Gloucestershire County Council: Online Learning Platform
The Problem
When the first COVID-19 lockdown began in March 2020, the Traded Services department at Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) were put in a difficult position. Having mostly provided training to school staff on-site they suddenly found that they were not equipped to provide training at a distance in the volume required.
They contacted Michael looking for an online learning platform combined with a video conferencing system. The aim was to allow them to share course materials securely with participants and run online learning sessions which attendees could join both in school and from home.
"Michael has been able to work quickly and creatively with the council to support us in responding to the Covid situation. He has found cost effective and meaningful solutions to the hurdles we have faced. His creativity has helped to shape our response and allow us to deliver a reliable service to over 5,000 customers during the last six months. Michael has delivered cost effective solutions and been able to talk us through some of the more technical jargon to enable all members of the team to feel confident engaging with the technology."
-- Daniel Parker, Gloucestershire County Council Traded Services
The Solution
Using Amazon Web Services as a hosting platform, Michael built an online learning system that required only a web browser and an internet connection to access. This was an essential requirement because many of their trainees were not permitted to install software on their devices.
As a back-end, Amazon Web Services' resiliency is unmatched. Using them to host the platform ensures that the system is always be available when it is needed and that its performance is lightning fast.
A theoretically unlimited pool of storage and automatic regular backups are all part of the package. These make sure that the service never outgrows its platform and that serious failure or human error will not result in permanent data loss.
The user-facing part of the system is built out of two open-source applications:
Long considered the industry standard for learning management systems. Moodle makes it possible for course instructors to upload content for their students, create dynamic course resources and assess progress, all without requiring the installation of any additional software.
Through Moodle, trainers from GCC Traded Services are now able to engage their learners by creating dynamic, browser based courses and assessments, safe in the knowledge that even through the tightest national restrictions, training can still continue.
A browser based video conferencing platform specifically designed for education, BigBlueButton connects instructors and students together in a virtual classroom complete with interactive whiteboard. Instructors can show videos, create live polls and allow students to annotate documents.
From anywhere in the world, trainees can now participate in the courses offered by the council. To these end users, BigBlueButton is second only to a physical classroom session. In addition, through advanced features such as breakout rooms, large training conferences can be hosted with only minimal administration requirements.
For those that are unable to attend a course, BigBlueButton can be set to record the live sessions and then post links to the recordings in Moodle, allowing review at a later date.
Instructors leave the heavy lifting of connecting trainees together to the the system, allowing them to focus on what matters most - passing knowledge to their students.
Amazon Web Services, the “Powered by AWS” logo and the "Amazon Web Services" logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries.
The Moodle logo is a registered trademark of Moodle Pty Ltd.
This project has used BigBlueButton and is not endorsed or certified by BigBlueButton Inc. BigBlueButton and the BigBlueButton Logo are trademarks of BigBlueButton Inc.