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Innovation in eLearning 2009/2010
Blackboard / Learn9 pilots
Pilot results have shown that the current Learn9 version provides a completely new user interface and does not have all the functionality WebCT Vista offers. Therefore, no upgrade is planned at the moment. A new release should be out end of this year, at which point Learn9 will be revisited.
Contact: Stephen Vickers (MAIL)
BoB (Box of Broadcasts ) Video Service
The University will subscribe to the BOB Video Service. BoB is an off-air recording and media archive service. BoB will be available to staff and students of the University. This TV scheduling service allows staff and students to record programmes scheduled to record over the next seven days as well as retrieving programmes from the last seven days from a selected list of recorded channels. Programmes will be available as streamed videos through a weblink.
More info: http://bobnational.net/
Contact: Nora Mogey (MAIL)
Clickers in the CSE / EVAF4All
The RF clicker upgrade in 2008/2009 has been a success. More lecturers are using clickers more regularly and frequently. The School of Physics is leading a project to develop a web interface which allows students to access their individual clicker question results and compare them to the class average.
More info: http://www.ph.ed.ac.uk/elearning/projects/evaf/
Contact: Daniela Gachago (general clicker stuff) (MAIL), Keith Brunton (EVAF4All) (MAIL)
eMarking
Students are increasingly word processing assignments or are being asked to submit work electronically. In the majority of cases this work is then printed to be marked by pen. There are at least two solutions to marking electronic versions of scripts. The first is an online tool called GradeMark that is available as part of Turnitin. The second is an offline tool that was developed for the School of Biology. Both tools allow markers to save and reuse comments and can attach marking schemes or scoring rubrics to the scripts. Both systems have their strengths and weaknesses that can be discussed further. The Biology marking tool has been further augmented with a system that allows markers to easily record an audio-visual remedial commentary on the submitted work for each student.
More information on GradeMark: http://turnitin.com/static/grademark.html
Contact: Wesley Kerr (MAIL)
ePortfolios
The University has started a procurement process for a University wide ePortfolio system. A decision will be taken by the end of the year 2009. The use of the PebblePad portfolio has been extended for another year (2009/2010).
More information: Robert Chmielewski (MAIL)
GMRC / LRC
The GMRC in KB (currently based in the Darwin library) and the LRC in the main library are being re-developed. These resource centres will not be staffed constantly any more, but staff will be available for a couple of hours in the afternoons. Individual appointments can be arranged. Independent use of facilities will be promoted. The KB self-printing facilities for poster printing will also be discontinued. Students can either use the KB copy centre or the self-printing facilities in George Square.
Contact: David Findlay (MAIL)
ISIS (information skills and IT skills)
ISIS is a resource intended to help students find non-discipline specific information on information and IT skills. ISIS is a collection of online courses available on WebCT – accessible to every student, who has a WebCT account. Topics include finding reading materials, keeping your work safe, writing, communicating online, understanding plagiarism and many more.
Contact: Nora Mogey (MAIL)
Lecture Capturing Pilot & Podcasting
Last year’s lecture capturing pilot will continue to run on a small scale over the next year. Venues will slightly change, to e.g. include a LT in Little France.
Meanwhile other more “cheap and cheerful” solutions to podcasting will be tested. In KB two rooms (in KB centre and JCMB ground floor) are currently being set up to offer staff and students the possibility to record podcasts and videocasts. The CSE is also planning to offer training sessions on technical and pedagogical aspects of podcasting.
Contacts: Alex Carter (lecture capturing pilot) (MAIL) and Daniela Gachago (podcasting in the CSE)
SMS text messaging service
The University is launching a new SMS service, which will offer two-way communication (University to students / students to University). SMS text messages can be bought in bulk (cost of 1 SMS app. 4 pence). Inbound SMS (from students) will be charged at standard rate. There will be a powerlink from WebCT to the SMS text messaging service.
Contact: Josephine Kinsley (MAIL)
Using Laptops in Essay Exams
The University has acquired software (Exam4) which allows students to type answers to essay questions in exams. The software offers simple word processing facilities, but also manages security issues around exam settings (e.g. students cannot access any other devices or the Internet while sitting the exam). Students use their own laptops and have to download the software before the day of the exam – the software does not provide the questions - as these are still handed out on the day on paper. Encrypted scripts are collected centrally to be decrypted and printed for marking. It is advisable to book the facilities in Adam House, specifically set up for using laptops in exams, to run the exam. University committees have accepted the procedure as a valid tool for assessment and have also ruled that students can be given the choice to answer exam questions with laptops or with pen and paper.
More information: www.exam4.com
Contact: Nora Mogey (MAIL)
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