Tuesday 28 February 2012

Technology for Transition

Re-blogged from: http://blogs.northampton.ac.uk/learntech/2012/02/28/technology-for-transition/ by Julie Usher



The team used a range of tools, including NILE and Wimba Create, to build an informative, interactive site for incoming students to use. The resources were based on the team’s previous research into induction of distance learners. These materials can be seen in the guest access NILE site for the course.


The project was a success and led to the project team – Ruth Copeland-Phillips, Paul Cox and Louise Maxwell  – gaining a Teaching Fellowship award. It has also led to the development of further online materials, aimed at helping distance learning overseas students ‘make a successful transtion to the University of Northampton academically, socially and culturally’.


Read the full project report for more information.

Thursday 23 February 2012

What mobile students' want!


A group of students and staff using mobile devicesThe report for this year’s Mobile Survey has just been published.
This annual survey forms part of the Mobile Access to Learning and Teaching (MALT) Project. You can find out more about the project in the Projects area of the LearnTech tab in NILE.
The report provides a brief summary of the main findings of the survey, including an overview of technology ownership among staff and students, trends in mobile use, and feedback on the iNorthampton mobile app.
You can read the report here: Mobile Survey report 2011/12 (PDF 613 KB).
For more details contact Rob HoweJulie Usher
Learning Technology Team, The University of Northampton.

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Personal View: On-line marking - two screens or one

I was involved in an interesting conversation (well for me anyway) recently, a colleague was saying that they found on-line marking slower and more restrictive.What I have found is it is quicker and I am (I think) providing more meaningful feedback. So what is the difference?


My apologies now on two accounts; first for this just being a personal view and second stating the obvious. One of the difference I think is I am lucky to be using two screens not one.This does makes a big difference to the experience of marking.  I find myself putting the student's work on one screen and on the other assignment briefs and anything else I need. It gives a much more enjoyable experience to the marking and I do believe a more productive one.


Anecdotally the few  students that have commented on the on-line marking through Grademark have been very positive.


So in terms of on-line marking ---Two screens are better than one! In terms of Green Computing...well that may be another question.




Friday 3 February 2012

waste as tool to inspire students into computing



A recent article in the Northampton Herald and Post " How a university is using waste as tool to inspire students " by Lawrence John discusses the Junkbots project. 
"FUNNY looking robots called junkbots could be the key to encouraging more children across the county to become engineers, computer programmers or scientists.
One force which is driving this idea forward is the University of Northampton.
For the past few years, staff from its science and technology department have been going out to primary and secondary schools to spread the word that science is fun.
By working with schools, the university hopes to show pupils a different side to computing and hopefully raise their interest in what they can achieve" Lawrence John
For the whole article click here.

comment: Lecture capture experience

I have been using Panopto for the last few weeks for capture lectures-slides and audio only. An example is shown below:



It is automatically embedded in the module on the VLE but can also be embedded in web pages as well (see below).

Apart from I don't like hearing my own voice and some minor technical issues with microphones and avoiding student's comments being recorded accidently as far as possible; the only downside so far I have found is it doesn't do live streaming. Could it be use with screen sharing software to get around this? 

How students react to it or use it is yet to be seen as well.
-Do they use it?
-Do they misuse and post it elsewhere without permission?
-Will it mean fewer students at the lecture?
-Do they even like it?