Superbus - Idea generation methods

Working with colleagues from Sustainable Product Design, we took a look at some different activities that help generate ideas around the theme of "Travel to and from home".

Using several idea generation methods, we got from initial thoughts around the theme to a concept and a design that eventually became Superbus - the answer to ethical and sustainable travel (with a happy tree, horse, cat and leg battery included).

These methods of idea generation and lots more can be found by using  IDEO method cards or the IDEO card app.

Reflections on #DigiFest14

The JISC organised event presented an opportunity to meet colleagues from across the UK, speak with old friends and make some new ones, set against a backdrop of innovative practice around information and educational technologies.

Taking place over 2 days at the ICC in Birmingham and feeling more like a TED event than a typical conference, myself and a colleague from Falmouth University were able to attend and engage in some fantastic keynotes and workshops. By far the most valuable thing about the event was talking to colleagues and find out how other institutions approach themes like Digital Literacy, assessment and feedback and portfolios. Having said that here are the top 5 takeaways from the workshops and keynotes in order of time and day (as that's how my notes are organised) from #DigiFest14:

Wordpress LTI Integration with Moodle

I’ve been looking recently at ways in which we can facilitate portfolios of work for students within the creative arts. To an extent, tools like Tumblr, Blogger, Behance are already well used, but they are used in isolation.

Learning Technologists Forum

Organised by JISC Regional Support Centre for the South West, yesterday was a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow Technologists and colleagues working and supporting learning and teaching.

Representing Falmouth University, Cornwall and Higher Education at the event, Amy Sampson and I gained a great insight into and provided feedback on the creative implementation of some inspirational learning technology projects.

Quick, Easy, Video Capture for Learning & Teaching

Delivering online learning offers the tutor great flexibility in combining various methods of delivery including audio and video in addition to the written word.

When used well, video can be an effective tool for communicating and making the learning more personal and as a collaborative activity for students. Google’s integrated suite of apps includes Hangouts and Youtube, a good combination for recording web conferences and instantly hosting them on the web.

Learning Learning Space in Learning Space Space

A post I wrote for ET on teaching by doing in Moodle:

Try saying that ten times really fast.

As ludicrous as that sounds, that’s what we’ve been trying to achieve with the implementation of the orientation module. We’re subscribing all users to one module that teaches you the basic  information you need to know to find your way around.



Read More

Open Licensing

I went searching for Open Education Resources in Cornwall, which is where I'm currently based, but the resources were scarce, so I went with Open Educational Infographics, as "Open" and "infographic" are current buzzwords.  It's of interest to me because the concept of the Higher Educational Institute and University is under the spotlight at the moment. There is a big conversation around the notion of "Openness" and sharing in all aspects of life at the moment and it has developed into a bandwagon. I've been championing Open Source technologies for several years and am looking at how the philosophy of community/peer support, group development and sharing of learning and learning resources is being applied in HE.