Educational Enhancement

The digital student: what do they expect at university?

Posted on 20th January 2015 by Sally Burr

creative commons licensed (BY-SA) flickr photo by CollegeDegrees360

The expectations of the next cohort of incoming students is a theme explored in a recent Jisc report, ‘Incoming expectations of the digital environment formed at school.’ David White and Joanna Wild explore the impact of technology on the digital expectations of students in HE.

What are students expecting at university in terms of technology?

Well, it depends. Students have varied expectations based on their individual experiences at school. In secondary schools, teachers have the highest level of access to interactive whiteboards (IWB), desktop computers and digital cameras. Yet, the Jisc study reports that there is limited access to netbooks, mobile phones or unrestricted wifi. Read more ›

Tagged with: Students
Posted in Technology Enhanced Learning

Learning on the move? Make the most of your commute

Posted on 13th January 2015 by Kitty Horne

creative commons licensed (BY) flickr photo by Mr MPD

Travelling to and from work or University can take up precious time. Why not start the New Year by discovering some tools that could help you make your commute more enjoyable and productive.

If you are commuting by public transport, you could use this time to prepare for the day by organising your calendar, or by decluttering your email inbox.

On Twitter? You could schedule Read more ›

Tagged with: Learning
Posted in Mobile learning, Technology Enhanced Learning

Connect, share and learn with mobile devices 12-16 January #BYOD4L

Posted on 6th January 2015 by Anne Hole

creative commons licensed (BY-NC-ND) flickr photo by European Parliament

Mobile devices are becoming a familiar part of people’s lives and it became clear during the recent Mobile Technologies Week here at the University of Sussex that many staff and students are interested in finding ways of making the most of their smartphones, tablets and laptops for learning and teaching.

Next week, from Monday 12th to Friday 16th January there is another opportunity to explore the possibilities of digital devices for learning and teaching. Bring Your Own Devices for Learning (BYOD4L) is an informal 5-day online learning experience that will bring together educators and students from across the world using social media to connect, share and learn together. Read more ›

Tagged with: Learning
Posted in External events, Technology Enhanced Learning

Revising over Christmas? Fill your digital stocking with the best study tools

Posted on 23rd December 2014 by Sally Burr

creative commons licensed (BY) flickr photo by Matti Mattila

If Santa was a learning technologist, he might well recommend the following digital tools to help you organise your revision over the Christmas holidays.

Fill your mind as well as your stocking with the TEL team’s top five suggestions for Smart revision and study.

We start our recommendations with the Brighton-based company, The Student Room (TSR).

1.The Student Room

Find at http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk

Cost Free

App? Yes

The Student Room is a large digital student community offering study support to students. The company also owns Get Revising which offers additional revision aids. Read more ›

Tagged with: Revision
Posted in Technology Enhanced Learning

Let it snow! Online options to beat the winter

Posted on 16th December 2014 by Anne Hole

Sussex in the snow

The Autumn term is over and the weather is turning colder. Bad weather and illness can disrupt well-laid plans for face-to-face teaching, but digital technologies offer ways for learning to continue, despite the worst that winter can throw at us.

Digitally re-imagining seminars

If bad weather or other circumstances prevent meeting on campus, you could try to recreate a seminar discussion in an online forum, but why not take the opportunity to experiment with something that you wouldn’t usually do in a face-to-face session?

Students could each write a blog post and share links via a Study Direct forum. Blogs can include images, web links and video alongside text to create really rich resources while the less formal style allows students to express themselves in a different way than they would in an academic essay. Students might be encouraged to peer review each others posts with the process of reflecting and commenting aiding the development of critical skills. Blogging supports a range of digital literacies important for graduates’ employability. Read more ›

Tagged with: Learning
Posted in Technology Enhanced Learning

Delete or file? Managing your inbox

Posted on 9th December 2014 by Sally Burr

creative commons licensed (BY) flickr photo by Sean MacEntee

Email is the beauty and the beast of the modern workplace. It’s a quick and easy way to communicate, yet there is a dark side. Reading and responding to email can be time-consuming, and teaching staff can find their lesson-planning or research time compromised by the demands of responding to emails from staff and students.

Email epidemic?

In an article by The Guardian, reporter Emma Featherstone reports on a study conducted by Dr Tom Jackson at Loughborough University on email and productivity. The study found that, with email applications set to check for new email every five minutes, individuals could be potentially interrupted up to 96 times a day. Read more ›

Tagged with: Email
Posted in Technology Enhanced Learning

Mobile Technologies Week round up

Posted on 2nd December 2014 by Nicholas Botfield

Two weeks ago University of Sussex staff from the Library and Technology Enhanced Learning team came together to organise and deliver a week of workshops, seminars, drop-ins and challenges revolving around the use of mobile technologies. These sessions ran throughout the week and were held all over the University campus. Interested parties from the Hive research group, the Careers and Employability Centre and IT services also got involved to ensure the week had a variety of different workshops that were relevant for students, faculty, researchers and professional services staff. Read more ›

Tagged with: Events, Mobile Technologies Week, SAGE Seminar
Posted in Technology Enhanced Learning

Nearpod: bring learning to life with interactive mobile presentations

Posted on 25th November 2014 by Kitty Horne

Presentations shared via mobile devices

A big welcome to the TEL team, Kitty Horne; our new Learning Technology Assistant. This is Kitty’s inaugural post; a look at Nearpod and how it can be used in teaching and learning.

What is Nearpod?

Nearpod is a tool which allows you to create engaging, interactive presentations. It’s packed with great activities and tools.

You can create a presentation which is then viewed by students on their mobile device. Students can interact via their mobile device, whether they are in the classroom are not. This allows for creating exciting, interactive lessons, as well as potential distance learning opportunities. Nearpod is available for free at GooglePlay, AppStore and WindowsStore and at www.nearpod.com, making it highly accessible. Read more ›

Tagged with: Nearpod
Posted in Technology Enhanced Learning

The digital student: what do they expect at university?

Learning on the move? Make the most of your commute

Connect, share and learn with mobile devices 12-16 January #BYOD4L

Revising over Christmas? Fill your digital stocking with the best study tools