Using technology to enhance teaching – an SMD and SBCS TIGER Event

The School of Medicine and Dentistry and the TIGER group in the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, with the support of the E-Learning Unit, are running a joint event on 7th December at  14:30 in France House on the Mile End Campus. The event focuses on enhancing bioscience education through learning technology. As well as hearing presentations from staff on their use of technology, participants will also have an opportunity to visit various stalls to experience the tools and technologies presented. To register for the event please go the Eventbrite link.

Featured Tool: Free screen recording software for staff and students

The QMplus Media CaptureSpace application allows you to make recordings on your desktop or laptop computer which can then be uploaded to QMplus Media and embedded into QMplus module areas, QMplus Hub pages or other web pages. CaptureSpace is available at no cost to both staff and students at QMUL and works on both Macs and PCs. You can use CaptureSpace to record:

• Any combination of audio, webcam and screen
• PowerPoint presentations, with audio and multiple camera inputs

Read more about how to get CaptureSpace and what you can do with it.

Case Study: Clicker use for summative assessment

Rachel o’Callaghan recently adopted clicker use for summative assessment, for modules which had large numbers of students – allowing her to provide grades and feedback speedily, in a format which students like. This case study details the changes which Rachel made to ensure the success of this type of assessment and advice to others who are interested in it.

Read more about it here.

Making the most of your mobile device

If you are interested in making more of the device in your pocket why not follow one of the free “12
Apps of Christmas” courses running in December? These courses have become a regular feature of the festive season and are now run by a variety of different organisations. They are easy to dip in and out of and usually use social media to encourage communication between participants.

The 12 Apps of Christmas course from the Dublin Institute of Technology covers 12 case studies, each one showcasing a different mobile app with descriptions of how educators have integrated it into their own learning, teaching and assessment practices. Participants are encouraged to read the case studies and reflect on them through the supporting website. Find out more on http://go.alt.ac.uk/2elUkk2 and #12appsDIT on Twitter.

The 12 Apps of Christmas course run by Regent’s University in London encourages you to install and have a go with a variety of different free apps. Last year over 1000 participants from all over the world took part in this course.  Find out more on http://tinyurl.com/12AoC16 and on Twitter on @12AoC #12AoC

Free MOOC: What and how to teach with video

If you are interested in learning more about using video in your teaching, you may be interested in this free online course which starts on 13th January 2017. Based on the principles from Jack Koumi’s book, “Designing video and multimedia for open and flexible learning”, the course will cover:

• Teaching/learning roles for which video is potentially outstanding.
• Pedagogic design principles to achieve this potential. The teacher will illustrate each design principle with extracts from educational videos sourced from online courses.
• In weeks 3 and 4 each small group of students on the course will design an 8-minute educational video screenplay.

You can find out more about the course on the following link http://go.alt.ac.uk/2daeYE4.

Staff development opportunities during December

• Getting Started with QMplus – due to increased demand for this session in December, we are running an extra session on Tuesday 6th December.  Please see the online booking system to book yourself a place.
• Drop-in to the E-Learning Studio between 1 – 2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays to chat to a member of the E-Learning Unit about any issues you are having. Ideal for small problems that can be cleared up quickly face to face. Remember that the E-Learning Studio is now located in the Scape Building!
• Schedule a one hour meeting with a member of the team for a more in-depth discussion about any aspect of using technology in teaching.  We have appointments available in December.
• Request a bespoke workshop or session – if you have a number of colleagues who’d like help with something specific, we are happy to arrange a bespoke session for you. Please get in touch on elearning@qmul.ac.uk and we can discuss the options. Last month we ran bespoke sessions focusing on using activities in QMplus and on making use of the new QMplus Media video service.