rsc northwest e-Learning focus
Volume 7 Issue 1 ----------------------------------------------- November 2007
Contents... Page 1 Joint Observation of Teaching and Learning Protocol.
“Council Adult Learning Providers Collaborate as a Peer Development Group” In the North West, 9 Local Authority Adult Learning Providers have collaborated effectively to share practice and support quality improvement strategies around observations of teaching and learning. The project (co-ordinated by Knowsley) involved a total of 9 authorities (Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Halton, Knowsley, Lancashire, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral) and has resulted in a joint Observation of Teaching and Learning Protocol responding to both local and regional initiatives. The project was financed by the Quality Improvement Agency through a Support for Success Quality Improvement Programme and facilitated by an LSN Support for Success (s4s) Consultant who brought the guide together into one single product based on practices from the 9 participating Local Authorities. The project was initiated through a Greater Merseyside Local Authority Quality Improvement Network (a network of 6 Local Authorities – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral). This Quality Improvement Network is an effective example of how Adult Learning Providers in Greater Merseyside collaborate as
a Peer Development Group to exchange ideas and practice to improvement quality. The group aims to provide shared solutions. The OTL protocol is readily transferable for application in other Local Authorities as well as in FE Colleges. The people involved were: Elaine McCausland, Head of Teaching and Learning – South Zone, Liverpool Adult Learning Services, Angie Feeney, Head of Adult and Community Education, Knowsley MBC – Family And Community Education, Sarah Howarth, Lifelong Learning Adviser, Wirral Lifelong and Family Learning Service, Marlaine Whitham, ACL Development Manager, St Helens Council Adult and Community Learning Service Teresa Miskimmon, Inclusive Learning Co-ordinator, Halton Borough Council, Jacqui Ball, Family and Community Learning Manager, Sefton Adult and Community Learning Service, Elizabeth Mawson, Quality and Contracts Manager, Adult and Community Learning, Blackpool Council, Hanif Mangera, Quality Development Manager, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Adrian Weights, Senior Curriculum Development Manager, Lancashire Adult Learning
Page 2 Avoid Death-byPowerPoint NorMan, SMILT, MILT and the CEC? Page 3 CoFHE/UC&R Joint Study Conference Page 4 Moodle Course Usage Report Generator Data Protection Act Page 5 Data Protection Act continued Page 6 MoLeNET RSC-NW TV FURLing the RSC Web Links Page 7 It’s not about the Communication… Page 8 Some questions answered… IP Telephony & CCTV Page 10 eMagazine Success Stockport College Page 11 Web 2.0 Crossword Page 12 New RSC Northwest Manager
Welcome... ...to the latest issue of RSC Northwest Newsletter. As usual, send any comments to the newsletter editors John Dalziel and Chrissie Turkington at support@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
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Avoid Deathby-PowerPoint How to avoid Death-byPowerPoint I keep saying - there's no such thing. There are either good or bad presentations but Microsoft are not to blame! So how can you prepare and present the killer presentation, whether for a conference slot or for use in the classroom? What should you do and what should you not do? I've written about this before in the days of overhead projectors (OHPs) in the pages of the National CMIS Board's newsletter but there is obviously still such a need. Someone prompted me to update the article in an attempt to save conference audiences everywhere from depression and intense boredom. So that’s what I’ve done. The article can be found on my blog – John Burke’s Education Project – at http://jbep.blogspot.com and (in case newer articles have pushed it downwards) it was published on 4 July 2007. It is intended to cover everything the presentation itself - what should it look like, how fast should it move, should it have sound, video, special effects? Speaking - what should you say, how should you say it, using microphones without fear. The way you act - where should you stand, where should you look, can you read a script, should you stay still or move about? Oh... that's the first lesson - tell them what you are going to tell them first... then tell them! In this case – it’s tell them where to look http://jbep.blogspot.com
It might even make you smile a time or two! John Burke, Senior Adviser, JISC infoNet
NorManSMILTMILT &THECEC Who are NorMan, SMILT, MILT and The CEC?- Regional Forums The RSC has been working hard to develop new and existing sub regional ILT groups across the North West. These groups meet once a term and allow those with an interest in ILT to share good practice and work with others from the region. They have also worked with members of the RSC and external presenters to develop knowledge and understanding of a range of topics including content creation, ILT strategies, e-portfolios and the e-maturity framework. Contacts made through these groups have gone on to work on projects and place collaborative bids for funding.
SMILT (South Manchester ILT) is one of the more established groups and they have gone on to develop a joint staff development conference to rival any national event. Sheena Palmer ILT Project Manager for Trafford College and SMILT member explains why she has found the group so useful;
in the Creative Arts section now use this programme.” Sandra Taylor, e-Learning Manager for Ashton Sixth Form, explains how SMILT has had an impact on her college; “SMILT has given me the opportunity to meet regularly with colleagues from other local colleges who face the same challenges as we do in ours. We share good practice and if there is something that we need help with we know we can contact each other. I think the main impact has been on sharing good practice. We have now started to invite other colleagues to the meetings to allow them to network with their local peers, I think this will have the biggest impact on other members of the college. It will hopefully lead to further collaboration between colleges.” Other groups include NorMan (North Manchester), The MILT (Merseyside ILT group) and the CEC (Cumbrian E-Learning Collaboration).
“I have found the SMILT group excellent for networking – hearing other people’s problems / stories.
Steve Ingle, Head of Learning Services from Kendal College explains what he gets out of being part of the CEC;
The range in the group is also great for sharing different expertise. The specialists and expert visitors are really useful…. All of this in a nonthreatening, supportive environment.
“A really useful networking group to meet likeminded colleagues facing similar issues or developmental needs… Often useful for collaboration projects, disseminating information, asking questions”
The impact on other staff and students is therefore from having an e-learning person in post who is more knowledgeable. One example of this was the Photostory programme which was shown at a meeting last year – learners on some programmes
To find out more contact Kevin Hickey kh@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
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CoFHE/UC&R JOINTSTUDY
CONFERENCE The CoFHE/UC&R Joint Study Conference will take place in Liverpool from 23rd to 26th June 2008 at Liverpool Hope University. The conference venue has been chosen to coincide with Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture, and our theme is “Libraries make a difference : building a learning culture” Delegates will be able to attend four plenary sessions and select five workshops from a wide range of choices to appeal to HE and FE practitioners alike. A range of cultural visits to Liverpool’s many historic and cultural attractions will also be on offer, and the conference will conclude with dinner at Liverpool Town Hall, where we will be welcomed by the Lord Mayor and our guest of honour will be Frank Cottrell-Boyce, leading Liverpool author and Carnegie Medal winner. Speakers already confirmed include Dame Jackie Fisher of Newcastle College, Dr David Collins CBE of South Cheshire College and Joyce Little, Director of Liverpool City Libraries. The conference will focus on the ways in which libraries support learning in today’s rapidly changing environment, and will look at changing learning styles, the use of ICT, the built environment, organisational cultures and the issues facing managers.
If you would like to register your interest, and receive updates as speakers and workshops are confirmed, please e-mail steve.cropper@wmc.ac.uk Full conference details and prices will be issued in January. Interest in the event is already high, with several key sponsors and exhibitors already signed up. We look forward to welcoming you to Liverpool for this exciting event. Steve Cropper, Chair of the 2008 CoFHE/UC&R Joint Study Conference Organising Team.
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Moodle Course Usage Report Generator... By Ian Fogarty (Wirral Metropolitan College) NOTE:- The report generator is available as a zipped file. Requests by email to… support@rsc-northwest.ac.uk To use the Report Generator, you need to create a user in mysql who has “select” permissions over the Moodle database. The username, password, database name and database host needs to be updated in the common_lib.php file. In addition to that, on line 205 of common lib, you need to change the if function to denote the network IP address range of the college, specifically so that the report can not be run externally from the network. To run the generator, there are two versions, course.php which is used by our staff to see the usage of the courses in Moodle and admin.php which is used by our VLE admins to see the overall use of Moodle. The admin.php really just does the same as course.php but for every course in the database and provides the output in a different manner. As a disclaimer, this script (Continued on page 5)
DataProtectionAct
Why we need to praise the Data Protection Act This is the first, of what I would hope would become a regular feature, for JISC. I was afforded the opportunity of writing for JISC by initially being a little obtuse in response to a “where are you now?” request for have my details changed over the last four years? I assume that this is JISC acting in a professional and prudent manner in relation to the data they hold about us all and ensuring that the Data Protection Act principles are strictly adhered to. I received the request for information on a typical day. One with too few hours for the task lists required and my response was, and some would say, typically, sarcastic. It was something like “Still here, still not moved on or up in my organisation. Thanks for the reminder that for at least four years I appear not to have advanced at all.” Thankfully, Chrissie and the rest of the JISC team appear to have a similar sense of humour and we entered into a dialogue. On reflection this may have been seen from the outside as a therapy session for my poor professional advancement over the last four years.
The result of the therapy, or dialogue, was a realisation that despite my lack of advancement up any management ladders or huge steps up salary scales, I and my college, have moved massively in relation to how we deal with our “digital natives.” My own area of college boasts 150,000 hits on the VLE split evenly between the three areas of Maths, Science and ICT. That equates to about 17 hits a week for each of the enrolled students on the courses I manage. We have grown 432% in two years the content to something in the order of 1000 pages on our VLE. Staff have a hard target in their development plans for transforming materials, either into electronic form, or into more engaging and interactive electronic form. I’ve been delighted to see the creation and development of a dedicated ELT team to support activity across college. I’m delighted to count this team as close colleagues who I know can find me the solutions that I demand for my learners. This has allowed the incorporation of computer games units well before the changed and new BTEC syllabi, and huge changes in the way we gauge the learning styles of our students. We’ve been able to offer multimedia authoring and digital graphics for three years before they became main stream. In short, my learners are happy, my staff are happy and so I am happy! We register, report and can assess electronically, finally getting close to the paperless office I was sold when I first started learning computing. Thinking back, that was the same year that the Data Protection Act first came into UK statutes, 1984. Maybe at this rate of change my lack of movement in four
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DataProtectionAct years is not so bad! I’ve finished some research which was published into assessing students through podcasts, and can happily report an upturn in grades for these units and a similar upturn in motivation and commitment from my learners. We are also working with comic book software for assessments and creating mobile phone videos as another alternative to standard assessments. This has been made virtually painless by our ELT team and I’ve been afforded the opportunity to work with regional partners training other college staff. We have clear proof here that an old dog can be taught new tricks! My college is moving VLE and is finding it hard to fit the required training into an ever more packed diary for the ELT team. Have we reached that mystical “tipping point” I’ve read about? Time will tell!
So Chrissie, can I publicly apologise for telling you a lie? In the last four years my details have not changed, and my job has not changed. However, the tools I have at my disposal, the support I have at my side, and the engagement levels and success I’m enjoying have truly been transformed. We have a lot to thank the Data Protection Act for!
Suggested (light) reading: “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” By Marc Prensky, From On the Horizon (NCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001) “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” Malcolm Gladwell, Abacus, 2002
Postscript: Most recently, and perhaps most easily seen, in terms of the support we now have for the “digital native”, is that one of our refectories has become an ILT rich space and is a full cyber café.
Since writing this article in September 2007, my role and job have changed! I’ve been appointed a Senior Lecturer and will move to the Visual and Performing Arts area of Preston College by the time this gets to print – an update to the data held may be required after all!
Course Usage Report Generator continued... (Continued from page 4)
should work in any location as long as all 6 files from the zip are within the same directory. Only read permissions are needed for the scripts to run. Moving forward with this, I would like to implement it as a block and to also use the Moodle database environment variables but at present, the separate user account ensures that no changes can be made to the database as only select privileges are given to the mysql user. These scripts work well for our site but may not work (with out modification) on others and may need adjustment first. They are probably not efficient but I have found them to work fast enough for our site anyway! I know the scripts will work for 1.6.1 Moodle but I am doubtful if it will work with 1.8 as roles have been introduced and this could cause problems in the way the database is queried. We are currently moving to 1.8 so sometime in the near future I am going to have to look at this but I think it will need some work first!
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FURLingTheRSC WebLinks The LSC recently named the successful bids for their Mobile Learning Network Programme (MoLeNET). MoLeNET aims to have a collaborative approach to promoting and supporting the implementation of mobile learning, primarily in the English Further Education sector, via supported shared cost mobile learning projects.
Five of the thirty -one successful bids were led by colleges from the Northwest.
The JISC RSC NW would like to congratulate the following lead colleges and their partner learning providers. • Stockport College • Cardinal Newman College • Eccles College • Bolton Community College • Accrington and Rossendale College
http://www.furl.net/members/rscnw As I'm sure many of you are aware, the RSC Northwest has recently launched a brand new website at www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk Take a look and let us know what you think. The most popular sections of the "old website", as we now affectionately call it, were the web link collections. We had over 500 live web links to resources, technology, strategies, etc… over two systems and therefore we needed to ensure these links were not lost and we’re combined in an organized manner. We wanted a system that would allow us to easily add links under categories or keywords that would allow for easy searching and allow us to embed it into the new site. Ideally, with the Web2.0 world we now live in, we wanted something that was freely available online with no installation and no web server. We found what we needed with Furl. www.furl.net The RSC’s Furl archive is available at: http://www.furl.net/members/rscnw
There are over 600 links on the archive covering subjects as diverse as Animal Care, eAssessment, Information Skills and VOIP. The RSC team are adding more every week, so if you would like to recommend a link to us, then please do. Just email support@rsc-northwest.ac.uk If you find the link useful, then it’s highly likely others will too.
Subscribe to the Furl Archive If you would like to receive an email update when links have been added to either the whole archive, or just certain Access via our website http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk
categories/subject areas, then you can either complete the registration at: http://www.furl.net/subscribe? id=1301069&search=true or just email the RSC (support@rsc-northwest.ac.uk) with your email address and whether you’d like to be subscribed to all categories or only certain ones. Don’t worry; you won’t be inundated with emails. Alternatively, if you use an RSS Reader, subscribe to the RSS feed. http://rss.furl.net/members/rscnw/ rss.xml If you’re not sure what this is, then just ask. We’ll happily explain how you can use RSS.
Recommend to a friend Please recommend our Furl archive to colleagues within your organization. The more the merrier! E.g. If you know a Media Studies lecturer that is always on the lookout for more resources, ask them to subscribe to our Media Studies collection. E.g. If you need information about Interactive Whiteboards, then take a look at the Interactive Whiteboards category
Website Integration All our subject resources links are now available through Furl on the bottom right of our new website homepage. Just click on the subject of interest. Plus you can also search the website for more links, try searching for podcasting. Chrissie Turkington (eLearning Adviser RSC-Northwest)
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It’sNotJustAbout Communication— —it’s about Accessible Computing Four years ago, Natalie Sides, a young woman with complex physical and communication difficulties, arrived at Beaumont College in Lancaster, which is run by the disability charity Scope. In order to allow her to overcome her communication difficulties, staff at the college adapted a tablet pc that was mounted on her wheelchair.
Natalie was able to communicate using The Grid software and the system was further developed to include a BT phone card and MP3 player. This project was a real success story and has become what is now known as the ‘Wheeltop Project’ at Beaumont. The aim of the project, which is now funded by BT, is to improve access to communication and IT for students with communication impairments at the college. Natalie’s device was the Wheeltop project prototype and, with this device, she could speak via voice output technology, email, text, play music, send and receive picture messages and write documents such as shopping lists. Natalie particularly loves texting and she would often text someone across the room rather than go and
‘speak’ to them. She accessed all of these systems using one small switch on the pommel of her wheelchair which she activated using her knee. Although Natalie has now left college, the staff still support her new Smartbox supplied communication system. ‘“Having a communication aid has changed my life,” comments Natalie, now 21. “Being able to communicate is a basic human right. It is about being able to communicate the sort of choices that most people can take for granted. It is about being able to communicate a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.” In 2005/6 BT became interested in the Wheeltop Project. The company that produced the software, Sensory Software produced the Motion tablet pc in Early 2007 via their sister company Smartbox. This Motion system is now being used by the college. This removed the technical support burden from the college. BT have invested over £200,000 to help develop the Wheeltop Project further, and to help Scope campaign on the issue of communication aids provision more broadly. Beaumont College has now begun to develop its in-house expertise. The college has employed Liz Howarth as a technologist to oversee the project. Liz will be working with communication, technology and teaching staff. Liz has just completed an MSc in Mathematical Logic but has worked as a communication support worker at Beaumont previously. The college is now assessing which students would benefit most from the Wheeltop Project. The project will focus on more than
communication, aiming to provide students with a fully switch accessible PC. The college hopes to use the technology to enable the user to control their own environment – for example, to turn on lights, open doors and windows, or play a DVD. Liz will be working with curriculum teams and teachers to build custom grids which will be accessed via a wireless network. The Grid software is available on all the academic computers at the college and over 30 teachers have been trained in its use so far. The college chose to use The Grid as it is highly customisable and can be reconfigured so lots of people can use it in different ways and it can have complete control of a Microsoft © windows system using only one switch. The college is hoping to equip four students with a device in the first year or so and, as Rohan Slaughter (Beaumont’s technology manager) said,
“It’s not about the box, it’s about accessible computing”
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Some Questions answered …
IPTelephony&CCTV—
...by Colin Gallacher As is usual for new members of the Regional Support CentreNorthwest, Colin Gallacher (our new Work Based Learning Adviser), answers some questions from his new colleagues… John’s Question… What do you think will be the most difficult thing about being an eLearning Adviser? (Apart from answering this question) Learning enough about e-learning to justify the title, I imagine that it's along the lines of running 'up' the 'down' escalator, you never get to the end unless you are seriously determined or cheat. This e-learning stuff is moving really fast. Chrissie’s Question… What aspect of your new job are you most looking forward to? Workng alongside a team of like minded people with the time to focus on reaching the ePioneers without the time and may be struggling for the sake of a new slant on what they are trying to achieve. Benita’s Question… What’s your favourite piece of technology? What day of the week Benita? Last month I was knocked out with my new iMac, last week I acquired a serious scanner and each week new software or a website pops up to improve what I previously believed couldn't be improved upon. But I am still intrigued with webcasts and what can be done by ordinary folk at very little cost. Keith’s Question… What has been your most significant technological challenge within WBL teaching to date? Ensuring that all learners have the means to access e-learning and e-portfolios, not just with hardware or one-off short term solutions, but using the mobile (Continued on page 9)
Warrington Collegiate used their new build as an opportunity to move from an analogue telephony system to an IP system. This was followed by a move to an IP based CCTV system. Their Deputy Director of Information and IT, Nick Smeltzer, explains why they chose to do this, how the move worked and the advantages of IP systems. The move to an IP telephony system was based on several reasons including ease of management and long term cost benefits. Nick believes that although an IP system may require more expensive handsets, the backend infrastructure is cheaper and requires less time to manage. They decided to use Cisco for their network and their telephony system. Using the same supplier for both ensured there were no compatibility issues or problems with the power requirements of the telephones. Every phone has dual network points at the back which act as a switch. This means that a PC network cable can be plugged into the back of the phone, avoiding the need for a separate wall port. With the IP system, telephone numbers are tied to the handset rather than the port they are plugged into. This means that if a member of staff moves office they just have to take their
handset with them to keep the same number. With the analogue system this could have required re-patching in the wiring cabinets and changing routing tables. The phones are plugged in via standard network point which has saved an estimated £2-3000 in cabling costs alone. Management of the telephony system, such as adding a new line, changes to voice mail settings and call diverts, can now be easily managed by any of the IT department as it is web based. When they were on the analogue system this required a specific member of the team who knew how to manipulate the command code. In December 2005, they started to move over to an IP phone system. This was phased in as their new build developed, however this was always linked to the existing analog system until the final 'old' building was demolished a year later. During this time lines would go through the analog system. Routing tables were used to identify if users were local to the analog system, if not the line would be routed through the IP system. As more users were transferred to the IP system, the routing table became smaller. Eventually the lines were physically transferred too and the old system was switched off. The high specification phones have a colour screen and can display html pages, while the lower specification phones have a monochrome screen which can display RSS feeds. At Warrington all phones are set up to display RSS feeds of BBC news, Warrington weather and news from the local newspaper. This provides
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-AtWarringtonCollegiate Questions answered access to information in areas where a PC is not available. The IP phones can be programmed so the keypads provide functions other than making calls. One idea is to link the phones and CCTV to a gate. When someone wants to be let in, the feed from the CCTV could be displayed on the screen, and someone with the phone could type in a code on the keypad to open the gate. The system also gives call centre functionality, telling callers that they are in a queue and a PC can display who is in the queue and how long they have been waiting. The system even has the potential to detect changes in voice modulation, which can send an alert if someone starts shouting or arguing while on a call. IP CCTV was installed internally after the new build had been completed. The external analog CCTV, supplied with the new build, has been converted with codex to run on the IP system. This system uses Controlware monitoring platform with Bosh Cameras. The reasons for using an IP CCTV system mirror the reasons for using an IP telephone system. Although the cameras are more expensive, the back end infrastructure of an IP CCTV system works out cheaper and it also gives a great deal more functionality. Cameras are plugged into any live network points and can be easily updated with the latest software or
codex. The cameras can be set up to send an alarm based on movement in a room during out of hours. The buffering system will capture a recording from ten seconds before the alarm event, until ten seconds after the event. Face recognition is currently being developed which could allow the system to send an alert if a specified individual, such a previous intruder, comes into shot on any of the cameras. The cameras can also report back on any maintenance issues such as cameras being moved or unplugged. The management of the IP CCTV system is very flexible as cameras can easily be added and viewing permissions can be modified. The camera feed can be displayed via an internet browser which allows for distributed monitoring. This allows departmental staff to log on to a computer either at work or remotely from home, and view what is going on in the rooms they have permissions to view.
continued... (Continued from page 8)
technology in their pocket or daily use, without incurring significant personal cost. I don't have a solution that fits everyone, but I am sure it's now available and when I know, I intend to pass on the good word. Kevin’s Question… What is your favourite website and why? I don't really have a favourite, like most people I have become a bit blasé using sites to inform, buy things, book things, search things and when I trip over one a bit special, it's old news pretty quick. So, I browse iTunes for music, the BBC for podcasts, particularly radio programmes that I wouldn't dream of listening to during TV time and when I demonstrate to IT learners an example of a website with almost everything I show them http://www.nasa.gov which is quite extraordinary even if you are not into space. An extra question… What do you think are the forthcoming staff development priorities for Work Based Learning? Happy to comment when I find out what we already know!
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eMagazine success... Last Month, Viewers who accessed the eMagazine… • as a menu driven website came from... Lancaster, Bolton, Crewe, Oldham, London, Sale, Bury, Wembley, Belfast, Stockport, Chester, St Helens, Manchester, Huyton-with-Roby, Warrington, Walton-le-Dale, Boothstown, Derby, Stalybridge, Salford, Birkenhead, Wolverhampton, Widnes, Renfrew, Stafford, Billericay, Rochdale, Lincoln, Kendal, Bootle, Aston, Liverpool, Accrington and Loughborough; • as a Single webpage came from… London, Stalybridge, Manchester, Stockport, Bolton, Heywood, Sale, Irlam, Blackburn, Southport, Lancaster, Rochdale, Wolverhampton, Shrewsbury, Bury, Sunderland, Derby, Lincoln, Bristol, Poplar, Loughborough, Whitehaven, Kempston, Billingham, Birkenhead, Chester and Norwich; • via the Archive came from… Lancaster, Manchester, London, Huyton-with-Roby, Bolton, Stalybridge, Stockport, Heywood, Wolverhampton, Warrington, Bootle, Wembley, Belfast, Crewe, Widnes, Billingham, Darlington, Wrexham, Bury, Billericay, Waltonle-Dale, Lincoln, St Helens, Accrington, Loughborough, Irlam, Oldham, Boothstown, Thames Ditton, Whitehaven, Liverpool, and Kempston; • We also had viewers from… Sydney Australia, Haifa Israel, Ankara Turkey, Woerden Netherlands and Florida USA.
We can also be found in the QIA Excellence Gateway along with our eBook Library and other resources!
StockportCollege Stockport College were one of several colleges in the Northwest to be selected by Becta to take part in the pilot and development of the eMaturity Framework for Further Education. The need for continued development of skills and confidence to apply technology to their work, in particular learning and teaching, was identified as a priority by the college.
Funding from Becta enabled them to sponsor and support 42 e-learning projects focused towards Transforming Staff Capabilities
Phil Wakefield reports that this provided an excellent opportunity to maximise the use of the college staff support centre ‘IRIS’. Another significant factor was the change in college VLE from WebCT to Moodle. Briefly staff were asked to produce proposals for resources which clearly addressed a learning outcome and an incentive payment was offered to cover 20 hours work. The expectation was that approximately 20 projects would generate resources that would be shared as good practice across the organisation via the new virtual learning environment. When Phil Wakefield, ILT Manager received an overwhelming response for 40 projects, over 50% being from staff who had not previously taken part in ILT development work, it was decided to
Supported by the Principal, Peter Roberts, additional college funding was used in order to encourage staff to engage and develop their skills. Projects were supported by individual college mentors and use was made of the LSN eCPD guidelines (in particular the practioner unit 11). Phil tells me that the process of identifying an element in the ematurity framework where improvement was needed and impact could be made allowed progression of transformative ideas and aspirations to be embedded by providing the necessary motivation, application and support for staff to actively develop their capabilities. This can form the basis of sustained development in the future. It was found that the support and services given by the mentors was crucial and highlighted the kind and standard of project which can be achieved. The idea of action learning projects to develop staff skills is worthwhile and indicates that the eCPD qualification and units are an appropriate process of developing and applying staff skills in e-learning. The use of the e-maturity model in identifying impetus was required around staff capabilities was key. It has helped establish a process of enabling the application and embedding of ICT in the curriculum. We look forward to hearing more about the framework in the final reports from Becta planned for January 2008 http:// learningandskills.becta.org.uk/ display.cfm?resID=34131
Benita Wiseman eLearning Adviser FE
“inject e-learning and Moodle rather than reject”
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WEB2.0Crossword An umbrella term for the second wave of the World Wide Web, which was coined by O'Reilly Media (www.oreilly.com) and CMP Media (www.cmp.com) in their 2004 and subsequent conferences on the subject. Sometimes called the "New Internet," Web 2.0 is not a specific technology; rather, it refers to two major paradigm shifts. The one most often touted is "user-generated content," which relates more to individuals. The second, which is equally significant, but more related to business, is "thin client computing." Answers.com
Clues Down... 1. A tasty social bookmarking site.
Clues Across... 3. You can fly in this life. 4. Unwanted tinned meat in your mailbox . 7. MSN and Yahoo are both speedy messengers . 10. Use this to make pesky calls online. 11. Googles free online office suite. 12. Online auction site. 13. The search engine giant who
2. A method of broadcasting multimedia via the internet. took over YouTube. 14. A combination of functions from different sites to create something new. 15. A photo sharing website owned by Yahoo. 16. Confuse an odd owl to acquire files from the internet.
5. This mixed up social site is Camp? Yes.
6. A social network where you might get poked.
8. An online encyclopedia that anyone can edit.
9. Myspace, Facebook and Bebo are this type of network. 15. Use RSS or Atom to satisfy your hunger.
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RSC Northwest’s Manager... Andrew Quarmby a.quarmby@lancaster.ac.uk
Administration… Jackie Ainsworth and Christine Hulme admin@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
eLearning Advisers... Benita Wiseman (Further Education) bw@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Chrissie Turkington (Learning Resources) ct@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Colin Gallacher (Work Based Learning) c.gallacher@lancaster.ac.uk John Dalziel (Adult & Community Learning / Personal & Community Development Learning) jd@rsc-northwest.ac.uk HE Adviser (Higher Education) support@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Keith Wilson (Technical) kwil@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Kevin Hickey (Further Education) kh@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Lisa Valentine (Specialist Colleges & Accessibility) lv@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
Information Officer... t.b.c. support@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Events Coordinator... Helen Metcalfe h.metcalfe@lancaster.ac.uk JISC Regional Support Centre— Northwest 2nd Floor, Bailrigg House Lancaster University Lancaster Lancashire LA1 4YE Tel: 01524 593 797 Fax: 01524 593 798 www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk
New RSCNorthwestManager I am delighted to join the RSC NW team as Manager at a time when Round 3 brings a broadened remit and therefore an expanding team – a team whose existing members have a welldeserved reputation in the North West and nationally for their support of colleagues in the development of e-learning. A little about myself: My career has been as a teacher of English, Head of Department and
Vice Principal in the Sixth Form College sector before leading elearning, staff development, and latterly Personnel, at Tameside College in Greater Manchester. My enthusiasm for e-learning grows from seeing the way its opportunities can inspire the creativity and enthusiasm of both staff and students across a range of vocational and academic contexts. I have also been involved in various JISC-funded projects – the Pilot Interoperability Project and Union Education On-line being particular examples of partnership working - learning from each other is the most effective way of seeing new possibilities. I am convinced that e-learning has a vital role in enabling effective learning across the whole range of institutional, community and employment contexts. Ambitious targets for the acquirement of skills and knowledge, often amongst groups who have left the formal education system, are tied to our future prosperity, regionally and nationally. The innovative and effective use of technology will be essential in helping us to achieve these. The RSC Northwest has a continuing and vital role in supporting managers, lecturers and teachers, community leaders and trainers to unlock the potential of e-learning. I look f o r w a r d to w or k i ng w i t h colleagues (both on-line and face -to-face) during this exciting period.
Andrew Quarmby aq@rsc-northwest.ac.uk