Information Technology Project Request
Nazarbayev University
Vyortkina Dec. 11, 2015
1. Project title: University-wide virtualized computer lab MyNUlab
2. School: Office of the Provost
3. Contact information: Dina Vyortkina, NU Head of Instructional Technology
4. Project rationale: When software is installed on computers in the NU physical computer labs, student access to it is restricted as a computer lab can be occupied for a class, can be closed during holidays or in the evening, thus limiting student learning experiences. Students who are not physically located on campus in Astana do not have equal access to these resources. Enabling remote access to selected software via virtualized computer lab for current graduate and undergraduate NU students with valid NU credentials will allow us to: 1. Improve student learning experiences and access to resources. 2. Provide online access to software 24/7/365, basically any time students want /can study and from any location, thus satisfying “anytime, anyplace, anypace” trends in learning. 3. Accessing specialized software from any location will support students doing their studies/field work outside Astana, those travelling to a conference, or those who are on sick leave. 4. As software will be available any time, its usage will be maximized, thus saving money for the University and having a better return on investment. 5. Students will be utilizing their own devices, thus again saving money for the University. 6. Software can be used by students in different schools (e.g., statistical packages), thus allowing sharing of costly resources across the schools. 7. As usage of the software will be carefully metered to avoid any copyright infringement, we will be able to collect data of future needs for software assets at NU and make procurement decision based on these data.
5. Project description: Enable remote access to University-licensed software for NU students. Accessing the lab will require the use of an active NU ID and password (same as Moodle). Initially, a pilot with limited “seats” and academically related software titles. The usage can be monitored and used for assessing sustainability of this project.
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Information Technology Project Request
Nazarbayev University
Vyortkina Dec. 11, 2015
6. Objectives of the project: a. Improve student access to academic-related software, thus improving student learning experiences. b. Maximize use of resources for licensed software as a cost-saving measure.
7. Expected results of the project: a. b. c. d.
NU Virtualized computer lab enabled and maintained to high standards Student access to IT resources improved. Student academic productivity is improved. Feedback from students shows a high level of satisfaction.
8. Relationship of the project to other NU projects and activities: This project is mainly related to academic excellence, improving students learning experiences, and student engagement.
9. An estimated project plan: Project Activities
When (dates or period)
Assess potential systems and/or providers.
Outcomes At least 3 products/approaches selected. Software selected Demos/presentations conducted. Price quotes obtained. System acquired. System deployed, access enabled. Licenses purchased or reinstalled from physical labs Training conducted. A webpage with supporting materials created Promotion is done. Survey conducted; access analysis completed.
Identify software suitable for VL. Conduct demos/presentations for stakeholders. Request price quotes. Acquire the system. Deploy the system/enable access. Acquire software licensees. Create guidelines for access and support materials for students. Provide marketing/promotion. Assess usage and user satisfaction in a year.
10. References and support resources: VL at Duke: https://oit.duke.edu/comp-print/labs/vcl/ VL at UW-M: https://csl.cs.wisc.edu/services/instructional-facilities/instructional-virtual-lab VL at Upenn: http://www.seas.upenn.edu/cets/answers/virtualLab.html VL at CSU (Engineering): http://www.engr.colostate.edu/ens/tools/virtuallab/ VL at UNC: http://sils.unc.edu/it-services/remote-access/its-virtual-lab VL at FSU (Education): http://education.fsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/How-to-use-the-College-of-Education-Virtual-Lab.pdf
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