SIP Evaluation Report

Date: 20/05/2013

Focus: RSC Wales Overview

Summary:

This report draws from an overview document provided by Peter Scott of RSC Wales about the organisation’s activities in support of TEL for the regional institutions. It summarises the services provided and comments on their scope and degree of engagement. It concludes with some thoughts about how the various initiatives and services might enhance TEL developments at Swansea Metropolitan/TSD.

1. Social Media and Online Events

RSC Wales tweets regularly on Twitter with information about their various services and events. The twitter feed also alerts followers to other events and services, particularly those provided by the Welsh Government, HEA and Jisc Advance Services such as Jisc InfoNet and Jisc TechDis. It provides an up to date commentary on what is going on in Wales by way of online and f2f webinars and conferences, various government and Jisc initiatives, and provides useful links to relevant websites. Following @rscwales is a good way to receive a regular feed of information about TEL activity in the region.

The RSC hosts a series of Webinars about topical TEL issues in its ‘Jisc RSC Wales Lunchtime Byte’ series. These follow general TEL themes, the theme for Spring-Summer 2013 being the ‘Open Educational Landscape’. Expert contributors from Jisc and the broader TEL community of practice are brought in as facilitators in the 1 hour webinars delivered through Blackboard Collaborate. Other webinars are also provided including, during 2013, coverage of the WBL TRaCIO Soft Skills Toolkit for the Welsh Government and an online event for the first day of the Jisc Wales summer conference ‘Encouraging Innovation’.

A further online resource is the RSC Wales blog which has recently been running a series of postings on the ‘Acquisition, management, promotion and creation of ebooks’. The series is a very useful resource for teachers and learners looking to use open educational resources.

2. The RSC Wales Moodle

The RSC Wales Moodle is a central source for TEL resources and staff development materials. It includes a wide range of learning and skills modules including teaching toolkits, accessibility, e-safety and getting to know Moodle, amongst others. It provides small grant opportunities for TEL innovation, as well as technical communications support and strategic support, including the Estyn Common Inspection Framework.

The website also provides access to the RSC Wales monthly Bulletins. These are circulated widely across the region by email and contains the latest information about RSC Wales events as well as information about events and news coming from the Welsh institutions, relevant initiatives across the UK and also events and resources from the other regional RSCs.

3. RSC Wales Engagement with the Sector

RSC Wales staff actively engage with most major TEL initiatives in Wales, typically as a result of being invited to join project management groups as expert advisors. It has its own

calendar of conferences and webinars, as well as frequently contributing to similar events organised regionally and nationally by institutions, organisations such as the HEA and government bodies. RSC Wales is part of Jisc Advance and offers a direct link to the resources, initiatives and events of all the advisory services provided. A key role is keeping institutions up to date with current TEL innovations and alerting them to new development and funding opportunities.

In 2013 engagement with the community of practice includes the Encouraging Innovation Conference and the RSC Wales Technical Conference.

4. Jisc Advance Advisory Services

The Jisc Advisory Services are well established sources of specialist expertise in aspects of TEL available for use by the sector:

Jisc infoNet

Jisc infoNet has developed a wide range of ‘infoKits’ that provide rich advice and guidance on aspects of TEL development and delivery. It also offers a range of practical development tools and staff development opportunities through a programme of workshops.

Jisc Netskills

Staff development is also provided by Netskills which aims to help individuals and organisations make effective use of innovative technology. F2F workshops, online delivery and the provision of practical training materials are offered.

Jisc Digital Media

Jisc Digital Media services include finding, creating and managing media for training materials development. It covers professional production techniques, good practice, design for web delivery and provides training workshops and courses.

Jisc Legal

Jisc Legal provides legal guidance for ICT use in education, particularly with regard to online course delivery. All aspects of IPR are covered, including the use of third party resources and copyright law. Advice is provided on legal obligations, liability and risk for institutions.

Jisc TechDis

TechDis promotes inclusive practice in the design and delivery of online learning. It provides guidance on the accessibility obligations of institutions for learners with disabilities, including sight, hearing and mobility impairment. It advises on supportive technologies.

JiscMail

JiscMail is a service that facilitates academic collaboration through email groups and distribution lists. It allows group creation, list management, secure communications and the ability to link through social network sites.

Jisc Procureweb

Procureweb is a Jisc Advance service that provides procurement support for the HE and FE sectors. The aim is to assist institutions get best value for money and it provides tools, information and support to anyone who participates in the procurement process.

5. Conclusions and Planning

Jisc Advance and Jisc RSC Wales clearly represent a rich resource for institutions planning innovative TEL developments. They draw on the very substantial legacy of Jisc innovative research and development in e-learning, as well as having their own track record of successful support across the sector.

The merger of Swansea Metropolitan with UW Trinity Saint David has resulted, of course, in a root and branch re-examination of all institutional strategies, policies and operational systems. The use of TEL in that mix is a current consideration and a new e-learning strategy and operational plan will emerge in due course.

This paper is intended as the first contribution from the SIP project to help inform that process. It summarises the services and resources currently available and provides links to each of them.

The project will continue with a more detailed examination of the Jisc Advance initiatives and will report further on information, services and resources that are likely to be of use to the institution in its e-learning planning. The outcome will be a complete picture of leading edge developments in the sector that will be of use to all involved in development.

The fact that the work of RSC Wales and Jisc Advance is ongoing means that all the links in this document will lead to resources that are dynamic and being continuously updated. This document will be made available on the SIP project blog which will be used as a repository and dissemination tool for the project.