Tutors in Higher Education

[jimpettiward]

Hi all

It might just be me, but I find the structure of this forum quite difficult to manage – I can’t seem to find a way to make the most recent replies appear first which means I have to click through pages to find anything, and with fairly long posts there’s a lot of scrolling involved.(any advice on how to manage this more efficiently gladly received).

Would anyone be into the idea of setting up a Google+ group and maybe a Diigo or Delicious bookmark group (as suggested by Roger for the main course, but one just for us as well?) I’ve used Diigo quite a lot and found the sharing and community aspects really useful. Fairly new to Google+ but it seems to have potential and I reckon it’s always good to experiment with and get to know new tools/services.

Any thoughts?

[virtualleader]

Hi Jim (and everyone else)

The module will be VLE based but I hope to make use of/integrate OERs and other web based tools.

I am thinking I’d like to teach the students about some useful sites like Diigo, Evernote, Dropbox as whenever I mention these in passing to students in tutorials who have various storage/bookmarking problems, they are like “oh wow!!!”…. I also use a Facebook group to engage students pre-induction and we discuss things like online profiles, privacy, professional identity….

The module looks at finding information; evaluating online resources; referencing; designing  research and is assessed through a research  questionnaire which the students create using Survey Monkey. The main aim is to keep them interested and engaged whilst I sneek in important stuff about academic standards….

I have mixed feelings about OERs but when I did the OLDSMOOC I had to research some as part of the course and straightaway found some really brilliant stuff on research skills which I used pretty much unchanged with my students (Creative Commons/ Share Alike licences)

To be honest all of this sounds far more organised than in reality it is. I am hoping through this MOOC and the last one to pick up some clues about really good design and then rewrite the module over the summer.

In reply to another query – I have joined the ocTEL community on Google+ and hope tot use my rather empty and dusty profile on there to blog about this course.

OK – enough for now. Catch up later 🙂

Jane

 

[Roger Harrison]

Wow Shuna this sounds fascinating and a heck of a lot of work by the sounds of it that you’ve put into the design over the couple of years. I have a few ideas as to how something like this might work but I can imagine it would be tricky convincing my colleagues of then comitting some time to this. That’s why I need to try and get hold of an example that I can show them when they come in to the office to see me and for meetings. I’m also hoping to be presenting at a Faculty conference locally on technology and learning and would like to cover serious gamification alongside MOOCs and social learning.

I’m sure we will be hearing more from you and others on using gaming which will be great

 

regards

 

[Roger Harrison]

Hi, I’m glad it’s not just me then as I thought I wasn’t very skilled. It isn’t too user friendly to navigate and add links or see the recent updates etc. There is a DIIGo group I’ve noticed now set up by David Jennings

https://groups.diigo.com/group/alt-octel

I’ve never used DIIGO other than sharing my own info to work and back so would be good to see how it works as a group communication.

Also wouldn’t mind google+, again little experirence of that. How do we take it forward to give it a try?

[trish_oc]

Hi Kate,

Just back after a few days away & trying to catch up.. I’m up to my oxters in course development at the minute & my team suggested i should use OERs  as “there is a lot of good material out there”.. well I can now say that yes there is but it seems to me to not suit me entirely as i know what i want and nobody (so far) has packaged what I want the way i want.. its actually a most frustrating experience I’ve spend literally hours trawling thru MIT OpenCourseware/ Merlot etc & the rewards are very slim pickings….

I was not expecting this I must admit…..

But I do like the sound of open access to peer reviewed journals asa that would definitely make research easier 😉

Back to the grindstone..

Trish

[trish_oc]

Hi Roger,

I think its just a case of having a gmail account and going to the +Roger tab in the top left of the toolbar….

actually I just looked and there is a Roger Harrison  on Goggle+ with a photo of a little child –  b&w photo… that you??

And now the bar has moved and its Google hangouts.. I had my first one on Thursday last … its basically like Skype but youy can use your PC to show people stuff on trhe desktop in real time so its pretty handy

.. it just keeps on coming…..

Have a good week all

Trish

[jrconlon95]

Hello

I have been meaning to investigate Google+.  Lots of retail businesses are now using Yammer – it is like facebook. 
Yammer is a Private Social Network for Your Company
Collaborate securely across departments, geographies, content and business applications.

Anyone any expereince of Yammer? It looks quite straight forward on their website – but it always does!! 🙂

[virtualleader]

Hi

we used Yammer at De Montfort University and I liked it – longer posts than Twitter, possibility of separate discussion or interest groups and a lot of tech-averse staff liked it too because it was private. We don’t use it here at my current Uni as we have Microsoft Lync (which no one uses apart from the IT guys) 😀

Jane

[JoanneTyssen]

Hi Roger,

My name is Jo, I too am interested in a small discussion group primarily aimed at tutors in the higher education sector with or without existing online distance learning experience. I am previously a Lecturer in Sport and 3 months ago moved into the role of Higher Education Business Development Manager. The title is a little misleading but I am responsible for looking at new programmes of study and overall recruitment and retention, but primarily I also look at the student experience and diversity of student engagement. As such I am really keen to develop blended and distance learning opportunities and postivie engaging experineces.

I was on leave last week so have just joined the ocTEL ‘community’ this morning so am feeling a little behind already!

Jo

[jrconlon95]

Hello Jo,

I started last week and can reassure you that unless you have partcipated in a MOOC before then a feeling of behing overwelmed / left behind seems pretty common!  I have found trying to do a bit every day helpful and using the weekly guidelines from OcTEL useful to keep track of ‘what I am meant to be doing?’.  You can catch up on the webinar from last Weds on the website too – I think this is well worth doing but there were some technical issues starting it so look out for the posting about when to start your screening from.  Stick with it – lots of folks are clinging on!

Jo

[JoanneTyssen]

Hi Jo (jrconlon95)

Thank you for your reply. I feel better knowing it’s not just me! I have now viewed last weeks seminar and had some time to play around with it all and feel much more on track.

thanks again

Jo

[jimpettiward]

Help! Confused with the forum layout!

Hi,

I’m a bit confused with the way this forum works so I made a quick screencast to ask for help. Any suggestions very welcome…

http://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cIf3hoV0mP

Jim

 

[mrtimbones]

Hi Jim,

I’m inclined to agree that the current of display is not ideal, particularly as the number of posts grow. I’m finding the navigation slightly off putting. It would be good to have the option to see a greater number of posts listed, say 30 or more, so that one might scroll down without the clunkiness of moving through what potentially may become many pages. Or if this is the only way to display posts then maybe, as you suggest, better categorisation might be an answer.

The option to reveal further posts, in the same way Facebook allows you to reveal more comments might be good. (Perhaps I’m being lazy?) Google+ is an idea, but only if you have familiarity with it right now. I think it’s good to have the posts here, but alternatives to display and navigation could be better, particularly as I guessing that many members are engaging in this with what ever little spare time they have.

Tim

PS. Nice to see a screencast as a post. It encouraged me view it! Wow! I really am lazy.

[jimpettiward]

Hi Tim,

It looks like this forum was only for Week 1 – judging by the tumbleweed 😉 , and by the other small group topics.

I don’t think, in the short term at least, these forums will get any more user-friendly so I guess it’s a case of using whatever’s out there (Google +, Twitter, the Course Reader etc.) to get a sense of what others are doing and trying to build up a more coherent network / group.

Cheers

[Author]

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