NewsFeed | RSCs Scotland
Fortnightly bulletin from the Scottish Regional Support Centres
20th March 07
Scotland, truly a land of contrasts... as the nights draw out, the snow arrives; as the daffs peep through, Jack Frost reappears; and as the geese fly north they begin to wonder if they should do a quick U turn. The Regional Support Centres are pleased to deliver some continuity amongst the wacky weather and welcome you to the latest edition of Newsfeed, our fortnightly newsletter designed to bring you up-to-date information on current issues relating to the ICT in teaching and learning.
As always, we welcome feedback on NewsFeed (or any RSC service you may have used).
1. ETNA 2007 Report published – book your copy!
We are pleased to announce the publication of the latest Electronic Training Needs Analysis (ETNA) of Further Education in Scotland. This document, prepared by the Scottish JISC Regional Support Centres, provides a window on the Further Education sector, presenting valuable strategic information to decision-makers within colleges and universities, and to external agencies and organisations interested in tertiary education.
The ETNA Analysis attempts to cut a trail through the mass of sometimes conflicting detail to take a snapshot of the ICT landscape: to look at how technology is currently being used in Scotland’s colleges, how it might be used in the future, and the infrastructure and skills necessary to continue the huge progress which has been made in the last five years.
The RSCs will use ETNA to refine their understanding of Scottish FE, and to design their support portfolio to meet the needs and challenges identified. It makes for interesting reading and copies are now being distributed to Colleges.
Download a personal copy of ETNA 2007
2. JISC News
New InfoKit - 'Planning and Designing Technology-Rich Learning Spaces'
JISC infoNet is pleased to announce the launch of its newest infoKit 'Planning and Designing Technology-Rich Learning Spaces' It heralds a new style of infoKit, richly illustrated with case studies, images of buildings across the sector and a 'virtual tour' around an imaginary campus composed of spaces we find inspiring from a range of different institutions. A supporting event is scheduled for April – see events section.
JISC publishes updated strategy
Central to successful education and research sectors and therefore to a successful UK economy is an ICT infrastructure of the highest quality as well as innovative programmes to exploit the full potential of technology. This is the starting point for JISC's updated strategy, published on the 8th of March, which reaffirms its commitment to the support of institutions in realising their goals in the digital age while broadening its focus to include for the first time the support of institutions' activities to engage with business and the community.
Delegates gather in Birmingham for the JISC annual conference
Over 600 delegates are gathered at the Birmingham ICC for the JISC annual conference to hear a range of speakers give presentations about JISC’s work, attend workshops & demonstrations and visit over 50 stands in the exhibition hall. Keynote speeches were delivered by Professor David Eastwood, CEO of HEFCE, and Tom Loosemore, project director of BBC 2.0
Promoting innovation and excellence: JISC and UCAS sign agreement
The use of ICT to support admissions procedures to higher education and research received a major boost with the signing of an agreement between UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) and JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee). JISC and UCAS sign agreement.
JISC Library and Information Staff Survey
Librarians, Information/Computer Service staff and Learning Technologists often have key roles to play in helping colleagues work effectively with employers and the community. But for the JISC this is a new field of work, and they are keen to know how best to help you, what the issues are for you in Scotland, and how best value-for-money can be achieved (by you and the JISC!) in developing their services and products to support this increasingly significant area of activity. You can have your say by contributing to our survey (which takes only about 10 minute to complete, because we know you are busy people). It's open till early April, but we welcome replies as soon as possible!).
Survey if you work in FE | Survey if you work in HE
More information about the background to the project is provided in the introduction to the survey. We look forward to hearing from you.
3. JISC Events
E-Journal Archiving and Preservation workshop
Providing an overview of e-journal archiving requirements and solutions. British Library Conference Centre ( London). 27th March 07. E-Journal Archiving and Preservation workshop.
Planning and implementing innovative practice with mobile and wireless technologies
Workshops intended to develop the community's skills and understanding in the area of pedagogic design. Planning and implementing innovative practice with mobile and wireless technologies.
- 18th April - University of Bristol
- 25th April - University of Salford
CEL and JISC infoNet – Leading a college new build
A major new build is a challenge and an opportunity that happens only once in a career. This event is designed to give a strategic insight into the issues faced by leaders developing colleges for the 21st century. 24th April 07. CEL and JISC infoNet – Leading a college new build.
Digital repositories: Dealing with the digital deluge
A conference for researchers, teachers, advisors and managers within UK universities and colleges. 5th June 07. Digital repositories: Dealing with the digital deluge
Innovating e-Learning online conference 2007: Institutional Transformation and Supporting Lifelong Learning
This conference will be of interest to practitioners, managers and e-learning coordinators, researchers, staff developers, learning technologists and key stakeholders supporting lifelong learning in further and higher education. 11th June 07. Innovating e-Learning online conference 2007.
4. JISC Funding Opportunities
TechDis Higher Education Assistive Technology Scheme
TechDis, in collaboration with the Higher Education Academy Subject Centres, has announced a second round of funding under its HEAT (Higher Education Assistive Technology) Scheme. The scheme is open to anyone who teaches HE courses (even if they are working in an FE institution) and the full details are available from the TechDis website.
Digital Objects for Digital Preservation
JISC invites proposals for 4 separate studies to identify and analyse the significant properties of four different types of digital objects for digital preservation purposes: e-learning objects, software, vector images and moving images. For each object type, the contractors are required to develop a model for expressing significant properties and propose standard ways of expressing these in the form of templates. Funding of up to £40,000 (including VAT and expenses) is available for each of the studies. Deadline for proposals is 13:00 on Thursday 19th April, 2007.
Sharing e-Learning Content
The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) wishes to commission an individual or team to review and synthesise the work of various specified projects and programmes engaged in the development, use and sharing of elearning content. It is estimated that this study will require between 30 and 40 days work, during the period May to September 2007. Funding up to a maximum of £30,000 is available for this study. However, JISC would wish to see tenders costed easily within this total with funding requested being fully commensurate with the effort proposed. Tenders should be submitted no later than 13:00 on 16 April 2007.
5. Technical Focus
JANET TALK
JANET Talk is a new service planned as an alternative to the popular Skype service. As some readers may know, Skype has a number of issues if left unmanaged on large networks, which has resulted in many colleges outlawing its use. To answer this UKERNA has identified a number of products which meet stringent technical & management issues as well as providing the required features that the sector demands. An invitation to tender has been published in a bid to purchase a licence for one of these products. JANET TALK should not only provide a voice communication service but data/desktop sharing and video conferencing in a similar way to Skype does at present.
JANET SMS Texting Service
UKERNA has gone to tender to procure a SMS texting service which is hoped will undercut current service provider offerings by virtue of economies of scale. The planned service when ready should provide a means for colleges to broadcast SMS messages to groups of staff/students or individuals as required. Integrating with existing MIS & Library systems will form part of the support service. This new service should be of great help to Libraries as a means of issuing overdues or as a tool to help address attendance and retention issues.
6. Resources
Civil engineering materials free to UK Further & Higher Education
A new JISC Collections agreement will allow free access to the archive of the Institution of Civil Engineers Virtual Library for all UK colleges and universities. The ICE Library is a vast collection of full-text civil engineering papers containing every peer-reviewed technical paper published by the ICE between 1836 and 2001.
New Best of the Web booklets from Intute
This month sees the publication of nine new "best of the web" booklets from Intute, outlining key resources in specific subject areas including animal health, environmental engineering, social welfare and the visual arts. Print copies are currently being distributed to UK universities and colleges. Electronic versions are also freely available from the support materials section of Intute.
The Dictionary of Scottish Architects
The Dictionary of Scottish Architects is a new online resource that provides biographical information and job lists for all architects known to have worked in Scotland during the period 1840-1940. No other country in Europe can boast such a historical database of its architects to which the public is allowed online access. The new dictionary caters for many different users, from planning officers and architectural historians, to family historians and genealogists, as well as home-owners wanting information about the buildings they live in. The database, now preserved through AHDS Visual Arts, is freely available to anyone with internet access.
MarineBio.org
MarineBio.org is an evolving online tribute to all ocean life, marine biology, and marine conservation.
ThatQuiz
ThatQuiz is a free online resource for maths practice and testing .
7. Baker's Dozen: Development Principles for Online Courses
At present, most development principles for online courses have been derived from what seems to work best in the traditional face-to-face context. However, the Web opens up entirely new possibilities for learning (as well as unique limitations). This site presents a baker's dozen of development principles that attempt to build on the knowledge-base of distance education and traditional learning, and to adapt both to the online environment.
8. Clever Tools
Gmap Pedometer
Do you run, walk or ride a bike? Or do you just want to work out distances on a map easily ? This amazingly clever application of Google maps plots your route and works out the journey distance.
Web 2.0 Finder
Go to this page to review web 2.0 companies on the web in one place: and there's a lot of them! Check out the purple flash scroller button down at the bottom left and the useful tag searcher.
Podcast Recording And Editing Tools: A Mini-Guide
In this mini-guide, online media expert, Robin Good, has picked the most popular tools (both software and web-based) that allow anyone interested in experimenting with podcast production to record and edit audio files as easily as possible. Listen in…
9. Eduserv Symposium on Virtual Worlds
The Eduserv Foundation's third annual symposium will be held at the Congress Centre in London on Thursday 10th May. The event will attempt to look past the hype surrounding virtual worlds such as Second Life and evaluate whether they offer real opportunities for learners at UK educational institutions. The symposium is intended for policy makers and practitioners working in the areas of information and communication technology and e-learning service delivery in UK HE and FE institutions. Specifically,they hope that people attending the event will:
- gain a greater understanding of Second Life and virtual worlds in general
- hear a range of different views about the issues involved in using Second Life to support elearning
- have an opportunity to put questions to the Second Life developers and other experts.
The event is free to all participants and lunch will be provided. There are a limited number of places so early booking is advised. The programme is online.
10. No "Jam" Tomorrow
The BBC Trust has announced it is to suspend the online education service, BBC Jam, pending a review. It follows complaints from commercial online companies to the European Commission about the £150m project. Critics say the service, designed as a learning resource for children aged five to 16 in support of the national curriculums, damages their businesses. Acting BBC Trust chairman Chitra Bharucha said the trust regretted the need to suspend the service.
11. Training from the Scottish RSCs
RSC North & East
- 22 - 23 March 07: Moray College e-Olympics
- 27 April 07: Information Skills and Staff Development: Are you doing enough?
- 11 May 07: Identifying and preventing plagiarism: Issues for HE tutors in FE colleges
- 11 May 07: Preventing and detecting plagiarism: Using the TurnitinUK plagiarism detection software
RSC South & West
- 20 March 07: e-Learning Design & Development
- 27 March 07: Blogs, Wikis and Social Networking
- 28 March 07: Information Skills & Staff Development: Are you doing enough?
- 19 April 07: Advanced Animation in PowerPoint
The full listing of all the workshops currently being run by both RSCs in Scotland is available at: