ALT news digest 75, 26 November 2004

Publications, calls for papers and invitations to tender abound in
this issue.

The digest should reach you once a fortnight. To send items for
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Deadline for next issue: Tuesday 7 December 2004.

In this issue:
1. ALT news
2. ALT events
3. Calls for papers
4. Other events
5. News
6. Invitations to tender
7. Courses

1. ALT news

1.1 ALT Events Executive seeks members
New members are sought to make a positive contribution to this
important function, and we are seeking expressions of interest from
members of the Events Committee, new and old, in being Vice-Chair of
the Committee.

If you are interested in joining the Events Committee, or wish to
express interest in the role of Vice Chair, please write to: George
Roberts, Chair, ALT Events Committee: [log in to unmask]

One of the four functional executives of the Association, The Events
Committee supports the aims of ALT through a range of events which
aim to: raise the level of professionalism among Learning
Technologists in all sectors of post-compulsory education in the UK
and Internationally; contribute to the growth of the Association; and
raise awareness of and influence with respect to matters of policy:
institutional, regional, national and international.

1.2 Publications

1.2.1 Making Connections
All members will receive their complimentary copy of "Making
Connections: British perspectives on learning technology
develeopments in Netherlands higher education" in the coming week.
This book, produced with support from the DfES, captures the lessons
learned from the ALT/SURF exchange trip to the Netherlands in 2003.
Extra copies can be ordered from the ALT office (price £15).

1.2.2 The white paper from the 2004 ALT/SURF research seminar on e-
portfolios and digital respositories is available on the ALT web
site:
http://www.alt.ac.uk/docs/ALT-SURFseminar_April_2004.pdf

1.2.3 In the January mailing of ALT-N all members will receive a
complimentary copy of the JISC good practice guide "Effective
Practice with e-Learning".

1.3 ALT membership rates
Our membership fees will increase modestly (to keep up with
inflation) on 1 January 2005.
For more information go to http://www.alt.ac.uk/membership.html

2. ALT events

2.1 MOODLE: a free, open source virtual learning environment
9 December 2004, The Learning Lab, Telford
Presenters: John Phelps and Sonja Gruessendorf, Goldsmiths, London
Cost: £85 members, £150 non-members
FULLY BOOKED - waiting list available.
http://www.alt.ac.uk/workshop_detail.php?e=167

2.2 ALT/JISCinfoNET joint event
IT won't work here!
24 February 2005, Orange Studio, Birmingham
A workshop to explore the cultural issues involved in connecting
learners and institutions and how to overcome traditional barriers to
progress with e-learning.
Bookings will open shortly - more information to follow soon.

2.3 Reflective learning, future thinking:
ALT spring conference and research seminar
Conference: 31 March 2005, Dublin Institute of Technology
Research seminar: 1 April 2005, Trinity College Dublin
The conference will cover:
* e-portfolios and lifelong learning records
* personal development planning and diploma supplements
* digital repositories and archives
* any time, anywhere access and informal learning
There will be plenary sessions and discussion workshops to allow
plenty of time for reflection on the key issues.
Our spring conference in 2004 was overbooked, so put this date in
your diaries now!

2.4 ALT-C 2005: first call for papers
Exploring the frontiers of e-learning: borders, outposts and
migration
6-8 September 2005, Manchester, UK
The conference website has been updated:
http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2005
The paper submission system for ALT-C 2005 will go live in December.

Key dates:
Papers and abstracts
Submissions open: 6 December 2004
Last date for research papers: 14 February 2005
Last date for other streams: 28 February 2005

Booking by presenters
Main presenter to book by: 10 June 2005
All other presenters to book by: 30 June 2005

3. Calls for papers

3.1 CALL FOR PAPERS - IWSAWC 2005
New Paper Submission Deadline: December 1, 2004
5th International Workshop on Smart Appliances and Wearable Computing
Columbus, Ohio, USA, June 10, 2005
http://www.teco.edu/iwsawc05/

3.2 UCALL Conference - Call for Papers
Developing a pedagogy for CALL?  Examples of theory and practice
University of Ulster at Coleraine, Northern Ireland, 14-15 June 2005
http://www.arts.ulster.ac.uk/lanlit/csrp/conf/2005/ucall/conference.ht
ml
Deadline for proposals: 21 January 2005

3.3 EDEN - European Distance and E-Learning Network
Annual Conference 20-23 June 2005, Helsinki University of Technology
Full papers should be submitted to [log in to unmask] by 1
February, 2005.
http://www.eden-online.org

3.4 Call for Papers - Learning, Media and Technology
Journal of Educational Media will be relaunched in 2005 as Learning,
Media and Technology. Please send
contributions to Trish Gladdis, Email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/17439884.asp

4. Other events

4.1 Planning, implementation, and use of ePortfolios with emphasis on
open source options,
Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ, USA, December 10-11, 2004
http://www.rsmart.com/workshops.php

4.2 JISC Conference 2005: Impact and Integration
International Convention Centre, Birmingham, 12 April 2005
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/conf_2005_intro.html

4.3 TLT Group's Events, including Free WebCasts:
http://www.tltgroup.org/events.htm

4.4 Using computers in language learning and teaching web-based and
local teaching modes
(UK Regional Workshop)
University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, 13 June 2005
http://www.arts.ulster.ac.uk/lanlit/csrp/conf/2005/ucall/workshop.html
Contact the EUROCALL UK Representative, Dr David Barr
([log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask])
to register your interest in attending by 21 January 2005.

5. News

5.1 NLN materials: new online training tool
Online tutorials provide step-by-step guides on using the Content
Access Tool and downloading the NLN Materials, and address frequently
asked questions such as how to integrate the materials into a college
intranet environment. The training then moves on to look at the basic
principles of re-purposing using the
JISC-produced Reload Editor.
Go to http://www.nln.ac.uk/materials/technical/  and select ‘tools
training’.

5.2 Mobile devices
A questionnaire on behalf of Chris Beaumont of Liverpool Hope
University College is available on the ICS HE Academy news page:
http://www.ics.heacademy.ac.uk/
The purpose of this questionnaire is to measure your knowledge,
attitude, perception and use of mobile devices like mobile phones,
personal digital assistants, tablet pcs, simputers and laptops as
tools that can be used to support learning in higher education.

5.3 Taylor and Francis to take new name
Taylor and Francis, publishers of ALT-J, will use the Routledge
'brand' as a unifying imprint for all their social science,
arts and humanities journals from 2005.
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/

6. Invitations to tender

6.1 JISC ITT: Risk assessment for the distributed e-learning regional
pilots and Higher Education Academy Subject Centre projects
Deadline for proposals: 13 December 2004, 12:00 pm
The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) wishes to commission
an individual or team to identify the key risks facing a number of
projects within the Distributed e-Learning strand of the e-Learning
Programme, and plan the provision of advice and training to help
projects minimise these risks. The risk assessment should focus
particularly on the risks associated with the types of project and
areas of work undertaken by the regional pilots and Higher Education
Academy Subject Centre projects, rather than on the sort of generic
risks which are attendant on all projects. Around £25,000 to £35,000
(including VAT and expenses) is available for this study over a three
month period (January-April 2005).
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=funding_riskassess

6.2 Participants in a Framework Agreement to deliver consultancy work
for the e-Learning and Pedagogy strand of the JISC e-Learning
Programme
The JISC invites tenders from a wide range of participants with the
appropriate skills, experience and expertise to form part of a
framework agreement to carry out specific tasks within the e-learning
and Pedagogy strand of the JISC E-Learning Development Programme.
Further details of this programme can be found at
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/elearning_pedagogy.html

The tasks may include the synthesising of project reports and
documentation for internal and external audiences within the post-16
and higher education sectors; facilitating e-learning staff
development workshops and/or the production of high quality staff
development materials and print publications. It is expected that
there will be in the region of 10 - 30 pieces of work requiring
different time commitments offered under this agreement. This
Framework Agreement will be in place from 1 January 2005 to July
2006. The total value of all contracts issued under this agreement
will not exceed £100,000. Tenders should be submitted no later than
1300 hours on Friday 10 December 2004.
The full tender can be found at:
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?name=funding_framework_agree

6.3 JANET NETWORK RELIABILITY
A call for proposals has been issued by UKERNA for the provision of
advice to JANET connected organisations on network reliability. The
main aim of this work will be to help organisations identify and
understand the risks facing their local networks and their
connection(s) to JANET. The call can be found at
http://www.ja.net/itt/network-reliability.pdf

7. Courses

7.1 Lancaster University's distance and flexible learning programme
on all aspects of e-learning or learning technology
Next Module: ALT06 - Organisational Context of Learning begins 12th
January 2005
Contact Alice Jesmont, C SALT, Email: [log in to unmask]
http://notes.lancs.ac.uk/ed-rsrch/apply.nsf/alt

--ends--

The digest returns on 8 December. All news, jobs, events, etc, to
[log in to unmask] by Tuesday 7 December, please.

Regards
Rhonda

  Rhonda Riachi, Director
  Association for Learning Technology
  Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK.
  Tel: +44 (0)1865 484125   Fax: +44 (0)1865 484165
  Email: [log in to unmask]   URL: http://www.alt.ac.uk/
  Registered Charity Number: 1063519

  ALT-C 2005, 6-8 September, Manchester, UK
  http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2005