E-Learning for Beginners

Each year we run a free one day event that is aimed tutors and trainers working in the Further Education and Skills Sector, who are completely new to e-learning and ILT. The aim of this event is to offer them a taste of e-learning and a chance to see what technology can do to support education. It's also a chance to be inspired and see what technologies or topics might be emerging that could help you with your teaching practice.

This year the full day event will include sessions on:

• Sharing and finding electronic resources


• Using the IFL REFLECT e-portfolio to record CPD Practice


• Assistive Technology Workshop


• Tech On A Budget


• Emerging Technologies (or 7 Things You Should Know About)


• Using a Wiki to Support your Teaching


• The Wonderful World of Word Clouds


• Teaching and Learning safely online

The event has proved very popular in previous years and has therefore been limited to three people per learning provider with places being allocated on a first come, first served basis.

This event is free to attend, with lunch and refreshments provided. To book visit the page on our website.

We look forward to seeing some of you there!

Preparing Learners for a Digital Future

I’ve previously noted the importance of digital literacy for education, which essentially involves learners (and staff) having access to a broad range of skills and resources that they are able to apply to using digital tools.

It’s an area of growing concern and much is being done to help learning providers discover ways that they can support digital literacy for their own teaching staff and learners. This has obvious benefits, not just in terms of engagement with technology for teaching and learning, but also to support work in an increasingly digital age.

To support this area the RSC West Midlands is working jointly with the East Midlands to host an event in Birmingham on 9th December, which introduces the concept of digital literacy and how you can develop it among your learners.

This includes:

· An outline of the JISC Digital Literacy programme and support available
· Definition of Digital Literacy and what attributes a digitally literate learner has.
· How can you move forward as an organisation in developing Digital Literacy?
· Exploration of the 7 Pillars model of Information Literacy and its relevance to the wider Digital Literacy topic
· Local case study of good practice in promoting and teaching Digital Literacy
· Review of national Digital Literacy good practice examples

Click here for further information, or to book. (Spaces for this are limited so book early to avoid disappointment!)

For more on digital literacy in terms of helping teachers to integrate the development of students’ skills into everyday teaching and learning, this previous post highlights some staff development resources which might also be useful.

This post also shows how students are already engaging with technology which demonstrates how by their own volition they are embedding some digital literacy into their everyday practice. Even more of an argument for getting teaching staff on board!






To read more of Wobble click here.

Assistive Technology and Access Apps

Do you know what Assistive Technology is and how it can be used with learners? If not you can either click here for a web definition, or better still, sign up for this free regional event which will explore assistive technologies in practice. The event will also show you how assistive technologies can be used to empower your learners (as part of your new Equality Duties).

This popular session is a repeat of previous ones run by Alison Wootton, our regional Adviser for Accessibility and Inclusion. This one will be held on the afternoon of 2nd December, here at Wolverhampton Science Park. Set informally in our training room it will offer you a chance to look at a range of software and hardware, including:

* A variety of software (Read and Write Gold, Word Bar, Clicker)
* Digital Cameras, MP3 Players
* Trackerballs, Giro Mice
* Alternative Keyboards
* Pen Partners
* Low Tech accessibility options (coloured overlays, organisation tools)

All delegates will also receive a copy of the popular Access Apps suite of software, a USB stick chock full of software that can freely be used and run directly from the USB itself.

More about that here.




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Related Wobble links:

Create and Convert for Accessible Learning Resources
Accessibility Overview
Learning Technology Loan Initiative
Portable Video Magnifier for Learners with Visual Impairments
AccessApps - Free Portable Software on a Stick


To read more of Wobble click here.

Joint E-Learning Forum – Summary of the day...

Last week we held our second joint e-learning forum 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.

We have now set up a wiki page that has links to the presentations and many of the information sources that were mentioned on the day so if you missed the event you can still check there for information. Individual section summaries can be accessed via the links below or the whole event page can be viewed on our wiki.

This forum included an overview of Generator, the technology improvement leadership tool for further education and skills. We also had an update on the e-CPD programme form Dave Foord (LSIS), an overview of Accessibility and why that’s important to providers, as well as details on available funding for e-learning, a summary of regional projects and initiatives and more.

2 Generator - the Technology Improvement Leadership Tool for Further Education and Skills
3 Update on the eCPD Programme
4 Accessibility in Work Based Learning and Adult and Community Learning
5 Funding for E-Learning Projects
6 Regional Projects and Initiatives
7 Strategic Development
8 Upcoming RSC events
9 Other Upcoming events (External)

Great to see so many in attendance and we look forward to seeing you at the next one!


To read more of Wobble click here.

How to Win Those Bids for E-learning Projects!

Last year, I did a survey with Learning Providers in the West Midlands region and asked ‘Does your organisation face any of the following barriers in embedding ILT?’ It was no surprise that funding and lack of finances came out very high, in second place in fact. (Number one was ‘lack of knowledge about e-learning, hence the setting up of this blog!)

With finances being such a key issue, and bid writing for project funding sometimes being a complex task, we have organised a regional one day event which we hope will demystify the area of bid writing, show what opportunities exist and outline what makes an effective bid.

The day will help learning providers understand what the funders are looking for and will also include elements of project planning, an often overlooked part of the process. For work based learning providers it’s also a great opportunity to learn more about the Learning Innovation Grants that I’ve mentioned so often, discover why certain applicants were successful in their bids, and what makes a good bid? Terry Loane of DawsonLoane will be on hand to answer these questions and more.

As with all our events there are more details on the website so please visit there for more info but it’s worth noting here that as an RSC event we have been able to subsidise the cost of this event for the region and are able to offer places at a reduced rate of £60. I’m sure I don’t need to suggest you book early!

Hope to see you there.