University Campus Oldham migrates from an Open Source VLE to itslearning

Posted by: Lise Carlsen, itslearning
March 17, 2022

University Campus Oldham (UCO), in the Greater Manchester area, UK, selects the itslearning VLE to better support their staff and students

With the goal of aligning their digital strategy to student academic expectations, University Campus Oldham chose itslearning as their VLE provider. UCO joins the ranks of European higher education providers using itslearning to analyse student engagement and deliver online teaching.

University Campus Oldham opened in May 2005 and has been part of the Oldham College family since 2012. Today, the higher education provider has around 600 full-time and part-time students. Its courses are approved by the QAA (Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education) in the UK.

“We are investing significantly in technology to support hybrid delivery for students in the classroom, at home or in the workplace. itslearning is a fundamental part of that project.”
Dave Fallon, Director of HE Curriculum at University Campus Oldham

Open source vs. fully enhanced VLE

Before signing with itslearning, UCO was using an open source VLE. Open source VLE’s are ‘free’ solutions that have several implications. One of them is the limited support to tailor the VLE to the needs of the individual institution or course.

“itslearning coming in to work with us to set up the VLE for each course’s individual needs was a massive pull. I think that itslearning can help us bring our online teaching to life. I’m really excited about it.”
Mike Dessington, Head of Teaching, Scholarship and Learning at University Campus Oldham.

Analytics to improve student engagement

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed deficiencies in delivering online teaching in the higher education market. Common challenges for many universities and colleges were the ability follow up with students, assess them remotely, and analyse their engagement during the pandemic. The reporting and analytics tools offered within itslearning allows UCO to use their data to make informed decisions and improve their digital strategies.  

“Covid highlighted that we couldn’t really tell if students were engaging or not. With support from itslearning and the team we are able to understand what’s working well in terms of our online learning and the pedagogical tools so we can improve going forwards.”
Dave Fallon, Director of HE Curriculum at University Campus Oldham

itslearning is proud to partner with University Campus Oldham and support their digital strategy. The itslearning implementation team assists higher education providers, such as UCO, by mapping out a successful VLE implementation strategy based on their needs and goals. Planning, execution, and reviews are done in partnership to ensure a smooth and efficient process.  

About itslearning

itslearning provides a cloud-based learning platform designed for teachers and students at all levels of education. Since 1999, we have been creating technology that elevates teaching and helps students realise their potential. We pride ourselves on knowing the needs of education and work closely with teachers to make online learning easy. We provide a simple way of setting, submitting, and marking work online with powerful reporting and analytics to improve learning. With partnerships with Google, Microsoft and hundreds of content providers, we are Europe’s largest VLE.

Press contact:
Johnny Anderson,
Head of Marketing and Communications
[email protected]

Lise Carlsen, itslearning
Published March 17, 2022