E-Learning Policy Manager This is a new post and will require the E-Learning Policy Manager to be involved in the development and implementation of e-learning policy across the organisation; working with senior academic colleagues to ensure that local strategies for e-learning are suitable and successful, and that the policy and guidance is in place to enable the effective use of technology for learning. You will be required to work across various areas of e-learning: from the use of the VLE, to open educational resources, to policy development around assessment and feedback, social media, copyright and IP as well as working alongside colleagues in the E-Learning Unit to support services with robust policy and guidance, and will work directly to QM's Head of E-Learning. E-Learning is active and healthy at QM, with the variety and volume of use increasing all the time. The post is full time for three years starting as soon as possible. The closing date for applications is Friday 12th August 2011.
Committee calls for national campaign on adult literacy and numeracy In light of an OECD survey of 24 countries ranking England and Northern Ireland 22nd for literacy and 21st for numeracy, the Committee also calls for a more joined-up Government approach to tackling the problem, improved funding arrangements, and better assessment and support of the literacy and numeracy needs of unemployed people. The Committee found that adults struggling most at English and maths are not getting the help and support needed. While the Government pledges free training and tuition for any adult who wishes to study English and maths up to and including GCSE level, the Committee heard that adults with the most limited English and maths skills were not aware of the support available. Adrian Bailey MP, Chair of the Committee, said: "Problems with reading, writing and maths have a huge impact on people’s daily lives, including getting and keeping a job, understanding bills, forms and documents, and guiding children through education. Adrian Bailey MP, Chair: Image: iStockphoto
Primary Route Map (sample) | Centre for the use of Research & Evidence in Education (CUREE) "...it is brilliant! The deputy and I have looked at it and discussed its many strengths and uses - it has already saved us time and moved us faster forward than we would have been." This is what Ruth Schofield, Headteacher, Blackthorn Primary School, had to say about the customised evidence route map CUREE created for her. This is a bespoke version of CUREE's well-renowned Route Map. We select and translate the best research to enable teachers to access research as an everyday part of CPD - the practitioner friendly enquiry tools help colleagues both make progress and know they are doing so - and help schools share practice between phases, departments and settings. communicating with governors about your development plansshowing Ofsted inspectors how rigorous your planning is If you are interested in having your own bespoke route map, e-mail Anne Groll. "It has already saved us time in searching for relevant research and evidence." - Ruth Schofield, Headteacher, Blackthorn Primary School
e-Learning Investment This infoKit was first published in 2004 and is currently being updated. Back in 2004 when we wrote this infoKit, we defined a VLE as – ‘A Virtual Learning Environment is a collection of integrated tools enabling the management of online learning, providing a delivery mechanism, student tracking, assessment and access to resources’. These integrated tools may be one product (eg BlackBoard, Moodle) or an integrated set of individual, perhaps open-source, tools. This definition still holds true with most education providers using a ‘product’ for example Blackboard or Moodle with Web2.0 tools being used to supplement the functionality offered by these systems, but these are often not truly integrated. Although written a few years ago, most of the advice and guidance remains sound. The infoKit aims to enable tutors to make informed decisions, based on sound educational principles, about the use of technology in their teaching and their students’ learning when using a VLE.
The puzzle of UK graduates and their low-level literacy UK adults with tertiary education ranked 12th among the OECD despite the reputation of its universities Source: Alamy Not as simple as ABC: the weak literacy skills of UK graduates is mystifying The UK is ranked relatively low among the most developed nations for the literacy skills of graduates, with its performance described as “a puzzle” given the elevated reputation of its universities. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s annual Education at a Glance report, released on 9 September, this year includes a new feature: a measurement of how adults with tertiary education perform on literacy skills in each OECD nation. Andreas Schleicher, the OECD’s director for education and skills, described the measure – in which Japan, the Netherlands and Finland perform best – as offering “an important new dimension” and suggesting that “similar degrees may have a different skills value”. “But it’s a puzzle. john.morgan@tesglobal.com Click to rate 0 out of 5 stars
Our work - Schools The National Teacher Research Panel was set up in 1999 by its then sponsors, the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). Its initial purpose was to provide an expert teacher perspective to researchers, funders and policymakers on research priorities, projects and reports. Since then, the Panel has also worked to promote teaching as a research and evidence informed profession. The Panel is currently sponsored by the Department for Education. The National Teacher Research Panel has three main goals: to ensure that all research in education takes account of the teacher perspective to ensure a higher profile for research and evidence informed practice in government, academic and practitioner communities to increase the number of teachers engaged in and with the full spectrum of research activity. Ensure that all research in education takes account of the teacher perspective Glossary of education research terms
Top 5 Disadvantages Of Cloud Computing While cloud computing and storage is a great innovation in the field of computing, However, there are certain things that you need to be cautious about too. Some may say that there are no down sides to cloud computing, but users should not depend too heavily on these services. Although you may find all you need with a particular service, you have to consider the security and portability it offers and also make contingencies should the service be terminated abruptly. Moreover, an online service is more prone to threats than your PC. Having said that, however, most would agree that with cloud computing, the good outweighs the bad. The main disadvantages are Security and Privacy, Dependency (loss of control), Cost ,Decreased flexibility ,Knowledge And Integration. 1.Security & Privacy The biggest concerns about cloud computing are security and privacy. 2.Dependency (loss of control): 3.Cost Higher costs. 4.Decreased flexibility 5.Knowledge And Integration.
Don’t cut translations to fund English lessons for migrants A new report from the think-tank Demos is calling for a new national strategy for the way we teach English to migrants in the UK. Its researchers point to 850,000 people in the most recent census who said they could not speak English properly. I broadly agree with the tenor of the report and its calls for wider changes in policy and funding of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). It is these that need fixing, rather than the way professionals are actually teaching English to migrants. But I disagree with the suggestion that money could be saved from translating local council documents and spent on English teaching. Short-term funding Many of the report’s insights echo what informed opinion in the field, such as the National Association for Teaching English and Community Languages to Adults, the Action for ESOL campaign, and NIACE have been saying for a number of years. Demos points to the prevailing short-termism of funding sources. Don’t cut back from translation
EPPI-Centre Home OFSTED Excellence Gateway Assessment is the process by which learners demonstrate their understanding of an area, usually to prescribed national standards. It may include demonstrating competence in practical areas as well as theoretical knowledge. How do your assessment practices compare with that of the most effective provision seen on inspection? The following strengths and areas for improvement have been taken from recent inspection reports across the Ofsted Learning and Skills remit. Common inspection strengths Good assessment planning Good assessment practice Good use of work-based assessment Particularly effective learner-centred assessment Particularly flexible arrangements to support assessment and learning Common inspection areas for improvement Some unsatisfactory assessment practicesSome ineffective assessmentInsufficient assessment feedback Particularly effective practice identified in inspections includes: What could you do next to improve your provision?
The myth about social mobility in Britain: it’s not that bad, says new report It is generally accepted by all political parties and most of the media that social mobility in the UK is low compared to other countries, and worsening over time. These “facts” appeared in the manifestos of all three major parties at the last election. This has led to the creation of a mobility tsar and the expenditure of billions of pounds of public funding. So how is it possible that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in a report out today, reports very high upward inter-generational educational mobility in the UK and a very strong link between education and subsequent earnings? Education at a Glance suggests that more of the adult population of the UK, aged 25 to 64, is educated to higher education (university graduate) level than in any other EU country. Education appears to matter. Click to enlarge Resolving the apparent contradiction The report that started all of the trouble was published in 2005 by the Sutton Trust. The opportunity cost
Cloud Learning Environments - Slideshare Praise feels good, but negativity is stronger – Jacob Burak I have good news and bad news. Which would you like first? If it’s bad news, you’re in good company – that’s what most people pick. Negative events affect us more than positive ones. Popular now Science needs the freedom to constantly change its mind Why is it legitimate to change genders, but not ethnicity? Contagion, poison, trigger: books have always been dangerous Hundreds of scientific studies from around the world confirm our negativity bias: while a good day has no lasting effect on the following day, a bad day carries over. The machinery by which we recognise facial emotion, located in a brain region called the amygdala, reflects our nature as a whole: two-thirds of neurons in the amygdala are geared toward bad news, immediately responding and storing it in our long-term memory, points out neuropsychologist Rick Hanson, Senior Fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at University of California, Berkeley. Daily Weekly We’re so attuned to negativity that it penetrates our dreams.
Google Apps for Education UK User Group | Research Staff @ Lboro On February 15th the Google Apps for Education UK User Group will convene for the first time at Loughborough. @LboroResStaff will be there to keep an eye out for anything eyecatching from a research staff perspective, and may well tweet using #guug11 if anything interesting pops up. Research e-Resource Officer at Lboro, based in the Research Office with responsibilities in the Graduate School, and close collaboration with the e-Learning Team (Teaching Centre) and the Library.