RSC NewsFeed

On the 19th March 2010 the Higher Education Academy and Universities Scotland held a one-day workshop titled ‘Tackling plagiarism through policy and practice’. The aim of the event was to “help enhance understanding of the issues relating to plagiarism; stimulate debate in this area; share good practice and policies; and facilitate change in practice.”

If you were unable to attend this event resources including workshop presentations are now available from the Academy website (towards the bottom of the page). More information and guidance is also available from the Academic Integrity Service wiki.

Date: 2 Jul 2010
Start Time: 10:00 am
Location/venue: Fielder Centre, University of Hertfordshire, England

This one-day conference will explore challenges facing the sector in relation to assuring quality whilst also enabling quality enhancement and innovation through technology enhanced learning (TEL).

Technologies impact on all aspects of the learning process, including teaching, assessment and communication. In light of changes in technologies and the changing role of e-learning within higher education, guidance and policies associated with quality assurance and quality enhancement of technology enhanced learning (TEL) need to be considered and reviewed.

Presentations will include a keynote from Professor Colin Raban, Director of Quality Enhancement at the University of Derby and dissemination of consultation findings from the HEA funded QAQE project.

The day will also include networking opportunities and participatory sessions to explore practitioner needs.

Click here for more information and booking

Delegate rate: £50.  This includes a full days worth of presentations, case studies and networking.

Bookings are well underway for our big annual event, So if you haven’t booked already, follow the booking link below and book today!

What have we got in store this year?

The full programme is available from the Best of the West website but here is a small sample of what we have lined up:

• Scottish Keynote speakers who are informative and entertaining!
• Highlights from 6 of the very best of local case studies showcasing clever use of technology to support learning and teaching.
• A chance to chat with the experts from JISC Advance Services and educational support partners at the 10 information stands.
• Over the buffet lunch,  you can have a look at how some institutions are using Wii fit for Education or speak to students who will be on hand to demonstrate how gadgets and assistive technologies have helped them succeed in tertiary education.
• JISC Digital Media will give an iPad demonstration on the pedagogical uses of the latest must-have teaching tool or you could speak to “BoB”, the Box of Broadcasts gurus.

Why not drop in and see them all?

Stay until the end for a networking opportunity and join us for a chunk of cheese and a glass of chardonnay.  You might win our door prize of an iPod Touch!

Back by popular demand, Green & Blacks chocolate bars will be in your delegate pack to sustain you through the day.

What are you waiting for?  Book your place now and avoid disappointment.  Don’t delay – there are less than 30 spaces left!

Click here to go directly to the online booking form

Click here for the full programme

As the financial situation that universities face looks increasingly likely to be difficult, collaboration is becoming crucial as a way of improving effectiveness and efficiency.

At this week’s JISC sponsored HEPI (Higher Education Policy Institute) Westminster breakfast briefing Professor Sir Tim O’Shea, Principal of the University of Edinburgh and JISC Chair, and Carl Lygo, Principal of BPP Law School and CEO of BPP Holdings, presented public and private models of sharing services and streamlining processes.

In this podcast (Duration 8:14) JISC’s Maike Bohn spoke with both Carl and Tim to highlight the main points from the seminar.

Subscribe to the JISC Podcast via RSS

Subscribe to the JISC Podcast via iTunes

Download the podcast

JISC invites institutions to submit funding proposals for projects under the Managing Research Data Programme. JISC wishes to fund projects to promote research data management skills in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), through designing and piloting discipline-focussed training units for postgraduate courses.

Funding:
Total funds of £300,000 available for the programme with up to £60,000 available per project. Up to eight projects may receive funding. This funding is available for projects starting from 1 August 2010 for any duration up to 12 months. All projects must complete by 31 July 2011.

Deadline:
The deadline for receipt of proposals in response to this call is 12:00 noon UK time on Tuesday, 25 May 2010.

Eligibility:
Proposals may be submitted by HE institutions funded via HEFCE, SFC, HEFCW and DEL Northern Ireland, and by FE institutions funded via SFC, DCELLS Wales and DEL Northern Ireland. FE institutions in England that teach HE to more than 400 FTEs are also eligible to bid provided proposals demonstrate how the work supports the HE in FE agenda. Proposals may be from single institutions or consortia. Partnership arrangements may be developed outside the sector (for example with research council sites, publishers, commercial suppliers), but the lead partner must meet the criteria outlined above. Funds can only be allocated through the lead partner.

Briefing Day:
JISC is holding a community briefing event where potential bidders will be given information about the background to the call, its objectives and the bidding process. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions of JISC executive staff and relevant JISC committee members. This meeting will take place on Tuesday, 20 April 2010, in Birmingham.

Click here to book online

This Briefing Day will be a shared event with the 14/09 Managing Research Data Programme Briefing Day as these two Calls are under the same programme. Please use this tag for discussions of the call on Twitter: #jiscmrd (i.e. JISC Managing Research Data).

Click here for further information

This event is a unique opportunity for practitioners to engage with innovative ways of assessing learners to make assessment e-asy for them. Organised by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and the JISC Regional Support Centres the event is designed for lecturers from all disciplines who teach on HE programmes in FE Colleges and Universities or anyone who is involved in the design of assessment.

Professor Phil Race will provide the keynote and a hands-on insight into key issues with assessment. The afternoon workshops will be led by experienced practitioners and will cover the following:

• Designing multiple choice questionnaires and providing feedback;
• Curriculum design;
• Assessment for reflection; and
• Creative assessment to eliminate plagiarism.

This event costs £75 per person and will take place on 17th May 2010 at the National Space Centre in Leicester.

Click here for further information and online booking

At the recent Higher Education Policy Institute and JISC seminar, Nicola Dandridge Chief Executive of Universities UK and Nicholas Barr, Professor of Public Economics, London School of Economics gave their views on the topic of the financing of higher education as a starting point to generate discussion and debate with an invited audience.

JISC’s Rebecca O’Brien spoke with both Nicholas and Nicola about how higher education is currently funded, how the current system could be changed in response to the increasing pressure on universities to reduce costs and the value that universities contribute to the UK economy. (Podcast Dur 9:33)

Subscribe to the JISC Podcast via RSS

Subscribe to the JISC Podcast via iTunes

Download the podcast

By 2050 the majority of the UK population will be over the age of 50, a trend with major implications for the country and specifically for colleges and universities. A new report from Universities UK looks closely at these implications. Active Ageing and Universities: Engaging Older Learners reviews the engagement of older learners (defined as those aged 50 and over) in education and training with particular reference to their involvement in higher education.

Click to download a pdf file of the report (56 Pages)

Success! – Undergrad Graduation by m00by

BBC News Scotland reported on recent UCAS figures showing that there has been rises in applications to Scottish universities. The biggest rise was reported in the over 25s with a 108% increase in applications. There were also rises in the 21-24 age group which was up by 58% and the under 20s which were up by almost 20%. Overall applications have increased by almost 32% since last year. Reasons for the rise include changes to the admission processes, the effects of the current economic situation and students reapplying having missed out on places last year.

Click here to read the full BBC report

We almost missed this recent report from UKOLN (pub December 15th) in the Xmas chaos but it’s well worth highlighting now. The SIS (Shared Infrastructure Services) Landscape Study title doesn’t really do the content justice though the subtitle describes the scope of the report nicely: ‘A survey of the use of Web 2.0 tools and services in the UK HE sector’
The report sets out to examine the extent to which new Web 2.0 tools and techniques are being used in the sector and what they’re being used for, shedding some light on an area rather neglected until now.