About The Image Engine

The Image Engine Needs You!

As the skills base which underlies the creation of online learning materials matures it is clear that one essential feature of attractive interactive pages is access to high-quality digital images. The JISC has recognised this and has committed to spending £10 million on the JISC digitisation project between now and 2006.

The Image Engine ran as a successful pilot project (Phase 1) during the Autumn of 2004, with the participation of staff from Aberdeen, Elmwood, Fife, Glenrothes, Jewel & Esk and Telford Colleges. Now, the Regional Support Centre Scotland North & East is able to second one person per college to participate in the next course from September 2005 (Phase 5 ).

What does the Image Engine consist of?

The Image Engine is an intensive course to learn how to use images and other interactive resources effectively in your teaching. This lies at the heart of the project. All stages of the creative process are covered from the initial planning of the learning sequence, through capturing and manipulating images, building in interactivity and assessments and finally storing the completed assets in a repository to allow later sharing.

Will I create learning materials from scratch?

Where necessary, participants will develop materials ‘from scratch’. In other cases, materials may be selected from a wide selection of materials that are available from COLEG (the Colleges’ Open Learning Exchange Group). In such cases, the COLEG materials will provide a useful basis from which to start. Please see the list of available COLEG units to judge whether your own teaching touches on one of the available areas.

When is it happening?

We have one place per College allowing a member of staff to be seconded for one day per week for a 12-week period. There will be two phases of the project:

Phase 2: January 10th– 1st April, 2005

Phase 3: April 4 th - June 24th, 2005

Phase 4: April 4 th - June 24th, 2005 (parallel with Phase 4)

Phase 5: September 5th - November 5th, 2005

You will be seconded for one phase of the project and released from normal College duties (for which your home College will be reimbursed) to work on an individual online learning sequence either by attending workshops at the Curriculab in Edinburgh or by working on your own. There will be 5-6 meetings of the project team in Edinburgh and necessary expenses will be covered by the RSC for delegates from more remote colleges

What will I learn? - Key Project Elements

What should I already know?

You don’t need to be a technological wizard, but a knowledge of how to use Word and PowerPoint is essential as is the ability to create and store files. Anything more is a bonus.

How do I become an Image Engineer?

  1. First, choose which of the two opportunities to take part in the Image Engine would be the most suitable for you
  2. Second, contact your line manager and staff development officer and express an interest in the project - you will have to be recommended to take part by your College management
  3. Third, with the support of your college, fill out the online application form.

Don’t delay because:

Image Engine Context

The Image Engine is a project created by the RSC Scotland North and East and supported by the Scottish Further Education Funding Council as part of the eMerge staff development programme.

For more information:

If any further information is required, please don’t hesitate to call Hugh Dailly, RSC Curriculum Advisor, on 0131 315 7701.