David Beaumont, programme team leader for 16-18 IT at The Manchester College, explains what netbooks are and how they are being used at the college.
David explains how the use of netbooks developed from their basic use within a mobile learning project into a range of uses including enabling learners to create digital diaries. David also comments on the debate over which operating system to use and highlights the benifits of being creative in how to use them.
Originally published at www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk
The Mobile Learning Network (MoleNet) was set up by the Learning and Skills Network (LSN) to provide a collaborative approach to the implementation of Mobile Learning. They did this by providing funding to 32 projects across England.
Five of these projects were led by colleges based in the NorthWest.
Learning on the Go (LoG).
Stockport College with Trafford College, University of Manchester
Enabling students to revise vocational competency materials and access additional learning support through the use of handheld devices.
Teaching & Learning : Technology Driven – Quality Driven
Cardinal Newman College
Aiming to build on recent successes and move the College and its teaching and learning forward by enhancing the students’ learning experience
through the use of wireless technology and, in par ticular, ultra-mobile PC hardware.
Mobile IN Salford
Eccles College with Salford College, Pendleton College, Langdon College and Salford City Learning Centres
Exploring the potential of hybrid PDA/phones with 3G capability to enhance learning in/outside classrooms. Developing interaction between mobile devices and learning environments, exploiting the potential of closed social networks
EISL Project – Extending, Inspiring and Supporting Learning through the use of Mobile Technologies
Bolton Community College with MANCAT, City College Manchester and The Oldham College
Vod/podcasting technologies to suppor t the delivery of learning via PDAs, mobile phones, i-Pods and PSPs. One par tner will supply memory cards for learners’ own devices; the others will provide learners with their own mobile devices.
Using Mobile Learning Technologies to improve retention and achievement with challenging client groups
Accrington and Rossendale College
Evaluating the impact of mobile learning technologies on teaching and learning, aiming to improve retention and achievement rates of students and to ensure investment in the new technologies delivers positive results
Further information about all these projects is avalable on the MoLeNET website
http://www.molenet.org.uk/
| Saima Hanif, ESOL tutor at Hopwood Hall, discusses her experience of using the voice recorder features of learners mobile phones for ESOL.
Saima elaborates on how learners can take advantage of the features built into many mobile phones to record and playback conversations both in and out of the classroom. This interview highlights issues such as the compatibility of different file types and raising awareness. Click here to download the podcast |
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Paula explains how students are using iPods to store and view video evidence they have created, listen to audio versions of text documents and play revision quizzes. She goes on to detail the huge effect these quizzes, created with the free iQuiz maker software, has had on achievement.
Click here to download the podcast
iQuiz Maker www.iquizmaker.com iTunesU http://www.apple.com/education/itunesu_mobilelearning/itunesu.html
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A podcast interview with Lillian Soon discussing the use of SMS (text messaging) in education
Podcast interview Lillian Soon from XLearn discussing the advantages of using SMS messaging education, as well as some practical some tips and tricks.
A pecha kucha style presentation looking at 20 ways to use an ipod classic for educational use. Many of the features will work on other media devices.
Julie Catterall , Head of Learning Support at King George V College, talks about their use of Text to Speech/Literacy Support Software.
Julie explains how the software makes text from a website, or electronic document, more accessible. Although this software is specificity designed for those with reading and writing difficulties, Julie explains how it could be beneficial for all students. Julie goes on to elaborate on how this type of software can support independence for students with specific learning difficulties.
Gary Elliot, eLearning Developer at Myerscough College discusses their use of Second Life.
Gary explains what Second Life is, and how it can be used as a “truly virtual learning environment”. He goes on to discuss the technical requirements, its implications for distance learning, its potential for simulations and how it has proved to be surprisingly popular with a relatively high age group studying agricultural courses.
Peter Edge is Technical Developer for eServices at The Manchester College and in this podcast he discusses Ourtube, the media on demand services they developed for staff and students at the colleges and how that evolved into MoleTV, a similar service for the wider FE community.
Peter highlights some of the key features such as making video available in formats suitable for devices such as iPods and Playstation Portables (PSPs). He also identifies some of the technical hurdles that they have overcome and how they plan to develop the use of live video.
To find out more please visit www.moletv.org.uk
| This article was originally published within the RSC Northwest newsletter Volume 7 Issue 1 during Autumn 2007 |
Warrington Collegiate used their new build as an opportunity to move from an analogue telephony system to an IP system. This was followed by a move to an IP based CCTV system. Their Deputy Director of Information and IT, Nick Smeltzer, explains why they chose to do this, how the move worked and the advantages of IP systems.
The move to an IP telephony system was based on several reasons including ease of management and long term cost benefits. Nick believes that although an IP system may require more expensive handsets, the backend infrastructure is cheaper and requires less time to manage.
They decided to use Cisco for their network and their telephony system. Using the same supplier for both ensured there were no compatibility issues or problems with the power requirements of the telephones. Every phone has dual network points at the back which act as a switch. This means that a PC network cable can be plugged into the back of the phone, avoiding the need for a separate wall port.
With the IP system, telephone numbers are tied to the handset rather than the port they are plugged into. This means that if a member of staff moves office they just have to take their handset with them to keep the same number. With the analogue system this could have required re-patching in the wiring cabinets and changing routing tables. The phones are plugged in via standard network point which has saved an estimated £2-3000 in cabling costs alone. Management of the telephony system, such as adding a new line, changes to voice mail settings and call diverts, can now be easily managed by any of the IT department as it is web based. When they were on the analogue system this required a specific member of the team who knew how to manipulate the command code.
In December 2005, they started to move over to an IP phone system. This was phased in as their new build developed, however this was always linked to the existing analog system until the final ‘old’ building was demolished a year later. During this time lines would go through the analog system. Routing tables were used to identify if users were local to the analog system, if not the line would be routed through the IP system. As more users were transferred to the IP system, the routing table became smaller. Eventually the lines were physically transferred too and the old system was switched off.
The high specification phones have a colour screen and can display html pages, while the lower specification phones have a monochrome screen which can display RSS feeds. At Warrington all phones are set up to display RSS feeds of BBC news, Warrington weather and news from the local newspaper. This provides access to information in areas where a PC is not available.
The IP phones can be programmed so the keypads provide functions other than making calls. One idea is to link the phones and CCTV to a gate. When someone wants to be let in, the feed from the CCTV could be displayed on the screen, and someone with the phone could type in a code on the keypad to open the gate. The system also gives call centre functionality, telling callers that they are in a queue and a PC can display who is in the queue and how long they have been waiting. The system even has the potential to detect changes in voice modulation, which can send an alert if someone starts shouting or arguing while on a call.
IP CCTV was installed internally after the new build had been completed. The external analog CCTV, supplied with the new build, has been converted with codex to run on the IP system. This system uses Controlware monitoring platform with Bosh Cameras.
Cameras are plugged into any live network points and can be easily updated with the latest software or codex. The reasons for using an IP CCTV system mirror the reasons for using an IP telephone system. Although the cameras are more expensive, the back end infrastructure of an IP CCTV system works out cheaper and it also gives a great deal more functionality.
The cameras can be set up to send an alarm based on movement in a room during out of hours. The buffering system will capture a recording from ten seconds before the alarm event, until ten seconds after the event. Face recognition is currently being developed which could allow the system to send an alert if a specified individual, such a previous intruder, comes into shot on any of the cameras. The cameras can also report back on any maintenance issues such as cameras being moved or unplugged.
The management of the IP CCTV system is very flexible as cameras can easily be added and viewing permissions can be modified. The camera feed can be displayed via an internet browser which allows for distributed monitoring. This allows departmental staff to log on to a computer either at work or remotely from home, and view what is going on in the rooms they have permissions to view.
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