SMS (texting) Students Pilot Project

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

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

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

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

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

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

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