This term IT Services have been working with people across the University to install hybrid teaching facilities, develop inclusive teaching in Canvas and deliver a new Collections Management System for the Pitt Rivers Museum.
Over the summer, we will deliver an upgrade to the Chorus phone system and launch the new University of Oxford eDocuments Service.
Don't forget that WebLearn and SharePoint on-premise are both being shut down soon.
Transforming the Pitt Rivers Museum’s collections and assets systems
Enhancing our digital collections
The Pitt Rivers Museum’s digital collections and asset systems have been transformed with the launch of its Collections Management System, MuseumPlus. This involved the successful migration of its digital content of more than 950,000 records to the new system.
Read more about the benefits this has brought: Digital transformation of Pitt Rivers Museum
Chorus phone system upgrade
Making better use of virtual infrastructure and providing increased stability and flexibility
Chorus, the University’s phone system, is being upgraded at the end of June 2022 to bring Chorus back into support and replace ageing hardware. There will be very little change for most people who only use desk phones and voicemail accessed via their desk phone or email attachment. However, about 1,500 people at Oxford currently use features that will not be included in the upgraded version of Chorus: Chorus web portal (for setting preferred device), OpenScape Mobile (OSMO) phone app and Chorus softphone. This group of people are being offered Telephony over Teams, which offers similar functionality, in May/June before the Chorus upgrade and the project is currently working closely with IT support staff and telephone coordinators to confirm who should be in this group.
Read more about the Chorus upgrade: Chorus phone system upgrade at the end of June or contact the project team: chorusupgrade@it.ox.ac.uk
Education IT Projects
Improvements to hybrid teaching facilities and guidance
Expanding and standardising the availability of hybrid teaching facilities across the University
Hybrid equipment has now been successfully installed in the majority of the teaching rooms planned delivering a common format, and, with their agreement, remaining installations are being managed directly by relevant departments, to suit their own schedules. In addition, the project funded work that has resulted in enhanced guidance for managing hybrid teaching.
Read more: Improving hybrid teaching spaces and guidance
Developing inclusive teaching at Oxford
Aiming to make inclusive teaching the default practice at Oxford
Since the publication of our first project update in 2021, the Inclusive Teaching Enhancements project has introduced multiple features and delivered achievements which would not have been possible without the input and support of staff and students. Key among these have been implementation of the Blackboard Ally accessible content tool, but also technical changes have been introduced which are designed to simplify inclusive teaching and improve the user experience, particularly in terms of accessibility. Some of the changes are happening behind the scenes and, combined with other developments, will help us to achieve our aim of making inclusive teaching the default practice at Oxford.
Find out more at Inclusive Teaching Enhancements Project or visit the Centre for Teaching and Learning to learn more about the principles of inclusive teaching.
University of Oxford eDocuments Service launches in July 2022
A quicker and more convenient online process for getting certificates, transcripts and verification
The Degree Conferrals Office (DCO) and IT Services are launching a new service over the summer vacation which will allow students and alumni to request their degree certificates and transcripts online. The service also provides a secure online verification service so that students, alumni and third parties, such as universities, employers and governments, can verify the degree status of students and alumni.
For more information about the University of Oxford eDocument Service, please visit the Digital Award Document project website.
