Administrative Tools and Architecture
Desire2Learn is recognized as a leader in educational enterprise software with the most complete and adaptable suite of applications, services, and support to power your learning infrastructure.
The Desire2Learn Learning Environment supports your organization's approach to teaching and learning by providing you with easy-to-use, robust tools, to help you offer online courses, build a community, and create an environment that reflects your organization or specific offering.
Several key Desire2Learn administrative tools and architecture components include:
Scalability
The Desire2Learn system can scale to an unlimited number of users to meet your needs, and has a proven track record of protecting learner data.
The Desire2Learn system can scale to an unlimited number of users to meet your needs, and has a proven track record of protecting learner data.
Advanced Enterprise Architecture
You retain complete control of the structure of your offerings with the ability to create an unlimited number of custom organizational units and roles. You can also set advanced access and security permissions for roles at any level of your organization: a unique feature to the Learning Environment.
You retain complete control of the structure of your offerings with the ability to create an unlimited number of custom organizational units and roles. You can also set advanced access and security permissions for roles at any level of your organization: a unique feature to the Learning Environment.
Standards and Accessibility
We believe teaching and learning should be the focus, and the technology should be a seamless part of the learning experience. To accomplish this goal, we continually strive to improve support for open standards and ensure the Learning Environment is accessible to all.
We believe teaching and learning should be the focus, and the technology should be a seamless part of the learning experience. To accomplish this goal, we continually strive to improve support for open standards and ensure the Learning Environment is accessible to all.
Reporting and Data Warehouse
The Learning Environment's powerful reporting features put a world of data at your fingertips. Choose from a diverse array of render types and output settings to help identify important patterns from a range of data sets. System-level reports let administrators monitor system performance, usage, user enrollment, logins and other data to ensure the system operates at peak efficiency. Course-level reports integrated into most tools let instructors assess the effectiveness of their instructional materials and monitor student use of course content, participation in discussions, performance on quizzes, and so on.
The Learning Environment's powerful reporting features put a world of data at your fingertips. Choose from a diverse array of render types and output settings to help identify important patterns from a range of data sets. System-level reports let administrators monitor system performance, usage, user enrollment, logins and other data to ensure the system operates at peak efficiency. Course-level reports integrated into most tools let instructors assess the effectiveness of their instructional materials and monitor student use of course content, participation in discussions, performance on quizzes, and so on.
Integration
Desire2Learn has built special middleware for the majority of system integrations enabling you to decrease time spent on integration and dramatically save on costs and maintenance, even for large organizations with multiple locations and systems.
Through the use of out-of-the-box middleware components, web services, open APIs, and adherence to open standards and specifications, the Desire2Learn Learning Environment seamlessly can integrate with many systems in your organization, including:
Sample Desire2Learn Enterprise Components and Integration
Desire2Learn has built special middleware for the majority of system integrations enabling you to decrease time spent on integration and dramatically save on costs and maintenance, even for large organizations with multiple locations and systems.
Through the use of out-of-the-box middleware components, web services, open APIs, and adherence to open standards and specifications, the Desire2Learn Learning Environment seamlessly can integrate with many systems in your organization, including:
- Student information system (SIS)
- Authentication systems (for example, LDAP, Active Directory)
- Library systems
- IT administration and human resource management systems (HRMS)
- eCommerce systems
- Email, calendar and portal systems
- Other portal solutions and 3rd party tools
- And much more
Sample Desire2Learn Enterprise Components and Integration
Authentication Systems
The Learning Environment can authenticate against an external LDAP server or use the Kerberos protocol. In addition, administrators can set up fail-through authentication against a secondary source (for example, the system's own database) in the event that the primary source fails.
The Learning Environment can authenticate against an external LDAP server or use the Kerberos protocol. In addition, administrators can set up fail-through authentication against a secondary source (for example, the system's own database) in the event that the primary source fails.
Registration Integration
Administrators can batch "add learners" to a course using a delimited text files. The software supports integration with SCT Banner, Peoplesoft, Datatel, and other student information systems (SIS) including home-grown systems. The Desire2Learn software is compliant with the IMS Enterprise Specification and works with other XML, Web-services, or batch-transfer processes. Tested with millions of enrolments, the Desire2Learn system can support multiple SIS integrations in cases such as a large university consortium. Desire2Learn also provides a self-registration and an optional eCommerce tool.
Administrators can batch "add learners" to a course using a delimited text files. The software supports integration with SCT Banner, Peoplesoft, Datatel, and other student information systems (SIS) including home-grown systems. The Desire2Learn software is compliant with the IMS Enterprise Specification and works with other XML, Web-services, or batch-transfer processes. Tested with millions of enrolments, the Desire2Learn system can support multiple SIS integrations in cases such as a large university consortium. Desire2Learn also provides a self-registration and an optional eCommerce tool.
Key Administrator Communication and Feedback Tools
My Blog
The Learning Environment provides a safe atmosphere for learners to communicate with peers and reflect on learning and life experiences by maintaining a blog. Learners can read their peer's blogs, leave comments, and keep a list of favorites. Blogs can be published as RSS feeds, and flexible configuration options allow you to choose whether your users' blogs are available outside your institution.
The Learning Environment provides a safe atmosphere for learners to communicate with peers and reflect on learning and life experiences by maintaining a blog. Learners can read their peer's blogs, leave comments, and keep a list of favorites. Blogs can be published as RSS feeds, and flexible configuration options allow you to choose whether your users' blogs are available outside your institution.
Competencies and Student Success
Learners can see their progress on various activities, learning objectives, and competencies in a course, program, and/or their entire experience at your organization. They can gain greater insight into what is required for success, how they are progressing, and any current gaps, which in turn can drive improved student outcomes.
Learners can see their progress on various activities, learning objectives, and competencies in a course, program, and/or their entire experience at your organization. They can gain greater insight into what is required for success, how they are progressing, and any current gaps, which in turn can drive improved student outcomes.
Rubrics
With access to a rubric, learners can gather greater insight into the requirements and methods for assessment on activities such as quizzes or dropbox assignments.
With access to a rubric, learners can gather greater insight into the requirements and methods for assessment on activities such as quizzes or dropbox assignments.
My Email
The Learning Environment includes a fully featured email system that you can configure for internal-only or internal and external messaging, or integrate with any existing IMAP system including Microsoft Exchange, Groupwise, and Sun iPlanet. The email tool automatically associates messages and contacts with course offerings, making email communication continuous with the rest of a learner's experience.
The Learning Environment includes a fully featured email system that you can configure for internal-only or internal and external messaging, or integrate with any existing IMAP system including Microsoft Exchange, Groupwise, and Sun iPlanet. The email tool automatically associates messages and contacts with course offerings, making email communication continuous with the rest of a learner's experience.
Global News
Administrators can post general announcements and news items that are viewable from "My Home", individual courses, or from a departmental homepage, and can select the intended audience (for example, only instructors). This process is an efficient way to communicate news items and can help your organization avoid sending mass emails.
Administrators can post general announcements and news items that are viewable from "My Home", individual courses, or from a departmental homepage, and can select the intended audience (for example, only instructors). This process is an efficient way to communicate news items and can help your organization avoid sending mass emails.
Threaded Discussions
Course discussion areas provide a valuable forum for learner and instructor interaction. The discussion tool enables learners to rate one another's messages, providing a participation incentive and empowering learners to call out key contributions.
Course discussion areas provide a valuable forum for learner and instructor interaction. The discussion tool enables learners to rate one another's messages, providing a participation incentive and empowering learners to call out key contributions.
Survey Tool
Administrators can request feedback from learners on course topics, quizzes, assignments, and more by providing learners with surveys. The Desire2Learn system supports all typical question types, emailing custom survey invitations, restricting the number of survey responses, providing optional anonymous surveys, full reporting and statistics, integration with courses or cross-organization surveys, and export to external systems.
Administrators can request feedback from learners on course topics, quizzes, assignments, and more by providing learners with surveys. The Desire2Learn system supports all typical question types, emailing custom survey invitations, restricting the number of survey responses, providing optional anonymous surveys, full reporting and statistics, integration with courses or cross-organization surveys, and export to external systems.
Course Conversion
Import and Conversion
The Desire2Learn system supports easy content import from other competitor products, IMS-Content Packaging, and is certified for SCORM 2004 and SCORM 1.2 RTE 3.
The Desire2Learn system supports easy content import from other competitor products, IMS-Content Packaging, and is certified for SCORM 2004 and SCORM 1.2 RTE 3.
Copying Components
The Desire2Learn system supports the copying of content from previous offerings. This allows you to easily create new course offerings based upon content from other courses.
The Desire2Learn system supports the copying of content from previous offerings. This allows you to easily create new course offerings based upon content from other courses.
Exporting Courses
You can export content, quizzes, and all key tools from Desire2Learn. This assists you in sharing content to and from other organizations.
You can export content, quizzes, and all key tools from Desire2Learn. This assists you in sharing content to and from other organizations.
System Configuration
Customizable Look-and-Feel
The Desire2Learn system can support multiple institutions, departments, schools or other organizational divisions on an individual server setup. Moreover, each unit can be uniquely branded. Distinct branding can also be applied both at the course and specific section levels. Instructors can customize the appearance of courses by changing menu items and navigation bars. Custom tools can be created and quickly added and removed from courses or learner home pages. As well, learners can customize the sounds, colors, font types and point sizes, and layout of the tools within the interface.
The Desire2Learn system can support multiple institutions, departments, schools or other organizational divisions on an individual server setup. Moreover, each unit can be uniquely branded. Distinct branding can also be applied both at the course and specific section levels. Instructors can customize the appearance of courses by changing menu items and navigation bars. Custom tools can be created and quickly added and removed from courses or learner home pages. As well, learners can customize the sounds, colors, font types and point sizes, and layout of the tools within the interface.
Manage Courses
Wizard-based tools enable administrators to quickly create new courses, create copies of existing courses, and setup course templates.
Wizard-based tools enable administrators to quickly create new courses, create copies of existing courses, and setup course templates.
Manage Users/Enrolments
Administrators can manage users and enrollments within the Desire2Learn system. Reports and audit trails are available.
Administrators can manage users and enrollments within the Desire2Learn system. Reports and audit trails are available.
Desire2Learn Organizational Management Environment (DOME)
The DOME allows a you to control all major elements of the Desire2Learn system including form elements, organizational units, variables, system configuration, and more.
The DOME allows a you to control all major elements of the Desire2Learn system including form elements, organizational units, variables, system configuration, and more.
Language Packs
The language tool enables administrators to add new language packs or modify existing ones.
The language tool enables administrators to add new language packs or modify existing ones.
Other Desire2Learn Administrative Tools
Quizzes/Surveys/Self-Assessments
Quizzes and surveys can be provided across course offerings (for example, a common course evaluation survey), and question libraries can be shared between quizzes, self-assessments, and surveys within a course.
Quizzes and surveys can be provided across course offerings (for example, a common course evaluation survey), and question libraries can be shared between quizzes, self-assessments, and surveys within a course.
Orientation and Help
The Learning Environment includes online learner guides and context sensitive help for tools and interfaces. You can customize help items specifically to your organization. In addition, several quick guides, Learning Objects and other help resources are available through the Desire2Learn Learning Community.
The Learning Environment includes online learner guides and context sensitive help for tools and interfaces. You can customize help items specifically to your organization. In addition, several quick guides, Learning Objects and other help resources are available through the Desire2Learn Learning Community.
Plus many more tools and features exist, including Feedback Systems, Journals, Home Pages, Glossary, etc.
We give organizations the ability to use all features and functionality offered in the Learning Environment or you can select only specific ones that you need. In addition, Desire2Learn can create features for your organization as well! You can tailor all aspects of the Learning Environment to your organization's unique needs.
