Celebrating progressIn this edition of intouch we look atthe successes achieved in e-learningacross the region. If you want toknow how far your organisation hascome, then why not undertake ane-Progress Review (Page 2).

To see examples of good practiceturn to Page 4 or come along to thee-fair on 23rd June in Leicester. And if you’ve got your own examplesthen why not share them with us.

intouchthe termly newsletter produced by RSC East Midlands Summer 2009 Volume 7: Issue 3

Stimulating and supportinginnovation in learning

Contents1 A celebration of

e-learning2 Regional News2 Taking e-learning to

the top2 New e-Progress Review3 Working together3 New RSC staff4 e-learning prize draw4 Success in the region5 Best practice around

the UK5 Resource Corner6 Hints & Tips6 RSC support updates7 Focus On: Accessibility7 JISC news8 Sustainability8 MIS support

“It doesn’t do any harm every so often toreflect on where you are, and lately I’vebeen doing just that as we reach the partof the RSC year where we review whathas been achieved in 2008/09 and plan for2009/10.”

“RSC support started in 1999 and I’vebeen RSC East Midlands manager sinceSeptember 2003. In that time much haschanged in the world of new andemerging technologies, both in thesector and in the support provided bythe RSC.”

“Drawing on a carefully constructedsample of my own unbiased perspective, Iwould identify at least four significantachievements for the East Midlands post-16 education and training sector to beproud of:

• There is much better understandingof what e-learning is, what it can dofor the learner experience and thebusiness case for investment.

• The technology is much more reliableand user friendly – and there is a lotmore of it about.

• We are using the technology muchmore thoughtfully and creatively.

• The region has active and inclusivenetworks of those interested in theeffective use of technology, and I am

particularly proud of the RSC role inestablishing and supporting these.”

“So, lots of progress – have a look atthe examples on Page 4. But providershave nowhere near reaped the fullbenefit of technology. This is partlybecause the potential is continuallymoving on as technology continues toevolve, but it is mainly because we havemuch more to learn.”

“Providers still need to be better at:

• Realising the benefits consistentlyacross whole organisations – sharingeffective practice.

• Understanding the pedagogy; thetechnology is a means to an end notan end in itself. What is the best blendof technology and traditional ways ofteaching and learning? What is thebest way to take advantage of thepersonal technology learners have?

• Integrating systems together. This ispartly a technical matter, but moresignificantly it is to do with ways ofworking, of only doing things once,of making the technology simplyanother tool everyone can use.”

“That’s the way I see it. I’d beinterested to hear from you as towhether you agree.”

Chris Hill, Manager, RSC East Midlands

Celebrate e-learningJust take a moment to stop and think and you’ll find there’s alot to be positive about with regard to e-learning in the EastMidlands. Here are the views of the RSC Manager, Chris Hill.

2

Regional NewsFeaturing the latest news on e-learning around the region from the learning providers that the EastMidlands RSC supports.

LIG 4 funding successThe Association of Learning Providers(ALP) has funded projects involving anumber of learning providers within theEast Midlands region. Congratulationsto all those who were successful!

There were several consortium bids:

• Acorn Training Consultants Ltd(Look and Learn)

• Barnardo’s Lincs Training (TA Today’s Assessing)

• Charnwood Training Consultants(Virtual Academy)

• Institute of Swimming (AASE onlineNVQ learning resources)

• The Derbyshire Network(Implementation of e-portfoliolearning and assessment)

As well as one individual bid:

• KM Training Ltd (Personalising andPromoting Flexible E Learning in theWork Based Sector)

To find out more about thecollaborative approach taken byCharnwood Training Consultants cometo the e-fair on June 23rd.

Latest on e-portfoliosA joint event hosted by the Universityof Nottingham’s Centre forInternational ePortfolio Developmentand Leap Ahead (the Lifelong LearningNetwork for Nottinghamshire andDerbyshire) will look at how e-portfoliosare being used by several learningproviders in the region.

“Towards a Regional Ecosystem”: e-Portfolio Showcase, StreamliningProgression Pathways, 14-19landscape will take place onWednesday June 10th in Nottingham.

To read more details about SouthNottingham College’s part in theproject read the case study atwww.excellencegateway.org.uk.

CorrectionOur apologies go to Mas Sore atNorthampton College whose surnamewe printed incorrectly in the featureabout Information Skills in the Springedition of intouch.

As a result, the RSC Steering Group,which is responsible for highlightingregional learning provider needs, hasproposed that the RSC offer support toGoverning Bodies and Corporations.

So far, several colleges have taken upthe offer and agreed dates for an RSCinput into a Governors’ meeting or

training activity. The planned inputsprovide a strategic overview of the roleof technology such as “What willlearning be like in ten years time?” or“The e-mature organisation” and areadapted to the particular priorities ofeach organisation.

The RSC emphasis is not a technical onebut focuses on how technology canimprove the learner experience and theeffectiveness and efficiency of thebusiness operation.

If you think that your organisationwould benefit from input at this level,and would like to discuss how the RSCcan help, please get intouch with ChrisHill, RSC Manager on 01509 618114or chris.hill@rsc-em.ac.uk.

Taking e-learningall the way to the topThe use of technology has to be embedded in the strategic thinkingof the whole organisation for a learning provider to gain themaximum benefit.

RSC East Midlands is now offering thenewly designed e-Learning ProgressReview (ePR).

Currently only available to furthereducation and sixth form colleges, ePRprovides your organisation with astatement of your position in relation to theuse of new technology, based on the viewsof your senior and middle managers.

It is an approach to strategydevelopment and transformation that willenable progress towards fully embeddingnew and emerging technology.

ePR Benefits

• A means of supporting culture change• A picture of where your institution is in

relation to organisationalimplementation of technology

• Recognise and address opportunitiesfor further developments

• Increased involvement of key playerswithin the organisation

• An aid to self-assessment• An opportunity to reflect upon and

evidence good practice

The process produces an individualanalysis of your current e-maturity and aprofile based on your responses.

This forms the basis for a discussion withkey stakeholders from which guidanceand action points will be drawn. These,along with our recommendations, willhelp you make progress towards fullyembedding the use of technologyacross your organisation.

If you would like to benefit from anePR, please contact Judi Millage on01509 618115 or judi.millage@rsc-em.ac.uk who will arrange for an RSCadvisor to meet with your SeniorManagement Team nominee to discussthe process and make arrangements tocarry out the ePR.

An opportunity forcontinuous improvement

Peer to PeerRSC East Midlands was recently invited to contribute to an Adult andCommunity Learning (ACL) providers Peer Review group as it soughtto look at the role that technology could play in teaching and learningfor their respective organisations. The Peer Review group comprises sevenAdult Learning providers in the EastMidlands region and they meet on atermly basis to benchmark their activitiesand share ideas. The focus of the Springmeeting was to re-visit the providers’Information Learning Technology (ILT)strategies and their supporting documents.

Prior to the meeting the RSC was asked toprovide a list of factors to be consideredwhen devising an ILT Strategy. SharonCope, Quality Manager at LeicestershireAdult Learning Service who hosted theevent felt this was useful.

Members of the group were thereforetasked with making judgements on theappropriateness of the strategies againstthis range of criteria and the list was usedas a framework for discussion.

The participants split into small groupsso that they could spend time focusingon a couple of strategies from otherlearning providers in the review group,before everyone came back together toshare their observations.

Kathryn Robinson and Ben Williams fromthe RSC were on hand to support thediscussion between peer reviewers andalso presented their overall thoughts on ILTstrategy development in the ACL sector.

Anna Bridges, Adult Learning Quality &Training Manager at Northampton AdultLearning Service was one of theparticipants in the day. She commentedthat “it was very useful to meet withother ILT co-ordinators and managersto discuss the issues relating to how ILTstrategies and visions are beingimplemented in different authorities.

“The sharing of ideas and best practicewas the main benefit for me.

“Meeting the RSC support staff wasalso helpful in knowing that there is asource of help for future strategies inenhancing ILT within our local service.”

For a copy of the document ‘Questionsto ask when judging an ILT strategy’please contact Kathryn Robinson on01509 618113 or kathryn.robinson@rsc-em.ac.uk. Alternatively you can find iton the ACL forum on our Moodle athttp://moodle.rsc-em.ac.uk, although itis suitable for all sectors to use.

If you are part of a Peer Reviewgroup, whatever the sector, then theRSC may be able to help facilitate asession that focuses on the use oftechnology in learning. Just getintouch with the details.

Portland College has initiated a projectto pair up colleges with universityprogramming students to produce smallexamples of open source software thatmeet accessibility needs for learners.

Matt Harrison, Research andDevelopment Manager at PortlandCollege, explains that in the Coding ForAssistive Technology Solutions in(C4ATS)Project “we envisage the pairsidentifying particular accessingdifficulties, or short-comings in existingsoftware, and then working togethertowards a solution by creating a smallpiece of software.

“The software will be available to all,free of charge, as open source. Thiswould allow others to develop eachprogramme further and potentiallyexpand its audience.”

This project is in its infancy, and is lookingfor interested parties to participate. Initiallythey would like to hear from FurtherEducation, Sixth Form and SpecialistColleges within the East Midlands.

For further information go towww.portland.ac.uk or emailmharrison@portland.ac.uk.

Need a Hand?

New HE advisorWe’ve recently welcomed SteveSaffhill to the RSC team.

“I startedworking with theRSC in January2009. My mainresponsibility isas HigherEducation (HE)Advisor where Ican help with thedevelopment anduse of learningtechnologies specifically in the sector.

“Current topics include thedevelopment of HE strategies, now arequirement for HEFCE, howtechnology can help with the IQERprocess; and the role that newtechnologies could play in enhancingstudent reflection.

“I have worked in education since 1994 atthe University of Sunderland, GranthamCollege and Loughborough College,during which I have been involved withthe delivery of HE programmes in an FEenvironment for 12 years.

“One new service that I’ve been workingon with some regional learning providersis using learner surveys to ascertain thelearners’ experiences with technology.This is a great tool that colleges havefound really useful in helping to buildtheir strategies.”

Tel: 01509 618117Mob: 07833 058925Email: steve.saffhill@rsc-em.ac.ukWeb: www.twitter.com/stesaf

And one more addition…We’ve also been joined by PhilHardcastle on a part-time basis for a fewmonths. Phil has plenty of experiencewithin theregion, workingin a 14-18communitycollege, a localauthority adulteducationservice and alsospending acouple of yearsat NIACE.

He’s currently carrying out a number ofdifferent projects for the RSC and hasrecently produced and delivered a courseon e-learning and e-safety, the resourcesfor which are available on our Moodlesite (see page 5 for more details).

Tel: 01509 618110Mob: 07935 341845Email: phil.hardcastle@rsc-em.ac.uk

3

The ACL Peer Review Group tackling ILT strategy

4

Celebration ofe-learningprize drawTo celebrate e-learning progress in theEast Midlands region we are collectingdetails of effective e-learning that havetaken place recently, preferably withinthe last year.

Is there something that you are proudto be involved with? Is theresomething that you’ve done thatwould be of interest to others? If sothen please take a few moments to letus know what you’ve been up to.

To enter the prize draw simply go towww.rsc-em.ac.uk and fill in thefollowing details:• Name• Organisation• What have you done?• How has it improved learning?

This prize draw is open to all supportedlearning providers from within the EastMidlands post-16 education andtraining sector and can cover anypractice relating to e-learning.

For example it could be based in learningand teaching; strategic planning;technical; staff development; quality;learning resources; or teacher training.

All entries will be entered into a prizedraw that will take place at the end of theRSC East Midlands e-fair on 23rd June.

The prizes for the draw are:

• A USB Camcorder• An MP3 Player• A Digital Dictaphone

We look forward to hearing aboutwhat you’ve been up to. With yourpermission we will look to disseminatethis through our variouscommunication channels so thateveryone can benefit.

If you have any queries then pleaseget intouch with Kevin Spencer,Information Officer at the RSC, on01509 618112 or kevin.spencer@rsc-em.ac.uk.

Full details of this prize draw areavailable at www.rsc-em.ac.uk/prizedraw.asp

The first principal’sfirst principle

When I became Manager of the EastMidlands Regional Support Centre in2003, the first Principal I spoke to wasJim Mutton, Principal ofLoughborough College. I asked himwhat he felt was the most importantsort of support for the RSC to provideand his reply was simple. “I want toknow what others are doing that wecould usefully do here.” That principlehas been behind much of what theEast Midlands RSC provides.

It’s a sound idea because there is muchgood practice across the East Midlands. Ihave just browsed the East Midlands casestudies on the Excellence Gateway atwww.excellencegateway.org.uk. Theycome from all parts of the post-16education and training sector and there ismuch of value to share. Here’s a selection.

Some case studies show a direct linkbetween the use of technology andimproved recruitment, retention andachievement statistics, for exampleNorthampton College’s innovations ininformation skills and Care Training EastMidlands’ mobile classroom.

Others are examples of improving accessto learning by taking technology toplaces it is currently not available,especially in the workplace. CharnwoodTraining’s use of tablet PCs, SouthNottingham College’s use of mobiletechnology in sport studies and LeicesterCollege’s use of pocket PCs and mobiledevices to support portfolios of workbased learners are all practical solutionsto improving access to learning.

Quite a number of the case studiesdescribe simpler ways of doing things thatused to be more complicated – and morecomplicated often means more costly.

Learners at Loughborough College andWest Nottinghamshire Collegesuccessfully use a single sign-on toaccess resources. Tresham Institutetackled a major organisation issue whenit integrated two library collections;Chesterfield College’s use of virtualservers reduced the cost and complexityof IT systems; Regent College integratedtheir learning platform, MIS system andstaff portal. Brooksby Melton Collegeand South Nottingham College’s use ofSharePoint both have lessons to share.

A great merit of the case studies is thatthey show the whole experience – not justthat went well but what could have gonebetter and the difficulties faced. This isespecially important when taking a risk ortrying out new ideas. Have a look atSouth Nottingham College’s e-portfolio;Derby College’s tri-party e-assessment;KM Training’s use of CCTV in hairdressingand ISIS Training’s e-portfolio.

Teachers have always been creative andseveral case studies highlight this.Portland College uses electronic games totest the switching skills of their learners.The RSC loaned Nottinghamshire Adultand Community Learning Service an ultramobile PC which was used as a prize totap into the creativity of tutors – andproduced such results that they bought awhole lot more.

Homefield College in Sileby set up avocational enterprise buying and sellingitems on the online auction site, eBay.This provides a wealth of learningopportunities for its learners to developtheir functional and IT skills. What Iparticularly like about this is that it islooking in a whole new way at somethingfamiliar and using it to generate real,engaging learning.

So Jim – sharing practice is one of thethings we have worked to do. Thanks forthe suggestion.

Chris Hill, Manager of RSC East Midlands

Learners using new technology at Leicester College as part of their studies

Homefield College students use digitalcameras during their project with eBay

Best practice around the UKIn this edition of intouch our example of best practice follows thetheme of celebrating e-learning by showcasing a case study fromthe Northern region that was part of their regional celebrations.

Middlesbrough College: Blended LearningMiddlesbrough College is currently thelargest college in Tees Valley and hasrecently moved to a brand new building.In 2007 the delivery time for the ‘Accessto Health Sciences’ course was cut from18 months to a year. As a result, theprogramme had to be radically altered.The College decided to introduce amore progressive and innovativeblended learning approach.

The activityTo set-up the blended programme, part ofthe course content was transferred toBlackboard, the College’s virtual learningenvironment (VLE). However, if the onlinecourse was to be successful, the contenthad to be fun, dynamic, accessible andinteresting. To achieve this, tutors had tofamiliarise themselves with the possibilitiesof different e-learning technologies.

The students were introduced to thenew method at enrolment and wereadvised that, if they were to achievetheir learning aim, they had to haveaccess to a PC and the Internet everyweek. During the induction the studentswere introduced to the differentelements of the programme and ease ofuse was demonstrated.

The following e-learning technologieshave been incorporated in the ‘Accessto Health Sciences’ course programmesuccessfully:• Podcasts – lectures are uploaded to

the VLE.• Formative testing – the VLE marks

students’ work automatically andenters the grade into a grade book.

• Discussion boards – collaborativelearning via the discussion boardspermits students to support each other.

• Blogs – a private blog between thetutor and the learners allows the tutorto give personalised information,advice and guidance.

• Text messaging – text messaging,sent from the VLE, can be used toremind students of deadlines or checkwhy a learner was absent from class.

• Weekly online meetings using‘Wimba Pronto’ – this is an academicinstant messaging platform designed tobring informal learning settings online.

• RSS feeds – students benefit from thelatest news updates.

Lessons Learned• The network maintenance needs to be

scheduled so it won’t disrupt onlinetest submissions.

• Blackboard can be difficult for studentsto access from home. Usually thismeans they have to lower their firewallfor the period of time they are usingthe VLE, however, not all learners havethe confidence to do this.

• All documents need to be monitoredfor accessibility issues.

• The site has to be monitored andchecked every day by at least onelecturer and accordingly updated,otherwise the learners might feel thatthe site isn’t visited by lecturers.

• The delivery team must be highlymotivated to use the system and keepup to date with e-learning innovations.

We hope that this might give yousome inspiration of how to use e-learning in your organisation. Ourthanks go to the Excellence Gatewaywebsite and RSC Northern for allowingthe reproduction of this case study. Toview the full version of this case studyand find links to other resources onthis topic we recommend that you visitwww.excellencegateway.org.uk.

Resource Corner

e-Books for FEThe Learning and Skills Council andJISC Collections have joined forces tomeet the need for a core collection ofe-books for further education collegesin the UK.

e-Books canbe accessedremotely; 24hours a day, 7days a week.This is a realbenefit fordistancelearners, part-time studentsand those who prefer not to travel tocollege for reading.

They can be easier to locate than hard-copy books in libraries, and simpler tonavigate than print book, as phrasesand words can be found easily via‘find’ mechanisms and users can usekeywords to search within the text.

The e-books will be deviceindependent enabling content to beaccessed potentially via mobilephones, PDAs and e-Book readers.

For more information about the e-Books for FE project visit thewebsite at:http://fe.jiscebooksproject.org oralternatively come to e-fair on 23rdJune in Leicester where there will be aworkshop on the e-Books project.

New prison educationreport publishedThe Brain Cells: Listening to prisonerlearners report details the impactsthat learning new skills and acquiringnew qualifications and knowledge hason prisoners’ lives.

Full details can be found atwww.prisonerseducation.org.uk.

e-SafetyOne of the recent themes on theExcellence Gateway(www.excellencegateway.org.uk) was e-Safety, which looked at safeguardinglearners in a digital world.

Included in the resources is a link tothe e-Safety and e-Learning Moodlecourse that RSC East Midlandsdeveloped at http://moodle.rsc-em.ac.uk.

“Many thanks for the resources in youre-safety training. There are somereally useful links.”

Lynne Gee, Northamptonshire AdultLearning Service

5

6

Hints & Tips:Teaching inclusivelyusing technology

Are you confident you know how tomake your e-learning materials andteaching approach inclusive for alllearners?

Would you like ideas on how to makelearning experiences more engagingand varied?

If so, the JISC TechDis “TeachingInclusively Using Technology” websiteis well worth a visit.

JISC TechDis has produced a series ofeasy to follow online modules coveringboth generic and subject-specific ideasfor increasing the inclusivity of yourresources and teaching.

The modules cover preparing,delivering and assessing learning andeach one only takes 5-10 minutes tocomplete, so it’s a quick and easy wayto get up to speed.

These resources would make anexcellent link from your VirtualLearning Environment (VLE) or similarplatform and, although the genericmodules will suit most needs, JISCTechDis can also provide editingaccess to allow you to adapt theresources to your own context.

You can find the Teaching InclusivelyUsing Technology resources on the JISCTechDis website atwww.techdis.ac.uk/getTeachingInclusively.

To find out more about theseresources and the range of otherservices provided by JISC TechDisthen visit the Accessibility & Inclusionhub at the RSC East Midlands e-fair on23rd June in Leicester.

Here to helpWe’re continually updating the services we offer to stimulate andsupport innovation in learning. So here’s a quick round-up ofsome of the new ways that your RSC may be able to help you.

Moodle coursesWe’ve now introduced the opportunityto take a course or resource from ourLearning Platform, Moodle, and transferit into your learning platform. Thismeans that you don’t need to create theresource yourself or send yourcolleagues to another site.

A quick call or email to Ben Williams at01509 618116 or ben.williams@rsc-em.ac.uk and he can send you a zip filecontaining the course which can then berelatively easily uploaded into yourMoodle. You can also tailor the content tomeet your specific requirements if desired.

If you haven’t already visited our Moodleat http://moodle.rsc-em.ac.uk thenplease take a few minutes out of yourbusy schedule, you should find any timespent on the site is instantly rewarded.

Our Moodle is the place to get all theresources relating to the training events,forums and user groups that we run. It isalso the home of a number of shortcourses about different e-learningrelated topics such as funding, projectsupport and e-assessment.

New e-Guides Forume-Guides sometimes find it difficult toget to face-to-face-meetings, so we’veset up an online forum via our Moodlewhere we can contact them with newsand information to keep them up todate with new developments.

The first edition of the forum went out inMarch with lots of information aboutusing video in education, particularlyuseful now that cheap pocket-sizedvideo recorders are on the market.

The next forum information piece will beat the end of June and will be looking atdigital photography.

The e-Guide forum is by invitation only,but if you would like to find out moreplease contact Phil Hardcastle on 01509618110 or phil.hardcastle@rsc-em.ac.uk.

e-Portfolio supportWith a growing number of e-portfoliousers in the region the two Midlands-based Regional Support Centres (Eastand West) have formed a Midlands e-portfolio Group (MEG).

The purpose of this group is to offersupport for people working in educationin the Midlands region who are eitherusing e-portfolios or thinking of using e-portfolios as part of their practice.

We hope you will find the site useful asa point of reference and as a place toask questions of other e-portfolio users.Comments have come from as far awayas Australia so far! The group is hostedon a Google Groups site athttp://groups.google.com/group/rscmeg.

New SharePoint resourceAs you may be aware the RSC facilitatesa number of email discussion lists knownas JISCmail lists. We’ve now addedanother one to the list that coversMicrosoft SharePoint. This is a piece ofsoftware that several learning providersin the region, particularly furthereducation colleges, are using as a wayof managing information internally.

If you are using or thinking of usingSharePoint then we recommend that youjoin the list so that you can keep up-to-date with developments in the regionand beyond, ask questions and be thefirst to hear about the next SharePointforum. You can tailor the format andfrequency of the messages you willreceive. If you would like to join the list,please email gwen.callaghan@rsc-em.ac.uk.

Why not take a course from the RSC learningplatform, Moodle, and put it into yours?

Use e-portfolios in a number of ways

7

Focus On: AccessibilityAccessibility is for all – both those with disabilities and thosewithout. Wherever possible whichever means of accessingresources and tools the learner prefers should be available tothem. Technology has improved access to all manner of learning.

Reasonable adjustment and provision inadvance are now the responsibility of eachlearning provider under the DisabilityEquality Duty. The RSC can direct you tothe relevant links and resources whileproviding some pointers to solutions inyour individual situation.

From the learner’s perspective:

• “if there is useful information on theinternet, I need access;

• “if I can best communicate with amobile, I need to be able to operate it;

• “if there is a useful way ofcommunicating via video, I needaccess to that video.”

The Regional Support Centre seeks toprovide information and advice aboutimproving access to learning viatechnology. We can provide:

• support for senior managers onstrategic approaches to inclusivepractice in e-learning;

• help with interpreting andunderstanding legal requirements ofdisability legislation in the context oftechnology and learning;

• updates on new developments in e-learning and assistive technologies;

• advice on providing accessibilityinformation for staff across a variety ofroles within your organisation;

• an awareness of the currentcommercial and free-to-accessassistive technologies;

• loan of our accessibility kit.

We’ve developed an Accessibility andInclusion Forum for the East Midlands,which meets termly and has already beenhosted by RNIB College Loughborough,

The Dyslexic Association and LincolnCollege. All the resources and a summaryof the previous forums can be found onthe RSC Moodle at http://moodle.rsc-em.ac.uk.

Running alongside the forum the RSCfacilitates an email discussion list that giveseveryone on the list a chance to posequestions and share good practice. Wealso send relevant pieces of informationand news to the list.

As well as the regular forum, the RSCoften runs hands-on workshops that lookat assistive technologies and inclusive e-Learning resources. In the summer termwe are offering a free event “A first-hand guide to using accessibility tools?”at Loughborough College on June 12th.

One of our roles as a Regional SupportCentre is to hook into nationaldevelopments and provision that isprovided by other RSCs and parts of theJISC network. Particularly relevant toaccessibility are JISC TechDis, JISCInfonet, and JISC Legal (see right).

Accessibility and Inclusion will be thetheme of our learning hub at the RSC e-fair this year on 23rd June in Leicester.

If you’d like to find out more aboutthis service then please downloadinformation sheet (no.5) from ourwebsite at www.rsc-em.ac.uk or getintouch with Martin Cooke on 01509618118 or martin.cooke@rsc-em.ac.uk.

JISC news

Upwardly MobileJISC TechDis and Molenet haveworked together to produce paperand digital resources on mobiletechnologies for the disabled.

Mobile learning is a fast-maturingtechnology offering opportunities andchallenges in equal measure. Learningwith mobile devices can bring manyinclusion benefits, enabling learners toaccess content wherever and wheneverthey choose, and using a device theyknow they can operate.

The DVD-ROM Upwardly Mobile andthe companion publication GoMobile!will encourage innovation, creativityand a holistic approach to m-learningacross the educational sectors.

More information atwww.techdis.ac.uk/upwardlymobile

AccessAppsAccessApps is an initiative developedby the Scottish JISC Regional SupportCentres in cooperation with JISCTechDis. It consists of over 50 opensource and freeware assistivetechnology applications which can beentirely used from a USB stick on aWindows computer.

AccessApps will run without needing toinstall anything on a computer andprovide a range of e-learning solutionsto support writing, reading andplanning as well as visual and mobilitydifficulties. You can download a copy atwww.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk/accessapps.

Following the early success a newdevelopment is EduApps, whichextends the AccessApps philosophy offree portable software in your pocketto include bundles of applicationsspecifically designed for teachers(TeachApps) and learners (LearnApps).

Accessibility in VistaRSC Scotland N&E has written a 24-page guide on the accessibilityfeatures built into Windows Vistaentitled “Ease of Access Centre Guidefor Windows Vista”. Find out more atwww.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk.

Students with learning difficulties can usetechnology to increase their accessibility tolearning

ForthcomingEventsJune4th (full day) Dynamic presentations

for interactive teaching

9th (am) Information LearningTechnology (ILT) Forum

11th (full day) A first hand guide togetting the most out ofkey accessibility tools

11th (am) Learning ResourcesForum

11th (pm) East MidlandsInformation Skills(EMIS) meeting

17th (am) Technical Forum

23rd (full day) e-fair 2009

For further detailsplease visit www.rsc-em.ac.uk whereyou can also sign up toour Events RSS feed

Our Summer Events Programme hasmore details about these events

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

8

New RSC supporton the horizon...

The RSC project lead for both the Sustainability and MIS projects is GordonMillner. If you wish to discuss either of the projects with him please contact him on01509 618120 or gordon.millner@rsc-em.ac.uk.

This 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.

Sustainability ProjectHistorically the JISC Regional SupportCentres have supported learningproviders with their development ofInformation CommunicationsTechnology (ICT) and InformationLearning Technologies (ILT).

With the need to improve greenaccountability for business and socialreasons, both nationally and globally, weare conducting a project with thefollowing specific aims:

• To inform the RSC aboutsustainability issues in East Midlandslearning providers.

• To explore the need for RSC supportfor sustainability in the East Midlands.

The project aims to elicit answers to thefollowing questions:

• What are the key sustainability issues?• Who is involved?• What are the differences between

sectors?• What are the support needs?• How can the RSC provide support?

If you would like further information,then please take a look at the blog thatis supporting this project atsustainict.wordpress.com. If you havecolleagues who are more involved insustainability then please let them knowabout this project.

MIS SupportThe importance of consistent andreliable data in an organisation’sManagement Information System (MIS)should be fundamental to the efficientrunning of the business. Additionally, foreducational establishments the MIS is,of course, the mechanism by whichfunding claims are made.

With so much more data now beingcollected in an organisation, (such asHR, Estates, Finance), management isseeking to integrate this data to provideuseful business information on a scalethat has not been seen before.

In order to quantify the types of datathat learning providers in the EastMidlands region are using, and how theyare using it, the RSC has funded an MISproject which will be conducted byEMFEC over the next few months.

We aim to identify:

• What are the key MIS issues?• Who is involved?• What are the differences between

sectors?• What programs are being used for

data manipulation in organisations?• What are the support needs?• How can the RSC provide support for

MIS?

Every summer RSC East Midlandscreates a forward plan that sets out keyactions for the coming year. Prioritiescome partly from national initiatives butmainly from the needs of regionallearning providers.

Needs are identified by what you tell us,either directly or through the RSCSteering Group. We very much want tohear from you about where you wouldvalue RSC support.

So what support do you want for2009/10?

Either get intouch directly or come tothe strategy workshop “Strategicpriorities and RSC support” at the RSCe-fair on 23rd June in Leicester, whichwill look at forthcoming changes forthe sector and the support you needto deal with them.

… And what more would you like!