Course Data at the University of Leicester Simon Edwards, Brendan Fawcett Summary
Currently XCRI-CAP does not feed from or to our main database / web systems.
The project has resulted in a valid (although relatively bare-bones) XCRI-CAP feed. The feed is created by a Visual Basic script from a standalone SQL database that does not currently integrate with SITS (our main student records systems), Plone (the CMS that drives our website), our Central Enquiry Management databases or our MyLeicester web-portal for enquirers. However as the MAS code is common across several of the systems it wouldn’t take much effort to make linked data available to the feed if needed. The SQL database has an Access front end . This enables staff within the distance learning marketing team to make changes to the database and feed with minimal effort and without any additional training/software. Internally, XCRI-CAP is seen as an output from course data processes and there is a small overhead staff cost in ensuring that data is current. It does not provide any internal business benefit. Therefore, unless a marketing or other external benefit for the XCRI-CAP feed is found it will be difficult to see why it should be sustained.
Outcomes / anticipated benefits – identified in plan A (sustainable?) system generated XCRI-CAP feed with COOL URI Project Reports / Blog Increased usage of appropriate technology to streamline course data processes Improved data quality A reduced administrative burden / more cost-effective working A more centralised data source Courses across the sector are more discoverable Better public data about our courses
www.couresedata.le.ac.uk
What next for Course Data at Leicester? Externally the data landscape in HE is changing. The KIS has become a de-facto standard for undergraduate course data. Internally a new code of practice for the development, approval, and modification of taught provision has just been approved. We are beginning to review and standardise our course data structures in light of the code and a need to better manage our course fee information. Separately, a number of projects are underway to review the Curriculum Management process and to gather marketing content for all of our postgraduate courses. At present we do not see any benefit in tying these projects back to XCRI-CAP.