Learning Management System (LMS)

Kentucky Community & Technical College System REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) KCTCS-RFI-0010 FOR Learning Management System (LMS) ISSUED: October 14, 2022 ISSUED BY: KCTCS PROCUREMENT TO PAYMENT SERVICES PROCUREMENT OFFICER: BEKKA KOROSEC KENTUCKY COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM PROCUREMENT TO PAYMENT SERVICES 300 N. MAIN STREET VERSAILLES, KY 40383 PHONE #: (859) 256-3391 Bekka.korosec@kctcs.edu 2 RFI-0010 I. Background: The Kentucky Community and Technical College System, the largest institution of higher education in the Commonwealth, is composed of 16 comprehensive two-year colleges with more than 70 campuses throughout the state. KCTCS serves approximately 107,000 students and nearly 5,000 businesses each year in credit programs leading to certificate, diploma, and associate degrees, pre-baccalaureate education for transfer to four-year institutions, and non-credit programs, customized business and industry training,

professional continuing education, and personal enrichment opportunities. Key areas of emphasis include increased access to postsecondary education and educational attainment, community and economic development, workforce education and training, adult education and literacy, agriculture and rural development, nursing and allied health professions, emerging technologies and high-growth, high-wage occupations, online education, global partnerships and international education, firefighter and emergency medical professionals, and homeland security education and training. For more information, consult our website at www.kctcs.edu II. Description: The Kentucky Community & Technical College System (KCTCS) is requesting information proposals from qualified, experienced, financially sound, and responsible firms for technology solution platforms for a Learning Management System (LMS). The platform should support the following three core goals:  Increase Learner Success  Increase Employment Success  Increase Organization Success A contract will not be awarded from this RFI, rather the information submitted will be reviewed by key KCTCS members to gauge the market and provide more detailed information into the services available to meet the needs of KCTCS as described in this RFI. After a review of proposals, KCTCS may ask for oral presentations. All costs associated with such a presentation would be solely the responsibility of the offeror and voluntary to attend. If an oral interview session is requested, it will be held via video conferencing (Microsoft Teams). III. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) PROCESS: The Kentucky Community and Technical College System’s (KCTCS) Office of Procurement to Payment Services issues this Request for Technology Solution Services. KCTCS is seeking your input through a written response to the succeeding questions and general requirements/scope of services. Please review and respond with detailed information for review. Please feel free to provide any additional information your firm would determine to be valuable, in line with the scope of services in this RFI. 3 RFI-0010 Written Responses and Inquiries: All responses, questions, and inquiries concerning this RFI should be directed in writing via email to the Procurement Officer for this RFI. Bekka L. Korosec Procurement to Payment Supervisor KENTUCKY COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM Procurement to Payment Services Phone #: (859) 256-3391 bekka.korosec@kctcs.edu Schedule of Events Issue Date for RFI: October 14, 2022 Question Due date: October 31, 2022 @ 4:00 pm EST RFI Due Date: November 17, 2022 @ 4:00 pm EST If KCTCS requests presentations, invitations to present may be sent out to selected suppliers for an online presentation of products/services upon completion of review of responses to this RFI. From the issue date of this RFI until the responses are due, Suppliers shall not individually communicate with any KCTCS staff concerning this RFI except as referenced above. Interested parties are encouraged to submit any questions in writing (via email is preferred) to the Procurement Officer given above. Written questions are due on July 13, 2022 @ 4:00 PM EST. IV. General Requirements/Scope of Services  Electronically submit (via email) as an ADA-compliant MS Word document or PDF. The Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) requests Suppliers to meet the following requirements: 4.1 Provide a description of your company including the following: 1. Vision and objectives 2. Size and location 3. Number of years in business 4. Number and type of clients (e.g., organization type, FTE, system/institution, etc.) 5. General overview of the scope of products offered 6. Level of knowledge of the industry 7. Level of expertise in products offered 8. Technical experience and qualifications including any work done for 4 RFI-0010 other entities in Kentucky. 4.2 Company Offering Provide a listing of current offerings made by your company which are relevant to Solution Details (see section 4.3). 4.3 Solution Details Include the following questions and functionality in your response. 4.3.1 Enterprise level solution and scalability  Provide a list of other higher educational institutions using the LMS in instances of more than 50,000 accounts and 10,000 courses.  Provide a list of other higher education systems using the LMS through one instance.  What is the maximum number of active users allowed on the LMS at one time?  What is the maximum number of users that can be enrolled in a course?  Does the LMS include an Application Programming Interface (API) that allows automated class creation, enrollments, withdrawals, etc.? Detail the additional API functionality.  Does the LMS adjust its resources to balance different loads and demands?  What is the standard published plan for providing upgrades, new releases, and the related notifications of the LMS? 4.3.2 Security and Authentication  What authentication methods are supported by the LMS?  Is two-factor authentication supported by the LMS?  Are secure connections (SSL) required for web and mobile device app access to the LMS?  What levels of encryption and security does the LMS support? Address FERPA and the protection of personally identifiable information. 4.3.3 Infrastructure  Describe the infrastructure service model (hosted, software as a service, or on-premises model)?  What is the LMS storage capacity?  What are the LMS provisions for data storage, large file size transport and video streaming? 5 RFI-0010  What import/export features are available to ensure ease of migration between solutions?  For hosted and Software as a Service (SaaS) infrastructures, list the cloud service providers and their data center locations.  Describe the procedures and offerings for backup and disaster recovery.  For hosted infrastructures, what is the recommended adoption timeline for an LMS instance to support over 50,000 accounts and over 10,000 courses? 4.3.4 Features Describe in detail how the LMS handles each feature below. If additional features are available, please provide detail.  Design and Layout o Can an instructor customize the look of a course site? (e.g., menu color, layout, background, banner, etc.) Detail available options. o Can an instructor create custom course menus? (e.g., add new menu items, change menu order, etc.) Detail available options. o If instructor menu customization is possible, can institutions restrict access to prevent changes to a course template? o How does the LMS support and review ADA compliance within a course design and layout?  Content Authoring and Organization o Multiple file uploads and drag and drop capabilities o Support of multimedia files (text, audio, video, etc.) o Support for multiple languages o Course templates containing design specifications (color, layout, etc.) o Ability to create content modules o Ability to copy content between courses  Content Management o Can the LMS auto-generate content items from multiple file uploads? (i.e., If an instructor uploads a folder (or set of folders), can the system autogenerate an individual content item for each item in the folder?) o Control item availability based on date/time o Adaptive release options o Bulk delete items/recycle course o Describe how the LMS accommodates users who wish to store course materials and media in secure, persistent repositories for use in multiple courses and multiple terms. 6 RFI-0010 o Ability to upload course cartridges  Course Import/Export Options o Can an instructor export a copy of the course for import into another LMS? o Can a course that was exported from the LMS then be imported into the LMS under a new course name? o Can a student export all work/assignment submissions as a single.zip file?  Communication - Describe how the LMS handles the following communications: o Announcements o Email o Attachments o Notifications o SMS messaging  Assignment Creation, Submission, and Grading o Secure online assignment submissions o Confirmation receipt for student submissions o Bulk download of student assignment submissions o Create gradebook column when assignment is created o Inline grading/annotation feedback directly onto assignments o Feedback to students: list all the ways faculty can provide feedback on student assignments (e.g., written, verbal, video, etc.) o Control assignment availability/due date o Flexibility to accept late submissions o Ability to create group assignments  Plagiarism Detection Tool o Does the LMS provide a plagiarism detection tool? o If so, please describe how it is integrated into the LMS regarding assignments/submissions. Give details about the sources that are used when checking for plagiarism. o If not, what external plagiarism services can the LMS integrate with?  Users and Groups o Instructor ability to add and remove users from course o Instructor ability to assign permissions to specific users in the course o Ability to create groups via:  Self-enrollment  Random enrollment  Manual enrollment  Group discussions, blogs, and other tools  Student Portfolios o Does the LMS have a built-in portfolio solution? Detail available options.  Discussion Tools 7 RFI-0010 o Describe available moderation tools o Grading options o Ability to post anonymously o Collect all posts o Hide all threads until user’s first post o Group discussions  Testing and Assessment Tools o List all allowed question types. o Time limited/Auto submit options o Testing print options o Ability to set exceptions for tests (e.g., allow extra time for a student with disabilities) o Pools and randomization capabilities o Ability to grade by question (e.g., Grade all question #1 answers for every student before moving on to grade question #2, etc.) o Test re-grading option o Ability to add images/AV to test questions o Integration of equation editor for questions, student answers, and feedback o Ability to create question sets/random blocks o Create questions with multiple parts o Multiple feedback display options o Anonymous Surveys o Test import/export options o Item analysis options for tests o Develop rubrics (points, percentages, ranges, etc.)  Gradebook o Store grades from assignments not generated within the system (e.g., paper hand-in) o Control how/when grades are released to students o Ability to drop grades o Ability to assign extra credit o Calculate totals based on percentage and/or points o Customized grading schemas o Contact students directly from gradebook link o Export/Import from Excel o Ability to create calculated columns o Ability to create custom gradebook views o Ability to create a custom grade scale for letter grades o Provide Gradebook history that records all gradebook changes o Assign rubrics  Calendar o Describe the LMS calendaring options. o Does the LMS provide a data management feature that can be used to easily modify due dates in a course that has been copied from a previous semester? 8 RFI-0010  Collaboration o Live text-based chat o Live audio/video communication o Live whiteboard and/or desktop sharing o Extent of tool capabilities o Student controls/Instructor controls o File types supported for sharing  Learning Analytics o What kind of learning analytics features are integrated and/or otherwise available? Who has access to the learning analytics data and how is this data presented?  Self and Peer Assessment o Does the LMS provide self and peer assessment capability? Give details.  Course Reporting o History of login to LMS o History of login to course o History of activities performed by users o View breakdown of time spent on page/section/activity for each student o Course objectives and outcomes reporting  Video Integration o Ability to view videos (e.g., Stream, YouTube, etc.) within the LMS course o Record video directly into the course (instructors and students) o Provide automated captioning of live and recorded video o Provide audio/video feedback o What are the LMS provisions for media storage and streaming?  Browser Support o Which browsers does the LMS support? o What is the plan for sunsetting formerly supported browsers, including lead time? o Does your web layout and design model use HTML5 and CSS3 conventions with support for responsive design? Please describe.  Device Support o Please describe compatibility, integration, and support for common client device types and associated operating systems (e.g., Apple, Chromebook, Microsoft)  Mobile Access o Does the LMS provide a mobile device app? If so, for which platforms and devices is the app available? o Compare and contrast the mobile app experience in relation to laptop and/or desktop experience.  Third Party Integrations o Please describe, in detail, LMS integration with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. 9 RFI-0010 o Does the LMS allow integration of third-party tools? o What is the breadth of professionally developed third party tools available for integration? What is the respondent’s technical review and approval process for these tools? o Does the LMS work with textbook publishers to integrate their content into the LMS and to authenticate and exchange data directly with their systems? If so, which textbook publishers are supported? o Does the LMS support/integrate with YouTube, Stream, and other video platforms? o Does the LMS integrate with classroom response systems (clickers)? If so, which vendors are supported? o Describe how the LMS integrates with cloud storage, namely Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, and iCloud.  Training and Client Support o What support/training resources are available to instructors and students? (e.g., documentation, communities of practice, training videos, etc.) o What support/training resources are available for technical staff? o What are the timeframes of response for system support requests/trouble tickets? o What is the typical internal staffing support required to operate and manage the LMS? o Is training and support centralized, including contact options and knowledge bases?  System Administration Tools o What data are available for system monitoring and how are they presented? o What kind of system monitoring tools, dashboards and alert systems are available to technical staff via the GUI and API? o What kind of data, system, and log analysis tools are available to technical staff via the GUI and API? o What kind of usage and reporting features are available? o Is the LMS flexible enough to allow for non-course related sites? o What type of system branding options are available for clients? o Is read level access to the entire database available? Is this database access available from a near real-time replica of the database or the live database? o Can information be extracted from the database through automated processes o Can users and courses be managed by hierarchies or nodes? o Describe how upgrades would be handled over the life of the contract. o Do you offer the ability to impersonate users? Is this function limited to System Administrators? o Does your platform integrate with other systems according to IMS Global and industry standards such as LTI, Common Cartridge, and Caliper? o What tools are available to allow automated, transactional, 10 RFI-0010 and scheduled synchronizations for account and data provisioning as well as loading courses, and participants into courses? o What tools are available to allow grade transfer to the student information system? o What tools are available to archive course and user data for historical preservation of data? o Is there a REST API available for custom application integrations? o Is there a community platform that your company manages to allow engagement with other institutions? Is the community open to LMS administrators, faculty, and staff?  Accessibility o Does the LMS comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, amended Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0? Describe how the LMS complies. o Provide access to the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) regarding the LMS. o What accessibility features are available to learners? o Are all areas of the LMS screen reader accessible? If not, list all known compatibility issues. o How is the accessibility of a course and all included documents monitored? o Is there an in-line tool that assists faculty in identifying and remediating accessibility issues? If this is not available, please list the third-party tools that integrate with the LMS. o Is there an accessibility reporting feature for LMS administrators to identify accessibility issues across an institution? The System? o If an online meeting application is included in the LMS, is automated captioning available? 4.3.5 Pricing  Provide an estimate of the cost of your platform/solution including implementation, one-time costs, and any travel related estimates. Also, please include any other additional information you may wish to provide that is relative to providing the services as described in this RFI. 5 Additional Information Responses may be subject to Kentucky Open Records Law pursuant to the provisions of KRS 61.870 et. seq. 6 Business Classification This section is for informational purposes. 11 RFI-0010 Select all that apply (does not apply to publicly traded entities). o Minority Business Enterprise/MBE (Please choose one sub-classification at right): Defined as a business at least 51% owned by one or more African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Asian Indian Americans, and other groups as defined by Federal law. o Hispanic-American o African-American o Asian-American o American-Indian o Other (explain): o Women-Owned Business Enterprise/WBE Defined as a business at least 51% owned by one or more women. o Disadvantaged Business Enterprise/DBE Defined as a business at least 51% owned by at least one differently abled, socially, or economically disadvantaged individual as defined by Federal law. o Veteran Owned Business/VOB Defined as a business at least 51% owned and operated by a service veteran. o Disadvantaged Veteran Owned Business/DVOB Defined as a business at least 51% owned and operated by a service veteran with a service-related disability of at least 10 percent.