Over the summer Matthew and a colleague had been undertaking some research into the problems and issues surrounding IT / ILT in colleges. He came to us to meet with those at the ‘sharp end’ trying to deliver a quality service, sometimes in the face of challenges from Government initiatives, the LSC and awarding bodies.

Matthew left saying that he had been “totally overwhelmed by what he saw.” He was really impressed with the way in which colleagues were more than willing to share the good and the bad and ‘tell it as it is’. He also said that he could clearly see a willingness, from everybody he met, to work as a team mutually supporting each other and striving to do the very best for the learner.

The output from Matthew’s visit will be used to sharpen his previous research and focus attention at the issues currently facing colleges. A report being prepared by the AoC, will be targeted at funding and awarding bodies.

Thanking colleagues on his departure Matthew said “It is now very clear why CNWL was the first name that CEL came up with when asked them for a recommendation on where to go.”

It is a really cool app! If you would like to see Pastor Steve Turnbull's serise I encourage you to join a Diciple small group and get to know some people! I know they love new people!

The main reason cited for using Web 2.0 technologies was that they provided functionality not available on college networked software. Staff also cited the freedom from 'network control' as being another motivator for using these technologies. Only a couple of staff cited their use for collaborative creation/user feedback - which are of course the defining features of Web 2.0 technologies.

The main purposes of using Web 2.0 technologies were:

• Lesson content
• Galleries of student work
• Communication
• Learning activities
• File sharing
• Virtual meetings

A small number of ILT Champions in other Welsh colleges were also surveyed. Web 2.0 applications, although outside college control, are increasingly seen as having a positive impact in terms of developing generic IT/Web based skills which benefit learning in general and, in particular, enhance the use of college Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs).  Until recently many colleges have been blocking access to many Web 2.0 sites because their use was seen as social/recreational rather than educational. Colleges are, however, encouraging the use of Web 2.0 technologies (such as blogs, chat rooms and instant messaging) within existing VLEs. This ensures an element of control and enables teaching staff to be better supported in the use of such technologies (rather than using unsupported third party software).

The Web 2.0 technologies used (and their purpose) were as follows:

YouTube

Distributing student work

Obtaining feedback - which was seen as a positive functionality, in a commercial/marketing sense, for students studying media, design etc

Demonstration - eg engineering activities, dance/drama techniques, biomechanics in sport, learning languages etc

Information  - eg on tourism, sport, history, psychologists etc

Social networking sites (mainly Facebook)

Graphic design - creating skins on Bebo

Improve ICT skills/knowledge - a couple of staff made the point that it is the mature students who want to know more about Web 2.0 technologies (presumably the younger students already know). Whereas some (college) library services have dismissed Web 2.0 technologies as being the preserve of young students who are only interested in their social uses. 

Keep in contact with alumni

Communication - within a student group and between former and current learners

Second Life

For E-commerce

As an example of emerging technologies

As a virtual classroom

However, Second Life was the Web 2.0 resource that staff were most concerned about, with regard to the presence of 'inappropriate material'

Podcasting

For information/course content

For teaching audio production

Social bookmarking (Del.icio.us)

To access bookmarks across PCs

Wikis

Collaborative creation by a group of students

Blogs

To produce assignments

Opportunities for the library service

The responses lend themselves to library involvement in supporting the use of Web 2.0 technologies by teaching staff in a variety of ways:

Supporting the use of Web 2.0 technologies as information sources

The library staff can provide Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) services to alert staff to new resources to support their vocational/subject area. We are using the library blog and subject specific Del.icio.us accounts to this end. Alternatively library staff can support teaching staff in setting up their own SDI/alerting services using RSS feeds/newsreaders (it was noticeable that only one respondent said they used RSS feeds in teaching).

Promoting emerging technologies 

It would appear that the use of Web 2.0 technologies in teaching is still limited to a relatively small number of applications. By experimenting with Web 2.0 technologies, in a library context, then library staff are ideally suited to raise awareness of those technologies (and their potential use for collaborative creation and obtaining user feedback) amongst teaching staff.

Staff training

A number of respondents specifically asked whether the college would be providing staff training on the use of these technologies. In response, the library staff have run staff development sessions on Web 2.0 technologies raising awareness of the technologies and promoting the library's own Web 2.0 developments. Consequently, for September, we are already being asked to provide similar training to students.

Two stories from the Guardian caught my eye this week, both relating to information learning technologies (ILT). 

The first article by Anthea Lipsett, "Facebook a valid educational tool, teachers told" 25.06.08, features a report by Childnet International and funded by BECTA.  The report, Young people and social networking services, evaluates the potential educational benefits to individual users, as well as outlining some of the opportunities of social networking services to schools and colleges. Whilst many schools and colleges block sites such as Bebo and Facebook from their networks, the report suggests that these social networking sites should be embraced and used to connect with students.

Stephen Carrick-Davies, the chief executive of Childnet International, is quoted as saying:

"The phenomenal speed at which the internet is developing and the rapid take up of new web 2.0 services by young people can be challenging.

"However, it's vital that all of us really take the time to understand the way students are using the latest technology, the various features of these new services and appreciate how these new tools can aid good social interaction and learning."

The other article again by Anthea Lipsett, "Qualification in podcasting launched" 25.06.08, describes a new qualification from the NCFE (formerly the Northern Council for Further Education) which will allow learners to investigate the process of planning, preparing and producing a podcast. 

Hans hænder er store og stærke... det greb Han bruger omkring min spinkle hals er tungt, varmt, fast... det tænder mig sindssygt... jeg elsker det...
Fornemmelsen af en vibrator der suger hele mit underliv ned på min siddepude der på gulvet foran Hans fødder.. samtidigt med at Hans greb om min hals strammes.... jeg elsker det...

Luften forlader mig... der er intet... det sortner for mine øjne... det snurrer sindssygt helt ud i fingerspidserne... ned langs rygraden er der en rislen og en sitren....den forplanter sig ned i mit underliv... Grebet strammes lige en tand mere... jeg kan høre Han ånder tungt... jeg kan se på bulen i Hans bukser at Han er liderlig... jeg elsker det...

Mine øjne føles som buler de ud af mit hoved... min tunge presses frem... lydene i min hals bliver kvalt... min krop ryster ukontrollabelt... Hans anden hånd presser vibratoren tættere til min drivvåde fisse... Han kommentere fugten i mellem mine ben.... Jeg kommer i en vild orgasme som forstærkes af manglen på ilt.... jeg elsker det

Han slipper mig langsomt.. lader mig stille glide ned på gulvet... stryger mig ømt ned af ryggen.. nusser mig i mit hår... lægger benene henover min ryg... lader mig være Hans fodstøtte... afslapning.. ro.. kærlighed..

This is a controversial one. To question the Invercargill Licensing Trust is, to quote my friends, to either alienate yourself from every loyal baby boomer in the town or to invite bullet holes down the side of the car. We'll I don't relate to boomers anyway, and as yet there have been no horses heads in the bed. But I did and do ask some questions of this high level of regulation. And it runs some real risks with its fingers in its ears. We shall see. To do nothing is to condone.

On Tuesday 22.04.08, the Guardian newspaper in association with the Joint Information Systems Committee (Jisc) launched "Libraries unleashed" a look at how technology is changing academic libraries.  Although the supplement focuses mainly on higher education most of what is written applies equally to further education libraries.

There are articles on how students search (based largely on the British Library's report on the "Google Generation"); how learning spaces are changing; libraries and web 2.0; the expectations of students and how technology is changing the roles of librarians.  Basically it is a resume of all the challenges we face as a result of rapidly changing technology.  It is a must for all managers in FE and HE, not just librarians.

Don't worry if you missed this excellent supplement.  It is available online at the Guardian's Libraries unleashed site. 

****UPDATE****

There is a review of what bloggers think about the Guardian's supplement.  It must be quite comprehensive as even this blog gets a mention!  Whilst it was generally welcomed (personally I was astonished to see that we had an entire supplement devoted to our profession) there was some criticism that there was not enough FE content. 

Still in draft form but view it here and post comments here or to Pat.

1. Man kan ikke overleve mere end tre minutter uden ilt
2. Man kan ikke overleve mere end tre timer hvis udsat for ekstremt lave temperaturer
3. Man kan ikke overleve mere end tre dage uden vand
4. Man kan ikke overleve mere end tre uger uden mad

Dette er naturligvis tommelfingerregler, da der er eksempler på folk der har overlevet både kortere og længere end de ovenstående tidsangivelser. Pointen med at have denne regel er derfor ikke at huske de præcise tider, men at vide hvad man skal prioritere. De giver sig selv, at man først og fremmest skal op af vandet hvis man er ved at drukne, det er vist de flestes naturlige reaktion på iltmangel. Men hvis man eks. går rundt ude i naturen og er både sulten, tørstig og fryser, så er det først og fremmest vigtigt at finde at varmt sted, frem for at lede efter mad eller drikke. Når man har fået varmen, og sikret sig at kunne få varmen igen i fremtiden, så kan man begynde at lede efter noget at drikke. Først efter at have slukket tørsten kan man begynde at spekulere over hvor det næste måltid skal skaffes. Således sikrer man sin overlevelse længst muligt, frem for at spise sig mæt mens man langsomt dør af kulde.

Husker man denne meget basale regel, så er man allerede nået et godt stykke i bestræbelserne for at kunne overleve en kommende katastrofe.

"O gigantesco blog tipográfico ilT (mais de 13 mil assinantes de feed) está precisando de tradutores e colaboradores. Serve desde a tradução de um artigo do ilT até conteúdo original (em inglês, português ou outro idioma).

Os artigos em português já publicados no site estão aqui.
Para todos que abraçarem a causa como colaboradores, firmo o compromisso de publicar o parágrafo inicial do artigo com links pro original e crédito dos autores."

nunoboggiss

Jeff has stated that:

The goal of the project will be to create an on-line community (and presence) that promotes the study of the war and tracks the latest trends in research. The website will feature book, film and journal reviews, insights into ongoing scholarly debates, explorations of contributors' research, and general commentary on a whole host of issues relevant to the study of the war.

Og nu bloggede iLoveTypography så denne virale ting, som jeg ikke kunne lade være med at blive lidt grebet af - især slutningen fandt jeg overraskende rørende.

(Hvad? Som om du ikke også har din helt egen helt afsporede fetisch? )

The Guardian, 18.01.08

Today we have the second report in one week on students' poor information literacy skills.  The first report on was on students' internet searching behaviour.  This second report, written by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, focuses upon plagiarism amongst A-level students.  Nearly 60% of lecturers and teachers surveyed, believe that a quarter of work submitted by students has been copied directly from internet sites. 

Much plagiarism activity is derived from students' ignorance of what it constitutes plagiarism from legitimate research rather than from a willful desire to mislead. However, pressure on lecturers' time has made it difficult to detect and find real evidence of such offending.

For more on this disturbing report click here.

See also:

Teachers voice plagiarism fears , BBC Website, 18.01.08

The idea of switching money from traditional evening classes to "virtual vouchers" - enabling adults to fund their own informal learning - was floated by the government today.

It would let a group of elderly people form a dance class and hire their own instructor, or help scattered individuals pursue a common interest via the internet.  The move is in response to "the quiet revoluition" taking place within the sector and many people were now making better use of the internet, other new technologies and the voluntary sector rather than traditional classroom-based education.

For more on this story click here.

There is a really interesting article from the Guardian about a study (Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future) into the effects of the internet and digital publishing on students' information-seeking behaviour.  It's findings which are described as "spot on" by Lynne Bridley, chief executive of the British Library, will come as no surprise to anyone who works in a library. 

Contrary to popular belief, young people's ability to search for and evaluate information on the web has not improved with the widening access to technology, the study says. Young people tend to use search engines such as Google and Yahoo as their first, and often only, port of call in searching for information. They have a poor understanding of their information needs and find it difficult to develop effective search strategies. They also spend little time evaluating information for relevance, accuracy or authority, it says.

For more on this story click here.

See also:

‘Google Generation’ is a myth, says new research

Pupils beginning media studies A-level courses in September could earn some of their marks by creating websites, podcasts or blogs, it has emerged.

According to the new syllabus issued by the OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and RSA) exam board, traditional essays will no longer form part of coursework. Instead, pupils will be expected to submit some of their work in the form of podcasts - a series of audio or video files downloaded over the internet - or blogs - informal internet journals.

For more on this story click here.