----------------------------------------------------------------------
RSC NewsFeed
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome back to NewsFeed after a short Easter intermission. This
edition contains information on a range of subjects from new image and sound
resources, to the first glimpse of new online assessment software to current
JISC tender detail. Something, we hope, for everyone…
---------------------------- CONTENTS ------------------------
·
X4L Staff Development Cookbook
·
Evaluation of the Hairdressing-Training.com
resources
·
Developing resources and support for HE
students in FE
--------------------------------- 1 -------------------------------
The Internet
- not user-friendly for the disabled
A new report
compiled by the Disability Rights Commission and the Centre for Human Computer Interaction
Design at
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2779663
Within
Further and Higher Education, the JISC TechDis service aims to improve
provision for disabled staff and students. TechDis may be contacted via
--------------------------------- 2 -------------------------------
DTI Computer
Security Guides
This series
of guides, from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), are aimed at small
organisations, but relevant to larger ones, concerning several different
aspects of IT security. A good way to avoid reinventing the wheel when and if
you have a policy document to write.
http://www.dti.gov.uk/bestpractice/technology/security.htm
Within the educational
communities in
--------------------------------- 3 -------------------------------
Microsoft
Software Vulnerabilities
Microsoft
have released a batch of vulnerabilities and their associated hotfixes for the
following Microsoft products: * Windows NT Workstation 4.0 * Windows NT Server
4.0 * Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition * Windows 2000 * Windows
XP * Windows Server 2003. The most serious implication of these exploits is
that a remote attacker could take complete control of a system which would then
enable them to take any action they wished: installing programs, modifying
data, creating new accounts with *full* privileges etc. Microsoft have released
hotfixes for these vulnerabilities and they can be found along with further
information on the vulnerabilities at:
www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS04-011.mspx
--------------------------------- 4 -------------------------------
Evaluating
the use of online resources for FE
The JISC is
currently undertaking a formative evaluation of the JISC Information Environment
(EDNER+), for details please visit
www.cerlim.ac.uk/projects/iee/index.php
An important
aspect of this research involves looking at the use of online resources from a
further education library perspective. Your views are important to the team
conducting the survey and these are being collected through an online
questionnaire at:
Closing date
for returns is the 23rd April.
--------------------------------- 5 -------------------------------
“JISC Legal”
- a new name for the JISC Legal Information Service
The JISC
Legal Information Service has a new name "JISC Legal". JISC Legal
have launched a new website, available at www.jisclegal.ac.uk.
The website has been reorganised to make navigation and searching material
easier. For all enquiries relating to JISC Legal, please now use the email
address info@jisclegal.ac.uk
--------------------------------- 6 -------------------------------
JISC (Joint
Information Systems Committee) Tender Announcements
(1)
X4L Staff Development Cookbook
JISC has
recently issued an Invitation to Tender for the creation of a staff development
"cookbook" drawing together
all the requirements for staff development being identified as part of the
JISC-funded Exchange for Learning Programme (X4L) into a single, coherent
source of information. The "cookbook" will offer practical advice on
e-learning staff development provision in the post-16 community. Funding of up
to £30,000 (inc VAT and expenses) is available for this work in the first
instance.
Submission
deadline:
Further
information and full tender documentation at: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=funding_x4lcookbook
(2) Study of the implementation and use of the
Hairdressing-Training.com
JISC and the
Department for Education and Skills (DfES) is seeking to commission a
longitudinal study into the implementation and use of the
Hairdressing-Training.com resource and gather evidence in support of the value
of e-learning. Funding of up to £70,000 (inc VAT and expenses) is available for
this study.
Submission
deadline:
Further
information and full tender documentation at: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=funding_hairdressing_study.
(3) Developing resources and support for HE students
in FE
JISC invites
tenders to provide a written report on the JISC Consultation Workshop
"Developing resources and support for HE students in FE", to be held
in June 2004. Tenders should demonstrate the knowledge and expertise of the
bidder in the workshop topic.
Submission
deadline:
Further
information and full tender documentation at: www.jisc.ac.uk/funding
--------------------------------- 7 -------------------------------
ArtWorld
Image Resource
ArtWorld is a resource offering art images from around the
world, free of charge for educational use. Although the teaching modules on the
site have been designed for higher education, there are many items that could
be used at other levels for art and design courses or simply as a source of
striking and high quality images. ArtWorld features include:
-
a
comprehensive catalogue of objects
-
an
average of four images per object
-
available
to download for educational or personal use.
More information from : http://artworld.uea.ac.uk/
--------------------------------- 8 -------------------------------
Beta release
of a free (to FE and HE) online assessment system
TOIA (Technologies for Online Interoperable Assessment) has
now released the beta version of its web-based assessment management system.
Funded by JISC as part of the Exchange for Learning (X4L) Programme, and built
by Excel-Soft India, it will be freely available to all UK FE and HE
institutions. TOIA allows teachers to create questions and tests, to deliver
them to students for automated marking, and to monitor results. It can also be
used for collecting assignments which require manual marking and for delivering
and processing questionnaires.
Full details from : www.toia.ac.uk
--------------------------------- 9 -------------------------------
Do you want
to know how to find and use images effectively?
Images are a hot topic in 2004 and there are still a few
places left at a new TASI/SCRAN Workshop –
Finding and Using Images for Teaching and Learning: Friday 30th April 10.00 - 15.00
Would you like to:
-find suitable images for use in your teaching?
-know more about copyright?
-become adept at manipulating images?
-explore innovative and effective use of images in learning
materials and activities?
The workshop involves a mix of presentation, discussion and
a range of hands-on activities and is aimed at lecturers, librarians and
learning resource staff. For further information and booking form, go to:
www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk/rscsupport/training.html
--------------------------------- 10 -------------------------------
Google
launches research archive project