RSC Newsletter RSC South West Annual Conference Safeguarding, eSafety and the Law

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2‐3

RSC SW eSafety Series 3

Forthcoming Events 4

Mobilising Teachers 5‐6

Network Promoting E‐Learning For Rural Development

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Business and Community Engagement

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In this issue...

Case Studies JISC OASES

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Cornwall College Uses Second Life to Enhance Curriculum South Devon College Technology Exemplar Network open day

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Gloucestershire College TEN Open Day

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The National Star College Technology Exemplar Network Open Day Fond Farewell Reverse: Conference Programme

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Stimulating and supporting innovation in learning

Issue 17 ‐ May 2010

Welcome to Issue 17 of the RSC SW newsletter/Conference Programme JISC RSC South West Annual Conference Thursday 24th June, 2010 Peter Chalk Conference Centre, University of Exeter The conference aims to celebrate and showcase the work of our regional learning and skills providers in meeting the business and community engagement agenda in four institutional strategic areas:

• Knowledge Exchange • Employer Engagement • Public Engagement • Lifelong Learning The conference programme will contain a wide range of project dissemination, discussion of innovative practice, opportunity for debate, hands‐on sessions, demonstrations and networking opportunities. We are delighted to announce that Professor Wendy Purcell Vice‐Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of Plymouth and Simon Whittemore, Programme Manager, BCE, JISC Executive will be our main speakers for the Conference. To access the full programme for this not to be missed event, please visit the following link: http://issuu.com/rscsw/docs/rscswconferenceprogramme For further information please visit our website conference page: http://rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk/index.php?p=22 Flip this newsletter over to view the detailed conference programme.

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Safeguarding, eSafety and the Law At the heart of safeguarding, e‐Safety is the safe and responsible use of ICT. This article will briefly examine legal aspects of e‐Safety. In order to comply with their e‐safety duties, institutions must consider and satisfy what is ‘reasonable’ in terms of their duty of care. In many cases, this will involve a judgment call to be made by a college following a risk assessment of the activity. Where there is a likelihood of harm, colleges must take reasonable precautions to avoid liability, although from a reputational, pedagogical and quality assurance point of view, colleges are very likely to do more than the legal minimum. In addition, institutions must satisfy what is required by specific legislation. Where offences are criminal in nature, these should be reported to the police. Safeguarding is also a significant part of the inspection and review process for colleges. It is therefore essential for institutions to ensure that e‐Safety procedures and policy are embedded in every day practice. To do so, colleges may be required to update and review existing policies to clearly set out what behaviours are acceptable and what will be subject to disciplinary measures. Furthermore, there should be an established incident response procedure in place, with clear lines of responsibility. Many institutions are now choosing to evidence their e‐safety practices through a particular e‐Safety policy. This will be most effective where it is supported through infrastructure, training and education. If you would like further details on any of the material discussed above, then a good place to start your information search is the new JISC Legal e‐Safety theme page on our website. Our recent webcast ‘Safeguarding: Meeting Your e‐Safety Duties’ was produced to clarify for institutions their obligations to keep learners e‐safe. This is now available for you to view here: www.jisclegal.ac.uk/e‐Safety.

JISC TechDis Toolbar JISC TechDis is pleased to announce the Beta launch of the new JISC TechDis Toolbar. This free application can be installed on a website or downloaded onto an individual PC, working seamlessly across all operating systems to provide significant benefits for everyone using the internet, especially those involved in education or with a disability. The new JISC TechDis Tool‐bar provides a range of pro‐ductivity and accessibility tools and aids to help users customise the way they view and interact with web pages. Features include a text to speech function, spell checking and dictionary facilities, and a feature for gathering referencing information within a web page. It also provides simple ways to adjust the magnification or font used on web pages. For further details on how to install and use the toolbar please visit the JISC TechDis webpages: http://www.techdis.ac.uk/index.php?p=1_29#s‐b‐c

As part of our extensive webcast programme, we discussed different scenarios; situations based on real life examples and issues that colleges have asked us about. Some examples include responses to the following: • What can institutions do about negative postings on

Facebook? • How should colleges respond to incidents of

cyberbullying? • What e‐safety precautions should colleges consider when

students are on external placements? • What obligations does an institution have to keep

learners’ personal data safe? • What might go wrong when using a web 2.0 platform? Other JISC Legal resources that are likely to be of interest include a short video on the legislative and inspectorate context for England, as well as a general e‐Safety Guidance video. These resources are now available at: www.jisclegal.ac.uk/e‐Safety ‐ Jackie Milne, JISC Legal

RSC South West eSafety Series The RSC SW has recently completed a very successful eSafety series, which focussed on some very important and relevant areas relating to eSafety and Safeguarding. The entire series is available as a resource from our eSafety webpage, this features the presentations and also the videos of the entire events. Our aim is to generate feedback from our providers to develop the resources further and highlight areas for potential future online events of benefit to the community. Please visit: www.rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk and navigate to the eSafety webpage for further information. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our providers and presenters for their contributions to the series and we hope that this series will help our practitioners with their policies and practices. Julia Taylor: juliataylor@rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk Matt Ewens: mattewens@rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk

RSC SW eSafety Series Presentations and Video Resources An Overview of eSafety Presentation: http://tiny.cc/a6hrr Video Stream: http://tiny.cc/viDct Policies and Practices Presentations: http://tiny.cc/36mGl http://tiny.cc/y1ado Video Stream: http://tiny.cc/Zvmjl Infrastructure and Technology Presentation: http://tiny.cc/wUd9T Video Stream: http://tiny.cc/sicjA Education and Training PT1 Presentations: http://tiny.cc/gbLgJ http://tiny.cc/0lBZ0 Video Stream: http://tiny.cc/N8rlR Education and Training PT2 Presentations: http://tiny.cc/Nfn4J http://tiny.cc/EGYuA Video Stream: http://tiny.cc/plh4s Putting eSafety into Practice Presentations: http://tiny.cc/wndon http://tiny.cc/ysvjl Video Stream: http://tiny.cc/vRk4q

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Forthcoming Events The RSC South West is pleased to offer the following events and workshops, please use our website: www.rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk/index.php?p=14 to view further information and book. JISC Infonet Project Management Workshop ‐ 05/05/2010 Location: Learning South West, Taunton Price: £50 Starts: 10.00am (Registration open from 09.30am) until 3.45pm Book here: http://tiny.cc/n7bn1 JISC Infonet Process Review ‐ 12/05/2010 Location: Learning South West, Taunton Price: £50 Starts: 10.00am (Registration open from 09.30am) until 3.45pm Book here: http://tiny.cc/yo3al VLE Intranet Developers Forum ‐ 13/05/2010 Location: Taunton School Price: £35 Starts: 10.00am until 4.00pm Book here: http://tiny.cc/eh0e4 WBL Online e‐Learning Update ‐ 25/05/2010 Audience: WBL providers and staff but open to all sectors. Location: Online Price: FREE Starts: 11.00am until 12.00noon Book here: http://tiny.cc/038mz RSC Annual Conference 2010 ‐ Challenges, Choices and Change in the Age of Enterprise & Engagement ‐24/06/2010 Audience: This major Conference is aimed at Senior and Middle Managers, Practitioners, Trainers, Support Staff, all IT enthusiasts and professionals involved in teaching and learning within all sectors. Location: Peter Chalk Centre, University of Exeter Price: £50 Starts: 10.00am (Registration from 9.00am) until 4.30pm Book here: http://tiny.cc/omuoq

ePortfolios and Education for the Professions‐21st January 2010 A series of highly informative presentations and lively discussions characterised this special conference which ran in Bristol earlier in the year. The event was a collaborative effort from the JISC Regional Support Centre South West and Bournemouth University, and gathered together a range of experts and practitioners from across the nation who have utilised ePortfolios to enhance their provision. Keynote sessions came from Dr. Cheri Logan of the University of Cumbria, Tricia Ellis from NHS South West and Lisa Gray from JISC. Cheri presented an overview of her research into quantifying the impact of ePortfolios pedagogically and on prospective employability in the Art and Media domains. Continued on page 5

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Mobilising Teachers

Lufton College of FE are connecting with their learners through innovative mobile technologies thanks to funding from their MoLeNET project. Lufton College of FE near Yeovil in Somerset is part of Mencap National College and is a residential Independent Specialist college for 110 learners with a learning difficulty and, or disability. Learners now come to college with sophisticated ‘mobile technology’ such as iPods, iTouches, MP3 players, laptops and mobile phones. Learners also have a sophisticated knowledge of their use. Not using these as a learning aid at college is a ‘missed opportunity’ in engaging learners in the learning process. However, staff knowledge and understanding does not match that of the learners. The MoLeNET project has provided an opportunity to upskill staff in the use of ‘mobile technology’. The project focus has been working with staff using the iPhone and iTouch encouraging them to see the opportunities that such technology can provide with their use as a learning aid. The project has a consortium of partners, National Star College, Hereward College and Doncaster College all of whom have a good track record in using ILT for learning. Tutors at Lufton are being trained to use and embed mobile devices in their everyday teaching. The iPhone was selected after much discussion and demonstration at a teaching workshop on November 2009. Our MoLeNET money has enabled us to purchase a number of iPhones, iTouch, and an iMac with the purchase of two mobile projectors capable of connecting to the iPhones/iTouches in the future. However, those projectors trialled so far have not been fit for purpose. A ten hour course has been developed that provides Tutors with enough training to confidently embed mobile technology into their sessions and covers a variety of areas such as teaching and learning, lesson planning, personalised learning, communication, accessibility tools, impacts of teaching and learning and sharing best practice. Turn to page 6 to continue

Tricia gave us an overview of how the NHS ePortfolio system improves Postgraduate Medical Training, and Lisa overviewed JISC’s work in the field with an exposition of some of the broad, conceptual ideas underpinning the use and development of ePortfolios, and a review of JISC funded work which has been undertaken. Other speakers focused on all aspects of ePortfolio use, looking at, amongst others, their role in developing professionals in situ, ways in which students have utilised the technologies available, and the more technical aspects of ePortfolio selection and implementation. All of the presentations given on the day are available to view and/or download from the JISC RSC South West websites Higher Education pages at: http://www.rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk/index.php?p=4_1 Take part in our next BCE online event; please visit the HE pages or our events section of our website for further details

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Ten Staff have completed four hours of their ten hour training module. Tutors are gaining confidence in mobile learning and their teaching can now benefit from these creative tools. Some Tutors are using the devices for planning, note taking, evidence building and storage, whilst others prefer to use the devices to focus on the students’ perspective. Staff are already seeing a difference in retention and engagement and have been surprised, even “shocked” by the confidence in which the learners have experimented freely and intuitively. Some students with more complex needs have found it difficult to use the iPhone, due to poor dexterity and through not having the sufficient fine motor skills required to operate the device. It has been difficult to find an application that was engaging, but not overly complicated for these groups of students. However, an app called ‘Talking Carl’ has proved to be successful. The tutors have noticed that when the students have used this that they were more animated and were initiating communication with each other. This was a great achievement but the college is still actively looking for more apps that encourage these behaviours. Some students are using the iTouch as a communication aid with the Proloquo2Go application, these iTouches are not networked and thus have reduced functionalities leaving the student with fewer distractions. One of the major issues the college has had to overcome is setting up iTunes for multiple devices without using a credit card or iTunes voucher and for staff to have access to the same applications. Staff are now able to download free applications and can make requests to purchase apps. Limited accounts can be cloned and applications can now be legally shared. This application sharing helps manage the budget and provides better value for money. If you would like further details please contact the RSC team at rsc‐advice@rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk where they will be happy to put you in touch with the relevant member of staff at Lufton. Lufton College will also be showcasing their MoLeNET project progress at the RSC Annual conference, further details can be viewed on the conference programme.

RSC SW RSS feeds... Keep informed about the latest developments and news through our RSS feeds. Feeds are available for our news and events pages here: www.rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk To subscribe, click on the RSS feed icon from the home page and then select the subscribe link.

Future Events Do you have an event idea that you would like to tell us about? Please contact the team: Tel: 01752 587031 rsc‐advice@rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk

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Network Promoting E‐learning for Rural Development A new project, part‐funded by the European Commission, needs some help in looking at the issues surrounding e‐learning availability to address the training needs of small businesses, the self‐employed and the unemployed, particularly in rural areas. At this stage, we really need the help of training providers who are willing to complete an online questionnaire (about 10 minutes) and who may also be willing to ask their learners to complete similar questionnaires at a later stage in the project. In return, we will give all training providers a copy of a Games Based Learning (GBL) tool, which has been created as a user‐friendly cartoon based character called Alfred. You can ‘play the game’ with a new learner to help identify their skills needs. The tool is friendly and easy to use. To complete a questionnaire, please click here: http://www.prismanet.gr/eruralnet/surveys/index.php?sid=47821&lang=en To find out more about the project please visit the following link: http://rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk/resources/files/eruralnet_text for JISC.pdf We need assistance from training providers to: • Compile an inventory of innovative provision of e‐learning • Prepare a study of “alternative media” that can be used

to improve accessibility of e‐learning to rural inhabitants In return, we will give free copies of the GBL tool to Training Providers. For more information, contact the UK Partner at Norton Radstock College: Marney Thompson Email: marny.thompson@nortcoll.ac.uk Telephone: 01761‐418634

www.rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk All RSC team staff contribute to the newsletter. Please send any comments and feedback about the newsletter to Matt Ewens, Information Officer at mattewens@rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk

Access our newsletter online This newsletter and previous editions can be accessed online and can also be downloaded in PDF format from our website by visiting the newsletters page

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Business and Community Engagement: How can JISC support Institutions? An Online Seminar from the JISC RSC South West 5th May 2010, 11am ‐ Venue: Wherever you are! Knowledge transfer, innovation and employer engagement are high on the Government's agenda for economic prosperity and quality of life and are major drivers for strategic change in educational institutions. JISC supports colleges and universities in the strategic management of relationships with partners and clients external to the institution, and in managing the associated activities and services, such as knowledge exchange and workforce development. The benefits of effective business and community engagement include a more highly skilled workforce, a more efficient, dynamic and sustainable economy and a more cohesive, knowledge‐enabled society. Institutions’ external partners encompass the private and public sectors, the third sector and the wider community. Business and Community Engagement (BCE) combines knowledge transfer and exchange with employer engagement, the latter supported jointly with e‐Learning. Through their cross‐cutting work, JISC helps develop synergies and efficiencies between institutions’ strategies, systems and processes to enhance their ability to manage and deliver these activities ‐ and the related services ‐ in an innovative and sustainable way. Simon Whittemore, JISC’s Programme Manager for Business and Community Engagement, will be presenting this online seminar, looking at some of the ways in which the utilisation of technology can ameliorate the systems and processes involved in facilitating and enhancing these burgeoning relationships. Simon will then distil the JISC’s support for the post‐compulsory education sectors in this regard, hopefully leaving delegates informed as to both the pre‐eminent issues pertaining to BCE and ways in which JISC can support their developments. The session will run online, so you can attend from your own desk (or anywhere else!) as long as you have an internet enabled computer to hand.

Useful Software WinFF Have you ever wondered how to convert video and audio formats easily for free? Look no further than WinFF, this handy program can convert even WMA files into MP3 http://winff.org/html_new/ Gimp GIMP is an image manipulation program, which is free to download and use under the GNU General Public Licence. It is primarily used as an image retouching tool, but it has a very good range of tools for editing, resizing and cropping photos. http://gimp‐win.sourceforge.net/stable.html Pinnacle VideoSpin Edit your movies for free with the Pinnacle VideoSpin a free video editing software program. http://www.videospin.com

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JISC RSC South West Case Studies Rapido Training Ltd: Strategic development of technology improves WBL assessment systems Rapido Training wanted to ensure that it would be able to develop its systems and make improvements to its assessment methods. The main challenge was to find a way to look at how it could develop its assessment methods to offer more choice to learners in the future. Traditional methods of assessment include written work and observation in the workplace, but there are other methods available which may meet the needs of learners more closely. Generator and WeLPs self‐assessments have helped Rapido Training to think of where and how it can improve its use of IT. Generator was able to pose questions that it would not have initially identified, and it allowed Rapido Training to systematically analyse its provision from a learner's perspective and technology‐based perspective. Through the self‐assessment process, Rapido Training has been able to prioritise its development activities, identify key milestones and plan a long‐term strategy. This has had the added benefit of providing a tool against which it can measure its progress and identify its successes. Training has also been a vital part of the development of all staff and has been conducted both formally and informally.

The assessor team is gathering photo evidence for assessment and using Photostory and Glomaker to put the images together for evidence to create learning resources. To view the full case study on how Rapido Training have improved their assessment systems please visit the following link: http://tiny.cc/leozs ‐ Matt Ewens

Rapido Training Limited is a leading provider of vocational training for the care and childcare workforce in Gloucestershire. Since 2000 it has successfully provided Apprenticeships, Train to Gain, National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) and other work‐based learning and qualifications for adults of any age.

JISC Regional Support Centre Southwest University of Plymouth, Babbage Room 316 Drake Circus Plymouth. PL4 8AA Phone: 01752 587031 Email: rsc‐advice@rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk

RSC South West Team

Manager John Mckenzie

Administrator/Event Coordinator Jan Holt

eLearning Advisers Dan McCaffrey David Rowe Julia Taylor Lyn Bender Noel Davis Tracey Morris Information Officer Matt Ewens Contact: Tel: 01752 587031 Email: rsc‐advice@rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk

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The JISC TechDis Online Accessibility Self Evaluation Service (OASES) TechDis have updated their online self evaluation for accessibility. This online service enables providers to get information on how to meet the demands of disability discrimination legislation and develop strategies for reducing risk. The evaluations are designed to embed inclusive practice and meet the requirements of the disability equality duty. The evaluation encourages collaboration across institutions. Teams of staff from different areas can work through the evaluations, then examine the results and follow the links the survey produces to some excellent supporting TechDis publications and other resources to help them take the required actions. If you would like to know more visit the techdis website http://www.techdis.ac.uk/index.php?p=1_45_1 or contact juliataylor@rsc‐south‐west.ac.uk Microsoft Accessibility: A Guide for Educators Microsoft have created an accessibility guide to help define accessible technologies and discuss the importance of providing accessible technology for students. The guide also highlights types of disabilities and accessible solutions to help students who have such disabilities, suggesting a wide range of assistive technology and products that may be of benefit. There is also a useful overview of accessibility features in the most recent versions of Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office. Windows 7 includes some specific enhancements: Speech Recognition ‐ Enables you to interact with your computer using only your voice, significantly reducing the use of a mouse and keyboard while maintaining overall productivity Magnifier ‐ Enlarges portions of the screen making it easier to view text and images and see the whole screen more easily On‐screen keyboard ‐ Interactive keyboard Narrator ‐ Reads text on the screen aloud and describes some specific on‐screen activities

ITQ for Accessible IT Practice All staff may be interested in the ITQ for Accessible IT Practice qualification, particularly when organisations are focusing on aspects of accessibility and inclusive learning practice as part of the Safeguarding agenda. ITQ – the IT user qualification ‐ now offers you the choice of many exciting Units which recognises the ways in which many people use IT in their everyday experiences ‐ for education, entertainment and to support day to day tasks using a computer. (See http://itq.e‐skills.com/ website for more information about ITQ.) For further details please visit the JISC TechDis website: http://www.techdis.ac.uk/index.php?p=6_11

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Cornwall College Uses Second Life to Enhance Curriculum Areas such as Arts and Media, Teacher Education and Business and Enterprise have been enhanced with elements of in world content. Tutorials, discussions and synchronous group activities are delivered with high levels of engagement and enjoyment, though we have discovered that asynchronous activities need to be monitored and given strict deadlines in order to maintain motivation. All content can be captured using Camtasia, Quick Time or FRAPS, tutorial and discussion transcripts sent automatically via email or dropped via note card into avatars’ inventories. One of the obvious benefits of using Second Life has been the ability to collaborate with students from all over the world, and to this end we are delivering an introductory teaching course to a discrete group of European students (with a view to running a second phase with students from America) and using the island to collaborate and share ideas with business students from Germany.

Should a wider educational community want to work with Cornwall College in Second Life, then we would welcome the chance to share ideas and experiences and work together. Bex Ferriday ‐ Lead Teacher, Cornwall College

Bex Ferriday Twitter: BexFerriday Second Life: Hebask Falconer

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South Devon College Technology Exemplar Network open day Over 60 delegates attended the South Devon College Technology Exemplar Network open day event on Friday 22nd January. A range of workshops and information stations were offered including: • Empowering staff & engaging learners • Using Moodle • Learning resource creation • Technical developments • The development of our in‐house eILP The major success of the day was the amount of networking that took place. During each lunch and coffee break, small special interest groups were formed, and contacts were made to be followed up after the event. Stephen Criddle, Principal, outlined the college’s mission to inspire learning and the part that ILT plays in engaging learners before delegates attended workshops on their chosen topics. “Stephen Criddle, Principal gave a very good opening address which supported the drive for continuous improvement in learning using innovative technology.”

Continuing the networking South Devon College has also set up a Community Moodle to enable networking to continue after the various Technology Exemplar events and the interest raised as part of the Technology Exemplar Network. Commoodle allows anyone to access the site as a guest or create their own account. The site is continually developing and has some general information about how technology is used at South Devon College as well as sharing resources and ideas.

The day was enjoyed by all and feedback included: “Seriously impressed with South Devon College, they so know what they are doing, great how ILT is at the heart of the college!” “We were especially impressed by the pride that seemed to be a part of everything and everyone we saw and met. We were also very grateful for the openness that we experienced. The only downside is that there was such a lot to think about it's going to take me ages to report back to my colleagues!” “Inspiring seminars on eILP's, Moodle and resource development as well as tours looking at the design of learning spaces. There was even a real techy seminar bit on developing the technology!” “I observed that the college was outstanding with a definite determination to maintain this, the workshops provided were of very good quality and would have benefitted all who attended.”

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Sharing The site is also used to share Moodle developments including the Twitter block created by the web team. The block can be put into any course and brings in the tweets of Twitter users or a collection of hash tags. This can be used to collect relevant information for topics or as a way to collect notices sent. Examples of use at South Devon College include: Using the #moodle tag within our Moodle support course to share ideas. This enables staff who do not use Twitter to still benefit from the ideas from the world wide community of moodle users. Teacher announcements can be tweeted to enable students to get the information at anytime but also collected in the Moodle course so that they are all in one place. You can have as many Twitter in one course as you want. If you would like the Twitter block on your Moodle ‐ you can download it from http://commoodle.southdevon.ac.uk from the SDC Moodle Developments area. Safeguarding Having the Community Moodle also enables South Devon College to address safeguarding issues on their Moodle site. They have many requests for access to their Moodle site so that others can see how it is being used. However, providing access to anyone who requests it poses some issues regarding safeguarding as anyone with an account can interact with learners and staff of the college. As the college still wants to encourage sharing and networking, the commoodle site was set‐up to enable this. If external organisations want to see something that is not on the commoodle site, South Devon College will add it from their live Moodle site. Take a look for yourself by going to: http://commoodle.southdevon.ac.uk!

Participating Exemplar Providers: Lead Exemplar: Gloucestershire College Lead Exemplar: South Devon College Lead Exemplar: National Star College Weston College The Royal Forest of Dean College Focus Training (SW) Limited Yeovil College Strode College Reflections Training Academy Cornwall Council Adult Education Service Accountancy Plus (Training) Ltd. New College, Swindon City College Plymouth Mencap National College ‐ Lufton College Weymouth College Filton College Academy of Training

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Gloucestershire College TEN Open Day It’s not every day that over fifty visitors from across the South West and beyond visit your college to not only see how as a college you are using learning technologies but also to discuss and share experiences in using Web 2.0 tools and social networking sites. Gloucestershire College is one of Becta’s Exemplary Providers in their Technology Exemplar Network (TEN). One of the things that Exemplary Providers do as part of their contribution to the TEN is to run two open days. Our first Open Day took place on the 10th March and was according to feedback from delegates a great success. With the wealth of learning technologies and web 2.0 tools and services available to Further Education, the open day was an opportunity to see how Gloucestershire College have been using learning technologies to enhance and enrich learning. The open day also gave delegates an opportunity to discuss and debate with others how Web 2.0 and social networking can be used in Further Education. Unlike many other events, the day followed an unconference format, or barcamp structure. We had a formal introduction followed by semi‐structured unconference sessions in which delegates were invited to discuss, show and tell, collaborate, share and learn. These covered issues such as Facebook, Web 2.0, student monitoring, mobile learning and MoLeNET. Delegates were also able to tour the campus, due to the size of the campus, tours were given a particular focus depending on what delegates wanted to see. Tours were given of the workshops, hair and beauty as well as general classrooms and the Library. James Clay ‐ Gloucestershire College

Feedback from delegates was very positive: “Thanks for putting so much energy into the TEN Open Day today. It was a very inspiring and thought‐provoking event and you must take most of the credit for that!” “I thought the day was very worthwhile and I am sure everyone went away with lots of practical ideas and lots to think about.” “Good day lots to think about. Going to talk staff inductions tomorrow. Thanks James et al” “Excellent day at Gloucestershire College for #bectaten. Got lots of new things to implement. Thanks James & GC staff” “Dual boot macs in LRC so students have a choice of OS at Gloucestershire College. I like that” “Most enjoyable day at GC” So did you miss it? Not to worry we’re running another Open Day on the 6th July 2010.

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Excellence Gateway News Using the Excellence Gateway for continuing professional development The Excellence Gateway has developed guidance, tools and materials to help you fulfil your CPD requirements and plan staff CPD programmes, these include: CPD Requirements Learn how to maintain your professional status. http://tiny.cc/guwui Using the Excellence Gateway to Support CPD Find out how you can use the Excellence Gateway tools and resources to support and develop your CPD programmes. http://tiny.cc/uqic6 Programmes to Support CPD Find out how participation in LSIS improvement programmes can bring benefits to you and your organisation. http://tiny.cc/9tumm Continued on page 16

The National Star College Technology Exemplar Network Open Day The National Star College Technology Exemplar Network Open Day was held in conjunction with the general college open day on the 30th March. In this way, visitors were able to see students actually using technology to support their learning. Approximately two hundred people attended; the exemplar event had forty‐six signed registrations, with about eight non attendees (through illness or simply not showing up on the day), which surpassed our target number of fifty registrations. Tours of the college took place throughout the day. Showcase spaces were held in the morning, where visitors took part in ‘hands on’ sessions and watched demonstrations, whilst in the afternoon two different themed discussions were selected (from five different topic areas). A text wall was used to collect feedback about the event and this was harvested to generate a word cloud of feedback comments. There were some lovely comments, reflecting how people felt about the day. “Thank you very much for a wonderful day at the National Star College. I will be taking away with me some brilliant ideas to share at my college”. The day was filmed by ITV and shown on Points West (http://www.itv.com/westcountry‐east/star‐college‐progress48916/) and local press (The Echo, The Citizen) were also in attendance. Overall, the day was hugely enjoyable and a great success. Fern Faux ‐ ILT Co‐ordinator ‐ The National Star College

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Fond Farewell…. Virginia Havergal e‐Learning Advisor – Learning Resources JISC RSC South West The RSC South West is sad to see the departure of Virginia Havergal, e‐Learning Advisor (Learning Resources). Virg has been with the RSC South West since 2007 and has been based in the RSC Exeter office at Exeter College, supporting in particular the FE Colleges across the Region but also providing information, advice and guidance to learning providers in HE, WBL and ACL on the creation and use of learning resources materials. In addition she has been instrumental in providing opportunities to develop staff skills in a supportive and collaborative environment across the South West. The RSC South West would also like to thank Virg for all her hard work in the time that she has been with the team ‐ amongst many activities, Virg has provided a wide range of events and Forums, developed strong networks for the Library and Learning Resources community within the Region and initiated a series of online updates that have developed into a vital current awareness service that has been widely appreciated by learning providers. She has also been working hard on preparation for the forthcoming 2010 RSC South West Annual Conference. We will miss her infectious enthusiasm and support but we are delighted that we are not losing her from the region and know that we will continue to work closely with her in her new role. We wish her all the best in her new venture at Petroc, where she will be Learning Centres and e‐Resources Manager, managing the learning resources activities at both Barnstaple and Tiverton campuses.

The Business Talent Recruitment Toolkit Business Talent aims to support the development of a world‐class further education management system. It provides a toolkit to support you if you are interested in recruiting senior public and private sector managers for senior roles in further education. http://tiny.cc/u7r7y New on EGTV: 'Partnership & Place' videos Check out five new video case studies on Excellence Gateway Television (EGTV) on colleges that are playing a pivotal role in addressing a variety of social and eco‐nomic issues in their local communities. http://tiny.cc/9v80l

Environmentally friendly Newsletter: 'Era' silk and gloss paper is manufactured by the James McNaughton Group. Containing 50% 'virgin' fibre from FSC certi‐fied*, well‐managed forests and 50% de‐inked post consumer waste recovered fibre.

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To do list!!! Make notes of the things you have seen on this newsletter that you want to follow up. • People to contact • websites to try • things to find out more about

Please flip the newsletter over to view the conference programme.

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Maps Peter Chalk Centre Room Layout Downloadable Maps

Conference Plan: http://tiny.cc/skdyz Campus Map: http://tiny.cc/rlxup Stretham Map: http://tiny.cc/7hjva

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Directions Address University of Exeter Streatham Campus Northcote House Exeter EX4 4QJ Directions Car The M4/M5 links Exeter directly to London, the Midlands, South Wales and the North including Scotland. The average journey time from either London or the Midlands is 3 hours. Bus (08705 808080) call at Exeter Coach Station. The local D bus connects the coach station to Streatham campus. Get off the bus at the top of The Queen's Drive. Rail Exeter has two railway stations ‐ Exeter St David's (main station) and Central. Exeter St David's Station is approximately 10 minutes walk from the Streatham Campus and taxis are available. The average journey time from London Paddington is 2 hours 30 minutes to Exeter. Use National Rail Enquiries to plan your route. For passenger information telephone (08457 484950) Air Direct flights operate into Exeter from Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, Geneva and airports in the United Kingdom including Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Guernsey, Jersey, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich and St Marys.

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Detailed Conference Programme Session 3: 14:30 ‐ 15:30

School of Everything ‐ 14:30 ‐ 15:30 Chris Swaine, Manager, Adult Skills, Becta Paul Miller, CEO, School of Everything

SPARK Futurelab ‐ 14:30 ‐ 15:30 SPARK is an exciting new mobile exhibition designed to showcase new and emerging technologies that can support innovative practice in education.

The Teachers Voice: Experiences of Using Technology in and for the Classroom ‐ Dan McCaffrey, e‐Learning Advisor, JISC RSC South West, Julie Swain, University of Plymouth ‐ 14:30 ‐ 15:00 Blended Learning in Initial Teacher Education ‐ 15:00 ‐ 15:30 Bex Ferriday, Lead Teacher, School of Education and Training

Knowledge Exchange ‐ Theatre E Supporting organisations in developing sustainable systems and ICT strategies for management and exploitation of their knowledge assets

Lifelong Learning ‐ Theatre D This strand addresses three objectives of education: per‐sonal development, social cohesion, economic growth

Trading Places ‐ (Exhibitors) ‐ Hall 2 A chance to view a wide range of exhibitors and discuss their services and technology

Practitioners’ Corner ‐ Hall 1A Innovative workshops and hands on sessions

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Detailed Conference Programme Session 3: 14:30 ‐ 15:30

VLE Standards, Bronze, Silver and Gold ‐ 14:30 ‐ 15:00 Vicki Weavers, eLearning Co‐ordinator, Weston College of FE Web Conferencing ‐ 15:00 ‐ 15:30 Barry Wilding‐Webb, Senior Workforce Development Advisor, Devon County Council

Achieving the Training Quality Standard for Employer Engagement ‐ 14:30 ‐ 15:00 Steve Trelfa, Head of Business Development, Bridgwater College E‐Portfolios supporting employee development in Public Services ‐ 15:00 ‐ 15:30 Foundation Degrees ‐ Dr David Croot, Teaching Fellow, University of Plymouth

Equality & Diversity ‐ 14:30 ‐ 15:00 Susan Easton, Senior Project Manager, NIACE Get Digital ‐ 15:00 ‐ 15:30 Susan Easton, Senior Project Manager, NIACE

Knowledge Exchange ‐ Theatre E Supporting organisations in developing sustainable systems and ICT strategies for management and exploitation of their knowledge assets

Employer Engagement ‐ Theatre C Meeting the needs of employers and establishing collaboration for mutual benefit

Public Engagement ‐ Hall 1B Bringing together the academic and non‐academic worlds with all parties learning from each other through sharing knowledge, expertise and skills

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Detailed Conference Programme Session 2: 13:30 ‐ 14:30

South Bristol Skills Academy ‐ Community Regeneration David Morley, Head of e‐Learning & Innovation, City of Bristol College ‐ 13:30 ‐ 14:30

BBC Online Motion Gallery ‐ Zeb Buchanan ‐ 13:30 ‐ 13:50 PTFS Europe Content Management and Library Systems ‐ Keith Shell ‐ 13:50 ‐ 14:10 VLE Middleware and Learning Objectivity ‐ Richard Goddard ‐ 14:10 ‐ 14:30

Web 2.0 Tools and Technology Trends ‐ 13:30 ‐ 14:30 Jane Hart, Founder of Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies

Knowledge Exchange ‐ Theatre E Supporting organisations in developing sustainable systems and ICT strategies for management and exploitation of their knowledge assets

Lifelong Learning ‐ Theatre D This strand addresses three objectives of education: per‐sonal development, social cohesion, economic growth

Trading Places ‐ (Exhibitors) ‐ Hall 2 A chance to view a wide range of exhibitors and discuss their services and technology

Practitioners’ Corner ‐ Hall 1A Innovative workshops and hands on sessions

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Detailed Conference Programme Session 2: 13:30 ‐ 14:30

Second Life in Education ‐ 13:30 ‐ 14:30 Julia Dando, e‐Learning Development Manager, Cornwall College

Using JISC InfoKits to support the BCE Agenda ‐ 13:30 ‐ 14:30 John Burke, Senior Advisor, JISC InfoNet

Accessibility & Inclusion ‐ exploring the accessibility kit and self assessment accessibility audits ‐ 13:30 ‐ 14:30 Julia Taylor, e‐Learning Advisor, JISC RSC South West

Knowledge Exchange ‐ Theatre E Supporting organisations in developing sustainable systems and ICT strategies for management and exploitation of their knowledge assets

Employer Engagement ‐ Theatre C Meeting the needs of employers and establishing collaboration for mutual benefit

Public Engagement ‐ Hall 1B Bringing together the academic and non‐academic worlds with all parties learning from each other through sharing knowledge, expertise and skills

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Detailed Conference Programme Session 1: 11:30 ‐ 12:30

Higher Level Skills Pathfinder Project ‐ 11:30 ‐ 12:00 Deborah Winwood, Project Manager LIFE Project ‐ Key Competencies in Life Skills ‐ 12:00 ‐ 12:30 Rosaleen Courtney, Project Manager & Caroline Harvey, Development Officer, Norton Radstock College

SPARK Futurelab ‐ 11:30 ‐ 12:30 SPARK is an exciting new mobile exhibition designed to showcase new and emerging technologies that can support innovative practice in education.

MoLeNET Practitioners Hands on Practicals ‐ 11:30 ‐ 12:30 David Mills, Head of Learner Information Services, Royal Forest of Dean College Gareth Davies, Learning Resource Centre Manager, Stroud College Caroline Packer, Resource Coordinator, Lufton College of FE

Knowledge Exchange ‐ Theatre E Supporting organisations in developing sustainable systems and ICT strategies for management and exploitation of their knowledge assets

Employer Engagement ‐ Theatre C Meeting the needs of employers and establishing collaboration for mutual benefit

Lifelong Learning ‐ Theatre D This strand addresses three objectives of education: per‐sonal development, social cohesion, economic growth

Trading Places ‐ (Exhibitors) ‐ Hall 2 A chance to view a wide range of exhibitors and discuss their services and technology

Practitioners’ Corner ‐ Hall 1A Innovative workshops and hands on sessions

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Detailed Conference Programme Session 1: 11:30 ‐ 12:30

Collaborative Tools For Business and Community Engagement (BCE) ‐ Stephanie Warren, eLearning Manager, New College Swindon ‐ 11:30 ‐ 12:00 Supporting Training, CPD and Staff Exchange for BCE ‐ Simon Fitzpatrick, Netskills JISC BCE, Consultant Trainer, Netskills Project Officer BCE‐CPD Project ‐ 12:00 ‐ 12:30

Establishing the FLYBE Training Academy ‐ 11:30 ‐ 12:30 Simon Witts, Director of Training at FLYBE Rob Bosworth, Assistant Principal, Exeter College

Small and Medium‐sized Enterprises and e‐Empowerment Punam Khosla, JISC TechDis Consultant ‐ 11:30 ‐ 12:00 Lively Leadership Julie Harris, Chief Executive, COSMIC ‐ 12:00 ‐ 12:30

Knowledge Exchange ‐ Theatre E Supporting organisations in developing sustainable systems and ICT strategies for management and exploitation of their knowledge assets

Employer Engagement ‐ Theatre C Meeting the needs of employers and establishing collaboration for mutual benefit

Public Engagement ‐ Hall 1B Bringing together the academic and non‐academic worlds with all parties learning from each other through sharing knowledge, expertise and skills

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“Welcome. Take your time to explore everything on offer, be challenged by what can be achieved, enhance your understanding, build your knowledge networks and take home at least one idea you can put into practice” John McKenzie JISC RSC South West Manager Internet Free wi‐fi is available at the venue. Delegates will need to collect a username and password from the reception desk. Please ask RSC staff if you require further assistance with this. Refreshments Tea and coffee will be available in the exhibition area in Hall 2 on your arrival (9:30am ‐ 10:00am) and again mid‐morning and mid‐afternoon. Lunch will be served in the main foyer from 12:30pm ‐ 1:30pm. Water will be available throughout the day from water coolers .

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General Information RSC staff and helpers will introduce themselves and be available throughout the event. Each programme session will be facilitated by a member of the RSC team. You can also call conference organisers at any time on the day on: 07734062661 (Lyn Bender) or 07834678160 (Dan McCaffrey) Arrival Upon arrival please register at the reception desk to collect your conference materials. Venue The welcome and keynote speeches will be held in the main Theatre Room A. All delegates are requested to attend. Throughout the rest of the day, workshops will take place in Halls 1 & 2, and Theatres C, D and E. The plenary session will be held in Theatre E at 3:45pm. Again, all delegates are requested to attend. Please follow signage and event staff to these rooms. Workshops Attendance lists for all workshops will be posted outside each room. Your conference lanyard badge will show the sessions you have booked to attend. Coats and luggage Coat rails are situated at the end of the corridor just past the reception desk. Luggage and valuables can be stored in Theatre B which will be kept locked during the day, (please see a member of RSC staff for access). Smoking Policy Please note that smoking is not permitted inside any part of the Peter Chalk Conference Centre. Designated smoking areas are provided outside the main doors.

RSC Newsletter RSC South West Annual Conference Safeguarding, eSafety and the Law

1

2‐3

RSC SW eSafety Series 3

Forthcoming Events 4

Mobilising Teachers 5‐6

Network Promoting E‐Learning For Rural Development

7

Business and Community Engagement

8

In this issue...

Case Studies JISC OASES

9

10

Cornwall College Uses Second Life to Enhance Curriculum South Devon College Technology Exemplar Network open day

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12‐13

Gloucestershire College TEN Open Day

14

The National Star College Technology Exemplar Network Open Day Fond Farewell Reverse: Conference Programme

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16

Stimulating and supporting innovation in learning

Issue 17 ‐ May 2010

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Welcome Welcome to the 5

th Annual Conference organised by the JISC

RSC South West. This year, we are focussing on Business and Community Engagement issues. In the challenging current conditions, the requirement for educational providers to engage effectively and efficiently with businesses and the communities in which they are located is of paramount importance.

We have brought together educational providers and other organisations, emphasising the South West region to showcase and discuss the issues and approaches in using technologies to add value to the learner experience. As in previous years, this event will provide plenty of ‘food for thought’ and excellent opportunities for discussion and networking.

Who is the conference for? Managers, Leaders, Practitioners, Support Staff, Academics, Education and Training professionals and enthusiasts from all areas within: Colleges of Further Education, Higher Education institutions, Adult Learning organisations, Work Based Learning providers, Specialist Colleges, partner school organisations and training enterprises Aims of the conference: • Showcase and support new thinking and innovative

approaches in the use of technology in education, training and skills

• Inspire and bring together a community of educators, enthusiasts and professionals

• Provide a platform to demonstrate, explore and discuss best practice across the region and beyond

Benefits of the conference: • Networking opportunities • Practical hands on activities • First hand exploration of current trends in education

John McKenzie JISC RSC South West Manager

Professor Wendy Purcell ‐ Vice‐Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of Plymouth

Simon Whittemore ‐ Programme Manager, BCE, JISC Executive

Scott McKenzie ‐ Cloud Logic in collaboration with Google Free Apps for Education

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RSC Newsletter RSC South West Annual Conference Safeguarding, eSafety and the Law

1

2‐3

RSC SW eSafety Series 3

Forthcoming Events 4

Mobilising Teachers 5‐6

Network Promoting E‐Learning For Rural Development

7

Business and Community Engagement

8

In this issue...

Case Studies JISC OASES

9

10

Cornwall College Uses Second Life to Enhance Curriculum South Devon College Technology Exemplar Network open day

11

12‐13

Gloucestershire College TEN Open Day

14

The National Star College Technology Exemplar Network Open Day Fond Farewell Reverse: Conference Programme

15

16

Stimulating and supporting innovation in learning

Issue 17 ‐ May 2010

Challenges, Choices and Change in the Age of Enterprise and Engagement JISC RSC South West Conference Thursday 24th June, 2010

Conference Details Knowledge Exchange Employer Engagement Public Engagement Lifelong Learning Trading Places Practitioners’ Corner

Keynote speakers:

Professor Wendy Purcell Vice‐Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of Plymouth

Simon Whittemore Programme Manager, BCE, JISC Executive

Scott McKenzie Cloud Logic in collaboration with Google Free Apps for Education

Cloud logic works with small and medium businesses, enterprises, non‐profits, charities and the public sector, including Local Government , Schools, Colleges and Universities.

RSC SW Annual Conference