Blended Learning

Case study - Electronic plagiarism detection in the Law School

2012-02-12T23:34:00.000-08:00

Overview
Part of my role within the School of Law is to deal with all aspects of plagiarism. I put electronic copies of all assignments on the VLE and a Turnitin link for the students to submit their work to. All of our students are asked to submit their assignments via Turnitin otherwise they don't get back a copy of their assignments with feedback. We do this because we can't penalise them under the current practice for not using Turnitin and we don't wish to go down that route (at least, not yet). We try to explain to all the students why we are using Turnitin and we try not to scare them. We don't systematically go through each Turnitin instance looking for plagiarism; if we happen to see an assignment with a high percentage of copied material or if an academic asks me to look at a particular assignment further we will then investigate.

Objectives

We really wanted to use Turnitin to provide the academics with a bit more support with regards to plagiarism. We also wanted to be more proactive with regards to eliminating plagiarism. There have been cases where Turnitin has pointed out to the academic that an assignment has been plagiarised. Academics can't be expected to know the content of every website on their topic. Using Turnitin we can also guard against students submitting assignments that were written by someone else during a previous year or prepared collaboratively. This year we've also tried to keep a closer eye on the first year assignments where Turnitin can highlight incorrect referencing as opposed to deliberate attempts to cheat. Previously, students had been asked to submit an electronic copy of their assignment as well as the paper copy and my understanding was that we were running out of storage space for all the CDs and floppy disks; so Turnitin has helped with that too.

Implementation

I actually just started in the summer after the School handbooks had been produced and the procedures had been decided; but as this is the first year we have had to be flexible. The School did use Turnitin last year for Masters modules and the students had to go to the Turnitin website to submit their work. Setting up Turnitin was a lot more time consuming using the Turnitin website. Students need to be registered and the class size limit meant things could become confusing. Using Turnitin via the VLE has simplified the process and we've implemented Turnitin across all modules. We did get people from the VLE team and the Library to come and demonstrate Turnitin to the staff and have needed the support of the VLE team on a couple of occasions. It's nothing we haven't been able to sort out. As we don't hand back assignments with the feedback support staff have to check that the students have submitted their assignment, which is extra work for them. Students have emailed me with problems e.g., submitting the wrong assignment, or confusion over the preview box now showing footnotes and the word count Turnitin produces. It's not been a massive problem and this is something new for all undergraduates so next year things will be better as it's only new to the first years.

Reflections

It's definitely been a valuable tool to use. Next year I want to do some student workshops on plagiarism where I'll show the students a Turnitin report. Showing them how it looks and what we do with it. We may also do an optional test submission for first years where students will be able to see the report for the assignment they submit. This will have to be looked at closely so that students don't use something they're going to submit in the future. I would certainly look at online marking (Grademark) and some of my colleagues are very keen on the idea.

Case study - Student video for communication, community and reflection

2012-01-30T21:20:00.000-08:00

Overview

Using video for student communication within a distance learning Masters program in deaf education. Students are encouraged to use British Sign Language (first language for some on the module) to communicate with other members of the group. This has been successful in creating a sense of community amongst learners and promises to lead to enriched opportunities for learning networking and scaffolding within the cohort.

Objectives

To facilitate accessible opportunities for student communication.
To use video to introduce group members, create community, provide opportunities for reflection and increase opportunities for support and information exchange within the group.

Implementation

Basic training and information provided to students on how to create video using their own equipment (webcams, digital cameras, etc.). Videos are uploaded to LUTube for conversion to formats appropriate for online delivery and then embedded by students in areas that they can edit within the VLE (e.g. wikis, blogs etc.).
Following the initial introduction and socialisation stage, students will be encouraged to engage with tasks more oriented towards learning, such as information exchanges and collaborative problem solving.

Reflections

Students were able to start using equipment and online delivery fairly easily although support was provided where required. This approach has made communication within this group more accessible and has provided a viable and in many way superior alternative to written forms of communication. Video also allows students to refelct in more informal and, at the same time, deeper ways.

Case study - Audio Feedback

2012-01-23T22:32:00.000-08:00

Worked with Dr Nick Robinson, School of Polities and International Studies, University of Leeds looking the best way for him to provide his student feedback with audio recordings.

Overview

Provided digital audio recordings as feedback on students' essay drafts. This was made available through the VLE.

Objectives

To be able to produce detailed feedback for lots of students in a short space of time (save me time)

To improve the experience of giving feedback

To improve the quality of feedback for students and increase student engagement with the feedback.

Implementation

Notes were made on student work which formed the basis of the feedback to be recorded. Feedback was recorded on available personal equipment (iPhone). Audio files were transferred to a computer via iTunes which integrates seamlessly with the iPhone, renamed to the name of the students and then uploaded to a folder within the VLE labelled student feedbcak. The need did not arrise to access control the feedback and no students raised an issue with their feedback being available to others. Students accessed their feedback from the VLE and either listened to feedback online or downloaded the files for offline use.

Reflections

Student feedback was universally positive with a great deal of enthusiasm being shown for the process to continue. The process saved Nick a great deal of time and made the task of giving feedback more stimulating and less stressful. Students commented that they appreciated the more personal nature of the feedback and the depth of meaning that is conveyed by a spoken voice. Nick will definately be continuing with this approach to giving feedback and am looking to expand it to providing summative feedback on assignments this summer.

Other info. / Links / Comments

JISC funded project on providing audio feedback: http://www.soundsgood.org.uk
Learning technologies @ Leeds podcast By Simon Davis Cast 01 (View in iTunes)

Case study - E-learning in deaf education

2012-01-15T20:58:00.000-08:00

I have been working with Dr Ruth Swanwick at the School of Education, University of Leeds helping her using Virtual Learning Environments to enhance her students experience.

Overview

This is the range of things I have tried out:

Use of personal blogs for reflection on module material
Use of tutor blog to give feedback to the whole group
Use of discussion board for sharing responses to module reading amongst the group as well as general networking
Use of wiki for shared comments on assignments and also for some admin purposes (signing up for tutorials)
Use of Module Folders for providing module materials and also for setting up links to other resources (e.g. library, Deaf Ed. websites)
Use of chat room for tutorial but changed to pilot WIMBA for this to allow for visual contact with deaf students
Use of links to LUTube to give some information in BSL and to allow students to give and share feedback in BSL.
Using the WIMBA classroom to organise group and 1:1 tutorials with deaf students using BSL and an interpreter (this is being separately evaluated)

Objectives

The overall aim of using the blogs, the wiki and the discussion board was to was to:

enhance the interaction, networking and support opportunities for all students
enable Ruth to provide more support through input to discussions and blog comments
provide a mechanism for Ruth to gain more feedback on students' responses to the learning activities week by week.
Increase opportunities for deaf students to contribute to discussions in BSL and to have feedback and information from Ruth in BSL

Implementation

Using the VLE and setting up modules with different tools has not been difficult but we have had plenty of support from VLE Support team. Learning how to use the tools is not really difficult but working out how to use them well to actually enhance what you already do requires some thought and opportunities to share ideas with other colleague (across school or faculty). You don't need extra resources for this, just some time and support.
Linking between the VLE and LUTube can just be done (in theory) with a camera with some video facility. Working with short clips like this or using the webcam is not complicated.

Reflections

Being able to easily post resources and links; use the announcements and email easily has been liberating as I do not see my students week by week to remind them of things or give them handouts etc.
Using the blog and the discussion board as part of the module activities has helped Ruth to be much more in touch with all my students week by week and to gain a better understanding of their responses to the module activities. The students, however, feel slightly anxious about these tools and also more accountable. I could set them up better by managing the students' expectations more effectively.
Starting to experiment with the use of visual messages and comments in BSL is really exciting and the response from the deaf students has been very positive. I have used a Flip Camera for this and made links to short video clips in LUTube. The students have tried to do the same. LUTube is easy to use. You can make links quite easily in the VLE but sometimes it comes apart at the making of the video stage. I would like a smoother way to get from filming to uploading. We could then more confidently encourage students to do this themselves across all aspects the programme and it is entirely appropriate for a programme relating to deafness and communication.

Other info. / Links / Comments

Using video and visual tools has the most exciting potential for my programme but it has been the most challenging area and so these examples and links are all relating to this:
This link to LUTube in the VLE which is Ruth feedback about the blogging in BSL rather than in writing.

This is a student giving some feedback about using the virtual classroom. By putting this link in the VLE other deaf students can get an idea of how this pilot is going. http://lutube.leeds.ac.uk/eduras/videos/684

This was just a video of regional tutorials so that students can see what other groups do.

http://www.sddu.leeds.ac.uk/casestudies/casestudy.php?ID=17&faculty=4&search=yes

HCT goes hi-tech with brand new media lab (gulfnews.com)

2012-01-11T21:53:00.000-08:00

Abu Dhab:i A hi-tech media lab will open new career channels to Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) students and help them develop real practical experience in the field of media.

HCT and Abu Dhabi media and entertainment hub, twofour54, signed an agreement to provide HCT students with opportunities to develop skills and careers in the burgeoning local media industry.

"We want to connect with the youth, ignite their passion for media and develop world-class Arabic media and entertainment," twofour54 CEO Tony Orsten said.

The project is part of a broader relationship with the education sector to nurture indigenous expertise.

Stimulating talent

"We want to stimulate local talents so they consider professional careers in media, and to increase awareness among the student population about new industries that are developing in the UAE, like gaming and animation," Wayne Borg, deputy CEO and COO at twofour54, told Gulf News.

"One of our goals is to ensure that courses provided are aligned with market needs. There are over 140 media companies based in the UAE, and we offer the students training and internships in these companies. We help guide expectations and create awareness of incubation challenges for students who want to start their own projects."

HCT will be holding regular classes with its media students in the lab, as well as hosting monthly workshops there in partnership with twofour54.

"This lab is unique because HCT faculty will be able to facilitate 360-degree learning by use of multi-layered white boards, a 60 inch LCD screen and an HD projection system, meaning that our media and applied communications students get to use the latest technologies and the best possible facilities," Alan Jones, chair of Applied Media Studies, Abu Dhabi Men's College, told Gulf News.

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/education/hct-goes-hi-tech-with-brand-new-media-lab-1.948347

http://media.twofour54.com/en/news/news/hct-collaborates-with-twofour54-to-create-hi-tech-campus-media-lab.html

http://www.live-production.tv/news/products/htc-collaborates-twofour54-create-hi-tech-campus-media-lab.html

http://thenational.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

CNN's Inside the Middle East

2012-01-10T23:31:00.000-08:00

CNN's Inside the Middle East talks to Sheikh Nahayan bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education.

Festival of Thinkers 2011

2011-09-27T00:10:00.000-07:00

The fourth Festival of Thinkers conference is organized by the Higher Colleges of Technology, providing a platform to foster and celebrate thinking, inspiring the youth of the region, and allowing thinkers from around the world to come together and share their ideas and thoughts.

Thoughts from the Festival of Thinkers courtesy of The National newspaper avalable here.

HCT TV Commercial on BBC 2010

2011-06-12T01:14:00.000-07:00

More Education without Borders In The News

2011-04-04T03:56:00.000-07:00

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-31/patna/29365227_1_education-teachers-mega-conference

http://gulftoday.ae/portal/4fe9e36f-aca1-444a-af7c-dd5ee96db9d1.aspx

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/news/39685.html

http://www.uaetoday.com/news_dtls.asp?newsid=33105

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/government/mohammad-attends-education-without-borders-2011-opening-ceremony-1.784424

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2011/March/theuae_March841.xml&section=theuae

Alain Robert, 48, scaled the 828m-high Burj Khalifa building for the opening Ceremony

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3497836/Le-Spiderman-strikes-again-French-Daredevil-Alain-Robert-scales-worlds-tallest-tower.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=News

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/climbing-angerously/2011/03/29/AFtopQuB_gallery.html

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/03/29/watch-french-spider-man-climbs-worlds-tallest-building/

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/29/spiderman-scales-worlds-tallest-tower/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12892200

Education key focus of World Forum in UAE (gulfnews.com)

2011-03-29T05:23:00.000-07:00

Dubai: Broadening the concept of education around the world to foster greater global understanding amongst nations and civilisation was the underlying message at the opening of Tuesday's educational World Forum.

The World Forum was held as part of the 10th annual Education Without Borders (EWB) conference in Dubai hosted by the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT).

Dignitaries and global education leaders came together to discuss education in a global world and the necessity to adapt to the pace of change facing humanity in the 21st Century.

"We must concentrate on broadening the content of education around the world to nurture tolerance and peaceful co-existence between citizens of the world," said Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of the HCTs.

"I believe the current state of disruption and misunderstanding in the world has a great deal to do with ignorance on all sides," he said.

Shaikh Nahyan added that education is an effective way to develop global understanding and build positive relationships to dispel stereotypical attitudes to nurture new attitudes.

"To resolve regional and global conflicts, the highest priority must be given to investing in human minds in order to modify human behaviour and attitudes," said Shaikh Nahyan.

In his keynote address, former British prime minister, Tony Blair added that for countries, companies and individuals to cope with the rapid process of global change underway; people must be prepared to adapt. Preparedness taught to them through education.

"There is now a premium on innovation and a willingness to change the way you work, the way you look at and do things," said Blair.

"In a real sense the foundations of success today are the abilities to develop innate human potential and capital….because at a basic level you have to learn to earn."

He added that increased technological advancements in the 21st Century pose opportunities for new ways of educating across cultures and geographical borders.

"The purpose of education has got to be broader in idea and concept than simply getting people through exams," said Blair. "In some profound way we've got to teach young people how to be global citizens."

He added that in order for this to be achieved academic institutions must be given the freedom through government policies to innovate and enhance students' creative thinking.

"We need to change the way we look at, do and think about education because then it changes the impact it has on teachers, students and individual people," said Blair.

"If schools or colleges want to do well in today's world they must think about partnerships they can create across borders; and with different types of people within their own borders

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/education/education-key-focus-of-world-forum-in-uae-1.784555

Visitors at Abu Dhabi Men's College

2011-01-04T03:31:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about all the visitors we get here at Abu Dhabi Men’s College who come have meetings with the HE Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology, our Vice Chancellor Dr Tayeb Kamali or any of the College management. Visitors who give talks to our students and staff these visitors reads like a who’s who of world famous scholars underlining the importance of the HCT within the UAE and its Education system. Everyone who comes to visit the college is shown our college Library and various Education Technology and without fail are impressed with what we have achieved at the college.

Professor Philip Kotler one of the world’s leading marketing gurus and professor of International Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University was very impressed with the college. Describing it as leading edge and that, other parts of the world could learn from us he had never see such a concept for a Library and research centre as he has seen at the college.

Myself and Professor Philip Kotler

2009 12 14 - Royal Institute Of Technology, Delegation
2010 02 17 - Dr. Johannes Beermann, Sächsische Staatskanzlei
2010 02 18 - Shiv Nadar, Chairman of HCL Technologies
2010 03 21 - Mr Orhan Hikmet Azizoğlu, The Founder and President of the International Universities Council (IUC)
2010 03 21 - Paulo Antônio Skaf, President of the Federação das Indústrias do Estado de São Paulo (Fiesp)
2010 04 08 - Neil Selby, International Director of the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
2010 04 22 - Craig Mundie, Microsoft Chief Research and Strategy Officer
2010 04 26 - Asim Premji, Chairman of Wipro
2010 05 02 - Dr.Bruce W. Stillman, President and Professor Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
2010 05 02 - Pavlos Yeroulanos, Minister of Culture & Tourism for Greece
2010 05 03 - Ian Thorpe
2010 05 11 - Aston Business School Delegation

2010 05 13 - Dr. Kiren Bedi
2010 05 24 - H.E. Kapil Sibal, Human Resources Minister
2010 05 25 - Prof Judy Genshaft, President University of South Florida
2010 06 27 - Egyptian Higher Education Delegation
2010 06 27 - Kingdom of Tonga Higher Education Delegation
2010 06 28 - Dr. Bala V. Balachandran, Kellogg School of Management
2010 06 30 - Wipro Delegation
2010 07 10 - Prof. Philip Kotler, Kellogg School of Management
2010 09 20 - Macro Media University
2010 10 11 - Prof Andrew Hamilton, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford
2010 10 19 - Prof Michel S.Brown, University of Pennsylvania
2010 10 31 - Dr Mike Milanovic, CEO Cambridge ESOL
2010 10 31 - Professor John Hughes, Vice Chancellor of Bangor University
2010 11 03 - CISCO Group Delegation
2010 11 22 - Swami Parthasarathy, Governing Business & RelationshipsParthasarathy.
2010 11 23 - Lord Norman Foster
2010 11 29 - Right Honourable Tony Blair

2010 05 03 - Ian Thorpe

2010 05 13 - Dr. Kiren Bedi

2010 10 19 - Prof Michel S.Brown

2010 11 23 - Lord Norman Foster

2010 11 29 - Right Honourable Tony Blair

HE Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, Tony Blair, Dr Tayeb Kamali, Michael Bolton

IT Week 2010

2010-12-26T20:30:00.000-08:00

I recently gave a presentation at Madinat Zayed and Ruwais Colleges on Podcasting

It was a really good day and everyone really seemed interested in the the talk I'll you can find my slides here: http://bit.ly/hfn4Dh I have included links to the websites and video I showed and talked about at the end of the presentation but the whole talk really was an ode to JISC Digital Media http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/ its such a good resource it really is worth looking at.

Chairs of Learning

2010-09-27T01:52:00.000-07:00

In Abu Dhabi Men’s College Library there are two things which look like the front of jet engines, except that they are green and orange. And you can sit inside them. In the middle of the busy library, with students and faculty walking backwards and forwards, the occupants of these two strange devices of cutting-edge technology sit in a world of their own, listening to their own programs, interacting with the internet or watching a podcast.

The Sonic chairs (http://www.sonicchair.de/english/index_engl.htm ) are individual sound pods, where the listener can relax in his or her own privacy and allow the lecture or commentary to surround them. As well as individual speakers at ear level, the whole seat acts as a sound membrane, allowing the lower frequencies to vibrate into the listener’s body, giving the feeling of a live performance.

The Sonic Chairs have their own individual iMac touch screens and volume controls, so that the listener can create his or her own learning environment, with no background noise to disturb their concentration. Students are free to immerse themselves in their own media at a volume that suite them, knowing that they are not disturbing anyone else in the Library.

As well as multi-media, volume controls and USB connections, you can pull up a little table which the listener can use to make notes, or rest their coffee cup.

HCT Shines on International Stage

2010-09-20T04:07:00.000-07:00

Working for the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and in particular Abu Dhabi men’s college is completely different to anything else I’ve experienced before. We get visitors from world-leading educationalists, sporting stars, politicians, members of worldwide organizations such as WHO and UNESCO, and celebrities. Al Rawi is the corporate news letter from the HCT and contains under the heading of HCT Successes contains an article about one of the main parts of my job visitors. Some of the people I have had the pleasure of meeting include a delegation from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, MIT senior entrepreneurship lecturer John Preston, Microsoft’s Craig Mundie, Australian Olympic swimmer Ian Thorp, University of Chicago President Robert J Zimmer and UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokovaust to name a few. This is what the article said:

“Hugely impressed with the standards of education and facilities on offer at the campuses, the guests have all been eager to see how the HCT model operates so successfully in eLearning, education technologies, research and training; and to hopefully to work collaboratively with the HCT to develop, produce and deliver cutting-edge programs in the UAE and their home institutions and countries.

Moreover, during their tours the guests gain knowledge and a clear insight into how advanced HCT’s philosophy is in delivery best practices education in a technologically advanced mode with emphasis on eLearning in a wireless environment. Many of these visits have resulted in partnerships, joint ventures and memoranda of understanding being entered into for the future benefit of HCT students and the advancement of facilities at the College campuses.”

Capturing great teaching

2010-06-13T04:35:00.000-07:00

An Arabic newspaper based in Dubai has asked the college for an article based on the Classroom capture pilot project we have been running at the College. I’m not sure if it’s going to get published or not but thought it was informative enough to put on here.

Capturing great teaching

Abu Dhabi Men’s College is always striving to improve teaching and learning at the College using the latest technology and academic research to enhance to student experiences. Creating a way for staff to capture the high quality teaching that they do was a high priority to the College. Looking at how other Universities and College around the world where doing this and assessing their strengths and weaknesses the College came up with cutting edge concept that makes the controls as simple as possible yet has multiple cameras capturing the whole classroom environment in the most natural way possible.

The College setup a classroom installed with six high definition cameras around the room, three on the walls front, back and one side wall. The others are in the ceiling above the front desk, one document camera and the final one capturing the screen all in high definition. Other equipment includes six directional microphones; pressure sensitive mats; a control system and video recorder complete the setup.

This is all controlled through an automatic intuitive control system that uses the pressure sensitive mats on the floor and the directional microphones to work out where the center of attention is and records that. The system is all controlled through a very simple wireless control panel. With the simple press of two buttons the system will start recording the teacher. Two more buttons and any students talking will be filmed. Any recordings can be professionally edited or just left as they are and then uploaded to the Colleges media streaming server for students to access. There is also the option to broadcast the live feed over the internet for people to watch from anywhere in the world.

All this technology combines to make the highest quality recordings with the simplest setup and controls possible today. Giving students access to watch revision and reminder video’s of key topics in their subjects.

UK Universities

2010-06-09T21:34:00.000-07:00

UK Universities need to find cheaper and more flexible ways to teach. #BBCNews

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/10278662.stm

Library and Independent Learning Centre's eBook

2010-06-02T22:40:00.000-07:00

I think this is a nice way to promote our wonderful Library and Independent Learning Centre, and also as a way to demonstrate the value of online technology, Abu Dhabi Men' s College has created a coffee table-styled book that has many wonderful photos of our students using the Library & Independent Learning Centre facilities. It also highlight some of the important visitors that we get in the centre.

Diigo - Research and collaborative research with knowledge - sharing community and social content

2010-05-31T03:32:00.000-07:00

I’ve had a look at Diigo before and thought it look really good but never actually used it myself but it may be about to change. I don’t know how new this is but looking again at the Diigo site they are now offering Educator Accounts – a free premium account especially designed for educators. These are special premium accounts provided specifically to K-12 & higher-ed educators. Once your Diigo Educator application is approved, your account will be upgraded to have these additional features:

You can create student accounts for an entire class with just a few clicks (and student email addresses are optional for account creation)
Students of the same class are automatically set up as a Diigo group so they can start using all the benefits that a Diigo group provides, such as group bookmarks and annotations, and group forums.
Privacy settings of student accounts are pre-set so that only teachers and classmates can communicate with them.
Ads presented to student account users are limited to education-related sponsors.

If you’ve never heard of Diigo before have a look a following video for an explanation of some of the features.

ISTE 2010 Blog Roll

2010-05-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

I've just added myself to the ISTE 2010 Blog Roll "is a great way to share your blog and see what other ed tech enthusiasts are writing about in theirs. It's just another way you can get familiar with the upcoming conference, check-in onsite, and stay connected with your new colleagues when you return home. Last year we had more than 100 bloggers submit their info to our list!"

I have to agree I've just had a look at about 10 of the Blogs on there and there is some good stuff.

Researchers Without Borders

2010-05-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

I don’t know if you’ve seen this before but I thought it looked interesting.

http://www.researcherswithoutborders.org

“Researchers Without Borders (RWB) is a home for open research in education. It is a collaborative working environment in which individuals across academic institutions, disciplines, sectors, and levels of organizational structure can direct their efforts to solve shared problems, do collaborative research and development, and build productive working relationships and collaborations.”

Call for papers

2010-03-31T04:48:00.000-07:00

UAE Journal of Education Technology and eLearning - http://www.ejournal.ae/ is accepting articles for the next edition of the journal, planned for Sep 2010. The articles can be sent on elearningjournal@hct.ac.ae. I would appreciate if you could also send the website address to your friends who are engaged in Ed Tech and eLearning in other institutes.

Regards,

Michael

Demonstration on E-podium Technology

2010-03-18T03:08:00.000-07:00

http://www.admc.hct.ac.ae/itunes/AfterVideoClick.aspx?AssetId=0b92e167-4584-452e-b998-40a8edf5b191

SMS (texting) Students Pilot Project

2010-02-18T04:19:00.000-08:00

The College has started a pilot project SMS (texting) students study tips to 620 first year general education students. They are linked by a weekly theme and related to a twenty week semester. As they had to be generic and non-subject specific, for the pilot project students we have gone for the following subject:

1. Course-start review
2. Planning and prioritizing
3. Organizing notes
4. Active Learning
5. Motivation
6. Using technology
7. Study Goals
8. Critical Thinking
9. Feedback
10. Mid-course review
11. Critical Thinking
12. General
13. Time management
14. Educational Technology
15. Managing stress
16. Revision planning
17. Finding out about the exam
18. Revision techniques
19. End-of-course
20. Feedback

Any example of the messages:

Using technology
Try using RSS feeds to keep you up to date with news in your subject area. Google, Yahoo and MSN have tools to help.

Using technology
Photo or video a whiteboard diagram, instead of copying it down. You can easily add these to OneNote why not have a go.

Using technology
Record audio notes to summarise key points. These will become very useful when revising for exams.

Using technology
Look at what apps there are for your mobile phone to help your studies. You will find useful apps for English, Maths, Science and more.

I hope the English is accessible to the majority of readers English been their second language. There has been no official feedback yet but of the 620 students very few have chosen to unsubscribe from the service. I will be blogging any feedback I get but if you would like to know more please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Regards,

Michael

Educational video for streaming

2010-01-10T23:50:00.000-08:00

Some good resources on here of you’d like to have a look. HCT on iTunes aims to support learning by providing high quality educational video for streaming and downloading. All videos are optimized for playback on a variety of media players as well as mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPod Touch.

http://podcast.admc.hct.ac.ae

Or

http://www.youtube.com/user/ADMCVideos

Abu Dhabi Men's College

2010-01-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Well I’m finally in my new post and will start properly blogging again soon. There are lots of exciting project starting here at the College already we have the in-house publications now only available online and linked through Blackboard. A student SMS system which if done correctly would make the college front runners in mobile learning. A College assessment project has also started which will look at developing an Assessment in Education Course for all academic staff members and assessment rubrics for the collage. All this and I only started two and a half weeks ago. If you would like to find out more about any of the above project please don’t hesitate to contact me. I will be keep my blog up to date on all of the above.

Michael Bolton
eLearning and Educational Technology Coordinator
Abu Dhabi Men's College
PO Box 25035
Abu Dhabi
UAE

Email: michael.bolton@hct.ac.ae

Leaving the University of Leeds

2009-11-04T02:13:00.001-08:00

As some of you may have heard I’ve handed in my notice and will be leaving the University. I have accepted a new job as E-Learning & Educational Technology Coordinator at Abu Dhabi Men’s College which is part of the Higher Collages of Technology in the UAE. I have really enjoyed working with you all over the last couple of years and would like to thank everyone for making my job such a pleasure.

I’ve created a list of things you may like to check before I leave to make any transition as smooth as possible:

Can you access all your semester 2 modules
Do you need and TA enrolling on your semester 2 modules
Would you like two modules or more merging into one area (this is a new functions we can offer)
Would you like a programme level organisation
Would you like to use any of the VLE tools or have any DVD/videos in your semester 2 modules

If you would like any help with anything VLE related please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Best wishes,

Michael

VLE's

2009-09-09T01:58:00.001-07:00

Students come to university seeking knowledge looking for an education. The VLE is part of our students education if all they find is “read chapter 3” “look at website x” the VLE where is the education? If you wouldn’t neglect then in the class room why do it online? Having online materials does improve the student experience. It offers 24 hour 7 day a week access to learning materials limitless copies of core book chapters digitised all sorts of module information accessible when and where the student needs it. Technology in itself will not improve the student experience but use it correctly and it will.

JISC Grant Funding 09/09: Greening ICT Programme

2009-09-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

This maybe of interest to people:

The JISC invites institutions to submit funding proposals for projects to explore aspects of Green ICT in higher and further education in the UK as outlined below:

Study of Ownership and Responsibility for Energy Costs

This project will investigate the ways in which costs of the energy use associated with ICT are dealt with in universities and colleges across the UK - looking at the disconnection in many institutions between those that use energy and those who pay the bills. The study will report on current practices and identify and work with 4 case studies from institutions that are developing new ways of dealing with these energy costs.

Total funding of up to £90,000 is available for this study - including £50,000 for undertaking the study and recruiting the case studies and £40,000 for the case studies (at £10,000 per case study). The study will run for 18 months.

Small Scale Exploration Studies of Aspects of Green ICT

A number of small scale studies will be funded to investigate various aspects of the Green ICT agenda where there is currently limited understanding and knowledge. Examples could include (but not be limited to) aspects of the environmental and social impacts of Green ICT, the relationship between sustainable ICT and wider contexts such as working practices, health and safety, and the physical estate.

Total funding of up to £300,000 is available to fund between 5 and 8 projects at between £30,000 and £70,000 per project. Projects will run for between 4 and 12 months.

Demonstrator Projects

A number of small scale demonstrator projects will be funded that will develop and trail new and innovative means of taking action to reduce the environmental impacts of institutional ICT. The aim of the projects is to improve the knowledge and understanding about useful interventions in the sector in order that institutions can deliver real reductions in the overall environmental impact of ICT use.

Total funding of up to £300,000 is available to fund 6 projects at £50,000 per project. Projects will fun for 12 months.

The deadline for all proposals is 12 noon UK time on 28 October 2009. All projects are expected to start on 18 January 2010.

Further information about all of the above can be found in the full version of the call below.

Eligibility

Proposals may be submitted by Higher Education (HE) institutions funded via HEFCE, SFC, HEFCW and DEL Northern Ireland, and by Further Education (FE) institutions funded via SFC, DCELLS Wales and DEL Northern Ireland. FE institutions in England that teach HE to more than 400 FTEs are also eligible to bid provided proposals demonstrate how the work supports the HE in FE agenda.

Proposals may be from single institutions or consortia unless indicated otherwise in the relevant call. Partnership arrangements may be developed outside the sector (for example with research council sites, publishers, commercial suppliers), but the lead partner must meet the criteria outlined above. Funds can only be allocated through the lead partner.

Funding for projects

2009-07-14T04:16:00.000-07:00

Below you will find links to the latest funding from across the Higher Education Sector which may be of interest.

1) UK Centre for Bioscience – Individual Grants Round 11
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/funding/detail/bioscience_individual_grants11

2) Health Sciences and Practice – Call for mini-projects
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/funding/detail/0609_HSAP_mini_projects

3) MEDEV – Call for mini-projects
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/funding/detail/0609_medev_mini_projects

4) Information and Computer Sciences – General Development Fund 2009/10
http://www.ics.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/development-fund/general.php

5) UK Centre for Legal Education (UKCLE)
Project Development Fund – http://www.ukcle.ac.uk/interact/pdf.html
Funding for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland -
http://www.ukcle.ac.uk/interact/nations.html

6) Social Policy and Social Work Subject Centre (SWAP) -
http://www.swap.ac.uk/getinvolved/funding.html

7) JISC – Learning and Teaching Innovation Grants
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/funding/detail/learning_teaching_innovation_july09

Find out more about the Higher Education Academy by visiting
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk

Web 2.0

2009-06-12T14:12:00.000-07:00

Web 2.0 was the millionth English word to be logged by The Global Language Monitor http://www.languagemonitor.com/, on Wednesday.

"Web 2.0 is a technical term meaning the next generation of World Wide Web products and services. It has crossed from technical jargon into far wider circulation in the last six months."

Henry Ford quote

2009-06-12T01:53:00.001-07:00

“If I’d have asked them what they want they would have said a faster horse.”

Someone I’m following on twitter tweeted this quote by Henry Ford and it got me thinking what does it really mean? Is it true?

Does this mean I should go off and design a widget or a program without bothering to talk to its intended users?

Have a read of this website and the responses I think it sums it up perfectly.
http://www.enthiosys.com/news-events/faster-horses-henry-ford-bob-sutton-and-innovation/

Online push in California schools

2009-06-09T03:17:00.001-07:00

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has unveiled a plan to save money by phasing out school textbooks in favour of internet aids.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8090450.stm

The Future of Learning

2009-06-09T02:38:00.000-07:00

Hi, I haven’t really been blogging much recently but that’s because I’ve been more of a doer than a blogger over the last couple of weeks. Hopefully this means I’ll have lots to talk about very soon. But for now this is pretty interesting.

This is a really nice little video. It’s a little more school orientated not HE and is only really advertising learning technology but I liked it.

Stephen Heppell: Edited for the Department of Children, Schools and Families for the Schools' Minister (Jim Knights) to use in his speech at the huge annual BETT Show in London's Olympia

YouTube - The Future of Learning

Cheating has always been around in schools and universities

2009-05-20T01:53:00.001-07:00

A Guardian Tech Tweet:

Cheating has always been around in schools and universities - but the internet is making it far worse | Marcel B.. http://bit.ly/9Gmyu

Posterous blog

2009-05-15T03:29:00.000-07:00

I have found another really cool blogging tool/website that maybe useful to people. Posterous blog, which is used for propagating info to other places. Posterous is dead clever. I can email it words, pics, other stuff and it puts it in loads of other places instantly.

Posterous is the easiest way to post anything online using email. Just email post@posterous.com and attach any photos, music, video, and documents you want, and they will instantly reply with your new good-looking posterous.com blog. No signup, no setup required.

Multiple images become an easy to use image gallery. MP3's get a flash player. Documents get a Scribd flash preview. If you already use Flickr or Twitter, we can automatically update those services with your posts. Photoblog from your iPhone using email, and get it sent to everywhere you care about too.

Even experienced bloggers can use Posterous to blog-by-email quicker than ever. They also can autopost to every major blog platform, including Blogger, Wordpress, Movable Type, Typepad, Livejournal, Tumblr, Xanga, and any blog that supports MetaWebLog API and Really Simple Discovery.

Twitter stream

2009-05-14T03:57:00.001-07:00

Tweetree puts your Twitter stream in a tree so you can see the posts people are replying to in context. It also pulls in lots of external content like photos and videos. http://tweetree.com/

I really like it I haven’t used use plain old Twitter since finding this. Hope you like it too.

First impression

2009-05-13T02:42:00.001-07:00

I have just read a blog that brought up the topic of good design and how they suggested a website home page should look. This reminded me of two thing I keep on my shelf to remind my about “good design” the fist is a Journal article by: Gitte, L. Fernandes, G. Dudek, C. Brown, J. 2006. “Attention Web Designers: You have 50 Milliseconds to make a Good First Impression!” Behaviour & Information Technology 25(2): 115-126.

And the second is a book by: Gladwell, M. 2005. Blink. Penguin Books.

I do like Malcolm Gladwell’s books in particular. One example he uses is how quickly students make judgments on how good a lecturer of teacher is going to be and how this correlates to their final opinions after months of teaching. Is their opinion formed after one week, one lesson? The answer seems to be about 30 seconds at most and their opinions do not seem to change for the entirety of the teaching. For more details on this I would highly recommend reading the book. But maybe you should definitely stop and think about what impression you are going to give someone when meeting them for the first time or showing someone your work for the first time.

Blink reminds me that people make up their mind very quickly about everything not just website not just lectures and teachers.

Blackboard Buys Angel

2009-05-08T01:42:00.000-07:00

A very interesting time head for all the university’s who have very recently decided to buy Angel over BB after evaluation due to, it is said, superior learning philosophy and significantly better customer service. As the article says “the market, it has seen number of colleges and universities shift to open source systems such as Sakai or Moodle, or to other companies. Angel has been particularly successful”

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/07/bb

Copyright

2009-05-07T05:49:00.001-07:00

UK has the world's worst copyright laws http://bit.ly/TXJGS

Very intresting reading

Welcome to my blog

2009-05-06T05:42:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to my blog! This is my first ever personal blog entry. Just to introduce myself I am Michael Bolton the Virtual Learning Environments Support Officer for the Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law, University of Leeds. I am also in the lucky position in that I really enjoy doing my job so much so that I would like to share the things I do with the world.

In the future intend to post on the projects I am working on with regard to Learning Technology / Virtual Learning Environments / E-Learning / ICT as and when I'm working on them. I also intend to post summaries of the books journals and news articles I have read on all the above subjects to hopefully create a useful resource for anyone interested in these subjects.