Booking and further information:
  http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/3_courses/external/index.html
or phone 01865 485902
All workshops cost £170
start time 10 00 am and finish approx 4 30 pm
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Equal opportunities for dyslexic students
3rd April 2003
UMIST, Manchester

Aims:
The workshop will look at how dyslexic students can be enabled in
Higher Education. At the end of their courses they should be
independent learners who are able to select their individual best ways
of approaching any academic task; they should know how to adapt their
thinking to be effective employees. The workshop will look at teaching
and learning that can promote these goals.

Format:

The workshop will be divided into four sections:

1. An overview of dyslexia
2. Higher order thinking
3. Learning preferences
4. Provisions for dyslexic students


The workshop will involve activities for the participants, as well as
discussion and presentation of ideas.

Outcomes:
The participants will have experienced dyslexia simulations and so have
a better understanding of what it is like to struggle with words in a
dyslexic way. The simulations will have been discussed in terms of

* current research
* teaching programmes
* alternative learning styles suitable to dyslexic students
* provisions that promote a level playing field

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Improving the quality of student writing
10th April 2003
Umist, Manchester

The aim of the workshop is:
to explain, demonstrate and discuss ways in which teachers in higher
education can help their students to produce high quality written work.

Synopsis:
Many university teachers would be pleased to see an increase in the
quality of their studentÕs writing. The fact that students in higher
education need to be able to analyse, synthesise and evaluate the
principles and practices of their chosen discipline(s) in their written
work is accepted by both teachers and learners, but sometimes those
involved are unsure of how to bring this about. The procedure to be
used in this workshop is well researched. An analytical taxonomy of
student writing is used to lead them to a clear understanding of the
structures of the observed learning outcomes, known by its acronym as
the ÔSOLOÕ taxonomy.

Understanding and applying the taxonomy helps students to see how they
can achieve higher quality learning outcomes generally, and especially
in their assessed written work. Participants are encouraged to run this
workshop with their own students. Further developments and testing of
the instrument has provided significant evidence that the taxonomy is a
useful tool to shape and assess learning.
It has already been used:

* to find out what students know about their learning
* to present models of structural organisation of content in a
discipline area
* to illustrate acceptable learning outcomes to shape learning through
assessment


The taxonomy can be used, in conjunction with other activities, to
challenge students:

* to engage in higher quality learning
* to become critical thinkers
* to become better self and peer assessors
* to be more informed about how their work will be assessed

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An Introduction to computer assisted assessment
11th April 2003
Oxford Brookes University

This workshop will provide an introduction to computer-assisted
assessment (CAA) and offer advice, guidance and good practice for its
use in higher education. CAA is a broad term which describes the use of
computers in student assessment and encompasses a range of activities.
The workshop will be focused on the pedagogical and operational issues
of using CAA, rather than the use of a particular software package.

The workshop will cover the following topics:

* Definitions of a range of different types of CAA
* Examples of practice
* The main uses of CAA
* Strengths and weaknesses
* Use of CAA for formative and summative assessment
* Pedagogical issues associated with objective testing.

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Fiona Smith
Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development
Wheatley Campus
Wheatley
Oxford

Tel: 01865 485902
Fax: 01865 485937