Learning Management System

ella
(The electronic learning arena)

The College offers the opportunity for faculty to facilitate the learning experience through an online tool known as a learning management system (LMS) or collaborative learning environment.  We have recently migrated  from our original LMS, "WebCT", to an enhanced new virtual learning environment and collaborative space we call "ella" -- our version of the open-source Sakai software.

• Each semester, an ella course site will be automatically generated for almost every course in the current ISIS system.  (Exceptions are cross-listed courses and independent studies or tutorials.)  These sites can be used for holding more course materials, if the faculty member desires, or just as the access point for the E-Reserves.  Students registered for your course will not see your ella course site until you "Publish" it.
  
• For those who had been using WebCT, our license expired at the end of May.  Please contact your  LITS / RIS Liaison if you have questions about WebCT materials. 
  
• Special training and support opportunities are posted on the ella training page - please join us!

• If your faculty member is using ella, or you need to get to any E-Reserves, point your web browser to http://ella.mtholyoke.edu/ (or just "ella", on-campus).  Login with your MHC username and password. Reminder: not all courses will  have an ella course site activated.  If you are registered for a course in ISIS and you do not see an ella course site after logging in, don't panic.  The faculty member will tell you the first day of class if s/he will be using this tool.
  
• Five College Students please note:  you will need to obtain an MHC guest account in order to be given access to an ella course site.  After receiving your MHC account information, give your new MHC username to the faculty member, s/he will then need to add this username to the ella course site so that you have access to course materials.   
  

Added features of ella
For anyone in the Mount Holyoke community - faculty, staff or students - you automatically have some new resources and tools available in ella.  Login as noted above and check out "My Workspace".

Campus groups such as staff committees, official student organizations, and academic departments may also request an ella site to foster collaboration.