E-Learning for students?

With the start of the academic year, it is a good time for everyone to refresh their knowledge about technology for their use in teaching and learning. This is no different for students, who similarly have to best use technology tools to help their progression with their programs of study. To that end, we have put together an article outlining all of the E-Learning tools that might be helpful for students as they commence study this year. It includes tips and guides such as using the To-do list in QMplus to effectively manage coursework over multiple modules, getting a personalised timetable via widgets and tracking progress in the Gradesplus area. We would recommend this page to all students and would appreciate staff showing it to students when working with them. You can find the ‘E-Learning tools for students’  page here.

Teaching with TurningPoint in the new academic year

Over the 2017/18 academic year the E-Learning Unit has been working with TurningPoint users to determine the best way to continue supporting the system. This work has been necessary due to changes in the way TurningPoint charge for their systems and issues that have occurred with the software over the last academic year. Click here to find out the most important things about the changes that we have made.

Digital examination project information

The Digital Examination and Assessment Project (DEAP) is now underway after being greenlit for funding. The project is aiming to run a one-year pilot which will explore the software, hardware, people and infrastructure factors required to deliver online and electronically managed exams at scale. At the end of the academic year, the project will then make recommendations to the university about how to do so effectively. If you would like to learn more about this project and express interest in becoming a pilot user, please click here.

 

Reflecting on Learning Technology – the ALT Conference

This month, two members of the E-Learning Unit, Anisa Patel and Rumi Begum, attended and presented at the Association for Learning Technology which was held in Manchester this year. The 25th anniversary conference took a reflective approach, focusing on different critical perspectives in Learning Technology from across the community, examining the challenges ahead and questioning the shape of things to come. One particular keynote which may be of interest was from Tressie MacMillan Cottom who provided a sociological insight into her understand of the impact of Learning Technology in higher education which you can watch here. We will hear next month from Anisa and Rumi about their presentation and takeaways from the conference, but in the meantime, we recommend perusing the conference programme which contains recordings of much that took place.

Staff development opportunities in October

Workshops

In October we are running the following workshop:

• ELU001 – Getting Started with QMplus – Tuesday 16th October – 2-4pm – E-Learning Studio, Scape, Mile End Campus.

Please see our online booking system for more information about the sessions we run and to book yourself a place.

Drop-ins and Book a Learning Technologist

Our staff drop-in sessions will be running as per usual every Tuesday and Thursday from 1-2pm on the Mile End campus for any member of staff who needs help with their use of technology in their teaching.

If you’d like to discuss something in more detail, appointments are available through our Book a Learning Technologist service. Book a one hour appointment with a member of the team to discuss your use of technology in more detail.

What are our users asking via The Helpdesk?

We’ve picked out a few of the most frequently asked questions for April, updated our guidance material and have a couple of tips for you. Click here to learn about how to make sure Q-Review recordings are accessible in the new academic year and view other common issues raised this month.