Welcome to the latest edition of Newsfeed, designed to bring you up-to-date information on the current issues relating to the use of ICT for teaching and learning.
As always, we welcome feedback on NewsFeed (or any Regional Support Centre service you may have used) through the RSC website.
In an exclusive interview with JISCinform, Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe, chief executive of Universities UK, says that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) can bring benefits to everyone. "The benefits of e-learning ought to be available to all students," she says. "Where it is integrated with learning and teaching strategies … and where it links with estates so that technology and our buildings match each other’s needs," she continues, "there is huge scope. I think it's endless really."
This week EDINA celebrates ten years as a JISC National Data Centre. EDINA runs a number of services and projects on behalf of JISC, which are accessed by hundreds of colleges and universities in the UK. An important recent development has been in connection with its successful Digimap service, with work beginning on the inclusion of Ordnance Survey MasterMap data in to the service. For more detail on this and other activity at the datacentre, please go to the EDINA web site.
This is a great opportunity to identify good practice in your college and get it disseminated more widely. £1000 - £1500 per study is available. The HE Academy is not looking for new work to be undertaken, just examples of good practice to written up and shared. More information - http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/eLFEcase.htm
JISC is inviting bids to investigate three key areas of the management of ICT within UK higher and further education. The areas are:
The common theme is the capability of institutions to build, sustain and to exploit fully an ICT infrastructure and systems that will support the institution's strategic educational and managerial goals. More information on JISCs web site.
Applications for the European Award for Languages 2006 are invited from schools, colleges, universities, businesses and other institutions engaged in foreign language initiatives. If you are involved in an innovative language-learning project, which could benefit others, you may be eligible for a European Award. The award recognises creative ways to improve the quality of language teaching, motivate students and make the best use of available resources. More information via the National Centre for Languages.
Since September 2004 the JISC Regional Support centre for Scotland North & East has been running a highly successful series of two-day training events for practitioners under the title of the e-Olympics. But why should teaching staff have all the fun?
Now both RSCs in Scotland, in conjunction with the Professional Developers Network, are holding an e-Olympics specifically for Staff Development Officers and other staff involved in the organisation of Continuing Professional Development. At the event – which spans two days, a month apart – we’ll lead you through the e-Olympics process but this time with a twist as the objective is to use the two days to work in teams to create online induction materials . Ultimately, these materials will be a useful resource, available to all colleges .
If you’re a staff developer in any college in Scotland, come and learn how to do it, network with colleagues, and share your good ideas. The two days in question are 22 nd February and 22 nd March. The venue is the Edinburgh Training Centre. Please book online for this forthcoming event.
Effective and appropriate use of technology can produce major benefits for all learners, particularly those with disabilities. TechDis is the specialist JISC service which seeks to provide advice and guidance to College staff on using technology:
For more information on the TechDis web site.
Since 1985 Apple has been committed to helping people with disabilities access their personal computer. Apple's commitment to accessibility is evident throughout the Mac OS X operating system which is designed to be easy to use by all, but also includes a wide variety of features and technologies specifically designed to provide accessibility to users with disabilities. Apple refers to these features collectively as 'Universal Access' and has integrated them in the operating system so they can be used in conjunction with a variety of applications from Apple and other developers. Find out more at Apple's Accessibility site.
The Accessibility Update is a free e-mail newsletter providing information about resources to help make the computer easier to use with accessible technology solutions. Information about accessibility options in Microsoft products, accessibility resources, and assistive technology products compatible with the Windows operating system are providing in the newsletter which is emailed out on the first Thursday of each month. Subscribe to the Accessibility Update newsletter.
With ever-increasing constraints on university and college budgets, the cost-effectiveness of VLEs has become an important issue. The uptake of VLEs has until recently been patchy across the UK in both higher and further education. There are claims that Open Source (OS) products can deliver what institutions demand more cost-effectively and more efficiently. The development of OS products can help lay the foundations for the design of systems suited to the specific requirements of individual institutions, teachers and, most importantly, students. The HE Academy's article " A glimpse into the future of e-learning".
What is open source software ?
The JORUM User Service, providing access to the resources, will be available from 30th January 2006. All UK Further and Higher Education institutions who sign up will be able to search, preview, download and reuse the learning and teaching material found in the system.
Free access to the full Oxford English Dictionary. This initiative coincides with the BBC series "Balderdash and Piffle".
Learning Essentials can help educators easily create effective instructional resources, complete administrative tasks, and implement new teaching strategies. With the Content Development Kit, you can create even more templates and tools to use with Learning Essentials. More information on Microsoft's Learning Essentials web site.
Ubiquitous communications technology promises to provide a highly creative learning environment, argues Martin Raymond - Young people are showing signs of becoming increasingly nomadic, self-sufficient, able to handle the imperatives of modernity and to juggle responsibilities put on them as citizens and consumers. They appear to know what they want... Read the full article in the Guardian's Education section.
UCISA 2006 Annual Conference 8th - 10th March 2006,
The Winter Gardens, Blackpool.
Over the last three years, Netskills professional development certificates have enabled Netskills training to lead to BTEC- accredited qualification in 'e-Learning' or 'Web Development'. These qualifications have been extremely popular and are widely- recognised as offering outstanding quality and value. More information on Netskills accreditation
These courses and others are listed on the Scotfeict website which also lists other staff development opportunities for FE staff within Scotland. Nationwide training opportunities are available on the NLN events database.
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