intouchthe termly newsletter produced by RSC East Midlands Spring 2011 Volume 9: Issue 2

Stimulating and supportinginnovation in learning

Contents1 Doing more for less2 Regional News2 Using Learners’

Own Devices3 Managing your data3 A new data approach at

Northamptonshire ACL3 Shared Services4 Assessment & Technology4 The HELLO project5 Best practice in the UK

5 Resource Corner6 Hints & Tips6 Moving Learning Online7 Focus On: Business

Processes7 JISC news8 Forthcoming Events8 Equipment for loan8 2011 e-fair

Think about the following:

• Consider your assumptions about theway things have to be done. Is learningface-to-face with a tutor in a formalclassroom or workshop the only viableway of organising every course? Canstaff work flexibly from home and insmaller but well equipped work-rooms?

• Consider your underused technology.Your learning platform can earn its keep,raising retention and achievement byeffectively blending face-to-face andonline learning. Communicationtechnologies can reduce the money andtime costs of travelling for staff andlearners, and can facilitate collaborativeworking when the minimum contractvalue is introduced by the Skills Funding Agency.

• Consider your use of the technology yourlearners have. Many learners havepowerful internet-enabled phones withmultimedia capacity. Taking advantage ofthis is a lot cheaper than providingeveryone with access to an up-to-datecomputer. And at a simple level you cantext them about work deadlines orwhether you are open during bad weather.

• Consider the unused technology youhave. It is not uncommon to buy kitthat spends its life in a cupboard.Sometimes this is because it was apoor investment decision in the firstplace – perhaps rushed or without aclear rationale. In many cases howeverpotentially valuable kit is unusedbecause the necessary training andsupport has not been provided.

• Consider how to improve theefficiency of business processes. TheRSC is actively exploring how tocapture benefits here, for example byentering data once only, or throughthe use of dashboards to give clear,co-ordinated management informationas the basis for action.

• Consider how technology can help youcapture the learner voice. At a time ofsubstantial change, it is essential tomonitor the learner experience.

Please get intouch with us if you wouldlike our free support in exploring theseand other related ideas.

Doing more for lessThe October Comprehensive Spending Review reduced theFurther Education resource budget by 25% by 2014-15. The pressure is on providers to deliver more efficiently without compromising on quality. This edition of the RSCnewsletter explores ways in which the use of technology cancontribute to this – and how RSC support can help.

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Regional NewsRegional Case StudiesSince the last edition of “intouch” severallearning providers in the region have hadcase studies of good e-practice publishedon the Excellence Gateway website atwww.excellencegateway.org.uk.

• New College Nottingham: Using My Study Bar with learners

• Acorn Training: Introducing an e-learning system tosupport teaching and learning forapprentices

• South Nottingham College: Using a Learner Survey to improvethe learning experience

• Portland College: Using technology to support learnerswith memory difficulties

If you have any good e-practice thatyou wish to highlight then please getintouch with Kevin Spencer on 01509618112 or kevin.spencer@rsc-em.ac.uk.

Award WinnersA couple of people just missed ourprint deadline back in September, soto make sure that they don’t feel leftout here are belated notifications forwinners in our Learning TechnologyAwards scheme from the 2009/10academic year.

Colin Kistruck at Grantham Collegewho in classroom learning activitiesgot students to actively producewiki/glossary/database resources aspart of subject development,formative assessment and co-operative learning.

Pat Sutton at Linkage College usedvideos to collect evidence with hearingimpaired learners and Kate Stubbingswas the winner at NottinghamshireAdult Learning Service.

Using Learners’ Own Devices

Last year’s National Student Surveydemonstrated that there is a high levelof demand for improved IT facilities. Thisis not only driven from increased accessto a VLE (Virtual Learning Environment),but also the content-rich resources thatlecturers are using.

The Government wants a mobileworkforce that is competent in the useof communications technology. Hence alearner’s experience should reflectthis. Current learners and those in thenear future already use technology tocommunicate and collaborate with theirfriends and peers. They have anamazing skill-set, so why not use themto enable learning?

Some learners are readily using theirown technology to enhance interactionin the classroom. For example usingtheir mobile phones to respond via text-walls; collaborating through Twitter; andusing their own laptops to make notes.

So should your organisation spend theirbudget on better computers and more ofthem? Or could network access be openedso learners can use their own devices?

IT departments will be cautious aboutallowing access to the network from anymobile device. So a balance has to befound between maintaining the integrityand the security of the network and stillallowing users easy access to theapplications they need.

There are therefore some “overheads”about allowing mobile devices, most ofwhich can also have a financial implication:

• If the mobile devices require electricalpower (e.g. laptop), are there powersockets available where the devicesare going to be used?

• Does your organisation’s policy also stipulate that the devices are PAT-tested?

• How many user connections are youanticipating at once and where are theconnections going to be made e.g.wired sockets or wireless, classroom orrefectory or library?

• How will you check the device has thelatest anti-virus updates or securitypatches and what will happen if it hasn’t?

• What will be the depth of connectivity,will it be limited to only checkingemails and surfing the internet? Or willthere be more access needed todifferent applications and the user’swork area?

• Should the mobile device network bekept separate from the main network,the so-called de-militarised zone(DMZ), and so restrict the potential ofanyone doing unauthorised damageto the main network?

• Are policies in place to guide users asto what is acceptable when using theirmobile device on the network?

The RSC’s learner survey is a free tool thatcan analyse learners’ views on networkinfrastructure and the use of technologyin the classroom, and can be run in anyorganisation to help decide whether toallow learners to use their own devices.

Whilst opening up access to mobiledevices can allow a much betterlearner and user experience, it doesrequire an investment in resources toget the best from this strategy. Formore information, please get intouchwith Steve Saffhill on 01509 618117or email steve.saffhill@rsc-em.ac.uk.

Computers and technology in general are becoming cheaper,portable and better connected. Ten years ago, not manylearners had the luxury of a mobile phone and a computer athome. The trend now is that learners have better access totechnology and are more willing to use it for learning.

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Shared ServicesSome might have heard the phrase“Shared Services” before but not reallyunderstood what it means. The JISCBriefing paper “Shared Services in UKfurther and higher education” gives aclear definition:

“institutions cooperating in thedevelopment and delivery of services, sosharing skills and knowledge, perhaps withcommercial participation”

Shared Services provide an opportunityto possibly reduce expenditure andincrease efficiency in your organisation.Two simple illustrations show how thiscould apply to you:

1. A small organisation, with limitedresources and budget, approachesanother organisation to host pages ontheir Moodle server.

2. Two organisations are consideringproviding each other with off-sitebackup of their data files.

Another alternative could be where yourorganisation may have a service that youwant to offer to the sector, thus providingyou with another source of income.

The development of high-speed internetmeans that communication off-site is oftenfast and so distance is no longer an issuewith sending and/or receiving data. Distantlocations appear now to be situated onyour doorstep or probably more accurately,on your computer desktop.

So as you start to examine your businessin much more detail for ways toeconomise or work more efficiently,consider working collaboratively withpartners to share resources and runningcosts on operational areas.

For more advice on Shared Servicesplease get intouch with Gordon Millnerat gordon.millner@rsc-em.ac.uk or on01509 618120.

The dashboard in a car instantly helps youto monitor mechanical performance andcritical information, such as speed. Thedials, sounds and warning lights help youto make informed decisions as to whetherany intervention is needed to maintainperformance, safety or efficiency.

Similarly an active data dashboard canprovide you with quick graphicreferences to your critical businessprocesses. “Active” meaning that you arebeing shown real time results. Usuallywhat you monitor using a dashboard isup to you but you obviously need tohave a source for the data in order toinclude it in your dashboard.

So, for example, if you decide thatenrolled student numbers are critical youmight decide to display enrolmentnumbers as they sign up andimmediately show these as a graphicaldisplay such as a bar graph.

You can use any information that youhave at your disposal but the trick is tokeep the amount of key information to aminimum and as relevant as possibleand present it so that it is visuallyobvious what is happening.

Most learning providers don’t actuallylack appropriate data – they are justnot presenting it in context and donot provide meaningful analysis.

Managing your data

Managers should always attempt to make decisions using insightand foresight rather than hindsight! Active data dashboardsmake this process more feasible.

Typically many ACL services run adatabase of courses which can be usedto submit funding claims. In additionthey may have other databases: oftutors, of venues, curriculum teams,equipment etc. Maintaining this numberof varied systems is time consuming andleads to errors and inefficiencies, as wellas potentially losing fee income.

To overcome these issues,Northamptonshire’s data managerFrances Jones consolidated all thesevaried systems into one database. Theprocess was centralised so that all dataflowed into the data team and wasentered onto the central database, whichcould be updated by a small team ofdata entry staff.

The system was then made accessible toall by the use of customised reports whichhelped managers to keep track of whatwas happening as it happened. A furtherbenefit was that all the information whichneeded to go to learners and tutorsabout their classes could be distributedautomatically by the system.

Originally done in paper form, nowapproximately 50% of all learners aregetting information about their classesvia email and all tutors are informed viaan automated email distribution.

Frances comments: “my message isexperiment with your systems. Thereare always improvements and savingsthat can be made”.

Data in Adult LearningNorthamptonshire Adult Learning Service has madeconsiderable efficiency gains and given better service to itslearners by improving the operation of its main database.

© Dynistics Limited

4

Using technologyto supportassessmentDo you have assessors who spend moretime driving than assessing?

Do you find that time allocated forassessment is often wasted becauselearners have forgotten their portfolio orhaven’t completed assigned work?

If the answer to either question is YESthen you should be exploring thepossibility of using technology tofacilitate more effective practice and saveyour organisation time and money.

By using appropriate tools you coulddevelop your ability to carry outassessments remotely, to set, collect andgive feedback on learner assignments, toenable learners to have access to resourcesand support at times to suit them.

More and more providers are nowengaged in developing their e-learningcapability and here at the RegionalSupport Centre we can provide theguidance and support to help you – fromthe development of your ideas to theimplementation of your plans.

For ideas on how you can use technologyto support assessment, why not have a lookat the case studies from the ExcellenceGateway website on assessment.

These can be searched via the“assessment” tag in a set of Delicioussocial bookmarks atwww.delicious.com/elearningcasestudies.

Whatever it is that you would like to doand want to achieve, a conversation withus will enable you to benefit both fromcurrent and developing practice in thesector and from the wealth ofknowledge and expertise that existswithin the RSC team.

It’s never too early and all you need isthe idea. Go on, get intouch.

Using Moodle & Mahara toachieve greater efficiency

The need for greater efficiency in a changing environment wasone of the drivers that underpinned a JISC-funded project runlast year at Leicester College, Higher Education LifelongLearning Opportunities (HELLO).

The HELLO project was created withthe aim of tackling three importantissues facing Leicester College:

• The accommodation project andsubsequent new build had resulted ina 65% loss of student social spaceacross the whole College;

• The need to provide bespoke e-learning training opportunities forteachers and to actively engage withknown pockets of inactivity;

• The need expressed in focus groupsto establish a Higher Education (HE)identity among staff and students.

With a view to achieving these aims, theCollege implemented two majordevelopments: the use of a Moodle VLE(Virtual Learning Environment) to build aHigher Education Student CommunitySite; and the adoption of Mahara, anopen source e-portfolio tool.

The VLE became a portal through whichall HE learners and tutors could meet.Fourteen course-level, tutor-drivenvirtual common rooms were created.

This innovation was of particular successwith the part-time learners who wereable to carry out “keeping warm” andformative assessment activities week-to-week, and use the common room areafor peer learning activities.

The adoption of Mahara enabledlearners to build their own personalprofiles, form groups and take ownershipof their own space.

The system was also used to form linkswith a business expert and studentmentors from De Montfort University.

Findings from the project have shownthe impact on learners to be:

• Access to online scaffolding exercisesto help improve academic writing;

• The VLE contributed to the sense ofcommunity, giving learners a means ofgrowing their relationships online;

• Meeting the desire of learners to havetechnology as a key part of their sociallife inside the College environment;

• Through the “Show and Tell” activity,learners were given opportunities to seekthe advice and support of their peers;

• Learners have access to alternativeforms of learning.

At the same time the impact for lecturers was:

• Improvements in the retention rate;

• An opportunity to keep learners warmin-between sessions;

• No longer looking at the VLE as a filingcabinet but as a chance to integratesubtle forms of learning that were funand engaging for their learners;

• Translated good classroom practice tobe accessible any time of the day;

• Interactions with learners onlineprovided opportunities for on-going,formative feedback.

Overall engagement with the technologyhas been flexible and staff have beenable to receive training on the use ofMoodle and Mahara platforms andcontinue to develop their coursesindependently of support.

For more detailed information aboutthe project and all associated researchgo to http://hello.lec.ac.uk or contactthe Project Manager, Lucy Stone atlstone@lec.ac.uk.

5

Best practice in the UK Resource CornerIn this edition we’re following thetheme of more for less by looking atOpen Educational Resources (OER).

The OER movement is about usingtechnology and in particular, theInternet, to open up access to learningmaterials that are licensed to allowthem to be freely shared, re-used andre-purposed without charge. Contentmay be stored in formal repositories,or simply made available via web tools.

The benefits of OER include:

• the opportunity to share expertise;

• raised profile and enhancedreputation – for the individual andthe organisation;

• efficiencies in content creation;

• increased access to quality resources.

Find out more about OERJISC/Higher Education Academy OpenEducational Resources programmewww.jisc.ac.uk/oer

Open Educational Resources infoKithttp://tinyurl.com/oerinfokit

Five steps to Open Access: A practicalguide to making Open Access work.Read this article in the new edition of JISC Informhttp://tinyurl.com/oerinform

Finding OERsJorum – www.jorum.ac.ukThrough Jorum, you can find, shareand discuss learning and teachingmaterials, shared by the UK Furtherand Higher Education community.

OpenLearn – http://openlearn.open.ac.uk The OpenLearn website gives free accessto Open University course materials.

OER Commons – www.oercommons.orgFree to use teaching and learningcontent from around the world.

XPERT – http://xpert.nottingham.ac.uk/A JISC funded rapid innovation project(summer 2009) to explore the potentialof delivering and supporting a distributedrepository of e-learning resources createdand seamlessly published through theopen source e-learning development toolcalled Xerte Online Toolkits.

MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) –http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm A web-based publication of virtually allMassachusetts Institute of Technologycourse content. OCW is open andavailable to the world and is apermanent MIT activity.

The challengeFareport Training Organisation Limited isa work-based learning (WBL) provideroperating throughout Hampshire andthe surrounding area.

Management there had noticed that staffwere spending too much time at theirdesks at the expense of being out withthe learners. Typically, assessors andtrainers would be spending two to threehours writing up notes after each visit.

The activityOne solution was to use digital pens andpads. This involves using a special pen incombination with a base (sensor) unitthat allows writing and drawings on asheet of paper to be digitised and savedas an electronic file, which can then beused as an image or a source forrecognition software in order to converthandwritten notes into electronic text.

Carrie Heath, ILT Manager, explains: “It is a simple and cost-effectivesolution. It also fits in neatly with theworking methods of staff with verydivergent IT skills. Digital pens are alsowell suited to the environments that ourassessors frequently operate in.”

After a comprehensive evaluation of all theoptions, the company purchased 30 unitsand began rolling out the equipment tostaff. The simplicity of the Digipen madethis task relatively easy for Carrie.

The main problem encountered whenrolling out the Digipens was that oldchestnut of reading someone’shandwriting. Like many handwritingrecognition systems, the associatedMyScript software needs to becomefamiliar with a particular user’shandwriting style.

After approximately one hour of use,MyScript started to learn a user’shandwriting and the number of mistakesreduced dramatically. Fareport are nowachieving between 80 to 90% accuracydepending whether the unit is beingused hand-held in the field or flat on adesk in the office.

The outcomesChild Care Assessor, Dawn Bunn, hasmost of her contact with learners innurseries, which means she has to takelots of notes in the working environment.

“It only took me a couple of hours ofpractice before I felt confident enough touse the Digipen live. Before, it could takeme between 30 to 90 minutes to write upeach observation. Now I can completeeach write up in less than 10 minutes.”

Summing things up, Carrie says: “TheDigipen represents a simple technologicalsolution that is widely accepted by all mycolleagues, and has had a dramaticimpact on the time staff can spend with students.

“What was particularly great for me wasnot having to provide huge amounts ofsupport as the Digipen was rolled out.In fact, the only real follow up actionrequired was to order some moreconventional ink for the pens as theywere being used so much!”

We hope that this will have given yousome inspiration for your organisation.Our thanks go to the ExcellenceGateway website for allowing thereproduction of this case study. To viewthe full version of this case study andfind links to other resources on thistopic, we recommend that you visitwww.excellencegateway.org.uk/fare.

In this edition of intouch our example of best practice looks athow one learning provider has used technology to becomemore efficient.

Using a digital pen to save time

Turning handwriting into electronic notes

6

Hints & Tips:Tools forteaching onlineThe Moving Learning Online series(see right) is being delivered over theinternet using a web meeting or“webinar” tool. Unlike videoconferencing, which requiresexpensive private networkconnections, web meetings enableanyone who can get online to join in.

All you need, to set this up, is anaccount with one of the numerousweb meeting services and a computerconnected to the Internet.

The software provided then allowsyou to deliver a combination ofpresentation slides, a sharedwhiteboard, audio and video of thepresenters, text chat, desktop sharingand polls or quizzes.

Accounts are generally charged forbut, if the service is used regularly, thecosts can be quickly offset throughsavings in time and travel.

Web meetings can be an efficient andeffective way to support coursedelivery or hold business meetingsonline. However, care is needed toensure they run smoothly.

Here at RSC East Midlands we arenow running regular web meetingsand can provide advice and supportwith choosing a service, setting upand running successful online sessions.

We can also advise on alternativeapproaches, using a range of otherreadily available tools.

You can get an introduction to thebasics through a course we haveprovided on our Moodle athttp://moodle.rsc-em.ac.uk.

For more information and support inadopting webinar tools please getintouch with Ben Williams on 01509618116 or ben.williams@rsc-em.ac.uk.

Moving learning online

If you had the opportunity to offer your learners an improvedexperience, focusing on the needs of each individual in a waythat meets their preferred way of learning, letting them workat their own pace at convenient times, making learningavailable through engaging activities using a variety of media,whilst encouraging learners through instant positive feedback,what would be the result for your retention and achievement?

If, at the same time, you can also givelearners greater control over theirlearning, foster independence anddevelop interpersonal skills, what wouldit do for recruitment and staff morale?

And if you can do all this within thefunding rules and simultaneouslyimprove efficiency, you would have tothink very seriously about it.

These are some of the potential benefitsoffered by blending online and face-to-face learning. However, realising thesegains is a different kettle of ferrets.

Online delivery is flexible, efficient andeffective – but it is not just about simplychoosing the right technology.

Indeed, many providers have thetechnology already. Instead, it demands astrategic approach, driven by pedagogybut involving a critical range oforganisational and educational decisions.

In response to this, we are presenting aseries of webinars examining thestrategic benefits of online delivery andpractical steps to achieve it.

The seven sessions cover:

• analysing and quantifying strategicbenefits to inform decision-making;

• getting online delivery right;

• successfully managing the introductionand extension of the online curriculum.

Our aim is to help you assess the benefitsof online approaches in achieving yourstrategic objectives and provide you withthe ideas and support you need tosuccessfully implement or extend onlinedelivery in your organisation.

The monthly webinars are free toproviders eligible for RSC support. Theyeach run over 45 minutes and aredelivered online to make themconvenient for busy decision-makers.

The first three sessions covered thestrategic role of online delivery, thecontext of online delivery within thefunding landscape and the pedagogy ofonline learning. Forthcoming sessionsare shown in the box below.

Each session is complemented by anassociated course hosted on our Moodlesite which includes a recording of thepresentation, so that you can benefit byreviewing the webinars and cascadingthem within your own organisation.

For example, in Session 2, AinsleyCheetham made a strong financialcase within the funding rules formoving learning online which is wellworth exploring.

Critically, RSC expertise is available tosupported providers to help you applythe ideas. If you are interested, pleaseget intouch.

16th FebruaryStrategic components of increasedefficiency, consistency & compliance

16th MarchLearning & assessment activities:blends between online & face–to-face

27th AprilLearner support mechanisms

18th MayMonitoring, evaluation & review ofonline learning

7

ManagementDirection

CurriculumDelivery

OperationalSupport

Focus On: Business processes

There are three obvious ways to go –reduce what you are doing, do what youdo more efficiently, or do more for thesame cost.

So how do we begin to think aboutbecoming more efficient?

We can take it that no matter how big orsmall a learning provider you are, thereare common functions e.g. CurriculumDelivery, Management Direction andOperational Support and these criticalfunctions need to join up and worktogether effectively before majorefficiency savings can be identified.

This boils down to the other popularbusiness cliché of “first learn to do the rightthing, before you try to do things right”.

There are many obvious quick winsthat can be achieved by “joiningthings up”:

• Improved Effectiveness – “Doing the right thing”:Personalisation, improving quality,meeting changing customer/learnerneeds and expectations.

• Improved Efficiency – “Doing things right”:Increasing access and growth, reducingcosts, best practice, innovating.

• Reduced duplication and bureaucracy:A minimal set of processes ensures therequirements of the specific standardsare co-ordinated, workloadsstreamlined and disparate systemsavoided. By avoiding separate‘empires’, responsibilities are madeclearer and silos removed.

• Reduced costs:Optimised internal and externalprocesses, inspection, documentcontrol, training, administration, usingintegrated management systems (IMS).

• Time savings:How much can be saved depends onyour organisation and the range ofissues. A single management systemreview is usually required.

• Improved management of business risks:The consequences of actions are takeninto account across the whole provider,ensuring that all understand how theyaffect each other and the associatedrisk mitigation is better understood.

• Improved analysis of data:By defining critical and shared datasets it becomes easier to define causeand effect, and helps to provide earlywarning systems.

• Improved communication, bothinternal and external:By having common objectives, a teamculture can thrive and results inimproved communication.

• Enhanced business focus:A single set of strategic objectives ofthe organisation contributes tocontinual improvement overall.

• Improved staff morale in times of change:Linking roles and responsibilities toobjectives and measurable outputs,makes change and new initiativeseasier to implement.

Of course you will need to look at wherecost savings can be made by putting astop to doing some things but a freshlook at how your business systems joinup, your operating processes, runningcosts and how the economic trends affectyour business is more than worthwhile.

For advice on how to use technologyto tackle business processes in yourorganisation please get intouch withthe RSC’s new advisor, Stuart Jones at stuart.jones@rsc-em.ac.uk or on01509 618113.

Without doubt these are tough times for businesses everywhere.Being a learning provider in the private or public sector is doublytraumatic with the looming funding cuts – savings have to bemade. The cliché of doing more for less has never been more true.

JISC newsOpen Source adviceOSS Watch provides unbiased adviceand guidance on the use,development, and licensing of freeand open source software. OSS Watchis funded by JISC and its services areavailable free-of-charge to UK higherand further education.

If you want to find out more aboutopen source software, and how thisapproach could potentially save youmoney, then they are the people to ask.

OSS Watch publishes a monthlynewsletter that showcases speciallyselected content and blog items fromOSS Watch along with news and events.

More information can be found ontheir website at www.oss-watch.ac.uk.

Single Equality DutyJISC TechDis has unveiled a wealth ofsupport to help learning providersmeet their obligations under theSingle Equality Duty.

Under the requirements of theDisability Equality Duty (DED) publicbodies such as colleges and otherlearning providers are required toproduce either a dedicated DisabilityEquality Scheme (DES) or a broaderSingle Equality Scheme (SES) coveringall strands of equality.

These should contain an Action Planthat is updated on an annual basis,while the main Scheme should bereviewed every 3 years.

More details are available on the JISC TechDis website atwww.jisctechdis.ac.uk/sed, includingthe Single Equality guidance booklet –Improve your 3Rs.

Previous newsletters areavailable via our website at

www.rsc-em.ac.uk

ForthcomingEventsFebruary8th (online) Online accessibility

self-evaluation for senior managers

9th (full day) Giving learners the best support

10th (online) New Build andSustainability Forum

11th (am) Work Based LearningForum

15th (online) Effective teaching usingyour VLE

16th (online) Strategic components of increased efficiency,consistency & compliance

16th (am) ILT Forum16th (pm) Advice and Guidance

Network

March1st (online) Top tools for creating

e-learning materials3rd (am) Learning Resources

Forum3rd (pm) East Midlands Information

Skills meeting4th (pm) MIS Network9th (full day) Developing and

implementing yourstrategy

11th (pm) SharePoint Forum15th (am) Moodle Users Group16th (online) Learning and

assessment activities23rd (online) Technical Forum29th (am) Adult and Community

Learning meeting30th (am) Teaching + Technology

= Impact

April5th (online) Accessibility and

Inclusion Forum7th (full day) Accessibility and

inclusion for library andLRC staff

27th (online) Learner supportmechanisms

Get intouchJISC RSC East MidlandsLoughborough CollegeRadmoor RoadLoughboroughLeicestershireLE11 3BT

Tel: 01509 618110Email: support@rsc-em.ac.ukWeb: www.rsc-em.ac.ukVLE: http://moodle.rsc-em.ac.uk

8This publication is printed on paper from sustainable sources. In the interests of the environment, please passon to a colleague when you’ve finished with it or recycle it. It is also available online at www.rsc-em.ac.uk.

For further details please visit www.rsc-em.ac.uk where youcan also sign up to our EventsRSS feed.

All our events and forums can becounted for CPD hours.

Equipment loansWe have a range of equipment that can be lent to supportedlearning providers on a short-term loan for free, giving you achance to try things out in practice, before deciding whether toinvest in them.Alternatively it could be that you onlyneed something for a specific occasion,so you could save money by borrowingon a short-term basis from the RSC.

Amongst our general equipment areUSB camcorders, e-book readers,eeePCs (notebooks), voting pads, atouchscreen monitor and a Wii.

On the more technical side we havenetwork monitoring tools and anexample of a portable netbookclassroom, constructed using 6 netbookswith a wireless router, which enables youto create a local area network.

We also have two sets of kit that arepurposely designed to fit the needs ofspecific audiences.

We have two mini accessibility toolboxesthat contain assistive technologyequipment. These include a number ofmobile tools to help you make inclusion apractical reality in learning and teaching.

Each toolbox also contains a laptoploaded with Windows 7 and specialistsoftware, along with a series of otherdevices such as a wireless keyboard &mouse; a digital pen and a voice recorderwith integrated speech recognition.

The Work Based Learning equipment isavailable exclusively to providersworking in this sector and looks atpromoting devices that enable learningto take place across multiple sites.

Options for borrowing include aDigimemo Pad to record written notesusing ordinary paper; a one-touch videocamera for simple filming and upload;and a digital wireless mini printer forinstant photos from your mobile phone.

For more information on whatequipment is available to borrow call01509 618110 or visit the RSC websiteat www.rsc-em.ac.uk/kitloans.asp.

The RSC East Midlands 2011 e-fair will take place onThursday 23rd June inNottingham at the EastMidlands Conference Centre,on the main University ofNottingham campus in Beeston.

After three years in Leicester at The WalkersStadium, and the previous three at theUniversity of Derby, we have changedvenue again to spread the event aroundthe region and to accommodate thegrowing number of attendees.

Feedback from last year’s e-fair was verypositive, and we plan to put on asimilarly impressive event this year.

If you have any suggestions for topicsor technologies that you would like tosee at the e-fair, or if you would likethe opportunity to present a projector some good e-practice from yourorganisation then please get intouchwith us at events@rsc-em.ac.uk or on01509 618110.

USB Camcorder set

Accessibility Toolbox

e-fair 2011 unveiled