Category Archives: Learning Edge

Curious and Creative – Learning Services celebrate Learning at Work Week 2017

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Learning Services are always looking for innovative ways to increase engagement in staff development activities. We have a large and diverse team of staff and we are keen to ensure we provide opportunities for everyone to get involved and learn something new.

This year we celebrated national Learning at Work Week within our department. 198 places were booked on 20 different events over the week, and 65 members of staff engaged in our online course DigiQuest in the six weeks leading up to Learning at Work week itself.

Throughout Learning at Work week, we ran a fantastic and varied programme of events around the theme of ‘Curious and Creative‘. These included a session on Makerspaces in libraries, where staff explored technologies such as Raspberry Pi and Google Cardboard, a workshop on how to create a GIF from scratch and a session on using the more advanced features of Instagram. Staff also took part in a digital treasure hunt using the app Actionbound, learnt how to use their phones to create a stop motion animation, explored a virtual reality version of the plans for our new building, and discovered accessibility features on Apple devices.

Six weeks prior to the official Learning at Work week, we released our online course DigiQuest to Learning Services staff. The aim of this online course was to increase Learning Services’ staff confidence and skills in using a variety of digital skills for both personal and professional use. Staff took part in a variety of digital tasks over the six weeks and those who completed the course were placed in a draw to win a prize!

The week ended with a collective break, where staff came together for a cup of tea and a biscuit, celebrated the prize winners of DigiQuest and joined in with our game to guess the merged faces of library staff!

                  

 

68 Things to Help You Find and Use TV and Radio Broadcasts

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I don’t know if any of you have wanted to share broadcast materials with students. When I started working at Edge Hill the only legal way to do this was to get in touch with Jim in Learning Services, who would record the programme and put it on a VHS tape for you to show in class.

Box of Broadcasts Guide Page

This system has now developed into a much more advanced online service called Box of Broadcasts, which allows you to link to programmes from, and embed them directly in, Learning Edge.

Instead of having to find out about the programme beforehand and ask someone to record it, the main channels are now recorded automatically and kept indefinitely. You can use the website to request programmes on other free to air channels up to 30 days after they air.

Programme Embedded in Learning Edge

Once you find a programme that you want to share, you can share it using what is called a WAYFless link that takes students directly to the EHU login screen, or you can embed the video in Blackboard. If only part of the programme is relevant you can create a clip and share that, and you can add programmes and clips to playlists and share those.

To help you get started we’ve put together a document with (at the time of writing) 68 playlists, tips, links to articles and guides, etc.


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Peter Beaumont
Learning Technology Development Officer

Upgrade to the eShare repository

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Please make a note in your diaries.  On May 2nd 2017 our eShare repository will be upgraded to the latest version of the core ePrints repository software.  We have been informed that for 48 hours, the repository will be ‘at risk’.  Access to the repository will be frozen, therefore staff will be unable to upload or edit resources, however, it will continue to provide access to resources as read only. The upgrade will begin on the morning of the 2nd May and should be completed by the end of 3rd May.

We wanted to provide advance warning as the there will be an element of disruption and apologise for any inconvenience but hope the new features within the upgrade will be beneficial for staff.

Along with some workflow and interface changes the upgrade will feature:

  • Improved video and audio playback using a HTML 5 player for cross browser and greater device support.
  • Inline Previews – Updated inline previews of video, audio, PDF’s and office based documents, removing the need to download the file first.
  • Version Control – Versioning of documents now provides a true visible catalogue of uploaded documents to your resource within eShare.
  • Creative Commons 4.0 – Apply the latest creative commons licences to your work to permit use, reuse or redistribution by others.
  • Share your learning materials quickly and easily with anyone with a simple submission and lightweight metadata collection
  • Upload any type of file (Video, Audio, Images, Powerpoint, Word, Zip, iSpring etc.)
  • Use tags and collections to organise your learning materials according to their subject matter

Rachel Bury – Learning Services Academic Liaison Manager

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make a date with Lynda and Bob

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Learning Services are inviting you to make a date to get to know Lynda and Bob, and explore what these resources can offer you and your students.

Lynda
Lynda.com contains a wide variety of online courses, on topics including IT software, media, business, design, educational tools and soft skills such as communication, teamwork and productivity.
The session will cover how to access Lynda, how to create playlists to share with other members of the university and how to embed useful courses for students within Blackboard.

BOB
Box of Broadcasts is an on demand TV and radio service for education, with an archive of over 2 million broadcasts.
The session will cover how to access BOB and how to create clips and playlists from the available videos, and embed these into Blackboard.

The Lynda and Bob sessions are being held in G2 in the LINC at the following times…
Thursday 16th Feb 12:00 – 12:45
Monday 20th Feb 13:00 – 13:45
Friday 24th Feb 12:00 – 12:45
Weds 1st March 13:00 – 13:45
Book your place here!

New Upgrade for Qwickly Attendance Introduces Split Registers and Much More…

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We’re pleased to announce that Qwickly Attendance for Blackboard will receive a fairly big update on Wednesday 18th January. The update is better known as version 3.6 and is jam packed with some really exciting new features which we think you’ll like a lot. Here is an exhaustive list of things that have been included.

Register Enhancements:

  • Registers can now be split (click for user guide) by using the Blackboard group’s tool. This features allows instructors split a single register into as many groups as they like.
  • Instructors can now name ‘Student Check-In’ Sessions like other sessions.
  • Instructors can now choose to show disabled and unavailable students in the attendance record. These students will still be hidden from the taken attendance screen and always receive and excused for any dates attendance is taken while they are not active in the course.
  • Unavailable students are now marked as excused instead of absent when taking attendance.

Student Check In Enhancement:

  • Absent emails are now sent to absent students when using student check-in.

General Interface & Data Enhancements:

  • A new streamlined tabbed interface.
  • Excel export (CSV) improvements now show the title of the session, if it was given.
  • The method of taking attendance is now recorded (i.e. Manual, Student Check-In).
  • Users can now click the heading of a column to see more details about the session (including the method of taking attendance and the date it was taken), as well as renaming the column or deleting it.

This is probably the biggest and best update yet, which also makes it a good time to take a look at Qwickly Attendance for your course or module and give it a try! Feel free to email LTDSupport@edgehill.ac.uk or phone us on Ext 7754 and we’d be more than happy to answer any questions.

We hope you enjoy the new features!

Mark WilcockMark Wilcock

Learning Technology Development Officer

Try January!

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This January, why not make it your resolution to learn how to use a new technology? We will be running a series of Try January sessions throughout the month, on a variety of technologies. These include:

Padlet – Get started with online collaboration – Padlet allows the creation of online collaboration boards which can be used for collecting opinions, creating lists, gathering and giving feedback and more! Come to this session to learn how to create your own and see how others are using them in the education sector.

Kahoot – Get interactive with quizzes – Kahoot is an interactive software which allows quizzes to be created and then played competitively on mobile devices. The session will show you how to put together a multiple choice quiz, launch it and view feedback and results.

Manage your appointments with Calendly – Calendly is an appointment setting app which allows others to schedule time on your Outlook calendar. Set your availability preferences and share your Calendly link with colleagues and students, who can pick an available slot and add themselves to your calendar.

Twitter – If you have never used Twitter before but would like to set up a profile and learn about how it can be used then come to our Getting started session. If you already have an account but want to learn how to get more out of it, our Maximise your use of Twitter session will give you tips and advice on this.

Getting started with Collaborate Ultra for online classrooms and meetings – Blackboard Collaborate is a live web conferencing platform which allows the facilitation of teaching and learning, offices, conferences and meeting spaces on the web or on mobile devices.

Bring your course to life with Audio and Video – Enhance your teaching, learning or support materials for students by creating audio and video materials to use on Learning Edge or within presentations.

 

There are more sessions on the staff development list – click here to explore them all and book your place!

The 7th EHU Student eLearning Survey is Live!

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EHU students have your say, and the chance to win up to £100 of Amazon vouchers.

The 7th, yes 7th eLearning Survey has just gone live. This bi-annual survey aims to develop an understanding of our students experience, expectations and use of technology-enhanced teaching and learning.

Over the past 10 years, your generous feedback received through the survey has really helped improve our services to you and this year’s responses will continue to inform new developments and improvements.

What we learned from the 6th survey led to us developing the new Learning Edge course template, which (we hope) gives you a consistent and organised view of your courses and materials and helps you find information and course resources more easily. Another example of developments is that in previous surveys, students have highlighted that they would find the recordings of lectures very beneficial, and we now have lecture capture software to give students access to recordings.

If you are an Edge Hill student, please complete our survey. There is a prize draw to win up to £100 worth of Amazon vouchers (1st prize £100, 2nd prize £50 and 3rd prize £25).
You can access the survey via their Blackboard course homepage, or from edgehill.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/elearning-survey-2016.

We plan to close the survey on 23rd January 2017.

Photograph of Lindsey Martin Assitant Head of Learning Services

Lindsey Martin

Keep Calm and Submit this Christmas

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Christmas comes around quick doesn’t it!? One minute you’re moving in to halls for the term, the next you’re back off for a fortnight!

It’s hard work being a student but before you pack your Christmas hat, PlayStation 4 and elf onesie don’t forget your end of term submissions!

During December our team of Student Advisors will be available, offering students a flexible support service to answer all your queries about online submission. Our Student Advisors are based at the Ask Desk and are available 11am-4pm during weekdays and we’ve also drawn together some good practice in this blog post to ensure that your submissions over the next week (or so) go as smoothly as you could possibly wish for. There are always chances of uncertainty, but with a little thought and preparation (like a good Christmas present) you’ll be riding as high as Santa Claus himself as opposed to slipping up on black ice.

1. On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me….

…advice on where to submit your work

Your first port of call for help with submission should always be your tutor.   They know where the submission dropbox is in Blackboard and will be able to point you in the right direction.  Please ensure you follow any guidelines you have been provided with. If you need further help submitting your work online, you can also speak to a member of staff at the Ask Desk (9am-7pm weekdays) or you can Ask Us online.

Keep your tutor informed of any problems you may have, especially in the days leading up to a deadline – it helps them to keep track of your progress and ensures they can help you quickly if need arises.  If you can’t get hold of your tutor, give your departmental administrators a visit.

 

2. On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me….

…two places to get help (Twitter and Ask Us!)

Have you ever encountered a Learning Edge or Turnitin issue during submission? If you think this could be system related, we do have preferred Twitter feeds for you to follow that will highlight any known issues:

@VLEStatusEHU provides scheduled Learning Edge maintenance alerts and up to date system notices around different technologies used within the VLE such as Turnitin.

@Turnitinstatus is the official feed for Turnitin system status, you may find that Learning Edge is fine but Turnitin is unavailable.  Checking this feed will help you diagnose an issue with Turnitin submissions.

Let’s say everything is OK technically and you have an issue around the online submission process and Learning Edge? A good starting point would be to head over to the Ask Us service and see if your question can be answered here. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, you can simply type your question and we will discuss it with you in real time using our live chat facility.

 

3. On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me….

…three web browsers

Why is it you get a technical problem right at a critical moment?  If you have given yourself time, you should be able to try another PC if you run into problems. We know that anything could happen at any moment; internet dropping out, PC crashing, wireless not connecting the list goes on, so give yourself a break and some time to try out another computer – in university, in work or even your mate’s PC. If it’s just not happening for you, see the first point (keeping in touch with your tutor).

One quick solution could be to try a different browser.  The common ones are Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome (although you may wish to try Safari on a Mac).

Often, tutors will allow multiple submissions to an online drop-box, so you may be able to use this to your advantage. Check with your tutor and if this is the case, try submitting your work, even if not quite finished yet, to the drop-box a few days before the deadline just so you’re up to speed with the process before your final submission.
Waiting until 1 minute before the deadline isn’t the time to start figuring out how everything works!

 

4. On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me….

… (twenty) four hours

It may come to the time of doing your ‘final’ submission but if in Turnitin you have submitted an earlier version you will find that when you submit again everything looks the same…at least for 24 hours. You will have to wait until the next day to see your new originality report and the preview of your updated document – another good reason to be organised and get your work in handy! tiiRemember at the second stage of submitting to Turnitin you can check what you are about to submit just to be certain you’ve attached the right file.

 

5. On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me….

… five UniSkills packages!

The Uniskills online submission page is something definitely worth bookmarking to your browser favorites. Here you can gain access to the online submission guides for both the University’s submission tools – Turnitin and the Blackboard Assignment tool .

submission tools

In addition on ‘My Library‘ tab from the Blackboard Homepage you get access to ‘UniSkills online toolkits‘:

  • Referencing
  • Planning Your Assignment
  • Finding Academic Information
  • Dissertations

 

We know that when that deadline is approaching it’ll be stressful enough without unexpected niggles, so try not to leave your submission till the last minute. This echoes all points above but if done correctly will ensure the final moments before you click ‘Submit’ will be as stress-less as possible.

Once all done, sit back, put your feet up with a nice cuppa and enjoy your Christmas holiday. Remember, if you have any problems Keep Calm and Ask Us!

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Mark Wilcock
Learning Technology Development Officer

 

 

Tab-tastic! Blackboard now has staff specific resources!

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We’ve received many suggestions from both students and staff over the years in relation to the development of Blackboard and its customisation. Since the University acquired the Community Engagement component for Blackboard in 2013 we have been able to tailor the online experience for all different users across the institution. Since the summer you will have noticed the enhanced information, tab areas and the more appealing visual look to the VLE overall.

Courses Screenshot

One of the tabs we added was specifically designed for University Staff. When you go into Blackboard, you’ll notice a new tab labelled ‘Staff’.

staff tab image

This area features a range of useful resources with useful e-learning information, staff development, recent topics, user guides, including a best of TEL spotlight showcasing examples of good teaching practice. There is also enhanced help for faculty specific areas, with additional sub tabs embedded at the top of the staff ‘Tab’.

Staff Tab

Here you can gain access to targeted information and also view your Learning Technologist contact details.

FOE Tab

As this is a new feature for staff, we are always looking for your feedback into its future development. With this, you may notice we have added a ‘Staff Tab Feedback’ item on the right side of the page. Here you can send us any suggestions or ideas by clicking on the small plus icon in the corner.

We hope you’ll find the tab useful and we look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions soon!

Mark WilcockMark Wilcock

Learning Technology Development Officer

Technology Supported Learning – Lecture Capture (Classic User)

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Panopto logi

 

 

Good Practice AwardNatalie Reynolds is a Senior Lecture in Secondary English. Natalie was introduced to lecture capture software (Panopto) during her own studies and immediately wanted to explore its potential on the programme she teachers here at Edge Hill University.

Panopto software provides lecture capture, screen-casting, video streaming, and video content management solutions. The Panopto lecture capture system is now available for use by staff in faculties as an additional learning tool for students at Edge Hill University.

Natalie is passionate about teaching and the importance of exposing students to some of the best and latest technologies to support their learning here at Edge Hill University. In this short YouTube video, Natalie talks about her introduction to lecture capture software and the use of Panopto in her teaching.

Hear what Natalie has to say, in this short video interview, about her first experience of Lecture Capture and the Panopto for Education software.

YouTube Video Player

Read on and learn more about Natalie’s use of Panopto software:

“My Name is Natalie Reynolds, like every teacher I want all my students to succeed in their studies regardless of where they are and how they learn.

I needed a platform that would enable my students to access a key lecture regarding starting their Professional Practice placement and was introduced to Panopto by a Learning Services presentation.

 

I felt that even if I would have emailed the PowerPoint that would accompany the lecture to my trainees individually (in addition to it being uploaded onto Blackboard), there would continue to be questions coming in from trainees when situations occurred during their placement. In light of this, I decided to record the session using Panopto however I also planned a flipped learning session and was then able to add further information (trainee presentations) into the recorded session after the original lecture took place.

Panopto Software Interface

The result of using Panopto was that my trainees were able to access the session when they needed it and not when I sent it to them. The fact that content was added in after the initial lecture (trainee presentations) gave them further ownership of the piece and made them more willing to access the content. The impact of using Panopto for this particular session was that it significantly reduced the volume of emails I received with questions about placement issues: trainees were able to access the recorded session and go straight to the information relevant to their situation. The other significant point is that trainees were able to have answers to these questions immediately, regardless of what time their question was posed as the recorded session is available on Blackboard. For key sessions such as the one outlined, I would have no hesitation in recording the session so that it can be accessed straight away by trainees at a later date, at a time when they need it.

Lecture Capture Enabled Room

Feedback from the trainees was extremely positive, especially when they realised that they could access the session at any point and move quickly through the recorded content. Some said that they felt a little uneasy at the beginning when the disclaimer slide was displayed however once it was discussed and fully explained, concerns were allayed. Some peers commented that using Panopto could result in attendance falling. My response to this, having investigated research carried out on this exact point, is that attendance falls when sessions do not engage or motivate the learners, no piece of technology is going to cause a drop in attendance. If sessions are personalised, pitched correctly and motivate your trainees, there will be no issues with attendance.”

If you feel inspired by Natalie’s story and want to use this or another technology to help you enhance and support your own teaching, please get in touch with the Learning Technology Team in Learning Services. We would be very happy to work with you.

Related posts:

Lecture Capture…What’s in a name?
Technology Supported Learning – Lecture Capture Summative Assessment
Embedding Technology – Panopto for Keynote Conference Events

Natalie Reynolds

 

 

 

Natalie Reynolds
(Senior Lecturer in Secondary English)