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Question: What two things do these three statements have in common?
A. Individuals learn better when they receive information in their preferred learning style (for example, visual, auditory or kinaesthetic).
B. Short bouts of co‐ordination exercises can improve integration of left and right hemispheric brain function.
C. Differences in hemispheric dominance (left brain or right brain) can help to explain individual differences amongst learners.
Answer:
1. They are all false.
2. They are all believed to be true by around 90% of UK teachers.
Interested? You can read more in Paul Howard-Jones’s 2014 paper ‘Neuroscience and education: myths and messages‘ or in Pete Etchells’s summary of Howard-Jones’s research, ‘Brain balony has no place in the classroom’.
As in previous years, LearnTech have been working with colleagues in Curriculum and IT on the creation of new NILE course (programme) and module sites for the forthcoming academic year, only this year with a twist: instead of routinely copying over all teaching materials from earlier site iterations, we are taking this opportunity to review and ‘spring clean’ legacy content, particularly with a nod to the course evaluation and redesign coming out of recent CAiEROs.
NILE 2016-17 module template
The updated and fresh NILE template, proposed at (and tweaked on the back of consultations with) the SEC (Student Experience Committee) on 24th February and with the Learning and Teaching Forum, has resulted in the creation of 4,251 ‘clean’ sites, now ready and already receiving content.
Following the updated minimum NILE standards, LearnTech and Academic Librarians have so far worked with colleagues from the Schools of Education and Health running a total of 11 sessions covering changes to the template; reviewing and copying relevant content; checking curriculum data and reading lists and populating sites ready for the new student intake.
The Team is now working on the roll-out to the Business School and is in contact with subject leads from the Schools of Social Sciences, Arts and SciTech, identifying local support needs, creating online resources to help guide site population and working with colleagues from other University support teams to ensure everything is set up and in place for the new academic year – where possible, before the summer vacation strikes!
NILE Guides homepage
Since last summer Learning Technology has been hard at work to improve the online help we provide to staff and students who use NILE. The simple A-Z list of software provided, while helpful for some, wasn’t offering the best level of support.
Therefore, last September we launched NILE FAQs as a search-based solution to everyday problems. Trouble with grade centre? Simply type into the search box and we’ll present back all the most common questions we’re asked – along with, of course, the solution.
Now, to build on this, we’re pleased to release NILE Guides.
We’re aware searching for help is useful – if you know what the software does. But what if you only know what you want to do, and haven’t a clue which software is best suited for the job?
So we set about creating a new approach to guide you through NILE.
Start with what you want to do in mind (the task) and we’ll guide you – via a series of light-touch prompts – to the best tool for the job with three broad topics to choose from:
- communication
- content
- assessment
Within each, we’ve developed likely scenarios and provide recommended tools and workflows for each.
Where the software is used in the ‘regular’ way, we’ve linked directly to the supplier’s own help website. This way we can ensure you’re always provided with accurate and up-to-date guidance – provided the link doesn’t change!
Where the software is tailored for University, School or team workflows, we’ve provided our own set of guides to accompany the suppliers, to add further context.
NILE Guide is still in development and currently only available for staff. We’d like you to give it a try and provide feedback. A student section is being prepared and due for release later in the year.
- Case Study
Karen Brasher
Karen Brasher, a Lecturer in the School of Health, praises the Xerte software tool which can be used to create online content.
“I undertook a one-to-one session with Anne on how to use Xerte, with a view to making an on-line workbook. However, the training coupled with the comprehensive user guide, enabled me to explore a variety of ways to make my module resources accessible.
I have been using Xerte to produce materials for 2 of my modules. Xerte has enabled me to provide factual information in advance of taught sessions in a variety of different ways, including interactive activities, video clips and games. The resources I have produced are such that they can also be used as revision tools by the students.
Xerte
Xerte has meant that I can build on the work that the students have completed independently, and focus more on application and problem-solving in workshops. I have also devised a taster session and worked again with Anne on how to link this to the Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care website. The aim of the Xerte session produced is to give potential applicants an idea of the content and how we teach on the Foundation degree. It also provides an overview of some of the careers that someone with a Health and Social Care degree can do. I have thoroughly enjoyed using Xerte and have found it a very straightforward tool to use. I have felt supported by Anne, who has answered all my queries and as a result my Xerte journey has yielded some very professional looking results”.
This article is provided with thanks from Karen Brasher.
A quick Xerte guide is available here.
If you would like to book a place on a Xerte training session please contact Anne Misselbrook directly by email. Email: anne.misselbrook@northampton.ac.uk
NILE is integrated into the learning and teaching process at The University of Northampton and we need to ensure that it is being used effectively by staff in order to provide a quality student experience.
Building on the guidance which was initially produced in January 2012, the framework has now been updated to cover the minimum standards which are expected on a NILE site. This was approved at University SEC on 20th April, 2016 and subsequently used as the basis for the new NILE templates which were developed for the 2016/17 academic year.
As noted at SEC on the 24th February, it was proposed to enhance the provision of NILE sites for students in four key areas during 2016/17:
- To respond to on-going staff and student feedback to enhance sites to reduce queries. Colour schemes and other features to enhance accessibility will be addressed where possible.
- To use external data where available to reduce manual setup / checking. Staff will be automatically added to sites where possible based on data from the previous year. Prompts to set up assignments in the “Submit your work” area will provide information sourced from the Curriculum system.
- To provide clean sites and work in central teams to work in partnership with tutors to only copy over required information. This will reduce storage needs and also reduce chance of displaying old information on sites. Specific days will be provided for academic teams to work with Learntech to copy content from the previous year and look at ways to enhance existing and new materials.
- Use of Learntech, CfAP, Academic Librarians, Curriculum and Records teams to work with tutors to ensure sites are ready for 16/17 delivery. Sites will be merged where feasible to reduce the total number of sites viewed by tutors and ensure that students are not left on sites which are not being used for delivery.
When working with NILE sites tutors are guided to review some of the comments made by students as part of the STAR awards. This demonstrates some of the key items which students are looking for when working within NILE.
On 17th March, 2016, Roy Wallace (Senior Lecturer in Media Production – School of the Arts) was presented with the Best NILE Site Award as part of the Student Teaching and Representation (STAR) Awards evening.
(left to right) Roy Wallace collecting his award from Rob Howe (Head of Learning Technology)
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The full report on the event produced by Student Union President, Victor Agboola noted that NILE is now an ‘essential part of the student online experience’. he went on to note that ‘…a prominent theme found in the nominations was that students recognised the value in a regularly updating NILE sites. Students praised the lecturers who upload the lecture content before the lecture even takes place, and having the sites well-organised throughout the year. It was found that students then had the opportunity to do some wider research which then allows them to contribute more in both lecturers and seminars.’ Some of the student comments on each of the nominees is also available
The other tutors who were highly commended within this category were:
- Anoop Bhogal Nair – Northampton Business School
- Tony Smith Howell – School of Education
- Claire Allen – School of the Arts
- Greg Spellman – School of Science & Technology
- Simon Sneddon – School of Social Science
Final year student Hannah McTaggart showed her appreciation for the technology support which had been provided by Learning Technologist (Education), Belinda Green and presented her with a box of chocolates. Belinda looked forward to sharing them with the rest of her team!
(left to right) Belinda Green and Hannah McTaggart
During 2016, we have welcomed three new staff to the Learning Technology Team and saw one change.
Vicky Brown – Learning Technology Manager
Craig Ball – Project Development Officer (NBS)
Tim Guyett – Learning Technologist (Social Sciences) – Tim was previously the Learning Support Analyst.
Sharon Song – Learning Support Analyst
(left to right) Vicky Brown, Craig Ball and Tim Guyett
Sharon Song
Vicky, Sharon and Tim are based in the Learning Technology Office within Park Library. Craig is based in Cottesbrooke.
Your Health and Safety when marking online
The Safety, Health and Environment Team in Infrastructure Services have provided updated guidance for all staff using a computer, laptop or mobile device for on-line marking.
Dissertation Marking
The guidance provided for dissertation marking in 2015 assumed a single submission point which students would submit assignments to. Tutors then had to copy assignments to a second submission point in order to complete the independent / blind double marking process. Whilst this worked for very small cohorts, it has been found that a more straightforward process for tutors is to get the students to just submit the same file twice to two different submission points. The guidance and documentation has now been updated to reflect this suggested modification.
Exempting Grades
When a member of staff suspects academic misconduct then the University policy is that the student’s grade is exempted (or suspended) pending the outcome of the investigation. During this time the student should not be able to access their provisional grade. Guidance on how to exempt a grade has been updated for NILE sites in the 15/16 academic year since it is not yet possible to add the ‘ZZ’ grade for these.
NILE sites in the 16/17 academic year will be updated to allow for the ‘ZZ’ grade to be added and procedures will be updated at that point.
In 2013 the Nominet Trust launched the Social Tech Guide. The aim of the guide is to promote and celebrate inspiring uses of technology for social good. Each year they publish the Nominet Trust 100, a guide to the 100 best digital technologies for social innovation. The 2015 guide has just been published and features a wide variety of technologies, from Flowy, a game to help people combat panic attacks, to MOM, an inflatable incubator for use with premature babies in the developing world, to WREX, a robotic exoskeleton to help children with neuromuscular diseases.
You can find out more and view the guide here: http://socialtech.org.uk/
