Newsbytes 30

newsbytes Issue 30 - Autumn 2009

Stimulating and supporting innovation in learning

Forum Round-up

Contents 1

Forum Round-up

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Resources Follow us on twitter Share your triumphs!

Host for the joint forum - Moller Centre, Cambridge

3 On the 16th October 2009, RSC Eastern hosted the Joint e-Learning Forum in Cambridge.

The event brings together the Technical, e-learning and ACL/WBL forums with over 60 delegates in attendance.

Here are the reports from each of the forums: e-Learning Forum Mandy Summons, West Suffolk College, presented their Initial Teacher Training Programme and explained how the intended Access course would cover the requirements for both PTTLs and CTTLs at level three. The interesting addition to the course is the integration of RSC-Eastern’s eSkills programme, which will be delivered at National Open College Network (NOCN) level 2/3 and covering the basics of e-learning.

Anna Vernon from JISC Services presented the new E-books for FE service; this service is free to FE colleges. Anna gave a guided tour of the service pointing to the benefits of using Federated Access Management Systems (FAM) with Ebrary.

By using FAM individual users can set up their own book shelf with books they require for their course and using the online reader they can annotate and save text comments.

The afternoon session saw a keynote from Andrew Blakey • (Thurrock & Basildon College) on “Culture change, embedding technology and efficiencies Throughout his career at Thurrock and Basildon College he has encouraged the use of technology to solve a variety of problems Andrew has overseen a number of innovative projects that have been featured on the Excellence gateway but his passion has always been for improving access to learning.

Technical Forum This gave managers a chance to consider some of the ways in which we can engage with our learners by enabling them to bring in their own devices. The forum

JISC Advance brings together eight JISC services Maxos 150

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College of West Anglia gains TEN status A new member of the team

Resources Digitisation and e-Content Design Council Slide Collection http://tinyurl.com/vadsDCSC Commercial radio archive online for the first time http://radio.bufvc.ac.uk/lbc/ Virtual trenches immerse students in First World War poetry http://tinyurl.com/vtrenches Siegfried Sassoon collection launches online http://tinyurl.com/sassoons Shakespeare quartos archive opens access to Hamlet http://www.quartos.org JISC Digitisation Programme website http://tinyurl.com/digitisation-09

Follow us on twitter Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets.

Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author’s profile page and delivered to the author’s subscribers who are known as followers RSC Eastern has now set up an account. If you have any news, stories or comments then logon to share with others. We also run live twitter feeds at some of our events for reflection and feedback. So, please ask a member of the team for more details at one of our next events.

To follow us, visit: http://twitter.com/rsceastern

examined the network security issues, the child protection issues and the commercial options open to those who did not want to take the risk but who still saw this as a means of attracting ‘footfall’, particularly in quasi-public areas such as Health and Beauty Salons, Restaurants etc. It was also interesting to hear from JISC Legal about the more relaxed framework within which the duty of care currently applies to health and probably internet access.

ACL/WBL Forum The October ACL/WBL forum in Cambridge proved to be a highly successful and energy filled

session. The energy came not from the excellent coffee machine but from the main presenterJohn Burke from JISC Infonetwhose enthralling and energetic presenting style ensured that the topic of project management is now embedded within all attendees. With a good number of both ACL and WBL attendees the information sharing sessions proved highly popular and inspirational for all- problems were solved and new ideas planned by many. In all - an absolutely fabulous and successful day. If you missed it this time - make sure you attend the next one!

Share your triumphs!

Are you using technology to support teaching and learning?

Would you like to share your innovative triumphs with colleagues from around the region?

JISC RSC Eastern is collecting case studies of e-learning good practice on behalf of the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) for the Excellence Gateway

Zoom Q3 Multimedia Recorder

www.excellencegateway.org.uk For your chance to win a Zoom Q3 Multimedia Recorder please submit a brief case study summary (no more than 200 words) online via: www.rsc-eastern.ac.uk (click ‘Community Area’ and then ‘Excellence Gateway) or e-mail it to: b.hutchens@rsc-eastern.ac.uk All submitted case studies will then be entered into the prize draw that will take place on the 1st February 2010.

New Case Studies •

West Suffolk College: Accreditation the key to college-wide participation

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CTS Training: Mobile testing brings success to Work-Based Learning provider

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Peterborough Regional College: Making information retrieval sessions “wicked”

For more case studies please visit: http://tinyurl.com/RSCcasestudies

JISC Advance brings together eight JISC services

MAXOS 150 MAXOS 150 is now available and can be downloaded via the link on our web pages at www.rsc-eastern.ac.uk/Technical/ Maxos/Pages/default.aspx.

A new organisation called JISC Advance was launched in September which brings together eight established JISC services as part of JISC’s ongoing strategy to deliver world-class support to colleges and universities.

Dr Malcolm Read, JISC Executive Secretary, said: “JISC Advance brings together a team of experienced professionals, many of whom we have worked with for many years. We aim to join these services more closely together so that their combined weight will enhance the services provided by JISC Advance to people working within universities and colleges on a whole range of issues.”

The organisation will be led by new managing director Guy Lambert and will co-ordinate JISC Digital Media, JISC infoNet, JISC Legal, JISCMail, JISC Netskills, JISC Procureweb, JISC TechDis and the JISC Regional Support Centre UK by centralising funding and business development opportunities.

Managing director Guy Lambert said: “All of these services are extremely well-respected within the education sector and receive good feedback from their users. JISC Advance will allow the services to reach new audiences, and will help our users to understand what we can collectively deliver for them.”

He added: “We will be looking at new opportunities for providing enhanced services that will support the community as they face forthcoming challenges.”

Guy, working with the JISC Advance team of service directors, will be talking to sector-wide organisations as well as individual universities and colleges to better understand their priorities and needs.

Guy Lambert joined JISC in January 2009, having previously worked in commercial and managerial roles at UK board level within the IT industry, in both the public and private sectors.

His roles with Honeywell, Bull, Steria and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have all involved managing operational improvement and cultural change, with a service focus.

To find out more about JISC Advance please visit: www.jiscadvance.ac.uk/ (Source: JISC)

It includes a number of bug fixes and one or two enhancements. Of the new features the most interesting one is likely to be the ability to make use of random selection of questions from a larger number of questions and answers. This will ensure that where groups of students are using a module they will get at least some different questions.

The distributed package includes an example of how to use this under the title “20 Questions”. We have also included a version of Mahara on a stick which will give those of you who are interested in experimenting with e-Portfolios a chance to look at the leading, free application.

From December 8th 2009 RSCs will also be able to help with local installations of Xerte on servers so if you feel you would like to run Xerte Toolkits from a server rather than a USB stick, but would like some help with installation, please contact t.rochford@rsc-eastern.ac.uk to agree a date.

A new member of the team

College of West Anglia gains TEN status

At the beginning of November, RSC Eastern appointed Kissie Maltby, our new part time administrator.

With an extensive background in business administration and organisation her arrival is very much welcomed at a time when demand for our support and services is ever-increasing.

Additionally, Kissie will be aiding the team with events planning and management.

We wish Kissie all the best for her future with RSC Eastern.

The College of West Anglia is one of sixteen education and skills providers from across England to have been granted Technology Exemplar Network status.

The Technology Exemplar Network is designed to help colleges and other learning providers use technology more effectively.

You can contact Kissie via: k.maltby@rsc-eastern.ac.uk

Contact Details JISC Regional Support Centre Eastern Anglia Ruskin University CU House Southernhay Basildon Essex SS14 1EZ Tel: 01268 273277 Fax: 01268 293145 Email: support@rsc-eastern.ac.uk www.rsc-eastern.ac.uk

The College of West Anglia was chosen as an exemplar because of its commitment to the provision of outstanding training in the use of educational technologies.

Its investment in training and educational technologies has strategically brought about institutional change by adding value to teaching and learning, making it increasingly innovative and enhancing already outstanding student achievement.The college will receive funding to help develop their use of technology and share their successes with others.

Becta is calling on other FE and skills providers to join the network and work alongside current members to improve and develop technology across the sector to benefit learners and organisations Jane Williams, Becta’s Executive Director for Further Education, Skills and Regeneration said: “Used effectively and creatively, technology makes a real difference

to the lives of learners, their local communities and employers.

This is why Becta is committed to putting technology at the heart of the learning experience.

With the Technology Exemplar Network gaining an additional six exemplars, it is clear that more organisations in the FE and skills sector are recognising the benefits ICT can bring, such as higher attainment and greater efficiency.”

“The exemplar providers chosen this year are shining examples, and over the coming 12 months will share their expertise and help others follow in their footsteps.

This will ensure the effective use of technology is embedded across the sector.”

Glen Singleton, College Director responsible for the use of educational technologies, said: “The College of West Anglia is proud to have been recognised as an Exemplar in its use of educational technology; its staff will see the recognition afforded to the college as a testimony to their vision and innovation. The college is equally excited about the opportunity to share its practices with other providers and to develop its use of technology further as a consequence of the support it is receiving from Becta.”