The UCL Teaching and Learning Network

Slide 1: The UCL Teaching and Learning Network Phil Riding E-learning Advisor Learning Technologies Support Service Information Systems UCL

Slide 2: The LTSS • 4 of us • Charged with training, and ‘selling’ various learning technology tools to academic staff • 2 E-learning Advisors employed to bring a more pedagogical slant to the team’s work • Work closely with the Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching (CALT)

Slide 3: Why we set it up to provide: – a complement to formal training courses – a space for sharing of practical ideas, experiences – a focus and support for innovative thinking and practice in T&L – a place for ‘horizon scanning’ – a gateway to further (formal) study (e.g. the CALT MA in Education, and other routes) – a destination after study (e.g. following the HEA- approved Certificate for new lecturers)

Slide 4: We decided… • that membership would be open to all staff, academic and non-academic • that the Network would be cross-faculty • to have a face-to-face and an online element • to take a practical, problem-solving approach to pedagogical challenges brought to the Network by its members • to use members to run face-to-face sessions whenever possible

Slide 5: What we did • Launched the Network in January 2006 • Monthly themed meetings (every third Wednesday) - one hour presentation, one hour discussion (with tea and coffee, and wine at Christmas) • Contributions from UCL staff and invited outsiders • On-line ‘Clubhouse’ (in Moodle) offering discussion fora, presentations from meetings, useful links, etc. • Advertised via all staff email, posters, calendar hand outs, website, word of mouth

Slide 7: Themes (with attendances) • Content (14) • Moodle showcases (22 and • Portfolios (17) 48) • New Teaching Environments • The Google Generation (18) (Information skills) (20) • The Research-Teaching • Podcasting (36) Nexus (18) • Digital mapping Tools (27) • Showcase (peer observation, • Plagiarism (28) Dutch translation) (12) • Personal Response Systems • Tools for Collaborative (28) Teaching (Google tools, social • Social networking (Facebook, bookmarking, Flickr) (43) MySpace) (32) • Tools for facilitating learning • Writing and the Internet (21) communities (Yahoo and Google groups, discussion lists, • Using Multimedia (36) etc.) (23) • Second Life and the Virtual University

Slide 8: Attendance TLN Attendance 2005-2008 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Ja Fe Ma Ap Ma Ju J Au Se Oc No De Ja Fe Ma Ap Ma Ju J Au Se Oc No De Ja n- b- r- r- y- n- ul- g- p- t- v- c- n- b- r- r- y- n- ul- g- p- t- v- c- n- 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 06 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 08

Slide 9: Best Practice? • provides both face to face and online elements • Is open to all staff, academic and non-academic • Utilises members to demonstrate their work • Uses external people to bring a non-UCL perspective • Face-to-face sessions are informal, fun, allowing exploration and breaking down of ‘transmission culture’ • has a practical, problem-solving focus • Is cross-faculty, offering networking opportunities • has an element of ‘branding’…