Association for Learning Technology
Fortnightly news digest 104, 24 March 2006

Lots of jobs, events and news this week.

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Deadline for next issue (number 105): Tuesday 11 April 2006

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1. Association news: ELWA joins A.L.T.
2. Association events: book now for Spring Conference!
3. Invitations to tender: ESRC TLRP
4. Calls for papers: two calls this week
5. Other events: nine staff development events
6. News: LSC, HEFCE, SURF news and more
7. Vacancies: over a dozen excellent vacancies!
8. Courses: three courses on offer

1. Association news

1.1 A warm welcome to the following organisation which has recently
joined A.L.T.:
  Education and Learning Wales (ELWA) http://www.elwa.org.uk
- and to all the individual members who have joined in the last
fortnight.

1.2 Annual General Meeting: call for nominations
The call for nominations for two Trustees and the Vice-Chair of A.L.T.
will go out in April. Contact Rhonda Riachi for more information:
[log in to unmask]

2. Association events

2.1 Spring Conference & Research Seminar 2006
New connections, new challenges
6-7 April 2006, Leiden University, The Netherlands
In association with SURF and ILTA.
* Last day for booking, the system is open until midnight GMT!
http://www.alt.ac.uk/conferences.ph
Themes:
* Emerging technologies and the 'Net generation'
* Digital games: play and simulation
* Tools for lifelong learning: identity, movement and standards
A timetable for Thursday's conference can be found on the website and
further details on the wiki:
http://altspring.jot.com/WikiHome
* Speakers include: Prof Angela McFarlane, Prof Robert Jan Simons, Scott
Wilson, Leo Waaijers, Igor Mayer
http://www.alt.ac.uk/conferences.php

2.2 ALT-C 2006: the next generation
5-7 September 2006, Edinburgh, UK
Conference co-chairs: Prof Terry Mayes and Prof Ron Oliver
http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2006/
Keynote speakers: Stephen Heppell, Diana Oblinger, Tim O'Shea.
Theme leaders: Terry Anderson, Phil Candy, Gilly Salmon, Chris Yapp.
Registrations will open in April.
Key deadlines:
Presenters to register by 9 June 2006
Earlybird rate closes 30 June 2006
Registrations close 11 August 2006
http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2006/keynotes.html

2.3 Bidding for learning technology funds: a one-day workshop
26 April 2006, Novotel Manchester West, Manchester
Presenters: Mark Stiles, Staffordshire University; Jeff Haywood,
University of Edinburgh; and Seb Schmoller, ALT.
Project bids are time-consuming and should not be undertaken lightly;
this workshop will give tips on how to avoid wasted effort and dashed
hopes. Three experienced learning technology project managers, who have
run projects with funds from the JISC and other sources, and have judged
bids written by others, will share their perspectives on writing
convincing bids for funds.
Booking deadline: Wednesday 12 April 2006
http://www.alt.ac.uk/workshop_detail.php?e=217

2.4 Lab Group Round Table event
Sustainable funding models for research and development in e-learning
4 May 2006, 11-4pm, at the Design Council, London
Supported by the Association for Learning Technology and the London
Knowledge Lab (LKL).
For representatives from public sector research labs, research centres,
funding bodies, and government agencies and departments that have an
interest in e-learning.
http://www.alt.ac.uk/workshop_detail.php?e=218

2.5 Edublogs: the educational use of weblogs, weblogging tools and really
simple syndication (RSS)
**SORRY - NOW FULL**
5 May 2006, King’s College, London
Presenters: Josie Fraser, Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth I College, and
Steven Warburton, King’s College London.
This workshop is now fully booked. Use the link below to register your
interest to attend a future Edublogs workshop or be put on the waiting
list for this one.
Booking deadline: Friday 12 April 2006
http://www.alt.ac.uk/workshop_detail.php?e=216

3. Invitations to tender

3.1 ESRC/EPSRC Research on Technology Enhanced Learning
The closing date for both parts of the call is 12/5/2006.
http://tinyurl.com/rd5z5

4. Calls for papers

4.1 Developing a Framework for e-Learning 2006 (half-day workshop)
Dublin, Eire, Tuesday 29th August 2006, at Higher Education Academy-ICS
Conference.
Corrected URL from last digest:
http://www.ics.heacademy.ac.uk/Events/HEADublin2006_V2/home.htm
Abstracts for Position papers (maximum of 500 words), essays, thoughts
and statements should be submitted, preferably in word or pdf format, to
[log in to unmask]

4.2 VLEs: Pedagogy and Implementation, the theory and practice of
learning platforms and virtual learning environments
Four-day online conference on pedagogy (key note presenter Martin
Dougiamas) and implementation (key note presenter James Clay).
Expressions of interest to [log in to unmask] by the 30th April.
http://www.online-conference.net/vle2006/introduction.htm

5. Other events

5.1 TATA Interactive Systems HE networking event:
29 March 2006, Tanaka Business School, Imperial College London
http://www.tatainteractive.com

5.2 Join the European eStrategies initiative!
31 March 2006, Paris, France
Study information: http://www.eife-l.org/activities/campaigns/ePreadiness
Launch meeting information: http://www.eife-l.org/news/events/agm2006.ics

5.3 HEFCE Annual Conference, 10-11 April 2006, University of Warwick
Registration closes on 24 March.
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/events/annconf/

5.4 e-portfolios: mapping the future
8 May 2006, East Midlands Conference Centre, University of Nottingham
http://www.rsc-em.ac.uk

5.5 Digital Industrial and Scientific Convergence
16 May 2006, Macdonald St Paul's Hotel, Sheffield
http://www.skillsforbusiness.info/itevents/DISC.html

5.6 Apply Serious Games Conference, 25-26 May 2006
* Early Bird discount before 15 April for ALT members.
http://www.applyseriousgames.com/

5.7 Workshop on Plagiarism from The Higher Education Academy Centre for
ICS
26th May 2006, University of Edinburgh
http://www.ics.heacademy.ac.uk/Events/PlagiarismMay06/index.shtml

5.8 Joint Higher Education Academy/JISC conference on Open Source VLEs:
The Next Generation
29 June 2006, University of Cambridge
http://www.rsc-eastern.info/public/events/event_details.asp?eid=209

5.9 The European Distance and E-Learning, fourth research workshop,
25-28 October 2006, Open University of Catalonia (UOC), Barcelona, Spain
http://www.eden-online.org

6. News

6.1 Building Capacity: Preparing for Bologna
JISC infoNet, in conjunction with other partners, is proposing to create
a resource to assist institutions in preparing for the outcomes of the
Bologna Process and the European Higher Education Area. The proposed
resource will enable institutions to benchmark their state of readiness
and generate an individual action plan. To register your institution's
interest and what you would like to see in the resource go to
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/bologna - this will take no more than a
couple of minutes!

6.2 New MIAP web site includes UK register of learning providers
http://www.miap.gov.uk/index.htm

6.3 March edition of LSC Update published
http://www.lsc.gov.uk/National/Documents/Series/LSCUpdate/lsc-
update_mar06.htm

6.4 Oxford/Stanford/Yale online learning project folds
http://education.guardian.co.uk/elearning/story/0,,1735137,00.html

6.5 TES Supplement (FE Focus) selects Loughborough College as 'Website of
the Month'.
http://www.tes.co.uk/fefocus/website_of_the_month/

6.6 HEFCE news:
David Eastwood to co-chair national review of research assessment
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/news/hefce/2006/resrev.htm

6.7 Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund:
funding arrangements 2006-07 to 2008-09
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2006/06_11/
Updated information on the TQEF and HEFCE’s approach to quality
enhancement is available at
http://www.hefce.ac.uk/learning/enhance/

6.8 Jane Knight joins Learning Light
http://www.trainingpressreleases.com/newsstory.asp?NewsID=1813

6.9 Survey of student experience with technologies
The e-Learning Research Centre at the University of Southampton together
with several of the HE Academy Subject Centres is conducting a survey
about student experiences with technologies - please send this text to
your students:
Questionnaire on student experiences of using technologies in their
studies
The research is being conducted by the e-Learning Research Centre at the
University of Southampton together with several of the HE Academy Subject
Centres. Everyone who completes the questionnaire will be entered into a
prize draw for an iPod nano MP3 player. Go to
http://www.geodata.soton.ac.uk/eLRC/learner_survey/

6.10 Futurelab website review - win a £50 book token.
Online feedback form open until 13 April (when the prize draw will be
made).
http://www.nestafuturelab.org/download/projects/website_review.php

6.11 SURF's E-learning Theme Site highlights:
- Thesis by Eddy Boot: "Building-block solutions for developing
instructional software".
http://tinyurl.com/olgfo
- LOREnet: online repositories for educational material (launches on 1
April 2007)
http://www.lorenet.nl/nl/page/page.view/search.page

6.12 Bath, UK, to become wireless city
http://tinyurl.com/erdph

7. Vacancies

* Tell them you saw it in the digest!

7.1 University of Oxford
Student Information Systems Manager
Salary: £33,646 - £40,287
Senior Planning Officer (Data Management)
Salary: £31,274 - £36,959
Closing date: 3 April 2006
http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/fp/

7.2 University of Hertfordshire
Head of Learning and Research Support
Salary: £60,000. Ref: H2042G
Closing date: 7 April 2006
http://recruitment.herts.ac.uk/recruit

7.3 Open University, UK – Open Content Initiative
Developer/Lead Developer: Web 2 Social Software
Salary: £25,633 - £37,643. Ref: 2594
Research Fellow/ Snr Res Fellow: Collaboration Media
Salary: £28,009 - £44,947. Ref: 2595
Research Fellow/ Snr Res Fellow: Knowledge Mapping
Salary: £28,009 - £44,947. Ref: 2592
Two Lecturers in Open Educational Resources
Ref: 2589
Two Research Fellows
Ref: 2651/2563
http://oci.open.ac.uk

7.4 Executive Director, Penn State World Campus
(Penn State's online distance education programme)
Closing date: 15 April 2006
http://www.psu.jobs

7.5 University of Central Lancashire
Professor/Reader in Learning Technology
Ref: 89B-24-03
Closing date: 19 April 2006
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/jobs

7.6 Manchester Metropolitan University
Head of Learning and Teaching (Professor)
Salary: £50,000. Ref: JB088
Closing date: 26 April 2006
http://www.mmu.ac.uk/jobs/academic

8. Courses

8.1 The Learning Technology Team, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland
4th annual Summer School, June 19th – 23rd 2006
http://ltt.dit.ie/html/elearning/summerschool2006/Programme2006.pdf
For further info: Frances Boylan, Web Designer: [log in to unmask]

8.2 MSc in E-learning, University of Edinburgh, from September 2006.
http://www.education.ed.ac.uk/e-learning
The programme is delivered part-time and fully online and is aimed at
professionals working in higher or further education, or in training and
development. For more information, please see the web site, or contact
the programme coordinator: Dr Sian Bayne, +44 (0)131 651 6337,
[log in to unmask]

8.3 eXcellence in eLearning Ltd (eXeL)
Online learning courses leading to professional qualifications in
eLearning.
3rd May 2006: Writing and Developing Online Learning Materials. This will
lead to awards for two units of the six that make up the SQA Diploma in
eLearning Production and two units of the ten that make up the SQA
Advanced Diploma in eLearning. eXeL will subsequently offer the other
units that make up these Diplomas, for those who wish to go on to
complete them.
http://ex-el.org/?q=node/9
--

The digest returns on 12 April 2006. All news, jobs, events, etc, to
[log in to unmask] by Tuesday 11 April, please.

Regards
Rhonda

Disclaimer: Whilst every care is taken to provide accurate
information in compiling this digest, ALT cannot vouch for the
accuracy of information provided on other web sites to which the
digest links, and opinions expressed on those sites should not be
construed to be those of ALT.

  Rhonda Riachi, Director
  Association for Learning Technology
  Gipsy Lane, 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 2006: 5-7 September, Edinburgh, Scotland
  http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2006
  
  ALT's email response policy:
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