Top tips for legal compliance in using image sharing websites
Most of us are already familiar with websites like Facebook and Flickr but Pinterest is a fairly new kid on the block which is becoming increasingly popular for sharing images online. In education, image sharing websites like Pinterest can be used by staff and students to post and share images as an open educational resource and a tool for teaching... >>
Climate change – pulling the figures out of murky waters
At the start of March the Environment Agency warned that Britain needs to become more resilient to drought and flooding, as extremes of weather may be on the increase. That didn’t come as a surprise to me, as someone who has spent the last eight months in flood-prone Yorkshire, working on a project to help climate scientists unearth reliable information... >>
How digitised 'special' collections are boosting experiences of teaching and learning
The recent media frenzy that surrounded the launch of the Jisc-funded Bomb Sight website, which saw visitor numbers soar to about 200k in just one day, is testimony to the wide-spread public interest in the type of content that is, in fact, often hard for people to access, if not impossible. Until now, the only way for me to find... >>
Feline the effects of OERs
As very small children we are taught that it’s good to share and as adults, academics get lots of recognition when they do share their teaching resources openly. Initiatives like the HEFCE -funded UKOER programme, Open Education Week and OER13 all remind us of the positive outcomes that sharing can bring, and not to dwell too much on our own... >>
MOOCs and Open Courses – what's the difference?
As a part of the evaluation and synthesis conducted around the UKOER programmes open education consultant Lou McGill has diligently teased apart the differing terms and concepts around open education. Her classifications around 'open courses' are a very helpful way to make sense of this ever-changing field. (You can see Lou McGill speak about the wider findings and implications of... >>
5 top tips to enhance your students' experience
Word of mouth plays a big part in the marketing of any product and education is no different. If students don’t have a positive and enjoyable experience, which they believe meets their needs and offers value for money, a college or university is likely to notice a fall in applicants and reputation. I’m Head of Learning and Research Technologies, at... >>
Ever wondered how much Freedom of Information costs the sector?
Discussions about the costs associated with responding to the Freedom of Information ( FOI ) Act tend to generate strong emotions. For some, the transparency and accountability FOI brings is worth nearly any price; whereas others view every pound spent as a pound taken away from an institution’s core mission. Part of the problem is often the scarcity of any... >>
We are watching you
The Web is a place where someone is always watching what you do. I understand that... but there again, the Web is such a giant metropolis, how and why would anyone notice what one individual like me is looking at and which links I'm clicking on? Then up pops Tom Barnett, the MD of a technology company that specialises in... >>
Technology in education – new battle lines
With recent news of a school in Bolton ditching pens and paper for iPads , is the e-learning ‘battle’ being won? Peter Shukie , programme leader of education studies at University Centre, Blackburn College, argues that, ‘whatever is being done with technology new battle lines should be drawn in our approach. It ain't what you use - it’s the way... >>
Top trumps assessment and feedback can boost employability
Learners consistently give their experience of assessment and feedback lower scores than other areas of their learning experience. I think that technology can actually improve the assessment process for learners and the staff that teach them. Of course, as ever, it’s not just about new technology, but considering how this technology can help give your teaching staff an opportunity to... >>
