All posts by James Clay

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BCE webcast from the JISC Advisory Services

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JISC Legal will be hosting a free to view webcast on 18 July 2007 on Business and Community Engagement – The Legal Issues. The aim of this webcast is to raise awareness of the legal issues involved in BCE activities (for instance, copyright) and show how JISC Legal, through its guidance publications and case studies, can assist colleges and universities with these issues. There will also be contributions from the other JISC Advisory Services (JISC infoNet , Netskills , TechDis and TASI) to show how they can use their expertise to support institutions with their BCE activities.

The webcast is directed at UK further and higher education staff working in areas related to knowledge transfer, work based learning, community links, outreach, CPD, employer engagement, wider participation, and lifelong learning.

You can find further information about the programme and how to access the webcast by visiting the webcast section of the JISC Legal website.

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e-Learning Gathering Momentum

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I am attending an RSC SW Event at City of Bristol College, e-Learning Gathering Momentum.  Interesting for me as I am back at City of Bristol college where I was a Business lecturer for many years. Meeting old colleagues has been nice.

At the moment Angela Harvey from the RSC SW is introducing the door, but is also mentioning the CAMEL approach.

Should be an interesting and informative day.

100 ways, vle

100 ways to use a VLE – #33 Preparation

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It is very useful for a student to undertake reading or similar before the lesson, it prepares them and gives a background to the topic of the session.

Often in a course you may require students to read a chapter from a textbook in preparation for the next session.

You can do something similar with resources on a VLE.

Resources you could ask your students to read or go through could include one or more of the following:

• NLN Learning Object;
• resource from Ferl/QIA website;
• resource downloaded from the JISC JORUM repository;
• a specific web link (or selection of web links);
• a resource you have created and uploaded to the VLE;
• a series of questions to ascertain the previous knowledge.

One of the advantages of a VLE is that the use of the resource by learners can be tracked so you will have an idea of who has actually done what you asked.

A specific example of this to show how you can do this.

For the GCE AS History you need to study the Russian Revolution.

NLN History Learning Objects 

There are a range of NLN Learning Objects which cover History and one covers 1917 – the year of revolution: The failure of the provisional government and the success of the Bolsheviks.

Prior to starting the topic you could ask your students to look at and read the learning object on the VLE in the same way you may get them to read a chapter from a book.

They will then be able to have a background to Russian Revolution of 1917 which will enable you to focus on the issues rather than starting from scratch.

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Reuse and Repurposing – what’s the difference?

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Reuse

Reuse is using the learning object virtually as it is with a different group of learners and/or for a different qualification. In some cases additional materials will be presented alongside the original learning object.

For example using an object on customer service for Hospitality and using it with Business students

Repurposing

Repurposing can mean a variety of processes. From using a substantial part of the learning object with additional learning content to disaggregating the learning object and using components within a completely new learning object.

For example using a video clip from an object on health and safety for Hairdressing and using it within a new learning object for Business students.

100 ways, vle

100 ways to use a VLE – #39 Virtual Lessons

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You can use a VLE as a starting point for a classroom session, allowing you to quickly access web sites, NLN materials and presentations, etc..  with the advantage that you can also allow your learners to access the “lesson” again on the VLE at a time and place to suit them…

You may already be familiar with using PowerPoint on a laptop and a data projector in a classroom situation.

If you have internet access you can use the VLE as a lesson planning tool with the ability to quickly access notes, NLN materials, PowerPoint presentations, web links, images and so on…

Of course once the lesson is there (whether it be a set of links, a package or a chapter) the learners can access the “lesson” again at a time and place to suit them.

Learners who were absent from the lesson can also access the “lesson” therefore avoiding the need to find out what they missed and thus saving you and them time.

Evidence shows that using a VLE in this way actually improves attendance at sessions rather than as you might think result in a drop in attendance.

The lesson  can be extended on the VLE through adding additional resources and web links; and the use of discussions groups to continue and further any discussion in the classroom. These virtual discussions can certainly benefit reflective learners and those that lack confidence to speak in class but are happy to write down their views and opinions.

This lesson will also be available for the rest of the year, supporting revision for example.

The lesson will also be available next year, saving time on preparation and planning.

The VLE will never replace classroom teaching, but it can be used to supplement and enhance a classroom session that was never possible before.

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JISC Pedagogy Experts Meeting

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I am in Bristol for the JISC Pedagogy Experts Meeting.

The aim of the meeting is to inform the group of the current issues and investigations into many of the JISC e-learning Learners’ Experience projects, also to consult the experts own expertise in relation to learners’ experiences.

The meeting will also explore implications of these issues for teaching practice, organisational strategies and for technical development.

The group will also be consulted on the direction and priorities for learner centered development in the future.

This is very much a meeting and a discussion and not a series of presentations with a few questions.

Personally I will be on a panel this afternoon looking at how can we help to meet learners’ changing needs and expectations?

I will be adding more stuff over the day (fingers crossed).

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Hairdressing Training gets a free makeover

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Online learning package for hairdressing students and practitioners to be made available free to UK colleges.

Funding from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) makes Hairdressing Training free of charge to all UK further education institutions from August 2007. This funding has enabled JISC Collections to purchase Hairdressing Training on behalf of UK further education institutions for the next three years.

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