2. itslearning?
• Öğrenme Platformu
• Öğrenme Yönetim Sistemi
(Learning Management System - LMS)
• 1999 yılında Norveç’te kuruldu.
• Yaklaşık 5 Milyon Kullanıcılı
• Yalnızca eğitim ve öğretim kurumlarına odaklı.
3. Öğrenme platformu?
Yazılım Uygulaması
• Öğrenci odaklı öğrenmeyi esas alır,
• 21.yy becerilerini destekler,
• Eğitim teorisini, uygulama ve içeriği birleştirir,
• Zaman ve Maliyet kaybını önler,
• Öğretme ve öğrenmeyi geliştirmek amacıyla
kullanılır.
4. • Harmanlanmış (Blended) Öğrenme
• Ders saatini daha yararlı kullanma
• Daha aktif ve daha yaratıcı öğrenciler
• Daha iyi hazırlanan öğrenciler
• Ters-yüz etme (sınıfta tartışma evde video)
• Güvenli ortamda sosyal medya
• Farklı ortamlarda öğretme ve
öğrenme imkanı
• Daha az kağıt ve daha az
maliyet
itslearning Ekosistemi - I
13. • Türkçe
• Norveççe
• İngilizce
• İsveççe
• Fransızca
• Flemenkçe
Dil Seçenekleri
• Almanca
• Danca
• İspanyolca
• İtalyanca
• Portekizce
14. • Bulut Tabanlı
• 24 saat içerisinde
kullanılmaya hazır
• Yerel kurulum ve bakım
gerektirmez
• Her zaman ve her yerden
ulaşılabilirlik
• Güncellemeleri hızlı uygulama
• Güvenli Ortam
99.9%
Çalışma Garantisi
Donanım Altyapısı
15. • MIS/SIS/SAS ile tam entegre
• Tekli oturum açma yöntemi (Single Sign-on) diğer servisleri
kullanma
• SCORM, AICC, IMS ve LTI standartları ile diğer global
uygulamalara sorunsuz entegrasyon
• Mevcut olan öğrenme platformunuza güncel bilgi transferi
• Web 2.0’ı platformdan ayrılmadan kullanma
• Yazılım geliştirme paketi ile kendi uygulamalarınızı
geliştirme ve kütüphanede yayınlama
Yazılım Altyapısı – I
16. • Mobil Uygulama
- Android & IOS
- Anında ve güncel
geri bildirim
- Anlık bildirim ve
hatırlatmalar
- Anlık mesaj
gönderme ve alma
- Akıllı telefonlardan
kolay erişebilme
Yazılım Altyapısı - II
17. • 1952 kendi yayınevi…
• 2010’dan beri teknolojiye
tam destek…
• 2012 itslearning
distribütörlüğü
Destek ve Satış Ofisleri
• Türkiye
• Norveç
• İngiltere
• İsveç
• Fransa
• Hollanda
• Almanya
• ABD
• Finlandiya
itslearning Ofisleri
This is a general description of a learning platform (not specific to itslearning). The software can be cloud based, on CD-Rom or downloaded from the internet.
The software platform contains in-built tools designed specifically for education and allows you to run other applications on it. It helps teachers, learners, parents and others involved in education communicate easily with each other - and gives them information, tools and resources to enhance teaching and learning.
harmanlanmış öğrenme en sade tanımıyla geleneksel eğitim metodunun çevrimiçi (online) eğitim materyalleriyle zenginleştirilmesi yani harmanlanması olarak tanımlanmaktadır
itslearning covers the whole learning process (global learning platform, 360°). itslearning gives teachers and students tools to all the processes of education.
The circle
- We show this as a circle – with the teacher’s activities around the outside, and learning in the centre.
- Traditional thinking says you start with planning, but the circle is continuous – so, for example, a set of reports will help a teacher plan the next semester.
- The circle can apply to a term of teaching or a single activity or lesson.
Supporting how you work
- itslearning is flexible. There are a variety of tools in the platform, and you can use them as you need to support your style of teaching and your students’ needs.
- In other words, we provide the tools for the circle of learning, but you decide which tools you use and how you use them.
Based on best practices
- We have worked with thousands of customers in 8 different countries over the last ten years.
- We have used our customers experiences and expertise to create a platform that utilises – and promotes – best practices.
- We keep up to date with the latest research and trends (such as work by John Hattie and Gilly Salmon, rubrics assessment and visualising learning).
- As we release product updates 6-8 times a year, our learning platform is always up to date.
Best practice + flexibility
- But there is no standard formula for best proven practice and teacher behaviour cannot be standardised. (Therefore, be careful when you quote the research in this PPT – as not all members of your audience will agree and all schools/teachers/LEAs, etc. take a slightly different approach to learning and teaching.)
- Our job is to provide a product that supports best practices – and enables teachers, schools and students to work how they wish.
The circle is continuous – but we generally start with planning...Planning is an essential part of teaching. itslearning gives you a number of ways to plan and organise your teaching.
Key benefits
Teacher Clear overview of lessons by week, month, year, etc. Ability to link activities to learning objectives and the curriculum Easy re-use of lesson plans and resources Access to ready-made teaching content (by other teachers and third-party tools)
Organisation Overview of what all teachers are doing Ability to create lessons plans for entire department Easy for cover teachers to step in
Student Overview of upcoming activities and themes Quick view of upcoming tests, assignment deadlines, etc. (with reminders) Simple access to relevant resources and background texts
Research increasingly suggests that when learners are engaged in shaping and leading their own learning and education this can result in benefits for all learners. Learners get:
Key benefits
Teachers Time saving: easy to create resources; easy to find and share resources
Ease of use: web 2.0 and third-party tools with single sign-on for one stop digital teaching environment
Variety: a large number of teaching tools
Organisation Better quality: more teaching resources available to teachers
Better retention: engaged students partake more
Students Greater sense of ownership over their learning Increased motivation Improved self-esteem Greater achievement Improved relationships with peers and educators Increased self-efficacy Better grades
itslearning supports multiple intelligences (“Howard Gardner theory” ie. Spatial, kinaesthetic, musical, linguistic, etc.) all inside itslearning (see below).
Key benefits
-Flexibility: teachers can use the tools in itslearning to teach in their own style -Blended learning: itslearning helps teachers work with students in the classroom, and gives students an online environment to work in at home - Inclusion: teachers can create groups within classes and then tailor assignments to suit the levels and abilities of the students
Research
The theory of multiple intelligences was proposed by Howard Gardner in 1983 to analyze and better describe the concept of intelligence.
Gardner argues that the concept of intelligence as traditionally defined in IQ tests does not sufficiently describe the wide variety of cognitive abilities humans display.
The theory has been met with mixed responses. Many psychologists feel that a differentiation of the concept of intelligence is not supported by empirical evidence, but many educationalists support the practical value of the approaches suggested by the theory.
Traditionally, schools have emphasised the development of logical intelligence and linguistic intelligence (mainly reading and writing). While many students function well in this environment, there are those who do not. Gardner's theory argues that students will be better served by a broader vision of education, wherein teachers use different methodologies, exercises and activities to reach all students, not just those who excel at linguistic and logical intelligence.
Source: Wikipedia (read the full article to get a full description of the theory: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences)
Note: A lot of schools and teachers recognise and approve of Gardner’s theory, but they do not see how they can manage to implement his theories without working their backs off. itslearning should make this easier and more efficient.
Customer success story: increasing maths grades with mathsTV.com At Horten videregående skole (Further Education College) in Norway, maths students at the college increase their grade-point average by more than one point in just six months of teaching. Maths teacher Kjetil Idås uses a number of tools to achieve this. One example: links to mathtv.com, a website containing hundreds of videos in which teachers explain certain mathematic principles. When he sets homework in itslearning, he always includes a link to a relevant video on mathTV.com. This way, any student who needs a quick refresher on the subject can check out the video while they’re doing their homework.
Tools to engage students Web 2.0, ready-made content (extensions), discussion forums, instant messaging, embedded video and sound
Research According to the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), when choosing educational applications, more than 70% of schools rate integration with their learning platform as more important than the quality of the application. itslearning gives schools single sign-on to some of the world’s most popular teaching and learning applications.
Social Media tools in a safe environment itslearning gives teachers a powerful tool for creating dynamic teaching material that will inspire and engage students – all without leaving the learning platform.
“itslearning lets the children use digital tools they’re used to, like YouTube, messaging and discussion forums, in a safe environment.” Teacher, Eastfield Primary School, UK
Customer success story: ELvis Back in 1996, a group of European schools asked themselves how the internet and email would change the face of education. With true pioneering spirit, they set out to test early video conferencing equipment – which at the time took hours to set up – and looked into how email and web pages could be used for student collaboration, research and education. Then, in 2009, they started using itslearning as it was “an attractive international learning environment that could support a variety of collaborative projects.”
Today, the project is known as EuroLink Virtual International School – or ELvis for short. Member teachers run projects, rather than courses, and use itslearning’s advanced collaborative tools – such as video conferencing, blogs, discussion forums and video sharing – to complete their work. This approach has led to a wide range of projects, including a Solar Panel project for which each participating school has installed a solar panel. The solar panel has stimulated scientific, technological, historical, geographical, political and social studies at participating schools, and the students report their research on a public wiki.
Assessment is seen as a critical outcome in most schools. Not only does it show you what the students have learnt, but it also helps schools prepare reports that demonstrate their success.
We offer a number of tools to help teachers assess students, including: - Summative assessment through quizzes, assignments, tests, etc. - Formative assessment through individual learning plans, lesson planning tool, working portfolios.
Key benefits
Teachers Time-saving: automatic marking of work Time-saving: teachers can build up (and share) a bank of tests
Closer connection to students: email and direct messaging allows direct feedback to individual and groups
Organisation Clear overview: extensive reports from tests Improved ability to report student progress
Students Greater motivations: students are more motivated by digital (and interactive tests) than paper-based tests
Improved results: ability to retake tests to improve performance Research John Hattie, a professor at Auckland University in New Zealand, has ranked 138 aspects of schooling to find what positively influences learning. He found that feedback is essential. The teacher needs feedback about the learner’s knowledge and understanding in order to calibrate the teaching for all students – and the teacher needs both qualitative and quantitative information about each student so they can visualise what works.
NOTE: Assessment for learning is a known term in schools. But many feel that it’s been hijacked by bureaucrats. They want to assess progress from a backwards point of view (how well did the student do). Teachers want to assess for the future (what can they do, and what do they need to learn next). We understand and support both interpretations of this term.
How we assess backwards: through the gradebook
How we assess forwards: through the ILP, through reporting tool and through working portfolios tasks
*** As an example of itslearning’s flexibility, you could mention how different teachers use the gradebook. Some teachers use the gradebook only to show what the student has achieved. Others also give feedback within the gradebook on what the student has to do in the future to improve. Therefore, the gradebook can be used for both backward and forward feedback – it depends on the teacher.
Assessment tools Test 2.0, plagiarism control, surveys and polls, test-mode browser
Research The Association of Teachers and Lecturers in the UK carried out a survey of teachers in sixth-formers in schools and Further Education colleges in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2008. The survey found that 58% of teachers thought plagiarism was a problem and 25% thought work returned by students included material copied from internet sites. ATL general secretary, Dr Mary Bousted, said: “Teachers are struggling under a mountain of cut-and-pasting to spot whether work was the student's own or plagiarism.”
Customer success story: you don’t actually need to use this tool You don’t actually have to use the plagiarism control tool to stop the copycats. When a teacher in Lillehammer, Norway, told one student that the school now had a plagiarism control tool, the student turned white and immediately rushed home to ‘do some more work’ on his essay.
Customer success story: peer-to-peer testing At one college in the UK, instead of writing the test, the teachers often ask students to write the questions using the test tool. Each student comes up with ten questions – and the teacher chooses the best questions for the final test. As well as being motivating for students, this is also a great time-saver for teachers as they develop a large bank of questions to use when teaching the subject next time. The results? According to the Head of e-Learning, students are more motivated for the end of term test – and better prepared. And that means average grades are higher.
Reflection is regarded as a key part of the learning process. Teachers want students to reflect on what they’ve learnt, analyse the process to see what works and what doesn’t, and then use this information to improve learning in the future.
Key benefits
Teachers Time saving: Teachers get instant automated feedback on individual student performance and group performance
Time saving: Can quickly develop individual learning plans (linked to the curriculum) quickly, even with large classes
Better contact with students through continual dialogue and individual learning plans (through email, instant messaging, blogs and ePortfolios)
Organisation Individual learning plans are automatically updated so all subject teachers and mentors are up to date with goals, progress and achievements
Parents can be involved in the reflection process
Improved retention
Students More engaged in their learning
Better awareness of where they are going and why
Improved results due to known commitment
Tools to encourage reflection ILPs, blogs, ePortfolios
Research John Hattie, a professor at Auckland University in New Zealand, conducted a 15-year study merging results from 50,000 previous studies and a total of 83 million students. Hattie used the data to rank 138 aspects of schooling and found that student-teacher interaction came out on top. The most important factor was "self-reporting", which Hattie defines as the student’s understanding of what she doing, and her ability to explain this, as well as any gaps in her understanding, to her teacher. This is what ILPs are designed for.
Customer success story: a five-step approach where the student has control Monika Solvig, a teacher at Hop Secondary School in Norway, has used individual learning plans with great success over the past four years. She uses a five-step approach to ILPs in which the students create their own ILPs and she monitors progress and adds comments to encourage reflection.
#1 The student sets the goal and adds them to itslearning
#2 The student plans how to achieve the goals and also adds this to the ILP
#3 The teacher, the student’s mentor and parents check on progress and add comments or questions on each goal to encourage reflection.
#4 When the student reaches a goal, she documents her success in her work portfolio, reflecting on how she achieved success and what she learnt from the process. Again, the teacher, mentor and parents can add comments or questions.
5# The teacher schedules an ILP conversation with the student and her parents every semester. The student leads the meeting, demonstrating her achievements, showing her work and laying out her goals for the next semester.
Reporting is an essential part of any school’s processes. It enables the teacher to demonstrate progress to parents, other teachers – and the school to demonstrate success rates to authorities. itslearning includes tools for the most common reporting requirements in most institutions. Reports are also used by the teacher when planning the next semester, lesson or activity – completing the circle.
Key benefits
Teachers Time saved: easy for teachers to complete and automatically updated throughout the system (eliminating double-data entry) Better planning: Clear overview of individual students performance or entire class
Organisation Efficiency: if a teacher updates a student’s grade report, this change is automatically reflected in all instances of that report. This means everyone has access to the latest information Accuracy: reports are available to relevant people in real-time Fast export: reports can be exported to different formats (Excel, for example) with one click
Parents are automatically updated of their child’s performance
Students More aware: can see an overview of grades and performance More involved: can add comments to, for example, their attendance report to report planned absence
We have worked hard to create tools that are time-saving for teachers, practical for administrators and clearly set out for learners and parents.
Reporting tools in itslearning Grade books, Attendance, Behaviour, Progress, Test
Customer success story: Using the homepage to raise attendance When one headteacher in Norway (the school will remain nameless) realised that attendance was a problem at his secondary school, he took an unusual course of action. Instead of sending letters to parents or asking teachers to drive the attendance message home at every opportunity, he decided to use the itslearning dashboard to ensure students always had attendance top of mind. When logging onto itslearning, every student sees to the school’s main dashboard, which includes the latest news, a calendar of upcoming events and other school-wide information. But it now contains one additional element: that individual student’s very own attendance report.
itslearning’s communication tools include:
Dashboards, parent dashboard, email, messaging, internal mail.
This slide shows a parent dashboard for a parent with children in different schools. All the schools use itslearning (under the same LEA). For the parent, this means she only needs one dashboard – and only needs to remember on log in code and password. The individual schools can decide what they show on their parent dashboard.
Research (parent involvement) According to a 2010 OnePoll commissioned by BECTA, 67% of parents say they already use the internet informally as a research tool to help them better understand what their child is learning at school. If schools can engage with these parents via secure online resources, engagement levels could be even higher. The poll also revealed that, when they were unable to help their children with their homework, 20% of parents felt annoyed that the school had not informed them about what their child was learning.
An itslearning survey found that 43% of teachers do not communicate with parents as much as they would like to because they do not have the time or communication channel to do so (see the company press release on this subject). According to the survey, 46% of teachers email each of their students’ parents at least once a month; 37% use texts/SMSs and 24% still send letters.
“Many teachers use a mix of technologies to communicate with parents, but none of them are specifically designed for the task,” says Fahlvik. “Teachers want a tool that will improve the flow of information and reduce their workload.”
Customer success story: better parent-student-teacher meetings
Teachers and parents at Apeltun Primary School began using the itslearning parent portal in September 2010. Initially run as a pilot project at the school, parents of Year 6 students each received a unique log-on code and password in September 2010. “We love the ILPs, particularly” says Year 6 teacher Annichen Morken. “As well as giving an overview of the student’s learning targets in each subject, the ILPs now form the basis of our student-parent-teacher meeting. Parents can check their child’s ILP on the parent portal – and can add comments to it – before the meeting. As a result, we’re all on the same page from the start and there are no surprises.” Apeltun Primary School wants to replace all paper-based communication with digital communication by 2012 – and the parent portal is part of this vision. “Email is a great way of notifying parents of news. But one email to 22 parents usually results in a lot of individual replies that take time to answer,” she explains. “The key is to only use email for very important notifications and put everything else on the parent portal.”
Customer success story: Engaged parents At Manor Primary School in the UK, itslearning gets most use at weekends, because that’s when kids sit with their parents to work online. “The most use seems to be at weekends when the children participate in the different tasks with an adult,” says class teacher Sue Parker. “One of the games I put on for them recently has really inspired, so much so that their parents are also playing the game and telling me their scores as well! It is becoming a bit of a family activity, which is great.”
Customer success story: individual feedback A English teacher in France uses itslearning’s messaging system to quickly respond to student questions. When she surveyed her students about her use of itslearning, she discovered that, without exceptionall the students felt they got better feedback with itslearning - almost as if they were individually coached.
The app library
News programmes, online maths exercises, encyclopaedia searches, art images, science videos…the itslearning app library gives you one-click access to all your favourite digital teaching and learning tools. On the slide you can see some of the apps available in itslearning.
Even better than the real thing Many of the apps in the library integrate fully with itslearning’s educational tools. So, for example, when you set an assignment with 2Simple, it automatically appears in your students’ calendars and you can get instant feedback on who’s completed the assignment and how well they’ve done.
Service is a delivery model that is often regarded as a key factor in reducing the total cost of IT systems.
Key benefits:
Reduced total cost of ownership (TCO): SaaS/cloud enables you to buy a software solution for a few euro per student per year. It also makes budgeting easier as your costs are transparent.
No IT resources: Delivered over the internet, itslearning doesn’t require IT resources to configure or install or manage and maintain
No hardware, no installations: You don’t need to install costly hardware, software or plug-ins -- and your IT team doesn’t need to install programs on everyone’s computer (+ no expensive servers to buy!).
Accessible 24/7: You can log on from any internet-enabled computer. This is great for teachers who want to work from home, students doing homework, e-learning courses and also for parents. (Note, after XP and OS, iOS is the third most common operating system that our users use to log into itslearning. As yet, we don’t officially support iOS, but we will soon and most itslearning systems already work on the iPad, iPhone – and Android devices)
Fast implementation: With SaaS/cloud, an educational institution can be up and running in days or weeks
Easily scalable: We can scale up quickly as your student numbers grow. Just ask.
Always the latest version: We update our software 4-6 times a year – and fix any bugs – so you know you always have the latest version. There is usually very little or no downtime when we upgrade, and we invite our customers to free webinars to make sure you get the most out of the system.
Peace of mind: You won your data, we keep it safe (using encryption and EU compliant data protection methods)
How does it work?
You simply pay for the licences you need, log-on using a secure username and password and start working.
We look after the system for you – guaranteeing 99.7% uptime 24/7 – and offer full support if you experience any problems. (Actual monthly average uptime is 99.94%.)
Research
- A TCO whitepaper looked into a number of US colleges and universities, analysing annual costs for each of their learning platforms.
It found that itslearning delivered a lower total cost of ownership than other providers – including freeware and open source platforms – due to the SaaS model. No maintenance or upgrades frees up ICT managers to concentrate on other things.
No hosting costs, security concerns or additional hardware means the itslearning solution is cheaper in the long run. Everytime? Maybe not, but for most institutions.
Remember: frequent updates (4–6 times a year)!!
Service is a delivery model that is often regarded as a key factor in reducing the total cost of IT systems.
Key benefits:
Reduced total cost of ownership (TCO): SaaS/cloud enables you to buy a software solution for a few euro per student per year. It also makes budgeting easier as your costs are transparent.
No IT resources: Delivered over the internet, itslearning doesn’t require IT resources to configure or install or manage and maintain
No hardware, no installations: You don’t need to install costly hardware, software or plug-ins -- and your IT team doesn’t need to install programs on everyone’s computer (+ no expensive servers to buy!).
Accessible 24/7: You can log on from any internet-enabled computer. This is great for teachers who want to work from home, students doing homework, e-learning courses and also for parents. (Note, after XP and OS, iOS is the third most common operating system that our users use to log into itslearning. As yet, we don’t officially support iOS, but we will soon and most itslearning systems already work on the iPad, iPhone – and Android devices)
Fast implementation: With SaaS/cloud, an educational institution can be up and running in days or weeks
Easily scalable: We can scale up quickly as your student numbers grow. Just ask.
Always the latest version: We update our software 4-6 times a year – and fix any bugs – so you know you always have the latest version. There is usually very little or no downtime when we upgrade, and we invite our customers to free webinars to make sure you get the most out of the system.
Peace of mind: You won your data, we keep it safe (using encryption and EU compliant data protection methods)
How does it work?
You simply pay for the licences you need, log-on using a secure username and password and start working.
We look after the system for you – guaranteeing 99.7% uptime 24/7 – and offer full support if you experience any problems. (Actual monthly average uptime is 99.94%.)
Research
- A TCO whitepaper looked into a number of US colleges and universities, analysing annual costs for each of their learning platforms.
It found that itslearning delivered a lower total cost of ownership than other providers – including freeware and open source platforms – due to the SaaS model. No maintenance or upgrades frees up ICT managers to concentrate on other things.
No hosting costs, security concerns or additional hardware means the itslearning solution is cheaper in the long run. Everytime? Maybe not, but for most institutions.
Remember: frequent updates (4–6 times a year)!!
A key benefit of itslearning is that it offers the security of a fully supported hosted system, while also giving institutions the ability to integrate any third-party tools.
The app library (previously called Extensions)
Many 3rd party digital teaching content suppliers have already integrated their tools into itslearning. Users can browse the extension library, find an extension they want to use and then start working with it (some are free to use and some require a licence).
We have two types of apps (this information is really for the technically minded only)
Extensions: Extensions is an application that can be plugged into itslearning, so teachers can use it directly through itslearning, without needing to download and install it, or log-in with a separate username or password. Users can access the application via the itslearning interface, and can set homework assignments, class tasks and tests using the application with one click. Extensions can also be connected to itslearning’s reporting tools, so you can see which students have completed the assignment and create and export reports. Examples include: Just2Simple, Espresso and Kikora.
Plug-ins: Plug-ins give teachers access to third-party content – such as Britannica Online and WIRIS – directly through the text editor. This enables them to use rich content, including images, audio, video, animations, maps, symbols and articles, in their teaching. Users can use plug-ins in assignments, class tasks and tests with one click, but plug-ins do not integrate with the itslearning reporting tools.
Research
When choosing digital resources, the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) reported that more than 70% of schools rate integration with their learning platform as more important than quality.
Web 2.0
Teachers can use the Web 2.0 editor plug-in to embed content from any web page. Some websites are more popular than others, so we've created special plug-ins for common services, such as YouTube, Google Maps, Flickr, Delicious, Meebo rooms, Springwidget RSS, Slideshare, TeacherTube, SchoolTube, Odeo, VideoJug, and SchoolTV. One big advantage is that students view the content within itslearning and not on the original website. So, if you embed a YouTube video, you students can watch it without being distracted by other videos on YouTube.
“itslearning lets the children use digital tools they’re used to, like YouTube, messaging and discussion forums, in a safe environment.”
John Murdin, Deputy Head
Develop your own apps
We have an open API (application programming interface) that people can use to develop their own tools in itslearning. Visit http://developer.itslearning.com for more info.
Single Sign-On (SSO) allows users to log-on to itslearning through their own login pages (for example, the school webpage), without going to itslearning.com. It also means that they can use integrated apps and cloud programs (Microsoft and Google, for example) without needing to log on again.
Scorm & IMS Compliant
SCORM and IMS are standards for web-based e-learning content. Itslearning is compliant with the standards, meaning users can import content packages from external vendors, other teachers and other courses.
A key benefit of itslearning is that it offers the security of a fully supported hosted system, while also giving institutions the ability to integrate any third-party tools.
The app library (previously called Extensions)
Many 3rd party digital teaching content suppliers have already integrated their tools into itslearning. Users can browse the extension library, find an extension they want to use and then start working with it (some are free to use and some require a licence).
We have two types of apps (this information is really for the technically minded only)
Extensions: Extensions is an application that can be plugged into itslearning, so teachers can use it directly through itslearning, without needing to download and install it, or log-in with a separate username or password. Users can access the application via the itslearning interface, and can set homework assignments, class tasks and tests using the application with one click. Extensions can also be connected to itslearning’s reporting tools, so you can see which students have completed the assignment and create and export reports. Examples include: Just2Simple, Espresso and Kikora.
Plug-ins: Plug-ins give teachers access to third-party content – such as Britannica Online and WIRIS – directly through the text editor. This enables them to use rich content, including images, audio, video, animations, maps, symbols and articles, in their teaching. Users can use plug-ins in assignments, class tasks and tests with one click, but plug-ins do not integrate with the itslearning reporting tools.
Research
When choosing digital resources, the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) reported that more than 70% of schools rate integration with their learning platform as more important than quality.
Web 2.0
Teachers can use the Web 2.0 editor plug-in to embed content from any web page. Some websites are more popular than others, so we've created special plug-ins for common services, such as YouTube, Google Maps, Flickr, Delicious, Meebo rooms, Springwidget RSS, Slideshare, TeacherTube, SchoolTube, Odeo, VideoJug, and SchoolTV. One big advantage is that students view the content within itslearning and not on the original website. So, if you embed a YouTube video, you students can watch it without being distracted by other videos on YouTube.
“itslearning lets the children use digital tools they’re used to, like YouTube, messaging and discussion forums, in a safe environment.”
John Murdin, Deputy Head
Develop your own apps
We have an open API (application programming interface) that people can use to develop their own tools in itslearning. Visit http://developer.itslearning.com for more info.
Single Sign-On (SSO) allows users to log-on to itslearning through their own login pages (for example, the school webpage), without going to itslearning.com. It also means that they can use integrated apps and cloud programs (Microsoft and Google, for example) without needing to log on again.
Scorm & IMS Compliant
SCORM and IMS are standards for web-based e-learning content. Itslearning is compliant with the standards, meaning users can import content packages from external vendors, other teachers and other courses.
A key benefit of itslearning is that it offers the security of a fully supported hosted system, while also giving institutions the ability to integrate any third-party tools.
The app library (previously called Extensions)
Many 3rd party digital teaching content suppliers have already integrated their tools into itslearning. Users can browse the extension library, find an extension they want to use and then start working with it (some are free to use and some require a licence).
We have two types of apps (this information is really for the technically minded only)
Extensions: Extensions is an application that can be plugged into itslearning, so teachers can use it directly through itslearning, without needing to download and install it, or log-in with a separate username or password. Users can access the application via the itslearning interface, and can set homework assignments, class tasks and tests using the application with one click. Extensions can also be connected to itslearning’s reporting tools, so you can see which students have completed the assignment and create and export reports. Examples include: Just2Simple, Espresso and Kikora.
Plug-ins: Plug-ins give teachers access to third-party content – such as Britannica Online and WIRIS – directly through the text editor. This enables them to use rich content, including images, audio, video, animations, maps, symbols and articles, in their teaching. Users can use plug-ins in assignments, class tasks and tests with one click, but plug-ins do not integrate with the itslearning reporting tools.
Research
When choosing digital resources, the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) reported that more than 70% of schools rate integration with their learning platform as more important than quality.
Web 2.0
Teachers can use the Web 2.0 editor plug-in to embed content from any web page. Some websites are more popular than others, so we've created special plug-ins for common services, such as YouTube, Google Maps, Flickr, Delicious, Meebo rooms, Springwidget RSS, Slideshare, TeacherTube, SchoolTube, Odeo, VideoJug, and SchoolTV. One big advantage is that students view the content within itslearning and not on the original website. So, if you embed a YouTube video, you students can watch it without being distracted by other videos on YouTube.
“itslearning lets the children use digital tools they’re used to, like YouTube, messaging and discussion forums, in a safe environment.”
John Murdin, Deputy Head
Develop your own apps
We have an open API (application programming interface) that people can use to develop their own tools in itslearning. Visit http://developer.itslearning.com for more info.
Single Sign-On (SSO) allows users to log-on to itslearning through their own login pages (for example, the school webpage), without going to itslearning.com. It also means that they can use integrated apps and cloud programs (Microsoft and Google, for example) without needing to log on again.
Scorm & IMS Compliant
SCORM and IMS are standards for web-based e-learning content. Itslearning is compliant with the standards, meaning users can import content packages from external vendors, other teachers and other courses.
At itslearning, we pride ourselves on understanding the needs of education. More than 20% of our staff have worked as teachers, and our learning platform is designed specifically for the education sector. And unlike many of our competitors, we only work in the educational sector. This means we can focus on developing a platform specifically for educational processes.
Our learning platform can be found at all levels of education, from primary schools to universities, helping make teaching more inspiring and education more valuable for students. It is used by millions of educators, students, admin staff and parents around the world – and over the last 11 years we have used their experience and input to develop a product that supports the processes of teaching and learning.
We provide a full range of services, from tailored implementation projects to hosting and support, and dedicate more than one-third of our resources to product development. Established in 1999, we have our headquarters in Bergen, Norway, and have offices in London, Birmingham, Berlin, Paris, Mulhouse, Malmö, Amsterdam and Boston.
Note: we also have a developers office in St. Petersburg & partner offices in Canada and the Netherlands (see next slide)
Note: “Industry leader”. This statement depends on the segment, country and point of view. We are among the top 10 worldwide and top three in the countries in which we operate.
Our customers are one of our strongest selling points. We work with local education authorities, universities, vocational colleges, secondary schools and primary schools around the world – as well as leading technology providers like Microsoft and Google.
Grace University (customer)
Country: USA (Nebraska)
Number of users: 550+
Year started with itslearning: 2009
Institution: university
Note: you can read the Grace University case story on the .eu website
Bergen Kommune (customer)
Country: Norway
Number of users: 30,000 students; 3,500 employees, 1,500 kindergarten employees
Year started with itslearning:
Institution: education authority (including kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools)
Blekinge Tekniska Hogskola (Blekinge Institute of Technology)
Country: Sweden
Number of users: 11700
Year started with itslearning: 2009
Institution: higher education institution
United Learning Trust and United Church Schools Trust
Country: UK
Number of users: 29,000
Year started with itslearning: 2008
Institutions: over 30 institutions (Primary & Secondary) including Academies and Independent Schools.
Copenhagen University
Country: Denmark
Number of users: 40,000
Year started with itslearning: 2006
Institution: University
Note: you can read the Copenhagen University case story on the .eu website and see the webinar by e-learning consultant Anita Monty
Da Vinci College & the Consortium of vocational colleges (partner/customer)
Country: the Netherlands
Number of users: 4,000
Year started with itslearning: 2010
Institution: vocational college
Note: da Vinci College create digital content for vocational colleges in the Netherlands and distributes it through itslearning. A college can buy a licence for itslearning (pre-loaded with more than 300 courses, based on exitsting course books) for around half the price of a single text book.
Microsoft (partner)
We are working with Microsoft to integrate Live@edu with itslearning. This will give our customers a single sign-on for itslearning and Live@edu, as well as cloud access to Microsoft’s most commonly used programs, such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel, for free.
Google
Gmail integration enables users to have a gmail within itslearning – giving them access to one of the world’s most popular cloud email programs. As well as single sign-on to gmail and itslearning,. customers benefit from a gmail account that’s free of any advertising. NOTE: this feature is mainly used by our UK customers and we are currently concentrating resources on our Microsoft integration.
