Computer aided assessment (CAA) can be applied to provide a range of assessment types including summative (in which the mark contributes to a course result), formative (which provides a learning experience which is not graded), diagnostic (by which a teacher can assess the current understanding of students), and self-assessment (to provide the student with a measure of their own understanding).   The full guide can be accessed on this topic can be accessed here.  

BYOD & HTML5 For K-12 Infographic BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) programs extend the flexibility and reach of students, staff and administrators to learn and work from anywhere on all types of devices. The BYOD & HTML5 For K-12 Infographic highlights why BYOD and HTML5 are perfect together for K-12 organizations. A Game Changer! Combining BYOD with HTML5 browser-based technology allows users to access Windows applications as well as physical and virtual desktops from any device (iPads, Chromebooks, PC and smartphones, etc.) without installing anything on the device itself. BYOD and HTML5 access changes the way K-12 schools teach while providing new opportunities to learn. Transparent to users - HTML5 technology is supported by all major web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari. What could be simpler for students, teachers and parents, as well as the IT staff and helpdesks that support them? Great for Teachers HTML5-based remote access solutions deliver optimal learning experiences that cut across technological and socio-economic barriers. Teachers can easily access learning environments and applications from home and other remote locations - all from within a standard web browser. Helping Parents Get "In The Know" HTML5 technology gives parents 24/7 access to their children‘s curriculum and academic progress, wherever they are and from any device. For increased parent participation, HTML5-based access improves engagement by enabling universal, device-agnostic remote access to school lT resources, including hosted Windows desktops and applications. Empowered Students HTML5-based remote access bridges the gap between school and home, connecting students to information, teachers and to their peers, from any place and on any device. Browser-based access democratizes learning environments by working on an array of cost-effective laptops and mobile devices. Whatever device they’re working from, students can stay connected both inside and beyond the classroom. An Ideal World for IT Staff Technical support is always a challenge for school IT staff. With clientless, HTML5-based remote access, schools can extend the life of existing IT assets, such as desktops and Windows applications, and eliminate the need for endpoint configuration and maintenance. HTML5 technology also offers a great degree of lT control and data security, providing the capability to centralize resources and make them remotely accessible from any device via standard browsers. Even with reduced budgets, K-12 schools can find creative ways to stretch their IT investment to deliver 1-to-1 computing initiatives to every student, without compromising quality of education. Via: www.ericom.comThe post BYOD & HTML5 For K-12 Infographic appeared first on e-Learning Infographics.

As the debate about the importance of learning a second or even third language rages, more and more people are considering taking Spanish lessons. Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and there are many reasons you should develop a real interest in leaning Spanish. Here are some reasons why learning Spanish could transform your life. 1. You are able to compete for jobs in Spanish speaking countries If you are feeling like your career isn’t quite as exciting as you imagined it would be, leaning Spanish is one way to give it a boost. Spanish speaking countries are constantly looking for English speakers to work in different industries. If you are already a Spanish speaker, you have a much greater chance of being selected than an applicant who only speaks English. There is a wide range of jobs to choose from; you can become a teacher, a nurse, an Engineer - the list is endless which means you should be able to find something that you like. If you live in the UK you can consider taking Spanish Language lessons in London with native teachers. 2. Improve your brain power Recent research has proved that you have a very good chance of bettering your brain’s ability as you grow older by learning a new language. With so many people afflicted with Alzheimer’s and other memory related conditions, you have a great chance of keeping your brain in good working order by taking Spanish lessons. In addition to that, learning a new language appears to slow ageing. Mental health aside, learning Spanish helps you become more interesting and helps you meet new people - people who have many friends seem to live longer and enjoy better health. 3. You enjoy travel more Today, people are travelling more than ever. All it takes is a plane ticket and in an hour you are in another country. Imagine how much richer your experience will be if you can communicate with the natives of your destination in their own language. Spanish is the official language in 21 different countries and in many others it may not be the official language but it is widely spoken. In the United States for example, where the official language is English, there are millions of Spanish speakers. If you want to open yourself to absorbing the Spanish experience, make an effort to learn the language. These are just 3 reasons why you should learn Spanish. There are plenty of affordable courses online that you can choose from. Get started today!

An e-portfolio is a great way to collect your plans, ideas, and experiences in one place. You can store thoughts, documents, images, plans and just about whatever you want. The documents are then ready to be compiled; for example to make a CV. You can then share them with others to see online; for example to impress a potential employer.   The full guide can be accessed on this topic can be accessed here.

As the world becomes more and more connected through the internet and easy travel, many people are realizing that learning new languages may be the only way they can improve their careers. Before, it used to be that so long as one spoke English it was the job of the other party to try and understand what they were saying. Today, taking this approach can mean the death of a career and some businesses have even found themselves losing out on deals because they could not communicate in the language of prospective clients. Enhance your career - source Trillian Password Recovery 1.03.03.10   Why has there been such a radical change? The reason is simple: English speaking countries no longer dominate trade and other essentials of life. Today, for instance, China is one of the strongest economies in the world. If you want to do business with the Chinese you better be prepared to speak to them in Mandarin. You may be wondering why the Chinese cannot learn English. The reason is that this country is largely closed from other cultures and many who grew up here speak only in their native language. It is the same in Russia and many other countries that have big economies. Because the money is in these countries, ignoring language learning is like burying your head in the sand. Which languages are best to learn? This is a commonly asked question. The answer, of course, is to learn as many languages as you can muster. This isn’t realistic for most of us so it makes sense that we isolate the languages that are spoken by big populations around the world. Spanish, French and Mandarin are a must. There are some Portuguese countries especially in South America that hire expatriates to work at different capacities; this means that if you take the time to learn Portuguese you can easily qualify for an expatriate job in one of these countries. It’s not all about your career… Learning new languages isn’t just all about jobs and your career. Imagine how much more fun it would be to be able to different countries and talk to the natives in their own language. You will understand the different cultures, you have a chance to interact with almost anyone, you will understand directions and signs and so on. In short, joining language learning centers is a way to not just to add to your career success but also to enrich your life in so many other ways.

Every week over at e-learning heroes, there’s a new challenge to probe participation, innovation, and creativity. This week, the challenge was to design a poster around your favourite education or instructional design quote. Previously I had been a wallflower to these weekly challenges, enjoying all of the submissions, but this week I decided to make my first submission! This particular quote is one of my favourites because there have been many times in recent years where I’ve pondered the value of my education and whether it would ever make a difference. Time (and patience) has proven that there are folks out there who appreciate my education and that appreciation has helped me to stop and appreciate the time it took to achieve some of my goals, and motivates me to keep learning.

A Personal Response System (PRS), also known as Audience Response System, allows you to "ask the audience" and get them to vote or answer questions whilst attending a lecture/presentation. TurningPoint is one such system used at Plymouth University. This system was chosen due to its quick and easy configuration and the ability to add question into preexisting PowerPoint presentations. The full guide can be accessed on this topic can be accessed here.

The Best Apps for Elementary & Secondary School Students Infographic It’s almost impossible to keep children away from the computer or their Smartphone these days. We are fighting a losing battle if we try to stop them spending a lot of time on their phone but it is possible to encourage them to make better use of that time with some direction from the parents. There are apps available that can be hugely beneficial to children of all ages. This means that children can still spend a lot of the time on their phone but it is now educational and fun for them. Also, there are some apps that can be used in the classroom that may transform the way children learn. With thousands of apps available on a vast global market, it can be difficult to select the best apps for children. The Best Apps for Elementary & Secondary School Students Infographic outlines the benefits of mobile apps for children and provides a guide for selecting these apps along with recommendations for the best educational apps currently available. Benefits of Mobile Learning Apps for Kids Round the clock availability. Effective utilization of leisure hours. Becoming tech-savvy. Learning by sharing. Fun and informal. Staying connected with teachers and guides. Portability How to Choose the Perfect App for Your Child Always evaluate if your child will learn something. Think about the specific skill you wish to enrich and how an app might fit into that activity. Any app you choose should encourage your child to engage with others. lf you are unsure about which app to choose talk with parents, teachers and the children themselves. There are many support networks online to help you make your decision. Use a variety of apps that cover all disciplines. Check reviews online first before letting your children use an app. Top Educational Apps for Teachers and Students Dropbox: lt can be used to store additional copies of hand-outs. Students print copies on their own. Students can turn in homework assignments and Dropbox will time stamp submissions. It also makes distributing PowerPoint presentations easy. Evernote: Effortless solution to note-taking makes this app the best note-taking and organizational program you’ll find and makes the information you need available to you anywhere. My Study Life: It works like a calendar application allowing you to plan out your days, weeks, months, and years. This can make planning ahead a lot easier than trying to remember. Socrative: Engage the entire classroom with educational exercises and games white capturing student results in real time. Interact with the data to further student understanding in the moment, and review the reports to prepare for future classes. Toontastic: Kids choose the character and setting for each scene to tell their story. The app doesn‘t Just allow kids to make their own cartoons, it also teaches the fundamentals of storytelling. Gosoapbox: GoSoapBox is used during participation barriers, keeping students engaged. GoSoaPBox is anonymous among students so teachers will hear questions and opinions that they never would have otherwise. Hungry Fish: A simple app to help students polish up on their number skills. This app features instant addition - bring two numbers together and they’ll merge and add. Balloony Word: Children will learn practice spelling skills while trying to keep a gorilla afloat with a handful of balloons. Number Train: Children can learn how to count, sequence, and write numbers 1 through 20.   Via: www.tutoringexpert.caThe post The Best Apps for Elementary & Secondary School Students Infographic appeared first on e-Learning Infographics.

As a member of Leah Kalamakis’ Freelance to Freedom Project Community,  I was prompted to consider the reasons why I freelance, and make some suggestions as to how you too can kick start your freelance career and potentially freelance to freedom. My Experience: Originally, I began freelancing strictly to have an extra revenue stream and, specifically, to pay off my undergraduate debt. My freelancing wasn’t very pointed and I used popular freelancing sites to find odd jobs (proofreading, editing, transcribing…groan).  While I was able to secure several fantastic clients, I often considered myself as selling out in that the content sometimes wasn’t my finest moment, ethically, and I knew that the work I was doing was a means to an end. Once I was able to pay off the remainder of my student debt, I very quickly took a year hiatus. After working full-time at my regular job, full-time freelancing, and going to school as a full-time graduate student, I was BURNT OUT. I needed to take some time to refocus myself and realize that I didn’t need this added income to sustain my lifestyle. During this freelance hiatus, we were able to save a large amount of money in a very small amount of time and purchase our first home. Achieving this goal really made me realize that we were in a great financial state. However, once I finished my graduate degree this past May, I quickly began to grow bored and stagnate within my role. I love my job, but it’s been a labour of love and has been very one-sided. Long after considering this, I realized that I needed to be the change - If I wanted to take control of my career, I really needed to get in the drivers seat and let go of my anxieties in order to be successful. So, what did I do? I made the decision to think strategically about my potential business. I did this by reading a lot of books (Do Cool Sh*t,Creative, Inc., My So-Called Freelance Life, The Anti 9 to 5 Guide, Daring Greatly, and The Power of Habit - *I am in no way affiliated with any of these books, but they’re all awesome reads, so I highly recommend them!*) I made other freelance friends and observed what they were doing, I bid on projects that I was actually interested in working on, and I gained some stellar clients in industries I only dreamt of being a part of. After awhile, I began taking more calculated risks by applying for part-time positions, asking my full-time employer about flex scheduling and the potential of moving from full-time to contract (meaning a loss of hours, consistency, and health/dental benefits). I didn’t let my previous anxieties get the best of me - a year ago, I would have cowered at the thought of asking my boss to reduce my scheduling hours, thinking they would fire me. Instead, I was met with a fairly positive outcome, and currently split my time between two roles that I love. Most recently, I enlisted the help of Kory to get my website up and running. I had been sitting on doing this for far too long and it was just something that desperately needed to get done, and I registered (last minute) for Marie Forleo’s B-School. I’ll write about my impressions and experiences of B-School later, but I’m excited for it to begin! Where am I going from here? My long-term goal is to begin securing contracts and shift my freelancing/independent contractor-ship to a full-time commitment. This may be a goal that is closer than it seems right now, but I’m patient. Until then, I’m going to continue doing what I’ve been doing, and remain strategic in my approach for engaging in and soliciting new work. It’s my hope that B-School will help tremendously with ironing out all of the administrative issues with my business that I’ve been avoiding, allowing me to have a narrow, but sustainable, business focus. What advice do I have for you? My advice is simple - just go for it! But you should be organized and calculated about going for it. Most businesses begin before they were ready, and my business is no different. My only real words of wisdom is to do a lot of research and make some financial plans, such as saving up a reserve fund in the event that everything goes south and you need to float yourself financially for a little while (instead of ignoring the fact that finances are a part of daily life). Did anyone find this helpful? If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask! I’m always learning and improving, but I’m happy to help out where I can!

This guide has been produced by the Academic Support Technology and Innovation team (ASTI) at Plymouth University, specifically for staff working within academic partnerships at Plymouth University. In addition to the tools available to you at your own organisation there are others provided by the university you and your students are able to use. The full guide can be accessed on this topic can be accessed here.