Sponsor: Peter M. Siegel, Vice Provost, Information and Educational Technology

Status: In Fall 2007, SmartSite was officially launched as UC Davis’s new set of online course management and collaboration tools (see Overview of SmartSite Transition). SmartSite replaces the more limited set of course management tools in the MyUCDavis portal. These course management tools will be shutdown in 2008-09. A comprehensive training, support and communication program will continue to assist the campus community with its adoption of SmartSite. See the official communication to the campus community (May 18, 2007).

Download the official SmartSite Brochure (PDF), as found in the Fall 2007 IT Times (HTML, PDF) (October 22, 2007)

Background:

In June 2005, the CCFIT Working Group on Course Management released a report recommending that UC Davis implement the Sakai community source platform as the campus’ primary learning information system. The report cited the need for UC Davis’ enterprise-level learning information system to keep pace with the ever-increasing demands and expectations of students and instructors, to quickly adapt to the rapidly changing technology environment, and to be the most cost-effective solution possible.  The group’s recommendation was endorsed by the CCFIT.

In January 2006, Information and Educational Technology (IET) launched the SmartSite pilot with interested faculty, staff and students.  In Fall 2006, the School of Veterinary Medicine launched its version of SmartSite, called CERE ("Collaborative Educational Research Environment"), for all its courses.

Throughout the 2006-07 pilot phase, IET performed technical and functional evaluations. New trainers were hired, and a comprehensive training, support, and communication program was developed in preparation for the Fall 2007 roll-out and 2007-08 transition year.

Rationale:

By adopting SmartSite, UC Davis is introducing a rich, sophisticated, easy-to-use, and extensible set of online course management and collaboration tools. These tools are designed to make it easier for instructors to teach, for researchers to work together, and for students to tap the benefits of online collaboration.

SmartSite offers two basic types of sites:

• Class sites, to organize classes and offer new ways for students to work together; and
• Project sites, which can be used to organize work by individuals, clubs, researchers, research groups, and other campus organizations not directly connected to a campus class.

SmartSite makes possible a broad range of uses:

• Posting a reading list to collaborating on an assignment, tracking the sound of a flute in a recorded symphony concert, archiving chat-room discussions, making various types of material securely available online, etc. -- to as many people as the user wants.
• Collaborations: research groups, lab groups, book project planning, dissertations
• Distance learning courses (family nurse practitioners/physician assistants)
• Integration of other technologies (e.g., Breeze, Almagest).

Support Resources :

Pedagogical assistance:

• Faculty Mentoring Faculty Program-- provides faculty an opportunity to mentor and to learn from other faculty interested in instructional technology and innovative teaching. Andy Jones, aojones@ucdavis.edu, 752-3408.
• Handouts – using modules, chat, wiki, discussion forums, tests & quizzes, etc.

Technical support:

• Campus technology support staff - Faculty can add any staff member as a full editor on any SmartSite simply by adding him or her to the participant list in the Site Info tool.  Optionally, some support staff (e.g., trainers and IT Express) have the ability to "Switch User" and see SmartSite from that user’s perspective.  We are exploring ways to do this on a departmental or other basis which would be less expansive.
• In-classroom support - Through classroom technology support team.
• IT Express - Help setting up a SmartSite account, answers to questions about using SmartSite tools. (530) 754-HELP (754-4357), smartsite-help@ucdavis.edu
• ET Partners - Student technology advisors specially trained in all of the tools in SmartSite; available for ad hoc one-on-one consultation, in the faculty member's office. (530) 754-2115; etpartners@ucdavis.edu; http://etpartners.ucdavis.edu
• Technical tips, handouts, FAQ, and video demos — Getting started; SmartSite dos and don'ts; global permissions; tool-specific materials (chat room; drop box; gradebook; tests & quizzes; podcasting; wiki; blogging; jsMath; etc.) — http://smartsite.ucdavis.edu

Set up a class or project site:

• Learn how to "Set up a class or project site" by visiting http://smartsite.ucdavis.edu.
  

Training:

• A comprehensive training program is available for all interested faculty, staff and students. See http://trc.ucdavis.edu/trc/calendar/index.html
• Presentations and workshops can be provided to interested departments.