rsc east midlands newsletter "intouch" - spring 2006

2
Spring 2006 Volume 4 • Issue 2 the termly newsletter produced by RSC East Midlands Welcome from the Editor Here at the RSC we are always considering ways in which we can usefully extend our support to the sector and recently we have been discussing how we might support learning providers who are involved in the rebuilding, refurbishment, or relocation of existing premises. We are currently undertaking an audit of such work going on in the region and are planning an event in May that will enable colleagues to share their experiences and disseminate good practice. If you would like to contribute to this event, please get in touch. All RSCs will soon begin supporting providers to improve information security practices and James Higham our Technical Advisor, has already undertaken training to enable us to offer this support in our region. See the article on page 3 for more information. Finally, we will be running our second regional e-fair on 22 June 2006. You won’t want to miss it, so put the date in your diary now! If you would like to contribute to the event, either by delivering a workshop, or by helping out in some other way, then please do get in touch. Judi Millage, ILT Advisor (and very temporary editor)! Forthcoming EVENTS January 27th The Learning Journey, South 30th Deep and Surface Learning 31st MIS Forum February 1st LRC Forum & I Skills Meeting 8th Using Mobile and Wireless Technology in Teaching and Learning TBA Specialist Colleges Forum 20th The Learning Journey, North 23rd Learning Journey: Next Steps March 2nd ILT Forum 2nd Technical Forum 3rd Assessment 7th Effective Management of e-Learning 8th MIS Forum 14th Round 4 NLN Materials for ACL 16th The Learning Journey for Scientists 17th E for Access 28th Tutoring April 4th Staff Development and ILT Strategy 27th Managing Learning Activities using LAMS 27th Hard and Soft Skills For further details see our website www.rsc-east-midlands.ac.uk INSIDE This issue Welcome Hinwick Hall College of Further Education: Accessible Entertainment Your place or ours? On-site Training from Netskills RNIB College Loughborough: Moving on to Daisy Round 4 NLN Materials for ACL RSC Information Security Services The HE Academy: Supporting HE in FE Forthcoming events Focus on: The Loughborough College Camel Hints and Tips: Windows Movie Maker In a residential college, the use of technology involving the delivery of music and video is a major part of the students’ spare time activities. At Hinwick Hall, staff have often modified students’ own PCs so that those who use communicators or other access equipment can choose and control their own entertainment and these facilities are usually a great attraction for other students. The trouble is that when students leave they take all the equipment with them and it’s not available for the next generation. The College’s ‘Straightforward Interface Project’ aims to solve this problem and provide extra accessible resources in classrooms as well. The production of four mobile accessible entertainment stations is being funded by the College’s successful Innovation fund bid. Each station will be a robust PC mounted in a mobile cabinet with wireless connection to the college’s network. The cabinets will have touch screens on a long extendible arm as well as radio keyboards and mice and will be able to accept control from the communication facilities built into students’ communication devices. During the working day the cabinets will be available anywhere in the College and accessible by a very wide range of students. They will supplement the existing facilities providing the ability to project the screen onto the wall. In the evening the device will really come into its own. Moved into any of the communal or residential areas it will be able to deliver students’ own music from its amplifiers and will deliver music videos and films owned by the students through its screen or through a built in digital projector for larger groups of students. John Sewell, TechDis intouch This particular CAMEL is Collaborative Approaches to the Management of e-Learning. It explores the development of a community of practice amongst e-learning practitioners working on aspects of promoting Lifelong Learning. The project is being undertaken by two FE colleges - Loughborough College and Leeds College of Technology - and two universities – Staffordshire and Greenwich. During the current academic year they are meeting at each institution to exchange ideas, problems and possibilities. Loughborough will share its experience of e-progress files, distance learning in leisure courses, developing a database system to manage learner administration through integrating college systems and accessibility. The project is run by JISC infoNet, ALT and the HE Academy as part of the HEFCE Leadership, Governance and Management programme. Ray Heasley is the Manager of Knowledge Systems at Loughborough College and leads the project there. He says, “We have enjoyed the diversity of approaches, meeting a variety of people and reflecting on what we are doing ourselves. We have learned that e-learning has a benefit for a particular setting rather than being an end in itself.” Although the project acronym was originally unintentional there is a parallel between camels and e-learning: they both make something happen in places where it would not otherwise be possible. Members of the team were inspired by the Oxfam Unwrapped initiative which offered the opportunity to buy a camel for a community in Africa. By suggesting the sending of donations rather than Christmas cards, the project team eventually raised enough to buy 3 camels, a calf, a donkey, and, to support education in the community, 300 school dinners, a school desk and chair and some training in modern methods and techniques for a teacher. For more details of the CAMEL project, go to www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/camel/index_html or contact Ray at [email protected]. For the real camel, go to OXFAM unwrapped, at www.oxfamunwrapped.com Hints and Tips: Movie Maker might sound exotic and expensive but if you have Windows XP® you already have it! It is a very useful addition to multimedia, probably the easiest video editor available today and it’s free. Try it and you may be surprised how easy it is. Limitations are that only wmv, avi and mpeg files are supported flash cannot be imported One advantage is that files are highly compressed - a 30 MB file will reduce to around 8 MB. There are options to add transitions, titles, and 2-D special effects. The interface shows the preview pane on the right and the Storyboard/Timeline at the bottom. Having imported clips into Movie Maker you can edit on to the storyboard. Clips are dragged onto the timeline and sound can then be added. Movie Maker allows you to preview in real time. If you want to include PowerPoint® slides, then download a free copy of MS Producer: http://www.microsoft.com/office/powerpoint/producer/prodinfo/default.mspx This is essentially the same interface with the slide feature added to the timeline. Martin Cooke, ILT Advisor The Loughborough College Camel Hinwick Hall College of Further Education: Accessible Entertainment FOCUS ON... Windows Movie Maker www.rsc-east-midlands.ac.uk www.rsc-east-midlands.ac.uk

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The JISC Regional Support Centre (RSC) for the East Midlands produces a termly newsletter "intouch" that highlights current practice in e-learning/ILT in the region.

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Page 1: RSC East Midlands newsletter "intouch" - Spring 2006

Spring 2006 Volume 4 • Issue 2

the termly newsletter produced by RSC East Midlands

Welcome from the EditorHere at the RSC we are always considering ways in which we can usefully extendour support to the sector and recently we have been discussing how we mightsupport learning providers who are involved in the rebuilding, refurbishment, orrelocation of existing premises.

We are currently undertaking an audit of such work going on in the region and areplanning an event in May that will enable colleagues to share their experiences anddisseminate good practice. If you would like to contribute to this event, please getin touch.

All RSCs will soon begin supporting providers to improve information securitypractices and James Higham our Technical Advisor, has already undertaken trainingto enable us to offer this support in our region. See the article on page 3 for moreinformation.

Finally, we will be running our second regional e-fair on 22 June 2006. You won’twant to miss it, so put the date in your diary now! If you would like to contributeto the event, either by delivering a workshop, or by helping out in some other way,then please do get in touch.

Judi Millage, ILT Advisor (and very temporary editor)!

Forthcoming

EVENTSJanuary27th The Learning Journey,

South30th Deep and Surface Learning31st MIS Forum

February1st LRC Forum &

I Skills Meeting8th Using Mobile and Wireless

Technology in Teachingand Learning

TBA Specialist Colleges Forum20th The Learning Journey,

North23rd Learning Journey:

Next Steps

March2nd ILT Forum2nd Technical Forum3rd Assessment7th Effective Management

of e-Learning8th MIS Forum14th Round 4 NLN Materials

for ACL16th The Learning Journey

for Scientists17th E for Access28th Tutoring

April4th Staff Development and

ILT Strategy27th Managing Learning

Activities using LAMS27th Hard and Soft Skills

For further details see our websitewww.rsc-east-midlands.ac.uk

I N S I D ET h i s i s s u eWelcome

Hinwick Hall College of Further Education:Accessible Entertainment

Your place or ours? On-site Training from Netskills

RNIB College Loughborough: Moving on to Daisy

Round 4 NLN Materials for ACL

RSC Information Security Services

The HE Academy: Supporting HE in FE

Forthcoming events

Focus on: The Loughborough College Camel

Hints and Tips: Windows Movie Maker

In a residential college, the use of technology involving the delivery of music and video is amajor part of the students’ spare time activities.

At Hinwick Hall, staff have often modified students’ own PCs so that those who use communicators orother access equipment can choose and control their own entertainment and these facilities are usually agreat attraction for other students. The trouble is that when students leave they take all the equipment withthem and it’s not available for the next generation.

The College’s ‘Straightforward Interface Project’ aims to solve this problem and provide extra accessibleresources in classrooms as well. The production of four mobile accessible entertainment stations is beingfunded by the College’s successful Innovation fund bid. Each station will be a robust PC mounted in amobile cabinet with wireless connection to the college’s network. The cabinets will have touch screens ona long extendible arm as well as radio keyboards and mice and will be able to accept control from thecommunication facilities built into students’ communication devices.

During the working day the cabinets will be available anywhere in the College and accessible by a verywide range of students. They will supplement the existing facilities providing the ability to project thescreen onto the wall. In the evening the device will really come into its own. Moved into any of thecommunal or residential areas it will be able to deliver students’ own music from its amplifiers and willdeliver music videos and films owned by the students through its screen or through a built in digitalprojector for larger groups of students.

John Sewell, TechDis

intouch

This particular CAMEL is CollaborativeApproaches to the Management of e-Learning. Itexplores the development of a community ofpractice amongst e-learning practitioners workingon aspects of promoting Lifelong Learning.

The project is being undertaken by two FEcolleges - Loughborough College and LeedsCollege of Technology - and two universities –Staffordshire and Greenwich. During the currentacademic year they are meeting at eachinstitution to exchange ideas, problems andpossibilities. Loughborough will share itsexperience of e-progress files, distance learningin leisure courses, developing a database systemto manage learner administration throughintegrating college systems and accessibility.The project is run by JISC infoNet, ALT and theHE Academy as part of the HEFCE Leadership,Governance and Management programme.

Ray Heasley is the Manager of KnowledgeSystems at Loughborough College and leads theproject there. He says, “We have enjoyed thediversity of approaches, meeting a variety ofpeople and reflecting on what we are doing

ourselves. We have learned that e-learning hasa benefit for a particular setting rather thanbeing an end in itself.”

Although the project acronym was originallyunintentional there is a parallel between camelsand e-learning: they both make somethinghappen in places where it would not otherwisebe possible. Members of the team were inspiredby the Oxfam Unwrapped initiative whichoffered the opportunity to buy a camel for acommunity in Africa. By suggesting thesending of donations rather than Christmascards, the project team eventually raisedenough to buy 3 camels, a calf, a donkey, and,to support education in the community, 300school dinners, a school desk and chair andsome training in modern methods andtechniques for a teacher.

For more details of the CAMEL project, go towww.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/camel/index_html orcontact Ray at [email protected]. Forthe real camel, go to OXFAM unwrapped, atwww.oxfamunwrapped.com

Hints and Tips:Movie Maker might sound exotic and expensive but if you have Windows XP® youalready have it! It is a very useful addition to multimedia, probably the easiest videoeditor available today and it’s free. Try it and you may be surprised how easy it is.

Limitations are that • only wmv, avi and mpeg files are supported• flash cannot be imported

One advantage is that files are highly compressed - a 30 MB file will reduce toaround 8 MB. There are options to add transitions, titles, and 2-D special effects.

The interface shows the preview paneon the right and theStoryboard/Timeline at the bottom.Having imported clips into MovieMaker you can edit on to thestoryboard. Clips are dragged onto thetimeline and sound can then be added.Movie Maker allows you to preview inreal time.

If you want to include PowerPoint®slides, then download a free copy ofMS Producer:

http://www.microsoft.com/office/powerpoint/producer/prodinfo/default.mspx

This is essentially the same interface with the slide feature added to the timeline.

Martin Cooke, ILT Advisor

The Loughborough College Camel

Hinwick Hall College of Further Education:Accessible Entertainment

F O C U SON...

Windows Movie Maker

w w w. r s c - e a s t - m i d l a n d s . a c . u k w w w. r s c - e a s t - m i d l a n d s . a c . u k

Page 2: RSC East Midlands newsletter "intouch" - Spring 2006

intouch

The JISC Regional Support Centres(RSCs) began supporting HE coursestaught in colleges in 2003. Nationally,the RSC HE Advisers have beenworking with the HE Academy, whonow have funding for FE support.

The senior adviser for the new HEFCEinitiative, based at the HE Academyheadquarters in York is Colin Rainey.He has been busy making theconnections and brokering thepartnerships on which the success ofthe three-year £0.5m initiative willdepend. ‘One of the key things that weneed to do,’ he explains, ‘is to make thesector more coherent and to get the keyagencies working together. There are alot of organisations working in the fieldwho are all doing good work, but weneed to improve coherence and

communications so that we can addvalue to the work being done incolleges. We’re working with the JISCPlagiarism Advisory Service, TechDis,the RSCs of course, and others toimprove this coherence and join ourwork up.’

Disseminating examples of goodpractice is another important areawhere the RSCs will help. ‘People’smost precious commodity is time,’ saysColin, ‘and so we should avoidreinventing the wheel and make themost of what each of us is doing.’

The Academy is in the process ofrecruiting subject specialists at six of itssubject centres. ‘For example,’ hecontinues, ‘one of them will be based atCity College Norwich, linked to thesubject centre at Oxford Brookes. These

new specialists will be people whohave credibility in the college sector.’

One of the key challenges facing HEstudents in FE colleges is ensuring theyhave the same level of access toresources as those at HE colleges oruniversities. Colin Rainey agrees thatthis is a challenge in general for thesector. ‘Perhaps the single mostimportant characteristic of the furthereducation sector is its diversity,’ hesays. ‘Some of the biggest colleges aremore like universities, with dedicatedstaff for particular activities. This is farfrom the case for the smaller colleges.So they may need more support. TheRSCs, with their close knowledge ofindividual colleges, and in partnershipwith others, therefore have animportant role to play in supporting HEin FE.’

For more information on how theAcademy is supporting HE in FE, visithttp://www.heacademy.ac.uk/1008.htm

Philip Pothen (adapted from an originalarticle in the latest edition of JISC Inform)

RSC Information Security Services

Most institutions now rely heavily on information systems to support and drive their keybusiness processes. Consequently, such systems are increasingly subject to audit to ensurethat they are being managed effectively and that the integrity of the information they hold isbeing maintained. The Information security standard ISO 27001:2005 (previously known asBS 7799) is frequently used as the basis for many such audits.

During this academic year James Higham from the East Midlands RSC and a number of other RSCTechnical Advisers are undertaking BSI Information security auditor training in order to bettersupport learning providers with their information security requirements.

James is one of the RSC Technical Advisers who have already gained certification as anauditor in ISO27001:2005. They are planning a range of support activities which will benefit learning providers who have awillingness to improve their security practices or knowledge. These will include:

• Onsite advice in information security

• Website guidance and resources

• Online Information Security knowledge development course

It is also planned to develop a direct information security health check service. This will be in pilot phase during the next fewmonths, and it is envisaged that it will become a national RSC technical service during the next academic year.

If you would like to register your interest in any of these potential services or would like some support in Information securityplease contact James here at the RSC.

Noel McDaid, RSC Northern Ireland

Page 3

The HE Academy: Supporting HE in FE

Key Benefits

On site training:• maximises staff development opportunities

by bringing the trainers to the participants• makes more efficient use of participants’

time and skills• provides cost-benefits by reducing

travelling time and expenses • offers peace of mind: Netskills attend to

the professional needs of your staff,produce all the required training materialsand ensure each workshop runs smoothly

Workshops Available

You can book any one of the Netskills range ofworkshops, covering topics including:

Information skills; e-Learning; e-Assessment;Mobile learning; Plagiarism detection anddeterrence; Web site development; Internetsecurity and legal issues; Database integration

Customised Training Programmes

Netskills can also customise workshops andbuild flexible training programmes to meetyour specific needs. Packages can include:

• Training needs analysis• Organising and delivering training• Arranging BTEC accreditation

for participants • Supplying training material for

cascade training • Help towards OFSTED Inspections

Further Details

For more information, including costs andenquiry forms, see the Netskills institution-based workshops page:http://www.netskills.ac.uk/workshops/ibw/

Your place or ours?On-site Training from Netskills

intouch

As well as delivering a programme of public workshops at venues across the UK, Netskills can provide on-sitetraining specifically for your organisation. This is a highly cost-effective way to train groups of staff.

The RNIB Vocational College atLoughborough, in common with mostcolleges catering for students with visualimpairment, has used tape recorders foryears to provide information and coursematerials for their students.

The students use a standard tape playercontrolled by a footswitch. For some timethe college has been making the recordingsusing digital technology but they have had

to be turned back into tape format for the students to use because noneof the conventional media players operate in the independent way thata tape player does. Every time the user wants to hear something he orshe has to change the focus on the PC to the player and then changeit back to the document or application they are working on.

The new standard in ‘talking books’ - called the DAISY format -allows users to navigate through the structure of a document easily

and allows students to put in bookmarks to mark their place.

The College’s successful Innovation bid is being used to bring theadvantages of DAISY materials to learners. The College is workingwith a software company who produce a successful DAISY reader tomake it work in the background with footswitches and across thecollege network. The college will also update their existing audiomaterials to take advantage of the features available in the newformat using a utility written for the purpose. Staff training will takeplace across the college to ensure the advantages of the new formatare available to all students.

For the College this will be the biggest change in learning methodssince the college was opened and will radically enhance the waythat learning materials can be used. The use of the new format offerssignificant advantages to those with all kinds of reading difficulties aswell as the visually impaired.

John Sewell, Techdis

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RNIB College Loughborough: Moving on to Daisy

Round 4 NLN Materials for ACLThe development of Round 4 NLN materials has created e-learningmaterials specifically for the ACL sector in the following subject areas:

• Family learning • Making learning work for you • Modern foreign languages • English for speakers of other languages (ESOL)

A series of subject e-learning workshops is being organised byNIACE to support the use of the new materials. These one day

workshops will focus on how learning objects can support teachingand learning and participants will opt to join a group specialising inone of the four topic areas. Further information can be found atwww.aclearn.net or you can contact Sharon Hutchings, ACL adviserat the JISC RSC East Midlands for details.

Sharon Hutchings, ACL Advisor

RSCs will soon begin supporting providers to improve informationsecurity practices…

It surprises many people that over one in ten higher educationstudents in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are taught infurther education colleges. With lifelong learning, wideningparticipation, foundation degrees and links between the sectorsfirmly on the educational agenda, that figure is set to rise.