Suzi's Notebook

Geography elearning projects funded by GEES

There are two elearning projects among the small projects funded by the Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences subject centre (GEES) for 2006/07.

e-Learning or a-Gimmick? Evaluating the use of rich media in Geography fieldwork
A project based at Exeter, looking at the use of rich media in onsite fieldwork.  They'll be using ipod, PSP and mobile phones to deliver the material and evaluting the technology compared to (and/or combined with) traditional formats such as workbooks and handouts.

Enhancing Feedback Opportunities for Students through the use of Podcasting
Based at Chester, the project is not entirely clear to me from the description but it sounds like staff will be providing individual verbal feedback to students in the form of podcasts.  This feedback will be delivered using the students eportfolios.  The process will then be evaluated.

For a complete list, see the small scale learning and teaching projects for 2006/07.

Early Day Motion No 179 - Software in Education

MP John Pugh has tabled an early day motion to call for BECTA and the DfES to ensure schools can benefit from open source software.  So far it has 19 signatories.

The text is as follows:

That this House congratulates the Open University and other schools, colleges and universities for utilising free and open source software to deliver cost-effective educational benefit not just for their own institutions but also the wider community; and expresses concern that Becta and the Department for Education and Skills, through the use of outdated purchasing frameworks, are effectively denying schools the option of benefiting from both free and open source software and the value and experience small and medium ICT companies could bring to the schools market.