Connect in the Community

Published June 5, 2017

Unizin’s new Community Site will help Members connect, collaborate, and share knowledge.

One of the benefits of membership in the Unizin Consortium is access to a network of colleagues who face similar challenges on a variety of fronts. In order to increase collaboration and communication at every level, we have just launched a new and improved Community Site that combines the best elements of a listserv and a community portal. Users can now easily pose questions, discuss solutions, and simultaneously create a library of knowledge that is sharable and available to all Members.

In discussions with Members, our team found that many felt most comfortable with a listserv, primarily because email is the easiest, fastest way for them to communicate. The new Community Site incorporates that ability to instantly email those in your group or discussion but with the added benefit of creating a record in a centralized place that can be reviewed later by other Members.

“Based on Member feedback, we designed and built the new Community Site to be a central location for collaboration and knowledge sharing, and it will continue to evolve to meet the needs of our community,” explained Unizin Director of Services Brian Esham.

Here’s a brief overview of the sections you’ll find on the site:

• Home – More than a landing page, you’ll find a helpful chart that outlines Unizin solution usage by institution. This will help you quickly determine which institutions have projects in common with yours.

• Discussion – This is the place to go if you have questions about a specific program or project. Hot topics right now include Open edX and Pressbooks.

• Groups – Looking for someone with a specific interest or experience? This section includes contact information for Members who belong to Sponsor Teams, Board and Advisory Groups, and Communities of Practice. (Interested in joining a community? Sign up on the main Unizin website.)

• Product Summaries – Basic details about a variety of Unizin solutions are housed here. Included are links to associated end-user information in the Unizin Resource Center.

• Joint Projects – When Members work together to solve a specific challenge, information is shared here. UDW Reporting Marts and iClicker/REEF data integration are two topics currently represented.

• Publishers – Just how much is Unizin saving students? This section offers a breakdown of discounts available to Members by publisher.

• Archives – Did you miss one of our fun and fascinating monthly newsletters? Access past issues and a variety of webinars and presentations (including materials from the 2017 Unizin Innovation Summit) here.

Start your summer off with a quick tour of the new site, and be sure to send us your feedback. You’ll find information and connections that will support your efforts to improve teaching and learning.