Manchester Metropolitan University

A bid for funding as part of Phase 1 of the Higher Education Academy Pathfinder Programme has been approved. The Pathfinder Programme is part of the HEFCE Strategy for e-Learning, focusing on embedding e-learning through a joint strategy with JISC and the HE Academy. Pathfinder is intended as a follow-up to institutional e-Benchmarking exercises, of which the one at MMU is scheduled to be completed in early April.

The MMU e-Benchmarking Exercise has brought together key individuals and representatives of groups from across the University. We have used the e-Benchmarking Exercise to identify our current position; current and potential challenges and drivers; future possibilities and a set of draft strategic goals for integration of e-learning into learning and teaching at MMU, especially focusing on pedagogic and curriculum issues.

While the emphasis in the e-benchmarking activity was on gathering data and information about the current status and impact of e-learning in the institution, the focus of the Pathfinder Programme is on the design, planning, implementation, and evaluation of transformation processes and activities which are intended to lead to the long term enhancement, using information and communication technologies, of the learning and teaching provision and processes of the entire institution, i.e. the aim is long term change and not just short-term innovation.

The Pathfinder Programme officially starts on 1st May and lasts for 12 months. There will be a total project budget of over £300,000 and the project involves a team of 22 academics from across the institution, led by Dr Bill Johnston.

The Higher Education Academy’s 2007 Annual Conference will take place from Tuesday 3 to Thursday 5 July 2007, at the
Harrogate International Conference Centre. The overarching theme for the 2007 Conference is ‘Engaging Students in Higher Education’, with the following three sub-themes:

• Higher Education Policy
• Scholarship of teaching & learning in the disciplines
• Innovations to support the student learning experience

For more information, visit the conference site.

The Learning and Teaching Unit has worked with the Academic Standards Unit and the Students’ Union to produce a standard unit level evaluation questionnaire as one step towards developing a coordinated student evaluation strategy for the University. You can download the questionnaire here.

If you would like a Respondus version of the questionnaire, for use in WebCT Campus Edition or Vista, please go to your MyWebCT page and then click on the ‘WebCT Courses Database’, then ‘Software Downloads – CourseGenie and Respondus’ (in Campus Edition) or ‘Using Vista – 0607′, then ‘Getting Started’ (in Vista).

The draft questionnaire is designed to make it possible for you to add particular questions which departments/faculties may wish to retain, so please feel free to do this. Even if you do not use the draft questionnaire this year, comments on it would be welcomed – please send these to Rob Baker in the Academic Standards Unit.

The BBC reports that students taking an MA in International Relations and Development are being assessed in their ability to edit existing articles and to write a new article for Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia.

It’s a bit unfortunate that this announcement comes soon after the ‘unmasking’ of a Wikipedia editor but that doesn’t make this anything other than an interesting and worthwhile activity. It’s exposing student work to wide peer review and comment as well as getting relevant information out into the public domain quickly and effectively.

Let us know if you would like any help with this kind of activity.

The HEA has introduced a new scheme to provide national recognition for professional staff engaged in teaching and supporting learning in higher education. Individuals can apply to join the Academy’s Register as an Associate (AHEA), a Fellow (FHEA) or a Senior Fellow (SFHEA) of the Higher Education Academy. Further details on our HEA page.

There will be a meeting of the podcasting group in E221, John Dalton, on Thursday 19th April from 2-4. The group consists of complete beginners to podcasting as well as experienced practitioners.

If you would like to join the group and/or, if you wish to attend the meeting, please contact Maureen Dawson (m.m.dawson@mmu.ac.uk). The meeting is a chance for demonstrating what you’re doing or telling us what you want to do.

Plagiarism isn’t only a problem in assignments! Research commissioned by UCAS shows that about 5% of applicants to Oxford, Cambridge, and medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses had copied some material from the internet for the personal statements on their UCAS forms. The BBC had some fun with the fact that a number of applicants had copied a suggested statement about burnt pyjamas from a free advice website.

It isn’t quite the News at Ten, but the format will be familiar to TV news viewers as the Warwick University iCast seeks to bring academic ideas out into the public domain using a video-cast format. This may not be THAT new, but the university’s decision to post videos on YouTube as well as the official site has caused a frisson in the online world. After all, YouTube is a place where a lecturer might appear unintentionally as he destroys a student’s mobile phone or deals with a disruption or even impresses the group with his liquid nitrogen demonstration.

Mixing this anarchic content with education has raised a few eyebrows, but YouTube is being used more and more for sharing videos of educational as well as entertainment value and the argument being made is that it raises the profile of the University by showing it in a place where many of its potential students can be found.

If you are inspired to create your own videos, contact Media Services to find out what you could do…

Due to the popularity of our existing Podcasting workshops using the Apple Mac platform, the Learning Lab is pleased to announce the introduction of PC-based Podcasting Workshops.

Workshop dates are as follows:

3rd April 2007
12th April 2007
26th April 2007

We have also introduced a range of new dates for our Mac-based podcasting workshops as well as new workshop topics including: Animation on a Mac; Introduction to iLife for education; Movie-making on a Mac; Basic intro to OX S Tiger; and Leading and Managing Change. Full details will be updated on the Learning Lab website as they become available:

ABOUT THE ‘PODCASTING MADE EASY ON A PC’ WORKSHOPS
Working in collaboration with Softease the ‘Podcasting made easy on a PC’ workshops are aimed at educators needing to gain an understanding of podcasting technologies, podcast creation and the educational potential for podcasts. The workshops will focus on audio podcasts only.

Using ‘Podium’, an easy to use podcast creation tool for PC’s, the workshop will cover the basics of podcasting including an appreciation of the various podcasting technologies available, requirements for podcasting equipment, planning and designing podcasts, podcast creation, podcasting editing, publication and promotion.
The workshop will include both demonstrations and hands on exercises for the delegates to experience just how easy podcasting can be and how podcasts can be utilised in the educational environment.

LOCATION, COST AND BOOKING
All workshops will take place at the Learning Lab which is located at the University of Wolverhampton’s Telford Campus, in Shropshire, a few minutes from main rail and motorway networks. Workshops are offered at a cost of £120 per person per day, which is inclusive of refreshments and lunch. Discounts are available for Learning Lab members.

Places are limited to the first 10 bookings received, additional dates will be advised when workshops are full. To book please visit the Learning Lab website to either print out a fax-back form or to book online.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or require any further details. Alternatively contact Abi Redmond at the Learning Lab (tel: 01902 322362)

Kind regards,

Liz Fleetham
Lab Manager
Learning Lab | Tel: 01902 323932
Telford Campus | Fax: 01902 323952
Priorslee | Mob: 07973 787474
Telford | Email: Liz@learninglab.org.uk
TF2 9NT | www.learninglab.org.uk

The Higher Education Academy Centre for ICS in conjunction with The University of Kent at Canterbury are holding the 7th One-Day Conference on the Teaching of Programming, to be held at the University of Kent on 2nd April 2007.

Further details