If you have any comments and/or contributions to make, please send them...

• ...using the Online Comment/Feedback Form or
• ...email the editor John Dalziel at support@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
  

The Regional Support Centre eMagazine provides news of funding, current projects, initiatives and examples of good practice in eLearning, and offers ideas and support for the HE, FE, ACL, 6th Form and Specialist College Managers & Practitioners, that are supported by the RSC here in the Northwest.

"I've downloaded some excellent software from this site" (John Dalziel eLearning Adviser)

Watch the tutorial video below then have a go at http://www.buildquiz.com/ or just have a go anyway!

 

 

If you or your learners produce a/some quiz/quizzes why not share it/them with us for the next eMagazine?

More than 120 learners attended the inaugural “Leading the learner voice awards ” ceremony in London on Wednesday 4 July 2007. The awards were established by the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) to recognise the work of organisations and individuals leading the learner voice agenda.

Full article available at http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/lfi/DNWA-74YL9K

or visit CEL's website at http://www.centreforexcellence.org.uk/  

Making the Disability Equality Duty Meaningful.

Alistair Mcnaught writes <Alistair.McNaught@HEAcademy.ac.uk >

Dear colleagues

The final publication in the TechDis Senior Manager Briefings series has just been posted out to all Principals of FE colleges, containing advice on using technology effectively (including free software) to support DED planning.

This concludes the series which has been based around providing pragmatic guidance on "making the DDA and DED meaningful" in an FE context. The full series has covered :

• Briefing 1 - e-Learning as an Accessibility Investment <http://www.techdis.ac.uk/index.php?p=2_2_3_3 >
  
• Briefing 2 - Accessibility in the Mainstream: Roles and responsibilities <http://www.techdis.ac.uk/index.php?p=2_2_3_6 > (including additional online advice for network managers)
  
• Briefing 3 - Transition Arrangements - Partners, Processes and Funding Issues <http://www.techdis.ac.uk/index.php?p=2_2_3_8 > (including additional online advice for learner support managers)
• Briefing 4 - Accessible Marketing and Admissions: Improving Business and Reducing Risk <http://www.techdis.ac.uk/index.php?p=2_2_3_10 >(including additional online advice for marketing managers)
• Briefing 5 - From Good Intention to Good Practice: Making the Disability Equality Duty Meaningful <http://www.techdis.ac.uk/index.php?p=2_2_3_13 >(including additional online advice on free assistive technologies)

We have taken care to work with a wide range of partners and each briefing has referenced many agencies. In the process we have built some excellent links with partner organisations, many of whom have directly contributed expert guidance to the materials. The final briefing contains a significant section on free and open source assistive technology with links to downloads and selected video clips of the technology in action (www.techdis.ac.uk/getfreesoftware )

Although the series has been targeted at Further Education, much of the material is directly applicable to other sectors so we encourage you to dip in to any area that seems to be relevant to you or your spheres of influence!

PS - we are actively tweaking the navigation of these areas so if they change slightly from one viewing to the next don't worry! It's all in the name of ongoing improvements :-)

Many thanks

Alistair

...may hurt IT budgets
Analysis: When it comes to the WEEE directive, what may be good for the environment is not so good for manufacturers' pockets and may ultimately result in increased costs for users. For more information and the full ITPRO article go to...
http://www.itpro.co.uk/news/119836/weee-directive-may-hurt-it-budgets.html

The British Chamber of Commerce, disability charity Leonard Cheshire and businessman Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou have launched the competition to find the person who can show barriers placed in their way have not stopped them in their quest for success. The winner will be rewarded with a cheque for £50,000: 

Find out more at: http://www.leonard-cheshire.org/?lid=5083  

 

The whys and wherefores of older people learning; Launch semina

Thursday 6 September 2007

Venue: NIACE, Renaissance House, 20 Princess Road West, Leicester LE1 6TP

The seminar launches the NIACE publication 'What older people learn: the whys and wherefores of older people learning'. For education providers, funders and policy makers this will be a useful opportunity to hear about an authoritative scientific study of older learners, part of NIACE's series of annual surveys on adult participation in learning. All participants will receive a free copy of the publication.

The publication:

• examines their subjects of study, motivations to learn, ways of finding out about and getting to learning
• reports on the benefits they perceive, the ways they learn and their views on qualifications and fees 
• identifies the key barriers to learning, the effects of illness and disability and access to technology.

Encouraging adult learning in all its forms is under threat; it is important to listen to those who benefit to help us better understand how the complex and broad ways of learning, particularly in later life, is valued.

Learning matters in later life. It enables older workers to sustain their productiveness in the workplace and adapt their experience and skills to changing contexts.

Older workers matter and the age of retirement is increasing. Moving away from paid work is becoming more of a prolonged process and less of an abrupt transformation.

People who carry on learning lead healthier lives. Learning reduces morbidity and delays the effects of Alzheimer's on learners social interactions.

Older people are civically active. More people like to vote and they are usually the mainstay of voluntary organisations.

The event will be of particular interest to Practitioners, managers and policymakers in adult learning and educational researchers in general. The conference is aimed at:

• Employers
  
• FE colleges and local authority providers
  
• Organisations and individuals considering future prospects for supplying adult learning or skills
  
• Regional Development Agencies
  
• Sector Skills Councils
  
• Trades Unions
  
• Voluntary and community sector organisations with an interest in lifelong learning
  
• Work-based learning suppliers working with adults
  

Arrival/Registration is at 9.45am and the event will end at 12.30pm

The event fee is £35 per person (including a copy of the publication).

For further details and to reserve a place, look up: http://www.niace.org.uk/conferences/Conferences.htm 

Enquiries to Gurjit Kaur on 0116 204 2833; e-mail: gurjit.kaur@niace.org.uk

 

Dear Colleague

Have you registered for a place at this years Handheld Learning 2007?

By registering before the 31st July you can save up to £100 per place.

Register at http://www.handheldlearning2007.com/pages/registration.php

This year's Handheld Learning Conference will be another exciting and stimulating event that brings together policy and decision makers, thought leaders, opinion formers, ICT directors, learning specialists, publishers, developers and leading practitioners. With pre-conference workshops and seminars on the afternoon of 10th October leading to the full conference from 11-12th, you are promised an event that will deliver insight, knowledge and experience as well as the opportunity to network with fellow leaders and practitioners.

"Becta are delighted to be supporting this important event. We would encourage anyone interested in the future of mobile computing in education to attend." Ian Adams, Executive Director, Becta

Keynotes will be presented by Stephen Crowne, Chief Executive, Becta and Marc Prenksy, writer (digital natives) followed by speakers who are leaders in their respective field from policy to practice. Review confirmed speakers here .

The event is supported by Becta with endorsements from the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and the e-Learning Foundation. Industry sponsors include Apple, Intel, Samsung, Seamless, Fujitsu-Siemens, Steljes and RedHalo. For the exhibition, in addition to the sponsors, you will find leading companies and organisations such as Nokia, PC World Education, Wildkey, Fourier Systems, Toshiba, Learn.co.uk (Guardian), ChildNet International and ConnectED.

"True personalised learning would require personalised devices and technologies. Handheld Learning shows the routes that learners are already taking and provides some of the debates required" Merlin John, Journalist

However the event isn't only about seminars, workshops and plenary sessions, extended refreshment breaks and an evening social reception means that serious connections are made.

"There's something new for everybody - whether you are taking your first step in the path to personalise learning, or you want to build your existing expertise. The ultimate networking experience!"
Valerie Thompson, e-Learning Foundation

If you're interested in the future of personalised learning then please register now. If you believe that a colleague will also be interested then please forward this email to a colleague.

We look forward to seeing you!

 

Venue: Britannia Hotel, Fairfax Street, Coventry CV1 5RP

Public Value is an emerging conceptual framework, which applied to the learning and skills sector, attempts to encapsulate a broader recognition of the value of adult learning. In the UK, Public Value is currently being explored by people working in a number of public policy fields including

• health,
  
• policing,
  
• culture and sustainable communities, as well as
  
• learning and skills.
  

It offers a framework for those involved in providing public services to:

• engage with their stakeholders
• understand the needs and preferences of the public they serve
• plan, deliver and evaluate the impact of services through on-going involvement with users and stakeholders.

The relationship between economic competitiveness and social inclusion is complex. The argument that a strong economy can support social goals should not disguise the fact that there may be different ways of prioritising investment in learning and skills. For many adult learners the motivation to learn stems from:

• a desire to help their families
• get involved in cultural activities
• improve their confidence
• develop broad-based employability skills
• help out in their communities.

Participants at this joint WEA /NIACE conference will have the opportunity to:

• find out more about and contribute to the on-going campaign to promote the Public Value of adult learning
• learn from a selection of case studies of good practice about what works in securing public value in adult learning
• learn about the findings from the Wider Benefits of Learning Research Centre
• find out about how leaders in the adult learning sector can help to create public value;
• consider the role of learners as 'social innovators' for adult learning.

The conference workshops will offer an opportunity to explore dimensions of public value in adult learning through case study examples that illustrate:

• wider benefits of learning, for example, in relation to health and wellbeing, community safety, civic engagement and social cohesion, and economic regeneration
• the impact of learning on individuals, families, and communities;
• what Public Value means for learners, and its implications for leadership, partnership working, and curriculum development.

This conference will be of interest to:

• Adult Learners
• Awarding Bodies
• Employers
• FE Colleges
• Government Offices
• Higher Education Institutions
• Information, Advice and Guidance Providers
• Jobcentre Plus
• Learning and Skills Council
• Learning Partnerships
• Local Authorities
• Local Strategic Partnerships
• National, regional and local policy makers
• Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
• Not-for-profit organisations
• Regional Development Agencies
• Regional Skills Partnerships
• Sector Skills Councils
• Trades Unions
• Unionlearn
• Voluntary and Community Sector organisations
• WEA members

Arrival and Registration is at 9.45am. The conference ends at 3.30pm.

Conference Fee: £215 (The fee includes lunch, tea/coffee)

For further details and to reserve a place, look up:http://www.niace.org.uk/conferences/Conferences.htm

Enquiries to Gurjit Kaur on 0116 204 2833; e-mail: gurjit.kaur@niace.org.uk

 

Learning and Skills Research Network (LSRN) Conference

Thursday 6 December 2007

Venue: Thistle Marble Arch Hotel, Bryanston Street, Marble Arch, London W1H 7EH

CONFERENCE ALERT
The Learning and Skills Research Network conference will bring together practitioners from...

• further and higher education,
  
• adult community learning,
  
• voluntary organisations and
  
• training providers who are interested in research and development in the Learning and Skills Sector.
  

The conference provides a unique opportunity to share interests and explore how research can help our understanding of the policy and practice of facilitating learning for young people and adults.

The conference re-launches the national LSRN network and welcomes both new participants and those who were regular attendees at the LSRN conferences between 1997 and 2003.

Conference themes

1. Engagement with research and development
2. Working collaboratively
3. Building research capacity
4. Increasing the influence of research findings
5. Action research and its role in improving practice

What Participants will get out of attending the event

• An update on national policy and current research in the sector
• An opportunity to meet with colleagues regionally and nationally
• An opportunity to disseminate research findings nationally
• An opportunity to meet members of regional networks
  

The conference will count towards the 30 hour CPD requirement for all FE staff

On returning to work, participants will be able to:

• draw upon the LSRN website which will contain papers and resources from the event
• join their regional LSRN
• identify appropriate opportunities within their own organisations and practice to engage with research
  

Conference Fee: £150 per person to include lunch, tea/coffee

Arrival and registration: 9.45am. The conference ends with tea at 4pm.

 

For further details and to reserve a place, look up: http://www.niace.org.uk/conferences/Conferences.htm

Enquiries to Gurjit Kaur on 0116 204 2833; e-mail: gurjit.kaur@niace.org.uk

NComputing device brings low-cost computing to developing world and education, with 300,000 already in use.

To read the full ITPRO article go to http://www.itpro.co.uk/news/119609/35-pc-aims-to-bridge-digital-divide.html or

Visit NComputing at http://www.ncomputing.com/ncomputing/solutions/school.php

Is this an answer to ever rising costs?

If you or you learners have ever wondered what is inside a memory stick then visit...

http://content.techrepublic.com.com/2346-10877_11-93659-11.html  

...for more images like this one on the left.

Isn't it small! This is a 2Gig Flash Drive. 

..are to be targeted in a new drive to bring down the number of fake students being given visas to come to the UK.

A registration scheme is to be replaced from 2009 by a requirement that private colleges outside the public review system obtain formal accreditation.

They will also be expected to report students failing to attend classes.

Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6913242.stm  

The BBC's flagship online TV service is being launched, offering viewers the chance to download their favourite programmes from the last seven days.

For director general Mark Thompson, the launch of iPlayer is as big a milestone as the arrival of colour TV.

Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6916164.stm  

Helping young families cope with the demands of parenthood and reach their full potential is a priority for Government, according to a published strategy. Read more at http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/lfi/149608

Government launches new plan to help parents by text messages and social networks

Read more at http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/lfi/149055

...enabling access to the text layer of electronic books has been made available on Accessible Google Book during July.

The facility, on the Google Accessible Search project, was launched by search engine company Google allowing users of assistive technologies such as screen readers, speech output and Braille display to read the available online books. For more information visit http://booksearch.blogspot.com/2007/07/greater-access-to-public-domain-works.html

The Advertising Standards Authority has deemed that the advertising campaign that claimed Macs were less likely to be infected by viruses than PCs is acceptable! I can already hear the cheers from Mac users.

To read more go to http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudications/Public/TF_ADJ_42723.htm

Note: -The Advertising Standards Authority is the independent body set up by the advertising industry to police the rules laid down in the advertising codes. The strength of the self-regulatory system lies in both the independence of the ASA and the support and commitment of the advertising industry, through the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), to the standards of the codes, protecting consumers and creating a level playing field for advertisers

An for those who have not seen the advertisement...

 

Or go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQb_Q8WRL_g

The government has launched yet another educational campaign - Our future. It's in our hands - urging people to take control of their future by investing in skills. The government claims that research shows that 53% of adults in England believe they could achieve more out of life and, of these, 60% think improving their skills through training & education is the best way to do so.

A dedicated phone line 0800 011 30 30 and website <http://inourhands.lsc.gov.uk/ > is intended to help ensure that people have easy access to relevant information about how to get better skills through different training opportunities available for young people, adults and employers.

Our Future. It's in our hands forms part of the broader Leitch Implementation Plan ‘World Class Skills: Implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England'.

The campaign is driven by statistics which indicate that the number of jobs in low-skilled occupations will continue to fall rapidly and that 2004 figures showed that there were 6.8m adults in the UK without a Level 2 qualification and with serious skills needs in numeracy, literacy and IT.

The LSC has instigated a wide range of programmes to help employers and learners with their skills needs, including: Train to Gain, the National Skills Academy network, Adult Learning Grants, Education Maintenance Allowance and Apprenticeships.

The Basic Skills Agency (BSA) merges into NIACE and NIACE and Tribal form Alliance for Lifelong Learning.

The Basic Skills Agency (BSA) began work as part of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) on Monday 2nd July 2007 - and the expanded NIACE will work in alliance with Tribal in the field of literacy, language and numeracy to form the country’s leading concentration of expertise across all age ranges.

Read the full article at http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/lfi/DNWA-74RL4T OR

find out more at http://www.niace.org.uk/news/current.htm#Alliance  OR

visit http://www.basic-skills.co.uk/  

The Video clip below, also showing as part of our RSC-TV Schedule for August 2007 (View at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/RSC_TV/index.html ), provides a cameo of our new premises...

The International Centre of Excellence for Local eDemocracy (ICELE; http://www.icele.org/site/index.php ) is to launch a free 'Blog in a box' product aimed at councillors with little experience of using the web to communicate with their electorate, delegates at July's 'Building the perfect council website' conference heard.

The product, released in the next few months, aims to address low take-up of online communication tools such as blogs, online newsletters and online surgeries by councillors, according to panellists at a session titled: 'Councillor websites: a political hot potato?' Delegates heard that some 95 per cent of councillors do not use the web to communicate with the public at all, according to Local Government Association estimates.

"It's for councillors who feel they need more hand-holding," said ICELE ( http://www.icele.org/) board member Councillor Mary Reid, who receives up to 9,000 monthly visits to her own blog. Councillors have several online channels at their disposal: personal blogs they maintain themselves; dedicated web pages on their council's website; and websites provided by a council, but maintained by the councillor, she said.

A show of hands from the 250-strong audience, drawn mainly from local government, suggested that few councils offering dedicated web pages for elected members have actually seen councillors take them up.

• Their eTools section is well worth a visit at http://www.icele.org/site/scripts/documents.php?categoryID=4
  

"With an ever growing number of online tools available to help you engage with your local residents, how do you know what tool to choose? How do you know what's right for your council and your residents? How do you know if the tools you're interested in will actually work and deliver the results you need?"

"We've designed this section to help you learn more about what's available through easy-to-understand guides, research and analysis, and hints and tips we've picked up by trying many of the tools ourselves."

This could be reworded for learning providers... 

"With an ever growing number of online tools available to help you engage with your learners, how do you know what tool to choose? How do you know what's right for your organisation and your learners? How do you know if the tools you're interested in will actually work and deliver the results you need?"

Podcast: Kevin Hickey, eLearning Adviser, interviews Lillian Soon from XLearn.

They discuss the advantages of using SMS messaging in education, as well as some practical some tips and tricks.

 

This eBook has been produced to provide support, for Learning providers who are considering using Blogs in teaching & learning, including...

• Bloging
• Teaching & Learning Implications
• How practitioners can involve learners
• The downside of blogs
• Blogging tools
• Which weblog is the best for my needs?
• Where can I search for existing Blogs?
• How visible is my blog?
• Useful resources etc.

This eBook can be viewed/opened or saved at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/BookCase/Blogs.exe

Other eBooks, in 'Section 7: Resources eBooks' can be viewed/opened at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/BookCase/library_section7.htm

Or view the whole eBook Library at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/BookCase/library.htm

Or for those who would prefer it in pdf format you can get it free by clicking this button

This eBook has been produced to provide support, for Learning providers who are considering using Podcasts in teaching & learning, including...

• Podcasting
• Teaching & Learning Implications
• How to record a podcast
• How easy is it to record?
• How can I edit a recording?
• How do I publish a podcast
• Any drawbacks?
• Any enhancements for teaching & learning?
• Sample podcasts
• Useful resources etc.

This eBook can be viewed/opened or saved at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/BookCase/Podcasts.exe

Other eBooks, in 'Section 7: Resources eBooks' can be viewed/opened at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/BookCase/library_section7.htm

Or view the whole eBook Library at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/BookCase/library.htm

This eBook has been produced to provide support, for Learning providers who are considering using Wikis in teaching & learning, including...

• iki overview
• Teaching & Learning Implications
• Wikis in Plain English
• What can wikis do for me?
• Where do I go for existing wikis or to create my own?
• What are the downsides?
• Editing a wiki: Formatting
• Useful wiki resources
• WikiChoice Wizard etc.

This eBook can be viewed/opened or saved at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/BookCase/Wikis.exe

Other eBooks, in 'Section 7: Resources eBooks' can be viewed/opened at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/BookCase/library_section7.htm

Or view the whole eBook Library at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/BookCase/library.htm

This FREE publication (Downloadable from http://www.publictechnology.net/downloads/index.php?IT_Directors_Guide_to_Accessible_IT.pdf) explains...

• ...the needs of people with temporary and permanent disabilities;
  
• ...the steps that IT managers can take to move accessibility higher up the corporate agenda.
  
• ...how staff and the public can be assisted by technology and
  
• ...what software, information and devices are available.

"Some 50 per cent of disabled people in employment whose work life could be improved by simple enhancements to desktop systems struggle on unaided", says the guide.

The need for IT Managers to take action is strengthened by the fact some disabled staff prefer not to describe themselves as such and consequently will not ask their managers for "special treatment".

Most adjustments that need to be made to make IT systems accessible can be found in Windows

"The most important thing is to make systems accessible when planning and designing systems and to convince people to include accessibility in their checklist when they're buying a new system. Then people can't say 'this is not a reasonable adjustment' because it's too expensive."

Organisations that advised on the guide and are helping distribute it are:

• the Government's Chief Information Officer (CIO http://www.cio.gov.uk/ ) Council,
  
  
• the Society of IT Management (http://www.socitm.gov.uk/socitm/ );
  
  
  
• National Computing Centre (http://www.ncc.co.uk/ );
  
  
  
• British Computer Society Elite Group (http://www.elite.bcs.org/ )
  and
  
  
• CIO Connect. (http://www.cio-connect.com/ )
  
  

The guide was sponsored by...

Royal Mail

in association with the

Information Technologists' Company.

Download the publication from http://www.publictechnology.net/downloads/index.php?IT_Directors_Guide_to_Accessible_IT.pdf

A Guide for Family Learning or those working with learners with special education needs...

Although the cover says 'Schools' this guide is designed to help Learning providers to understand how legislation applies to their learners with special education needs and what 'reasonable adjustment' may mean in the context of ICT.

Download or order this publication from Becta's publications area at http://publications.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resID=32113.

An overwhelming number of students and staff think that colleges should provide for people’s faith and belief needs. These were the findings of a national enquiry into opportunities for spiritual and moral development in further education, undertaken by the National Ecumenical Agency in Further Education (NEAFE: http://www.neafe.org/ ) and the Faiths in Further Education Forum (FiFEF: http://www.neafe.org/ ).

Read the full article at http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/lfi/DNWA-756LSE

OR download the report from http://www.centreforexcellence.org.uk/admin/UsersDoc/MakingSpaceForFaith.pdf

I've tried out LuLu http://www.lulu.com/ to publish my "Initial Guide to Blogs " as a FREE downloadable pdf file.

"I found Lulu relatively easy to use but I do advise you visit the Take a Tour."

"I consider this to be a quite 'green' way to Publish and, if you choose, sell easily."

There are...

• no set-up fees.
  
• no minimum order.

You...

• keep control of the rights.
• can set your own price.
  

And each product, if a hard copy is requested, is printed as it is ordered.

Take a look and why not publish your own works for download (and make a profit if you wish)

The long-awaited second version of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the global benchmarks of web accessibility, will include far more detailed practical help for designers, a conference for public sector web teams heard in July.

WCAG 1.0, the most recent set of guidelines from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), was released in 1999. WCAG 1.0 suggests websites achieve one of three levels of accessibility from a minimum of level A, to levels AA and AAA, by meeting several of its 14 "checkpoints."

Details of all documents relating to the WCAG 2.0 working draft are found at: http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag20 .
The guidelines will be finally released by early 2008. 

From the LTS Education News Digest we learn that the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has recently developed the first National Qualification in the EU relating to internet safety. The new qualification (FOH5 10 Internet Safety) is intended for anyone who regularly uses the internet and wants to protect themselves while they're online. It's particularly suitable for young people, small businesses and online shoppers.
http://www.LTScotland.org.uk/sharednews/2007/educational/july/news_tcm4428817.asp

‘how e are you?' lets you:

• Find out your e-score
• Email your friends and challenge them to calculate their e-scores
  
• Discover the websites that you should visit next
  
• Win £500 of Amazon vouchers
  
• Help keep the internet safe for children (5p goes to Childnet for every completed survey)

This was my score; how will (or did) you do? Have a go at http://www.howeru.com/

You can learn more at http://www.howeru.com/learnmore.php

Braille Translations provides a fast, cost-effective, high quality service of translating any document into Braille. They are able to provide Braille menus, public leaflets and business cards in Braille and help make you compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act. They can translate from large print, audio tape or audio CD.

We can also help with premises accessibility including Braille Tactile Signs for toilets and other doors.

All work is proof-read before dispatch and they are able to provide an express 24-hour service.

Call their offices for an immediate quotation or for further information on

• Freephone number 08000 190 946;
  
• Mobile: 07903 996533;
  
• email ghow@brailletranslations.co.uk 

or go to: http://www.brailletranslations.co.uk .

Daily 9:00am - 4:50pm

Play the Sky News Challenge and test your knowledge of what's going on in the world today.

I thought we would leap on the 'Potter band waggon'... View live below or go to http://www.answers.com/library/Harry+Potter+Glossary

A movie in Flash using Tangrams - intended as a Primary Education Resource

Worksheets to accompany the presentation in the classroom can be requested

See for yourself at http://www.tygh.co.uk/tan/index.html  

Or view the Original Tangram Movie at http://www.tygh.co.uk/tan/tan.htm

Or view the New Tangram Movie: Football at http://www.tygh.co.uk/tan/football.html

Geoff Dellow's website, http://www.tygh.co.uk/, also provides other resources that Family Learning Practitioners may find useful; his contact page, http://www.tygh.co.uk/contact.html, has further information about Flash in Education.

The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, London 1674 to 1834
A fully searchable online edition of the largest body of texts detailing the lives of non-elite people ever published, containing accounts of over 100,000 criminal trials held at London's central criminal court.

Contains 101,102 trials, from April 1674 to October 1834

To /read/see more go to http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/

When it comes to phone calls, privacy is the most common security concern. Hackers can eavesdrop on VoIP calls to discover the content of participants' conversations. But eavesdropping isn't the only - or, in some cases, even the most serious - security risk you face when using VoIP.

In addition to intercepting the media protocol packets that contain the actual audio, VoIP attackers can target call-signaling protocols or the underlying networking (i.e., TCP/IP) protocols to cause poor call quality or even crash your VoIP devices and network.

Visit TechRepublic and Debra Shinder's article at http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/security/?p=255 to get a brief look at some of these types of attacks, what makes VoIP vulnerable to them, and how you can protect against them.

Note: Debra Littlejohn Shinder is a technology consultant, trainer and writer. She has authored a number of books on computer operating systems, networking, and security and currently specializes in security issues and Microsoft products. She has been awarded Microsoft's Most Valuable Professional (MVP) status in Windows Server Security.

Even though Microsoft Windows Vista has been out for a while and is available from just about anywhere, most organizations -- at least for the time being -- are sticking with the tried and true Windows XP.

By sticking with Windows XP, these organizations can continue to enjoy XP's stability and familiarity. However, XP users will not be able to take advantage of some of Vista's new security features, such as user access control. But there are a number of steps that can be taken to keep Windows XP running smoothly and securely.

Scott Lowe provides 14 reasonable steps that are designed to give you the most bang for your security buck. Go to http://content.techrepublic.com.com/2346-10877_11-94181.html?tag=nl.e101 and find out more...

Today I’ve looked at this WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) blog editor; apparently it used to cost about £20 but now is absolutely FREE!

So far it has been easy to use and the keyboard shortcuts for Microsoft^(c) Word all appear to work (I haven’t tried them all yet!) There are some handy features...

• Clicking the Advanced icon provides extra tools including bullets
  
• a live spell-checker
  
• a toolbar for Microsoft Word and
  
• add-ons for Internet Explorer and Firefox.

I’m impressed, so far, with Post2Blog - a desktop blogging client for Windows.

Well worth looking at if you and/or your learners use blogs as part of 'learning & teaching' or as ePortfolios etc. 

Quite a challenge to draw and colour your own Cartoon Character; the resulting animation is fun but, it is a pity the end product can't be saved.

To have a go, or to see more, go to http://www.myfreeonlinegames.info/games/664/draw-your-character.html

Kevin Hickey came across this fun online tool and thought it was well worth a visit. Go to http://cards.yandex.ru/kraski.xml

Although a Russian website, the .ru domain is the clue, it is intuitive enough to have some fun.

Over the last few years we've seen a continuing effort to re-implement traditional desktop applications in our browsers. Currently we can find plenty of word processors, spreadsheets, and drawing programs that run in any modern browsers. Formatpixel has now entered the fray with a new site that you could see as an attempt to bring desktop publishing to the web. 

For more information go to http://www.formatpixel.com/go/en/index.asp or read a more detailed review at http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/07/12/formatpixel/  

Anyone can download and run on their PC.

SpeakOn

SpeakOn is a free program that runs on your PC and is a speech enabled environment containing applications for listening to various media. SpeakOn has been developed for people who are comfortable using computers.

• Read more at: http://www.a-technic.net/speakon.htm
  
• Download at: http://www.a-technic.net/download.htm
  

 

Work has begun to develop a workforce strategy that will ensure England’s further education sector is in tune with the skills agenda proposed by Lord Leitch.

As part of a one-year project, Lifelong Learning UK will focus on five priority areas. These include determining the size and nature of the workforce; and attracting and retaining the best people for delivering the new vocational mission for the sector. Vist full article at http://www.wired-gov.net/wg/wg-news-1.nsf/lfi/DNWA-74ZDSK

www.flickr.com More of acl John's photos

As you know, this eMagazine is produced using eXe (eLearning XHTML editor) which can be, and is being, used for ePortfolios. This flickr badge has many uses as it can be added to websites and blogs as well as embedded within eXe pages as it is here!

It could be used to encourage potential learners to view your 'Gallery' 

Of course, enlightened workers of the 21st century that we are, we don’t worry so much about broken mirrors and black cats and walking under ladders today. But it seems to me that there are some new superstitions growing up for a new age. Here’s a selection of the ones that we’re living by now: http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/07/13/web-worker-superstitions/

I know many of you are already up in arms about the weather but, if you’ve ever tried this, you know immediately what could be better: being able to actually see your laptop screen, that’s what. Laptops are great for many things, but visibility in bright sunlight is not one of their high points. Over my years of mobility, Mike Gunderloy has tried a bunch of things to get around this, and collected ideas from others. If you insist on going out to work, try some or all of his potential solutions to see what you’re doing:

Visit http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/07/17/how-to-use-your-laptop-outside/  

"...online organization doesn’t have to be complicated. There are many tools for organizing all our stuff, of course, but one of the simplest is the wiki."

"We’re all familiar with wikis, of course — Wikipedia being the most famous example, but many other useful wikis abound on the Internet. But one of the most productive forms of wikis is the personal wiki, which you can create at any number of sites."

"Once you’ve got your personal wiki set up, here are 15 ways to use a wiki productively, web worker style:" Go to http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/07/13/15-productive-uses-for-a-wiki/

Everybody knows that the iPhone can make phone calls, play movies & music, surf the web, and a lot more. But, Will It Blend? That is the question.

Visit http://www.willitblend.com/videos.aspx?type=unsafe&video=iphone to find out.

PS Listen for the iScream! Sorry...

One time-saving feature is Hotkeys (or keyboard shortcuts); they offer a powerful tool to get the result instantly - with a single keys combination. Smashing Magazine has collected the most useful of them - for the most popular applications out there. Some shortcuts are trivial and well-known, but hopefully not all of them.

This post, http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/07/20/developers-alarm-200-hotkeys-to-boost-your-productivity/, covers the most useful keyboard shortcuts for essential software applications users and web-developers can/should use on a daily basis - OS, Browsers, Music Players, Communication Tools, File Management and Coding. You will also find references to related resources - there you'll find more specific shortcuts for your needs.
Please note...

• that a global hotkey can be used only by one application at a time. Some defined hotkeys might not work properly used with different active application windows.
• Mac OS users should use 
  • Cmd instead of Ctrl and
    
  • Option instead of Alt.
    

 

"I use Microsoft Notepad for all sorts of tasks from quick edits to web pages to viewing text files to making grocery lists. One thing I've always hated is that it prints a header and footer on each page of the document. Since I don't need the file name or the page number, how can I have them disabled so that I only have the information that I want on the document?"

To quit printing the page header and footer in Notepad:

1. Open Notepad.

2. Click File and select Page Setup.

3. In the dialog that appears, clear the textboxes for both Header and Footer.

4. Click O.K.

"I am worried that I may loose my Skype Contacts in the same way I lost my contacts on my mobile phone. Is there any way I can make a backup? If so how could I reinstate my contacts, if I needed to?"

You are quite right, it makes sense to back your Skype Contacts up. That way, if disaster strikes, you simply restore the contacts and you're up and running.

• Open and login to Skype.
• Click Tools, move the mouse over Advanced and then select Back up Contacts to File...

The Save As dialog box opens...

• Browse to the directory/folder where you want the backup file saved; in this case the SkypeContactBackup folder (I had created this folder before I started the backup process).
• Click Save (Note the file name is your Skype User name with the extension .vcf)
  

Now copy this backup file to another drive, or maybe even a memory stick, so that if you operating system needs to be reloaded, you still have your backup.

To restore Contacts from the backup file...

• Open and login to Skype.
• Click Tools, move the mouse over Advanced and click Restore Contacts from File...

• The Open dialog box opens
  
• Browse to the directory/folder that contains the backup file (in this case the SkypeContactBackup Folder)
• Select the backup file (in this example dalzielj.vcf)
• Click Open
  

What is thought to be one of the biggest online training portals created to date, for learning about assistive technology, featuring e-learning and live online tutoring, has been launched by the charity AbilityNet.

The AT training portal (http://www.abilitynettraining.org ) is based on the open source learning platform Moodle (http://moodle.org ).
Courses available include...

• a general introduction to assistive technology;
  
• courses on healthy computing;
  
• how technology can help people with dyslexia;
  
• access to mobile phones;
  
• training on specific technologies such as the Jaws and Thunder screen readers.

Cost...

• One year's access to all courses currently costs £100 per user, and
• Single courses can be purchased for £25; online payments are possible using PayPal.
• One or two courses, such as one on making your computer talk in Windows, are free to access.

Since the service went live at the beginning of June, just over 100 users had signed up "from all sorts of backgrounds."

Future developments may include courses in languages other than English, particularly if partners came forward to assist with translation.

You may find that there isn't anything worth watching on TV tonight! If so why not go to http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/RSC_TV/index.html and watch the RSC-Northwest's TV channel
It is experimental at the moment but we currently have, running on Auto-pilot, the August 'storyboard' of 7 video clips (Looping approximately every 33:43 min) The clips are...

1. RSC-Northwest: Move to Bailrigg House (2:33 min)
   
2. Key Skills: Numeracy - Multiplication (3:06 min)
3. All about the RSC-Northwest (8:03 min)
4. Life after death by PowerPoint (3:56 min)
5. Federated Access Management (6:03 min)
   
6. Green Film Competition (1:20 min)
   
7. Key Skills - Numeracy ( 6, 7, 8 and 9 times tables) (8:42 min)
   

The current plan is...

...to provide news of...

funding,
current projects,
initiatives and examples of good practice in eLearning

...to offer ideas and support for the Higher Education, Further Education, Personal and Community Development Learning (ACL), 6th Form College, Work Based Learning and Specialist College Managers & Practitioners etc., that are supported by the RSC here in the Northwest.

...to produce videos of events and/or training

...so that those who are unable to attend face-to-face events, will be able to experience martini learning (any time, any place...)
When you visit the TV Chanel, "Give it a little time to 'Fine Tune'"...

This video will also be shown on the RSC-Northwest's TV Channel during August 2007

View at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/RSC_TV/index.html  

Another Web 2.0 application suite, Versionate, joins Google Docs, pbWiki, Social Text and Confluence in challenging Microsoft's Sharepoint in the collaboration area.

This document-driven wiki-like service accepts uploads of office docs, PDFs, images, (but not PPT files, yet) over SSL connections to create wiki-like editable pages, organized in folders, with version, group and access controls. There's 500MB of storage with the entry-level free account, plus thirty-day trials for more capacious accounts reaching to 20GB at the $2/user-month level. All accounts give you full exports as well as imports for easy migration of your documents, another major advantage for users.

For more details go to http://www.versionate.com/

You may consider using this for ePortfolios; learners could set up their own Versionate and invite you as their instructor/tutor/teacher/professor...

University of Nottingham

Monday 3rd September 2007, 10.00-4.30

http://www.lsri.nottingham.ac.uk/learning_spaces07

The workshop is for practitioners and researchers in education, architecture, design and technology. It will address the issue of how to design new spaces, from rooms to cities, for 21st century learning.

The invited contributors are:

Mick Gernon, Principal of the RSA Academy, Tipton, based on the RSA Opening Minds learning framework.

Rose Luckin, Professor of Learner Centred Design at the London Knowledge Lab.

Martin Mayfield, a Director within the Arup engineering company with expertise in the effect of building design on learning.

Neil Salton, Head of Innovation at the Cordless Group, a portfolio of companies that focus on the impact of new technology on people, business and the built environment.

Dominic Watts, Higher Education Business Manager, Microsoft

Craig White, founder of White Design, an architectural practice and consultancy specialising in the design of sensitive, low carbon and low environmental impact buildings.

There will be opportunities to join discussions around the themes of 'Visions, Issues and Practices'. The workshop, held on the award-winning Jubilee Campus, forms part of the ALT-C conference on learning technology.

Registration costs £120.00 or £95.00 for ALT members.

Places are limited so early booking is advised.

To register, please see: http://www.lsri.nottingham.ac.uk/learning_spaces07
or contact Florence.Drouvin@nottingham.ac.uk Tel: 0115 8567930

Manager...

Rachel Fligelstone

Administration...

Jackie Ainsworth and Christine Hulme

admin@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

eLearning Advisers...

Benita Wiseman (Further Education/6^th Form Colleges)
bw@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

Chrissie Turkington (Learning Resources/Higher Education Colleges)
ct@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

John Dalziel (Adult & Community Learning/Personal & Community Development Learning/Work Based Learning)
jd@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

Keith Wilson (Technical)
kwil@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

Kevin Hickey (Further Education/6^th Form Colleges)
kh@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

Lisa Valentine (Specialist Colleges & Accessibility)
lv@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

Events Coordinator...

To be appointed (watch this space!)
support@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

Support Desk...

Duty Adviser 01253 503 180
support@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

Address & Telephone/Fax Numbers...

Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)
Regional Support Centre - Northwest
Lancaster University
Bailrigg House
Lancaster University Campus
Lancaster LA1 4YE

Tel: 01253 503 180
Fax: 01253 503 182

Web Address (URL)...

http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk