Recent issues with the University of Wisconsin’s software platform for Learn@UW have made for a difficult transition into the fall semester for students and professors using the site which can include readings, course information and other tools for courses at UW.
University of Wisconsin System spokesperson David Giroux said Desire2Learn is the software platform used to run Learn@UW, which is the online course management system accessed by professors and students at UW.
“This platform serves a number of students, from online learning to traditional classes,” Giroux said.
Giroux said currently they are experiencing issues with connectivity and slowness on the Learn@UW website.
In terms of the performance issues that arose during the summer and throughout last week, Giroux said they are working on understanding what is causing the problems and are attempting to remedy them.
He encouraged students seeking more up to date information on the issues with Learn@UW to take a look at bulletins posted on the website. He said the bulletins are updated periodically and address the website’s current difficulties.
When the problems with the D2L system are solved, the university hopes to see an improved performance of both the navigation bar and online bulletins, Giroux said.
Division of Information Technology spokesperson Mary Evansen said while performance problems with the D2L system arose over the summer, issues have come up with the system in the past week and are much more noticeable because of the recent increase in student activity and the number of students trying to access Learn@UW this fall semester.
Professor of Communication Arts Sara McKinnon said she experienced problems with connection and wait times during the first day of classes.
Evansen said DoIT staff took steps last Friday afternoon and Monday morning to address the issues with Learn@UW.
“DoIT staff are watching closely and will take action if this continues to be an issue,” Evansen said.
Evansen said DoIT hopes to resolve performance issues in the next few days so the site will run just as smoothly as it has in the past, and added they are searching for a permanent solution to prevent future difficulties with the system.
A recurring service issue update statement on the Learn@UW Knowledge Base regarding the D2L service problems said Learn@UW performance remained stable over the weekend after actions were taken to update the system last Friday.
According to the statement, the condition of D2L technology as applied to Learn@UW will continue to be monitored in the case of future problems with the service.
“We understand that you may have concerns due to the events of last week. We give you our assurance that we have not let down our guard and will continue to inform you about developments as they occur,” the statement said.
