Nov2008RetreatFeedback

From AgriLife WIki

Contents 1 eLearning 2 Training 3 Network 3.1 Goal Statement 3.2 Strategy 4 Data Center 4.1 Goal Statement 5 CDASSIT 6 ADG

eLearning

Goal

Faculty and staff have skills and support in order to design, develop and deliver readily available, high-quality eLearning courses and programs for professional development and outreach.

Strategy

Educate faculty and staff on instructional design principles and available applications for eLearning

Actions

• Develop instructional design self-paced online course
• Lead educational sessions online and in person on eLearning topics including instructional design, Moodle …
• Continue to add to Moodle 101 course
• Expand marketing efforts to educate TCE about Moodle

Strategy

Provide eLearning design and development consulting and support services

Actions

• Offer a place to start for eLearning, in terms of best practices, support, etc.
• Identify best practices and develop resources like articles, tutorials etc
• Review and providing feedback on e-learning projects, in terms of technology and design
• Provide guidance and consultation with grant proposals, staffing considerations etc
• Monitor moodlehelp@eXtension.org

Strategy

Develop prioritized eLearning courses for professional development and for outreach

Actions

• Make submittal vehicle available
• Develop Nutrition essentials course in Moodle
• Finish and make 4H courses available
• Develop Beef Herd Management Calendar tool in Moodle
• Develop/co-develop TExAS course in Moodle

Training

Focus on Goal #3

Strategies 3.1:

• Develop a marketing strategy
• Visits with DEA's to "pitch" IT training
• Present at AgriLife Conference
• Market the Learning Opportunities Catalog

Strategy 3.2

• Provide internal train-the-trainers opportunities for our own staff
• Better communicate what training material is available to our staff
• Provide more training opportunities for agents, specialists, etc. that focus on delivery rather than applications

Strategy 3.3

• Use the new curriculum to roll out more training opportunities
• Coordinate with RITS to determine training needs and opportunities.

Network

Goal Statement

Faculty and staff are knowledgeable about using secure, reliable, state-or-the-art information technology hardware, software and network resources

Strategy

Improve security, reliability and capability of information resources.

Actions:

• Replace network servers with state-of-the-art equipment at least once every four years
• Out-dated, vulnerable operating systems and software will be restricted from accessing network services
• Implement best practices through standardized authentication mehtods for password management

===Strategy=== Improve efficiency and effectiveness of IT support services

Actions:

• Consolidate eDirectory
• Consolidate GroupWise post offices
• Consolidate server/network hardware
• Implement a metadirectory

===Strategy=== Enhance, monitor and implement security of network infrastructure

Actions:

• Physical
• Data

===Strategy=== Establish a process for formal information technology evaluation and adoption.

Actions:

• valuate new network and server management technology

Data Center

Goal Statement

Faculty and staff are using appropriate technology solutions facilitating the collection of information, data analyses, and project evaluation to enhance Extension's programming capability

===Strategy===

• Cross-train with other teams to enhance our current knowledge and skills
  

Action:

• Network and collaborate with colleagues on project development and attend prefessional development activities of shared interest
  

===Strategy===

• Acquire new skills/tools and enhance current ones to cope with anticipated technology needs
  

Action:

• Explore Moodle and similar software to see if they will enhance web development, analysis and help desk skills
  
• Attend workshops, training, conferences, network with colleagues,etc.
  

===Strategy===

• Explore new technologies that have potential to empower our customers and/or make their work easier and more efficient
  

Action:

• Explore alternative platforms and other IT resources/tools for doing specialized web sites that will empower customers
  

===Strategy===

• Increase our team’s visibility
  

Action:

• Use web sites, newsletters, wikis, forums, and blogs to spread the word about the Data Center and what it can do to enhance Extension programming
  

===Strategy===

• Build a dedicated, effective team
  

Action:

• Make available tools/technologies that will help each team member do his/her job most efficiently
  
• Encourage attendance to professional development activities
  

CDASSIT

Use adequate reliable technology (Goal 2)

• Improve efficiency of support services
• Full time help desk m-f 8-5
• Minimize travel to counties with use of remote access (Bomgar)
• Hire a student worker for each district office to handle common issues
• Phase out pre-xp machines; move to vista
• Provide backup systems for counties (such as external USB hard drives)

Develop comprehensive marketing effort

• Offer each district a one-day symposium (tgt DEAs)
• Some are showcase; some more intensive; team effort

Identify benefits of IT training

• testimonials from Agents requesting more time for training sessions

ADG

Mission: Provide planning, design, development, and maintenance of applications in support of TCE (primary) and other AgriLife units (secondary)

Strategy: Improve visibility of ADG to external audiences

• Wiki
• EIT Website
• Other opportunities

Strategy: Improve internal communications within ADG and between ADG and EIT

• Wiki
• Centra
• Regular meetings (short, focused)

Strategy: Improve project management capabilities as an integral function of apps development

• John Adamson to coordinate project management & assume role of primary contact
• Research project management aids (SourceForge, PERTChart Expert)

Strategy: Improve apps development efficiencies

• Additional copies of critical software
• Review/examine software consistencies
• Cross training; new technology training
• Revisit load balancing/clustering of machines (avoid slowdowns)
• Revisit hardware configuration for development, testing, production