HE Conference 2013 Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century A collection of papers presented at the 2013 E-Learning in HE Conference. #HECON13
We are delighted to present the 2013 E-Learning in HE Conference publication. The theme of the conference is 21st Century Learning and how we develop the skills required for teaching and learning in today’s world. • Are we preparing students for jobs and careers that do not yet exist? • How can we provide flexible and experiential teaching that enables students to develop an agile portfolio of skills?
In the new millennium we live in an increasingly diverse, globalised, and technology-rich society. According to Dr. Douglas Kellner at UCLA, this technological revolution will have a greater impact on society than the transition from an oral to a print culture. Are we preparing students for jobs and careers that do not yet exist? If so, how can we provide flexible and experiential teaching that enables them to develop an agile portfolio of skills? Employers increasingly look for graduates that can evidence an aptitude for problem solving, collaboration, and critical thinking. The proliferation of
social software, mobile devices and other innovative technologies poses fresh challenges to delivering new and engaging ways of learning that keep apace with learner trends and expectations. If you would like to learn more about any of the presentations at today’s conference or how we can support you and your organisation, please don’t hesitate to contact us. This is an exciting year for our conference as Jisc RSC Yorkshire and Humber and Jisc RSC North West have joined together to provide an informative and stimulating day.
Thank you to all the contributors to the publication and the presenters at the conference. Deborah Judah (d.judah@rsc-yh.ac.uk), Ali-Marie Ladwa (a.ladwa@rsc-yh.ac.uk) and Mark Ayton (ma@rsc-northwest. ac.uk), Jisc RSC E-Learning Advisors References Kellner, Douglas; New Media and New Literacies: Reconstructing Education for the New Millennium
Contents Pop, Folk and Punk - how technology defines approaches to learning, teaching and life - Peter Shukie, University Centre, Blackburn
Footloose Digital Storytelling - Chris Thomson, Jisc Netskills
HE students, tutors and mobile technologies - Cathy Clarkson, Kirklees College
The Voices Project - Deborah Philip, Calderdale College
Using Moodle to create a culture of community - Ross Anderson, Grimsby Institute and University Centre
QR QR: Quick Referencing with QR Codes - Nic Howorth & Sarah Munks, University of Huddersfield
Educational and Social researchers’ use of technology - Shailesh Appukuttan, University of Huddersfield
An examination of the benefits of blended learning to the student working on placement - Christine Bates, Leeds College of Music
The support, management & monitoring of extended student projects - Grant Bridges, Dr. Michelle Denby & Dr. Simon Stevenson, University Centre Doncaster
SMILE – Are you ready for your close up? - Annette Webb & Clare McCluskey, York St John University
Pop, Folk and Punk - how technology defines approaches to learning, teaching and life Peter Shukie, University Centre, Blackburn Are we involved in a new world of creativity and dynamic sub-cultures where we are better placed to share ideas, create meaning and present ourselves in ever more advanced new ways? Or, are we facing an increasingly standardised, technologically restrictive singularity that shrinks us all into a reductive, one dimensional pedagogy? This presentation will explore some of the ways that educators in an HE in FE institution are developing projects that respond to the affordances of technology while maintaining their own philosophies and ideology and inspired by the practices of their discipline. The presentation presents Punk, Folk and Pop as concepts from which educators can make choices based on their own ideological and philosophical preferences. It uses familiar terminology to constitute a less familiar, but equally significant, set of choices that support a vibrant and diverse approach to teaching and learning which promotes the necessity for difference; especially amidst the increasingly standardised language of e-learning. The argument is that only through a participatory, active and reflective use of technologies can learners and teachers successfully create a rich and emancipatory ecology for learning. Background In a recent research project (University of the Forest, Shukie, 2012) carried out with Education Studies undergraduates I considered the tensions that exist between the aspirations for technology and the reality of this transformative
period – the age of Prensky’s digital natives (2001). The project gave students the opportunity to select any technology, any pedagogical philosophy and any learner group with which to best explore the potential of technologies in the 21st Century. Within the module, which led up to the project, students had reflected on a range of technologically inspired innovations, including: Connectivism, Sugata Mitra’s Self Organised Learning Environment, social networking, virtual learning environments, flipped classrooms and the concept of digital literacies. Discussion was often effusive and the timeliness and quality of projects was good. However, in the vast majority of cases the students created technology that required a teacher-led, classroom based delivery with clearly defined teacher-student roles. Pop, Punk and Folk – A Response to Threat of an X-Factor Style Singularity As our Saturday nights have been filled, inescapably, with reconstituted forms of hit records rendered into homogenous muzak by synthesizer wielding producers, a similar peril awaits our classrooms in the form of a boiled down, grey pedagogy draped in the rhetoric of functional skills and consumerist ideology. A common thread of collaboration, individuality, power and revolution exists between the seemingly disparate pop, punk and folk genres of the music world; a commonality made starker
“ ( T)his presentation seeks only to encourage the inclusion of ourselves, our philosophies and ideologies and the diversity of our practices as ways shaping the environment in which we teach and learn...”
still when held up in contrast with the ersatz talent on display in the electrified studios of Saturday night prime time television. This capacity for creating markedly different output, informed by individual philosophies but sharing the democratic ideals of equality of opportunity, access and creation can be applied to the world of education. As such, in this presentation I will explore three distinct projects at University Centre Blackburn and consider how each one applies a set of principles that are perhaps best understood in terms of the genre specific philosophies that in some ways inspired them. Pop relates to popular technology (Eubanks, 2011). This approach applies to an ongoing project into a smallscale version of MOOCs (massive open online courses), that we have reimagined as COOCs (community open online courses). Popular Technology is defined by Eubanks as an approach in which, ‘…all people are experts in their own experience of IT and liberates their knowledge, analysis and activity to create a more just and sustainable technological present for everyone.” (Eubanks, 2011. p.155). Punk relates to a series of projects for staff and students that have been termed Edu-punk and suggest utilising the DIY concepts of the punk approach with a clear link to the open source movement. Using self-authoring, collaborative approaches to education and the development of anarchogogy as a variation of pedagogy which explores the benefits and limitations of operating in a non-hierarchical, user generated, open environment. Folk, or folksonomy, is a feature of a series of projects that sought to explore how informal social tagging create a new layer of knowledge, user generated and democratic in nature. Organic and evolving, the ways in which folksonomies develop an authentic, community constructed
Footloose Digital Storytelling Chris Thomson, Jisc Netskills
approach to knowledge issues a challenge to the roles of expertise as institutionally determined. In its place, a community inspired environment of shared content that picks up identities and context as it evolves. The presentation suggests these as possible alternatives to the ways in which teaching and learning are presented to educators, students and prospective learners and suggests the need for a wider consideration of what the education sector is, and who is included. As the conference looks at the continued development of technology as a tool, this presentation seeks only to encourage the inclusion of ourselves, our philosophies and ideologies and the diversity of our practices as ways shaping the environment in which we teach and learn. Just as the power of music transcends and reinterprets the theoretical appreciation of a series of notes, so too should our uses of technology be able to reflect our diverse, multi-faceted experiences and aspirations.
Digital storytelling is not a new idea; it’s been around since the late 90’s. At its simplest it involves taking a range of digital media such as images, audio, video and so on and using easy to learn tools to tell stories. This reliance on non-specialist tools has two main benefits for us: •
References Eubanks, V., (2011). Digital Dead End: fighting for social justice in the information age. MIT Press Shukie, P. (2012). University in the Forest: The benefits and restrictions of using technology enhanced learning as a means of creating innovation in teaching & learning. Solstice Conference, Edge Hill University, 2012 June 2012. Available from: http://www. edgehill.ac.uk/solstice/2012-2/day-2resources. (date last accessed: 15th January, 2013) Shukie, P. (June 27th 2012). University of the Forest JISC NW 2012 Annual Conference. Available from: http:// moodle.rscnorthwest.ac.uk/course/ view.php?id=179 (Last accessed: 14th January 2013)
•
Firstly, it means we can focus on the story, not the technology. The story is always the most important part. We use stories as ways of making sense of learning, experience or raw data. It helps us to give structure to events and to give them meaning, fitting them into what we know about the rest of the world. Secondly, if there is no need to spend hours learning new skills and technologies, it means it
“ ..if there is no need to spend hours learning new skills and technologies, it means it becomes a much more effective tool for teaching and learning...”
becomes a much more effective tool for teaching and learning, allowing learners to “cut to the chase”. With the growth of mobile forms of computing, the rise of the smartphone and tablet in particular, we are seeing an increasing number of tools that allow learners to capture media relating to their learning, edit it together and publish via wifi to a web site. And all from a device that they can carry in their pocket. Imagine a field trip where students are collecting information about a location but then using digital storytelling to put their own interpretation on what they have discovered, then sharing it with the rest of their peers for feedback or assessment, never having been anywhere near a cumbersome desktop or laptop PC. Apply this to a lab session. Or a workbased placement. A great place to start is with Splice, an app for iOS devices or with iMovie for iOS*. Android and Windows devices aren’t as well served at the moment but some devices like Samsung Galaxy tablets have their own editing software already built in. *Splice comes in free, ad-supported and paid-for, ad-free versions. iMovie has a cost and doesn’t work on older iOS devices like the iPhone 3GS.
HE students, tutors and mobile technologies Cathy Clarkson, Kirklees College
Technology is changing at a rapid pace, especially mobile technologies. More and more students are bringing their own devices into the classroom so this project aims to provide a supportive environment where staff and students can explore how these devices can be used to support teaching and learning. A group of HE tutors at Kirklees College agreed to take part in a small scale research project looking at how technology, and how we learn with technology, influences the relationships between tutors and students.
Each tutor was given two iPads, one of which they were to keep for themselves and one to give to a student on their HE course. Using these devices, they explore and experiment with how their learning can be supported and what they can learn from each other.
Popular apps that have been shared on the blog include:
The biggest challenge with this project has been creating a community of practice between individuals from different curriculums, having classes at different times on different campuses. A blog has been used to share and discuss how the devices are being used.
“ (A) project looking at how technology, and how we learn with technology, influences the relationships between tutors and students...”
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Bamboo Paper & Notability as note taking apps
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‘Documents 2 Unlimited’, CloudOn & Pages as word processing apps
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‘Aurasma Lite’, Show me and Screen Chomp as classroom resources
What will be interesting from this project is the unknown elements. For example, to what degree will the personal use of emerging technologies impact on the use of the technology as a learning tool? What will be the impact on the relationship between tutor and student? How will they learn from each other? What will the impact be on the wider class and will there be any difference in the use of technology with the whole group?
The Voices Project Deborah Philip, Calderdale College Debs Philip (Course leader & Centre Manager, University of Huddersfield PGCE/Cert.Ed programme at Calderdale College) and John O’Halloran, Student Rep, led a collaborative process which involved 27 trainee tutors on year 1 of the PGCE/Cert.Ed programme. The project intended to look at ways in which assessment could fully support
“ ..ways in which assessment could fully support the philosophy of equality...”
the philosophy of equality. The project examined Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) on different levels: •
EDI would be the subject;
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the assessment would reflect the diverse preferences of learning within the group;
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the trainees would have to find a way of working collaboratively across two different groups on two different evenings and would have to find a way to produce one single object (the song and DVD) by committee, which can be particularly difficult and;
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the project had in some way to involve the local community.
The group decided to rise to the challenge of creatively using what resources they already had including their own students and everyone’s families and resources, potentially networking with approximately 400 different people. Furthermore, they approached the local community surrounding the college to ask for engagement, whether as actors, advisors or to offer resource support. All time, skill & experience was voluntarily donated. A song was written, a DVD produced and the whole project was then documented.
Using Moodle to create a culture of community Ross Anderson, Grimsby Institute and University Centre
When one considers the value of integrating a VLE into a learning establishment, how much research is done to ensure that what will exist will be an effective and interactive resource for all learners and staff? How many establishments consider Moodle to be ‘the norm’, something that is essential to all student networks, or simply ‘everyone else has it so why not us?’ In terms of education, Virtual Learning Environments are very new and nothing new at the same time, depending on your generation and if they impact on your daily life. With the massive expansion of the Internet, new digital skill-sets and a social media revolution, VLEs have stiff competition. Furthermore with a growing digital divide between some teachers and students, how do we tackle a growing problem? What do we do when we get stuck on a computer game, want to find a recipe from our favourite cooking show or need to know how to fix the car? We go online and search Google (or other reputable search engines). The same could be said for academic research of subject specific materials. We use forums and help sites which give us instant answers and if we can’t find the right answer we leave a message and wait for a reply. We’re not aware but we are using communities of learning which are run by like-minded people with advanced skills in certain subject areas that guide, assist and teach us what we want to know. Sound familiar? This type of learning is very self
directed and socially based and is a more active approach for learners. This approach can be linked to Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory (1978) and Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (1977) who assume that learners learn by a mix of exploration, active learning and modelling to help develop cognition. However there are pitfalls; how do we ensure that these teachings are valid and appropriate and that the information sourced is of value? And where do we go when we simply can’t find the answers?
calendars, essential resources and help guides. The end product saw any page being accessed in two clicks or fewer, simple explanations on pages, a more aesthetic appeal and greater interest from staff and learners. We managed to create an online community that was more engaging and appealing, and was supported with regular staff training to show staff how to add exciting items to their pages instead of just basic files. Feedback from learners was positive and we noticed an increase in the use of the pages.
Using Moodle to create a community of learning is one way to help this. We all know Moodle is much more than just a resource repository but how many of us actually bother to spend the time to not make it so? Social media sites are successful with providing learning opportunities for several reasons. They are easy to use, aesthetically pleasing, create learning conversations, provide instant results and can be accessed anytime anywhere and offer massive learning communities. Surely if we wish to provide targeted and authentic learning opportunities then our Moodle sites should adhere to some of this common criteria?
Community is bringing people together with a shared purpose. We managed this on two levels by creating a new staff community and also by encouraging the learners to become involved and suggest ways it could be improved. In the future I would like to see learners involved further and maintain their own areas to allow a more socially constructive approach. I believe a sense of community is essential to ensure an effective and interesting VLE and I liken the perfect Moodle/VLE to an ecosystem where there is a natural balance between the environment and its inhabitants. The harmony which each part offers provides a cohesive circle of life within the virtual stratosphere.
My experiences of creating a Moodle community are just so. I began a short experiment with my school’s Moodle page and I began to look at why staff and students alike were not using it and how it could be improved. I found the biggest challenges were unfamiliarity with Moodle, ease of access/use and also the resources available were not fit for purpose. How could learners be expected to use it if the staff didn’t or couldn’t use it either? I developed a new structure that looked more like a website with a navigation bar and lots of pictures and broken up text. I categorised the site into several key areas for staff and students to make it easier to find the right resources. We included ‘Good News’ areas to promote good student work and an extensive staff area with meeting
References Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind and society: The development of higher mental processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
“ ..learners learn by a mix of exploration, active learning and modelling to help develop cognition...”
QR QR: Quick Referencing with QR Codes Nic Howorth & Sarah Munks, University of Huddersfield
The University of Huddersfield’s Computing and Library Services team are keen to develop new and interesting ways to deliver services and support to students, in particular using mobile technology and QR code technology. QR codes are two dimensional barcodes that can be created for free using one of the many QR code generators available which can then link to text, a web site or dial a telephone number. A growing number of mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, portable music players, etc) allow users to access the internet or download applications (Walsh, 2012), while recent research has suggested that the rise in the use of mobile technology is resulting in more and more learning taking place outside the traditional classroom or lecture theatre (Solvberg & Rismark, 2012). Students want more choice with regards to when and how they learn and increasingly want to be able to use their own mobile device to access teaching and learning materials. Using QR Codes is an ideal way of utilising user owned mobile technology to engage and support learners. The project, based at the University of Huddersfield campus library in Barnsley, is investigating the willingness of students to use mobile and QR code technology to access learning support. We have been using QR code technology to provide students with text specific help on referencing, an element of study that students often struggle with. We conducted a short survey that revealed that 66% of students owned a smart phone, and 68% of these students would use it
to access help with referencing. We then approached lecturers who taught students from the same department but on different courses and asked if they would be interested in getting involved with the project. We chose different courses, as traditionally the students on these courses have a very different demographic. We wanted to see if students on a particular course and part of a particular demographic were more or less likely to use mobile technology to access learning support. We took a reading list from a PGCE in-service module, ‘Advanced studies in curriculum and professional issues’ and Early Years BA (Hons), ‘Work based project’. A blog entry for each title was then created that advised students how to produce an in-text citation and reference. We then produced a QR code linking to each of the blog entries and stuck this to each individual copy of each item on the reading lists with a note advising students what the code
“ ..recent research has suggested that the rise in the use of mobile technology is resulting in more and more learning taking place outside the traditional classroom or lecture theatre ...”
was for. There was a concern that those students who didn’t have smart phones would be at a disadvantage as they would be unable to make use of the advice available. To counter this we purchased 3 iPod Touches that could be loaned from the library counter. We put in a bid to the University’s Teaching And Learning Innovation (TALI) fund and were successful, using the money to pay for the iPod devices. The project is still in its early stages. We made the decision early on to promote the QR codes to one group of students and leave the other to their own devices with a view to seeing if this makes any difference with regards to usage. The next step is to arrange focus groups with students from each cohort and elicit feedback from them as to the usefulness of delivering advice/services using mobile technology. References Solvberg, A and Rismark, M. (2012) ‘Learning spaces in mobile learning environments’. Active Learning in Higher Education. 13 (1), pp. 23-33. Walsh, A. (2012) Using mobile technology to deliver library services: a handbook. London: Facet.
Educational and Social researchers’ use of technology Shailesh Appukuttan, University of Huddersfield
The higher education funding guide (HEFCE, 2010) has set a budget of £1.6 billion for research and its allocation to institutions is calculated based on the quality (Research Excellence Framework - REF), volume (research-active staff numbers), and relative cost of research (library-based researches are deemed as low-cost compared to lab-based). It could be argued that there are significant opportunities for Educational and Social research and thus a substantial need to understand how technology could complement such research in the 21st Century. E-resources, multimedia, and social tools and networks are transforming the scholarship to a digital one but not without the tensions of existing and new practices (Weller, 2011). Many literature and studies focus on latest developments in technology as opposed to effective use of mature and stable ones such as simple word processors and spread sheets to ‘not so new’ VLEs, blogs, wikis, etc. However, it is interesting to note that even among ‘researchers of tomorrow’ the adoption of institutionally-provided as well as open web technology tools and applications is low and social media use only happens when it complements existing practices (Carpenter et al.,
2012). Technology may be developing very fast. However, in terms of researchers’ adoption, especially in social science disciplines, there seems to be no warrant to rush with new technologies. Nevertheless, ignoring even the stable and proven ones may not sustain researchers’ development. It is reasonable for experienced researchers to be cautious but they could be open about ways of using technology for research purposes and be prepared to ‘unlearn’ and ‘relearn’. This workshop aims to raise awareness of the use of technology in Educational and Social research and its implications on researchers and technology advisors. Participants will be encouraged to discuss how the use of technology helps or hinders their research; and the role and relevance of technology advisors and peer support. References Carpenter, J., Wetheridge, L. & Tanner, S. (2012) Researchers of Tomorrow: The research behaviour of Generation Y doctoral students, British Library and JISC [online] Available at: http://bit.ly/ ONgo1r [Accessed 29 Jun 2012]
HEFCE (2010) Guide to funding: How HEFCE allocates its funds. London: Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). [online] Available at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/ year/2010/201024/ [Accessed 12 February 2012] Weller, M. (2011) The Digital Scholar: How Technology is Transforming Scholarly Practice. London: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
“ It is reasonable for experienced researchers to be cautious but they could be open about ways of using technology for research purposes and be prepared to “unlearn” and “relearn”...”
An examination of the benefits of blended learning to the student working on placement Christine Bates, Leeds College of Music
Garrison and Vaughan’s (2008) model for the production of a community of inquiry has been adopted and placed centrally in the blended learning methodology for the Community Music Project Module at Leeds College of Music (LCoM). Its adoption is in accordance with the view that experiential learning requires a ‘new pedagogy’ which ‘serves students better’ (Garrison & Vaughan 2008: 6). To this end a blend of faceto-face learning and online learning are utilised synchronously to ensure a better understanding of the learning outcomes for the Community Music Project Module. Weekly tutor led sessions, in Semester 1, are delivered alongside an online facility which provides general and group discussion forums, facilities for sharing information, portfolio facilities as well as a central repository for information to which anyone involved in the module can contribute. The community of inquiry enables a better understanding of the processes, methodologies and skills that the students themselves must devise and
deliver whilst on placement through allowing them first hand experience. For example the community of inquiry ‘supports connection and collaboration among learners and creates a learning environment which integrates social, cognitive and teaching elements in a way that will precipitate and sustain (the) critical reflection and discourse’ that is central to the learning outcomes for the module (Garrison & Vaughan 2008: 8). Also, formal and informal learning (Collis 2006: 461) can take place within the community of inquiry, along with peer learning and the opportunity to lead in learning.
References Collis, B. (2006), ‘Putting Bended Learning to Work’, in C. J. Bonk and C. R Graham (eds), The Handbook of Blended learning, Chapter 33, pp. 461474, San fransisco, USA: Pfeiffer Garrison, D. R. (2008), Blended Learning in higher Education, San Fransico, USA: Jossey-Bass Singh, H. (2006), ‘Real-Time Work Flow learning’, in C. J. Bonk and C. R Graham (eds), The Handbook of Blended learning, Chapter 34, pp. 474-490, San Fransisco, USA: Pfeiffer
Continuation of teaching and learning, along with connectedness, are maintained in semester 2 when the students work remotely. The blended learning facilities at this stage are architected so that they benefit the students by shifting to more appropriate ‘real-time learning’ (Singh 2006: 480). The case study of this pedagogy is currently at the second of three critical stages and will be completed in June 2013.
“ ..a blend of face-to-face learning and online learning are utilised synchronously to ensure a better understanding of the learning outcomes...”
The support, management & monitoring of extended student projects Grant Bridges, Dr. Michelle Denby & Dr. Simon Stevenson, University Centre Doncaster Extended student group projects over a term or even a whole year are recognised as an assessment method that foster independence, develop transferrable skills and provide opportunities for ‘entrepreneurship education’ (QUI, April 2012). The main drawback, however, is the difficulty in sustaining student motivation to ensure regular input and reflection throughout the duration of the project. We have brought together our experiences of supporting and monitoring extended projects on English and Moving Image Production degrees to propose practical suggestions that have proved successful in maintaining input and yielded some excellent final results. 1) Encourage students to learn and employ some basic principles of project management Learners are required to ‘manage’ their project on a business model - defining roles, constraints and outcomes, documenting progress and working to a flexible timeline. They are given a basic grounding in the principles of agile project management – the methodology most suited to the types of industries our learners tend to move into after graduation. 2) Adopt a problem-based learning method and inform learners of the some of the pedagogical theory that underpins it
“ ..an assessment method that foster independence, develop transferrable skills and provide opportunities for “entrepreneurship education”...”
The PBL cycle of encountering a problem, self-selecting ‘learning issues’ for further research to work towards the solution, assigning those areas and tasks to different group members and then collaboratively integrating that newly-acquired knowledge into a holistic solution really complements an agile project management framework. As this was a new approach for our learners, we provided a short introduction to the procedures of PBL and, crucially, shared some of the pedagogical research supporting its effectiveness. 3) Effectively integrate ICT into the planning and development stages, in addition to the ‘final product’ In line with the PBL approach, students were asked to become ‘technology brokers’ (Manion & Selfe 2012: 30) and investigate the most suitable ICT solutions for their project. In addition to deciding how to showcase their final results, they were also required to devise a means of monitoring and documenting the development of their project that allowed tutor access and could be presented to the whole class in a series of planning and update presentations which also served as a forum for peer feedback and evaluation. Group wikis were the most popular option, although some groups opted for free-to-use project management software such as
GanttProject (http://www.ganttproject. biz/). 4) Use collaborative video diaries as a reflective tool Video diaries have the potential to provide a more substantial, in-process and sequential record of learning and creative development than written documentation, which is often completed retrospectively. In order to help facilitate the collaborative process of developing a video diary as a reflective tool, students were encouraged to consider dramaturgical paradigms and approaches such as the ‘Hero’s Journey’ model (Joseph Campbell) in an attempt to enhance the creation of a cogent and engaging record of the production process. References Manion, C. & Selfe, R. 2012 ‘Sharing an Assessment Ecology: Digital Media, Wikis, and the Social Work of Knowledge, in Technical Communication Quarterly, 21:1, pp.2545 Quality Update International (QUI), April 2012 Quality Assurance Agency, Issue 75 http://www.qaa.ac.uk/ Publications/InformationAndGuidance/ Documents/QUI_April_2012.pdf Image: Jade Gordon
Jisc RSC support for HE in FE and HEIs
SMILE – Are you ready for your close up?
The work of the Jisc Regional Support Centres includes support for HE within FE and HE colleges.
Annette Webb & Clare McCluskey, York St John University
The Higher Education support remit has been set out as follows: - Develop effective contact with those responsible for HE in FE colleges in the region - Scope and support the needs of small HEIs in the region, working with technical, library, learning and teaching and senior management staff, possibly via cross-regional activity or by building communities of practice - Build and maintain a network of JISC RSC HE contacts, enabling greater access to relevant RSC activities and services - Mount at least one major HE-focused regional event per year
SMILE (Study Methods and Information Literacy Exemplars) is an online resource with reusable units that can be used independently, or adapted and embedded in a range of courses.
Jisc Regional Support Centres rscsupport@jiscadvance.ac.uk 0203 006 6017 www.jiscrsc.ac.uk
understanding why your privacy should be safeguarded;
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being conscious of your online presence, both personally and professionally.
Conclusions so far
The first project of this type was at University of Worcester 2008/9, introduced as part of an existing programme. It focused on employability skills as well as academic study skills. Glasgow Caledonian University was the next HE institution to use this type of online course to support the development of information skills. York St John University (YSJ) looked to overhaul its information literacy provision and, influenced by ANCIL (Secker and Coonan, 2011), decided to adapt SMILE for use in courses across the institution from 2012 onwards. This was part of a commitment to embedding information skills in all programmes, both online and face to face, according to the needs of the subject.
Get in touch:
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There are 12 units in all, which can be taken individually or as a full course. A summary of these can be found in the useful links at the end of this article. Focus on e-safety & responsibility unit In this presentation we have decided to focus upon this unit. The goals are: •
understanding what a digital footprint is;
The pilot was originally scheduled for the beginning of the academic year 2012/3, but has taken longer than originally thought and will now go live to all students during semester 2. However the extra time has allowed us to spend more time ensuring the content is applicable to YSJ, a number of trial users have given useful feedback. A full evaluation will take place and any resulting changes made by September 2013. SMILE useful links Course summary: http://open.jorum. ac.uk/handle/123456789/15681 Blog from Worcester project: http:// smileproject.wordpress.com Glasgow Caledonian: http://www.gcu. ac.uk/library/SMILE/Unit_1_vers3/start. html York St John University (authentication required): http://moodle.yorksj.ac.uk/ course/view.php?id=5063 Secker, J. and Coonan, E. (2011) A new curriculum for information literacy: executive summary. Cambridge, Cambridge University.
“ ..an online resource with reusable units that can be used independently, or adapted and embedded in a range of courses...”