the termly newsletter produced by RSC East Midlands
Volume 4 • Issue 3
Summer 2006
Welcome from the Editor I N S I D E This summer, the Regional Support Centre will complete six years of supporting e-learning in the East Midlands. Many things have changed in that time – many teachers have added e-learning to their toolkit; managers have a better awareness of the strategic and operational place of e-learning; there is much more kit and it is now largely reliable. Significantly, expectations have changed too. Learners expect to use e-learning. It enthuses them and meets their individual needs and learning styles.
This issue Welcome Leicester City Adult Skills and Learning Service Inspiring and practical support Joining the RSC team
A recent review for JISC asked staff in different learning providers about the impact they considered the RSCs had had on their organisation - and RSC East Midlands had the highest level of any RSC. Our annual Survey shows consistently good levels of customer satisfaction. However, we are not complacent; the task is by far from complete. The support needs are changing but still challenging.
New services from your RSC
What about the future? Our funding has been confirmed for another year and discussions are taking place about the next three year Round from 2007. What we do will certainly evolve, but the core services will also continue - and you can read examples of both in this newsletter.
New build in the East Midlands
You can see and celebrate the continuing development of e-learning in the East Midlands at our second annual e-fair on June 22nd. See you there!
Focus on: Broxtowe College- Simple technology that benefits tutors and students
Chris Hill, Manager
e-portfolios - did you know...? This could change your life The second annual e-fair
Forthcoming Events
Hints and tips: Learning and Skills Web is live
Leicester City Adult Skills and Learning Service Inspiring and practical support Elaine Jenkins celebrates “Inspiring and practical” support from the RSC. Contact us if you would like us to do it for you - free. Since January 2006, Leicester City Adult Skills and Learning Service with the support of RSC East Midlands has run four successful training sessions as part of their e-guide cascade training programme. The sessions were well attended by tutors from a variety of curriculum areas including ESOL, Basic Skills, ICT, Visual and Performing Arts, Modern Foreign Languages and Community Languages. The four sessions comprised: • two workshops on using Moodle and its features. • an ILT training/awareness session that consisted of 3 workshops: • Accessing and using NLN materials. • The use of data projectors and laptops (incorporating the use of wireless mice and keyboards) • Interactive Word (using sounds and images in Microsoft Word to create interactive learning materials).
w w w. r s c - e m . a c . u k
• a session showing how to create WebQuests using Microsoft Word. Sharon Hutchings, RSC Advisor for Adult and Community Learning, played a key role in the success of this training, supporting both the ILT leader and e-guides in the planning and delivery of the sessions. Sharon was also the keynote speaker at the ILT awareness training event. In the opening session, she grabbed the interest of the tutors with her examples of interactive learning materials and uses of ILT. The zeal and commitment Sharon provided throughout the delivery of these training sessions has enthused our tutors who are now using their newly acquired skills to develop learning resources that support differentiation and add fun and interactivity to their sessions. Feedback from tutors is very encouraging; they are very committed to developing their use of ILT and are requesting further training and support in this area. Tutors who attended the training sessions said: “Excellent training - enjoyed all the workshops!”
ICT tutors planning a WebQuest Activity “It will help me improve my teaching resources and class presentation. I am now able to design more materials to help with differentiation.” “Inspiring and practical.” “I will now create more innovative resources to make learning more interesting and fun.” “The training made me aware of all the free resources available and different ways of creating new resources and sharing them with other tutors.” Elaine Jenkins, Leicester City Adult Skills and Learning Service