1. Online Information 20041 Latest developments in e-learning Rhonda Riachi Director Association for Learning Technology Registered Charity number 1063519 www.alt.ac.uk

2. Online Information 20042 Association for Learning Technology ALT aims to  promote good practice in the use of learning technology in education and industry  represent the members in areas of policy  facilitate collaboration between practitioners, researchers, and policy makers

3. Online Information 20043 What we do: Organise conferences, workshops, visits and exchanges Examples:  12th International Conference: ALT-C 2005 6-8 September 2005 in Manchester  Annual Policy Forum 2003: the formal launch by Charles Clarke of the DfES e-learning Strategy consultation; 2004: involved institutional and corporate members in developing our Learning Technology Research Policy  Spring conference and research seminar Dublin, 31 March and 1 April 2005

4. Online Information 20044 What we do: Publications for practitioners and researchers Examples:  ALT-J – one of the leading journals with an international focus for the study and application of learning technology  ALT-N – keeping your institution up to date on ALT’s activities and how it is influencing key policy decisions  ALT-Digest – a fortnightly news digest summarising key developments in the field  Books: “Making Connections” – report on the exchange trip to Netherlands, published in 2004

5. Online Information 20045 What we do: Our members influence the outcome of key consultation documents Examples:  HEFCE 2003-2008 Strategy  DfES e-learning Strategy Consultation  the 21 st Century Skills White Paper  RAE 2008 panel configuration and recruitment

6. Online Information 20046 What we do: Our members influence key decisions through representation Examples:  JISC’s Committee for Learning and Teaching  Moore Group, which meets the DfES on behalf of “commercially-focused” e-learning associations  Steering group for the European Academic Software Awards

7. Online Information 20047 Membership summary  500 individuals  103 Higher Education Institutions  72 Further Education Institutions  40 Corporate members – new corporate members in 2003 and 2004 include DfES, Epic Group plc, HEFCE, HP, Higher Education Academy, LSC, LSDA, NHSU, Question Mark Computing, Plato Learning, RM plc, Scottish Enterprise, Sentient Learning, Toshiba

8. Online Information 20048 Future developments Accreditation of Learning Technologists  With a £30k grant from the JISC we appointed consultants to assist us in developing a “simple, economical, voluntary, peer-based, UK-wide structure to accredit individuals as Learning Technologists, in collaboration with HE, FE, and industry bodies”.  This work is now complete and we intend to launch the accreditation scheme in Spring 2005.

9. Online Information 20049 Getting involved  Join as an individual (£47 per annum) or  Join through your institution or organisation www.alt.ac.uk

10. Online Information 200410 E-learning: key trends  E-portfolios  Online assessment  Digital repositories  Reusable learning objects  Ubiquitous computing  Blended learning  Professionalisation of learning technologists

11. Online Information 200411 E-learning: key trends Useful web sites on the general UK scene  http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm? name=elearning_framework http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm? name=elearning_framework  http://www.becta.org.uk http://www.becta.org.uk  http://ferl.becta.org.uk/ http://ferl.becta.org.uk/  http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/ http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/  http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ elearningstrategy/ http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ elearningstrategy/

12. Online Information 200412 E-learning: key trends E-portfolios “tools for personal development planning in the context of lifelong learning” (ALT/SURF definition); mostly web-based  http://www.alt.ac.uk/docs/ALT- SURFseminar_April_2004.pdf http://www.alt.ac.uk/docs/ALT- SURFseminar_April_2004.pdf Other useful sites  http://www.europortfolio.org/ http://www.europortfolio.org/  http://electronicportfolios.org/ http://electronicportfolios.org/  http://www.careerswales.com/ http://www.careerswales.com/

13. Online Information 200413

14. Online Information 200414 E-learning: key trends Online assessment/CAA “allows the assessment of learning outcomes to be more flexible and can be used as a motivator” (FERL) http://ferl.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?page=189 Other useful sites  http://www.toia.ac.uk http://www.toia.ac.uk  http://www.caaconference.com/ http://www.caaconference.com/  http://www.scaan.ac.uk/ http://www.scaan.ac.uk/

15. Online Information 200415 E-learning: key trends Digital repositories “a content store of digital objects with metadata” (ALT/SURF definition) http://www.alt.ac.uk/docs/ALT- SURFseminar_April_2004.pdfhttp://www.alt.ac.uk/docs/ALT- SURFseminar_April_2004.pdf Other useful sites  http://www.jorum.ac.uk http://www.jorum.ac.uk  http://www.hlsi.org.uk http://www.hlsi.org.uk  http://www.cetis.ac.uk http://www.cetis.ac.uk

16. Online Information 200416 The Higher Level Skills for Industry Project

17. Online Information 200417 E-learning: key trends Reusable learning objects “a digital piece of learning material that addresses a clearly identifiable topic or learning outcome and has the potential to be reused in different contexts.” (H806 "Learning in the Connected Economy" The Open University course team, Robin Mason, Martin Weller, Chris Pegler, IET, Open University, Oct. 2003)  http://library.open.ac.uk/services/ver_obje.html http://library.open.ac.uk/services/ver_obje.html  http://www.rdn.ac.uk http://www.rdn.ac.uk  http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html  http://www.learningcircuits.org/design.html http://www.learningcircuits.org/design.html “A field guide to learning objects” (ASTD/Smartforce)

18. Online Information 200418 E-learning: key trends Ubiquitous computing “In education ubiquitous computing defines a situation where all students and all academic staff have access to a networked computer at any time to undertake their work.” (Ted Smith, Ted Smith Consulting) http://www.alt.ac.uk/altc2004/timetable/abstract.php? abstract_id=32 Another useful site:  http://www.dsg.cs.tcd.ie/index.php?category_id=228 http://www.dsg.cs.tcd.ie/index.php?category_id=228 Supporting informal learning  http://www.communityprogrammes.org.uk/metadata/informal http://www.communityprogrammes.org.uk/metadata/informal  http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/ltri/index.htm http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/ltri/index.htm

19. Online Information 200419 E-learning: key trends Blended learning “a learning solution that incorporates a mix of online and face-to-face elements” (e-Learning Centre: Guide to e-Learning)  http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/guide2elearning/ http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/guide2elearning/ Example of a blended learning course  http://www.cant-col.ac.uk/courses/blended/ http://www.cant-col.ac.uk/courses/blended/

20. Online Information 200420 E-learning: key trends Professionalisation of learning technologists  Certified Member of ALT (CMALT) scheme to be launched in spring 2005 http://www.alt.ac.uk/docs/NLN_ handout_20041128.pdf  The PETAL project http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm? name=deletpetal

21. Online Information 200421 E-learning: conflicting pressures Bespoke vs off-the-shelf Open source vs licensed Obsolescence vs reusability Costs vs time Off campus vs on campus Students with handhelds vs teachers with old desktop PCs Government targets vs institutional policy

22. Online Information 200422 Any questions? Contact ALT www.alt.ac.uk alt@brookes.ac.uk Thank you for listening!