L&T In Practice: 2010

Fast-moving - Web Foxes like you are great at finding information quickly, just as real-world foxes are always ready to pounce on an opportunity.
Sociable - Foxes are highly social animals, maintaining complex relationships with the other members of their social group. When you browse the web you are also a social creature, often using social networks, or other sites whose content is created by its users, as sources of information.
Adaptable - Web Foxes are highly adaptable multitaskers, able to do several things at the same time – just like real-world foxes who can rapidly change their behaviour to suit their environments.

Web Bear

Slow-moving Web Bears like you browse the internet at a leisurely pace - just like real world bears who like to take their time over things.
Solitary - Like real bears, Web Bears tend to be solitary animals. Your results show that when you are looking for information, you are less likely to use social networks or other sites whose content is created by its users, preferring instead to go it alone.
Adaptable - Web Bears are highly adaptable multitaskers, able to do several things at the same time. Real-bears are also very flexible, particularly in their diet, and will eat fish, insects, salmon and even scavenge in human refuse for new sources of food.

Web Elephant

Slow-moving - Web Elephants like you browse the internet at a stately, methodical pace - just like real-world elephants who rarely see a reason to rush things.
Social - Real-world elephants and Web Elephants are both highly social. Real elephants are able to keep track of their own extended family trees and may even mourn love ones. As a Web Elephant, you often use social networking sites to keep track of your friends of family and are happy to rely on information from sites whose content is created by its users.
Adaptable - Real-world elephants owe their adaptability to their large brains and versatile trunks. As a Web Elephant you are similarly adaptable and are well-suited to carrying out several different tasks at the same time.

Web Hedgehog

Slow-moving - Web Hedgehogs are careful internet users, taking their time to find the right information - just as the real-world hedgehog carefully searches out insects and berries.
Solitary - Hedgehogs lead mainly solitary lives and are happiest foraging for food of their own. In the ecology of the Internet, you also prefer to go it alone, rarely relying on information on social networks or other sites whose content is created by its users.
Specialised - The hedgehog relies for protection on its highly specialised ability to roll into a spiky ball. Similarly, your test suggests you are a specialised web user, best suited to concentrating on one thing at a time rather than attempting to multitask.

Web Leopard

Fast-moving - Web Leopards like you are adept at getting information from the internet very quickly. Your speed is a trait you share with real-world leopards, which are among the fastest land animals.
Solitary - Leopards live alone, fending for themselves in isolated home ranges. Similarly, the Web Leopard likes to go it alone when looking for information, rather than rely on social networks, or other sites where the users create the content.
Specialised - Web Leopards are best suited to performing one task at a time rather than multitasking. The real-world leopard is similarly specialised, being perfectly adapted to silently tracking its prey before pouncing.

Web Elk

Slow-moving - Web Elks like you take their time finding exactly the right morsels of information – just like the real-world elk who carefully browses for shoots and leaves to eat.
Sociable - Real-world elks are social and stay in herds to protect themselves from predators. When you browse the web you are also a social creature, often using social networks, or other sites whose content is created by its users, as sources of information.
Specialised - Web Elks perform best when they focus on one thing at a time, rather than trying to multitask. Just as the real-world Elk is perfectly specialised for its environment, you have learned that while the web makes it possible to multitask, it’s not always the best approach.

Web Octopus

Fast-moving - Web Octopuses like you surf fast - just like real-world octopuses which use a form of ‘jet propulsion’ to escape predators.
Solitary - Real-world octopuses are independent animals and only rarely interact with each other. Similarly, when you are looking for information you tend to go it alone rather than rely on social networks or other sites whose content is created by its users.
Adaptable - Octopuses are highly adaptable and show a range of sophisticated behaviours. Your results show you are also able to keep track of several different things simultaneously, without your multitasking adversely affecting your performance.

Web Ostrich

Fast-moving - We can tell from your results that you are speedy surfer - one of the characteristics of the Web Ostrich, whose real-world counterpart has an impressive top speed of 45mph.
Sociable - The web is a social place. You take full advantage of this when you search for information by using social networks and other sites whose content is created by its users. Real-world ostriches are also highly social, even keeping eggs in each other’s nests to share the burden.
Specialised - The real-world ostrich is a true specialist, highly adapted to survive in hot, dusty African grasslands. You might not be at risk from lions when browsing the web, but you are still very focused. From your test we can tell you do best when you concentrate on one task at time, rather than several things at once.

See the original BBC test (takes about 20 minutes), created as part of The Virtual Revolution series.

Thursday 17 June 2010

Twitter for Communities of Practice

Twitter for co p bex lewis & david rush

View more presentations from Bex Lewis.

Monday 14 June 2010

Blended Learning Workshops 2010/11

Wimba Pronto

Have you ever used Skype or MSN? Wimba Pronto is an instant messaging system aimed at educational institutions, non-archival. It is installed on all PCs on the King Alfred campus (please contact ITS if your PC doesn’t appear to have it installed). The more people who are using this software, the more functional it becomes.

By the end of the session participants will know about:How to create a Pronto account

How to install Pronto at home
Password Recovery
Customisation (e.g. appearance, status update)
Etiquette for Wimba Pronto
Holding an ‘office hour’

This interactive session, aimed at all staff within the university, will focus on both the practical requirements of Pronto, but also offer opportunities to discuss innovative and appropriate situations for use.

Participants are requested to possess a USB audio-microphone headset, available from the Media Counter. A webcam will enhance future conversations.

Thursday, 01/07/10, 10.00-11.30 Date to be re-allocated

Monday, 09/08/10, 10.30-12.00

Thursday, 11/11/10, 14.00-15.30

Thursday, 24/02/11, 10.30-12.00

Wimba Classroom

Wimba Classroom offers a virtual classroom environment, including audio, video, application sharing, content display and archiving facilities.

By the end of the session participants will know about:

Understand the basic functionality offered by Classroom (hand-raise, emoticons, chat)
Have experienced time as both a participant and a tutor in the Classroom
Uploaded a PowerPoint presentation to the eBoard
Experienced ‘app-sharing’Tweaking ‘settings’, including providing a URL to allow external participants to enter the conversation
Archiving a session, and accessing that archive

This session will also provide space for a discussion of classroom etiquette, and potential uses for the software for both academic and professional services staff within the University of Winchester.

Participants are requested to possess a USB audio-microphone headset, available from the Media Counter. As a tutor, you are likely to want to purchase a webcam, also available from the media counter.

Thursday, 01/07/10, 14.00-17.00 Date to be re-allocated

Thursday, 05/08/10, 14.00-17.00

Thursday, 02/09/10, 14.00-17.00

Tuesday, 30/11/10, 14.00-17.00

Thursday, 03/02/11, 09.30-12.30

Advanced sessions can be held afterwards via the software.

Wimba Voice

Use that most natural tool to interact with your students; voice. Wimba Voice is a web-based voice option that allows vocal instruction, collaboration, coaching, and assessment (feedback).

By the end of the session participants will know about:

The possibilities for synchronous and asynchronous discussion.
The basics of using the tool to annotate other material & create podcasts
Personalise your Learning Network page with a welcome message
The opportunity to provide auditory student feedback

Participants are requested to possess a USB audio-microphone headset, available from the Media Counter

Thursday, 29/07/10, 14-00-16.00

Monday, 25/10/10, 10.00-12.00

Thursday, 31/03/11, 09.30-12.30

“Who Wants to Be A Tutor?” Using Clickers in the Classroom

An interactive session, offering an insight into the use of Personal Response Systems (PRS), more commonly known as ‘Clickers’. Clickers are most well known for their use on ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’, but within a classroom, offer opportunities for in-class surveys, revision of previous topics, and for triggering discussion between students. This session will demonstrate the use of Clickers, the potential they offer for learning and teaching, and what you need to know in order to use them within your classroom.

Thursday, 09/09/10, 13.00-14.00

Thursday, 20/01/11, 13.00-14.00

Introduction to Twitter

Twitter? So many think that it’s just about “what you had for breakfast”, or “like a Facebook status update, but without Facebook”. Enjoy this practical session where you will be able to set up a Twitter account, learn the mysteries of Twitter etiquette, and how to make the most of the tool that is still making headlines and refuses to go away in order to develop your ‘online Twitter persona’.

Thursday, 05/08/10, 10.00-12.00

Monday, 04/10/10, 15.00-17.00

Thursday, 10/02/11, 14.00-16.00

More Advanced Tools for Twitter

Still playing around on Twitter, but struggling to get the most out of it? This session introduces you to further strategy in using Twitter not only to develop your ‘online Twitter persona’, but options for using it in Learning & Teaching, and how to best utilise some of the many Third Party applications that make Twitter such a useful tool.

Required: Attendance at ‘Introduction to Twitter’ or a reasonable amount of experience on Twitter.

Thursday, 04/11/10, 14.00-16.00

Monday, 04/07/11, 10.00-12.00

Facebook Groups

Facebook is THE PLACE where many students spend their time. They, however, view this as their personal space, and many tutors don’t wish to be friends with their students on Facebook. This session offers an introduction to creating a Facebook Group or Fan Page, and will involve opportunities for discussion amongst delegates as to how best to ensure the Group or Page is likely to appeal to students, remain active, and contribute to student learning.

Thursday, 19/08/10, 10.00-12.00 (The first half-hour if for those who don’t have Facebook accounts)

Monday, 04/07/11, 14.00-16.00 (The first half-hour for those who don’t have Facebook accounts)

Introduction to Blogging Software

This session (one often offered on Aim Higher days), offers a practical overview of the WordPress software. WordPress is a blogging platform that is very simple to use at a basic level (although offers great functionality if you have the time to engage with the advanced features.

By the end of the session participants will:

Have set up a WordPress.com account, and altered some key settings.
Created an ‘About’ Page
Created their first blog post, including headings, text and images.
Commented on a colleague’s blog
Have been introduced to ‘themes’

Please think before the session what you could blog about – your professional or research interests are the most likely, but you may find it easier to start blogging about a personal hobby.

Thursday, 12/08/10, 10.00-12.00

Monday, 31/01/11, 14.00-16.00

Blogging Strategically

This session is a continuation of the ‘Introduction to Blogging Software’, and concentrates on building a strategy for your blog, including the use of keywords, categories, tags, timing your blogs, defining blog headings, encouraging others to engage.

Required: Attendance at ‘Introduction to Blogging Software’ or a blog that you are comfortable using.

Monday, 23/08/10, 10.00-12.00

Thursday, 17/03/11, 14.00-16.00

Sharing Resources (Slideshare, Humbox, Jing)

This session will consider some simple online resources which allow the sharing of resources, including Slideshare (for uploading PowerPoints), Humbox (for uploading resources for sharing with the academic community) and Jing (for screencasting). You will be encouraged to set up accounts using this software, and then to briefly experiment with each.

Monday, 28/02/11, 13.30-15.00

Survey Monkey

This session offers an opportunity to set up a basic SurveyMonkey survey, within the limits of a free account (10 questions, 100 respondents). Participants will have the opportunity to complete each other’s survey, and identify what can be done with the data. This software could be particularly useful for end-of-module surveys.

Monday, 13/09/10, 13.30-15.00

Prezi

Bored with PowerPoint? Prezi may offer you a new option, utilising designs with a ‘mind-map’ & zoom style functionality. Content is stored online. This session offers a brief overview to the software, and an opportunity to develop your first Prezi presentation.

Thursday, 14/10/10, 10.30-12.00

Introduction to YouTube

Discover how to search for useable YouTube videos, and how to embed them into your Learning Network pages. Provide a comment on an existing YouTube video, and learn how to set up your own YouTube page where you can save all your favourite videos (and direct your students towards them).

Monday, 29/11/10, 16.00-17.00

Please email bex.lewis@winchester.ac.uk if you would like to attend the course.

Further courses may be developed/timings offered, please let me know if you would like further options (but remember that Keith Mildenhall is the IT Trainer, and my focus is upon the pedagogic use of e-tools) check http://learn.winchester.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1203 for further information. Please note that I will be almost certainly be unavailable Tuesday/Wednesday throughout 2010/11, as I am also working for CODEC (St John's College, University of Durham) on those days - also in a Blended Learning capacity.