Wednesday 18 September 2013

ALT MOOC SIG

So on the day that FutureLearn is launching it seems apt to reflect back and highlight the launch of the Special Interest Group (SIG) on MOOCs at ALT-C 2013 the week before.

As you know, the Officers are as follows:
Chair:  Fiona Harvey, University of Southampton
Secretary: Steve Ryan, LSE (Emeritus)
Officer: Mira Vogel (UCL)

Committee members are:
David Smith, Charles Sturt University (Australia)
Helen Whitehead, University of Nottingham
Steve Bell, Leeds University Business School
Adam Warren, University of Southampton
Mark Morley, The University of Sheffield
Graham R Gibbs, University of Huddersfield
James Little, University of Leeds
Sean McCready, NCG (Newcastle College Group)
Stephen Wileman, South Staffordshire College

Those present at ALT-C for the actual launch were Fiona, Mira, and James; you can view the Prezi used.

There was much interest at the launch. A number of communication mechanisms have been set up to inform and involve the community more widely, including:


Friday 6 September 2013

Bite Size - Learn Something New in 20 Minutes - Published Paper




After 70 sessions, numerous versions on our campus and much further, four conference appearances and a few articles and workshops, the ScHARR Bite Size model reaches the heady heights of academic publishing in a journal paper. Learn something new in 20 minutes: Bite Size sessions to support research and teaching authored by Andy Tattersall, Claire Beecroft and Jenny Freeman is in the latest issue of the Health Information and Libraries journal.


Keywords:
  • education and training;
  •  
  • instructional design;
  •  
  • knowledge transfer;
  •  
  • professional development;
  •  
  • teaching

Abstract
The School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) at The University of Sheffield run an innovative series of informal 20-minute Bite Size sessions to help staff and students teach, research, collaborate and communicate more effectively. The sessions have two clear strands: one focused on teaching and the other on research. The remit is not to teach people how to use something in their work or study, but to let them know why they should use it and how they can employ it. By introducing participants to the possibilities and how they can apply ideas and technologies in their work and study in an enthusiastic manner, it is possible to send them away with at least the intention to explore and experiment. The evidence shows that this organic approach is working – staff and students are starting to use many of the tools that Bite Size has covered. Any kind of widespread change within organisations can be hard to deliver, but by bringing champions on your side and delivering sessions in a convenient, informal and timely manner; good practice and ideas can spread naturally.