Hands On Moodle

9th June 2006 Moodle VLE Training event

Feedback from previous events highlighted interest from all sectors in the open-source virtual learning environment Moodle. In response the e-learning service project installed a 'trial' Moodle site and organised a 'hands on' training day on 9 June 2006 which was attended by over 30 representatives of local schools, colleges and work-based learning providers. Four expert presenters and trainers led the day which began with Chris Ryall and Sue Crawte from Gt. Cornard Upper School and Technology College who discussed their own experiences with Moodle and also covered a range of generic issues for all prospective school users. The next session was led by Peter Kilcoyne of JISC West Midlands who gave an authoritative introduction to administration issues in Moodle. Following lunch, Geoff Rebbeck of Thanet College led attendees through a range of learning activities in Moodle. Feedback from the event highlighted the valuable contribution of all the presenters and included requests for a further Moodle training event in Autumn 2006. Stand by for 'Hands On' Moodle II.

SMART Technologies

Spring/Summer 2006 and onward

During the last few months the Suffolk E-Learning Service have been involved in running training sessions for SMARTboard users at the Suffolk College. Manufactured by SMART Technologies and distributed in the UK by Steljes, these interactive whiteboard have real potential to add value to what teachers do in the classroom, particularly in regard to increasing student involvement and interaction, with further benefits in terms of resources and recordability (is that a word?). www.smartboard.co.uk. Our sessions, which can be delivered either at our HQ or on-site are now on offer to the WBL sector as well as FE and HE departments in local Colleges.

E-Assessment

4th and 5th May 2006 - E-Assessment

E-Assessment in all its guises is a hot topic at the moment, particulary given the recommendations contained within the DfES strategy Harnessing Technology within this area. As a consequence the Suffolk E-Learning Service Project in partnership with JISC decided to provide a series of consecutive workshops in Suffolk on e-assessment using the services of the specialist e-learning trainers NETSKILLS. Dr Steve Boneham of Netskills proved a highly knowledgeable and informative trainer and over 2 days worked with 20 college lecturers to further develop their awareness of e-assessment issues, solutions and software.

Making IT Happen

17th March 2006 - Making IT Happen

The Suffolk E-Learning Service Project enjoys a fruitful partnership with the national e-learning/ILT advisory service JISC and this was no better demonstrated than on 17 March 2006 when our Regional Support Centre delivered 'Making IT Happen' at our HQ in Ipswich for 18 tutors from local Colleges and WBL providers. The training day, which was delivered by Catherine Bone, Janet Scully and Shri Footring, focussed on a number of practical workshop tasks including using the Internet to find resources, creating WIKI's and developed interactive learning materials using MS Word and Powerpoint.

Experiences of VLEs

3rd March 2006 - Experiences of Virtual Learning Environments

In early March over 70 educators from across the post-16 sector in the East of England gathered at the Ipswich HQ of the Suffolk E-Learning Service to hear 5 presentations focussing on experiences of VLEs. The day began with welcoming words from Gerrard Hayes (JISC) and Harvey Osborne (Suffolk E-Learning) and an introductory presentation by Phil Butler of JISC on current generic issues in VLE implementation. Phil's session was followed by that of Geoff Rebbeck of Thanet College who gave a full account of his work with Moodle. Next up were Caroline Mason and Laura Locke of Otley and Suffolk Colleges respectively who spoke about their experiences with the now closely related WebCT and Blackboard solutions. After lunch it was the turn of schools, and Sue Crawte of Gt. Cornard Upper School, assisted by a team of students, gave a full account of her school's develoment of Moodle.

Why we started blogging!

This is the blog spot of the Suffolk E-Learning Service Project. The Service is supported by Suffolk LSC and exists to raise awareness of and skills in e-learning among teaching practicioners across the post-16 sector (colleges, schools, WBL providers, libraries, voluntary and adult and community sectors). We decided to create a blog after speaking to Ray Robertson of West Suffolk College http://wscelearning.blogspot.com/, where blogging is being used as a support to learning and teaching activity and as an adjunct to VLE development work. Over the next 12 months we will experiment with this blog to share news and investigate its potential for supporting our work. Phew....long sentences.