Here is the E-Learning Unit Newsletter for October 2015. We hope you find this month’s articles useful. In this month’s newsletter, find out –

Help shape the future of e-Assessment and e-Feedback

Assessment and feedback lies at the centre of learning experience, they are vital components of any successful learning programme. However, this year’s QMUL National Student Survey shows lower satisfaction scores for these areas than any other aspect of teaching and learning. Technology can support and enhance nearly every aspect of assessment and feedback including administration, management, marking, storing grades and providing feedback. 

The ELU is initiating the process to explore possible improvements in e-assessment and feedback technologies at Queen Mary. To accomplish that we would like to start by facilitating a conversation with all those who have an interest in and thoughts about the institution’s requirements for online submission, online feedback and online exams. We are running an event on the 9th of December and we would like to invite you all to come, to share your knowledge and help us shape the Assessment and Feedback at QMUL.

• Date – Wednesday 9th December
• Time – 14:00 – 16:00
• Venue – FB 115

The discussion will continue over mince pies and mulled wine after the formal proceedings. Places are limited so reserve your place now.

 HSS E-Learning Festival

You are invited to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences’ E-Learning Festival. The event will bring together colleagues from across the faculty and QMUL’s E-learning unit to share tips and expertise and showcase innovative e-learning methods via a series of presentations, demonstrations and informal discussions. If you are interested in contributing to the event (e.g. offering a presentation; having a ‘stall’ where you demonstrate examples of e-learning innovations, facilitating a ‘break out’ discussion), then please contact Alastair Owens (a.j.owens@qmul.ac.uk). For any other inquires please contact June Ryde (j.ryde@qmul.ac.uk).

It is not always feasible to collect and distribute feedback files via email or to download and upload files student-by-student, particularly if you have a large group of students. This case study shows how Francis Wright (Maths) uses QMplus to provide students with feedback on their answers to formative coursework (MTH4105 – Introduction to Mathematical Computing (guest accessible) exercises and return annotated versions of their submissions via QMplus.Read more here

Featured Tool: Keeping track of your students activities in QMplus

The progress bar block in QMplus provides a task management tool for you and your students. For students, it allows them to see what progress they are making in their module, which activities they have completed, which are outstanding and which have they missed. For teachers, it allows you to get a quick overview of how all students are engaging with the activities and resources in your course area. Read more

Staff development opportunities in November

We are running a number of sessions in November.  These include:

• Getting Started with QMplus 04/11/15
• Creating and Marking Assignments in QMplus 11/11/2015
• E-portfolios, group work and networking with QMplus Hub 16/11/15
• Getting Started with Quizzes on QMplus 19/11/2015

Please see our online course booking system for details of dates and times and to book yourself a place. 

We also run drop-in sessions every Tuesday and Thursday 13:00-14:00 in the E-Learning Studio on the Mile End campus and every other Wednesday (13:00 -14:00)  in the Whitechapel library.

Our ‘Book a Learning Technologist’ service allows you to book time with a member of the E-Learning Unit to discuss any e-learning ideas that you might have. Sessions are now available and you can book them via QMplus.

Look out for our regular e-learning tips

We publish regular e-learning tips, these are very short “Did you know…” type articles which aim to highlight features that you may not be aware of. We will be publishing a tip a week and they will encompass all of the tools that we support. The tips will be on our website but you can subscribe to them via the RSS link on the tips home page. The latest tips are –

• Online grades and feedback for offline activities
• Keeping track of students with the progress bar
• Creating Active Lessons with QMplus ‘Feedback’

Top Helpdesk questions this month

• How do I record my lectures?
• I am a new member of staff, how do I get access to my module?

Above are just two of the common questions our support team have been getting this month.  Read our post to find out the most common e-learning questions and their solutions.

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