Get interactive: practical teaching with technology
Online and blended learning can help make higher education teaching more interactive and efficient, but staff often lack confidence in using technology and have little or no time to learn. Sarah Sherman describes how a group of London institutions have launched online training to tackle this problem.
Analytics in higher education
Universities already collect vast amounts of data about their student populations, but often this is underutilised. This Universities UK report, written in partnership with Civitas Learning and Jisc, sets out the case for better use of analytics in higher education through effective implementation of appropriate technology and techniques.
Mike Sharples: ‘we are using analytics in a much more active way than before’
The Open University (OU) has led the way in pioneering innovative methods of teaching and learning. Mike Sharples, professor of educational technology, at the OU tells Rosie Niven how technological changes and better learning analytics is making its teaching more effective.
New classrooms for a new curriculum
As classrooms become more connected through students' use of their own devices in lectures and seminars, universities are responding in exciting ways. Gunter Saunders and Federica Oradini describe how the University of Westminster is embracing these changes by transforming their classrooms.
Hefce issues funding call and study supporting innovation in teaching and learning
Improving student outcomes and survival in a marketised environment are amongst the drivers for innovation in teaching in learning, according to a Hefce study. A blogpost by Hefce's Amanda Wilcox outlining the findings of the study also launches a funding call for institutions wishing to develop experimental innovations in teaching and learning.
Welcome to the intelligent campus
As 'smart homes' become more and more sophisticated, universities are harnessing technology to improve the campus or classroom experience for students. Now institutions are planning on taking it to the next level, by using data from sensors, tracking and the internet, combined with information from other sources, as Jisc's James Clay describes in this blog.
Developing employable students in a digital age
What does an 'employable student' look like in a digital age? And how can universities use technology to help support the development of student employability? Sarah Davies of Jisc has some answers to both questions.
From Bricks to Clicks – the potential of data and analytics in higher education
Big data and analytics are being used by businesses to have more understanding of their customers and products in order to spot opportunities and to become more efficient and more innovative. This report recommends that Universities UK, Jisc and HESA work together to develop a strategy for excellence and innovation in data management and analytics.
Accreditation fit for a (digital) purpose?
Using learning technology is now part of the job for a growing proportion of the higher education workforce, says the Association of Learning Technology’s Maren Deepwell. She argues that recognition for skills in using technology for learning, teaching or assessment is now needed and invites professionals to help develop accreditation of this growing specialism.
Social media: “Teaching in HE needs all the innovation it can get”
By encouraging his students to have course discussions on Twitter, Lee Dunn from the University of Glasgow started integrating new technology into his teaching. He shares why he did it and reflects on how that's worked out.
