Esteem To Help Salford University Develop Learning Technologies Centre
8 July 2003
Esteem Systems, one of the UK’s leading IT systems solutions providers, has been awarded a contract to provide the IT infrastructure for Salford University’s new virtual learning environment.
The changing profile of students entering higher education, and the drive from government to widen entry to the sector, places increasing emphasis upon Universities and others to develop more flexible approaches to learning and teaching. The University of Salford has previously responded to that challenge with a range of exciting initiatives which have included the online delivery of course materials.
A pilot programme, involving the creation of over 200 modules, ended in December 2002 and has led to the establishment of a Learning Technologies Centre supporting staff in their drive for more flexible teaching and learning methods. The University has also upgraded the existing Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with an Enterprise installation of Blackboard Learning System (version 6) running on a UNIX platform served by an Oracle-based database engine.
As a Sun Microsystems Datacenter accredited partner, Esteem Systems has been able to use its in-depth technical knowledge and sector experience to identify that robustness and reliability will be key drivers to the on-going success of the work at Salford. With this in mind, Esteem recommended Sun Microsystems V480 servers as the platform to support the new VLE and provide 24/7 functionality in a changing environment of student access and demands.
David Ogden, Director of Esteem’s Sun Microsystems Division, said: “The education market is becoming increasingly competitive, which means the ability to offer virtual learning courses can play a vital role in the success of each University as a business unit.
“The solution at Salford has two key advantages, which are the abilities to offer student access without time and location dependence, and the promotion of more collaborative learning techniques.
“Mike James, Learning Technologies Manager at the University, recognises that without the robustness and reliability of the IT infrastructure, the outcomes they are seeking could not be achieved. He commented: “Our primary outcomes are learning and teaching related, and we value immensely the contribution of our colleagues at Esteem in ensuring that we can deliver these outcomes to students at Salford and beyond.”
This implementation clearly builds upon the already excellent working partnerships which exist between the University of Salford, Esteem and Sun Microsystems. All partners look forward to maintaining and further developing these relationships into the future.
If you require any further information, please contact our Press Officer on 01937 861000 or e-mail on press@esteem.co.uk
