The 7th edition of Safer Internet Day is celebrated today in more than 60 countries across the world and this year will focus on the theme Think before you post (”Think B4 U post!”).
New technologies have turned all of us, and mostly young people, into publishers of information, pictures, and videos. In addition, we can also manage our online identity in a way which may turn us into “celebrities”. While bringing about new opportunities for personal expression and creativity, new technologies may also lead to embarrassing or even traumatic situations. For example, photos, once posted online, remain online and can be seen by anybody, even years after they have been posted. Posting today photos from a fun party may have consequences on the way a potential employer considers a job application years later. Therefore, children and teenagers need to be empowered to manage their online identity in a responsible way, to be in control of their own online identity, and at the same time respect other people’s choices of posting or not certain information or photos online.
The 27 national centres in the Insafe network and its partners in almost 40 countries will bring young people and adults together in local, regional, national and online events all around the world to reflect on the publication of images online. A video clip has been created in all official EU languages and more to support this campaign. Watch the clip and find further information about the activities being organised in your country through the Insafe website at http://saferinternetday.org.
Tagged: e-safety, safeguarding
Learning Technologists’ Forum
2 Mar 2010
10:00 to 15:00
Thomas Rotherham College, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
- Do you use technology to develop learning resources?
- Do you assist lecturers to develop teaching and learning technologies?
- Do you collaborate with staff to research, develop, evaluate and apply innovative learning technologies that are pedagogically driven?
- Does learning technology form whole or part of your role?
- Are you new to this area and would like to network with professionals in a similar role?
- Or are you experienced in this field and would like to keep abreast of the latest innovations?
If any of the above applies to your role the Learning Technologist Forum is for you! This free event will provide you with an invaluable opportunity to share ideas and good practice with other practitioners and will also showcase current trends in learning technologies from across the region.
Patrick Lockley from the University of Nottingham will present on Xerte – a fully-featured e-learning development environment for creating rich interactivity. Xerte is aimed at developers of interactive content who will create sophisticated content with some scripting, and Xerte can be used to extend the capabilities of Xerte Online Toolkits with new tools for content authors. Patrick will cover installation and configuration options and give examples of how it has been used.
We also invite delegates to contribute to the forum with examples of their own practice.
Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Places are limited though so please book early in order to avoid disappointment.
Who should attend?
Learning technologists and practitioners who use technology to develop learning resources.
How much is it?
FREE Event
How do I book?
Reserve your place online at http://www.rsc-yh.ac.uk
Tagged: JISC RSC YH
Becta’s Harnessing Technology Review 2009: The role of technology in further education and skills was published last week.
In this review Becta brings together a range of research evidence and data from England (mostly collected during 2009).
Emphasis is given to the importance of e-mature providers realising the efficiency premium – by integrating systems that can support and streamline a range of processes, including assessment processes.
The review also stresses the role of leaders and managers in achieving changes in practice to achieve benefits. The strength of leadership in e-mature colleges rather than the strength of the e-maturity overall, is seen as the key predictor of better Ofsted results.
Some other key points:
- Steady increase in FE Colleges classed as e-mature since 2003 with now around one third of FE Colleges e-mature.
- Use of VLEs has risen steadily since 2003. Now in use in 92% colleges and 36% WBL providers.
- Indications that problems around the integration of management and learner systems are reducing with the proportion of learning platforms which integrate with their MIS rising in one year from 47% to 63%
- Identifies that still a need around learner experience of technology at the transition points between sectors, and between stage, especially secondary and college.
The broad questions covered are:
- Technology-confident effective providers: Can learning and skills providers make effective use of technology to achieve the best outcomes for learners?
- Engaged and empowered learners: Are learners and employers able to access technology and the skills and support to use it to best effect inside and outside formal learning?
- Confident system leadership and innovation: Do FE and skills leaders use technology to support their priorities and deploy innovative solutions to improve services?
- Enabling infrastructure and processes: Does the technology infrastructure offer learners and practitioners access to high quality, integrated tools and resources?
- Improved personalised learning experiences: Do technology-enabled improvements to learning and teaching meet the needs of learners?
- Impact of technology: To what extent does technology impact on the broader aims of raising achievement, supporting the vulnerable and improving quality and efficiency?
Download the report from the Becta website.
Tagged: Becta, report, research
The finishing touches are being put to the ESCalate/JISC HE in FE conference which will be held on May 26th at the Trident Centre in Warwick.
The event will begin with a keynote speech delivered by John Storan, Director of Continuum at the University of East London and an international authority on widening participation strategy and practice. His address will focus on a personal response to this theme of widening participation.
In addition to this there is a rich and varied programme of presentations including:
- Sarah Knight and Ros Smith (Joint Information Systems Committee) – Curriculum Design: a focus on the guide ‘Effective Practice in a Digital Age’ and how to integrate technology into teaching
- Diane Thurston (Success North Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training, Newcastle College) – In Their Own Words: an overview of professional concerns for HE in FE practitioners including issues of status, standing and practitioner research capacity in the lifelong learning sector.
- Simon Webster (University of Plymouth) – Reflective practice for PGCERT/new teachers
- Kevin Orr and Robin Simmons (University of Huddersfield) – Dual Identities: enhancing the in-service teacher trainee experience in further education
- Catherine O’Mullan (Northern Regional College, Northern Ireland) – The Development of Reflective Practice and Self-Evaluation Processes for HE within an FE College in Northern Ireland
- Ian Mills (Blackpool and the Fylde College) – Flexible Learning Delivery
More information on this event and how to register at: http://escalate.ac.uk/6408
Registration is now open and you are encourgaed to book your place early to avoid disappointment.
Tagged: ESCalate, JISC
Taking Moodle Out of the Box
3 Mar 2010
Intuitions Ltd, Harrogate
This event will offer an organisational view of how to customise and utilise Moodle effectively. This is a day for people who wish to learn how set up and customise Moodle from its most basic, as it arrives from the download, to a more usable and useful format. We will look in depth at the role of the administrator, setting up users, organising courses and customising courses.
The afternoon session will concentrate on aspects of the use of Moodle in a teaching and learning context. We will view examples of good practice and discuss what constitutes such practice within Moodle.
Who should attend?
Those who wish to set up and use a Moodle VLE within their institutions. This is a workshop for people who wish to look at and discuss the basic set up and customisation of Moodle, as it comes “out of the box”. It is also a workshop for those who wish to see and discuss what is good practice in teaching and learning using Moodle.
How much is it?
This event is part of the Moodle User Group series and attendance is by the annual £100/£50 subscription. Those organisations who have already subscribed are entitled to free attendance at this meeting. You can subscribe to the Moodle User Group by emailing support@rsc-yh.ac.uk.
How do I book?
Reserve your place online at http://www.rsc-yh.ac.uk
Tagged: JISC RSC YH, VLE
You may be interested in an event hosted by our colleagues in the East Midlands:
Using free software as a learning tool
24 Feb 2010
10:00 – 16:00
New College Nottingham, Basford Hall, Nottingham
A chance to learn about a series of free software tools that will help you make learning objects.
This session will make use of free software that can be used by any tutor with average IT skills, to create highly engaging and more accessible learning materials for all learners.
Tools and applications will be introduced via a mixture of demonstration and “hands-on” exploration.
The day will include:
- Use of Mindmapping software in education
- Creating learning objects – using sound and images (Audacity, unFreez)
- Creating learning objects – creating videos (CamStudio)
All the software used will be part of the freely available AccessApps package, and all delegates will get a pre-loaded AccessApps USB stick to take away.
Who should attend?
All staff within the post-16 education and training sector. This session is specifically designed for practitioners or those responsible for teacher training.
How much is it?
£ 75
How do I book?
Via the JISC RSC East Midlands website: http://www.rsc-em.ac.uk/
Tagged: JISC RSCs, staff development
JISC Digital Media has published three new advice documents on copyright and digital media.
Copyright: An Overview which provides a broad introduction to the subject: What is copyright? How long does it last? What are the exceptions that allow use of copyrighted works?
Audiovisual Copyright: Frequently Asked Questions which answers the most common enquiries
Copyright and Still Images: Frequently Asked Questions
More at: http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/blog/entry/all-you-need-to-know-about-copyright/
Tagged: copyright, guide, JISC Digital Media, Multimedia
As a result of the Higher Education Funding Council for England’s (HEFCE) recent board meeting, JISC is able to confirm that the funding calls which had previously been postponed on 5 January 2010, as a consequence of HEFCE’s review of JISC’s capital funding, will now take place.
The managing research data grant funding call
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/fundingopportunities/funding_calls/2009/12/1409researchdata.aspx 14/09
and strand two of the developing community content grant funding call
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/fundingopportunities/funding_calls/2009/12/1309bce.aspx 13/09
will now go ahead with some amendments.
The revised calls, along with deadlines for proposals which were postponed will be published shortly at: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/fundingopportunities.aspx
The deadline for proposals for phase one of the developing community content grant funding call 12/09 remains the same at 8 February 2010.
If you have questions relating to a bid or invitation to tender please email funding@jisc.ac.uk
Tagged: Funding, JISC
“…a great opportunity to look at lots of different initiatives and ideas for using technology to stimulate learners…”
Feedback from E-Learning Conference 2009
Which tools and technologies are effective in facilitating collaborative learning, simulating ideas and concepts, assessing learning, inspiring learners, reflecting on learning and enhancing mobile and distance learning?
This year’s JISC RSC YH E-Learning Conference is focused on Active and Interactive Learning with the use of a variety of tools and technologies.
We are seeking contributions for interactive workshops that will enable our providers (from HE, FE, Work Based Learning, Adult & Community Learning, Sixth Form Colleges and Specialist Colleges) to learn practical, transferable hands-on skills through the use of technology and challenge their approach to teaching, training and learning.
Contributors to the conference will be able to enthusiastically deliver an Active Learning ‘How To’ workshop with the use of technology. The workshops will focus on ‘learning by doing’.
We are looking for examples of the innovative use of technology in the following areas:
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Design for learning
- Creativity
- Widening participation
- Multimedia
- Games & Virtual Worlds
- Work-based Learning
- Problem solving
- Online learning
- Assessment
- Simulations
All contributions should focus on the conference theme of Active & Interactive Learning.
Download the Call for Contributions Guide and submit your proposal via the link at http://www.rsc-yh.ac.uk/conference
Deadline for submissions: Friday 19 March 2010
Tagged: #active10, JISC RSC YH
As part of the Learning Revolution Transformation Fund initiative, we are hosting:
The Learning Revolution Yorkshire
12 Mar 2010
10:00 – 15:00
Leeds Town Hall, West Yorkshire
A free event to showcase innovative practice in Informal Adult Learning and demonstrate how informal adult learning contributes to and is essential to the wellbeing and economy of our Region.
The Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP (Minister for Regional Economic Development and Coordination) and Alan Tuckett (Director of NIACE) will speak at this event.
Who should attend?
This event is for any organisation interested in supporting, delivering or promoting informal learning including:
- senior managers from local authority providers
- museums, libraries and archives
- voluntary and community sector providers and organisations
- learner groups, learning champions
- key figures from public sector organisations working in health, care, community cohesion, community empowerment, services for older people
- children’s services
- workplace learning providers and support agencies
- employers
- trades unions
- Regional Development Agency
How much is it?
FREE Event
How do I book?
Reserve your place online at http://www.rsc-yh.ac.uk
Tagged: Informal Adult Learning, LEAFEA, Learning Revolution
