Revamped personalized script operations to ensure reliable Moodle management.

Aizu University, Public University Corporation

Student Affairs Section, Academic Affairs Staff
Information Center, Information Processing Center Staff

Improvements

Redesign of Personalized Scripts

Improvement Measures

Moodle Operation Support

Customer Requests

Student Affairs Department Representative: At Aizu University, Moodle has been implemented university-wide since the 2019 academic year, but the course structure was complex. For example, a single subject included both lecture and practical class formats mixed together, and the same subject was conducted across multiple classes, making course design very challenging.

Information Center Representative: We had developed in-house scripts that processed data output from the internal academic affairs system to construct Moodle courses. However, due to the complexity of the processing and the need for modifications accompanying curriculum and timetable changes, the response became dependent on specific individuals, which posed challenges to business continuity.

Student Affairs Staff: We were concerned about operational disruptions caused by script modification malfunctions and personalized maintenance, which led us to start looking for a new external partner.

Student Affairs Department Representative: Being an official Moodle partner and having case studies from other universities published was a major factor. We had the expectation that you would be able to flexibly handle even complex requirements.

Information Center Representative: We considered several other companies as well, but there were very few that seemed capable of understanding and handling the curriculum, class organization, and script details. Your company’s technical staff was impressive in that they were proactive and willing to consult from the very beginning.

>>Moodle Implementation Support and Operation Services

Key Points of the Proposal

At Human Science, we focused on the following points in our proposals and responses.

We analyzed the existing script structure, reviewed the entire integration process to eliminate the need for parameter expansion of requirements that require changes and manual handling during the fiscal year transition, and restructured it so that it can be operated solely by the student affairs staff.

Achieved design and operation tailored to the class formats at the University of Aizu. Script modifications due to data additions from faculty are now automatically reflected through parameter settings.

We carefully understood university-specific requirements such as the curriculum and course registration system, and proposed the optimal configuration from both technical and specification perspectives during the implementation phase.

Customer Feedback from Clients

Student Affairs Department Representative: I, as the academic affairs officer, have been able to complete operations without having to think about the scripts. Changes for each academic year can now be handled simply by changing parameters, which has also reduced concerns about operational errors.

Information Center Representative: From the users' perspective, the operation feels unchanged, but the internal system has been greatly improved, and we are surprised that it works flawlessly.

Student Affairs Representative: The support system, including regular meetings and the setup of test environments, was thorough and gave us a sense of security.

Student Affairs Staff: The biggest change is that tasks that used to require two people can now be handled by just me. Even during the busy end-of-year period, I can work at my own timing.

Information Center Representative: My tasks have almost disappeared, and I feel reassured by the rewritten scripts.

Future Outlook

Student Affairs Representative: We are also discussing improving backup efficiency due to the increasing Moodle storage capacity. Since this system is indispensable for classes, we hope to continue receiving support so that it can be used with peace of mind.

Information Center Representative: It would be helpful if you could introduce convenient plugins that can supplement areas difficult to handle with standard features, such as attendance management.

Human Science Representative: We have worked on eliminating personalization and improving efficiency, and the scripts for Aizu University have been revamped to be easy for anyone to use and maintain. We will continue to provide optimal support tailored to the unique characteristics of each university going forward.