RSC Northwest eLearning Focus

In this issue...

Smarter Greener Learning conference

1

Welcome to the newsletter 2

Latest developments for the new eCPD Programme

4

From digital immigrants & natives to digital wisdom

5

Micro-blogging 6

RSC Northwest eMagazine: keeping you up-to-date

7

Recent developments from the Excellence Gateway

8

Lakes College case study: iPod quizzes for revision

10

Lessons learned from Specialist Colleges Video Conferencing Project

12

RSC Northwest Annual Event 2009

14

Additional event - JISC Services in Focus

15

Volume 8 Issue 2 March 2009

RSCs - stimulating and supporting innovation in learning

Smarter Greener Learning:

A Strategic Approach

Organised by the JISC Regional Support Centres, the Smarter Greener Learning Conference, repeated in three locations across the UK, brings the latest strategic thinking and practical advice to managers in the post-16 education sector to help them accelerate their implementation of sustainable business practices.

Building on the work of the JISC SusteIT project, led by Professor Peter James from the University of Bradford, the conferences focus on strategic planning and emergent best practice supported by regional case studies.

Continued on page 2...

Find out more

about the

sustainable

use of IT...

The main outputs from SusteIT (Sustainable Information Technology in Tertiary Education), the JISC-commissioned study on sustainable ICT in FE & HE are available.

Outputs available for download include a main report, technical papers on computing, data centres and printing, plus survey results.

There are some case studies showcasing best practice, and two excel tools - one for estimating the energy and carbon footprint of an institution's ICT, and one for comparing costs and carbon emissions from thick versus thin clients.

Find out more at www.susteit.org.uk

The conferences will: inform management decision-making by developing an understanding of resource and energy use across the whole business of post-16 education disseminate findings from the JISC SusteIT project in a context relevant to strategic managers encourage the sharing of good practice in IT and ILT management The conferences are aimed at senior managers with an interest or strategic role in sustainable development. They are relevant to colleges, higher education, adult and community and work based learning providers, large and small. The first running of the conference has already taken place in London in late February. North West Learning Providers can take advantage of whichever of the remaining two dates and locations best suits their requirements. These are: Birmingham - 18 March 2009, Holiday Inn www.rsc-em.ac.uk Edinburgh - 22 April 2009, Surgeons’ Hall www.rsc-ne-scotland.ac.uk There are separate booking arrangements for each of these two dates/locations. You can book via the links listed above against each location or by following the links from the events section of the RSC Northwest website at www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/eventcalendar.

Welcome to the March 2009 issue

of the RSC Northwest newsletter...

...from Andrew Quarmby, RSC Northwest Manager As winter appears to be relaxing its grip (a risky statement to make, I know), our thoughts turn from dark mornings and early dusk to things growing – and yes, 2

things are still growing, despite the recession and despite the moratorium on new build. This is particularly true of eLearning in the North West, where visits to our providers constantly remind us of the dynamic ways in which organisations and individuals use ILT in support of their learners. In the best examples, effective use of ILT underpins and enhances the experience of all learners, with consistent yet varied patterns of learner engagement, supported by joined-up thinking and communication between roles and management levels. As a service we are aware of the difficult ground which providers often have to tread on the way to achieving this, seeing the frustrations of those who are constrained or unsupported as well as the satisfaction and professional pride of those who have succeeded. We are also aware that the world does not stand still, that staff change, technologies move on and that responsiveness to these changes is crucial. All learning providers are different (thankfully) and in an era where conformity is the expected ‘norm’, it is good to see that ILT still allows for individual solutions and creativity, and for approaches which match particular needs, both at an institutional level and at the level of the learner. In this issue of the RSC Northwest newsletter, we feature some developments which are all part of the growth we celebrate, ranging from a video conferencing project through to a case study on using iPods for exam revision. The importance of ILT in the future of the Learning and Skills sector is reinforced by two national developments; the 5th March launch of the Becta eMaturity Framework (Generator) and the beginnings of development of the new LSIS (Learning and Skills Improvement Service) eCPD model. RSC Northwest looks forward to working closely with Learning Providers in support of these initiatives.

3

Networkshop 37

conference... The Networkshop 37 conference takes place between 31st March and 2nd April 2009 at the University of Cambridge. The programme covers a broad range of subject areas, highlighting the different aspects of networking, and is a mix of plenary, parallel and 'Birds of a Feather' sessions, plus an exhibition area. The conference will be of particular interest to network managers and technical staff from the UK research and education community. It provides a forum for technical updates and discussions on current and developing networking technologies.

Information and bookings via the JANET website at www.ja.net/services/events/2009/networkshop-37.html

Latest developments for the new

eCPD Programme

The LSIS (Learning and Skills Improvement Service) eCPD Programme continues to progress in the early part of 2009. The eCPD Programme aims to support whole organisational approaches to harnessing technology for learning, and is designed to help practitioners make effective use of technology to support and enhance learning. The deadline for the second cycle of PDA (Professional Development Adviser) nominations in early March 2009 is just too late for us to publicise in this newsletter. However, other recent developments of note are: Second round of Showcase Project funding

Funding is available to support the creation of showcase projects demonstrating exemplary work and effective practice. These showcase projects will be promoted within the online learning space and at other programme events. The deadline for receipt of the second round of proposal submissions is 23 March 2009. Further details including funding, guidance and how to submit a proposal are at http://ecpd.bdplearning.com eCPD online learning space

You can register on the eCPD new online learning space now. The online learning space is a growing community of practice, developed with representatives from the whole FE system to support PDAs and their colleagues through virtual networks and peer-to-peer activities. Register at http://ecpd.bdplearning.com to start networking with colleagues across the country and to access the latest eCPD framework and resources. 4

Federated

access

management:

key roles

confirmed as

support

continues...

In January 2009, as part of its ongoing and long-term commitment to the implementation of federated access management across the education and research sector, JISC announced new appointments to key roles to ensure that the sector continues to receive the support and guidance it needs. The Policy Board of the UK Access Management Federation is now chaired by Roland Rosner, Professor Emeritus of Networked Systems at UCL, where he was formerly Director of Education and Information Support. The Board will receive the report of a review to be conducted during 2009 on

Continued on page 5...

From digital immigrants and natives

to digital wisdom

Mark Prensky coined the terms ‘digital native’ and ‘digital immigrant’ in an article in 2001 to describe the differences between today’s young people and their elders. As the 21st century progresses he imagines a new set of distinctions. Prensky suggests the term ‘Digital Wisdom’, which comprises both wisdom in the prudent use of technology and the wisdom we gain from sophisticated technologies that enhance human cognition. He says “Technology alone will not replace intuition, good judgement, problem solving abilities and a clear moral compass”. He refers to the ‘tools of wisdom’ which will be widely available in the near future; these include the enhanced ability to plan and prioritise, and insight and access to alternate perspectives. None of these will replace the human mind; rather they will enhance our quest for knowledge and our development of wisdom. He concludes – “I believe it is the time for the emerging digitally wise among us, youth and adults alike, to embrace digital enhancement and to encourage others to do so. With our eyes wide open to enhancement’s potential harm as well as its benefits”. The full article might offer food for thought; it can be read in the February/March issue of Innovate, the Journal of Online Education, volume 5 Issue 3 at www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=705&action=article 5

the sector’s transition to federated access management and will make recommendations to JISC and Becta, the Federation’s initial sponsoring bodies. Nicole Harris has been appointed Federation Services Manager, responsible for maintaining and developing links across the federation, helping to identify new user needs, manage the service review and oversee the introduction of any new model resulting from the review. In addition, JISC will be appointing an expert within the sector as senior advisor to consult with institutions about the work of the federation, to identify problems, provide assistance and help to maintain the federation’s progress. For further information, see The UK Access Management Federation at www.ukfederation. org.uk

...Continued from page 4

6

Micro-blogging Have you heard about Twitter and micro-blogging, but aren’t sure what it’s all about? Here’s a brief introduction. Micro-blogging websites allow registered users to write and read short messages to and from their followers. These messages are often short updates about what someone is doing but can also include news and discussion topics. There are a number of different micro-blogging sites, each with a variety of features. Sites include: Twitter (www.twitter.com) - the most popular micro- blogging site, it’s popularity boosted by a number of celebrity members or ‘twitterers’. These include Stephen Fry, John Cleese, Jonathan Ross and Andy Murray. Messages posted to Twitter are known as ‘tweets’ and are limited to 140 characters. Photos can be posted via supporting websites such as Tweetpic. Jaiku (www.jaiku.com) - Jaiku posts can be replied to using comments. This enables the development of online discussions and conversations. Edmodo (www.edmodo.com) - a Micro-blogging site specifically designed for education. Unlike Twitter and Jaiku, Edmodo enables the creation of closed groups which can only be accessed by specified users. This allows teachers and students to send messages and images in a safe environment. You can now use Twitter to get news and updates from RSC Northwest at http://twitter.com/jiscrscnw. We would be interested to hear about your experiences (good and bad) of using micro-blogging sites, particularly where you have been using them within your organisation and with your learners. Contact eLearning Adviser Kevin Hickey with your views at kh@rsc-northwest.ac.uk.

What are you doing?

Missed out on

our previous

newsletters?...

Our previous RSC NW newsletters can be accessed online in the Newsletter Archive section of our website at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/eMagArchive/newsletters.html

The newsletters, which can be viewed page by page, at full size, have been created for reading online using Issuu - a free online publications service. You can find out more about Issuu at http://issuu.com Alternatively, you can download the newsletters from the Newsletter Archive in pdf format.

RSC Northwest

eMagazine: keeping

you up-to-date on

this, that, the other -

and even more... The RSC Northwest eMagazine, produced by eLearning Adviser John Dalziel and published on a monthly basis, provides a wealth of information and news on current projects, initiatives, funding, technologies and examples of good practice in eLearning. The February 2009 issue of the newsletter includes information on and/or links to: 5 free portable application suites Resources for teaching learners with multiple special needs How to create quizzes for a mobile phone Memiary: Online reflective diary keeping made easy 4 Teachers - a website for teachers teaching with technology Sign-Tube - video sharing for the deaf community You can subscribe to receive an email when new eMagazine issues are published from within the latest eMagazine. You can access the latest issue, and the eMagazine archive at www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/eMagArchive Getting the eMagazine information and news in bite-size chunks John has also recognised that some of you would prefer a 'drip feed' of news and information during the month, and has established an eMagazine Blog where you can use an RSS feed to keep up to date. Note that not all of the eMagazine content will appear on the blog. You can access the blog at http://acljohn.posterous.com

7

New eMagazine

Supplement

additions... Two eMagazine Supplements have been produced since the last newsletter and are available online. These are: VLE implementation Produced by Colin Gallacher and John Dalziel Tools-4-All Produced by John Dalziel You can access these from the eMagazine archive on the website at www.rsc-northwest.ac. uk/acl/eMagArchive

Recent developments from

the Excellence Gateway Meeting of minds online - workrooms for collaboration and joint working Comparable to online classrooms, the new collaborative workrooms allow people to take part in joint planning and online discussions about key areas of work.

The workrooms allow document sharing, progress tracking and chatting with colleagues. Strict version control ensures efficient and confident project management - they’re ideal for organisations with regional offices, allowing teams to work as one in a secure and private online environment. The collaborative workrooms are intuitive and easy to use and requires no IT investment or support – a web browser is all that is needed to access the following key services: Discussion forums – where members are invited to take part in discussions, to mark-up contributions and to ask and answer questions about each others’ inputs. Shared library – for uploading files relevant to a particular project or area of work. Task setter – enabling the host to assign tasks and then track progress to completion. Registered users should simply log on to http://excellence.qia.org.uk, visit the Excellence Gateway Community section and click on ‘Create a work room’ to start collaborating. Innovative schemes showcased with launch of new videos The Excellence Gateway has made available four videos which share innovation and best practice, showcasing the success of individual colleges and providers. Developed by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), the videos are available via EGTV, the portal’s

8

Latest RSC NW

case studies on

the Excellence

Gateway... Case studies featuring RSC Northwest Learning Providers published since our last newsletter are: Burnley College: The e-Star programme - shining bright for staff ILT training Blackpool and The Fylde College: Rethinking spaces, rethinking staffing - new staff structure and roles for a technology-rich learning resource centre Training for Travel: Paper, paperless and portable - using a digital notepad to meet training assessment needs

Continued on page 9...

supporting video channel, and cover the diverse topics of ePortfolios in distance learning, accessibility in learning and the use of games consoles in the classroom. The new videos bring to life very different areas of best practice, providing inspirational examples for learning and skills professionals at all levels: National Star College (recent winner of a LSIS 2008 STAR Award) – this video looks at how a Nintendo Wii games console has brought long-term benefits for the College’s disabled learners. Accessibility resources by JISC TechDis – featuring interviews with the team of experts behind a new set of resources aiming to help all learning providers create teaching materials that address the specific needs of learners with physical or learning difficulties. ISIS Training – training centre ISIS and Eloise Williams, a learner undertaking an apprenticeship in Business Administration using ISIS’s new ePortfolio system, feature in a video exploring how eLearning can help distance learners achieve their goals. PeopleServe: Optima-ising skills in the fast lane – demonstrating how a web-based ePortfolio for the training centre’s NVQ students has improved the learner experience. Have you registered for the Excellence Gateway yet?... If you haven’t registered yet, this is simple and free via the homepage at http://excellence.qia.org.uk By registering, you will unlock features that will help you get the most from the site, including: establishing your identity in the communities participating in conversations and sharing best practice on the forums bookmarking pages and saving searches accessing up-to-date information from a range of news feeds

9

...Continued from page 8

Lite Ltd: Smart linking - using technology to link learners and tutors to materials and each other Hugh Baird College: Hugh Tube - Video on Demand King George V College: On or Off? A classroom control application for Internet and email access Lakes College West Cumbria: Improved exam results and student independence through iPod quizzes for revision You can get access to these case studies directly through the case studies area of the Excellence Gateway at http://excellence.qia.org.uk/page.aspx?o=casestudies or via links from Sharing Good Practice in the Staff Development section of the RSC Northwest website at www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk The Lakes College West Cumbria case study featuring the use of iPod quizzes is featured in more detail over the page.

Lakes College West Cumbria case

study: Improved exam results and

student independence through iPod

quizzes for revision

A QIA Excellence Gateway Case Study The article here is a summary. You can access the full case study at http://excellence.qia.org.uk/page.aspx?o=170769

Lakes College West Cumbria piloted the use of iPod nanos for revision quizzes for Construction students, many of whom have learning difficulties and/or learning disabilities (LDD) and struggle with paper-based revision processes. The pilot had a positive effect on exam achievement and on the students’ feelings of independence as learners. Entry 3 students at the College have always struggled with the revision process leading up to exams. Whilst many have eventually gone on to pass their exams, engaging them in revision to prepare them has been problematic, largely due to a combination of lack of interest, and difficulty with the process of reading and writing needed. Paula Stephenson, Learning Support Manager at Lakes College, saw the potential for developing quizzes to support revision for students at the College. The iPods were used in revision sessions in class, but the real plus was how much the students used them during break times and lunch periods, with the overall consensus that being able to use them was “cool”. The students have not only been keen to do more, but also to go over quizzes again 10

RSC Northwest

podcasts... The subject of the latest RSC Northwest podcast is interactive whiteboards. Kevin Hickey (eLearning Adviser for FE) talks to Stockport College tutor Nicole Johnson about her use of interactive whiteboards. Nicole uses games and quizzes, and gets her students to take control of sessions using the interactive whiteboard.

The RSC NW podcasts can be accessed from the website homepage at www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk Other recent podcasts include: Interactive wireless

tablets at Knowsley Community College Digital notepads at

Training for Travel

and again to get all the questions right. This is something they did not like doing when the revision was paper-based, and would not have done outside formal class times. Using the iPods to get the students interested in doing revision has impacted positively upon exam performance. Paper-based revision sessions typically led to around 85% of a cohort passing the exam, whereas the iPod pilot cohort has achieved a 100% pass rate! Alex Doran, one of the students who admits to struggling when the revision was paper-based engaged “tons more” using the iPods, and not only passed the exam but achieved a distinction. Following the success of the pilot Paula is rolling out similar revision quizzes for Hairdressing students, and would like to see this as the start of gradual broadening out to as much of the College as possible, where appropriate; she recognises, however, the need to train and support staff in the other areas to do this for themselves.

Have you got a story worth telling? RSC Northwest is always looking for case studies which will highlight good practice from Learning Providers in the region, for publication on the QIA Excellence Gateway. If you have an eLearning related development, project or activity which you think would make a good case study that staff in other Learning Providers could benefit from, please contact John Davey, RSC Northwest Information Officer at jdavey@rsc-northwest.ac.uk. 11

RSC Northwest

website RSS

feeds... You can keep up-to-date with news from the RSC Northwest website through RSS feeds. There are feeds available for the following news sections: Funding and projects Learning resources Access management Conferences and events Regional news Regional Support

Centre news

To get these updates, click on the RSS feed links on the News section of the website at www.rsc-northwest.ac. uk/news There is also a general News RSS feed link, and a Training & events one on the website homepage at www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk

12

The Further

Education

Alliance -

publishing the

best from FE... The Journal of the Further Education Alliance is a peer-reviewed journal established at the start of 2008, which currently provides the only outlet for those working in FE to get their research and assignments published. The journal covers all aspects of teaching and learning, including eLearning and ILT, and the latest issue (Volume 1 Number 3) features two articles from North West Learning Provider Blackpool & The Fylde College. Subscriptions (there is a cost) to FEAlliance are processed through Imperial House Publishing, and offer the options of online only or hard copy and online. Those responsible for the setting up of

Continued on page 13...

Lessons learned from Specialist

Colleges Video Conferencing Project Last year five Independent Specialist Colleges - Beaumont College, Bridge College, The David Lewis Centre, Henshaws College, and National Star College - collaborated to explore and evaluate web conferencing systems. The project was funded by the LSC Innovation 2 fund via JISC TechDis. It was initiated to find ways of reducing travel between colleges for meetings and to increase the opportunities for collaboration between staff in similar roles within colleges. It was hoped that both teaching and therapy staff, and ultimately students, could share their experiences and skills using a simple web based system rather than having to travel considerable distances for short meetings. The project initially looked at specialised video conferencing systems, but it soon became clear that their cost was prohibitive. A number of web based systems, including Dimdim, Elluminate, Adobe Connect, Skype and Instant Presenter, were trialled briefly before the group selected to undertake a full evaluation of Instant Presenter, for which the JISC Regional Support Centres have a 25 seat licence. Sessions were held at six weekly intervals, with the initial meeting simply using Instant Presenter and showing how it could be used. The tools demonstrated included the interactive white board, voting option and screen sharing. Once participants were familiar with the layout and structure of the screen and its tools, the group agreed a follow up meeting to gain experience as presenters. Initially, each member of the group produced a presentation which was uploaded and delivered, checking whether graphics, videos and animations in the presentations were transferable. Later meetings included testing the usability and effectiveness of the screen sharing option, although this did involve a plug-in which required technical staff input. The final meeting was face-to-face, but with staff from National Star College joining via Instant Presenter to reach conclusions for the project. The group concluded that the system was designed for presenting rather than fully interactive web conferencing.

13

...Continued from page 12

FEAlliance have also very recently developed The Knowledge Hub, providing a free online forum to bring together those working in FE to share and discuss all manner of related educational topics and issues. Discussion groups already in place include: Functional skills Teacher Training HE in FE You can access and join The Knowledge Hub at www.fealliance.org.uk. Are you interested in how you might write up your research and assignments for publication in FEAlliance? One of the key areas that has been set up within The Knowledge Hub is an FEAlliance group to highlight how you can get your research and assignments published within the journal. Why not take a look and take the first steps towards publication?

It did however, meet the needs of the group in relation to online meetings between staff at different colleges or campuses, and they now also hope to use it for visiting professionals, such as social workers or Connexions workers, to attend review meetings online. The group experienced problems with sound quality when more than three people were online at one time; it was also easier to manage sessions if one person monitored text chat on screen whilst another presented. The monitor was also able to provide instant verbal feedback on the presentation and the chat content, overcoming the disconcerting problem of ‘cyber silence’ experienced by a lone presenter. The purchase of high quality web cameras improved the quality of the interface and the usability of the system in general. The colleges have continued their online meetings and now plan to develop this aspect of their work further.

Building on

eGuides and

empowering

practitioners Working with NIACE and The Manchester College,

eLearning Adviser John Dalziel has been holding ‘beginners’ open source software workshops supporting eGuides who work in the Offender Learning and Skills (OLAS) sector and practitioners working in our supported Learning Providers. The workshops have looked at hands-on/practical uses of eXe, CamStudio and Audacity; feedback has been excellent with many requests for further professional development in the use of these and similar tools, both raising awareness of potential uses and taking skills to a higher level. With our usual strategy for equitable support, the resources from the workshops will be made available for download, via our ‘Zipped eXe Library’, following the current round of workshops. If you subscribe to the eMagazine you will be informed by email when these resources become available.

RSC Northwest Annual Event 2009:

‘Overcoming Barriers’ Thursday 25th June 2009, 10:00 - 16:00 Theatre and Convention Centre, Southport

This year’s annual event, with the theme of ‘Overcoming Barriers’, aims to be relevant and engaging for all our Learning Providers.

Those of you who are familiar with our annual conferences in the past may have noticed that we are instead referring to an ‘event’ this year.

This event is still free to supported RSC Northwest Learning Providers, but will not follow the previous, more traditional conference format; whilst some of these elements will still be in place, we are sure that you will find our new format - a flexible mix of key and quick presentations, seminars, exhibitions and networking opportunities - even more engaging and relevant. Delegates will be able to attend as suits their requirements during the day.

Main presenter We are pleased to announce that our main presenter this year is ‘ICT Evangelist’ Russell Prue.

Exhibition area Exhibition stands at the event will: showcase good practice from Learning Providers around the region, and highlight the services of JISC and other partner organisations

If you would like to run an exhibition stand at this year’s event, please fill in the booking request form available from the ‘Exhibitors’ section of the Annual Event website. The deadline for exhibitor bookings is Friday 13th March. 14

Details and

bookings for

RSC Northwest

events… You can find details of all the upcoming RSC Northwest events, plus those of other relevant regional and national events on the website at www.rsc-northwest.ac. uk/eventcalendar For event enquiries, please contact events@rsc-northwest. ac.uk We are always interested to hear suggestions for events and workshops that you would like the RSC NW to run. We would also like to hear from Learning Providers who would be willing to host an RSC NW event at their organisation.

Pecha Kucha presentations In addition, a series of Pecha Kucha presentations will run throughout the day, and we are also looking for people to present on eLearning related topics that will be of interest to our Learning Providers. We featured an article on Pecha Kucha in our last newsletter and you can find out more in the ‘Presenters’ section of the Annual Event website. The deadline for Pecha Kucha proposals is Friday 6th April. Registration Register, free, as a delegate for the Annual Event from the ‘Registration’ section of the Annual Event website. The deadline for delegate registrations is Friday 1st May. The Annual Event website is at www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/event2009

Additional event - JISC Services

in Focus

Wednesday 24th June 2009, 19:00 - 21:30 Theatre and Convention Centre, Southport This year we are holding an additional free event which focuses on the work of JISC services. This is on the evening before the Annual Event and includes evening meal and overnight accommodation. Places for this event are limited to one per RSC Northwest supported Learning Provider; however, this unfortunately does not include our ACL and WBL Providers due to the nature of the funding source for the event. Registrations from eligible Learning Providers (i.e. Further Education, Sixth Form and Specialist Colleges) is on a first-come, first-served basis; we would ask that each Provider ensures the most relevant member of staff is selected to register. Information is available from the ‘JISC Services in Focus’ section of the Annual Event website (see above). 15

RSC Northwest

events coming

up in April… The following four events are free to RSC Northwest supported Learning Providers: Interactive Whiteboard & Audience Response Systems 01 April 2009 Venue to be confirmed

JISC Netskills event Getting your Email & Information Under Control 02 April 2009 Edge Hill University, Ormskirk

JISC infoNet event Intute, Informs & the Virtual Training Suite 02 April 2009 Lancaster University Web 2.0 tools to Make Life Easier 30 April 2009 Venue to be confirmed

JISC Netskills event

RSC Northwest

team...

Manager Andrew Quarmby aq@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

Administrators Christine Hulme Helen Smith admin@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

eLearning Advisers John Dalziel (Adult & Community Learning) jd@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Colin Gallacher (Work Based Learning) cg@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Kevin Hickey (Further Education) kh@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Anita Holt (Further Education) ah@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Hilary Thomas (Higher Education) ht@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Chrissie Turkington (Senior Adviser) ct@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Lisa Valentine (Inclusion) lv@rsc-northwest.ac.uk Keith Wilson (Technology) kwil@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

Events Co-ordinator Helen Metcalfe hm@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

Information Officer John Davey jdavey@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

JISC Regional Support Centre Northwest 2nd Floor Bailrigg House, Lancaster University Lancaster. LA1 4YE Phone: 01524 593797 Fax: 01524 593798 Email: admin@rsc-northwest.ac.uk

www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk All RSC team staff contribute to the newsletter. Please send any comments and feedback about the newsletter to John Davey, Information Officer at jdavey@rsc-northwest.ac.uk. This newsletter has been produced on 9lives 55 - certified as a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) mixed sources product.