JISC

e-Learning online conference 09 programme

Presentation and associated materials

• The presentation is at http://shareville.bcu.ac.uk/alan-video.html - opens in a new window.
• Download a synopsis of the presentation - PDF format, enabled for commenting.
• Download a technical report on Shareville - PDF format, enabled for commenting.
• There is also a video hosted on the JISC site, highlighting examples of how institutions are adopting technology. To see the one related to Shareville, go to http://www.jisc.ac.uk/resourceexchange and select Rethinking learning resources, from Birmingham City University

Abstract

Professor Alan Staley with:

• Niall Mackenzie
• Mark Hetherington
• Dario Faniglione

Centre for Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT), Birmingham City University

This multimedia presentation (approximately 25 minutes) firstly considers the role of Shareville (Shareable, Holistic Assets and Resources, Existing in a Virtual Interactive Lifelong Learning Environment) in bringing ‘real world’ scenarios to students in order to prepare them for the workplace. Shareville is a three-dimensional virtual town where video resources are situated in relevant contexts and is an ongoing project which commenced in 2008 with the aim of creating problem-based scenarios, role-played and acted by staff and students, and filmed using ‘green screen’ technology so that the video can be cut out and placed within the town providing a very authentic experience for the learners.

Used in conjunction with face-to-face teaching and other technologies such as Moodle, Shareville is already creating opportunities to enrich the learning experience, and indeed some ‘virtual experiences’ can take place that would rarely be possible in real life.

The presentation also involves a screencast demonstration revealing a quick tour around the town and then two specific examples: firstly a traumatic encounter in a small residential home for people with learning disabilities, and then a house purchase scenario in a virtual solicitors office.

Delegates will have the opportunity to explore Shareville for themselves and consider issues such as pedagogic models or evidence of effectiveness before feeding back any thoughts via the conference. In particular, the team within CELT would like to find out if delegates think this approach might work in their own contexts. There is no expectation of a technical discussion (technical details will be provided as a supplement) but we do hope this presentation is a ‘trigger’ for a lively debate...

 

Presenter

Alan Staley

I'm currently working in the Centre for Enhancing Learning and Teaching at Birmingham City University as Head of the Learning Technology Development Unit. I've actually been in this department under a variety of names such as the Staff and Student Development Unit and the Learning Methods Unit for about 14 years. Prior to this I worked in the Business School as a lecturer in Applied Information Technology, and I also had a number of jobs in industry before coming here.

I was responsible for implementing Moodle way back in 2003/4, the development of ROLO (repository of learning objects) and the introduction of CouseGenie and Captivate some time afterwards. I work with Niall Mackenzie who looks after the Student Agency for Learning Technology (developing multimedia learning resources for staff) and Sue Lund who looks after staff development for Moodle and allied learning technologies. I'm currently getting excited by Shareville (a 3D virtual town with very real video scenarios), and also the eportfolio and social networking tool Mahara

Facilitator

Stephen Brown

Stephen Brown is Professor of Learning Technologies and Director of Knowledge Media Design at De Montfort University, UK. His career includes course design, research and tutoring for the Open University; Head of Distance Learning, BT Training; Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor in Engineering Design; Director of the International Institute for Electronic Library Research, De Montfort University; Senior Technology Adviser at the JISC Technologies Centre; and President of the Association for Learning Technology.

At the Open University he helped design the UK’s first educational interactive video disc. At BT he introduced multimedia based training. At the JISC Technologies centre he conducted technology forecasting and assessments for senior educational managers. At De Montfort University he has directed pioneering digital library research projects; led the development of the Electronic Campus; successfully bid for JISC funds to develop one of the first Managed Learning Environments in the UK; researched and developed information portals to support learning and research in the Humanities; and investigated the application of educational theory to informal learning through the development and testing of cultural heritage web sites.

He is currently a Visiting Fellow of the Centre for Distance Education, University of London External Programme and providing consultancy services to Kings College London and the JISC Curriculum Design and Delivery Programme.