Manchester Metropolitan University

For all the latest news from the Subject Centre for Information and
Computer Sciences – Higher Education Academy, please see the latest newsletter (November 2007).

This issue includes: Reusable Learning Objects (RLO) Competition, An RLO Focus Group, and an intiative aimed at supporting recruitment in computing careers, as well as details of all our upcoming events.

LearnHigher is a collaborative Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). We are one of 74 CETLs created with Higher Education Funding Council (HEFC) funding in 2005, the project will run for five years. The focus of the CETL is on supporting Learner Development in Higher Education.

The LearnHigher CETL has 18 members who cover some 20 individual learning areas. Manchester Metropolitan University is working in the Learning Area for Information Literacy. Visit the MMU LearnHigher website for further details.

The conference is organised by the European First Year Experience Network and the University of Wolverhampton and builds on the work of the Resource Center for the First Year Experience and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina.

The aim of the European First Year Experience (EFYE) Conference is to explore the student experience at universities across Europe, with a specific focus on the importance of the first year. Through sharing new research and making innovative measures we can create a better learning environment and improve the quality of European university education.

Full details at the EFYE website

Graduates Onward (GO!) is a European Social Fund (ESF) funded project run by the Centre for Social Inclusion at Manchester Metropolitan University Cheshire.

The main aim of the GO! project is to increase the employability, and to develop entrepreneurship, in undergraduate students. This will be achieved through targeted face-to-face and online careers advice and guidance and partnership with employers and various business support services. GO! has just launched a tailored careers advice and guidance service using a web-based portal.

Venue: Park View Restaurant, first floor, Hollings Faculty

Wednesday 5th December 2.00pm – 4.00pm

2.00 pm Introduction to the Session
Andrew Hollingsworth, Cross Faculty Scoping Group

2.10 pm Presentation on Podcasting
Nick Scott (STLF)

2.30 pm Experiences from Marketing Colleagues
Steve Hayes – Hollings Faculty
David Bird – MMU Business School
Susan Scoffield – MMU Cheshire

3.00 pm Focus Groupwork

3.30 pm Groups present back

pm Sourcing Funding for teaching innovations: Rod Cullen, CeLT

4.00 pm Close

Places are free please book via Pat Walker
by 3rd December, 2007.

NB all colleagues from different disciplines are welcome.

Programme for upcoming, 3rd UK Workshop on AI in Education to be held in Peterhouse College, Cambridge on the 10th December.
Registration”>http://www.csd.abdn.ac.uk/ai2007/registrationform.php”>Registration is through the AI 2007 web site
Programme
11:00 – 11:10 Welcome

  11:10 – 11:30 Maintaining AI Provision in a Changing Curriculum: Work in

  Progress, John Kerins

  11:30 – 11:50 Modelling student Uncertainty and mental models using Bayesian

  and inductive logic techniques, Kate Taylor

  11:50 – 12:10 Symbiosis in teaching AI to Psychology undergraduate students:

  A Case study, Jonathan Catling and Colin Price

  12:10 – 12:30 Using an automated synthesis system for studying proof

  planning and automated reasoning, Yulia Korukhova

  12: 30 – 13:15 ——- Lunch Break ——-

  13:15 – 13:35 Crossing the river with robots: Changing the way of working in

  an AI subject, Eduardo Ferme and Elsa Fernandes

  13:35 – 13:55 RCX+PROLOG: A Platform to use Lego MindstormsTM Robots in

  Artificial Intelligence courses, Eduardo Ferme and Luis Gaspar

  13:55 – 14:15 Learning in a simulated working environment, Peter Pel

  14:15 – 14:35 Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Advisor for Evaluating Students’

  Cooperative Training, Owais Malik

  14:35 – 14:45 Discussion and Closing

Their Space: Education for a digital generation is a report from DEMOS which looks at “Young people …. spending their time in a space which adults find difficult to supervise or understand ..” (just as they have tried to do since ….forever?). Based on interviews with 4-16 year olds across the UK, the report tries to inform us older folks (ie those of us over 16) about their digital spaces and gives us an idea of what the digital pioneers will be bringing with them as they move into Higher Education. As they say, “there needs to be a shift in thinking about investment from hardware towards relationships and networks.”

Some of the conclusions are aimed at the school sector, but HE cannot be far behind. Essential reading if you want to be able to tell your Piczo from your Picasa. Or find your fan club on Facebook. Or just indulge in some blue sky thinking about teaching in the future.

Faculty of Computing Sciences and Engineering
Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility (CCSR) PhD student bursary covering the full tuition cost for a European citizen for 36 months.

The CCSR is the UK’s leading research centre in computer ethics and among the leading ones in Europe and the world. The Centre organises the ETHICOMP conference series and edits two international journals: the Elsevier Journal Information, Communication, Ethics and Society and the International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction.

Despite increasing pressure to undertake ethics reviews there appear to be great variations in the quality of such reviews in technical disciplines. The successful applicant will investigate the way in which ethical issues
are considered in technical projects and how they are considered within the UK and elsewhere. The focus will be on research ethics procedures and standards, such as human research ethics committees.

The project has received additional funding from the Higher Education Academy.

The successful applicant will be a member of the Information Society Doctoral Programme (ISDP)
and be able to profit from all resources available to the programme. Applicants should be aware of discourses in computer ethics, information ethics, or technology ethics and have an interest in empirical research. More detailed information on the project and how to apply.

Additional funding may become available via a part time teaching contract.

For any questions or further information contact Dr. Bernd Carsten Stahl
Closing date: 30 November 2007
Dr. Bernd Carsten Stahl

The Transform website, run by the Transforming and Enhancing the Student Experience through Pedagogy project based at Napier University, has many useful resources to help with integrating technology. Particular highlights include the 3-E approach and case studies from a variety of disciplines.

According to the Guardian, “Universities ‘should shift to summer to be greener‘”. There is a link to the full conference presentationthat this story is based on, which has been produced by two UCU officers or members, not sure which. It contains the interesting information that “As part of [City] university’s carbon management programme, the institution has calculated the basic carbon footprint of the university after looking at some quantifiable elements such as building
energy use, academic and staff travel and waste centre landfill. They work out that these contribute an annual carbon emission of 12,283 tonnes. This has been worked out as equivalent to filling 69,834 typical double decker London buses, or 8,336 Olympic sized swimming pools.“. Am I the only person who wonders why you would fill 8,336 pools, or 69,834 double deckers for that matter, with CO2?

Leaving that distraction aside, there are some interesting suggestions about curriculum innovation to produce ‘eco-citizens’. Worth a look if you are interested in green issues, but sadly there are no references.