Locating image presentation technology within pedagogic practice

This article presents data gathered through a University for the Creative Arts Learning and Teaching Research Grant (2009-2010); including a study of existing image presentation tools, both digital and non-digital; and analysis of data from four interviews and an online questionnaire. The aim of the research was to look afresh at available technology from the point of view of a lecturer in the visual arts, and to use the information gathered to look more critically at the available technology

Access to Core Course Materials Project: DigiCOMS: report of the pilot service

One of the objectives of the Access to Core Course Materials Project was to set up, run and evaluate a pilot electronic study pack service. The needs analysis demonstrated that the service needed to encompass a range of materials and so the service was broadened to include a variety of electronic course materials. The service included the production of electronic study packs, but also offered a digitisation service for other types of course materials; in particular a facility to make available in-house produced publications such as course handbooks and lecture notes. Related to this work was a separate project funded by a grant from the Sub-Committee on Innovation in Learning, Teaching and Assessment (SCILTA) in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health. The Project Officer was involved in setting up an intranet site to distribute a range of electronic course materials. The Department were particularly keen to include online assessment and for this reason it was decided to build the site using WebCT. This gave the Access Project direct experience of using virtual learning environment software, which could be compared to the simple course material system that was devised in-house. A full report of this project is available; however, the issues of relevance to the DigiCOMS service and an outline of the work is also discussed within this report

Collaborative Authoring of Open Courseware with SlideWiki: A Case Study in Open Education

Producing or finding and reusing high-quality educational content online can be a laborious and costly process. With the open-source and open-access SlideWiki platform, the effort of producing and reusing highly-structured remixable educational content can be crowdsourced and therefore widely shared. SlideWiki employs crowdsourcing methods in order to support the open education community in authoring, sharing, reusing and remixing open courseware. This paper presents a case study of this platform carried out in the context of open education and informal learning and reports on the feedback received thus far from members of the open education community

How Does Leadership Matter? Developing and Teaching a Definition of Hands-On Science, a Prerequisite for Effective Inquiry Teaching

This descriptive case study describes leadership skills and planning for setting clear directions by program leaders for a statewide professional development initiative to extend improvement in science teaching and learning. For science teachers and leaders in Virginia, a critical part of setting clear goals that everyone can understand is defining key science terms. One of the four key terms, hands-on science, is defined here. Materials to develop teachers\u27 understanding of the term for effective implementation of classroom inquiry activities are shared, along with a rubric for evaluation by and for teachers. Understanding of the term hands-on science is necessary before inquiry-based science teaching can be fully implemented. Authentic science materials, when safe, are necessary for doing authentic, inquiry-based science teaching in a way similar to how a scientist investigates science

A new model for information literacy provision: how to balance cost and quality in an economic downturn

In this time of swingeing cuts in higher education, the Open University Library has focused creative energy on making efficiency savings while still providing a top quality e-service. The Open University’s quarter of a million part-time students are distance learners whose information literacy skills are developed and progressed as an integral part of teaching materials delivered within a VLE. This paper will focus on one of the Library’s contributions to the Open University’s strategic aims: to continue the process of transferring traditional information skills to the end-user by developing a range of new and re-usable generic tools and resources, in this example by creating a repository of core re-usable information literacy learning activities to cover each skill as set out in the Library’s information literacy framework. The Library’s Information Literacy (LIL) site provides short chunks of learning to be used in modules and degree courses in a flexible way. The pedagogy is aligned to the level of study, i.e. increasing independence in searching for, finding, evaluating and managing information, progressing from undergraduate to Masters level. The paper will outline the process costing of writing and re-versioning learning activities, how we measured the savings made in production costs of new modules, and the impact of the drive to produce less OU academic authored bespoke material by integrating either core generic IL activities or re-versioning generic material for re-use within particular subject contexts. Finally, the paper will set out how the benefits of providing students with a consistent IL experience, and making cost savings were ‘sold’ by our team of librarians to faculties of academics largely intent on writing all their own teaching materials from scratch for every module

Empirical Study in Teaching First-Year Database Students

This paper describes the authors’ experience in team teaching two occurrences of a first-level undergraduate ‘Database Applications’ module. An analysis of the two occurrences revealed a difference in attendance, marks, seminar participation and attitude. This paper attempts to identify some reasons for this difference as well as reviewing some of the teaching activities that were used in this module. It analyzes the success of these activities and the perception and feedback from each group of students, and some possible recommended changes to the module

E-methods in literary production: integrating e-learning in creative writing

This paper discusses the integration of e-learning in creative writing. The online approach to the teaching of creative writing takes into account today’s Malaysian youth and their fascination with computer technology. It is this appeal of innovation in electronics and knowledge that leads an educator to design an on-line approach to a creative writing course. The theoretical construct used to support the discussion is Anderson’s theory that on-line learning is knowledge-, community-, assessment-, and learner-centered. The writer, who is also the course developer, analyses a poetry-writing activity, which students undertake, and the e-portfolio used in the course. To analyze the processes involved in this creative writing exercise Macherey’s (1978) Theory of Literary Production is adapted and utilized. This theory, which regards literary production as a process imitating that of a production line, provides the methodology and conceptual framework for analyzing the raw materials collected by the students and their transformation during the writing process. This paper thus addresses the benefits of e-learning in a creative writing context