Emerging Technologies for Learning

A recent report from BECTA, Emerging Technologies for Learning “…aims to help readers consider how emerging technologies may impact on education … It should open readers up to some of the possibilities that are developing and the potential for technology to transform our ways of working, learning and interacting over the next three to five years.”

It has various articles which will be of interest to learning providers but a couple which caught my attention include:

Growing up with Google: what it means to education This explores the ‘net generation’ …whose behaviours, preferences and expectations may be very different from those of their teachers (trainers). It examines the characteristics of these learners … and the skills that an education system needs to provide for the 21st century.

Mobile, wireless, connected: information clouds and learning In this, Mark van’t Hooft looks at the implications of using mobile devices, pervasive wireless connectivity, and internet applications and services. .. describing some examples of how these technologies are being used to transform learning and discusses the barriers and issues to their effective use.

LSC and BECTA Technology Exemplar Network

By now all work based learning providers should have received information about the joint Becta and LSC Technology Exemplar Network. If not you’ll find a summary here. As part of this initiative 10 learning providers have now been selected for “leading the way in the effective use of technology for learning” and noted as having Exemplar Status. They will now work with other providers to help share and develop the use of technology across the sector. (A full list of these Exemplar Status Providers can be viewed online).

What’s worth noting now, is that now “up to 50 providers (including work based learning providers) can apply to join the Technology Exemplar Network as developing providers.” Those selected as part of this process will be able to benefit directly from these exemplars’ knowledge and experience to improve the way technology is used to support their own learner achievement”.

Revenue grants of £7,500 and Capital grants of up to £50,000 are available to support providers participation in the Network. More information and documentation is available online.

The deadline for applications is 19th March.

More Interactive Whiteboards

I must say I was quite surprised at how positive a response we had to upcoming Interactive Whiteboard workshop that we have scheduled for next week. The session became oversubscribed very quickly indicating that there is a fair old demand for this type of training in the region.

Apologies to all who wanted to attend but couldn't get in this one. We have however set up a waiting list which may lead to us offering another free session in the future. Watch this space and our events page for details.

We will also be sharing a number of resources relating to using Interactive Whiteboards on the web after next weeks workshop. These may also prove useful for staff who cant make any of the sessions, so when I've finished uploading them I'll also signpost a link on here.

Look forward to seeing many of you next week!

(Image courtesy of dougsymington)

JISC Legal Advice for Learning Providers

As a work based learning provider, does your organisation have an email/internet policy? Does your website have a privacy statement?

The use of IT in learning raises many legal issues and work based learning providers need to have awareness of these and of any associated legal risk. That’s where JISC Legal now comes in. A Joint Information System Committee (JISC) funded service, JISC Legal now offers high quality legal information free to the work based learning sector. The service explains the implications of IT law by making current legal information available to staff working with IT in the sector.

JISC Legal is an information service, they are not a firm of solicitors and can’t give professional legal advice – any material provided is for informative purposes only. However, the use of JISC legal services can save providers time and money, if only in ensuring their staff are fully briefed in legal issues relating to the use of IT.

They maintain the JISC Legal website, which offers a wealth of useful information as well as a form for online queries. They have also compiled a very useful Software Management Checklist which is designed to help learning providers manage the licensed software on their machines. A list of Frequently Asked Questions outlines a number of key topics based on queries the service has received to date. They also have a number of publications that cover topics such as monitoring internet use, issues relating to copyright, inappropriate use of computers and data retention.

JISC Legal is just one of the advisory services currently available to the work based learning sector (I’ve mentioned another on wobble previously). A full listing of JISC services can also be found on Innovate. For more information on how any of the JISC services can be used by your organisation please get in touch.

Innovate for Work Based Learning

Do you want somewhere you can get answers to your e-learning questions, share ideas and discover what other WBL providers are doing with ILT and technology? Then Innovate is a resource designed especially for you.

Innovate is a freely accessible online web site designed to support the Work Based Learning Sector in their adoption of ILT and e-learning. As a national resource, it provides the opportunity for WBL staff to engage in peer support and to join networking groups on various topics including e-portfolios, mobile learning and staff development.

You might ask… How can it be used and by whom?

The Innovate resource site and its related discussion forums can be used by all staff within Work Based Learning organisations. Its still brand new but the site already has almost 60 registered members!

For managers it offers advice on inspection, strategic advice and guidance etc. For delivery staff it offers resources that include “how to guides”, case studies, free content creation tools, teaching and learning resources and more. Innovate can also be used as a reference for anyone wishing to keep abreast of issues facing the WBL sector.

Is there a cost?
No, Innovate is entirely free to use. It was also set up using freely available online tools as a way of demonstrating what can be achieved with no, or very little cost.

Is registration required?
No. You are not required to register to use Innovate however registration will allow you to actively participate in discussion with peers, join online groups that focus on specific topics and ensure you are kept fully up to date on issues that might be of interest to you.

How can I get started or learn more?
Visit the main Innovate website, join the Innovate WBL community or contact us at your local RSC.

Like the Innovate model?
All of the Innovate site was created entirely with free tools which I’d be happy to tell you more about or demonstrate ways these can be used in your own WBL organisation. For ideas or advice simply get in touch.

Getting to Grips with Interactive Whiteboards

The interactive whiteboard is a wonderful tool to use with learners — great for group activities, demonstrations and for capturing the attention of learners through their involvement. But while many learning providers own them, not all staff have been able to successfully integrate them into their teaching.

To address this the RSC West Midlands are now offering Interactive Whiteboard training, free to staff from West Midlands based work based learning providers. In this short staff development session, Alison Nock of the West Midlands RSC, will show what can be achieved using interactive whiteboards and show how they can be used effectively to enhance teaching and learning.

This is a beginner workshop for tutors who are starting to use or who are interested in using an interactive whiteboard. Its suitable for delivery staff or anyone wishing to know how to use a whiteboard to create engaging interactive lessons for learners.

The two hour workshop will take place in Wolverhampton on 12th March from 10.00am -12.00pm. There are a limited number of spaces available. For more information and online booking details, please go to the RSC West Midlands website.

Using Google for your Surveys

Yesterday I spent some time playing with a new survey tool in Google Spreadsheets. (Thanks to Darren Draper for sharing this tip)

In his post he describes how we can create online surveys using Google Spreadsheets forms feature and shows us with illustrations just how easy it is to set one up. The post highlights the fact that results can also be viewed in real time and should you wish, they can also be embedded directly into a webpage.

This sounded like a great idea so I got my RSC colleagues to help me with a very quick sample of my own. So the very simple “what did you have for breakfast survey” is here - if you want to answer its two questions and see how it works feel free – it’s open to anyone. Because this survey is published live, you should see your results on a web page here and also in the live spreadsheet that I’ve embedded below. (Might have to wait a short while though, republishes every five minutes)


Like Darren I think this tool has a lot of potential. For example, a couple of possible applications of this tool within the sector are:

• Induction - Interactive questionnaire for learners and employers checking accessibility to hardware and broadband connection, survey link delivered via email.

• Internal/External Verification - Online Quality Assurance questionnaires used for sampling learners and employers.

(Both those tips are based on Innovate’s Examples of the Use of Technology in Work Based Learning).

I have used various other free survey tools previously (just one example here) but was very impressed with just how easy this Google one was to set up. With all of the collaborative tools built into Google spreadsheets and traditional spreadsheet functionality at your fingertips it’s potentially very powerful too. It’s something I will certainly use myself. In the meantime I’ll be adding this link to the Google Docs and Spreadsheets page of our RSC Wiki.

Thanks to Darren for sharing and to Stephen for signposting.

Free Manuals for Free Software

Recently I mentioned a listing of free software applications which are useful both at home and at work. Since then Ive discovered there are now also manuals about how to use this free software in the form of FLOSS Manuals, available online. (Once again thanks to Marcus P Zillman for the link).

Why is this important? Free software gives users the freedom to copy and redistribute the software which can potentially save learning providers a lot of money. However with lack of good documentation or training much of this software is overlooked. Thats one of the reasons why these free, customisable FLOSS manuals are a great idea.

In the first section of the site you can read manuals online or download them via PDF. These generally cover the following areas:

what does the software do and not do?

how to install and configure the software

a basic introduction to the interface

using the softwares most important features with hands-on step by step tutorials

where to go for more help


Through the WRITE section you can write manuals using a 'wiki'. You can see a wiki in action as well as learn more about the potential of wikis here.

Finally, what I think is the best bit... In the 'remix' section you can remix chapters from any of the manuals into a single pdf. These can have a table of contents automatically generated, and you can also include a cover that you can design yourself. These are ideal to provide to staff on CDs/USB sticks for reading offline and could also be useful for staff development. You can also include the remixed manual in your own webpage by cutting and pasting 5 lines of HTML.

These FLOSS Manuals are something I’ll definitely be using in the future, particularly when we are demonstrating free software for the Work Based Learning Sector. Watch this space and our events page for details.

162 Tips and Tricks for Working with e-Learning Tools

The eLearning Guild recently asked its members for their favourite tips for using software for the creation of e-Learning. This resulted in a total of 122 people contributing 162 usable tips that have now been collated as a free digital e-book. The tips range in length with some being very basic, and others quite advanced and include everything from customising clipart in Powerpoint to considering e-assessment.

Last year the E-Learning Guild also published “The eLearning Guild's Handbook of e-Learning Strategy”. This e-Book aims to help learning providers make a connection between learning, e-Learning and their organization's mission, business objectives, and the bottom line. In that, chapters addressed everything from crafting a focused strategy, to keeping your strategy focused, to change management.

The books are aimed at an American audience but are still relavent as the tools and suggestions they make are universal. They can both be downloaded from the E-Learning Guild site here.

e-Assessment Online Community of Practice

The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) are setting up an e-assessment online community of practice to explore the topic of assessment and look at how technologies can be used in assessment delivery, recording and storage.

To help establish this online community a face-to-face workshop is being held in London on 25th February, during which practitioners can bring and discuss assessment materials they already use. Following this session an online community will further allow the sharing of ideas, experiences and resources. If you would like to attend the workshop or be part of the online community of practice please email Leahnie.Bennett@niace.org.uk to arrange.

If you’re simply interested in learning more about the opportunities offered by e-assessment, the guide ‘E-Assessment: Guide to effective practice’ that I previously mentioned in a previous post might prove useful. That covers the use of e-portfolios for assessment and offers a number of case studies in this area.