Tag Archives: lilian soon

End of term – Weeknote #198 – 16th December 2022

This was my last working week of the year.

So though I had snow and cold weather in Berlin two weeks ago, it was even colder than that this week in the UK. In the South West we didn’t hit really cold temperatures, though I did experience -6°C one morning this week.

The week started with a Senior Education and Student Experience Group meeting. Originally planned to take place in London, due to a range of unforeseen circumstances we moved the meeting online. It was really useful and interesting to hear about the challenges various universities across the UK are facing.

Some key headlines from the group were (and there are no real surprises here)

  • Personalisation
  • Learning Spaces
  • Assessment and feedback
  • Wellbeing analytics
  • Learning analytics
  • Curriculum analytics
  • Influencing government and regulators on blended learning
  • Importance of support for campus (intelligent campus)
  • Reviewing the curriculum
  • Culture change
  • Digital learning environment review

One thing they did want to see more of, which crossed all those areas was research based evidence to support any advice, guidance, products across those areas.

I asked ChatGTP, an artifical intelligence tool,  what is personalisation of learning was and this was the response. I think tools like this have their place and their uses, but as with any tool understanding what its potential is, is important in knowing how you can use it, and how others might use it.

Disappointed and rather saddened to see the way Twitter is going. Despite that, and though I didn’t plan to, I quite enjoyed the #LTHEChat this week. It was run by an old friend of mine Lilian Soon, and was on accessibility.

One topic which did generate discussion was that of document styles.

I really struggle with getting people to use styles and templates effectively. Most don’t see the point and actually prefer to bold and underline headings throughout their documents and presentations. This is fine for them, but as soon as you need to collaborate on a document, you find that you need to work hard to retain styles and consistent formatting through a document. It’s a similar thing with templates. In theory if you use styles and you change the formatting of the style, then all the instances of the style will be updated. Where people use formatting tools on the actual text, this then doesn’t happen.

Why are styles important, well they are critical for screen readers in navigating documents, but also if a student (or a member of staff) wants to change a document, then styles makes it really easy.

So why don’t people use styles and templates, I don’t know. Maybe it is too hard. I don’t think this is just a training issue.

Also it is not just styles, some people don’t do section breaks instead do lots of hard returns.

Typewriter
Image by Patrik Houštecký from Pixabay

In many of my presentations in the past I have talked about laptop bans, and then ask can I bring a typewriter?

It always gets a few laughs.

So you should not be surprised I laughed at this.

My top tweet this week was this one.

e-Learning Stuff Podcast #089: The Xerte Community Day

Ron

Recorded live at the Xerte Community Day at the University of Nottingham. We discuss what is Xerte and the impact it has on teaching and learning. Find out more about Xerte at nottingham.ac.uk/xerte

With James Clay and David Sugden, Dave Foord, Lilian Soon and Julie Harding with special guest Ron Mitchell.

This is the 89th e-Learning Stuff Podcast, The Xerte Community Day.

Download the podcast in mp3 format: The Xerte Community Day.

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

e-Learning Stuff Podcast #088 : We’re going social

Microphone

We cover the power of social, why James hates BT, a few technical issues, and toilet rolls.

With James Clay and David Sugden, Dave Foord, Lilian Soon and Ron Mitchell.

This is the 88th e-Learning Stuff Podcast, We’re going social.

Download the podcast in mp3 format: We’re going social.

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

e-Learning Stuff Podcast #085: Bring it on…

BYOD, or Bring Your Own Devices. Is this the future of using technology for learning? What are the issues of using learner owned devices? What do institutions need to do to be able to ensure that learner owned devices can be used within the institution for learning? What about e-safety? Bring it on…

With James Clay, Lilian Soon, Dave Foord and Ron Mitchell.

This is the 85th e-Learning Stuff Podcast, Bring it on…

Download the podcast in mp3 format: Bring it on…

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

e-Learning Stuff Podcast #084: The Legacy of MoLeNET

MoLeNET was a three year multi-million pound programme of mobile learning projects for Further Education, funded by the LSC and managed by the LSN. Two years on what is the legacy of MoLeNET and where are we with mobile learning now in FE. Have other sectors listened and learned from the lessons of MoLeNET. Listen to the legacy of MoLeNET.

With James Clay, Lilian Soon, David Sugden and Ron Mitchell.

This is the 84th e-Learning Stuff Podcast, The Legacy of MoLeNET.

Download the podcast in mp3 format: The Legacy of MoLeNET.

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

e-Learning Stuff Podcast #083: Read This!

Kindle

We are discussing Kindles, e-Books, iPads, iBooks Author and all manner of stuff related to digital books.

With James Clay, Lilian Soon, David Sugden and Ron Mitchell.

This is the 83rd e-Learning Stuff Podcast, Read This!

Download the podcast in mp3 format: Read This!

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes


e-Learning Stuff Podcast #069: Where have you been?

Learning without Frontiers 2011 and Learning Technologies 2010 and not a mention of BETT.

With James Clay, Lilian Soon, Ron Mitchell and James Yorke.

This is the sixty ninth e-Learning Stuff Podcast, Where have you been?

Download the podcast in mp3 format: Where have you been?

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

e-Learning Stuff Podcast #068: That’s my idea! No it’s mine!

Ideas, sharing ideas are discussed along with Java and Screenr problems, discussion forums, Bloom’s taxonomy and the 1% rule.

With James Clay, David Sugden, Lilian Soon, and Dave Foord.

This is the sixty eighth e-Learning Stuff Podcast, That’s my idea! No it’s mine!

Download the podcast in mp3 format: That’s my idea! No it’s mine!

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

Since this show was recorded a recent update 3.6.13 to Firefox for OS X has “fixed” the Screenr bug we discussed at the beginning of the show.

In the recording we refer to a podcast I made for the JISC Online Conference.

Shownotes

e-Learning Stuff Podcast #067: Where do I live?

The new Kinect, defining innovation, supporting innovators, snow (again). The e-Learning Stuff panel discuss all of these and James forgets where he lives!

With James Clay, David Sugden, Lilian Soon, Ron Mitchell, Rob Englebright and Di Dawson.

This is the sixty seventh e-Learning Stuff Podcast, Where do I live?

Download the podcast in mp3 format: Where do I live?

Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

Shownotes