“2018 Calendar with Pen and Laptrop” flickr photo by wuestenigel https://flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/25187952838 shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license
It’s a new year and Technology Enhanced Learning are launching a new programme of face-to-face workshops and online courses for staff at the University of Sussex. Some of these events are also open to students and will be listed on the Skills Hub. Read more ›
Ricoh Theta S
For most internet users, our first experience of 360° images has been on Facebook or YouTube. The idea of being able to move your phone and ‘look’ around a photo as if you are standing there is a great way of creating an immersive experience, especially when combined with virtual reality headsets such as Google Cardboard.
360° photography has become much more popular over the last few years. This is because it is easier than ever to create a 360° image. Apps like Google Street View, and many more within the respective app stores allow you to quickly take an image with just your normal phone camera (these are sometimes referred to as photo spheres). The stitching of these images is done by the software and has improved immeasurably over the last few years.
For those wanting to take it further and take better quality images, there are a range of devices, at a range of prices. They also come in a range of configurations. Some have one lens pointing up, others like the GoPro are a rig with many lenses (GoPro cameras) pointing out. Images are then stitched using software.
The camera we use is a Ricoh Theta S, it has two fish-eye lens positioned either side of the body to give a full 360° image. It is a well reviewed camera, that is pocketable, relatively cheap and easy to use and the images look great straight out of the box. This post looks at the use and functionality of the Theta and how we’re looking to make the most out of it for use in education. Read more ›
Technology Enhanced Learning’s very own Elf, George Robinson, has been busy making a countdown to Christmas calendar full of TEL goodness.
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/tel/resource/Christmas/
Each day from 1st December to 21st when the University closes for the year, there will be a window to open with a guaranteed zero calorie treat.
We’ll be sharing some of the most popular blog posts and podcasts of the year, giving you a peek into the personalities that make up the team, and playing with some apps we love.
Catch up now by clicking on the image above to see the first few days and follow us on Twitter to get a daily alert to the next fun tidbit.
If any of this gives you ideas you would like to explore further, email us on tel@sussex.ac.uk
This week we want to introduce you to a great tool for creating interaction with videos.
Video is increasingly being used in teaching and learning, from recorded lectures to short videos used as part of a Flipped Learning approach. Watching a video can, however, quickly become a passive experience, whereas learning should be active.
Vizia lets you add quizzes, polls and calls to action to a video. You can also add the option for viewers to give a response. Here is an example of a video where I have used Vizia to add a range of interactions.
Vizia allows you to add polls, quizzes, open ended questions and ‘calls to action’ to specific points in a video. As viewers watch the video the interactive elements pop up and they can type in their response. At the end of the video, a score for any quizzes is given. You can also choose to collect participants’ email addresses, allowing you to follow up on any questions or misconceptions and feed these forward into face-to-face teaching.
Here is a very quick example, showing each of the types of interaction.
This video was taken from NASA’s channel on YouTube, but you could also upload a video you have made to YouTube and use it in Vizia. If you set it to ‘unlisted’ in YouTube it will not appear in searches.
When you have created your Vizia it can be shared via a link or embedded in a website or blog. Further options allow you to gather names of viewers and download their responses.
Anywhere that you could use video in teaching and learning you could consider using Vizia. For example:
Vizia is quite simple, with not many settings or options to deal with. This step-by-step Vizia Guide will take you through creating and sharing your interactive video.
Yes, Vizia is free to use.
Vizia works in a web browser, so will work on any device that can access the internet.
Here are some other platforms that you may want to look at:
If you would like help with using Vizia or to discuss how this or any other technology could help you in your teaching or learning please get in touch with Technology Enhanced Learning at tel@sussex.ac.uk
From 6th – 10th November a week of exciting events took place at the University of Sussex. Digital Discovery Week is a week-long series of events celebrating and promoting digital practice, culture and skills at Sussex. It is a collaborative initiative aimed at all staff and students at the University and was organised by Technology Enhanced Learning, the Library, IT Services and the Careers and Employability Centre. Throughout the week people could attend a range of interesting online courses, in-person workshops, seminars and exhibitions. Below is a summary of just a few of the events that were running.
The week kicked off with a ‘Pop-up Library Makerspace’ facilitated by Makercart during which participants were given the chance to explore and experiment with a range of creative technologies including 3D printing and diy electronics.
Making at #SussexDDW with @Carlitosi71! pic.twitter.com/iuUnAtcZZk
— Antony Groves (@AntonyGroves) November 6, 2017
The afternoon featured the first ever ‘Great Sussex Podblast’, a collaborative podcast event in which both beginners and experienced podcasters were invited to come together to record, edit and publish a podcast series in just one afternoon! Participants were supported through the process of recording, editing and publishing by members of Technology Enhanced Learning who provided them with useful tools and techniques. The series is available on Soundcloud here: Sussex TEL: Teaching with Tech podcast.
Sussex Digital Discovery week’s Great Sussex Podblast is well underway with @TabbanBetts @petesparx #sussexDDW pic.twitter.com/x2n01f6we6
— George Robinson (@Super_GeorgeR) November 6, 2017
Tuesday saw the first of the new Digital Skills Drop-ins held in the Library. This first session was a ‘Photoshop Surgery’ where students were able to come along with any specific queries they had, or images that they are currently working on. A team of experts were then on hand to advise and support students.
A special Digital Discovery Week edition of Show & TEL, our collaborative forum for staff to share practice across the University, was held in the afternoon. This term we were joined by three speakers – Prof Robin Banerjee, Professor of Developmental Psychology; Prof Liz James, Professor of History of Art; and Prof Lucy Robinson, Professor in Collaborative History, who introduced us to the innovations they have been trialing in their teaching. Robin shared how he has been using reflective learning journals within Mahara to increase communication between him and his students on a third year module titled ‘Psychology in Education’.
Using e-portfolios for reflective writing has been transformational in my teaching. – Robin Banerjee #sussexddw pic.twitter.com/n1DMwwkxAX
— Tab Betts 欧阳太白 (@TabbanBetts) November 7, 2017
On Wednesday we were joined by Dr Vivien Rolfe who gave an interesting talk about the potential of using open textbooks within Universities. She talked about their advantages in terms of affordability and how they are far more accessible in comparison to the traditional published textbook model. The use of open textbooks has been successful throughout the US and the hope is that it will spread to the UK in due course.
Interesting findings shared by @VivienRolfe on student perceptions of academic textbooks and impact of costs #SussexDDW pic.twitter.com/IXyd7Zt9mo
— David Walker (@drdjwalker) November 8, 2017
In the afternoon, a mixture of staff and students attended a Computational 2D Design workshop led by Giovanni Contreras Garcia. The workshop introduced participants to creative technologies and techniques which can be used to create 2D and 3D geometries, providing them with the opportunity to create their own 2D artwork using the design approach.
Thursday was packed full of innovative ideas. The day started with Dr Ben Jackson’s ‘VR Puppet Shows: telling stories with Old Bailey data’, a piece of work being carried out in the Digital Humanities Lab which aims to visualise historical accounts through the use of virtual reality puppets. To find out more and to watch one of the 197,745 transcribed trials held at the Old Bailey in London visit oldbaileyvoices.org.
Next we were joined by Prof Maziar Nekovee, Head of the Department of Engineering and Design, who was exploring ‘What is 5G and when is it coming?’. We were told of the latest innovations in communication technologies. Maziar also spoke of the trials that have been carried out on the University of Sussex campus in collaboration with Brighton’s Digital Catapult Centre. You can watch Maziar’s presentation here:
Following the seminar, attendees were invited to an exhibition featuring exciting content from across the University. We were joined by Dr Darren Baskill from the Department of Physics and Astronomy who brought along their infrared camera, which he uses to demonstrate how we can study the formation of stars. The Anatomy team in BSMS also brought along some 3D printed organs which they print on site and use as teaching aids for students. In addition the exhibition featuring ‘Discover campus’ a series of augmented reality posters designed to let you discover more about the history of the University of Sussex using content from the Keep. There was also ‘Making the invisible, visible’ a virtual reality tour of Physics labs which an undergraduate student would not normally have access to. You can see 360 gallery here.
Come check out the making the invisible visible space in the Library geothermal imaging, 3d printing and altered reality for digital discovery week #SussexDDW pic.twitter.com/1SAa7P5pYL
— George Robinson (@Super_GeorgeR) November 9, 2017
During the ‘Data Mining Workshop’ participants were introduced to text and data mining using the Library’s databases. During the hands-on session attendees explored Yale University Library’s Robots Reading Vogue, the JSTOR Text Analyzer, and analysed the text of Pride and Prejudice using Voyant Tools.
Learning about text and data mining for HE research with @AntonyGroves as part of #SussexDDW – love Yale’s Robots Reading @voguemagazine project 😍 https://t.co/tryphNlbBQ
— Katy Stoddard (@katy_bird) November 10, 2017
In addition to the face to face events running throughout the week we also had one of our popular Take 5 Online Bitesize courses running throughout the week. Take 5: Digital Productivity introduced the 112 participants to a range of different strategies and tools to help them manage communication and collaboration within teams, organising their time and tasks as well as digital options for notemaking. Participants were able to work through the course in their own time, receiving support and advice from members of Technology Enhanced Learning as well as their fellow learners via Slack.
To find out more about the these events and others visit the Digital Discovery Week page , look at the Storify of the week (now on Wakelet) or listen to the latest TEL US podcast.
If there is a particular event or topic that you would like to know more about or would like to explore in your own teaching please contact tel@sussex.ac.uk.
A podcast is an online audio series (like an online radio show) which can be downloaded at any time from anywhere in the world. You can also subscribe to podcasts, so that you automatically receive updates whenever a new episode comes out.
Podcasts can be used as a learning resource. Students can be encouraged to search out relevant podcasts and share them with their peers, and/or create their own. These lists will help you find relevant podcasts for your teaching and/or learning:
Researchers can also create podcasts to engage the public with their work.
You can find, subscribe, and listen to podcasts using a mobile device or computer. If you have a mobile device, then the AntennaPod app (Android) and the Podcasts app (iOS) are both free and easy to use. If you have computer, then www.feedly.com or iTunes are both great ways to subscribe to podcasts.
Until recently we recommended Audioboom for getting started with podcasting, but as there is no longer a free version we suggest you try SoundCloud. A free SoundCloud account allows you to publish up to 3 hours of recordings. If you have more than 3 hours of recordings, the most recent 3 hours will be available to your audience. SoundCloud provide lots of online resources to help you. Here are a few:
Recording on a phone with the SoundCloud app.
You may want to edit your recording to remove unnecessary or unsuitable material such as noises from outside, digressions, silences and pauses. Or you may want to add an introduction, backing music or other audio effects to make your podcast more interesting and engaging for the listener.
It is good to keep in mind that whilst editing is a great skill to have in your toolbox, it’s not always needed. Over-editing a podcast to remove every single mistake and stray ‘um’ and ‘err’ can make conversation or speech appear robotic and unnatural.
One of the strengths of a podcast as a format is the way it can capture human conversations in a very naturalistic manner and it would be a shame to lose that.
Staff and students at the University of Sussex have easy access to Audacity, a free audio-editing and recording software available for Windows, Mac and Linux Operating Systems. It is installed on Sussex University student PCs and Macs and you can install it from the Software Centre on your university computer or download it from http://www.audacityteam.org/home/ for your own computer. This tutorial from Audacity will take you through the steps of editing your recording.
You can share or publicise your podcast in several ways. A link to your podcast can be sent by email or posted to social media (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn). If you have a website, you can embed your podcast there. If students are finding or creating podcasts they can share them in the Virtual Learning Environment or post them to a Padlet.
If you are creating a podcast series don’t forget to encourage people to subscribe to the series. This is usually done through an RSS feed or the ‘Follow’ option in SoundCloud. Here is a useful guide on How to promote your podcast.
As you start making more recordings and building your podcast, there are a few things it is worth thinking about to improve the quality and make your life easier.
Can a group of people who are new to podcasting make an entire podcast series in a single afternoon? Yes! As part of Digital Discovery Week at the University of Sussex, we gathered a group of people together to plan, record, edit and publish an 8-episode podcast series in a single day. Listen to the full series here:
The Technology Enhanced Learning team at Sussex publishes two different podcasts. The first, Teaching with Tech, is a longer-form podcast featuring interviews with academics about how they use technology in their teaching. More recently, we have added the TEL:US Podcast featuring members of the team having a short, fun, informal chat about the ideas and apps which most excite us. These examples will give you some ideas about the sort of podcast you might want to create.
If you are a member of staff at Sussex University and would like help with podcasting, please contact tel@sussex.ac.uk
Open Educational Resources (OERs) are, as the name implies, educational resources that are made openly available (usually through an open licence such as one of the Creative Commons licences – for more information please see the creative commons website). This permits their use and/or re-purposing by others, whilst maintaining attribution of the original author.
In this sense, OERs embrace the ideal of openness and desire to exchange knowledge, taking the idea that education should be freely shared with everyone and not locked away behind institutional or national walls. Article 26 of the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to education. OERs can be seen as one method for working towards this goal.
“Archive: The Blue Marble” flickr photo by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center https://flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/8250851747 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-NC) license
You might want to:
So you may now have decided you’d like to use OERs, but how best to find them? The fact that there’s much content available is great, but it can sometimes make locating what you need a challenge. Here are some tips to help you find OERs.
OER Commons is a vast online library of OER content. You can use its inbuilt search engine to specify content by subject, educational level, media format, material type and accessibility. There is also an option to use what are called ‘collections’, which are curated groups of OERs based around a certain topic or area. If you register for a free account you can also join user groups which share content or even create your own group!
OER Commons https://www.oercommons.org/
Wikimedia Commons is a good place to look for image and video resources. It is one of the Wikimedia Foundation’s projects and hosts over 40 million files. Most of the resources are divided into categories and then further divided into subcategories to allow you to find appropriate content.
Project Gutenberg can be an excellent choice for full texts, such as novels, especially older titles which are no longer covered by copyright. You can either search their catalogue or look through ‘bookshelves’ which are collections of books based around a particular topic or theme.
SlideShare is a service run by LinkedIn that holds a large repository of slideshow content created by users on a huge variety of topics. Many of these slideshows have been Creative Commons licensed in such a way that they can be used as they are or altered to fit your teaching.
During last year’s Digital Innovation Week, Sussex staff and students captured photos from around campus and shared them onto Wikimedia under a creative commons licence. You can see these photos at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Home_at_University_of_Sussex
This year, for Digital Discovery Week (6th-10th November) there will be a workshop on Wednesday 8th November, led by National Teaching Fellow Dr Vivien Rolfe from the UK Open Textbook Project on the subject of ‘Using open textbooks for teaching’. For more details please visit the Digital Discovery Week page.
“Computer – Phone – Tablet – Technology” flickr photo by perspec_photo88 https://flickr.com/photos/111692634@N04/16389739412 shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license
Whether you are a tutor or a student, and whatever your discipline, it’s likely that you are going to have to make notes. Paper and pen can be convenient and it’s something we’re all used to, but digital notes have a lot to offer. Read more ›
