Further to an earlier announcement about the new NLN Materials Service the LSC is pleased to confirm that the service will be launched in mid October.

Transition arrangements for Existing Users

In order to facilitate a smooth transition to the new service it is planned that:

• all existing users will receive an email in mid-October advising them of the new service and how to register for it.
• the current services for FE, WBL and Specialist Colleges will continue to be available until Wednesday October 31st, 2007. During this period, their site home pages will display a message advising users of the change and recommending that they follow the link to the http://www.nln.ac.uk site and register for the new service.

Registration Process for New Users

Registration for new users is straightforward. They will simply need go to http://www.nln.ac.uk and register on the site. Users will need a password - a single word shared by everyone in their organisation - which is used to verify their account. Instructions on how to find the password for a given organisation are available during the registration process.

What is different about the new service?

The new access site to the NLN Materials includes a range of useful features designed to help practitioners access and customize resources easily for their students. In particular, the site enables:

• access to the full, definitive library of NLN Materials (Rounds 1-4 including all updates and all previous content hitherto unavailable)
• powerful search and browse to find and play-online appropriate materials creation and editing of collections of materials which can be assigned to learners on-line via web-link (URL)
• download of collections for easy import into virtual learning environments (VLEs) such as Moodle, or immediate use on CD, DVD or Intranets, with no need for external tools
• review and sharing of collections assembled by other practitioners.

What about support?

The new service is fully integrated into the existing support site at http://www.nln.ac.uk , providing a unified point of access and support for the entire community of NLN Materials users.

There is an extensive help facility on the site including:

• user guide, with instructions on key "how-to's"
• context-sensitive pop-up help throughout the site
• a dynamic FAQ system

Further help is available from the Regional Support Centres (RSCs), contact details for which can be found at http://www.nln.ac.uk

For more detailed information of the functionality of the NLN Materials Service go to: http://www.nln.ac.uk/ ....