intouch
the termly newsletter produced by RSC East Midlands
Forthcoming
EVENTS 26th
8th
10th 23rd
Netskills Workshop Design Solutions for e-learning Netskills Workshop Content Solutions for e-learning
JISC infoNet Workshop An Introduction to Records Management JISC infoNet Workshop Creating a Managed Learning Environment Using ILT in Biology OSS Watch Roadshow
March 1st 8th
TBC TBC
LRC Forum JISC infoNet Workshop Effective Use of VLE’s HE Forum Technical Forum
For further details see our website
www.rsc-east-midlands.ac.uk
Hints
FOCUS
This activity took place during the initial assessment/induction section of a Teacher Education programme at South Leicestershire College.
February 3rd
South Leicestershire College Constructing Constructivism through ILT:
January 25th
COLLEGE
and
After being given a brief introduction to the topic of constructivism, the learners (all in-service tutors) were given a task brief: The learners had to work in a small team to research constructivism within a specified time frame and agree a definition of constructivism that could be summarised on one power-point slide. The team had to create the slide themselves. They also had to produce an electronic handout for their peers that summarised their research, linked the research findings to their own teaching practice and included internet and journal references. The aim of the activity was to encourage the learners to work together in groups to research ‘constructivism’ through the use of ILT and to experience the ‘constructing of a construct’. Prior to engaging in the activity, the learners had completed a right brain/left brain learning style analysis and the results were used to mix the groups up (as part of the task, they would later reflect on the group work processes). This activity was beneficial on many levels It demanded the use of ILT - Web research, Power-point presentation (all student centred). The activity also required group work and provided the learners with an opportunity to reflect on the impact of learning styles in a group task situation Because of the diversity of the student population in terms of experience and prior attainment, the activity promoted peer tutoring and the
Tips:
What are they? Electronic voting systems (EVS) combine software that allows you to create interactive, multimedia tests, quizzes and other activities, with hardware in the form of handsets (rather like a TV remote control), which allow learners to respond at the press of a button. How do they work? • An activity is designed using the software. • The activity is then projected on to a screen. • Learners select their response using the handset. • A receiver picks up the responses and stores them on a computer. • Answers are automatically marked and can be viewed as reports, statistics or graphs. Why use EVS in teaching and learning? To “engage” the students i.e. not only to wake them up and cheer them up, but to get their minds working on the subject matter, and so to prompt learning’ (Draper 2002). • Assessment - both formative and as practice for summative assessment. Marking is automatic and instant; the learner knows immediately whether they have answered correctly and how their performance relates to the rest of the group; the teacher can instantly gauge the understanding of individuals and the group as a whole and adapt the lesson accordingly.
Volume 3 • Issue 2
Spring 2005
Welcome from the Editor I N S I D E Welcome to the first In touch of 2005. I hope you all enjoyed your well deserved break, and are settling back into the new term. development of independent and interdependent learning skills.
The new year brings with it a new editor of In touch. I’m sure you’ll be pleased to see that I have kept the format that you are by now so familiar with. I am, however, very keen to
This issue TechDis Accessibility Box Adult and Community Learning sector ILT/e-learning strategy: From development to implementation
Learners learnt that they could ‘learn without teaching’ - particularly pertinent to trainee teachers. For some this was their first experience of developing understanding of a topic without teacher ‘input’
hear your views. If there’s anything new you’d like to see in the next edition, please let me midlands.ac.uk
The First East Midlands ILT Fair
The course tutors were able to formatively assess not only learning of the topic, but approaches to learning. We were able to provide support where necessary and identify gaps in terms of ILT skills. We were also able to observe and assess the aptitude of learners for collaborative learning activities.
On the back page you will see that this term’s events focus on other JISC services, with a
The JISC Effective Practice with e-Learning guide
The learners thoroughly enjoyed the activity and most of them said that they found it fun - for some the first time that they had been able to use the ‘F’ word in learning! Jackie Rossa Development Manager Teaching and Learning South Leicestershire College
The use of Electronic Voting Systems in Teaching and Learning
• Formative feedback on learning. Questions at the start of a lesson are used to identify a topic for more detailed coverage. The same or similar questions at the end of the lesson provide feedback on the learning that has taken place. • Formative feedback to the teacher on the teaching. Regular feedback on the course or a specific lesson allows effective changes to be made immediately. • Peer assessment. Where student presentations are made to the group a series of questions can be used to gather instant feedback on their performance. • Generate discussion. Learners register (thus committing themselves to an opinion) and then discuss their answers to a posed question. Increase participation. Privacy of choice allows the less confident learner to express an opinion without inhibition. Improve interaction. Active learning improves attention, interest, understanding and recall. Support from the RSC The RSC has a set of voting pads and can run practical workshops for you where you get the chance to try out the tool and explore what it can do. If you would like to arrange a demonstration, please contact Judi Millage: millagej@loucoll.ac.uk Judi Millage, ILT Advisor References Draper S et al (2002). Electronically enhanced classroom interaction. WWW document: www.psy.gla.ac.uk/~steve/ilig/why.html Visited 24/08/04.
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know, and if you’d like to submit an article, just email me at support@rsc-east-
host of workshops being delivered by Netskills and JISC infoNet. If you’re interested in free and open source software, then look out for the OSS Watch Roadshow on February 23rd. To book on any of our events, visit our website at www.rsc-east-midlands.ac.uk
Providing and Supporting JANET Connections: Who Does What? Starting your Learning Journey
Rachael Stacey, e-Learning Advisor (HE)
Forthcoming events College Focus: South Leicestershire College
TechDis Accessibility Box
Hints and Tips: The Use of Electronic Voting Systems
Often when we think about assistive technologies, images of complex kit and highly specialised software packages are brought to mind. Although there are plenty of different types of equipment on the market to justify this image, we quite often neglect the low-cost good practice for all solutions, readily available to most of us in colleges. TechDis, the JISC educational advisory service for accessibility needs, has recently supplied each Regional Support Centre with a collection of assistive technologies. The ‘Assistive Technology Boxes’ contain a host of hardware and software, which can be used to enhance teaching and learning for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Whilst some of the technologies are specialist, such as trackballs, joysticks and specialist keyboards, what is most striking about this kit is that many of the technologies are more main-stream such as MP3 players and digital movie creators, and also low-tech. The low-tech items in the kit range from regular post-it notes & copyholders to indexing cards & highlighter pens, items which we wouldn’t normally associate with assistive technology. So, what would be the disability rationale for using a highlighter pen? Maybe students with dyslexia find that highlighting text in a variety of different colours helps distinguish words from one another, and in doing so may well help break particular sentences down into smaller more manageable chunks. There is also evidence to suggest that students with impaired vision often benefit from highlighting words and sentences, an ordinary highlighter pen as an assistive technology because it is simply effective in making text stand out from the page. So, what does all this mean for your college? Under the guidance of TechDis, the RSC has been taking the ‘Assistive Technology Box’ out to
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colleges to allow staff the time to look at the kit and assess it’s potential use in their particular area. What we have found is that a lot of colleges already have video cameras, MP3 players, digital cameras and many of the low-tech items mentioned earlier, but that it isn’t badged as assistive technology so isn’t used as such. We hope that by coming out and visiting your college we can demonstrate how much of this equipment, with the particular accessibility needs of your students as the focus, can be put to good use. That isn’t to say that we don’t also have access to highly specialised pieces of kit, so if you or a particular student want to try something out before spending a large sum of money then getting access to the ‘Assistive Technology Box’ may be a good way of doing so. Although training can be useful and stimulating it is often quite difficult, for all sorts of reasons, to carry fresh momentum and enthusiasm into the classroom, especially frustrating when the procurement of equipment is the main barrier. We hope to minimise this frustration by offering college’s access to particular pieces of kit in the ‘Assistive Technology Box’ on a loan basis. So, if you want the RSC to visit your college to provide training for and access to the ‘Assistive Technology Box’ then contact us on support@rsc-em.ac.uk and we can work out a session that best suits your staff, and ultimately best serves your students. Chris Bell, Specialist Colleges Advisor