desktop Distance Learning Initiative q Great Job, Test Sites q Changes in the Distance Education Unit q Personnel Notes Programs have included a September trip by the Regents to Georgia Institute of Technology where four faculty demonstrated how they previously taught and how technology has changed their method of instruction; an October session with six faculty who focused on distance education; a November trip to Dalton State College for presentations by distance education students; and a January presentation by the internationally known technology futurist Chris Dede. As a result of their exploration of instructional technology and distance education, the Regents will develop a set of goals and action principles that will guide the University System in these areas. New Database for Historical Research ArchivesUSA from Chadwyck-Healey is now available through GALILEO. ArchivesUSA is a unique database which provides location information for scholars and researchers who use primary source materials. The database includes a directory of manuscript repositories, collection records from the National Union Catalogue of Manuscript Collections, and collection records of the National Inventory of Documentary Sources in the United States, as well as collection records submitted directly to ArchivesUSA. OIIT Home Page | OIIT News & Publications | OIIT Update Fall 1998 The Georgia Learning Alliance by Theresa Miller Distance Education and Academic Innovation The Georgia Learning Alliance, a new initiative by the University System, debuted on November 11 at the monthly meeting of the Board of Regents. The Alliance aims to eliminate barriers of time and location -- expanding the learning environment, increasing workforce development, providing electronic dissemination of the System's distance education offerings, and increasing access to programs that address critical areas of need. The Alliance website provides a location for anyone seeking information about distance education in the University System of Georgia. Students looking for undergraduate classes online, teachers interested in specialist degrees, companies in search of training for their employees -- all these and more will be able to find information on existing opportunities and make known their needs for customized classes and programs. Currently the website includes access to a searchable database of distance education courses and the SREC (Southern Regional Electronic Campus) course database, which includes institutions in 16 states that are members of the SREB (Southern Regional Education Board). Companies or individuals can link to campuses to find degrees offered by distance education or to discover continuing education opportunities. For those who need customized training, there is a place to describe and submit their needs. Visit The Georgia Learning Alliance Website From the nucleus now online, the Distance Education unit is developing the site further. In process are pages that will provide information on such topics as student services, training for personnel in the USG, distance education related policies, and funding initiatives. An FAQ will provide the answers to questions about many aspects of distance education, including a glossary of words and technology-related terms. Ultimately, the website will encompass distance education information at all 34 University System / Alliance member institutions. The current website is a major step towards the realization of this goal. GeorgiaCAID: The Georgia Consortium for Advanced Internet Development by Dr. E. Michael Staman Vice Chancellor for Information and Instructional Technology Technology affects how we teach and how students learn. Technology is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Technology is evolving daily and changing rapidly, thus making it imperative that academia address evolving technologies which enable educators to provide quality teaching and learning experiences and to meet emerging academic requirements in research. In order to maintain and enhance the current infrastructure and to sustain the necessary educational environment, the University System of Georgia has formed GeorgiaCAID -- The Georgia Consortium for Advanced Internet Development. GeorgiaCAID brings together ideas from academia and products from corporate partners whereby educators may embark on a new journey to deploy more creative methods of delivering educational content and resources to students in Georgia. For example, the University System is partnering with CISCO Systems by using their advanced technology to enhance Fall 1998 More About Internet2 More About Next Generation Internet PeachNet, Georgia's Internet-based network for education. GeorgiaCAID makes it possible for PeachNet to be the vehicle by which Internet2 and Next Generation Internet applications are delivered to faculty and students in Georgia. The list of potential technological educational strategies is endless. Some strategies include massive digital libraries for higher education, technical and adult education institutes, K-12, and public libraries; biomedical collaborations to integrate telemedicine applications and instruction; real-time remote surgical collaboration; and scalable Internet video broadcasting schemes. GeorgiaCAID is envisioned as an agent within the System to leverage the potential of corporate technology relationships as the educational environment changes. Creative solutions requiring multiple institutional responses and relationships with the private sector are becoming increasingly important. It is no longer possible to build solely from within the educational environment because of the tremendous cost factors involved in experimentation and learning about new solutions. Public/private projects are part of the solution, as are strong, pro-active, entrepreneurial approaches to developing new educational strategies. Fall 1998 GALILEO Interconnected Libraries In November 1998, the Medical College of Georgia became the first of the University System's 34 institutions to implement their portion of the GALILEO Interconnected Libraries (GIL), an integrated interconnected library system which will replace each library's existing automation system and online catalog. A continuation of the goals of GALILEO to increase resource sharing and to foster the "one statewide library " concept, the system is made possible by the Voyager software produced by Endeavor Information Systems. Columbus State University and Bainbridge College have brought up their systems in January. Phase one of the threeyear implementation will also include Georgia State University, Middle Georgia College, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Macon State College, Gordon College, Clayton College and State University, Georgia College and State University, Georgia Southwestern State University, Southern Polytechnic State University, South Georgia College, North Georgia College and State University, Coastal Georgia Community College, and the University of Georgia. Selection of Voyager followed almost two years of discussion and review of library systems by librarians and technical staff across the state, as well as a lengthy RFP process. The new system is a multi-tiered client- More About GIL See GIL in Action GIL at MCG GIL at Columbus State University GIL at Bainbridge College server system, with graphical user interfaces operating under Microsoft Windows and web browser access. It runs on UNIX server platforms, has Z39.50 and TCP/IP connectivity, and is compliant with important library standards. Voyager has a relational database structure for all elements of the database and uses ORACLE as the relational database management system (RDMS). Several institutions will be supported on Sun Solaris servers at UGA and GSU, while MCG has a dedicated server on site. A Server Site Coordinator will work with each of the libraries. Preparations are underway for data conversion and training in the operation of the system for phase one libraries. Each library will be able to establish its own local policies. The system will provide considerable functionality and integration, as well as opportunities for review of policies and procedures leading to improved library services and productivity. Features will include the online public access catalog (OPAC); acquisitions and serials control; circulation and reserves, including electronic reserves capabilities; report writing capabilities using standard query language (SQL); media scheduling; and interlibrary loan. Users may employ relevance-base keyword searching, launch Z39.50 or Telnet sessions, or link directly to URLs included in bibliographic records in the OPAC. Users will be able to renew their own books and check on the status of items they have checked out from their own workstations, allowing the libraries more flexibility in circulation policies. In addition, Endeavor is developing for the University System a union catalog, to be updated in real time, of the holdings of all 34 institutions. Eventually, this master holdings database will be complemented by a universal borrowing system which will allow authenticated users to request books from any University System library, in person or remotely, without having to go through interlibrary loan or having to get additional permissions, yet libraries will maintain adequate control of their collections. In Ohio, where a similar system is in use, resource sharing has increased ten-fold. Preparations are underway for data conversion and training in the operation of the system for libraries in phase one. Merryll Penson, the University of Georgia's Associate University Librarian for Public Services, is chairing the GIL Steering Committee for the University System implementation. Phil Williams, Director of Virtual Library Support in the Office of Information and Instructional Technology, is the project's technical coordinator and Chair of the Technical Committee. Functional subcommittees include Acquisitions/Serials, Reference (OPAC), Cataloging, Interlibrary Loan, and Media Booking. Judy Kelly, Director of Virtual Library Development, has been working on screen design for the public view and will continue to explore ways to integrate these functions with existing GALILEO databases. Other states look to the University System libraries as a model of cooperation and resource sharing as they establish similar projects. The University System of Wisconsin has also recently selected Endeavor's Voyager software for all of their campus libraries. Fall 1998 Enterprise Application Systems: One Year Later by Linda VanSickle Enterprise Applications Systems A Look Back After reorganization and a year of rapid growth, a look at Enterprise Applications Systems' (EAS) activities and achievements illustrates progress toward the goal of improving products and services for institutions and central office users. Organization Change Management Process and Banner Releases Semester Conversion Centralized Support Strategy User Workshops, Conferences, and Training Student Applications SIRS, Facilities, Curriculum, and Room Utilization Extraction Processes Financial Applications Year 2000 Visit the New EAS Website Submit Support Requests Online Banner Documentation Online Migration of Business Services from TI1500s to HPs Information Management and Dissemination Other Activities A Look Ahead A Word from the Director Organization The reorganization of EAS into four service groups integrates services previously supplied by discrete project or application units. Lina Brennan directs the Financial Applications team of management information specialists, programmer analysts, and systems analysts focusing on the development of financial systems. Debora Exum directs Student Applications, another team of systems and information analysts that develops consolidated reporting systems for the Regents and local Banner Enhancements. The Consulting Services team, directed by Marie Steed, provides in-depth consulting for the application systems and the interaction of those systems with processes on the campuses and in the central office. This team also tests and certifies new versions of the applications before they are deployed statewide. The Technical Services team, directed by John Graham, specializes in database administration and systems support, software distribution and installation support, and client/server integration services. Although separate, each division works together on the processes required to develop, test, implement, and support applications. Beth Brigdon, Executive Director of EAS, oversees and coordinates the four units. Return to Top Change Management Process and Banner Releases EAS has developed and implemented a comprehensive change management process to ensure that we release high quality products. The change management process is a rigorous, comprehensive development, testing, and release procedure that includes all EAS units and uses campus test sites for every release -- baseline products as well as modifications. The change management process for the recent upgrades to Georgia Enhancements 2.1.12, Banner baseline 3.1, and Georgia Enhancements 3.0 included many steps. q Georgia Enhancements was developed by following recommendations from the Student Information Systems Committee and central office, correcting defects, retrofitting to SCT's upgrades, and using standards as similar to SCT's as possible. q Testing plans were created for OIIT and institution use which incorporated feedback. q All upgrades were tested at OIIT first on an institutional database in both GUI and character mode. q Upgrades were modified for errors identified. q Upgrades were retested before institutional testing. q Georgia Enhancements were packaged in an SCT-like GOSTAGE package to facilitate institutional installation. q Test sites were assisted with installation. q Test sites were provided with support during execution. q Feedback was collected from test sites. q Identified problems and errors were addressed. q Corrections were tested both at OIIT and at test sites. q Upgrades were packaged for distribution. q Documentation was written and distributed for technical and functional users. Return to Top Semester Conversion EAS coordinated efforts with the central office, SCT, and the institutions on policy development, applications development, and implementation issues related to semester conversion. EAS obtained information during the SCT Summit in March and made program modifications to address necessary changes, tested the modifications, and distributed the modifications to the campuses. Information was disseminated to campuses through FAQs placed on the web, interactive sessions over GSAMS, face-to-face meetings, and training sessions. Issues related to policies, the Student Information System, the Financial Aid System, and the Georgia Enhancements to Banner were addressed. Return to Top Centralized Support Strategy Together with Virtual Library, Customer, and Information Services (VLCIS), EAS developed and implemented the Centralized Service Strategy to provide authorized support contacts from the institutions with a single point of contact for service requests. OIIT tracks each incident from initial logging to resolution to build a database of solutions and to ensure satisfactory resolution of issues. The basic plan is to use a help-desk approach to register and answer questions, route issues to the appropriate units, and to follow through on all requests for support until issues are resolved satisfactorily. One result is the OIIT Customer Service Request Form, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the web to log requests regarding Banner, Payroll, CUFA, Inventory, Budget, Human Resources, Benefits, PeopleSoft, and Centralized Data Collection. Return to Top User Workshops, Conferences, and Training EAS organized and directed the First Annual Georgia Summit Banner Users Group Meeting to facilitate interaction among USG Banner users through statewide information sharing. Planning for the Second Georgia Summit, scheduled for September 1-3, 1999, at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel in Augusta, Georgia, has begun. For the first time, EAS and the central office offered workshops in Facilities and Room Utilization and Curriculum Inventory Reporting. EAS assisted with DBA camps in both June and October, sponsored a data warehousing retreat in April, and held numerous training sessions in Crystal reporting. Return to Top Student Applications Student Applications developed, tested, and released Georgia Enhancements Versions 2.1.7, 2.1.8, 2.1.9, 2.1.12, and 3.0, along with testing of Banner 3.1. Student Applications has developed a process for online collection of continuing education data and a way to aggregate data for each semester. Consulting Services has generated searchable user documentation for the Georgia Enhancements 3.0, which is available to all end users at http://www. peachnet.edu/oiit/eas/sfa/banner. Return to Top SIRS, Facilities, Curriculum, and Room Utilization Extraction Processes EAS has modified and tested the extraction processes to improve the method of obtaining data and to meet changing data needs. q Curriculum Inventory Reporting (CIR) was modified to yield data that accurately and more completely reports information related to increasing distance learning programs. q Student Information Reporting System (SIRS) was modified because of semester conversion. q Facilities Inventory Reporting (FIR) and Room Utilization Reporting (RUR) were enhanced to make data collection more consistent with SIRS and CIR. q EAS and the central office are reviewing data collection systems and planning redesign to establish areas needing improvement for better integration and user accessibility with query and reporting tools. Additional data collection systems for financial aid, admissions, and housing data are also being considered. Return to Top Financial Applications Development of the GeorgiaFIRST project entails the same change management process of development, testing, modification, and re-evaluation of initial decisions that is described in the Banner example. Reevaluation considerations include outcomes of testing and better understanding of local business practices. Technical Services, Consulting Services, and Financial Applications all have concentrated on GeorgiaFIRST during this past year. q Technical Services created the production environment. q As with Banner test sites, volunteers from campuses have continued to perform their own jobs while spending long hours on the development and testing of PeopleSoft. The functional input from the campuses has been critical for reviewing business practices, policy, and technical issues with central office representatives. q New functional and technical volunteers from Cluster Two schools have brought fresh enthusiasm to the project. q Project leaders have completed on-site readiness checks of the Cluster One schools. q Validation of the conversion data is a very high priority activity at this stage in the process. q System testing is complete for every process except for year-end processing and non-resident aliens, but system testing has not been conducted on converted data. q Consulting Services continues the technical and functional support of legacy systems for human resources, accounting, and payroll. q Development of training materials for GeorgiaFIRST is underway. The GeorgiaFIRST implementation timeline includes two parts: Human Resources and Payroll, which are in development now, and the Financials project, which will follow. Return to Top Year 2000 Increased efforts to remediate the current payroll process system have continued throughout this year with preparations for beta testing in the summer; beta testing of the remediation project for accounting is scheduled for spring. Return to Top Migration of Business Services from TI1500s to HPs EAS Technical Support Services and Financial Applications migrated the business services software and databases of seven schools from TI1500s onto HPs. Four schools remain to move from their TI1500s to HPs. Texas Instruments' announcement that it would no longer provide support for the TI1500 necessitated the move. The basic support and output systems of the TI1500 are not Year 2000-compatible, which means that the machine itself is not year 2000 compatible no matter what software is installed. Texas Instruments has already discontinued support for these machines. Schools have determined their own migration schedules in cooperation with Technical Support Services and Financial Applications. Set-up of hardware, preparation for the move, installation of fresh software on the HP, testing, and actual migration of data take approximately one week. Business Services must be off-line the day that the data are migrated. The business software used on the HP is the same as the software used on the TI1500, so no user retraining is needed. Return to Top Information Management and Dissemination OIIT has added a new link from the OIIT web page to an EAS site to make it easier for users to find and use information. Although this link currently leads to a temporary page while the EAS site is being developed, users can now access documentation for the Georgia Enhancements to Banner Student and Financial Aid (Version 3.0), Semester Conversion FAQs, Georgia Summit 1998 notes and plans for Georgia Summit 1999, and the GeorgiaFIRST site. Long-range plans are to develop a comprehensive EAS site that will include information about EAS, student and financial applications, centralized data collection, business systems, and basics and add-ons. The URL for the EAS site is http:// www.usg.edu/oiit/eas. Return to Top Other Activities While major projects are pushed forward, support for all other products continues. EAS developed and tested the Capital Resources Summary Form for web submission of information. EAS has supported the development of new user groups, such as the SIS Developers Subcommittee Group. OIIT and SCT formed an Executive Forum, composed of the management teams of OIIT and SCT, to expand upon the critical partnership between the University System and SCT. Each unit submits weekly status reports to the central office management. Return to Top A Look Ahead More and better training is a primary objective for the next year. EAS will continue to sponsor DBA camps and offer technical training at Rock Eagle. Staff are evaluating how to add vendor-led ORACLE training leading to specific certifications for our staff and to offer the same training to schools on a cost-recovery basis. The goal is to improve base-level training. The second Georgia Summit for Banner Users has been scheduled. EAS is making every effort to fill the numerous vacant positions in all areas with competent professionals to build the staff we need to meet our objectives. Recruiting, training, and holding resources with cuttingedge skills is a top priority. EAS is purchasing and upgrading equipment for use in the development and production environments for all applications. Return to Top A Word from the Director Beth Brigdon commented on EAS's development as a division over this past year: EAS hasn't yet met all of our long-term goals, but we have defined them well and made a good beginning. Working together to support each other, the four EAS teams are accomplishing the objectives outlined in our guiding philosophy. We are providing better support services and improved responses to the institutions and the central office. When Consulting Services tests software, identifies and resolves training issues, and answers the complex questions that originate with our endusers, the developers can meet programming and support requirements. Technical Services has been instrumental in instituting more rigorous standards for the migration of changes from development to production resulting in a higher quality product. We are coordinating our services to provide information that supports decision-making. The change management process ensures that the products we release are the best possible. Brigdon is eager to receive input about EAS, the effects of restructuring the division, the change management process, and this year's activities. Please contact her at beth_brigdon@oit.peachnet.edu with your comments and questions. Return to Top Fall 1998 Desktop Distance Learning Initiative by Theresa Miller Distance Education and Academic Innovation The Distance Education and Academic Innovation division of the OIIT has named Dr. Sam Marinov as Director of the Desktop Distance Learning Initiative. Dr. Marinov's experience in education encompasses both teaching and project management. He holds two doctorates -- one in applied electromagnetics from the Soviet Academy of Sciences and one in film and drama from the University of Kansas. He has also taught the utilization of technologies to reach students at a distance. Dr. Marinov's range of experience reflects the range of technologies that will be investigated under the initiative. The Desktop Initiative received two million dollars in funding this year, with at least the same amount expected in continuation funding for the next fiscal year. The initiative will test multiple technologies that bring instruction to students through the computer desktop, such as web management tools, Real Player, QuickTime, and IPTV. Systemwide resources will also be More About Distance Learning at the Georgia Learning Alliance established at institutions which can provide support on a seven-day, roundthe-clock basis. These resources will include technology services in addition to faculty services, instructional design, and faculty support. The initiative will also include a video production component which will be managed through the Georgia Center for Continuing Education at the University of Georgia. The Desktop Distance Learning Initiative's services and technologies will support the delivery of specific content corresponding to critical areas of need and/or System focus. Currently, the identified areas of need include foreign languages, information technology, workforce development, mechanical engineering (Georgia Tech), and graduate education. Fall 1998 Great Job, Test Sites by Linda VanSickle Enterprise Applications Systems A major component of the change management process is testing. Enterprise Applications Systems (EAS) developers and consultants first test new applications or modifications before releasing them to campuses for testing. The energy and cooperation of the technical and functional users on campuses that volunteered to test Banner 3.1 and the Georgia Enhancements 2.1.12 and 3.0 were essential in assuring the quality of the products before general release. These volunteers undertook the task of installing and checking the releases to see that new elements operated as expected on real databases. They ran the programs to test for functionality, missing elements, integration of modules with each other, and unexpected or invalid results; they served as troubleshooters for all campuses and greatly improved the quality of the product released. EAS appreciates Armstrong Atlantic State University, Augusta State University, Clayton State College and University, Georgia Southwestern State University, Kennesaw State University, Macon State College, North Georgia College and State University, and State University of West Georgia for the thought, care, and time that they generously invested in the development process for the recent releases. Banner Documentation Now Online Changes in the Distance Education Unit The Distance Education and Academic Innovation division of the OIIT has expanded the activities of its Distance Education unit in recent months. As a result, there have been personnel changes and additions of new staff to accomplish the multiple responsibilities of this group. Diane Chubb has been promoted to Project Manager, Distance Education. Chubb is responsible for managing the development of distance education policies in the University System and for public information dissemination. Dr. Shary Karlin, Lara Seaton, and Theresa Miller are new additions to the staff. They join Dr. Jon Gordon, Instructional Technology Research Associate, who came to OIIT in late 1997. Dr. Gordon received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of North Carolina. He is responsible for managing distance education research and data analysis. Dr. Karlin, Project Manager, Distance Education, earned her doctorate in adult education from the University of Georgia. She was previously the coordinator of distance education for the Medical College of Georgia. She manages the development of several distance education initiatives, including the Reading Endorsement and Foreign Language Collaborative. Lara Seaton, Project Coordinator, Distance Education Policies and Procedures, came to OIIT Fall 1998 More About DEAI from Valdosta State University, where she served in the off-campus program and the distance learning program. She is responsible for coordinating the development of distance education policies and special projects. Theresa Miller was previously the public information coordinator in the GSAMS Academic Programming Office. As Project Coordinator, Distance Education Information, she coordinates information on distance education programs, initiatives, and activities for the System. Personnel Notes Enterprise Application Systems announces the following additions to their staff: Steven Blutstein, Programmer II; Jill Brady, Information Analyst I; Sherry Brooks, Systems Analyst II; Deidre Crawford, Information Analyst II; Karen Dykstra, Systems Analyst I; Sunday Fagbemi, Systems Analyst II; Phyllis Gagn, Systems Analyst I; Layne Hammock, Information Analyst II; James Hedrick, Programmer III; Patricia Lee, Information Analyst I; Lisa Metcalf, Systems Analyst I; Terry Smith, Systems Support Specialist I; Timothy Sykes, Systems Support Specialist; Darylann Thomas, Information Analyst I; and Lisa Ward, Systems Support Specialist III. Enterprise Technology Infrastructure Support announces the following additions to their staff: Doug Ahern, Systems Support Specialist III; Jean Badham, Receptionist; Rick Crelia, Systems Support Specialist II; Buz Dale, Systems Support Specialist III; and Andy Tatum, Network Support Specialist II. In addition, Richard Biever has been promoted to Administrative Manager. Distance Education and Academic Innovation announces the following additions to their staff: Sherry Clark, Project Coordinator I; Dr. Shary Karlin, Project Manager; Dr. Sam Marinov, Director, Desktop Distance Learning Initiative; Theresa Miller, Project Coordinator II; Lara Seaton, Project Coordinator II; and William Shiver, Instructional Technology Support Specialist. Virtual Library, Customer, and Information Services Fall 1998 OIIT Employment Opportunities announces the following additions to their staff: Katie Bodiford, Events Coordinator; Tamara Boyd, Registration Coordinator; and Nathan Rowe, Help Desk Specialist. In addition, Ray Lee has been promoted to Webmaster and Cynde Kline has transferred to VLCIS from ETIS. Business Administration and Contracts announces that Pam Grunke has joined their staff as an Accountant.