Download - RSC WM Spring Newsletter 2011

Discover-e 2011 issue

JISC Advance has signed a Concordat with the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) to ensure coherent support to the sector. The Concordat sets out how the two organisations will work together to ensure coherent support to the sector to maximise the benefi ts of technology. The new formal partnership will eliminate unnecessary duplication and overlap, ensuring it makes the most cost-effective use of funding. With the recent closure of Becta, and LSIS taking on the provision of technology support for the sector with JISC, and JISC Advance nominated as their technology partner, it is critical that JISC Advance and LSIS work together to deliver a more joined up package of support.

Guy Lambert, the Managing Director of JISC Advance says: “It is a particular priority of mine to ensure that by working together with other sector bodies in an open and co-operative manner, we maximise the benefi ts we can bring to learning providers and provide the best possible value for money. Supporting the sector to deliver excellent results for learners and the community is what we are here for.”Rob Wye, LSIS Chief Executive says: “We aim to embed effective use of technology across all of LSIS’s services to FE colleges and training providers so that the benefi ts of technology in the 21st century, can be truly realised. Our new formal partnership with JISC Advance will enable us to ensure that the legacy of Becta’s work is embedded across JISC Advance’s services, and our two organisations deliver a more joined up package of support that meets the sectors’ needs in the most cost-effective way”

A full copy of the Concordat between LSIS and JISC Advance can be found at http://qurl.com/y7fng

JISC Advance Signs Concordat with LSIS

RSCNewsletter Issue 7 – Spring/Summer

2011

Contents

1. JISC Advance Signs Concordat with LSIS2. Latest e-Learning Good Practice From Our Region - RSC Making a Difference: Burton and South Derbyshire College3. Discover-e 2011 - Getting the Most from Discover-e 20114-5. Pull Out Discover-e 2011 Poster6. Conference Fringe - Preparing your PC for the Conference7. QR Codes Explained - E-safety Tips8. Forthcoming Events - Greener Visits from the RSC - RSC Helps to Save the Planet - Follow us on Facebook

a bi-annual update from the Regional Support Centre West Midlands

Spring Newsletter 11 Table Newsletter.indd 1 11/04/2011 11:25:29

RSC Making a Difference: Burton and South Derbyshire

CollegeIn April 2009, staff at Burton and South Derbyshire College requested an independent review of the college’s ILT provision and strategy. Thanks to input from the RSC, the college has benefi tted from a greatly improved IT infrastructure and a clearly defi ned ILT strategy.

Mike Parker, LRC Manager says, “In November 2008, the College appointed a new principal who, after carrying out an assessment of the college’s overall position, wanted to improve ILT and the college’s IT infrastructure. We have had a lot of support from the RSC during the past 10 years and were aware of their e-learning progress review service so they were the obvious fi rst port of call.”

The College requested an e-learning Healthcheck - just one of a variety of tools used as part of the overall e-learning progress review service which helps learning providers to assess their current e-learning position. The Healthcheck is carried out by three RSC advisers each focusing on Learning Resources, ILT Management and Planning, and IT systems. It highlights the main strengths, areas for development and key recommendations summarized in a report and subsequent action plan.

Mike says, “Some of the key challenges for us included a lack of IT infrastructure development and management expertise. There was no clear hierarchy in the IT department and a lack of awareness amongst staff about the college’s ILT strategy. Staff and students lacked confi dence in using ILT as the systems were unreliable.”

The college took on board a number of the RSC’s suggestions including:

• Clearly defi ned IT department. Three posts were created as a direct result of the RSC’s input, including a Head of IT• Replacement PC strategy implemented. Consistent approach to software versions and an implementation procedure now in place.

• More informal learning spaces created across the college• Moodle administered by a permanent member of staff • Staff development opportunities for IT technicians

Vaughan Dyche, Head of IT says, “With a signifi cantly improved infrastructure, staff and students are now much more confi dent and trusting of the systems we have in place. The IT helpdesk turnaround times are now much quicker and the IT department works more closely with the curriculum staff to ensure their needs are met. The college has a strong learner voice ethos and through student councils, we have taken on board the learners comments which has, for example, lead to a restructure of their Moodle.”

He adds, “The RSC’s intervention was useful leverage to get things moving and made a big impact on the college. I would advise other learning providers, who are in a similar position to how we were in early 2009, to contact the RSC to help you formulate an action plan. Their independent, critical friend approach was just what we needed!

For more information about the e-learning progress review service, contact Allen Crawford-Thomas at [email protected] call 01902 518930

Latest e-Learning Good Practice from

Our Region

Since the last issue of our newsletter, a further 6 case studies from the region have been published on the Excellence Gateway:

Shrewsbury 6th Form College: Video conferencing drives distance learning

Stafford College: Mobile learning adds new dimension to teacher training

City College Birmingham: Piloting a virtual world for communication, teaching and learning

Shrewsbury Sixth Form College: Open source assistive technologies support college learners

Birmingham Metropolitan College: Refurbished Learning Resource Centres result in increased student usage

South Staffordshire College: Widening access to resources through e-books

Newcastle Under Lyme College: Adapting to new learning spaces

To read these case studies in full, and view more examples from our region, visit http://qurl.com/z1rq6

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Discover-e 2011

127 delegates booked onto last year’s event and from those who took part in our evaluation, 93% of respondents found the conference a positive experience. Here are just some of the benefi ts of attending:

Save time - you can take part in the conference without having to leave your desk at a time to suit you. If you can’t make all of our live sessions, they will be recorded so you can access them later.

Save costs - the conference is free to all our supported regional learning providers. There are 8 sessions spanning a variety of topics so it is a very effective way of enhancing your CPD.

Hear how others have done things - this year’s speakers are all from learning providers in the region so you can hear their e-learning journeys fi rst hand.

Networking - share ideas and resources with likeminded delegates through the Moodle forums and live sessions.

Access to expertise - the RSC e-learning advisers will be available to answer your queries. JISC Advance services will also be in our ‘conference fringe’ (see page 6) sharing their knowledge on legal matters, digital media for teaching and learning and more.

Turn over for your Discover-e 2011 poster. Please feel free to display this in your organisation

Getting the Most from

Discover-e 2011

RSC West Midlands will once again host its annual e-learning event online.

From 17th-18th May, ‘Discover-e 2011’ will run through the RSC’s Virtual Learning Environment – Moodle. For most sessions, you can log in and take part in activities at a time to suit you although some sessions, which feature ‘live’ elements such as chat, will require participation at a fi xed time.

The event is aimed at anyone from the region in the post-16 learning and skills sector with an interest in e-learning and its application to teaching and learning.

This year’s event is themed around ‘Supporting Learning Provider Priorities.’

Spanning two days, the event will feature interactive workshops, facilitated by learning providers and our e-learning advisors. It will give delegates the opportunity to interact with a range of speakers, view video clips, listen to audio, and network with likeminded individuals. You can share examples of good practice, access a wide range of useful resources, and enter competitions with the chance to win equipment for use in teaching and learning.There will also be links to useful e-learning resources.

Four sessions will take place on each day and will cover topics including:

Doing More with Less• E-safety• Going Green• Learner Voice•

The conference ‘fringe’ will feature sessions from a number of JISC Advance services including JISC Legal and JISC Digital Media . Greg Vivash, RSC Manager comments, “This year will focus on the priorities of our learning providers. We will hear their experiences of the issues that have taken priority in the last 12 months.”

We are now taking bookings for this free event. To fi nd out more and to secure your place, visit our website at www.rsc-wm.ac.uk now. Places fi ll quickly so book early to avoid disappointment.

We look forward to meeting you online!

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Preparing your PC for the Conference

This year’s conference will contain a series of ‘live’ sessions or ‘webinars’ using video and audio streamed through a web browser using a tool called ‘Elluminate.’

Elluminate requires a JAVA plug-in to enable you to connect. You will need to conduct a simple system check prior to the live session by navigating to the Elluminate Live support web page. Follow the onscreen instructions. NOTE: You may need the assistance of IT personnel to install the JAVA plug-ins. Please consult your IT technical department in advance.

What you will need . A PC with Internet connection and Firefox or Internet Explorer . A headset with microphone (this is important, as a separate speaker and microphone is not suitable). Note, this is the area of PC compatibility with the highest ‘failure rate’. We will organise a pre-webinar to allow you to try out the system and ensure your PC/Mac is fully confi gured.. JAVA plug-in for Elluminate Live. See further instructions above. . A webcam adds an extra layer of engagement for delegates but is not required. A good quality audio channel will suffi ce to create a sense of live participation.

Joining the Webinar Please aim to be in the session 5 -10 minutes before the start to test your sound settings. Once you have entered your name and clicked login a JAVA plug-in will install, this may take a few seconds. You must confi rm you have local permissions on your computer for the plug-in to be installed before the webinar. Elluminate will open and the system will connect you to the webinar session.

Once you have entered the webinar session you will be presented with the Elluminate interface. Key areas of the interface image (opposite) are labelled and show the following features:

1. The participants area. Here you can see which Participants are in the session and level of functionality they have access to. 2. This section may be used by your presenter to make the session more interactive, it contains a number of voting or participation options. Your presenter will indicate a the start of the session whether these will be used. 3. This displays all chat conversations within the session. 4. This is where you can type a message and send it to the room, (recommended) the Moderator /Presenter or other selected participants.5. Your audio settings can be managed from here ie. turning your microphone on or off or altering your microphone and headset volume settings. Your Moderator /Presenter will let you know at the beginning of each session whether they will be sharing the microphone6. The pallet contains a number of tools which can be used to annotate each presentation slide. 7. The main area on the screen is called the whiteboard and this is where the presenter of the session will display their presentation.

For further help on preparing your PC for the conference, please contact Jason Curtis or Colleen Romero on 01902 518982

The Elluminate Interface

Conference Fringe

The RSC’s Online Conference has a new feature this year – the Conference Fringe which includes sessions from JISC and JISC Advance services. These informal sessions take place outside the main conference programme, at the beginning or end of the conference days, or over lunch. Each interactive session features an expert guest speaker. Confi rmed topics, include:

“Greening” ICT (JISC • Greening ICT Programme )Getting more out of e-books • (JISC Collections)Accessibility update (JISC • TechDis)Introduction to Screencasting • with free tools (JISC Digital Media)Staying legal in education – • advice session with JISC Legal

About the speakers

JISC Greening ICT Programmehelps the greening of ICT in the Higher and Further Education sectors. Visit http://qurl.com/cz1ls

JISC Collections is a membership organisation that supports the provision of digital content for education and research in the UK visit www.jisc-collections.ac.uk

JISC TechDis can help all post-16 providers who are concerned with supporting diverse learner needs to make technologies for innovative personalised teaching and learning part of their solution. Visit www.jisctechdis.ac.uk

JISC Digital Media provides advice, guidance and training on the creation and use of digital media for learning, teaching and research. Digital media covers still images, moving images and sound resources. Visit www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk

JISCLegal provide legal information to prevent legal issues from becoming a barrier to the adoption of information and communications technologies in learning, teaching, research, administration and wider

6


Looking for new resources to use in teaching and learning? Try

some of these free options:

URL shortener - http://bit.ly/ . Fed up with unwieldy web links?

Sign up for a free account to create shorter web links, track the progress of your links and access

all your shortened links.Screen capturing tool – www.

screentoaster.com . Create your own videos of onscreen actions

in one simple click. Useful for capturing screen casts and

demonstrating screen casts, demonstrations, tutorials and

lectures. Visual search engines. If you are looking for an alternative search engine to aid visual learners, try

these two options:

Middlespot.com – see your results as screenshots which

you can pan and zoom like a map. Allows you to create and

share a ‘workpad’ for saving and annotating search results.

Search-cube.com –presents thumbnail search results through

a 3-D cube interface.

QR Codes Explained

What are they?

QR codes are two-dimensional matrix barcodes - “QR” stands for “quick response”, as they were originally designed to be read at high speed. The codes store more information than traditional barcodes and can be read by dedicated QR code readers, or by a variety of mobile devices (such as smartphones), equipped with suitable software. QR codes are free of any production license.

How can they be used?

QR codes can store a small string of information such as a URL (web address), or a piece of text (up to 250 characters). They are commonly used to create a link to further information about something (for example a product, journal article or website). There are a wide range of free and paid-for applications which can be used to generate the codes and they can be printed on a standard printer.

Teaching and learning examples

• Include a QR code on paper hand-outs so students can link to related resources on a VLE

• For dyslexic learners, a QR code could be included on hand-outs to take them to a visual version such as a mind-map or a podcast (spoken) alternative.• During induction, use QR codes to direct students to additional information about college services (you could make this a “treasure hunt” activity).• For libraries, QR codes can be used to point students to electronic versions of journals or books on the shelves• QR codes could be used to label key campus locations – scanning them would link users to a “You are here” point on a map, with further information.• If you want learners to subscribe to an RSS update feed of a resource (such as a blog or wiki), include a QR code, so they can subscribe via their phones.

More information

• Bath University have pioneered the use of QR codes in education and write about it in their QR code blog: http://blogs.bath.ac.uk/qrcode/• The use of QR codes in Education: A getting started guide for academics: http://qurl.com/z22dw• QR codes in libraries wiki: http://qurl.com/7bfyf• QR code generator: http://www.qrstuff.com/index.html• The Daring Librarian blog (QR codes in the classroom): http://qurl.com/3gcbf• 101 uses for QR codes: http://qurl.com/k9cr1• Qrafter is an effi cient, free QR code reader app for the Iphone: http://qurl.com/6lkqj• QuickMark is a popular QR code reader for Android devices: http://qurl.com/j3p38

For more information from the RSC on QR Codes, contact Matt Gallon by e-mail at [email protected]

E-safety tips

Here are JISC Legal’s top 10 tips for meeting your e-safety responsibilities:

Appoint overall responsibility for e-safety to a senior staff member with child protection training.

Establish an e-Safety committee and include your stakeholders.

Audit current e-safety measures and identify areas for further development.

Establish consistent risk assessment procedures for the use of technology in learning, both on and off campus

Write an e-safety policy using appropriate language, refl ecting your organisation in line with existing policies.

Provide an easily accessible document, detailing relevant behaviours and sanctions.

Have a clear, consistent, proportionate and well publicised incident response and reporting procedure.

Promote the safe and responsible use of technology and raise awareness of your institution’s e-safety rules and reporting procedures through regular training.

Monitor the impact of your e-safety measures and policies and respond accordingly.

Provide opportunities for feedback, support and guidance.

For more advice, visit the JISC Legal website at www.jisclegal.ac.uk. You can also contact Jason Curtis at the RSC by e-mail at [email protected]

7


We recognise how busy our learning providers are and appreciate that it’s not always easy for you to arrange face to face visits with our advisers. Thanks to technology, there are other options which save time, travel costs, and bring the expertise of the RSC directly to your workplace!

SkypeA free service which allows you to make and receive free calls over the Internet. You will need a Skype account, a headset and microphone (web cam optional). Check with your college/organisation if they already have a Skype account

ElluminateJISC Advance and the RSCs widely use Elluminate, a web conferencing tool, to deliver online events and staff development sessions. The tool allows participants to ‘virtually’ attend an event or meeting with features including an interactive whiteboard and slide sharing facility. Find out more about taking part in a session on page 6.

Video ConferencingRSC West Midlands has a video conferencing facility which enables us to link up remotely with other learning providers. You do not need to have video conferencing equipment to participate. Before the conference, one of our advisers will send you an e-mail featuring a link to download a video conferencing plug-in, and a link to join the video conference.

NB Please consult with your organisation’s IT services before installing any software.

To arrange a green visit with one of our advisers, please e-mail: [email protected] or contact the RSC advsior of your choice

Greener visits from the RSC

Follow us on Facebook

In a further bid to be more green, RSC West Midlands will no longer provide printed copies of its newsletter following this issue.

However, you can access our newsletters online in our new page turning format - Issuu.

The newsletters can also be downloaded as pdfs.

In our Issuu library, you will fi nd archive copies of our bi-annual newsletter as well as the SMT newsletter, also published twice a year.

To view all our newsletters, visit http://issuu.com/rscwm

RSC Helps to Save the Planet

You can now keep up to date with the latest news from RSC West Midlands on Facebook.

Our Facebook page includes postings on forthcoming events, news from us and links to useful e-learning resources.

To follow us, simply click onto the Facebook logo from the homepage of our website, or search Facebook for JISC RSC West Midlands.

Contact usJISC RSC West MidlandsTechnology CentreWolverhampton Science ParkGlaisher DriveWolverhamptonWV10 9RU

Tel: 01902 518982E-mail: [email protected]: www.rsc-wm.ac.uk

For full details, visit the events page at: www.rsc-wm.ac.uk. You can also subscribe to an RSS feed of our events.

MayVirtual Worlds Forum• Assessment feedback with • ee’s! Using technology to develop effective feedback practicesDiscover-e 2011• Capturing and responding to • the Learner Voice

JuneRisk Management• Process Review• LRC Forum; Sharing East/• West Midlands practice Moodle Users Forum •

July• Blackboard Users Forum • • IT Managers Forum•

This newsletter is printed on recycled paper

Forthcoming Events

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Download - RSC WM Spring Newsletter 2011

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