Association for Learning Technology

Fortnightly news Digest 273 issued on 03 May 2013

Please submit items for the ALT Fortnightly Digest, including job vacancies, via the form at http://goo.gl/LlJ3y.

The deadline for the next issue of the Digest is 12.00 on Wednesday 15 May for the Digest to be issued on Friday 17 May 2013.
 

Key links: http://www.alt.ac.uk/key-links

 

Table of Contents

1. ALT news

2. ALT events

3. News

4. Other events

5. Calls for proposals

6. Funding calls

7. Open Educational Resources

8. Job vacancies

9. ALT Online Newsletter - links to articles from the latest Issue

10. Current articles the ALT Journal - Research in Learning Technology

  

1. ALT News

1.1 New Organisational Member of ALT
We warmly welcome National Numeracy as a new Organisational Member of ALT
www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk

 
1.2 ALT Learning Technologist of the Year Award 2013
The call for entries is now open. The Award's overall purpose is to celebrate and reward excellent practice and outstanding achievement in the learning technology field. The award is open to individuals and teams based anywhere in the world. This year, we are also looking to award one Special Award to an individual or a group of learners who have made an outstanding contribution to using technology to support learning.
http://goo.gl/eajGz

 
1.3 AGM calling notice and nomination forms for election as Vice-Chair or a Trustee of ALT
The closing date for nominations for election as the Vice-Chair or a Trustee of ALT is 5pm on Friday 7 June 2013. The AGM will take place on 11 September, and the deadline for submitting any resolutions for consideration at the AGM is Friday 26 July 2013.
http://goo.gl/LvpFT

 
1.4 Scholarship and Literacies in a Digital Age – Call for Papers deadline extended to: Wednesday 15 May 2013
Submit a paper for Scholarship and Literacies in a Digital Age: a Special Issue of Research in Learning Technology, the Journal of the Association for Learning Technology (Volume 21, Number 4). The full call for papers can be found at:
http://goo.gl/7tzMY

 
1.5 Calls for nominations for Honorary Life Membership
ALT awards Honorary Life Membership to individuals whom ALT believes have made an outstanding and sustained contribution to the advancement of ALT's aims for the development of learning technology in a regional, national or international context through research, practice, policy-development, leadership, or a combination of these.
Closing date 20 May 2013
http://www.alt.ac.uk/hlm

 
1.6 Robin Mason Fellowships
ALT has set up a fund to commemorate Robin Mason’s life. The purpose of the fellowship fund is to support researchers who cannot otherwise come to the annual conference. You can now contribute to the fund at
http://www.alt.ac.uk/robinmasonfellowships

 
1.7 Any employee of an ALT member organisation is entitled to join ALT individually at no cost as an Associate Member. You can do this in seconds from http://goo.gl/fOCYC


2. ALT events

 
2.1 ocTEL – Open Course in Technology Enhanced Learning, 04 April – 21 June
The course is aimed primarily at people teaching at Higher Education level, whether in Higher Education Institutions or Further Education Colleges.
The next webinar will be on 08 May with Peter Hartley, 12:30-13:30. This week’s webinar focuses on effective learning resources.
ocTEL: http://goo.gl/vFqbE
Webinar: http://goo.gl/Mm5rs


2.2 CMALT Webinar for Candidates, 09 May 2013, 12:30-13:30 BST
The session is designed to provide information and support to candidates looking to complete their portfolios in the next few months.
http://goo.gl/Nte8d

 
2.3 New ALT Regional Sig - North West England Group, 5 June 2013
ALT supports informal networks in local areas for example the White Rose and the M25 Learning Technology groups. We propose to launch a similar group primarily covering Lancashire, Cumbria and Cheshire. An initial meeting will be held at Liverpool John Moores University on Wednesday the 5th of June 2013. The meeting will set an agenda for the group and prepare for a formal application for a NW area Sig. Please notify us of your interest, even if you cannot attend the first meeting.
If anyone would like to know more about the proposed group, please contact Alex Spiers: [log in to unmask] or Chris Jones: [log in to unmask]


2.4 altc2013 Building new cultures of learning
The 20th annual conference of the Association for Learning Technology will be held at the University of Nottingham, 10-12 September 2013.
More information is at http://goo.gl/TOiAk


3. News

 
3.1 Online Learning and MOOCs
Jisc infoNet has recently launched two new topics on Online Learning and MOOCs.  There has been something of a resurgence of interest in these areas, driven by a renewed policy emphasis and by uncritical press coverage of the growth of the MOOC sector.
http://bit.ly/infonet-online-learning

 
3.2 e-Safety
Staying safe online is a major factor in the increasingly complex environment of online delivery. In collaboration with a range of Jisc’s services, Jisc infoNet are pleased to announce the launch of a new resource on e-Safety. It’s aimed at UK higher education, further education and skills and focuses on helping your organisation, staff and students to understand their online responsibilities.
http://bit.ly/infonet-e-safety

 
3.3 National Student Change Agent Network
Jisc has funded a project to create a network to support student change agents and those staff working with them, and help share resources and approaches which have been successful. The network has now established a community website. On this site you will find links to resources, national projects involving students as well as hints and tips for successfully delivering sustainable change. Importantly, join the forums!
http://www.hei-flyers.org

 
3.4 New book: Into the wild - technology for open educational resources
This book by Amber Thomas, Lorna M. Campbell, Phil Barker and Martin Hawksey (Eds) looks at what was tried and what was learnt during the three years of the UK OER programme by way of technology to support OER management and dissemination.
The book can be ordered print on demand or downloaded in various free formats from:
http://goo.gl/dMLvk

 

4. Events

4.1 Join Blackboard Connect at “Let's talk about txt!”, Manchester College, 09 May 2013
This free to attend, one day event is designed to give you the opportunity to discover how sms can improve Communications Strategies across your institution. “Let's talk about txt!” allows you to learn from your peers as speakers from Colleges and Universities share their experiences and ideas relating to Teaching and Learning, Marketing and Student Support Services. Interested? Click on this link to register and find out more:
http://goo.gl/wDWal

 
4.2 New Approaches To Digital Literacies: One day meeting, 10 May 2013
This one-day event will offer new perspectives on different types of digital literacies, with plenty of opportunities for participants to join in the discussions. The morning session (11am-1pm) will be a workshop focusing on the development of ‘informed researchers’ and digital literacies, while the second half (2-4pm) will offer theoretical insights into academic literacies and popular digital literacy practices. Lunch will be provided.
http://goo.gl/VkWeX

 
4.3 UUK Online Learning conference, 16 May 2013
New speakers have been announced for Universities UK’s conference on open and online learning, including Rt Hon. David Willetts MP and Sir John Daniel, an international expert on MOOCs. Delegates will have the opportunity to explore their institution’s approach to this increasingly important area of higher education, and help shape the agenda for online learning in the UK. A full agenda can be found on the conference website.
http://goo.gl/c7XLP

 
4.4 e-Assessment: Which Way Now?, The London Knowledge Lab, 16 May 2013
9th What the Research Says, 1:30PM - 4PM
We know that assessment drives learning but how can we leverage technology in using assessment to support learning? We invite participants to help us build a roadmap for technology enhanced assessment for learning.
http://goo.gl/EFEUf

 
4.5 Supporting and Assessing Healthcare Students in Practice, Birmingham, 22 May 2013
A PebblePad Special Interest Symposium. A one day event hosted by Pebble Learning for those interested in exploring how learner support, feedback and assessment can be managed through PebblePad using mentors and assessors in health related practice settings.
http://goo.gl/jXade

 
4.6 eLearning Africa 2013, 29-31 May 2013
The conference, which is the Continent's leading forum for the technology-assisted learning industry, will be bringing together a wide range of perspectives on ICT for development, education and training in Windhoek, Namibia, May 29th-31st. Now in its eighth year, eLearning Africa will be celebrating the rise of Made in Africa solutions. The conference will also be preceded by the annual eLearning Africa round table meeting of education and ICT ministers from across Africa.
http://www.elearning-africa.com/

 
4.7 EdTech2013 Opening Up Education – Content, Learning and Collaboration, University College Cork, 30-31 May 2013
All roads lead to Cork as we invite you to meet, swap stories, enjoy practitioner and research presentations, engage in free interactive workshops and discuss technology-enhanced learning policy and practice in an invigorating, yet relaxing, end-of-year gathering.
http://goo.gl/jO3Ww

 
4.8 STEM Monitoring, 06 June 2013
Do you have any experience in STEM mentoring – either as a mentor or mentee, or in influencing STEM mentoring policy? The Institute of Education, in conjunction with the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, is running a one-day event on 6th June to see how STEM mentoring practice and support to teachers can be improved across the UK.  If you are interested in attending and for further details, please contact [log in to unmask]
http://www.ioe.ac.uk/

 
4.9 EdTech Europe, London, 14 June 2013
EdTech Europe is an exclusive one day summit addressing the current industry and investment trends in education technology and e-learning for both the academic and professional learning sectors. The event will bring together senior executives from established professional learning and education players, innovators disrupting the established market order and leading European institutional investors to explore the business of education and act as a catalyst for the consolidation and investment required in the sector.
http://goo.gl/bQ7vK

 
4.10 Pervasive Learning Activity workshop, HEA / University of Leicester, July 11th
Pervasive Learning Activities (PLAs) are drawn from online alternate reality games and experiential learning, with the aim of developing detailed learning contexts within a course. Two Enterprise courses at the University of Portsmouth and the University of Leeds have already used this approach to great effect, showing very high levels of student engagement and development.
The workshop will outline this approach, involve participants in a live sample of a PLA, and then provide training to create your own PLAs within your own subject contexts.
http://goo.gl/Zrx4J

 
4.11 Pedare 2013, Falmouth University, 12 September 2013
Expanding Horizons of Teaching and Learning; Developing New and Innovative Practices
The theme will be the impact of the changing HE environment on current practice in arts-based subjects. The conference will be experiential, interactive and participatory (so not a traditional research conference) and the audience will be comprised of academics, practitioners and education specialists from around the world.
http://goo.gl/fJjiD


5. Calls for proposals

5.1 Deadline extended: Scholarship and Literacies in a Digital Age - Call for Papers for a Special Issue of Research in Learning Technology Deadline for submission of papers extended to: Wednesday 15 May 2013.
The full call for papers can be found at http://goo.gl/7tzMY
 

5.2 Conference: iPads in Higher Education, Paphos, 20-22 March 2014
Deadline for submission of abstracts: 8 June
IHE is the world’s first international research conference about iPad use in Higher Education (HE). You are invited to join scholars, learning technologists and practitioners from across the globe to share insights into teaching practice and student learning in an interdisciplinary and collaborative interchange of experience. The conference seeks to provide a common forum for the varied forms of research on the use of iPads HE, and to explore innovative models of learning using the iPad.
http://ipadsinhe.org/

 
6. Funding calls

None this issue


7. Open Educational Resources

7.1 European TEL Thesaurus and dictionary
A group of European leaders in TEL, led by Nicolas Balacheff, is putting together an open access Thesaurus and Dictionary of TEL, in multiple languages, as a service to the community. Nicolas is looking for further entries to be written on e.g.: Pervasive Learning, Augmented Reality Learning, Handheld Learning, Blended Learning and would be happy to have offers of further topics that are not in the list. A Thesaurus entry is short (one page) in a structured format, and you will be credited as editor of that entry.
Contact Nicolas Balacheff: [log in to unmask]
www.tel-thesaurus.net/wiki/


7.2 CETIS Analytics Series
The CETIS Analytics Series explores a number of key issues around the potential strategic advantages and insights which the increased attention on, and use of, analytics is bringing to the education sector.
For more information: http://goo.gl/gwmZ2


8. Jobs

8.1 Web Services, Glyndŵr University, Wrexham
Learning Technologist (Maternity Cover)
£22,700 - £26,264
Full time, Temporary
Closing date: 14 May 2013
http://bit.ly/13wTxgq

 
8.2 Educational Development Centre (EDC), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Instructional Design Specialist
Full time
Closing date: 31 May 2013
Informal enquiries to: Dr Josephine Csete at [log in to unmask]
http://goo.gl/WI34e
 

8.3 There is a regular supply of mainly US jobs in the learning
technology field at http://www.salt.org/salt.asp?ss=l&pn=joblistall,
with a helpful RSS feed at http://www.salt.org/Weblink/SaltJobs.rss.


9. ALT Online Newsletter

The newsletter website is at: http://newsletter.alt.ac.uk/

Latest Articles

 
Article – “Chief Executive’s Report” by Maren Deepwell
http://goo.gl/NwvdT

Article – “A week in the life of… Adam Cooper, JISC CETIS”
http://goo.gl/OgctT

Article – “SIG Update: Games and Learning Special Interest Group”
http://goo.gl/zGQTC

Article – “Engaging University Classes in Online Intercultural Exchange: The INTENT Project” by Robert O’Dowd
http://goo.gl/KA9tI

Article – “ALT-C 2012: A confrontation with reality”
http://goo.gl/sIzo4

Article – “Free Cloud LMS: Opportunity, Threat or Irrelevance?” by Kris Roger
http://goo.gl/SJAOS


10. Current articles from our peer-reviewed Open Access journal Research in Learning Technology

The journal website is at: http://www.researchinlearningtechnology.net/

Latest Articles

Article – “Combining the formative with the summative: the development of a twostage online test to encourage engagement and provide personal feedback in large classes”
Susanne Voelkel
http://goo.gl/47gwu
DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v21i0.19153

Article – “Is it cheating – or learning the craft of writing? Using Turnitin to help students avoid plagiarism”
Lynne Graham-Matheson, Simon Starr
http://goo.gl/MGaZz
DOI: 10.3402/rlt.v21i0.17218


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The digest returns on 17 May 2013. All items for inclusion in the next issue should be submitted using the form at http://goo.gl/LlJ3y by 12.00 noon on Wednesday 15 April 2013. This issue was compiled by those who submitted content for it, and very lightly edited by Heather Stallard.

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Disclaimer. Reasonable care is taken to ensure that the ALT Digest is accurate. But ALT does not vouch for the accuracy of information provided on web sites to which the digest links, and opinions expressed on those sites should not be construed to be those of ALT.