Transcript Running a SAM-based Computer Literacy

Running a SAM-based
Computer Literacy Program
Sandra Neill and Miguel Roman
George Brown College
Toronto, Canada
Outline
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About George Brown
About us
Our team
Context
SAM@GBC
Beyond the bricks
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
George Brown College
• Downtown Toronto,
Canada
• Two campuses +
satellite at Ryerson
University
• 14,000 fulltime
students
• 50,000 continuingeducation students
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
About us
• Sandra Neill, Miguel Roman
• Learning Innovations and Academic
Development (LIAD)
• Computer Skills and Application (CSA)
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
About us: CSA
• 6000+ students/year
• Suite of five basic~intermediate computer
skills courses covering a range of
Microsoft applications
• Three dedicated labs, one at each campus
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
Our Team
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Sandra
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Curriculum design
Course & section building
Database front end processes
Feedback & evaluation
Day-to-day program administration.
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
Our Team
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Miguel
– Database back end & automation of
processes
– Custom datafiltering to populate sections
with Banner data
– Query & derive final course grades
– Grade load to Banner.
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
Our Team
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Other team members include
– Systems administrator
(server/labs/hardware/image)
– Two course coordinators (administration &
student issues)
– 8 computer skills teaching assistants to staff
labs & tutor students
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
Context
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Province of Ontario mandate for generic
skills includes basic computer literacy
Computer Skills and Applications (CSA)
program was created in 1995 to address
this mandate
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George Brown College
CSA
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Almost every incoming student in diploma or
degree-oriented studies takes a Computer
Skills and Applications course
6000+ each year
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
SAM@GBC
• CSA rolled out Skills Assessment Manager as
its course delivery platform in May 2004
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
SAM@GBC
• Flagship course is a four-module basic
applications class:
– Windows, Word, Excel, Internet Explorer
• Students who arrive at GBC well-prepared
can take a for-credit Challenge Test
– Also delivered using SAM
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
SAM@GBC
• Three-step test-training-test path
– Students begin with an assessment
– Then receive custom training on the tasks they could
not complete
– Followed by an exam on the same tasks.
• Assessment eliminates the tasks they can
already do
– Students must learn and test successfully on 80% of
the tasks they were unable to do in the assessment.
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
SAM@GBC
• Assessment & exam must be done in CSA
lab
• Training can be done anywhere
– Software available for overnight rental from
GBC library
• Custom training remains available right up
until the exam deadline
• Three attempts at each exam
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
SAM@GBC
• Continuing-education and Access
programs are a little different
– Two-step path of full training on all tasks first,
followed by a test
– No assessment, no customized training
– Seems to work better with these groups
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
SAM@GBC
• CSA Program partners with GBC Staff
Development office
– Staff Development uses SAM to train staff and
faculty in use of MS applications
– Staff Development will also use SAM to test
job applicants when job requires proficiency in
MS applications
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
CSA in the community
• Partners participate in our basic computer
course
• On successful completion, participants
receive a college credit
– Frontier College
– Fred Victor Centre
– Jewish Vocational Services
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George Brown College
The Big Picture
SCT
Banner
CSA
Database
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George Brown College
SAM
Student Registrations
• SCT SIS Database
SCT
Banner
•SAM gets its student data from the SCT
Banner database.
•This population is started through an initial
SQL extract for each section in Sam and
then kept synchronized through daily SQL
extracts from the Banner database.
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
Data Translation
• CSA Database
CSA
Database
•We maintain our own database which
mirrors the SAM database but contains
additional information not necessary for
SAM.
•This allows us to translate the business
rules of our institution to suit SAM and vice
versa.
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
Database Updates
• SAM Database
•SAM database snapshots are sent periodically by
Course Technology; we load these into our CSA database.
•The SAM data is combined with our SIS student data in the
CSA database.
This allows us to do periodic data integrity checks between
the SAM database and produce custom reports during an
active Term.
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
SAM
Grade Process
SCT
Banner
Final Grade calculation is performed in
the CSA database, then formatted for
upload to the SCT SIS database.
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George Brown College
CSA
Database
Archive
Final reports are produced and all data
is archived for future reference in the
event of any discrepancies or grade
challenges
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College
Questions
• Thanks for coming!
• Contact us at:
[email protected]
[email protected]
S. Neill & M. Roman
George Brown College