JISC

Lord Puttnam of Queensgate, Chancellor of the University of Sunderland, presented the RSC Northern e-learning awards at a ceremony in Newcastle last week. The awards, which recognised the achievements of those who have used ICT to support innovation in e-learning in the region, were made in ten categories and were sponsored by a range of organisations, including JISC, Netskills, TechDis, JISC infoNet and the University of Sunderland.

Manager of RSC Northern Gareth Davies said the evening and the awards ceremony were an indication of the importance given to e-learning by learning providers in the north-east: ‘This was an evening when we could say thank you to those we have worked so closely with over the past six and half years. Our successes are ultimately their successes. As an RSC we only facilitate and broker; they implement and embed e-learning to enhance the learning experience. It was our thank you to them. I’m pleased to say we fully achieved what we set out to achieve.’

Among those whose work was rewarded was Bob Winter of Stockton RiversideCollege who won the JISC award for leadership, receiving it from Dr Malcolm Read, JISC Executive Secretary (see picture left), and Massoud Hajsadr of City of Sunderland College who won the Amazing Grades award for e-learning practitioner of the year.

Dr Hajsadr won his award for a website which uses animated teaching approaches to assist students who have difficulty with maths (see picture below). Commenting on the award, he said: ‘My work revolves round developing curriculum streams by which our students of today, who are from a very diverse abilities and background, can be engaged back into learning. I also believe that learning mathematics develops our cognitive and learning abilities like no other subject and hence I have created a successful stream for Maths starting from very basic to very complex.

My website, which has been developed on a very limited budget, has changed the course of many of my learners' lives already. It seems that learning with confidence generates confidence and then there will be no stopping them.’  

For further information please go to: RSC Northern