JISC RSC Wales E-bulletin: FEBRUARY 2012
It seems rather late to be saying Happy New Year especially when Easter eggs are appearing on shelves, but following our Bumper Christmas Edition this is indeed the first of 2012. However we hope the wait was worthwhile. This edition contains information on several funding opportunities for all sectors as well as a host of events, news and a link to the Tweets that have particularly caught our eye recently.
We’d like to draw your attention to the FE and Skills Funding Call which is being supported by a webinar with Nigel Ecclesfield, Programme Manager, on 28th February at 3pm. If you are thinking of submitting a bid, this session will afford you the opportunity to get answers to any niggling questions you may have that aren’t already covered in the Call documentation.
Following our hugely successful Summer Bytes online event last year, which attracted well over 100 delegates, we have decided to venture forth once again this year with Spring Bytes on 21st and 22nd March - 2 days of online sessions, delivered to your desktop, by speakers representing all aspects of the Post 16 education sector on the theme of Mobile Technologies.
In our last issue we told you about our Technology for Learning Small Grant Programme. We can now confirm that feedback from the projects will be presented at our 2012 Conference which will take place on 26th June at the Hilton Hotel in Cardiff. Further information and booking details will be made available on our web site shortly.
And finally, a diary note for the Technical Conference – this is scheduled to take place on 17th and 18th May 2012 at Gregynog Hall.
Best wishes
The JISC RSC Wales team
News
JISC Advance provide funding for FE and Skills sector
Launched on Friday 17th February 2012, as part of a £1.4 million project, JISC Advance is seeking proposals to enhance or repurpose existing resources to be used in the FE and Skills sector across the UK. The focus for the programme is to improve the learner experience and increase efficiency and effectiveness of providers in line with the policies for the sector being led by each of the UK governments.JISC Online Conference update
Materials from the JISC Online Conference 2011 are now available free of charge, and dates have been announced for the next one in November 2012.Employability-development JISCmail list
A reminder that there is an active JISCmail list called EMPLOYABILITY-DEVELOPMENT for Higher Education staff.JISC infoNet are pleased to announce the launch of a new infoKit – ‘Knowledge Transfer 2.0‘, or ‘KT2.0‘.
This resource integrates current innovation theory, modern social media tools and current thinking on market behaviour or motivation, to provide a more effective model of Knowledge Transfer; a model that is capable of delivering more with less.
Bright ideas wanted for new JISC funding platform
Do you have a smart idea for using technology in your college or university? If you’re looking for rapid project funding, pitch your idea on a new JISC website and receive feedback from your peers.The JISC Elevator is a new beta platform for people to pitch ideas for projects up to £10,000 using video and short descriptions.
JISC Grant Funding 02/12: Call for Expressions of Interest to Field Test Costing Tools
Universities and colleges are invited to field test a range of cost modelling tools mainly produced by JISC funded projects. These tools have the potential to improve the institution’s budget planning processes, particularly for ICT services, and we want to find out how useful they are and how valuable they could be to the sector as a whole.£10,000 is available to successful institutions following submission of a short expression of interest form. The field testing is expected to begin in June and last for 15 months
Twippets @rscwales
Here’s our pick of the past month’s tweets: If you want to follow us on Twitter we’re @rscwales.From our Blogs
Cut Costs Not Corners: Improving Business Efficiency
20 February 2012 | Alyson DaceyJISC RSC Wales hosted 3 online events in January and February of this year, open to providers from all over the UK. The events drew on expertise from across JISC Advance and attracted an audience from all supported sectors. Recordings of the events and accompanying resources can be found at [...]
A Beginners’ Guide to Screencasting: A Lunch Time Byte delivered to your desk
26 January 2012 | Sharon CrossanThe recording of the Lunchtime Byte “A Beginners’ Guide to Screencasting″ is now available online at moodle.rsc-wales.ac.uk . The Moodle area contains the live recording of the webinar as well links to resources. This event, which took place on 17th January, was one session in the popular series of RSC Wales online webinars called Lunchtime Bytes.[…]
‘Appy New Year
11 January 2012 | Sharon CrossanNo that isn’t a typo in the title this post is all about apps, specifically mobile apps for libraries and education. In this post I’ll explore the work going on around mobile libraries and list some of my favourite educations apps.[…]
Assessment and Feedback: a glimpse of the current situation
22 February 2012 | Christine DaviesI have recently attended several face-to-face and online meetings focussing on the subject of assessment and feedback. NUS student satisfaction surveys have played a key part in highlighting these issues, and institutions are becoming increasingly engaged with finding ways of making assessment more student-focussed and more effective as a learning tool […]
Presentations from JISC Online Conference now available
17 January 2012 | Paul RichardsonThe presentations from the conference “Innovating e-Learning 2011″ are now available openly online at These presentations include both the Powerpoints and the recordings of each session on Elluminate. This event, which took place in November last year, was the sixth in the popular series of JISC online conferences. Like its predecessors, it brought together delegates from the FE and HE sectors for presentations and discussions of the key issues facing educators in a shifting technological landscape […]
Teachmeet: Bridging the Gap
12 January 2012 | Paul Richardson‘Teachmeets’ are a radical concept in staff development: instead of presentations given by experts, participants can hear raw stories told by other teachers from the chalk face. It’s a chance to learn from and share with real practitioners about their successes and experiences. In other words, it is about teachers teaching each other […]
Going Mobile – Apps for Information on the Go!
11 January 2012| Esther BarrettMy thoughts on how apps are changing the way we use our mobile devices to access information on the move.
View a recording of our Lunchtime Byte – Google Goggles – apps for searching the internet without typing text!
Events
JISC Advance - FE and Skills Funding Call
28th February 2012Nigel Ecclesfield, Programme Manager, presents a webinar providing you with information relating to the JISC Advance Funding for the FE and Skills Programme.
IT and Estates working together - UCISA event
29 February 2012UCISA have arranged an opportunity for a one day event focusing on working partnerships with IT, Estates, Facilities Management and Learning Spaces groups within the education sector. Topics will cover areas through: cabling, telephony, BMS, CCTV, Door Access, energy savings and learning space development.
Social networking webinars - February and March
29 February 2012The JISC Regional Support Centre South West is proud to present a series of three short, sharp lunchtime webinars to help brief you on policy, tools and techniques to use social networking simply, safely and easily.
TechDis Tuesday - VI and free tools – is it worth it?
6th March 2012Assistive technology tools forlearners with visual impairment come in a wide range of forms at an equally wide range of costs. Commercial tools can offer real benefits to users but many have free or open source equivalents? What is available? How do you find out about them and are they any good?
Free JISC-funded green ICT event
6th March 2012A workshop on the use of videoconferencing and opportunities to reduce travel. With presentations from SusteIT, Welsh Video Network, University of Bristol (on their Greening Events project) and JANET. This event will also be streamed live.
Community e-Learning Wales Group (CeLW)
7th March 2012A forum for adult educators in Wales, of particular interest to those who are using technology to enhance teaching and learning.
Mobile Technologies and the Law Webcast
14th March 2012Are you aware of the legal implications of using mobile technologies within your institution? Our latest webcast 'Mobile Technologies and the Law' will address the legal aspects of the use of mobile technologies in HE and FE institutions.
Tips for successful bid writing
14th March 2012A new round of funding from JISC or another organisation is often met with excitement, as it is an opportunity for a learning provider to 'win' some much-needed funds. However, writing a successful funding bid can be a daunting and task and requires the application of some key skills.
JISC RSC Wales - Online Spring Bytes (2 day event)
21st & 22nd March 2012JISC RSC Wales introduces its online e-Learning event Spring Bytes. For two days in March we will deliver a series of interactive sessions directly to your desktop, thus negating the need to travel and spend time away from the office. The theme of both days is 'Mobile Technologies'
Learning Development in a Digital Age: emerging literacies and learning spaces - ALDinHE Event
2ND April 2012The 9th conference of the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education, taking place 2-4 April.
Change Management
3rd April 2012Change Management is a one-day workshop offered by JISC RSC Wales and delivered by John Burke of JISC infoNet. Participants will gain an understanding of key theories behind the management of change, consider a structured framework for managing change and be introduced to a range of practical tools that can be adapted to meet different organisational needs.
Project Management for the Education Sector
4th April 2012Project Management for the Education Sector is a one-day workshop offered by JISC RSC Wales and delivered by John Burke of JISC infoNet. JISC infoNet has developed a project methodology which can be adapted for any size of project and is specifically
Inaugural Future Directions conference – Graduates For Our Future - HEA Wales event
26th April 2012The main focus of the conference will be to showcase the first Wales-wide quality enhancement theme, Graduates For Our Future, and its three work strands. The purposes of the conference are to stimulate wide-ranging discussion and debate and to show and share good practice of the enhancement of learning and teaching from across the Welsh higher education sector.
For a full listing of JISC RSC Wales events see of JISC RSC National events can be found at
fJISC RSC Wales, Emily Phipps Building, Swansea University, Hendrefoelan, Swansea, SA2 7NB | 01792 295959