The E-learning Unit is keen to work closely with all teaching staff at Queen Mary on helping them with approaches that either blend face-to-face and online teaching in smart and effective ways or are delivered entirely online. A key aspect of doing this is providing advice and guidance about how e-learning approaches can assist with current challenges in the classroom and assisting with training and development opportunities for staff.

Lately we have found that staff are less inclined to come to the E-Learning Unit in Scape to have those conversations or book time to come either because they are too busy or they don’t know that the opportunity exists to do so. We have also found that there is often a lack of awareness in schools about new functionality added to our centrally supported systems: QMplus, Q-Review, QMplus Hub or QMplus Media. New features are added, policy is updated, existing functionality is enriched and improved. We need to address this communication deficit.

From March 2019 onwards we are piloting an initiative to bring members of the central e-learning team closer to staff in schools. Once a month there will be an ELU presence in the School of Languages, Linguistics and Film, The School of Biologial and Chemical Sciences and the Institutes at Charterhouse Square. A Learning Technologist will be available to meet with colleagues to discuss their teaching, share information about the latest things happening in e-learning and as eyes and ears on the ground…provide an important flow of information back to inform the ongoing work and priorities of the central team.

In the summer we will review the success of this nascent programme with a view to rolling it out across all schools.

If you are interested in being involved in this pilot and would like to see such an offering in your School too – please contact your Head of School to let them know and we can arrange for a member of the team to assist.

If you are a member of staff in one of our pilot Schools, please look out for further information on what the specific arrangements will be for you and how you can make use of the service.