For several months, the University has been working towards issuing an RFP for a Learning Management Engine, a core piece of our Academic Toolbox Renewal Initiative. A key process of the LME RFP will be a chance for members of the UofT community to “test drive” a select number of solutions that make it through a rigourous evaluation process.

We are very grateful that Janice Patterson, Associate Director of the Centre for Teaching & Learning at the University of Toronto Scarborough, has agreed to help design and provide leadership around this test drive phase of the Toolbox Renewal Initiative.

Janice is uniquely positioned to provide the necessary leadership for this phase of the initiative. First, as Associate Director of one of UofT’s premier faculty development and teaching support groups, she has an in-depth and intimate understanding of the entire landscape. Second, Janice has been directly involved in the Toolbox Renewal Initiative from the outset.

And third, and perhaps most importantly, Janice brings a heightened awareness of divisional needs to the conversation.

For the last two years, the initiative team has been consulting widely and deeply with divisions and other major stakeholders. The, toolbox, is, after all, a pan-university ecosystem. But as we moved towards the LME RFP, with its community test drive phase, the project team, and our executive sponsors, felt that it would be a great opportunity to have a deep partnership with someone from a major division, who could really ensure we capture as wide a range of feedback as we could. We are very grateful to Janice, and the Centre for Teaching & Learning, for the willingness to provide this necessary leadership for the test drive phase.

For now, the actual RFP is still being developed, but you soon will be hearing more from Janice about the test drives. Please stay tuned.