Scoop.it

Scoop.it lets you identify a topic you are intereste in and will search the internet for related information. It allows you to scoop what you find interesting into your personalised informationsite which you can share. Great for creating topic related 'newspapers' online.

Open Learn - Free learning materials from Open University

Drawing on their expertise in distance learning and with the help of funding from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Open University has developed OpenLearn a website which provides the general public with access to some of its learning materials. These include free study materials and open education resources.

These resources do not constitute a recognised OU qualitifcation. Never-the-less, there are a range of subject areas covered at different levels of difficulty and these are worth looking at if you want free learning resources or to see examples of online courses.

National Learning Network Resources

The National Learning Network have made available a host of learning resources. These were funded by the LSC and are available free to all authorised organisations in the post-16 sector.
They describe the resources as "small, flexible 'bite-sized' episodes of learning". Designed to be fun, the activities can be attempted over and over again and cover many different topic areas (including core skills, mainstream school subjects and vocational areas). These are definitely worth looking at if you want online activities for your students to increase their knowledge and to check their understanding.

Online Courses

Hewlett-Packard provide free online classes covering a range of topic areas. These classes are usually 4-8 lessons long and can be completed at your own pace within the time-frame set by HP.

The lessons can be completed at your own convenience and include activities, reading, quizzes and assignments. HP also provide a Discussion Board for participants to communicate with each other for the duration of the course. The courses offered change over time so even if you do not want to do one on offer at the moment it is worth looking back later for new courses.

Email College - Short courses

Ever felt you really wanted to learn more about a topic but do not have the time to go to a class? Email college might have the answer for you. This site offers free courses: from advertising to listening skills, from mystery shopping to childrens story writing, from how to complain to starting an ebay business. In short there are so many courses here you are almost certain to find one that interests you! The courses are done by email and last an average of 8 days. There might even be a course that you think is worth recommending to your students.

The site also provides a wide range of additional resources for when you want an instant answer to your problem rather than a mini course. These include publications and web links covering running or starting a business, information skills, work skills, self development, finding a job, or making an extra income.

Using technology to teach

Have you noticed the increase in in technological gadgets that students are carrying around and using - ipods, mp3 players, laptops, mobile phones ....

We may be able to get their attention if we make use of some of these technologies in our teaching. Technology gives us the opportunity to engage with students where they are using tools they are familiar with. If we might be able to succeed in getting students to learn using these tools is it worth the time to investigate the possibilities? I do not propose that we throw away all we have used before but that we consider if there are any new applications. I will come back to this again over the next few weeks and explore some possibilities.

In the meantime have a look at what this video has to say on the matter.

Designing online resources

I have just given a presentation about one of the online resources I have provided for students and while I was thinking about what I should say there were a number of points which were crystalised in my thinking.

The use of IT should only be to enhance teaching or learning support and it is not an end in itself. If what I produce does not add to the learner experience then it is pointless.

Research and student feedback is therefore a very important aspect of my planning and this ultimately informs what I do.

There are hundreds of elearning tools and resources available but they should be used with careful thought not just for fun or because they are available.