NewsFeed | RSCs Scotland
Fortnightly bulletin from the Scottish Regional Support Centres
6th February 07
Welcome once again to an action-packed edition of Newsfeed. In this issue we've gathered together all the hot news from the JISC and information on resources and events from around the virtual world. And, with Valentine’s Day coming up, we’ve located an Online Random Love Poem Generator which creates verse so bad even our own McGonnagall would disown it. (Use at your own risk!).
As always, we welcome feedback on NewsFeed (or any RSC service you may have used) through the RSC website.
1. JISC News
JISC Invitation to Tender: Use of 'Web2.0' technologies
JISC invites proposals for a study to investigate the use of 'Web2.0' technologies to share educational content and, in particular, how such technologies can inter- relate with universities’ institutional systems and policies to support effective practice. The focus of this study is UK-wide universities, not colleges, though it is likely that the study outputs will be of interest to both FE and HE. Funding of up to £15,000 (including VAT and expenses) is available for this study. The deadline for proposals is 13.00 hours on Monday 19th February 2007. Full version of the ITT.
Geology Digimap - new Resource on Britain's Geology
A major new online resource which makes available geological map data from the British Geological Survey has been launched. Geology Digimap provides a fascinating insight into the Earth's physical structure and substance, its history, and the processes that act on it by delivering digital geological map data of Great Britain. Made available by JISC Collections, through EDINA's Digimap platform, this new resource includes onshore geological data covering bedrock geology, superficial deposits, mass movement and artificial ground, plus a whole range of linear features such as faults and fossil beds.
2006 JISC Online Conference e-Books Published
The proceedings of last March's JISC Online Conference, Innovating e-Learning 2006: Transforming Learning Experiences, are now available. The event was based around three themes in the Pedagogy and Innovation strands of the JISC e-Learning Programme:
- Designing for Learning – exploring how practitioners design learning activities in a technology-enabled context
- Learner Experiences of e-Learning – reviewing JISC-funded research into learners’ experiences of technologies in learning
- Innovating e-Learning Practice – covering innovative uses of mobile and wireless technologies, learning space design and games technologies in teaching and learning
The proceedings of each theme have been assembled into e-books of the same name which can be downloaded or read on screen at the JISC web site.
New JISC Report on Computer Gaming
Since the earliest times, games have been used to support training and learning. With the development of computers and more recently the Internet, there is growing interest in how leisure games and simulations can be used to support learning. A new report, Learning in Immersive Worlds: a Review of Game-Based Learning, explores the increased attention being paid to games to support learning objectives, presenting the findings of a literature review and a set of case studies. Download your copy from the JISC web site.
2. Hardware & Software
Microsoft Vista and Office 2007
Becta (the British Educational Communication and Technology Agency) has published an interim report on Microsoft Vista and Office 2007 and whether they should be adopted in education.
The report found that whilst the new features of Vista add value, there are no "must have" features that would justify early deployment in schools and colleges. The technical, financial and organisational challenges associated with early deployment currently make this a high risk strategy. Early deployment is therefore strongly recommended against.
The review of Office 2007 identified that there were over 170 new features in the product, but considered many of them more suited to a business rather than an educational context. None of the new features were a "must have" for schools and colleges and investment is not recommended. The full story is available BECTA.
Free Image Editing Software
Paint.NET is free image editing and photo manipulation software designed to run on Windows. It supports layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. Download From paint.net.
New Report Questions Value of Whiteboards
Computerised whiteboards in class fail to boost pupil achievement, research into their early use suggests. Interactive whiteboards can even "slow the pace of whole class learning", suggests a new study commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills. They can also lead to "relatively mundane activities being over- valued". Far more in a very detailed report available from The Department for Education and Skills web site.
JOOST one of those things?
From the People who brought you Skype, Joost™ is a new way of watching TV on the internet, which uses emerging and established technologies to provide the best of both the Internet and TV worlds. It blends features familiar from TV such as programmes, channels and adverts with social features like chat which can enhance the TV experience.
Goodbye Mouse? New type of Screen Interactivity
View a short clip on how we might communicate with computers in the very near future. (As featured in the movie Minority Report - only better.)
Goodbye Floppy We Must Leave You
PC World, Britain's biggest chain of computer stores, has announced it will no longer sell the diskettes when current stocks have been sold. The floppy disk, which heralded a new information age when it launched 36 years ago, is to disappear from the shelves after being made obsolete by a new generation of technology. In 1998, more than two billion 3.5in disks were sold worldwide according to the Recording Media Industries Association of Japan. That figure is now less than 700 million and shrinking rapidly as e-mail and memory sticks provide more convenient and secure storage and new machines come without drives. Say your farewells at the Scotsman online.
3. British Sign Language Dictionary now Online
This excellent online dictionary contains approximately 1500 signs covering concepts related to technology such as data representation, hardware, Internet, managing data, programming, security, software and systems design. Read more at the QIA web site.
The signs featured were collected, by Judith Mole of Direct Learn Services, from a large group of deaf computer and British Sign Language (BSL) specialists in individual and group discussions and examined in expert panels. The dictionary has been designed primarily to support deaf students, interpreters and communication support workers, although it is also of use to BSL tutors, ICT/multimedia lecturers and families. The website is freely available and each individual clip can be downloaded to enhance teaching and learning materials. For more information, e-mail judithm@directlearn.co.uk.
For more BSL sites covering different curricular areas see:
4. Sources & Resources
UK Websites of the Year 2006
Forget the Oscars as the online stars of 2006 are revealed (and you don't have to listen to the thank you speeches). Vist Website of the year.
New Information Literacy Resource
Learning and Teaching Scotland has launched a new resource for students aged 9-18. The Information Literacy website provides a range of interactive materials designed to help students improve the ways in which they identify, gather, organise and use information. The section of the site aimed at 15-18 year olds should be useful in colleges and covers areas such sources and how to check them, market research and blogging.
Tagging 'takes off for web users'
'Tagging' - or labelling online content - is becoming the new search tool of choice among web users, shows research. As more and more people put their own content online, they are also being invited to 'tag' it with descriptive keywords to help organise their data. According to a December 2006 report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, the trend in tagging is growing among US web users to the point where 28% of Internet users in the US claim to have tagged a piece of online material at some time. Read the full story from Pew Internet and American Life Project.
Online Pronunciation Guide for English
A wide range of free language tools including an online pronunciation guide for English which might be useful to ESOL staff.
Learning Discovery Resource Centre
This very useful website from south of the border contains a wealth of resources, techniques and tips to help you use online resources in teaching and learning. www.learningdiscovery.org.uk.
ALT-C open for submissions
The theme of the ALT-C Conference for 2007 to be held in Nottingham from 4-6th September will be "Beyond control: Learning technology for the social network generation". If you wish to submit a paper or abstract, please note that the online paper submission system is now open.
Please read the submission guidelines for Research Papers and Abstracts. ALT-C particularly encourages submissions from further education, adult and community learning and related areas, as well as higher education.
Online Random Love Poem Generator
You have been warned….go to this website choose from a selection of cheesy romantic elements and then stand back in awe as the might of the Internet is focussed on the production of some truly execrable verse. Each poem unique. Each poem dreadful. So ahead of the 14th February click your way along to the Love Poem Generator.
5. New Information Literacy Resource
Value of Broadband to Scotland
A research report commissioned by the Scottish Executive has forecast that Scotland's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) will be £3.4 billion higher by 2015 due to the rollout of broadband. The Next Generation Broadband Research report examined the increasing availability of different (first, second and third) generations of broadband as well as their relative value to Scotland's economy.
Scotland on TV
'Scotland on TV' is a web TV channel bringing programming about Scotland to a world-wide audience - yet another example of the multiple channels of information that the Internet is opening up. 'the best small country in the world' goes global at Scotland on TV.
On the Parish Online
The birth and marriage certificates of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns, made their first appearance on the Internet on the 25th of January, Burns Day, the 248th anniversary of his birth. Scotland's Old Parochial Records, which range from 1553 to 1854, are the last records to be transferred into digital images as part of a £3 million project to make all records held by the General Register Office for Scotland available online. The five-year digital programme aims to improve access and speed up searches on Scotland's genealogical archives. Start to trace your tree at the Scottish Executive web site.
6. Google
Google Planning e-Book Download Service
Google and some of the world's top publishers are working on plans that they hope could do for books what Apple’s iPod has done for music. The internet search giant is working on a system that would allow readers to download entire books to their computers in a format readable on screen or on mobile devices. Read all about it at The Times web site.
Personalised Google Accounts
This new service from Google tailors the returns from web searches you make by building a profile of your preferences through your search history. That way the search engine can return more accurate and personalised information and even make suggestions which it feels might fit your personal profile. When you're signed in to Google Accounts, you'll now get more relevant, useful search results, recommendations and other personalized features. Big step forward or Big Brother? You choose. Further details from Google Accounts.
7. Ask the Experts
Online Academic Advisor
The Online Academic Advisor's goal is to help students with academic difficulties during their studies. Students can post their academic problems on this system, discuss them with peers in communities and, if necessary, get help from experienced academic advisors.
Ask Philosophers
Ask the Philosopher puts the talents and knowledge of philosophers at the service of the general public. Send in a question that you think might be related to philosophy and the online philosophers will think about it and do their best to respond.
8. Training from the Scottish RSCs
RSC South & West
- 1 Mar 2007: Change Management Workshop
- 27 Mar 2007: Blogs, Wikis and Social Networking
- 28 Mar 2007: Information Skills & Staff Development: Are you doing enough?
RSC North & East
- 20th Feb 2007: Web Pages from Scratch
- 21st Feb 2007: CSS: A Complete Web Style Toolkit
- 22nd Feb 2007: Accessibility, Usability & Your Web Site
The full listing of all the workshops currently being run by both RSCs in Scotland is available at: