Lots Has Been Happening in CLQE Over the Summer. the E-Learning Team Has Grown and Has

E@T Newsletter, October 2006

Introduction

Lots has been happening in CLQE over the summer. The E-learning Team has grown and has carried out some major changes to Blackboard. New staff, new features, a new look, some new ideas and a new forum series….

This first issue of our newsletter will give you an overview of what is new for 2006-7, an insight into where Teesside currently is in terms of e-learning, and where, in line with the University's recently implemented E-learning Strategy, we are planning to go next! It is also an introduction to the new brand, which you will begin to see around and about . Not least in the particularly fine t-shirts (see right)displayed by the team at the Vice Chancellor’s talks .

CLQE is delighted to welcome two new faces to the E-learning Team. Some of you will know Paul Durston from his previous role in CLQE, he joins the team as E-learning Technical Support Officer. Paul Pinkney has also worked for the University before, in Schools Liaison; he is just settling in to his new role as E-learning Support Officer. E@T staff will shortly be out and about in Schools, sharing tips and tricks, answering questions and listening to your ideas.

E@T: Elearning @ Tees

Blackboard has undergone some changes over the summer. Some appear more radical than they are! Firstly the look, which reflects the new brand of the E-learning Team, Elearning@Tees. This reflects the reality that e-learning is not limited to Blackboard, and creates an identity that you will find increasingly visible on and around campus. It can be seen on the handy bookmarks and ‘e@t sweets’ that the team have been giving out since the start of term. Not got yours yet? Contact us () and we’ll bring you a supply!

Community

As you may have spotted, as well as a new look and feel, the version of Blackboard that you are logging into now is slightly different. We have expanded our licence to cover the ‘Community System’, which has allowed us to extend Blackboard to include more resources. The reason for this is to offer enhanced support for all aspects of the student experience, beyond the level of individual modules. This means that you see a number of different tabs when you have logged in, based on information the University holds about you. For example, a student sees 'Student Info', whereas academic colleagues will see 'Staff Info'. We can offer School specific information on a separate tab, which is going to be piloted this term by SST students and staff.
You will also see that additional material is available on the 'Home' tab, such as our 'Spotlight' section, where we will be bringing issues of note to you regularly.

The rest of this newsletter gives you a brief insight into some of the new areas and features.

Your needs @ Tees

Following a very successful presentation of concept at the European First Year Experience Conference at Teesside, and the BbWorld Europe Conference in Edinburgh in May, CLQE E-learning Team are now working closely with CLQE’s Retention Team, the Retention Support Officers, Student Services, student mentors and colleagues from the LRC to build a complementary set of organisations in Blackboard which will offer comprehensive generic support for all students. Included are information and tips on settling in at university, study skills, networking, making the most of being a student, and lots more. Watch this space for progress updates!

@ your service

Each issue we will bring you a pen pic of people supporting e-learning around campus. The E-learning Team all introduce ourselves on the E@T tab in Blackboard, where there are also other resources such as links to an example module to give you ideas of things we can help you develop.
First up: Kate Boardman: “Leads the team - which really means has daft ideas the others have to figure out how to realise! I'm blonde, which = hopeless at very technical things. Should I be in this job? Originally [still!] a medieval historian, on occasion even research active, I've been working in e-learning since 1997. Being one of the first Blackboard clients outside of the US means I've quite a relationship with the company, and I hope some of that experience is beginning to show.”

An ABC… of Blackboard

The Staff Info tab is a good starting point for colleagues to brush up on the basics and learn a little more. The ABC includes the following sections:
About and Access (self explanatory!)
Blackboard Basics—the processes of getting modules, students and academic colleagues into Blackboard, rolling over your resources to the new year and making your modules available.
Creating Content—gives you an overview of the three main areas of a VLE, content, communication and assessment and outlines what features are new this year.
Design and Develop has details of the services offered by the E-learning Team, and has more information on the series of published workshops this term (see also dates on last page).
We’re already planning the next section, ‘Evaluate Effectiveness’ to look at evaluating e-learning at all levels.

There is some really useful info in these pages, and we’ll be adding to them soon with some ‘How to..’ guides and some case studies.

Please explore!

News Feeds

One of the things E@T will be promoting this year is greater use of RSS feeds. These are in plentiful supply inside and outside the university (for example ‘News from the LRC’ on the Library tab, and ‘Engineeringtalk’ on the SST tab), so if you have any you read regularly, let us know and we’ll help you add them to a tab or to one of your modules.

We’re also using one to automatically update Blackboard with entries of our TeesBblog, where we post entries on what we’re up to.

Newsfeeds are a great way of incorporating dynamic material (provided by someone else!!) in your modules, and we’re sure you will have lots of links for us.

E@T Lunch

A new series of lunchtime sessions will showcase good practice within the University, and bring in colleagues from other institutions to talk about how they are using Blackboard elsewhere.

Liz Aspden from Sheffield Hallam and Andy Ramsden from Bristol are already signed up as external speakers for later this term and next.
The first session will be one of the Learning, Teaching and Research Forum series, on October 17th, in the Centre for Enterprise at 12.30. ‘Meet and E@T’: an introduction to the new facilities and how we are planning to use them to support staff and students in new ways.

Please email clqe-workshops to sign up.

E-Learning & Blackboard Workshops November — December 2006

Friday 10 November - Preparing to go Online - 9:30 - 12:00

Monday 13 November - Copyright - 10:00 - 12:00

Monday 13 November - Building your module - 10:00 - 12:00

Friday 17 November - Developing online practice - 9:30 - 12:00

Monday 20 November - E-Learning and Inclusivity - 10:00 - 12:00

Friday 24 November - Working with Images Online - 10.00 - 12.00

Monday 27 November - E-Moderating - 9:30 - 12:00

Monday 27 November - Introduction to Course Genie - 9:30 - 12:00

Monday 27 November - Introduction to Course Genie - 2:00 - 4:30

Friday 1 December - Online Assessment - 10:00 - 12:00

Hungry? Feed your mind...

A quick and easy University of Teesside e@t recipe to make around 4,000 graduates per year, this figure will increase if more ingredients are used.

PREP TIME: Will depend on individual

COOK TIME: 1 - 5 years depending on subject and/or course of study

INGREDIENTS

20,000+ Students Full & Part time, 2,500 Staff, 6 Schools, 1 Student Services, 1 Student Union, 1 LRC, 1 On-line learning environment, 1 large portion of hard work.

FILLING (OPTIONAL)

At least 10,000 cups of tea, coffee or other refreshment depending on your preference (health conscious can substitute with water here). Lots of curly fries, sandwiches and well-balanced meals.

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat your life to a nice sunny day, negotiate the car parking and don’t forget your brain. Take a good position in the league tables, together with a large, well equipped campus and add all first years, and a few existing students, plus most of the teaching staff. Fold in the schools and Student Union and combine a good amount of Student Services. Marinate for a couple of weeks until blended well together. Continue to mix carefully combining the rest of the students until the timetable can’t cope and/or the car park is full.

Bind together by gently heating until just melted or until light and fluffy, then fold in the remaining ingredients until assessment time, and sieve the mix into repetitive ICA’s and exams.

Turn out and decorate with cap and gown. Can be served any time for the rest of their lives.

Don’t forget to e@t well throughout the process!

Thanks for reading our newsletter!