RSC Curriculum Matters

Connectivism - An Approach to Learning for the 21st Century

2012-01-19T11:40:00.000Z

I talk a lot about Connectivism in the context of modernising learning, a theory developed by George Siemens and you can find out more in his article “Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age”.

Connectivism is a learning theory that provides an interesting alterative to the Constructivist model that I think best describes the model that, in my experience, is most often use in FE where:

Learning is an active process of constructing rather than acquiring knowledge
Instruction is a a process of supporting that construction rather than communicating knowledge (Duffy & Cunningham - later / Bruner 1964 / Driscoll 1994)

Connectivism ties in well with Vygotsky’s social constructivist learning theory which recognises the social nature of learning. This theory suggests an individual's learning takes place because of their interactions in a group and there are many ways that this is facilitated using todays technologies. You'll find a good summary here. Siemens though, suggests learning is determined by context. Know-how and know-what is being supplemented with know-where.

When knowledge, is needed, but not known, the ability to plug into sources to meet the needs is a vital skill and it's an understanding of where to find knowledge that is needed. That might be from a selection of educational resources, within a database somewhere, through accessing personal networks or peers. He calls it Connectivism and so it’s understanding where and how to make the appropriate connections that enable us to learn that are more important than our current state of knowing. In other words - to quote Siemens:

"The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe."

Today I found a good video created by some students studying connectivism that describes (a la Common Craft mode) the concept really well and I think ties in the role of new social media very nicely. Worth a look if you have 5 minutes for some CPD.

Blogging: tips and tricks to make it easier

2012-01-06T14:11:00.002Z

In my opinion Blogs are an underrated source of information as well as having huge potential to enhance learning and enable more reflective learning practices.

A Blog is a website that can be edited online really designed as an online journal or diary. I consider it as a vehicle for articulating personal accounts & opinion and reflective in nature although a Blog can also be used to disseminate information very effectively. Characteristically Blogs present postings in chronological order; they are searchable using keyword tags; they can incorporate a wide range of rich media from a wide variety of sources; they have a comment facility which enables communication; they can be accessed by a url but also through RSS feeds which individuals use to "subscribe" to a Blog. This is my work Blog.

image from flickr by Rosaura Ochoa licensed through Creative Commons

Learning with Blogs
In terms of learning, well chosen Blogs can provide an insight into topics that is different to text books. For example, some authors who blog will use less formal language, provide authentic accounts of their experience and document thoughts and opinions that can add value and help learners to better assimilate complex information. Many Blogs are relatively informal with much written, usually in the first person from a range of different perspectives which can be really helpful.

Blogs also offer possibilities of communicating with other interested individuals situated anywhere in the world. Articulating their thoughts and understanding of a topic in a Blog also helps learners to assimilate information and form their own conclusions about topics they are studying. Reading and commenting on others postings / peer review / working collaboratively / keeping online journal to record activities and progress towards their own goals / sharing with peers can all contribute to a richer learning experience and can provide an authentic account of a learner's "learning journey".

My best tip for making Blogs easier to read
I suffer quite readily from information overload and so for me it's important to have a way to organise the way I find information. There has been a fundamental change to the way we use the web since the introduction of "pull" technology. So rather than googling everything we can now "subscribe " to pages on the internet using RSS feeds. By subscribing to a site you elect to receive new information from particular sources periodically which effectively saves you going out to look for it. Blogs are designed to work with RSS feeds. Most email clients have a facility to organise all RSS feeds but my preferred method is to use a RSS reader. I use Google reader so all the feeds I subscribe to are kept together and I can check it when I have time rather than receiving lots of email alerts. You still need to be discerning about who you do subscribe to though.

My best tip for making Blogs easier to write
Take a deep breath and just get going. It's quite a challenge committing pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and publishing something for others to read. If you like, you can keep your Blog entirely private so that no one else can see it. It's interesting to write up what you think and the thinking processes involved. Having never kept a diary, it wasn't until I started Blogging that I realised just what a powerful mechanism for reflection it is. I recommend that you try it yourself to fully appreciate how challenging it is, the impact it can have, the challenges faced by your own learners and the level and type of support that might be required.

Here's an interesting video on YouTube with Seth Godin and Tom Peters, discussing the value of blogging. They are both enthusiastic advocates of the benefits of Blogging in terms of personal, intellectual and emotional outlook and I broadly agree about the personal benefits of summarising a topic and writing down your own thoughts on it - It's described as meta-cognition.
So if you haven't tried it yet maybe now's the time to try.

some useful references

JISC Legal – Web2.0 – Liability & Law
http://www.jisclegal.ac.uk/Web2/index.htm

Web 2.0 and social software: An introduction (JISC Publication)
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/publications/web2socialsoftwarev1.aspx

TechDis – Web2Access
http://www.techdis.ac.uk/index.php?p=20_9

A Study on the Effective Use of Social Software by Further and Higher Education in the UK to Support Student Learning and Engagement.
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/projects/effective-use-of-social-software-in-education-finalreport.pdf

JISC review of Mobile and Wireless Technologies

2012-01-05T10:59:00.000Z

A review of Mobile and Wireless Technology commissioned by JISC to review the literature on the use of mobile and wireless technologies for learning and teaching in UK further and higher education has been published in a variety of interesting formats.

If you've never tried using QR codes to access web pages - now's your chance. Download any free QR reader onto your mobile device (BeeTagg, ScanLife, RedLaser app) you may well have one preinstalled on your phone so check for that. Scan the QR code below and you'll automatically be taken to the website (mind boggling!). There you'll find the report as a website, pdf, issuu magazine, ebook and kindle versions.

RSC Online - Storyfied

2011-10-20T15:49:00.002+01:00

RSCtv Live - Tune in on Tuesdays

2011-09-14T16:31:00.000+01:00

RSCtv Live is our lunchtime interactive webinar service delivered online direct to your desktop. With the launch of a new RSC Scotland service, we thought it would be useful to give you the opportunity to meet the RSC Scotland team over the next few weeks.

It's an chance to find out more about us, to ask us some questions and provide feedback that will enable us to understand how best we can support you.

20th Sept 12:30 - 1:15 - Fionnuala Carmichael, RSC Scotland Manager
27th Sept 12:30 - 1:15 - Margaret McKay, Advisor: Access & Inclusion
4th Oct 12:30 - 1:15 - Celeste McLaughlin, Advisor: Staff Development
11th Oct 12:30 - 1:15 - Joan Walker, Advisor: Learning & Teaching and Depute Manager
25th Oct 12:30 - 1:15 - Mark Clark, Advisor: Technology & Infrastructure
1st Nov 12:30 - 1:15 - Grainne Hamilton, Advisor: e-Assessment
8th Nov 12:30 - 1:15 - Theresa Duffy, Advisor: Higher Education

Go to our events page to book your place.

InfoGraphics – Information Visual.ly

2011-08-24T13:41:00.010+01:00

An “Infographic” is a visual representation of a set of data, facts, statistics, and images. David Nicolas and Ian Rowlands (from UCL) talk about the Google Generation having viewing ability rather than reading ability and Wim Veen from Delft University talks about the Homo Zappien learning iconic literacy before word literacy. Maybe it’s worth considering using this concept more to engage learners.

So I was excited about a new online service Visual.ly during the summer. This is a site that helps folk with limited artistic talent to create “infographics”(information + graphics). The program requires users to upload data, and it generates a pretty JPG with charts, graphs, and icons - no PhotoShop skills required and it’s free to use.

As well as helping you to design your own infographic you can share and use professionally designed infographics from the Visual.ly site which can be embedded in online resources using embed codes generated by the site. Here’s an nice example:

via

It’s worth taking a look at Ollie Bray's blog where he showcases the use of infographics in a series of 5 postings which really illustrate the impact of infographics used in the context of learning & teaching. Ollie is currently seconded to Learning & Teaching Scotland (LTS).

http://olliebray.typepad.com/olliebraycom/infographics/

JISC RSC Scotland Service

2011-08-01T09:00:00.002+01:00

As of 1 August 2011 the JISC RSC Scotland is in operation as a single service across Scotland. The team here assure you of our determination to provide services from our single Scottish centre to as high a standard as you have enjoyed from the two JISC RSCs during the past ten years.

Service delivery has always been based on consultation with supported learning providers, of which a partnership approach is a distinctive feature. The JISC RSC Scotland team recognises the importance of establishing and sustaining productive relationships with key contacts in each provider, including senior and middle managers, network staff, lecturers, staff development officers, learning support and learning resources staff. In the coming weeks we will be in contact with all our supported providers to discuss how we can deliver support and services that meet your individual needs.

I look forward to continuing to provide valued service to the college sector and supported smaller HE institutions throughout Scotland.

An the winner is ……

2011-06-24T10:10:00.001+01:00

At the JISC RSC Scotland S&W Future Focus conference, iTech awards were presented for case studies we felt really represented the best of the "Best of the West" series that we have recorded with our local institutions. With nearly 50 case studies (available on our website), the competition was tough and selecting winners presented a challenge for our steering group judges. The four categories were: Technology & Business Systems, Learning and Teaching, Access & Inclusion and Learner Services.

We’ve created an online magazine (below) to show off our winners so take a look and think about how you could be a contender next year. Do get in touch if you’d like some support from the team here who’ll help you to produce a case study of how you’re making the most of technology in your own institution.

Open publication - Free publishing - More awards

NLN service announcement

2011-06-14T15:31:00.001+01:00

Information is now available about the future of the National Learning Network materials service, widely used by colleges in the UK:

1. Will the National Learning Network (NLN) materials service continue to operate for the foreseeable future? YES.
LSIS have worked with Xtensis, who developed the service under the contract with JANET(UK), to ensure its continued operation for the next two years. The site will be run by LSIS from July 22nd. Xtensis has kindly granted a free license to use the software that delivers the site, so it will look and perform the same as it does now. The current service is funded until summer 2011. From that point it will be taken over by LSIS.
An LSIS survey in December last year confirmed that:
practitioners continue to value the materials themselves and the service; a large body of learning in college and other provider VLEs contains embedded links to the site that would have to be reworked if the site closed.
2. How will it work?
Exactly the same as it does now: the NLN materials will continue to be available at www.nln.ac.uk. all existing links to links to the site - Learner URLs, VLE links and Noodle links - will continue to work as now. individual Learning Objects (LOs) and Permanent Collections will still be available for download.
3. What will change?
There will no longer be: registration and/login the facility to create collections Users who want to create new collections or store any pre-existing collections associated with their login can copy them across to a new service provided by Xtensis, called XtLearn.
4. What happens now?
The site will be run by Xtensis until summer, when there will be a formal handover to LSIS. Work has already started on the new version of the site. Some users may be contacted over the next few months and asked to test it out ahead of the official launch in July.
5. What next?
Some of the materials no longer work, either technically because they were based on redundant technology, or in terms of their content (old-fashioned, outdated practice etc). The LSIS survey identified a wish by users to see them brought up to scratch. It also identified members of the community who would be willing to join or lead such developments. LSIS will work with partners to facilitate these developments as far as is practicable.
LSIS
10 June 2011

Future Focus Conference – “storified”

2011-06-14T15:01:00.002+01:00

My colleague Celeste McLaughlin has used Storify to aggregate the Tweet backchannel which gives a flavour of keynote presentations and breakout focus sessions from our conference last week. More information on iTech winners soon.

The Coolest of eBooks

2011-06-14T14:17:00.003+01:00

My colleague Mark Clark and I presented at our Future Focus conference last week. I used Prezi (free online presentation tool an alternative to PowerPoint) for the first time and thought I’d share it with readers. My part of the presentation focuses on the technologies we have, technologies coming into the mainstream now and a glimpse of some concepts that might be realised in the next few years.

Please note that the link to ebrary allowed me to demo the live system which is not included here.

New JISC Guide Launched

2011-06-14T11:32:00.003+01:00

Of interest to curriculum managers, teaching practitioners and support staff throughout further and higher education, a new JISC guide Transforming curriculum delivery through technology: Stories of challenge, benefit and change is now available.
The publication, a mini-guide to the outcomes of the JISC Transforming Curriculum Delivery Through Technology programme http://www.jisc.ac.uk/curriculumdelivery , summarises the headline benefits of technology in curriculum delivery made evident by the work of the 15 projects in the programme. The outcomes of these projects provide a rich insight into the ways in which institutions and individual curriculum areas can make use of technology to respond more robustly to the demands of a changing world.
PDF and text only versions can be downloaded and print copies ordered from www.jisc.ac.uk/curriculumdeliveryguide . For further information and access to all programme-related resources please see the Design Studio. http://jiscdesignstudio.pbworks.com
Accompanying the guide, as part of a series of radio shows entitled JISC On Air, the latest show entitled Efficiencies, Enhancements and Transformation: how technology can deliver includes interviews with two projects involved in the programme, discussing the impact achieved in two very different contexts and disciplines. Listen here http://jisconair.jiscinvolve.org/wp/ .

RSC Service in Scotland renewed for a further 3 years

2011-06-09T13:01:00.001+01:00

We are pleased to announce that the JISC RSC service in Scotland is being renewed for a further period of three years following consultation with the sector and a competitive tender held within the sector.

Up until now, the JISC RSC service in Scotland has been provided out of two separate centres within the central belt; one hosted by Edinburgh’s Telford College and serving the North and East of Scotland and one hosted by the University of Glasgow serving the South and West. These arrangements are in place until 31 July 2011.

Last year, in consultation with the Scottish Funding Council, we initiated a tender for the renewal of the service, inviting bids for providing the service either in line with the current geographical split or as a single service to cover the whole nation. Following review of the proposals received, we concluded that best value would be provided by the bid received from the University of Glasgow for a single service covering the whole of Scotland.

In making this change, we are very mindful of the need to maintain and, in some respects, enhance the service provided to all parts of Scotland, whilst driving down the overall costs. We will make further announcements about how this will be achieved shortly. Both the existing JISC RSCs have done an outstanding job as reflected by high levels of satisfaction with the service expressed both in our own surveys and in the responses to the consultation undertaken by SFC. Our thanks are due to the staff from both services who have contributed to this, and to the host institutions which have made it possible.

We look forward to continuing to provide valued service to the college sector (and supported smaller HE institutions) in Scotland.
For further information please email info@jiscadvance.ac.uk

Guy Lambert
Managing Director, JISC Advance

Future Focus – JISC RSC Scotland South & West Annual Conference – June 10th 2011

2011-04-08T11:54:00.001+01:00

This year’s RSC Scotland South and West annual conference is not to be missed! We are focussing on the future as the title suggests and we have an amazing line up of guest speakers, stimulating workshops and technology advances on show, guaranteed to inspire you. Held at the Teacher Building in St Enoch’s Square in central Glasgow, the Grand Finale of the day will be our iTech Awards ceremony so put the date in your diary now.

Awarding the very Best of the West

We are often asked “So…. which IS the best case study in the west?” With at least one case study from each of our supported institutions, we are truly spoiled for choice and you are ALL winners in our eyes. As a special way of marking the end of the Best of the West initiative we will be revisiting all the case studies. iTech Awards will be presented to the institutions that our illustrious panel of judges has selected to represent the best of the “Best of the West” in the categories of Technology & Business Systems, Learning and Teaching, Access & Inclusion and Learner Services. Don’t miss the drum roll of anticipation and the rustling of the gold envelopes to find out which of our local institutions will be adding to their trophy case with a JISC RSC iTech Award in 2011!

Modernising Learning – a new topic briefing in production

2011-03-25T12:06:00.001Z

We have a range of Topic Briefings on our website now and my efforts to produce the latest in the series have been seriously disrupted. The raw materials are in the can but I’ve just not had time to put them all together packaged properly using Adobe Captivate for our site. As a team we are investigating the use of social media and how we can really capitalise on the web2.0 technologies both to make our own efficiencies and also to model effective practice ourselves (you can even follow me on twitter now).

So to this end and as a quick fix, I’ve uploaded the presentation to slideshare, which you may know of already, but also included an audio track and provided a transcript in the notes section of the PowerPoint presentation which can be viewed by the user too – a SlideCast. Although I do acknowledge that the extraneous stuff e.g. ads and links can be distracting and perhaps compromise the quality of the end product, there are a number or reasons that I think this works well:

The SlideCast provides a pretty accessible resource for both visually and hearing impaired users.
What the presenter says is more important than the slides, which should really just be a prompt or visual cue, so it’s the audio that is critical and really adds the value.
The SlideCast can be embedded in as many web applications as you like and therefore reused across a number of platforms including VLEs.
Using social media to share resources can help to change the culture in organisations in terms of the Open Educational Resources movement.

Modernising Learning

View more webinars from JISC Regional Support Centre Scotland South & West

The Modenising Learning topic briefing will be added to our website as soon as I get it finished in the same format as the others but in the mean time here’s the down and dirty version.

Stay Safe this Spring

2011-03-25T11:37:00.001Z

At the delayed Winter Fayre organised by our sister RSC in Edinburgh at the end of February I presented a set of resources to help support institutions to raise awareness of eSafety and eSafeguarding to both staff and learners. Use the link to access the collection or for the more adventurous scan the QR code with the code reader on your mobile phone for instant access on your phone browser.

http://www.only2clicks.com/pages/RSCScotande-safety

Ask the Experts: Web 2.0 Policies and Frameworks

2011-02-28T12:43:00.001Z

Online Monday 7 March 14:00 - 16:00pm (GMT)

Are you interested in using Web 2.0 tools to engage students in learning but worried about security, legality or other risks? Does your institution block the use of Facebook, YouTube etc? How can we manage the risks of Web 2.0 whilst ensuring that the opportunities for learning are not lost?

This online event will include live presentations from Mark Stiles and Brian Kelly and a chance to explore and review a range of Web 2.0 Risks and Opportunities guides now available in the Best Practice Community. There will be chance to join a lively forum debate to share your experience and ask questions.

This event is free and open to all e-learning practitioners and managers. Email Helen Walmsley: h.walmsley@staffs.ac.uk if you would like to join in.

NQGA Workshops

2011-02-22T10:06:00.001Z

The NQGA Development programme is supporting a series of workshops during March,April and May delivered by the JISC Regional Support Centres in Scotland. The cost of attending these workshops (normally £30 per participant) will be met by the programme for participants from Scottish colleges.

Practitioners will have the opportunity to consider effective pedagogical approaches whilst utilising a range of ICT tools and resources.

The outcomes of the project are to:

identify areas of the curriculum where collaborative learning, supported through the use of ICT, can support a blended, flexible, online and cost-effective model of delivery;
utilise a range of nationally available electronic resources;
offer participants opportunities to engage with ICT and enhance their own professional development.

These workshops are part of a larger modernisation programme, where a new on-line assessment system, e-assessments and high quality on-line support materials, that will offer students increased opportunities for progression in lifelong learning, have been developed.

To find out more and see the workshops schedule go to http://scottish-rscs.org.uk/nqga

2011-02-17T20:00:00.001Z

A recording of the RSCtv webinar 'Mobile technologies for learning and assessment' is now available. You can also access the associated slides used within the Elluminate session, (which you are free to use, although please acknowledge the source).

In the webinar, Grainne discusses possible definitions for mlearning (and the difficulties in defining it!), how the markets in mobile devices are progressing, the findings from some recent reports, current characteristics of mlearning and how it can support learning and assessment. Looking at a day in the life of an mlearner hopefully will help to spark some ideas for your own use of mlearning, while the exploration of considerations for deployment, planning tools and further reading links will provide some practical support.

Grainne collected a number of links when preparing for the webinar which can be accessed on delicious. If you have a QR code scanner on your mobile, scan the QR code above to access the links. You can also access them at:http://www.delicious.com/grainnehamilton/bundle:RSCtvmlearn

Horizon Report 2011

2011-02-17T19:39:00.003Z

The 2011 Horizon Report from Educause again provides some clear indicators for key trends and drivers for technology in education. The report outlines key trends, critical drivers and short and long term forecasts. If you haven't time even to read the executive summary here are the main points.

Key trends

The abundance of resources and relationships accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators.
People expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want.
The world of work is increasingly collaborative, causing educators to reflect on the way student projects are structured.
The technologies we use are increasingly cloud-based.

Critical Challenges

Digital media literacy continues its rise in importance as a key skill in every discipline and profession.
Appropriate metrics of evaluation lag behind the emergence of new scholarly forms of authoring, publishing, and researching.
Economic pressures and new models of education are presenting unprecedented competition to traditional models of the university.
Keeping pace with the rapid proliferation of information, software tools, and devices is challenging for students and teachers alike.

Technologies to watch - next 12 months
Electronic books
Mobiles

On the Horizon - 2 to 3 years
Agumented reality
Game-based learning

Far term Horizon - 4 to 5 years
Gesture based computing
Learning analytics

Awarding the very Best of the West

2011-02-01T12:23:00.001Z

“So, which IS the best case study in the west?” - We have had at least one case study from each of our supported institutions and they are ALL winners in our eyes! That said, this will be our very last call for Best of the West case studies and to mark the end of our highly successful Best of the West theme we have decided that our annual event on the 10th of June will be slightly different. We are planning an awards ceremony to round off the day, along with the traditional cheese, wine and chat. All the contributions over the past three years will be put forward for the trophies, according to category.

There will be four JISC RSC Innovation in Technology Awards:

Technology & Business Systems
Learning and Teaching
Access & Inclusion
Learner Services

Be a Winner!

Got an idea for a case study? The deadline for submitting a suggestion for any new case studies is February 18^{th -} Why not have a look at our website and see what clever ideas and innovations your neighbouring institutions have been working on. Be inspired and be in it to win it! Contact me here at the RSC and I’ll schedule in a time for a chat about your case study idea. Always keen to help!

Best of the West case studies can be found at:

www.rsc-sw-scotland.ac.uk/best_of_the_west/BoW.htm

The Nativity - 2010 style - Merry Christmas

2010-12-21T14:11:00.006Z

RSC Curriculum Matters – December 2010

2010-12-09T14:29:00.011Z

It’s at these times of extreme weather that new technologies come into their own. Fortunately for me the heavy snow last week was already falling in West Stirlingshire when I woke up so I decided there and then that driving into the office was not an option. My colleagues in Glasgow along with all the rest of the regular commuters were caught out big style – not nice. For me, however, a wireless network at home and my work laptop meant that I could get on with business pretty much as usual. An RSCtv session, our webinar series, scheduled for lunchtime on Tuesday that I was delivering went ahead with around 15 delegates and no hitches – sound and video working no problem. Entitled - "How to Google Better" you can watch it again here.

We even had a virtual team tea break on Skype – we’ll have to practice the protocols for that one a bit – one of us was eating a bacon roll – well that’s just not fair. I maintain though that I had the best view (picture above) from my makeshift office although I have to say that after 4 days I was going a bit crazy without the normal social interactions I’m used to. An interesting experience but difficult to provide the quality and level of service that we would wish to.

In this digest I’ve put together an article on mobile technologies and there’s a complementary topic briefing on mobile technologies available online now too along with a few others. It’s is our intention to expand the range of topics and develop more of these 20 minute briefings that can be delivered face to face or accessed online from your desktop. Do let us know if there is a topic you’d like a briefing for.

As always if you have a comment you’d like to make on any featured item or there's an aspect of ICT you'd like me to cover, please do use the comment facility at the bottom of each posting to contact me.

All the best for Christmas and I hope you have a great New Year – Joan

Mobile Learning – is it all hype?

JISC review of Mobile & Wireless technologies

Topic Briefings Online

Renewed focus on eAssessment

JISC Conference 2011

JISC RSCs Impact Report

Topic Briefings Online

2010-12-08T10:10:00.007Z

The RSC Scotland south & west has developed a suite of briefings that provide an overview of new technologies coming into the mainstream which are proving popular. They describe the benefits and identify the issues and challenges that need to be addressed as they are rolled out and used more widely in Colleges and HEIs. As well as offering topic briefings face to face in our supported institutions we have now developed online versions which can be viewed from your desktop by using the links provided. More will be added to the suite of briefings during this academic year.

Included in the suite:

Effective Practice with ePortfolios

eSafety & eSafeguarding

IPR & Copyright

Mobile Technologies

Web 2.0 Technologies

All you need is a access to the internet, a set of speakers or headphones and 20 minutes!

Use this link to access the briefings

Mobile Learning – is it all hype?

2010-12-08T10:10:00.005Z

The critical elements that enable mobile technologies to have potential for useful learning today is their size and portability - especially the new screen sizes, resolution, super bright and anti-glare technologies. The ubiquitous access to anytime, anywhere connectivity enabling access to learning resources & communication with tutors and other learners is a huge factor. It offers the potential to exploit different media (images, video, web 2.0 tools & social software e.g. Blogs, microblogs, media sharing sites etc,) and upload files from a mobile phone without having to go through a computer to do it.

The organisational tools such as alarms, calendar, text messaging – SMS messaging both to an organisation and from an organisation is proving popular providing announcements of timetable or room changes. Electronic reminders are invaluable for many learners including learners with additional support needs, reminding them of deadlines, appointments and special events.

Note taking facilities - whether text-based or with the use of voice recording - can really support learners inside and outside of the classroom. As a personal device is likely to be readily available in a learner's pocket private note taking is available at any time during a class. They can record voice notes and many of the latest devices have touch screens that allow users to write on the screen using a stylus (or a thin finger). Handwriting recognition functionality allows you to convert handwritten notes into typed text format for improved legibility, many devices incorporate a keyboard - whether on-screen or as an integral part of the device and the ability to capture real time reflection can be invaluable.

Podcasts have become increasingly popular not just for entertainment but for educational purposes too, so that tutors can easily record and publish audio content to learners on a regular basis.You may have experienced a BBC podcast, all of which are free. Or you might be learning a language and have visited the Free Language web site or the Learning & Teaching Scotland web site to download their language podcasts. Sound files can provide great support for learners who need to hear the words as they learn to read text.

There are many devices with in-built cameras to enable a user to take still or moving images and many easy to use applications that allow you to manipulate images in many different ways. There are also many photo sharing sites like Flickr with images able to be uploaded by email or from mobile phones. Digital storytelling is recognised as a legitimate and pedagogically sound technique that can be applied to almost any subject area. A camera can capture a moment in still or video image, which is a great way to collect really rich and authentic assessment evidence for a portfolio.

Many mobile devices, including handheld games consoles, can connect to the Internet - some by WiFi or with the ability to connect to a wireless LAN (local area network). Being connected by Bluetooth has a lot of potential and means that we can work or play collaboratively sharing ideas, thoughts, or files - whether that means documents for business or study or simply photos to share with friends and family.You can ask questions to a speaker and it’s also possible to vote via blue tooth. File sharing using Bluetooth can be fun but equally useful to collect other learners' notes or tutors' handouts at the end of sessions or lectures. QR codes which are like a square bar code can contain information and be photographed by mobile phones equipped with a QR reader and the information transferred to the mobile device.

Take a look at the devices that your learners carry around with them. Research undertaken in 2009 and published this year by the RSCs in Scotland identified that 98% of students had mobile phones with over three quarters of them able to access the internet – that’s a powerful argument for taking this seriously. Such devices clearly offer potential for use in education, but under 15% of students said that mobile technologies are used as a ‘formal part’ of their course. Well is it all hype? What do you think?

Images taken from Flickr and licenced through creative commons.

Renewed focus on eAssessment

2010-12-08T10:10:00.001Z

A new recruit to the team here at the RSC Scotland south & west is Grainne Hamilton who joined the team at the beginning of November. Grainne's focus is on eAssessment. As well as working with curriculum practitioners to support the embedding of eAssessment in the curriculum, Grainne will be disseminating information and be involved in delivering events and workshops. Already Grainne has several case study projects on the go and is regularly blogging about information that she feels is particularly relevant to individuals interested in eAssessment and ePortfolios. Do pass on the link to her Blog to others that you feel would be interested.

You can access Grainne’s Blog here and subscribe to receive an automatic feed

JISC RSC's impact report 2010

2010-12-03T10:55:00.002Z

The JISC RSCs are marking 10 years of support to the sector, supporting and helping learning providers to realise their ambitions in the use of technology. This impact report outlines how the RSC have provided support with a particular emphasis on how they meet regional needs. Using examples from around the country, it may give you some eLearning ideas too.

Download a copy of the Impact Report from the JISC Website.

JISC Conference 2011

2010-12-03T10:45:00.002Z

Apply now for priority registration notification for the JISC Conference 2011, being held in Liverpool on 14 & 15 March 2011. The theme of the conference is Financial Challenges - Digital Opportunities and will look at ways to help to meet the challenges ahead and realise the opportunities that digital technologies provide.

Registration will open week commencing 10 January 2011.

See the Conference Website for details of the programme, speakers and registration.

RSC Curriculum Matters – October 2010

2010-10-22T16:16:00.001+01:00

September’s edition included a case study from Edinburgh’s Telford College which focussed on their assessment centre which I happened to visited earlier in the month. A couple of other things on the eAssessment theme seem to have prominence for me this month and so I’ve decided to focus on eAssessment this month. Having said that the top of my list is to disseminate a funding opportunity from JISC exclusive to FE in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which you shouldn’t miss. Up to £50k for an innovative solution to real problem that has relevance throughout the sector – get your thinking cap on.

I’m pleased to announce here that we have a new member of staff joining the team at the beginning of November. Our new recruit has a specific remit as eAdvisor for eAssessment & ePortfolios which means we are able to offer our supported institutions their own Bank on Success project as well as continuing to run the project centrally. More details below on that.

This month saw the launch of a new JISC publication – Effective Asessmet in a Digital Age (a guide to technology enhanced assessment and feedback). This is the third publication on this theme and compliments previous publications worth your attention – Effective Practice with e-Assessment and Effective Practice with e-Portfolios published in 2007/08.

I’ve also provided some information from the eAssessment sub-group of the SQA College Quality Enhancement Forum, which outlines the current work underway to provide advice and resources to support the adoption of eAssessment.

Best regards – Joan

SWaNI LTIG Funding Opportunity

Bank on Success – going local

Assessing Higher Order Skills

Effective Assessment in a Digital Age

Overcoming the Barriers to the Adoption of eAssessment

eFutures Toolkit

Effective Assessment in a Digital Age - new publication from the JISC e-Learning programme

2010-10-22T16:14:00.007+01:00

Effective Assessment in a Digital Age is designed for those in further and higher education who provide assessment and feedback for learners in institutional, work-based or distance learning contexts. Assessment lies at the heart of the learning experience: how learners are assessed shapes their understanding of the curriculum and determines their ability to progress. At the same time, assessment and feedback form a significant part of practitioners’ workloads and, with increased numbers, reduced budgets and higher learner expectations, continue to be a matter of concern for many institutions. What contribution can technology make to ensuring that assessment and feedback processes are agile, streamlined and capable of promoting high-quality learning?

The publication draws on recent JISC reports and case studies depicting different contexts and modes of learning to explore the relationship between technology enabled assessment and feedback practices and meaningful, well-supported learning experiences.

Order a hard copy or download a PDF copy from the JISC web site.

Bank on Success - Going Local

2010-10-22T16:14:00.005+01:00

Making use of e-Assessments has a number of benefits for both the learner and lecturer and forms a critical part of the learning process. Bank on Success, our project focusing on e-Assessment, is going local.

The aim of Bank on Success is to up-skill staff in the art of designing valid and reliable e-Assessments and at the same time build up an assessment bank for the sector to use. A days free training by RSC staff focuses on eAssessment design includes hands on time to create a set of questions relevant to the participants own curriculum areas. These question sets will be processed, ready for uploading into Moodle and Blackboard, made available from our web site and shared across the sector. Take a look at the legacy of previous Bank on Success projects on our web site - there are over 35 question sets already available and we hope there will be more to come.

Contact your Staff Development Officer to request a session.

Overcoming the Barriers to the Adoption of eAssessment

2010-10-22T16:14:00.003+01:00

As part of the SQA / College Quality Enhancement Forum, an eAssessment sub-group was established to advise on approaches to enhance quality in the delivery of SQA qualifications. The ultimate aim of the group is to improve the experience of SQA qualifications and assessments for learners and centres, though it is recognised that much of the output would be relevant to those looking to establish eAssessments within their organisations.

The eAssessment sub-group focuses on ways in which quality can be enhanced when working in an electronic environment. Sub-group work to date has involved consultation with groups such as JISC, HMIE and has included a survey of Scottish college staff on eAssessment issues, benefits, barriers an identifying resources to support the use of eAssessments in centres. The presentation below given by Martin Ware, Head of eAssessment and Learning at SQA, for the eAssessment Scotland conference on the 3rd of September outlines the work to date future direction of the group's activities.

Overcoming the Barriers to the Adoption of e-Assessment

More SQA resources:

eAssessment at the SQA – publication

http://www.sqasolar.org.uk/mini/27322.html

Assessing Higher Order Skills

2010-10-22T16:14:00.001+01:00

One of the assumptions about e-Assessments is that they only assess lower level skills. This need not be the case. It is possible to assess higher order skills if questions are well written. A range of levels can be assessed and they could range from divergent assessments (with one correct answer) to divergent assessments (where a range of answers is possible depending on opinion or analysis). This convergent/divergent continuum maps well to Blooms Taxonomy.

There's no doubt that as you move towards a more divergent model it becomes more difficult to create objective tests. Writing objective tests is a bit of an art and takes a bit of practice but once you have a model that suits - a template really - you can re-use it. In designing eAssessments that assess higher order skills what you can do is take account of both these concepts and try to word questions which reflect analysis, synthesis & evaluation from Bloom and also are more divergent in nature – without increasing the burden of marking.

Here are a few examples of questioning techniques that can help:
Use scenarios which help to assess Synthesis and Application of knowledge

Use Assertion Reason type questions to assess Evaluation of a concept

Use Likert Scales to assess Synthesis and Evaluation of knowledge and concepts

These examples demonstrate how the misconception that multiple choice question dumb down the curriculum can be challenged. If you'd like to explore this more and learn how to design eAssessments that test higher order skills the Bank on Success project is for you.

eFutures Toolkit

2010-10-22T16:13:00.003+01:00

The eAssessment toolkit exists to provide clear, current, practical information to eAssessment practitioners, or those thinking of adopting eAssessment. While the toolkit has been produced by Ofqual in England, it offers useful tools and resources, to help users develop and share their knowledge of eAssessment for effective implementation. The toolkit is for those involved in the management and delivery of eAssessment and covers two key aspects of eAssessment: the management and delivery of eTesting and the use of ePortfolios for assessment.

http://toolkit.efutures.org/

Funding Opportunity for FE in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (SWaNI)

2010-10-22T16:13:00.001+01:00

I wanted to bring a funding call from the JISC - the Learning and Teaching Innovation Grant - who are supporting 10 to 12 bids of up to £50k each to your attention. The deadline for initial proposals is the 9th November so get thinking. The guidelines for an initial proposal have been left quite loose in the first instance to encourage bidders but markers will be looking for projects that:

Address a recognised need

Present a good and innovative idea

Fit the scope of the LTI programme

Demonstrate potential for the wider FE community

Are realistic given time scales and resources.

More information can be found at http://www.jisc.ac.uk/fundingopportunities/funding_calls/2010/09/grant1010.aspx

RSC Curriculum Matters - September 2010

2010-09-17T13:52:00.001+01:00

Maybe a little late for some of you who've already moved into new buildings over the last few years, but I was asked to describe the "Classroom of the Future" recently and so I decided to do some research and share my findings with you this month. The key concepts seem to be Flexibility, Future Proofing and putting the Pedagogy first - of course. But that's easier said than done.

I read somewhere that "Spaces are themselves Agents for Change" and that "Changed Spaces will Change Practice" and I do believe that we miss a trick by moving traditional methods into shiny new buildings - but what do new learning spaces look like and what changes can we realistically expect? So here are some resources that will help you to see into the future and links to advice on learning space design which I hope you'll find useful. For those of you that have settled into your new home, get in touch - I'm very interested to hear what changes have been effected and how the changed spaces may have changed practice.

Planning and Designing Technology-Rich Learning Spaces

eAssessment Centres

Rethinking Vocational Learning Spaces

Designing Spaces for Effective Learning

Cornwallis Academy - The Plaza 3 Model

An Electronic Alternative

Inspriring Images of Innovative Learning Spaces

An Electronic Alternative

2010-09-17T13:50:00.006+01:00

Of course one of the most obvious answers when asked about learning spaces for 21st century learning would be to say the Virtual Learning Environment. All educational establishments have them now, all use them to a greater or lesser extent but it does seem to me that things have moved on from the "VLE" before they have had much cultural impact. Perhaps the term "Learning Platform" would better describe the options that are available in 2010. Certainly the mainstreaming of Web 2.0 technologies and social software has had a far greater impact in terms of engaging people, enabling them to communicate enthusiastically and inspiring them to confidently express themselves to others. It would be nice to capture that, harness and channel some of the energy towards meeting learning goals.

Realistically any institution does need to take a strategic approach to the implementation of new technologies. Sticking with the existing VLE is understandable but does in my opinion miss a trick. Maybe a way to mitigate risks (verification, eSafety, accessibility, resilience, scalability and so on) is to continually "pilot" new emerging technologies and monitor their impact on learning & teaching, student motivation & achievement and network infrastructure. At least it would provide an opportunity for familiarisation and proper evaluation rather than dismissing out of hand.

So it's hard for me to provide a definitive electronic learning space. So many to choose from - VLE, ePortfolio, FaceBook, Blogger, Twitter, Podcasts - too much choice and all potentially invaluable learning tools. What I would say is that none replace the added value brought to the learning experience by the teaching practitioner whether supporting learners online or face to face.

Inspiring Images of Learning Spaces

2010-09-17T13:50:00.005+01:00

from JISCInfonet's Flickr stream

Designing Spaces for Effective Learning

2010-09-17T13:50:00.001+01:00

Download - A guide to 21st century learning space design from JISC

Designing Spaces for Effective Learning is a visually-rich publication, it is designed to promote better understanding of what makes an effective design for the 21st century and to summarise the key points to consider when approaching a refurbishment or new-build project.

This publication takes the reader on a 'walk through' of an educational institution, exploring the relationship between learning technologies and innovative examples of physical space design at each stage of the journey. Discussion of the key points is illustrated by 10 case studies from further and higher education, and floor plans from AMA Alexi Marmot Associates, architects and space planners, which provide up-to-date guidelines on the integration of technologies into teaching and learning accommodation.

Rethinking Vocational Teaching Spaces

2010-09-17T13:49:00.008+01:00

Vocational spaces are diverse, and have highly specialised requirements for equipment, room size and supporting infrastructure. As a result, the use of learning technologies within these environments has not always been given priority. Vocational areas have often lagged behind other parts of the institution in providing a technology-rich learning experience, apart from the use of digital equipment in particular activities. However, a higher priority is being given in the 21st century to developing learners’ creativity, adaptability and wider skills. Learning technologies embedded into the design of vocational teaching spaces can make a difference by providing immediate access to learning resources, diversifying routes to understanding, and supporting opportunities for on-the-spot recording and assessment of skills.

The JISC eSpaces Study of the influence of technology on learning space design by Birmingham University identifies two key drivers – pedagogic and operational. Operational drivers may have particular relevance for vocational areas – the need to refurbish ageing or scattered estate, and the impact of changes in the economy and in demand for types of courses have frequently prompted institutions to reassess their provision. Pedagogic drivers matter too. Laboratory or workshop-based learning and outreach classes can all too often be a narrowly-focused experience which takes place in outdated environments at a distance from the main campus. But this need not be the case.

Implementing a wireless local area network (WLAN) can revolutionise approaches to teaching on vocational courses. If a WLAN can be set up in vocational teaching spaces (local conditions allowing), access to web-based learning resources from mobile devices can give vocational learners more immediate opportunities to reinforce their understanding ‘on the fly’. Adding a presentation area with a screen and projector to a workshop environment will also help to enhance learning. Vocational learners need to develop e-portfolios and update learning diaries, and an environment with prompt access to IT will support these essential activities. On the other hand, refurbishment of existing spaces may not always be feasible. Inflexible room sizes, costly repairs to external structures, the presence of hazards such as asbestos, and mounting costs of maintaining scattered estate are some powerful reasons for starting afresh.

Taken from Designing Spaces for Effective Learning - a guide to 21st century learning space design (2005)

Cornwallis Academy - Plaza 3

2010-09-17T13:49:00.005+01:00

The idea of a Learning Plaza is to provide a large space that supports different group sizes that is flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of learning activities - collaborative activities, reflective activities or research based activities. They have large, small and individual work spaces and areas where staff can work with small groups or on a 1:1 basis and prepare lessons. There is an anteroom that serves as an entrance to the Plaza with lockers and cloakrooms and the intention is that the zones within the Plaza should not look or feel institutional or like a traditional classroom more commercial or business and minimize any feelings of intimidation.

The Plaza style is characterised as large-volume teaching blocks with the building form being generated by designing from the inside of the Learning Plaza outwards. They are double height spaces to promote natural lighting and ventilation and accommodate a more intimate teaching environment in mezzanine areas.

find out more:

http://www.partnershipsforschools.org.uk/documents/NLL_Academy.pdf

http://future.ncsl.org.uk/News.aspx?ID=190

Planning and Designing Technology-Rich Learning Spaces

2010-09-17T13:49:00.003+01:00

Following levels of investment which provided the first opportunity in many years for the sector to upgrade its building stock, the current economic downturn also encourages the optimal use of existing spaces in a creative and cost-effective way. Staff at JISC InfoNet state that "all the feedback we've had from new build projects suggests that one of the elements people find most difficult is imaging a very different type of learning space. It's easy to imagine doing what you do now in a nicer environment but how do you imagine the unimaginable." - exactly! To try and help with this and provide some inspiration The infoKit on Planning and Designing Technology-Rich Learning Spaces created by JISC InfoNet looks at what is going on in UK schools and in education worldwide. It looks at a range of techniques for stimulating imagination and creativity alongside examples of what others have done.

e-Assessment Centres

2010-09-17T13:49:00.001+01:00

One of the first assessment centres brought to my attention in "Effective Practice with eAssessment" was at Farnborough Sixth From College. The design of their facilities in 2005 involved both the physical environment and also the design of software solutions to ensure that the space could be used for both learning & teaching and summative assessment without prejudice to either activity.

Closer to home I am aware of a number of eAssessment centres that have been set up including Motherwell College, Aberdeen College and Telford College - I'm sure there are more. The model that Telford College implemented which I understand was developed after consultation with Aberdeen College complies with BSI Standards and external awarding body specifications as outlined in the SQA Guide to Effective practice. The centre can accommodate 31 candidates at a time (on 31 PCs), with larger groups being staggered via a waiting area. There were a number of practical challenges to address during the set up of the centre:

Capacity - A waiting area within the centre was established to allow for larger groups to split, so that one half could sit the test while the other half waited in the adjoining area.

Personal belongings - A shelving unit containing a number of numbered plastic boxes and a clothes rail with numbered hangers were installed to store personal belongings during test sessions. These numbers match the PC number to which the candidate is assigned.

Allocating use of the centre to staff - An online booking system was developed to allow staff to view/select available assessment slots.

Navigation - PC layout posters were displayed to direct candidates to their assigned PCs.

Preparation and closure - Pre/Post checklists were developed to ensure hardware is working properly, candidates have appropriate ID, etc. at the beginning of sessions and that systems have been closed, belongings collected, etc. at the end of sessions.

Logging problems - Issue sheets log any problems that occur during the session, so that the appropriate appeals can be lodged with external bodies.

Security - A number of the assessment platforms included security features (SQA Solar Secure Browser, AAT Control which could lock PCs and monitors, block applications and control access to websites.)

Unfamiliar Interface - There was a worry that candidates would face problems using e-Assessment for the first time (especially where there was no opportunity for practice/formative sessions), but no issues relating to usability have arisen so far.

Commercial activities - Although some consideration was given to the commercial aspect of the centre (renting out the space to external organisations who wanted to deliver e-Assessment), high utilisation of the space by staff and students has lessened the need for this.

Additional procedures with regard to invigilation and authentication are another obvious consideration and I understand that at Telford College 1 qualified invigilator for every 12 learners is recommended. In terms of authentication, photo ID is required before learners are permitted in the centre to sit any summative eAssessments.

Thanks to Gavin Lang (Telford College) and Kenji Lamb (RSC Scotland North & East) for help with this item.

RSC Curriculum Matters - May 2010

2010-05-05T12:31:00.004+01:00

This month you'll find up to date information about our current project to produce cases studies (we've over 30 now) from around the region and some more information about our annual conference on the 3rd June - Best of the West 2010.

After attending an event this month around the topic of shared services, the pressure on the sector to improve efficiency by using more shared services and the possibilities of collaborative activities to enable this was made clear to me. I've provided some links which I hope will be helpful.

Best of the West

Annual Event - Best of the West 2010

Best of the West case studies

Access the best of the West case studies by keyword

Collaboration

Shared Services - practical collaboration

PodCast: Efficiency and Effectiveness in public and private education

Collboration with WIKIs

Focus on JiscMail

Shared Services - practical collaboration

2010-05-05T12:30:00.005+01:00

All the UK funding councils are committed to supporting their sectors to seek cost savings and make service improvements using shared services as a specific approach. The Scottish Funding Council Review of Shared Services and Collaborative Activities in Scotland’s Colleges identifies just over 100 examples of shared services and collaborative activities across institutions in the Scottish college sector.

A broad definition provided by JISC is 'by shared services we mean institutions cooperating in the development and delivery of services, so sharing skills and knowledge, perhaps with commercial participation'. Models of sharing services exist in institutions already i.e. administration services, core skills provision and it's a question of thinking big and creating partnerships to scale these models up so they can bring benefits across a number of institutions - a win / win scenario.

JISCInfonet have an infokit to help - Infokits are online toolkits which promote the effective strategic planning and management of information and learning technology within institutions.The infoKits contain a wealth of 'self-help' material, such as simple methodologies to manage projects, risk and change, as well as landscape views of the sector.

Collaboration with WIKIs

2010-05-05T12:30:00.004+01:00

A WIKI falls in the category of web 2.0 social software and is a web site that can be edited online by multiple people using familiar WISYWIG interface. They offer great possibilities for collaborative activities such as planning an event, an activity or for capturing collaborative outputs of a group.

WIKIs enable a wide range of media and other web 2.0 applications to be to be easily incorporated into them and provide really dynamic and media rich outputs. An individual's activities re: editing a WIKI are recorded and all previous versions can be viewed allowing individual contributions to be monitored. Discussions can also take place within the same software so that the processes involved in any collaborative activity can be captured very easily.

Contact me at the RSC of you'd like some more information about using web 2.0 technologies for learning & teaching.

Access the Best of the West Case Studies by Keyword

2010-05-05T12:29:00.009+01:00

Podcast: Efficiency and effectiveness in public and private education

2010-05-05T12:29:00.007+01:00

As the financial situation that universities face looks increasingly likely to be difficult, collaboration is becoming crucial as a way of improving effectiveness and efficiency. At this week’s JISC sponsored HEPI (Higher Education Policy Institute) Westminster breakfast briefing Professor Sir Tim O’Shea, Principal of the University of Edinburgh and JISC Chair, and Carl Lygo, Principal of BPP Law School and CEO of BPP Holdings, presented public and private models of sharing services and streamlining processes.

In this podcast JISC’ Maike Bohn spoke with both Carl and Tim to highlight the main points from the seminar.

download the Podcast

Focus on JISC Mail

2010-05-05T12:29:00.006+01:00

JISCMail is a free service designed specifically for the further and higher education communities and is one of a number of services provided by JISC Advance.

JISCMail uses the world wide web and e-mail to enable groups of staff to talk to each other and to share information. There are thousands of groups covering many categories which you can join.

You can start a group of your own for you and your colleagues to discuss, share files and collaborate over both short term projects and for longer term general group communications. JISCMail can be used for both internal communications and also when collaborations across institutions are in place.

Find out more about the JISCMail service here

Annual Event - Best of the West 2010

2010-05-05T12:28:00.005+01:00

3rd June 2010

This year our Best of the West event will focus on local case studies, showcasing effective practice and innovation to support learning and teaching the West of Scotland. We have an expected audience of 80 staff from both FE and HE. Take a look at our conference web site to see what’s being featured. In addition to keynote speakers, we will have 6 Show and Tell sessions throughout the day with local practitioners presenting half hour sessions about their own case studies. We were spoiled for choice for the Show and Tells with over 30 new case studies from our local institutions to choose from and more in the pipeline, all made in Scotland.

Book today to be sure of your place.
http://bit.ly/9M9YtX

Best of the West case studies

2010-05-05T12:28:00.004+01:00

We've over 30 local case studies on our Best of the West section of our web site shining a spotlighting the innovative work in and around the institutions we support in the west of Scotland. Take a look:

http://www.rsc-sw-scotland.ac.uk/best_of_the_west/BoW.htm

Curriculum Matters - March 2010

2010-03-01T11:56:00.003Z

A few interesting snippets for you this month. The funding call that I mentioned last month is going ahead and I draw it to your attention as I feel it has more potential for FE to successfully bid than some of the other funding opportunities you may have seen from JISC. So give it some thought and if you do need any more information or advice do get in touch with us at the office.
I'm highlighting our JISCAsk service which provides a searchable database of the enquiries we get and the responses that we've given. Our research often allows us to discover useful resources and websites that can offer practical help and guidance so I hope you'll have a delve in there. Don't forget if you or your staff submit a question to us that we include, we'll send a 2gb pen drive and RSC lanyard to you.

I decided also to focus on providing information on mobile technologies that are entering the mainstream. You'll be familiar with many of them and your learners will be too. The scope for personalisation, meeting the inclusion agenda and modernising the curriculum is clear to me and I hope these resources will convince you of their potential too.

As always if you have a comment you’d like to make on any featured item or there's an aspect of ICT you'd like me to cover, please do use the comment facility at the bottom of each posting to contact me.

Best regards - Joan

Learning and Teaching Innovation Grants

Effective Practice in a Digital Age

Got an e-Learning question ? - JISCAsk

RSC Seminar Series: Copyright in the Digital Age - 25th March

Mobile Learning

Mobile Learning in the mainstream

MoleNet - Helping you get started with Mobile Technologies

GoMobile - Maximising the potential of mobile technologies for learners with disabilities

Skills development tutors discuss using Archos units with learners - short video resource

Can my brain be trained? Dr Kawashima seems to think so!

iPod V Walkman

RSC Seminar Series: Copyright in the Digital Age - 25th March

2010-03-01T11:47:00.001Z

JISC RSC Scotland South & West are hosting a seminar about Copyright in the Digital Age. We will be joined by Jason Miles-Campbell and Jackie Milne from JISC Legal, and Gursharn Sangha from The Copyright Licensing Agency.

Copyright has an impact across FE & HE institutions and this half day seminar will be of relevance to anyone with an interest in copyright issues or with a strategic role to play in your institution.

Places are limited so an early booking is advisable.

The seminar programme and booking details are available from the RSC website.

Learning and Teaching Innovation Grants

2010-02-26T10:16:00.001Z

The Learning and Teaching Innovation Grants programme supports one year projects of up to £50,000 each dealing with any aspect of eLearning. It is JISC funded and an open rolling call, with multiple submission deadlines available. So far there have been 4 phases of funding since it began in 2008 and JISC has just announced that phase 5 will go ahead.

Proposals may be submitted by HE & FE institutions funded by SFC and may be from single institutions or consortia. The next call for the LTIG programme was delayed until continued funding was confirmed but the call for project proposals for phase 5 has just been released, with the next assessment point for initial proposals taking place in April 2010.

find out more .......

Effective Practice in a Digital Age

2010-02-26T10:15:00.001Z

This recently updated publication, Effective Practice in a Digital Age, is a guide for those who seek to understand better how to integrate technology into their teaching. First published in 2004, the new updated version takes account of changes that have taken place since then, in particular the social context of how learning takes place and the ubiquitous nature of mobile, hand held technology.

Learners are increasingly dependent on technology to help them fit learning into their complex, demanding lives. Ownership of personal technologies – from computers to mobile devices – is now pervasive, and use of the internet, including Web 2.0 technologies, is commonplace.

Learners' expectations have changed with many expecting to be able to access their personal technologies in institutional environments, and to personalise technologies provided for them by institutions. This publication uses case studies to describe solutions that are being implemented around the UK.

You can download the publication here but if you'd rather have the glossy version please contact me here at the RSC and I'll happily put one in the post - email me at j.walker@rsc-sw-scotland.ac.uk to request a copy.

Got an e-Learning question? - JISCAsk

2010-02-26T10:14:00.001Z

As an advisory service to the FE & HE Sectors we get loads of enquiries and eLearning questions to our helpdesk and we disseminate and share these using our JISCAsk Blog. Here you'll find all the questions sent to us by staff in the colleges and universities in the West of Scotland that we support, answered by the team. You can easily search the FAQs by topic or date. Consider providing a link to this valuable resource on your department web page.

Send any questions by email to support@rsc-sw-scotland.ac.uk and put JISCAsk in the subject line and we'll send you a 2gb pen drive and highly prized RSC lanyard.

http://jiscask.blogspot.com/

Mobile learning in the mainstream

2010-02-26T10:12:00.001Z

The types of mobile devices to reach mainstream are wide & varied and developing constantly. They include laptops, netbooks, mobile phones, multifunctional hybrid phones and portable storage devices such as USB pen drives & SD memory cards. A common way of referring to these technologies now are as "Handheld" devices with gaming consols such as Nintendo DS /Wii and Sony PSPs now becoming recognised as legitimate learning devices. Because of the ubiquitous nature of wireless handheld devices now, it is becoming more common for mobile versions of web sites and resources to be available. The widespread availability of wireless networks are key, providing fully connected, always online learning community.

Key benefits arising from using mobile technologies are obvious:

Portability
Any time, any place connectivity
Flexible and timely access to eLearning resources including multimedia
opens up real possibilities for personalisation of learning
Immediate communication facility
Empowerment and engagement of learners, particularly those in dispersed and rural communities

iPod v Walkman

2010-02-26T10:11:00.001Z

State of the art technology in it's day, Sony celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the launch of the Sony Walkman last year. In this article BBC news invited 13 year-old Scott Campbell from Aberdeenshire to swap his iPod for a Walkman for a week. It's an amusing stroll down memory lane.

"It took me three days to figure out that there was another side to the tape. "

"I managed to create an impromptu shuffle feature simply by holding down "rewind" and releasing it randomly - effective, if a little laboured."

It does remind me that I used to listen to OU tapes on my own Sony Walkman when I was out with the dog without considering it as innovative at the time. It was just the way it was. So, although range of information and the nature of it (latest and up to the minute) may have changed, I guess the notion of considering mobile technologies as something out of the ordinary might be a mistake. It's just the way it is.

Read Scott's article

Can my brain be trained - Dr Kawashima seems to think so !

2010-02-26T10:10:00.003Z

We have invested recently in a few mobile technologies here at the RSC, with a view to developing our work in using mobile technologies. So, on my recommendation (having taking advice from The Gadget Show) we now have and Nintendo DS to get to grips with. These seem to be the mobile gaming gadget of choice and indeed both my daughters - who are not teenagers anymore, seem to me to spend hours using them. So, I thought, let's have a go.

I decided to go for some brain training - following in the footsteps of Nicole Kidman and Captain Jean-Luc Picard - and discovered my Brain was 68 years old. Time to retire perhaps - but remarkably after religiously doing a couple of activities each day for 10 days my brain age is now 47 - that'll do thanks very much. Perhaps there is something to Dr Kawashima theories after all. Activities are designed around numbers, words and memory and because of the high profile advertising, I guess it's quite easy to see some educational value. It would be interesting to see if learners might benefit from some exposure to the bold Dr's brain exercises and if indeed they would find them at all engaging.

I also invested in a game which can best be described as a simulated world in which you are the central character. This is popular with my two who, when connected to the same WIFI network can play together. I thought I could join them! It's actually more fun that I thought it might be and I can see how it might be used in an educational sense. I have to budget, earn money and decide how to spend it, interact with others, remember friends details, turn up to events that I've been invited to. I understand that it's also possible to use it for web browsing although I haven't got that far yet. Sounds crazy I know - I'm a grown woman - but nevertheless having a go really opens your mind a bit and I'm certainly less dismissive of this type of gadget than I was before.

MoleNet - Helping you get to grips with mobile technologies

2010-02-26T10:10:00.001Z

The Mobile Learning Network (MoLeNET) is a project funded through the Learning and Skills Council and consortia led by Further Education colleges who together invested over £12 million in MoLeNET.

The first phase included 32 projects and the second phase of MoLeNET currently underway includes 30 new projects, some involving organisations from phase 1 and some introducing mobile learning for the first time. To the best of my knowledge MoleNet is the largest implementation of Mobile learning technologies in the UK. Further information about MoLeNET is available on this brief overview leaflet.

The MoleNet website is well worth exploring if your interested in finding out more about the issues associated with implementing mobile technologies. On the site you'll find a section (MoleShare) where you can download a range of resources suitable for mobile devices. There is also a section which contains a large selection of videos describing how colleges participating in the project have been using mobile technologies. In addition there is a section focusing on the technologies (MoleTech)

Skills development tutors discuss using Archos units with learners

2010-02-26T10:09:00.003Z

Skills Development department tutors, teaching Level 1, Entry and Pre-entry students dicuss using handheld Archos media players with students for 'How to' videos, weblinks, work storeage. They discuss future resources that might be useful and the useability of the Archos units. Part of Molenet project: 'MobTec in Action' from Stratford-upon-Avon college.

GoMobile - Maximising the potential of mobile technologies for learners with disabilities

2010-02-26T10:09:00.001Z

This publication illustrates different facets of inclusive mobile learning with case studies and learners' stories from Further & Higher education and from independent specialist colleges. It was produced jointly through the Learning & Skills Network and the JISC TechDis service.

link to GoMobile publication

The accompanying DVD: Upwardly Mobile provides a rich resource for those starting out on inclusive mobile learning.

link to Upwardly Mobile resources

Curriculum Matters - February 2010

2010-02-02T11:36:00.006Z

Gosh, I can't believe where the time goes and just as I thought we were through the worst of the winter and the January snow had finally disappeared - I'm looking out this morning at a new dump of snow on the ground. It can't spoil the pleasure of seeing the snowdrops that are emerging in my garden though and knowing the spring is not too far away.

It's been quite a lean month. I've had to pull a couple of funding opportunities I intended to include since JISC has put a hold on new projects but I'll keep close eye on them and include them once decisions regarding priorities are made. I have managed to extract a few items that I think will be of interest to you though. They include the newly published Horizon report which outlines ICT developments to lookout for in the next five years and a publication to help students avoid the plagiarism trap by outline the proper way to reference and cite material that they use.

As ever if you have a comment you’d like to make on any featured item or there's an aspect of ICT you'd like me to cover, please do use the comment facility to contact me.

Best regards - Joan

Find it - Check it - credit it - students guide to avoiding plagiarism

Horizon report 2010

DGMySpace - Latest "Best of the West" case study added to our web site

Green Gowns Awards 2010

Find it - Check it - Credit it - student guidelines to avoid plagiarism

2010-02-02T11:36:00.005Z

Plagiarism continues to be a perennial problem for colleges to deal with. The Plagiarism Advisory Service, originally partly funded through the JISC, developed the web based Turnitin software that most universities use. You might have heard of it. The software checks students' work for improper citation or potential plagiarism by comparing it against continuously updated databases.

An alternative way of dealing with the issue though might be to make sure that students are given advice on how to avoid plagiarism before they begin to work on assignments.

A new guide I came across during January which I thought would be of interest is called "Using Sources - A guide for students: Find it - Check it - Credit it". The Guide describes how sources can be checked for authenticity, authority and accuracy using a range of techniques including specific advice about popular resources, such as Wikipedia - which the guide highlights as an excellent starting point for research - so long as the material is verified using authoritative sources!

It provides useful, practical advice on how to use and acknowledge sources of information.

4th Annual Plagiarism Conference website ( 22 & 23 June at Northumbria University)

Horizon Report - 2010 edition

2010-02-02T11:35:00.005Z

This is the seventh edition of this annual report and describes emerging technologies likely to have an impact on teaching & learning in Colleges and Universities in the next five years.

The report describes in relatively plain English technologies which you may have heard of but not experienced and outlines with examples how they are already being used in academic institutions. Interestingly once they are broken down a bit you might be surprised just how many of them you use routinely already.

One year or less	Two to Three Years	Four to Five years
Mobile Computing	Electronic Books	Gesture Based Computing
Open Content	Simple Augmented Reality	Visual Data Analysis

Yes - I know what you're thinking but the report provides just a couple of pages on each - enough to whet the appetite e.g. Do you use Sat Nav? Have you needed to find out where the nearest petrol station is? Using a device that combines information based on GPS, a camera or compass could be considered as Simple Augmented Computing. Anyone get a Wii for Christmas? It's hard to think of anything that's more gesture based. And take a look at my favourite websites in the tag cloud down the right hand side of this website - the larger the text the more links in that category - an example of a new form of Visual Data Analysis.

So the report's not just for "Geeks" - and the technologies are actually here already, but the report does give some interesting insight into how they might be employed in the education business.

http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2010-Horizon-Report.pdf

DGMySpace - Latest "Best of the West" Case study added to our web site

2010-02-02T11:35:00.003Z

A case study from Dumfries and Galloway College is the latest of a collection of 14 local case studies you can access from the RSC Scotland south & west's website. A mix of articles, podcasts and video case studies, this set of resources is designed to share effective, practical and innovative practice around south west Scotland and among the wider community.

Access the MySpace case study

The RSC Scotland South & West theme for this academic year is the "Best of the West 2010" and is aimed at showing and sharing innovative practice around the region. On our site you’ll find a web page for each of our supported institutions where we can shine a spotlight on case studies, videos, podcasts and any other resources that reflect our work to support institutions exploit new technologies and benefit learners. Our initiative will culminate in a “Best of the West” event on the 3rd of June2010 so look out for more information about that and put the date in your diary now.

Green Gown Awards 2010

2010-02-02T11:35:00.001Z

Have you been involved in a green technology initiative to help your college or university become more sustainable? For the second year running JISC is sponsoring the Green ICT Category at the Green Gown Awards, this time sharing sponsorship with the University and Colleges Information Systems Association.

The award showcases innovative ways that people in education are minimising energy consumption, carbon emissions, waste generation and other environmental impacts associated with ICT use. It seems to me that with all the new buildings we've seen shoot up in the last few years, Colleges in Scotland must be in with a shout.

Applications should be completed by the 19th of February and last year 33% of them came from Colleges - so get cracking and complete your submission before time runs out.

find out more .......

RSC Curriculum Matters - January 2010

2010-01-06T14:33:00.003Z

The beginning of a new year, indeed a new decade and already I've failed to meet my first of the month deadline. Perhaps you'll forgive me on this occasion as we just started back yesterday. Anyway I hope all you readers had a great break over the festive season - my highlight was my neighbours most excellent snowman - and I couldn't resist sharing it with you.

Back to business now though. I've put together a jargon buster this month with short explanations in plain English (I hope) to provide an overview of some of the technologies I think you'll be hearing more about this year. As well as that I've provided a bit more information and links to some further reading about eSafety or as it's also referred to now - Safeguarding. It's all about protecting individuals against things like cyber-bullying, identity theft and exposure to inappropriate content without locking down systems too much. We are currently developing a half hour briefing on this topic which will be added to our repertoire of short seminars.

As ever if you have a comment you’d like to make on any featured item or there's an aspect of ICT you'd like me to cover, please do use the comment facility to contact me.

Best regards - Joan

Jargon Buster

Cloud Computing

Creative Commons

e-Reader

MUVEs - Multi User Virtual Environments

Safeguarding & e-Safety

Smartphones

Web 2.0 / Social Software

Safeguarding & e-Safety

Why E-Safety ? Why Safeguarding ?

The main Safeguarding Issues - what are they?

Safeguarding FE and Skills Learners in a Digital World

Leading and Managing Safeguarding in the Further Education Sector Conference 2009

2010-01-06T12:06:00.002Z

You may find some legacy resources from this conference held in London on the 1st of December useful. Run by the Learning & Skills Improvement Service, you can access a free online e-learning course by creating a profile and registering an account.

http://www.lsis.org.uk/conference/LSIS_Conference_Home.aspx

Safeguarding FE and Skills Learners in a Digital World

2010-01-06T12:03:00.005Z

Becta have published new advice on what leaders and staff in the FE and Skills sector need to be thinking about when considering the issue of safeguarding learners who use technology in their organisation, in the workplace, in the home and beyond.

Harnessing Technology, Safeguarding Further Education and Skills Learners in a Digital World is available for download here:

http://feandskills.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=41331&page=1886&catID=1868

The main Safeguarding Issues - what are they?

2010-01-06T12:03:00.004Z

Safeguarding and e-safety are focused on the protection of the individual and differ from IT security which focuses on the protection of systems. Social software and online services such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or Virtual Worlds are designed to create and share content and present great opportunities for e.g. collaborative learning, peer review and reflection but organisations do have to consider the risks and ensure that policies and frameworks a developed as technologies evolve.

Below is a useful categorisation of the key issues:

Content

The internet provides people with access to groups that they may not normally have access to. Being aware that people are not always who they say they are is important so individuals and organisations should take precautions to prevent staff and learners making online contacts which could result in physical assault, or online grooming.

Contact

This could include unwelcome, inappropriate or illegal content and also includes the inappropriate public posting of material. The WorkSmart website offers advice to employers on appropriate use of social networking sites.

Conduct

This covers activities carried out against the learner and also those carried out by the learner or indeed staff. This category includes anti-social or illegal behaviour, and the ranges of behaviours and activities that make up cyberbullying.

Commerce

This could be phishing scams, practices leading to identity theft exposure to inappropriate advertising or online gambling.

Why E-Safety ? Why Safeguarding ?

2010-01-06T12:02:00.002Z

Many FE organisations have concerns around learners accessing ‘unsuitable’ sites, appropriate use of social networking sites, ‘search’ related risks and learners’ general inability to make sound judgements about downloading materials, applications or software. This problem is compounded by the range of people, in terms of age, ability, programme, etc, that are learners in FE.

One of the main recommendations of the Byron Review, published in 2008 is that young people need to be empowered to keep themselves safe, a top-down approach is not possible. Blocking sites therefore is not the answer - rather it is imperative that they learn the skills to safeguard themselves when using this technology.

The case for e-safety is simple - just as we don't send kids out onto the roads without lessons in road safety, so we shouldn't send people out onto the information highways of the internet without giving them some guidance as to how to stay safe, both personally and financially. Learners of all ages need to develop digital literacy skills that help them to become safe and responsible users of new technologies, and allow them to be discriminating users of both the content they discover and the contacts they make when online.

Below you'll find some resources to help with this challenge:

http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=197281

Sign posts to Safety - teaching e-safety

e-Readers

2010-01-06T12:01:00.002Z

This one's not rocket science. An e-reader is an electronic device for reading digital books, journals, newspapers, really anything in print. Rather than carrying the printed version around you can store and read at you leisure and on the go. Amazon has developed it's own hardware called the Kindle and currently claims to have 390,000 resources available to download from the Kindle store for a few pounds.

The Sony e-reader was more common in the UK (the Kindle has only recently been made available in the UK) with digital books available from Sony. From my research, file format seems to be an issue right now as each device requires a specific file type rather then a generic one like MP3 or MP4 for sound and video. It's unclear to me if a generic file format will emerge in the future I guess it depends to what extent this new technology is adopted.

Sony's PRS e-reader

Amazon's Kindle e-Reader
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m2N2TFVJ0S1JXM

Safeguarding & e-Safety

2010-01-06T10:38:00.003Z

Safeguarding and e-safety are focused on the protection of the individual and differ from IT security which focuses on the protection of systems.

Organisations are finding that a blocking and banning approach which, it is argued, merely limit exposure to risk, is not sustainable and a model of empowerment is more appropriate. Learners and indeed staff should be equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to use technology safely and responsibly.

I've devoted a section of this bulletin to flesh this hot topic out a little for you as this is an important topic for organisations to ensure that they comply with their duty of care responsibilities.

Smartphones

2010-01-06T10:29:00.002Z

Even the most basic Nokia phone right now takes photos, records video, stores music, browses the web and can access email - seems pretty smart to me. Perhaps a good way to make the distinction is to describe today's "Smartphones" as mini computers that have phone capability. Most now use touch screen technology, have 3.5 inch screens and run specially designed mobile software applications like wikipedia, ebay, facebook, currency converters, mind-mapping software, language translators - the list goes on and on.

The most obvious example is of course the i-phone but each manufacturer has developed phones that use the same technologies but perhaps without the marketing advantage of the Apple brand. In fact only this week Google launched it's Nexus One phone to the world ... read more about the launch.

While the most sophisticated phones are perhaps still rather exclusive, the functionality of even the most basic mobile can be considered useful for learning & teaching.

Creative Commons

2010-01-05T16:44:00.015Z

The Creative Commons (CC) is a non-profit organisation established a few years ago aimed at expanding the range of creative work available for others legally to build upon and share. The organisation has released several licence types which an author of work can assign at the point of publication. This means that there is a proactive statement of how the works can be used, rather than the automatic copyright restrictions that would apply if no CC licence was authorised. Look out for the logo on websites that you find - by clicking on it you will see the licence that has been applied and ensure that you comply with any conditions.

Of particular note for staff looking for materials that they can use for learning materials are the advanced searching options in a number of browser applications that allow you to search for materials that have a creative commons license applied ...... read more

Web 2.0 / Social software

2010-01-05T16:44:00.014Z

Web 2.0 (pronounced web two point O) technologies are all about empowering users to communicate, to create and share content and to collaborate in ways that were previously impossible on the traditional web. By using web 2.0 technologies we are able to personalise our own web space and create or join communities to share our ideas and content - hence the term "social software" being synonymous with Web 2.0.

The introduction of new web based tools such as WIKIs , blogs, social networking sites and media sharing sites have resulted in a change from users being seen as consumers of the web to users being content creators ......... read more

MUVEs - Multi User Virtual Environments

2010-01-05T16:44:00.013Z

Better known by the term virtual world, a MUVE is a computer simulated environment intended for users to inhabit and interact using an avatar. "Second life" and "OpenSim" are the two systems most commonly discussed in the context of post 16 education. Some say the immersive nature of virtual worlds present new opportunities for instruction and education particularly for individuals who already use games and simulations.

Still in the early stages of development, this may prove to be a useful learning tool - perhaps bandwidth and hardware constraints may limit the adoption of this one for a little while yet .......read more

Cloud Computing

2010-01-05T16:43:00.003Z

There's a good chance you've already used some form of cloud computing. If you have an e-mail account with a Web-based e-mail service like Hotmail, Yahoo! or Gmail, then you've had some experience with cloud computing. Instead of running an e-mail program like Outlook on your computer, you log in to a Web e-mail account remotely.

Using Cloud Computing means that instead of loading up all the applications that are needed onto individual PCs or running them on local servers, staff would log into a web-based service that hosts all the programs they need. Hardware and software demands on the user's side decrease and local computers no longer require to have the capacity to run power hungry applications. The impact of using cloud computing in the future is likely to be very significant in terms of storage, capacity, power usage and network resilience ......read more

InContact - December Issue

2009-12-21T10:14:00.002Z

My gift to you for this festive season is a copy of our latest newsletter. Each of us at the RSC has highlighted our favourite piece of kit or software that we've been using this year with a short description and reasons why we like them so much - with so much to choose from it's good to get some insider information although do note that they are our personal recommendations and not JISC endorsements.

Read the latest issue of the RSC Scotland South and West's newsletter to find out what is happening at the RSC, including all the training and services currently on offer.

In this Winter 09 Issue you will find articles including:
- A few of our Favourite things - our top IT products of 2009.
- JISC Advance bringing together JISC services.
- Working in Partnership - the latest JISC publication.
- e-books for FE project

Have a Happy Christmas - Joan

RSC Curriculum Matters - December 09

2009-12-01T11:28:00.001Z

You'll find some JISC news, a couple of highlights from the RSC's activities developed to support the sector and this month some resources to help you and your staff address the difficult copyright issues that we face. Ignorance of copyright law is no defence and in this digital age cutting & pasting or downloading materials has never been easier. Below you'll find links to plenty of advice and a number of tools and toolkits which cover the issue.

Here at the RSC our own topic briefings and the hands on workshop that deal with copyright, focus on what you can do rather than what is not permitted. They provide advice, links and information about how to find copyright free or copyright cleared resources that can be used and adapted for learning and teaching.

If you have a comment you’d like to make on any featured item or there's an aspect of ICT you'd like me to cover, please do use the comment facility to contact me.

Best regards - Joan

JISC Legal offers sector specific guidance and detailed publications to assist you in this area of law - www.jisclegal.ac.uk

New Strategy InfoKit from JISC InfoNet

2009-12-01T11:11:00.002Z

The JISC InfoNet service is designed to support managers in further and higher education to understand, innovate and implement new technological developments to support learning, teaching and business processes. Over the years JISC InfoNet have produced a wide range of online practical resources - they call them InfoKits designed to promote the effective strategic planning and management of ICT within institutions.

The infoKits contain a wealth of 'self-help' material, such as simple methodologies to manage projects, risk and change, as well as landscape views of the sector to encourage creativity, from image galleries of inspiring buildings to sound bites from learners engaged with e-portfolios.

The latest InfoKit launched just this month is on developing and implementing Strategy. It is designed to be of relevance and assistance to those who play an active role in the formulation or implementation of strategic planning processes within their institution. This not only includes members of the institution's senior management team, but also those with local responsibility for overseeing the completion of strategic objectives within their own faculties, departments or teams.

Access the Strategy InfoKit
See other Infokits
JISC InfoNet web site

Intellectual Property: Know your Rights

2009-12-01T11:11:00.001Z

As digital technologies allow people to be not only content providers but also content creators online, the issues arising around permissions and ownership of online resources are increasing. Naomi Korn, JISC’s intellectual property consultant, shares her advice on some of the most commonly asked questions. Access the full FAQs here.

Topic Briefings - what's on offer

2009-12-01T11:00:00.000Z

Primarily aimed at college senior and operational managers, the RSC has developed a suite of briefings on the benefits of using new technologies and the issues and challenges that they present. These briefings are short, twenty minute sessions, designed to be delivered either face to face in your organisation or online. Briefings include:

e-Assessment
Web 2.0
e-Portfolios
Copyright & IPR
Mobile Technologies

“Short and informative with time for Q & A – A really useful approach to raising awareness of current e-learning topics – The briefings “went down well” on our lunchtime programme."

RSCtv - Lunchtime Interactive Broadcasts

2009-12-01T10:00:00.002Z

Can you spare 20 minutes? Every second Tuesday the Regional Support Centre for Scotland south & west broadcasts short lunchtime on-line video presentations on recent developments, interesting features or future trends in the use of ICT for learning & teaching.

Ideally as a participant, staff can interact with the presenter, ask questions and discuss topics in real time, with nothing more than an Internet enabled PC or Mac running an up-to-date browser. This local service is in it's third year with most sessions recorded and available to watch again from the RSC's website.

"This was a great way of training without having
to leave your desk."

The topics covered are designed to meet the needs of the wide range of staff in institutions involved in using ICT to support learners and they have included:

Free Technologies for Inclusion
Using Blogs for teaching and learning
ePortfolios in practice
Using Voting Systems for teaching and learning
BBC Motion Gallery
How does Podcasting Work? The secrets of RSS revealed

"Enjoyed it not just for the content but for
the way it was delivered."

Can you spare 20 minutes? - Take a look at what's coming up in the next few weeks - get connected and log on. It's a simple as that! for more information go to:
http://www.rsc-sw-scotland.ac.uk/rsctv/RSCtv.htm

The Best of the West

2009-12-01T10:00:00.001Z

In Scotland South & West the world of technology for students with physical difficulties was opened up to a Lanarkshire college after RSC Scotland South and West gave training to staff. Rather than lecturers prescribing solutions, the college invited students to try the applications themselves, resulting, for example, in an acting student now using text-to-speech software to learn lines through her MP3 player. Follow this link to read the case study.

You can view more case studies from around the region on our web site. During 2010, staff at the RSC will be developing the Best of the West section of our site, featuring local case studies to share effective practice and disseminate interesting initiatives in south west Scotland. If you have an technology related initiative that you would like to share with the sector, staff at the RSC are happy to write it up just contact me - Joan Walker - j.walker@rsc-sw-scotland.ac.uk - to arrange a visit.

An Introduction to the IPR and Licensing Toolkit for Senior Managers

2009-12-01T10:00:00.000Z

Developed by the Strategic Content Alliance, this is part of a series of guides developed to support people in the public sector.

It provides the minimum that Senior Managers need to know including the following:
• Overview of licensing, including an understanding of open content licenses
• What a model license looks like
• IPR – the broad issues
• IPR and social networking/web 2.0, including legal issues
• IPR and Risk Management - an overview
• IPR and Licensing Blueprint for Funding Bodes and Recipients of Funding
• Draft IPR Policy Statements outlining roles, rights and responsibilities as well as clauses outlining who owns what rights.

http://sca.jiscinvolve.org/files/2009/10/ipr-toolkit-senior-mgt-oct09.pdf

JISC Funding Opportunities

2009-11-30T16:00:00.003Z

JISC funds a wide range of infrastructure, services, innovative projects and studies. A large number of these originate from a successful response to a grant funding call, inviting eligible HE and FE institutions to bid for project funding. JISC also procures other activities (usually studies such as an evaluation or market research), through invitations to tender which are available to other organisations out with the HE & FE sector to bid against.

The link below will take you to the most recent funding opportunities. This month it includes:

A study on how UK further and higher education institutions are supporting effective learners in a digital age

A review of models of advanced ICT support for researchers

Online Communication and Promotion of Research Expertise

Research Information Management

In addition to the invitations to tender there are guidelines for successful bidding, an outline of what's coming up in the future and examples of successful bids.

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/fundingopportunities.aspx

JISC CASPER - a helping hand with IPR

2009-11-30T16:00:00.002Z

New technologies offer amazing opportunities to create, reuse and share content in learning materials. However this also means that staff involved in the development of online learning materials are more likely than ever to have to engage with intellectual property rights (IPR) and copyright.

For most people in education copyright and IPR can seem confusing and impenetrable and the task of clearing rights in content can be daunting. This animated tool shows the flow of content and often multiple layers of rights and also provides links to resources that can be used to address potential rights-related issues, as well as tools to help manage rights.

http://jisc-casper.org/content/view/tools

How to avoid breaching copyright

2009-11-30T16:00:00.001Z

It is worth noting that all content of the web is protected by copyright unless the site states otherwise and you are not allowed to take content from the web and reuse or change it without permission.

Whilst copyright can be a complex issue, this interactive tool, created by JISC Collections, provides a simple route to help staff understand the rights and related issues to ensure that the content they use is used legitimately. After identifying the type of resources you want to use, e.g. video, text based, student work, the tool guides you through the issues associated with the specific format, how to find out about the rights holder and provides document templates to assist the clearance process and ensure compliance.

http://jisc-casper.org/public_repository/schools.html

Web2rights

2009-11-30T16:00:00.000Z

Web 2.0 technologies (social software) present interesting challenges relating to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and other legal issues. Profound issues and questions that arise include:

Do rights exist in a virtual world and, if so, who owns them?
Who owns the rights in works that are a result of collective collaboration?
What happens if you can’t find the rights holders?
What are the legal risks associated with Web 2.0 engagement?
How can risks associated with content reuse be sensibly managed?

This JISC project which ended in 2009 produced web based interactive resources and tools to provide a number of pathways to access the resources and address the emerging issues.

Check out this colourful animation on the JISC site:

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/stories/2008/12/web2rights.aspx

http://www.web2rights.org.uk/

Big Solutions help Further Education

2009-11-30T11:13:00.000Z

The latest edition of JISC Inform includes an article on how JISC’s regional support centres (RSCs) are providing grassroots technology support to lecturers, managers and students in colleges around the UK. See the article in full here. It's always interesting to get a feel for how other similar organisations work especially with strategic partners. This article in JISC's quarterly magazine offers some insight into the diverse range of services and support that local regional support centres provide around the UK.

Download JISC Inform

The e-books for FE project - A free collection of e-books for UK further education

2009-11-23T10:08:00.000Z

The e-books for FE Project is providing Further Education colleges in the UK with access to a core collection of approximately 3,0000 e-book in a variety of subjects at levels appropriate to teaching in FE Colleges in the UK. The Learning Skills Council and JISC have funded this collection to all UK FE institutions until August 2014 allowing free and unlimited concurrent access.Whether working on campus or from home, access to e-books is through the normal library authentication system in your college.

The Core Collection includes e-books selected for their significance or relevance to the Scottish Curriculum and cover subjects as diverse as fashion, design, software engineering, heath and social care, automobile electronics & beauty therapy.

Staff and students can incorporate parts of the licensed resources in all types of teaching materials, in presentations, handouts or uploaded to virtual learning environments.

If you've not explored the titles on offer, perhaps now's the time to take a look and make sure your staff know how to access the collection. Your learning resources staff will have all the details.

Podcast: e-Books provide a "safety-valve" for librarians

Welcome to RSC Curriculum Matters

2009-11-06T14:31:00.002Z

The remit of the JISC Regional Support centre is to stimulate and support innovative use of ICT in learning. This monthly digest is intended to provide information of interest particularly to Curriculum Managers in FE & HE in the west of Scotland. This First Edition is an introduction to the RSC, JISC and the JISC Advance services - click on the links below to find out more about each of them. Future editions will focus on news, events, advice and information to support managers working in the sector.

I would draw your attention to our Seminar Series 2010 the first of which is happening on the 26th of November here at the RSC Offices in West of Scotland Science Park. Titled Pedagogy for the 21st Century, the morning seminar will examine expectations of 21st century learners and explore how technologies reaching the mainstream are beginning to impact significantly on learning & teaching .... find out more

The Regional Support Centre Scotland South & West
The Joint Information Systems Committee
JISC Advance
JISC Digital Media
JISC InfoNet
JISClegal
JISCmail
JISC Netskills
JISC Procureweb
JISC TechDis

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JISC InfoNet

2009-11-06T14:21:00.000Z

JISC InfoNet aims to be the UK's leading advisory service for managers in the post-compulsory education sector.Their primary resources are infokits which promote the effective strategic planning, implementation and management of information and learning technology within learning institutions.
www.JISCinfoNet.ac.uk

JISC Digital Media

2009-11-06T14:20:00.000Z

JISC Digital Media, provides free help and advice to the UK Further and Higher Education Community. It exists to help the UK’s FE and HE communities embrace and maximise the use of digital media and to achieve solutions that are innovative, practical and cost effective.
www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk

JISC Advance

2009-11-06T14:19:00.001Z

JISC Advance brings together the collective expertise of eight long established JISC Services. It provides guidance and support on technology and ICT issues by disseminating good practice, supporting training and skills development and providing advice and support through it's agile and holistic services.

JISC Legal

2009-11-06T14:15:00.000Z

JISC Legal is based in Strathclyde University and works to ensure that legal issues do not become a barrier to the adoption and use of new information and communications technologies in Further and Higher Education.

The use of ICT in FE and HE raises many legal issues, and institutions must have awareness of compliance issues, and associated legal risk. JISC Legal broadens the awareness of the issues and explains the implications of IT law by making available current legal information to those working in UK FE and HE and in particular those working in Information Services.
www.jisclegal.ac.uk

JISCmail

2009-11-06T14:12:00.000Z

JISCMail is the National Academic Mailing List Service designed specifically for the Further and Higher Education and Research communities and is considered the foremost strategic collaboration tool within the academic community.

JISCMail uses the world wide web and e-mail to enable groups of staff throughout the academic community to communicate and to share information. There are thousands of lists covering many categories. Users with an "ac.uk" email may join existing lists or create their own.
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/

The Regional Support Centre Scotland South &West

2009-11-06T14:09:00.001Z

Stimulating and Supporting Innovation in Learning

The JISC Regional Support Centre for the Scotland South & West is one of 13 RSCs covering the UK. The JISC Regional Support Centres in the UK, promote and support the use of network learning technologies and resources by supporting staff to develop the eLearning capability in their organisations. Our role is to support the 20 Further Education Colleges and 3 Higher Education Institutions in South West Scotland.

We provide a range of advice, training and services - find out more from our website - www.rsc-sw-scotland.ac.uk