Presentation at: Teaching and supporting a digital future: UoN Showcase 4th February 2022
Helen Caldwell introduces the newly formed Centre for Active Digital Education (CADE)
The recording of the event is available to view
Some key points (subject to be updated) regarding the Centre:
Vision: The Active Digital Education Centre will be a catalyst for the development of digital skills which will position the University of Northampton as a hub for innovation benefiting staff, students, and the wider sector including local businesses.
Proposed Centre Membership: The centre will recruit members across all three Faculties and from relevant Professional Services teams within the University of Northampton. Initial membership will be from the existing Digital Technologies SIG but this will grow to include other relevant SIGs (e.g.Gamification, AI and eXtended Reality XR) and external members by specific invitation related to the strategic direction of the Centre.
Summary Description of the Centre:
Active Digital Education (ADE) is a pedagogical approach to designing and teaching using digital tools. This concept has been developed at the University of Northampton to complement their pedagogical approach of Active Blended Learning (ABL). The ADE approach recognises that digital tools can be harnessed to facilitate the co-construction of knowledge through technology-enabled exchanges of ideas. Such active co-creation has the potential for students to build employability skills consistent with the transformative ambitions of SDG4 and with changemaker values. It engages students in knowledge construction, reflection and critique, the development of learner autonomy and the achievement of learning outcomes using digital tools.
The Centre will bring together expertise throughout the University and beyond to become a beacon of excellence for development and dissemination in ADE and develop knowledge exchange opportunities with external companies (such as placements, projects and joint funding). It will build on the work and networks already developed through the existing Digital Technologies SIG. It will act as a unifying structure for relevant SIGs focusing on innovative digital technology themes such as chatbots, AI, inclusive technology, gamification, immersive technologies and eXtended Reality (XR), simulation and digital competencies.
As such, the umbrella of ADE and the Centre will act as a focal point and a vehicle for the creative deployment of technologies across disciplines.
Rationale and goals for the Centre:
The ADE Centre recognises that the use of digital technologies in higher education is poised to move into a new era and that the University of Northampton has the capacity to lead in the field. Innovative digital technologies can pave the way for new pedagogical approaches that emphasise active participation, social inclusion and collaborative innovation. The ADE Centre seeks to provide a multidisciplinary environment supporting and sharing research and innovation.
The ADE Centre intends to:
- raise the profile of scholarly debate about ADE.
- define ADE across educational sectors and stakeholder groups.
- become a hub for the development and exchange of ADE knowledge through a collection of SIGs that form partnerships between academics across disciplines and external stakeholders.
- nurture the production of a range of research related tangible outputs that contribute to PURE and feed into the REF.
- share, reflect and discuss all matters related to research and its practical application to ADE.
- support innovation across a broad spectrum of digital technologies in research, and research-led teaching and learning.
- foster an inclusive, interdisciplinary community that develops expertise and supports researcher development and wellbeing.
- encourage collaboration in scholarship and evidence-based practice in ADE to discover and share research informed solutions.
- sustain a bidding programme in the field of ADE for research and enterprise income that results in a shared repertoire of outputs.
- act as point of advice on relation to TEF and NSS developments which can be underpinned and supported by ADE activities.
- raise the reputation and visibility of the University of Northampton to students, local businesses, recruitment markets etc. as the modern university of choice.
- address local digital skills shortages and business growth challenges by working closely with external organisations. This will help businesses identify future opportunities and increase the employability of our students.
Presentation at: Teaching and supporting a digital future: UoN Showcase 4th February 2022
Wray Irwin talks about Changemaker Support (highlighting how the team supports staff and students’ digital employability)
The recording of the event is available to view
Presentation at: Teaching and supporting a digital future: UoN Showcase 4th February 2022
Simon Wragg Senior Lecturer in Marketing, FBL. – “It’s just a bit of fun! Really…?” Observations on online games in supporting student learning and student experience: Insights from module evaluations.
The recording of the event is available to view
Presentation at: Teaching and supporting a digital future: UoN Showcase 4th February 2022
Kardi Somerfield Senior Lecturer & Course Leader BA Advertising & Digital Marketing, FBL.
Live client project: Building and promoting a Virtual Reality experience for the Campus Security/Police as part of Safer Nights Out Campaign. Using RiVR Classroom in a Box. The promotional video is also available to view.
The recording of the event is available to view
Presentation at: Teaching and supporting a digital future: UoN Showcase 4th February 2022
Tom Briggs (Maths Teacher, Museum Education Consultant & MA Education Student) – Unreinventing the Wheel: an Example or Two (or, “Almost Every Museum Has Had Digital Resources for Years So Why Did They Struggle So Much When the Pandemic Hit?”)
The recording of the event is available to view
Presentation at: Teaching and supporting a digital future: UoN Showcase 4th February 2022
Emma Whewell and Helen Caldwell (Associate Professors) share their recent paper on: Changemakers as digital makers: Connecting and co-creating. Written in collaboration with Mark Frydenberg from Bentley University, Boston USA and Professor Diana Andone, University of Timisoara, Romania, published in Education and Information Technologies (January 2022)
This paper presents data from two international projects focused on the interaction between changemaking and digital making in university students. The data is drawn from the contributions of 63 university students located in the United States, Romania, Spain, Belgium, Norway, Denmark and England. Using a design thinking methodology and a thematic analysis of student responses, the aim was to understand how the creative use of immersive technologies, such as augmented and virtual reality, might create an environment for changemaking practices in an international context. Findings suggest that students demonstrated not only enhanced digital skills and student engagement but increased cultural competence and global mindfulness. International digital collaboration can create conditions for students to develop changemaker attributes and identify as changemakers within the spheres of entrepreneurship and education, preparing them to be a force for change in the world.
The article is available here: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639-022-10892-1
The recording of the event is available to view
Presentation at: Teaching and supporting a digital future: UoN Showcase 4th February 2022
Alastair Snook is a year 5 teacher in a Warwickshire state school, and graduate of the University of Northampton, Alastair enrolled on UON’s BA Primary Education course in 2018. He was previously employed in the adult educational technology sector, and his third year research and dissertation focused on opportunities and issues associated with primary school usage of ed-tech. During his degree, Alastair also took part in the DLAB2 Erasmus+ project as a student researcher, which sought to enable pupils and teachers to overcome boundaries via educational technologies. He is a UON graduate and presents his undergraduate dissertation findings.
The recording of the event is available to view
Rob Lambert, Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for BA Games Design, FAST.
Presentation at: Teaching and supporting a digital future: UoN Showcase 4th February 2022
A dive into the experience of producing a commercial learning product:
3D Gamified training simulation tool for the National Fire Chiefs Council which will educate UK business owners around the laws, protocols and proper conduct relating to fire safety within their premises.
⦁ Getting the project going.
⦁ How we hope to measure the impact of the learning tool.
⦁ How we first intended to gamify learning, how we now intend to gamify learning.
⦁ Production management: Challenges, Milestones and progress, Working with a team of Graduates (925 Studios).
⦁ What may be next?
The recording of the event is available to view
Alison Power, Associate Professor (Learning and Teaching), Senior Lecturer in Midwifery, FHES
Demystifying the Digital World: supporting midwifery students to develop digital competence and confidence
Presentation at: Teaching and supporting a digital future: UoN Showcase 4th February 2022
To meet Professional Standards for pre-registration midwifery education, ‘technology-enhanced [and simulated] learning opportunities’ (NMC, 2019a:10) are embedded in the curriculum in a first-year module which aims to develop students’ digital and technological literacy.
At the start of the module students undertake self-assessments of digital competency using three online platforms (UoN’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), the NHS IT Skills Pathway ‘Digital Learning Solutions’ (DLS) and the JISC ‘Building Digital Capability’ website) to identify their digital learning needs. All three platforms then offer a suite of e-learning packages for students to complete, targeting their areas for development. The module is largely delivered online and uses a range of innovative and dynamic learning and teaching approaches for students to engage with both synchronously and asynchronously.
The first cohort to complete the module were asked about their experiences via an online survey and all respondents agreed that the module had been successful in its aim of developing their digital confidence and competence.
The recording of the event is available to view
| Sorry. The upgraded version of Blackboard scheduled to be available from the 4th of February has been delayed, and will now be available from the 11th of February. |
February’s upgrade, which will be in place from the morning of Friday 4th February, adds additional functionality to Blackboard Ultra test settings, and brings in the option for granular copying of content from Original courses to Ultra courses. Also included in the February update is a bug fix which means that the date and time shown on submission receipts for Blackboard Ultra assignments will, from Friday 4th February onwards, be the date and time that the submission was made, not when it was started. Note that this bug did not affect Turnitin assignments – the submission receipt for Turntin assignments has always shown the correct date and time of submission.
Blackboard Ultra test settings
From the 4th of February onwards, staff will be able to select two new options when setting up tests in Ultra courses:
- Prohibit late submissions
- Prohibit new attempts after due date
Selecting prohibit late submissions enforces a hard deadline and prevents students from making a late submission. In-progress and saved attempts will auto-submit at the due date, and students will receive a submission receipt via email. Specified accommodations are still respected.
Selecting prohibit new attempts after due date prevents students from beginning a new attempt after the due date.
Note that selecting ‘prohibit late submissions’ auto-enables ‘prohibit new attempts after due date.’ However, staff can enable the ‘prohibit new attempts after due date’ option on its own.
If an instructor enables the due date and/or time limit, students will see these details, as they will appear in the Details & Information section for the assessment.
Please note the current limitations with these new settings. ‘Prohibit late submissions’ does not work in combination with Peer review, Group submissions, or Offline submissions. And the ‘prohibit new attempts after due date’ setting enabled on its own does not work with Peer review, or with Offline submissions.
You can find out more about setting up tests in Ultra courses at: https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Ultra/Tests_Pools_Surveys/Create_Tests_and_Surveys
Granular copy content from Original to Ultra courses
Staff making use of the copy content function in Ultra courses will now find that content from their Original courses is available to copy into their Ultra courses. More importantly, and more usefully, the upgraded Ultra copy content tool allows staff to select individual elements of their Original courses, including content items, folders, and tests, to copy into their Ultra courses.
However, please be aware that content copied from Original courses into Ultra courses is transformed (or Ultra-ified) in the process, and incompatible elements are stripped out of the copy. This means that any content copied into an Ultra course from an Original course needs to be manually checked over before it is made available to students. In the case of tests, in particular, incompatible questions will be removed during the Original-to-Ultra conversion process.
More information about the Ultra copy content tool is available from: https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Ultra/Course_Content/Reuse_Content/Ultra_Copy_Content
Blackboard Ultra assignment receipts
Students submitting Blackboard assignments in Ultra courses will have found that the submission date and time on the receipt was the date and time that the submission was started. From the 4th of February the date and time shown on the receipt will be the date and time of actual submission.
You can find out more about setting up and using Blackboard Ultra assignments at: https://help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Ultra/Assignments/Create_and_Edit_Assignments
More information
As ever, please get in touch with your learning technologist if you would like any more information about the February upgrade: https://libguides.northampton.ac.uk/learntech/staff/nile-help/who-is-my-learning-technologist
