February's eMagazine from JISC RSC-Northwest; produced and edited by John Dalziel (eLearning Adviser)

3. Index
• About & Comment • Chegg
• General Contact Details • Common Craft Complete Video Library
• RSC-Northwest Contact Details • Conceptboard
• Disclaimer • Crocodoc
• News & Events
• Daum Equation Editor
• Other Curated Items
• Econ Ed
• Microsoft Webcasts Dec/Jan
• Explania
• Microsoft Webcasts Jan continued
• Resources & Archives • Get the Math
• Find, Try, Evaluate & Share (FiTES) • Google’sAdvice
FINDS... • Oolone
• 4 free online events for Learning • Parentchannel.tv
Resources / Library staff • Photo Pin
• Accidental Outlaw? • QRnot.es
• Attrakt
• Safer Internet Day 2012
• BibLy
• Send to Kindle
• Carbon Trust Empower™
Continued...

4. Index continued...
FINDS...
• Scribd collections
• SHAREVILLE
• Sobotong
• Surfon
• Typeracing
• WatchMe
• World of Kays
Back...

5. About & Comment
If you have any comments and/or • The Regional Support Centre
contributions to make, please send eMagazine provides news of
them... funding, current projects, initiatives and
• ...using the Online examples of good practice in eLearning,
and offers ideas and support for the HE,
Comment/Feedback Form FE, ACL, WBL, 6th Form, OLASS and
using the QR code or link below Specialist College Managers &
Practitioners, that are supported by the
RSC here in the Northwest.
Note: - Although every care has been taken in
the preparation of this eMagazine, no
warranty is given by the author or the
Regional Support Centre-Northwest as to
the accuracy or completeness of the
information contained within it and
neither the authors nor the RSC-
Northwest shall be responsible or
liable for any errors or omissions.
http://alturl.com/chzpz
Index

6. General Contact Details
• Support Desk... Address & Telephone/Fax
Duty Adviser Numbers...
Tel: 01524 510067 • Joint Information Systems
Email via QR Code or URL below... Committee (JISC) Advance
Regional Support Centre -
Northwest
Lancaster University
Bailrigg House
Lancaster University Campus
Lancaster LA1 4YE
Tel: 01524 510067
Fax: 01524 593 798
Web Address (URL)...
http://www.jiscrsc.ac.uk/northwest.aspx
Continued on next page...
support@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
Index

7. RSC-NW: Contact Details
• Interim Manager:
Rachel Fligelstone Colin Gallacher (Work Based Learning)
r.fligelstone@lancaster.ac.uk Tel: 01524 510058
cg@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
• Information Officer... Hilary Thomas (Higher Education)
Michelle Hyland Tel: 01524 510059
Tel: 01524 510068 ht@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
Fax:0152 459 3798 John Dalziel (Adult & Community Learning /
Personal & Community Development
mh@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Learning/OLASS & Sustainability/Green)
• Administration Tel: 01524 510057
jd@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
Christine Hulme Judy Bloxham (Further Education/6th
Tel: 01524 510066 Form Colleges)
Fax:0152 459 3798 Tel: 01524 510061
admin@rsc-northwest.ac.uk jb@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
• eLearning Advisers... Keith Wilson (Technical)
Tel: 01524 510065
Anita Holt (Further Education/6th Form kwil@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
Colleges) Kevin Hickey (Specialist Colleges &
Tel: 01524 510062 Accessibility)
ah@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Tel: 01524 510064
kh@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
Anthony Beal Mark Ayton
Tel: 01524 510071 Tel: 01524 510060
ah@rsc-northwest.ac.uk ma@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
Index

8. Disclaimer
• All the pictures and news
shown on this eMagazine
are the property of their
respective owners.
• We don't hold any • If any one has any
copyright about these objection to displaying of
pictures and news. any picture and news, it
• These pictures have been may be brought to our
collected from different notice by sending an
public sources including email (see the QR Code or
different websites, URL above ) & the same
considering to be in will be removed
public domain. immediately, after
verification of
support@rsc-northwest.ac.uk the claim.
Index

9. News & Events
• Access Event
information on the RSC
Website (use the QR
Code or URL below )
http://www.jiscrsc.ac.uk/northwest/news.aspx
• Access Latest News on
the RSC Website (use
the QR Code or URL
above )
http://www.jiscrsc.ac.uk/northwest/events.aspx
Index

10. Other Curated Items
• The content of this page is • Find out more by using the
currently curated by... QR code or the URL below...
– Anita Holt; http://alturl.com/d5dyf
– Colin Gallacher &
– John Dalziel
• Many curated items have
already been posted in
Facebook and as Twitter
Tweets during the Month
• Articles, images, video clips
have been added daily to...
– Raise awareness
– Provide food for thought
– Bring a smile to your face etc.
Index

11. 4 free online events for
Learning Resources / Library staff
• RSC North West are working closely • Dates and Times
with the Midlands and the North and • 5th March 10-11 Promoting your
have planned is a series of four free service effectively
online events for Learning Resources • 29th March TBC (likely to be 10-11)
/ Library staff. Successful curriculum integration and
• These events are an opportunity to support
learn from your colleagues, not just • 9th May 10 – 11 Induction
in our area but, in three other areas
of England. • 30th May 10-11 Bench marking
• We are looking for volunteers to • Individuals will be able to book onto
contribute (a short 5 - 10 minute these free events week beginning 6th
presentation) to one of the February 2012
sessions. If you feel you have • If you cannot attend on the day there
something worth sharing, and we will be a recording made available.
know you have, please contact us • Please email ab@rsc-northwest.ac.uk
ASAP. or phone 01524 510061
• We will be happy to help with Anthony Beal to discuss volunteering.
showing you how to present Online
and trying out Blackboard
Collaborate (the online conferencing
tool we are using)
• NB you only need to volunteer for
one session Index

12. Accidental outlaw?
• Did you know that you can't • Find out more by using the
use content from another QR code or the URL below...
website without linking http://accidentaloutlaw.kno
back to it? wthenet.org.uk/
• It's one of the facts covered
in the "Are You an
Accidental Outlaw Test"
which I feel is a must for
learners and practitioners!
• Go on take the test to see
what laws you might
unwittingly be breaking. You
and your learners might be
surprised!
Index

13. Attrakt
• Attrakt is a relatively new • Find out more by using the
search engine that offers QR code or the URL below...
various useful web search http://www.attrakt.com/
features. The basic usage is
like any other search
engine.
• To get better results, users
can sign into Attrakt and
keep track of the sites they
visit the most.
• Users can create boxes and
themes that interest them
and add useful links they
find in the boxes.
Index

14. BibLy
• If you are having a religious • Find out more by using the
discussion with learners QR code or the URL below...
online, it is always wise to http://bib.ly/
support perspectives with
the exact references.
• If practitioners are
referencing the Bible, they
should be able to show
learners which verse they
are talking about to support
their argument.
• Here to help everyone
reference Bible verses
online is a free to use web
service called BibLy.
Index

15. Carbon Trust Empower™
• Through... • Find out more by using the
– tutorials, QR code or the URL below...
http://alturl.com/zvegu
– virtual tours,
– a quiz, and
– other interactive
elements,
Carbon Trust
Empower™ will help
users commit to
making carbon and
cost-savings in their
office.
Index

16. Chegg
• Chegg have announced a new • Find out more by using the
way for learners to buy and rent QR code or the URL below...
textbooks to read online. http://www.chegg.com/etextbooks/
• Books in Chegg’s online reader
look more like regular books
however they have built a
number of tools it says are unique
and designed to be useful to
learners without hampering
them. Among them: the ability
to...
– ask questions to a community of
users for a real-time response.
– instantly highlights the most
important passages of the work
using software that analyzes its
meaning.
• Chegg has about 40,000 digital
textbooks now and has signed
contracts with all the top
publishers.
Index

17. Conceptboard
• Conceptboard provides an online • Learners could use Conceptboard for
whiteboard space where users can online peer tutoring or peer editing
share drawings, documents, and for group work, brainstorming
spreadsheets, and more. sessions and much more.
• Users can create drawings and • Find out more by using the
diagrams from scratch or upload QR code or the URL below...
existing files. http://conceptboard.com/
• Users can invite as many people as
they want to collaborate on the
whiteboard.
• Notes can be pinned to specific items
on the whiteboard so that there is
not any confusion about what each
note is related to.
Note: Conceptboard is designed to work
without installing any separate
applications.
• Conceptboard could be a good tool
for online tutorials, eAssessment and
explanations of concepts.
Index

18. Common Craft Complete Video Library
• Common Craft videos • Find out more by using the
have helped practitioners QR code or the URL
and trainers delight below...
millions by making http://www.commoncraft.com/videos
complex ideas easy to
understand.
• All their videos in their
Library are included with
membership
• Membership facilitates
the embedding of clips
on websites and/or
downloading for offline or
internal use.
Index

19. Crocodoc
• Crocodoc allows users to • Find out more by using the
upload documents, including QR code or the URL below...
PDFs, and then, http://crocodoc.com/
collaboratively edit them.
• Ideal for...
– peer editing;
– practitioners to provide
feedback on learner work.
e.g. take an example of learner
coursework and load it into
Crocodoc. Draw and/or add
comments to the coursework.
Links to the learners, the learners’
employers etc.
• Another way to use Crocodoc
is when practitioner team
need to work together on
projects. e.g. a team needs to
tweak course content or test
questions for an assessment. Index

20. Daum Equation Editor
• Thinking of using Google • Find out more by using the
Chrome? Well this could QR code or the URL below...
convince many of you. http://alturl.com/ys43f
• The Daum Equation Editor is a
free, online tool for quickly
writing equations that can
then be saved as text or
images to use in documents.
• Practitioners and/or learners
can use the equation editor by
typing on their keyboard and
or selecting symbols from the
Daum Equation Editor's menu.
• Essential for STEM subjects
where there is a greater need
to write-out equations on a
computer.
Index

21. Econ Ed
• Econ Ed Link hosts • Find out more by using the
hundreds of lesson plans QR code or the URL below...
and interactive games for http://www.econedlink.org/
teaching students about a
wide range of topics in
economics.
• The interactive section of
Econ Ed Link offers four
pages of videos and games
which can be used as stand-
alone activities or as part of
lesson plans.
• Many of the lessons are
designed for use not only in
the learning environment
but independently as well.
Index

22. Explania
• Explania is one of my • Find out more by using the
QR code or the URL below...
favourite resources for http://www.explania.com/en
animated explanations of
topics in Health, Technology,
Work, Software etc. Some of
their offerings are videos and
some of their offerings are
interactive animations.
• Learners can access
interactive animations on the
Explania website or
practitioners can embed
animations into VLEs, blogs,
websites etc.
Index

23. Family Learning – Worksheets & Printables
• Looking for hands-on Family • Find out more by using the
Learning Worksheets & QR code or the URL below...
Printables - Covering a wide http://www.education.com/worksheets/
range of subjects?
This resource may well
provide just such resources
to help keep the learners
engaged and can be a big
help to
parents/guardians/careers
etc. who are looking for
ways to help their children
avoid “holiday slide”.
• A great supplementary
resource for any Family
Learning arsenal!
Index

24. Get the Math
Looking for some contextual • Find out more by using the
challenges for your learners? QR code or the URL below...
• Well 'Get the Math' is a http://www.thirteen.org/get-the-math/
multimedia project about
algebra in the real world.
• See how professionals working
in...
– fashion,
– videogame design, and
– music production...
...use algebraic thinking.
• Get the Math also provides
interactive challenges related
to those careers –
e.g. after watching the Math in
Fashion video learners have to
design a shirt to match a
specific price point.
Index

25. Google's advice
• The citizens Advice Bureau & • Find out more by using the
Google have teamed up for the QR code or the URL below...
"Good to Know" campaign - http://www.google.co.uk/goodto
offering tips on staying safe know/online-safety/
online.
• For many learners and
practitioners, the Internet can be
a little bit scary. Just like in the
offline world, it’s important to
keep safe and secure.
• Whether they’re a new Internet
user or an old hand, it’s good to
stay updated on the best
practices when it comes to
sharing data online and browsing
safely.
• This website provides advice for
staying more secure on the web
and an overview of some of the
security tools that Google offers.
Index

26. Oolone
• Oolone is a search engine that • Find out more by using the
displays results, four at a QR code or the URL below...
time, in a square grid of http://www.oolone.com/
webpage previews.
• Rather than getting a list of
results, that have just a link
and a few line summary,
Oolone provides an image of
the webpages, to preview
before they select.
• Oolone can be used for
standard website search, for
image search, or news search.
• If you're the type that likes to
use browser plug-ins, Oolone
also offers a Chrome plug-in.
Index

27. Parentchannel.tv
• Parentchannel is a free video • Find out more by using the
website for parents of 5-19 QR code or the URL below...
year olds that offers expert http://www.parentchannel.tv/home
advice on parenting through
helpful short videos.
• Addressing day-to-day
questions and concerns
spanning wellbeing, behaviour
and learning.
• A collaborative project,
pooling together expertise
from three partners...
• • Parenting UK;
• • Tomorrows Child;
• • Capablue.
• Ideal resources for childcare,
ITT, etc.
Index

28. Photo Pin
• Photo Pin is a free tool that helps • Find out more by using the
bloggers and designers find QR code or the URL below...
beautiful photos for blogs and http://photopin.com/
websites using Creative
Commons licensing. Download
the photos and get attribution
links already formatted for you.
• Simply search for any topic using
the search box , preview the
photo, and click “get photo” to
download the photo as well as
the code with proper attribution
link.
• If users prefer to pay for
photographs rather than linking
to them, the results at the top
will take users to a stock photo
site where they can buy
photographs instead (currently
fotolia).
Index

29. QRnot.es
• Create notes (with photos) and • Find out more by using the
turn them into QR codes QR code or the URL below...
• QRnot.es is a QR code web http://qrnot.es/
application which practitioners
could end up using the most.
• QRnot.es helps users transmit a
page (with images if need be) via
the compact medium of QR
codes.
• Users can create a piece of text
under 500 words, give it a
headline, and attach an image in
JPG, BMP, or PNG format.
• The QR code generated points to
this online document.
• This code can be printed, or
downloaded as GIF so that
anyone can scan it and reach the
byte of information.
Index

30. Safer Internet Day
• Safer Internet Day – • Find out more by using the
7th February, 2012 QR code or the URL below...
• Safer Internet Day will this http://www.jiscrsc.ac.uk/northwest/
year focus on connecting publications/safeguarding.aspx
generations and JISC RSC
Northwest has designed an
engaging programme which
examines online safety issues
for all ages.
• To highlight this year’s Safer
Internet Day and to ensure
you are safe online, you are
invited to access (and/or use
with your learners) the
resources as they are released
day-by-day leading up to the
7th February;
Index

31. Send to Kindle
• Send to Kindle is a free Windows • Find out more by using the
program from Amazon. QR code or the URL below...
The purpose? http://alturl.com/npbuq
• To enable users to send
documents from a computer to
their Kindle or another device,
such as an iPad, that has a Kindle
app installed.
• With Send to Kindle installed on
learning provider PCs learners
can right-click on a document file
and transfer it wirelessly to a
Kindle device.
• Very handy for anyone to read
reports or other documents while
away from a computer and or
without Internet access.
Practitioners/Learners may find
this a good way to proofread
documents while on the move.
Index

32. Scribd collections
• In Scribd users (Practitioners) • Find out more by using the
can create public collections to QR code or the URL below...
which any Scribd user http://www.scribd.com/
(Learners/colleagues/etc) can
add documents.
• Creators of collections can
moderate submissions before
they appear in the collection.
• Creating a public collection in
Scribd could be a good way to
showcase examples of
learners' best work.
• Scribd widgets enable entire
collections to be embedded
into a vle, blog or website or
just direct others to the
collection on Scribd itself.
Index

33. SHAREVILLE
• Shareable, Holistic Assets & • Find out more by using the
Resources. Existing in a QR code or the URL below...
Virtual Interactive Lifelong http://shareville.bcu.ac.uk/index.php
Learning Environment
• SHAREVILLE is a virtual
town where users can
engage with a variety of real
scenarios situated in real
world contexts.
• SHAREVILLEs recent
upgrade has a more realistic
and intuitive interface
allowing learners a greater
learning experience.
Index

34. Sobotong
• An increasing number of learners • Find out more by using the
speak two languages and browse QR code or the URL below...
websites in both. http://www.sobotong.com/gl/index.html
• Such learners may need a search
engine that is able to provide them
with results in both languages they
speak.
• Sobotong offers such a search
feature.
• Users can click on the translated
query and make search results
appear in the second language that
they select.
• The left pane of the search panel also
allows users to select the type of
item they are searching for i.e. news,
movies, RSS feeds, software, etc.
• Could also be very useful for those
learning English and/or other
languages.
Index

35. Surfon
• Many Learners and/or Practitioners • Tab lists are saved in a users account
may already be using tab-syncing which can be reused any number of
solutions that are available for times on any number of machines
Chrome and Firefox, but only if they and browsers.
plan to move browser tabs from • Find out more by using the
Chrome to Chrome or Firefox to QR code or the URL below...
Firefox. What if you want to move http://www.getsurfon.com/
the tabs from Chrome to Firefox or
vice-versa?
• That’s where Surfon comes in. It’s a
new tool that lets users save tabs in
a browser and open them on
another browser or on another
machine. Surfon is the first of its
kind to offers cross-browser
compatibility.
• Currently, Surfon is available for
Chrome, Firefox and Safari for swift
and seamless transfer of saved tabs,
but it’s also possible to use Surfon –
for one-way transfers – from the
three aforementioned browsers to
any other browser like Opera or
Internet Explorer.
Index

36. Typeracing
• Typeracing is an online typing • Find out more by using the
game that aims to help learners QR code or the URL below...
improve their rate of typing. http://www.typeracing.net/
• As learners race in more and
more games, they’ll build up
points.
• When they reach a certain
number of points, they’ll increase
their level, unlocking different car
models for them to drive.
• A fun way to customize your
learners typing experience.
• Typeracing also has a section for
testing words-per-minute rate, as
well as a single player mode for
practice. For a multiplayer
experience, learners can set up a
game and race against peers or
join a public game and race
against strangers.
Index

37. WatchMe
• WatchMe can be used to • Find out more by using the
set and keep track of QR code or the URL below...
multiple alarms at the same http://www.flamebrain.com/
time. This saves users the download-watchme/
hassle of setting new alarms
every time.
• Multiple tasks can be set
ahead of time in order to
ensure that users
accomplish most of them
before the alarm reminds
them to do so.
• WatchMe also allows users
to organize alarms in
different tabs for different
purposes.
Index

38. World of Kays
• A fascinating look at fashion • Find out more by using the
QR code or the URL below...
through the ages. http://www.worldofkays.org/
• World of Kays provides
images from 80 years of
their catalogue; 1920s to
1990s.
• This project, from the
University of Worcester,
focuses on the changing
attitudes to fashion.
• The search tool allows users
to compare pyjamas, for
example, from different
decades.
Index

39. Resources and Archives
• aclJohns Website & • Scoop.It – Technologies
http://www.scoop.it/t/technologies/
Blog Portal
http://www.acljohn.com/ • ShoutOmatic
• Dipity Timeline http://shoutomatic.com/acljohn
http://www.dipity.com/acljohn/ • Spreaker Radio Station
• Only2clicks http://bit.ly/ppcIHX http://bit.ly/nSLYjE
• Pearltrees http://pear.ly/Hhwv • The ACLjohn Daily
http://paper.li/ACLjohn
• RSC-NW TV Channel
http://www.livestream.com/locus • YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/acljohn
Index

40. Find Try Evaluate and Share (FiTES)
• You are the experts in your
field of work, management,
administration, practitioners
etc., and you know what
works for you!
• By sharing not only will you
raise the awareness of your
colleagues but you should also
benefit from their Share your resources by
submissions. completing the form available
• By doing this, you will all be at http://bit.ly/o6yiwl or
supporting & stimulating • Use your iPhone, Android,
innovation in learning, iPad, etc. with the QR code
teaching and administration. above...
Index