Generic eMarketplace (GeM) for Work Based Learning

Are you an independent training provider that currently purchases products and services to support your e-learning? If yes, have you heard of Gem for WBL? If not you may wish to continue reading…

Gem for WBL is an initiative being led by Jisc and is essentially a website offering users savings on products and services via suppliers and negotiated contracts. The service is currently free for training providers to use. It is funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and supported by the Association of Employment and Learning Providers. 
 
Gem for WBL was established last year but it is clearly gaining momentum as more and more suppliers join its growing database, each offering discounted rates to providers that purchase through the Gem site.

Currently the site has products and services available in the following areas:

• Mobile phones, business telephone systems and wireless networks
• Online assessment software for apprenticeships and e-portfolio solutions
• Voice and video feedback applications which have uses for training organisations
• Learner destination tracking services
• Management Information System for tracking SF funded delivery
• Plus more…

If you have not yet visited the Gem site, it’s worth a look and Steve Durham, the project lead is also currently holding a number of free online webinars to introduce the service. (I’ll let you know the date of the next one when I have it).

To register to use the service visit the website or contact steve.durham@jiscadvance.ac.uk for further information.
 
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Safer Internet Day 2014 - Are you ready?

The 11th Safer Internet Day (SID 2014) will be celebrated worldwide on 11th February 2014. The theme for the day is: 'Let's create a better internet together'.

In support of this significant event, last week several of my colleagues ran a very successful online all-day event entitled ‘Preparing for Safer Internet Day and beyond’. This was to help raise awareness for the national campaign and support learning providers to develop their approach for Safer Internet Day next year.

 

The event provided a wealth of useful Safer Internet Day information, and resources and links to help you to host the campaign in your organisation. Online attendees got to discover what’s available within Jisc regarding the legal implications related to e-safety and supporting vulnerable learners. They were also shown examples of e-safety best practice within education plus details of the amazing campaigns from last year.

The good news is for those who missed it, that ALL of the presentations, supporting resources and webinar recordings are now freely available online. These resources comprehensively cover the following key areas.

• Hot topics (Jisc Legal)
• Supporting vulnerable learners with e-safety (Jisc TechDis)
• eSafety infoKit (Jisc Infonet)
• Best practice examples of the impact of SID2013 from educational providers
• Bring your own device (BYOD) Security together (Janet)
• The latest information from CEOP, and ThinkUKnow for post-16 providers
• Best-practice examples of e-safety implementation (from educational providers) and the impact for learners and the organisation
• Moving forward with SID2014 campaign

At this point the recordings can be freely accessed and watched at your own leisure, no log in is required. 

Covering so many elements of using the internet safely, the site is certainly worth a look by anyone with an interest in e-safety or safer internet use. It’s great that it is now free to access and I hope these resources prove useful and assist you in supporting the theme of the 2014 Safer Internet Campaign, 'Let's create a better internet together!’

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Regional Work Based Learning Forum

Earlier this month we held another of our joint e-learning forums which bought together staff from adult and community and work based learning organisations from across the region to hear about the latest developments in e-learning. It also offered an opportunity for providers in the region to get together and discuss a range of issues relating to their own use of technology.

On the day several of our advisers outlined a range of our current initiatives that are currently available to you, including:

   

• Latest Jisc Innovation through Technology Funding Call
• Preparing for Safer Internet Day event
• RSC Assist: Bespoke Support for your E-Learning Projects
• Personalised Learning and Tablet Loan Scheme
• New home for the Excellence Gateway E-Learning Case Studies
• Assistive Technology Kit Loan Bags
• E-Learning Progress Reviews

Details of each of these initiatives can now also be found on a supporting wiki page that was made available to delegates.

If you missed this forum but would like more details on any of the above please do get in touch. Don’t forget, that if you are one of our supported providers you may also benefit from free consultations on any other areas of e-learning that fall within our full range of support.

We hope to see you at the next WBL forum in the New Year. Until then if you have any suggestions for topics that you would like to see covered in the next one let us know!

 
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Jisc Innovation Through Technology Funding call

These last few weeks several of us in the RSC team have been dealing with your enquiries about the latest round of Jisc FE and Skills funding. This one million pound funding programme aims to improve the learner experience and increase the capability and capacity of the workforce, and covers all of FE and Skills. If you haven’t already applied for this, there is still time but the deadline is 6^th December which is approaching very soon!

For those considering submitting bids the following links might be useful:

• Our colleagues at RSC Eastern ran a workshop recently that looked more closely at what this funding can be used for and ways to apply. All the resources from that event are available to view online, along with the presentations from the day.  What might be of particular interest is the two ‘Padlet’ pages where providers expressed some of their ideas for projects as that gives a rough idea of what people are typically considering doing with the funds.

•  As part of that same event there were also two bid writing workshops hosted by Angus Carpenter, and the recording of these workshops is also available. This first session looked at the project development process and considerations for collaborative bids. Available as a recording here. The second session examined the funding call documents, with Angus explaining how bidders can align the project documents with their ideas. Available here.

Should you need any more information about this current funding call please get in touch. Good luck to all that apply!

 
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