PBS Learning News
Technology Enhanced Learning from DCQE
12
Developments at DCQE
Achieving the right blend!
Issue 9 – Autumn 2010
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Will YOU be ready for the year 2012?
Changes at DCQE have led to the
creation of the Technology Enhanced
Learning team based at St. Andrews
Court. A new Virtual Learning Centre is
available in Victory. The new team is led
by Mrs. Carolyne Jacobs (Projects), and
Dr. Stephen Webb (Operations). You can
still obtain information and assistance via
the normal email address. Find the Virtual
Learning Centre in your ‘MyVictory’ page.
A full events programme is planned.
The London Olympics in 2012 will allow athletes from all over the world to compete for
medals in the spirit of the Olympic ideal. A new campus environment is being specially
created for the games, turning waste ground into imposing stadia and the Olympic
village. Athletes are already training hard to be ready to compete and succeed in 2012.
The University of Portsmouth is itself preparing for 2012, when the new academic year
comes into operation. Course teams are altering the units that make up their courses to
suit the full year, which brings with it the opportunities for better learning that formative
assessment over an extended period can offer. At the same time, we look forward to the
availability of a new virtual campus environment truly worthy of our students.
The PBS Learning Support Team is ready to help academic colleagues to create virtual
learning environments suitable for our academic Olympians, no matter where they come
from. If you would like us to help you build learning objects or websites, give us a ring!
Contact the team:
eteam@port.ac.uk
http://pedagoria.blogspot.com/
http://www.twitter.com/eteamnews
Portsmouth Business School
Learning Support
Learning Support for Your Teaching in PBS
Procedure for Initiating PBS Learning Support Projects
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The Learning Support Team
Rachel Short: Educational Technologist
Rachel leads the Learning Support team based in the Drop In Centre,
RB1.07. She allocates work to our developer team via Zoho Projects,
and manages eLearning development and training at PBS. She is also
the Project Manager for our adoption of Second Life, which this year
will see us start work on a Virtual Recruitment Centre.
Mandy McCartney: Online Course Developer
Mandy deputises for Rachel when she is occupied elsewhere, and she
is the friendly face that academic colleagues will often see if they visit
the Drop In Centre. Mandy can discuss a new VLE design or training
project with you, and helps Rachel allocate that work to the developers
in RB3.09. Mandy currently has a new car – so we’d best look out!
Ankur Shah: Online Course Developer
Ankur has worked with us before, but is now based in RB3.09. He
graduated last year with a BSc (Hons) 2.1 degree in Computer
Animation from the University of Portsmouth, and has good knowledge
of HTML, Photoshop, CSS, Flash, Dreamweaver and other 3D
Modelling applications. Outside work, he plays badminton and cricket,
and keep himself active with different activities at the weekend.
David Starkey: Learning & Teaching Coordinator
David can advise you on ways to use technology to enhance your
teaching, without over reliance on it. For example, Camtasia Relay is
being introduced to allow you to provide lectures as pre-briefings, so
that face to face teaching could be more interactive. Want to learn
about project-based learning and how to introduce it? David can help!
Sarah Gilmore: Learning & Teaching Coordinator
Sarah is research active, and can advise you on new pedagogical
ideas and techniques. If you’d like to adopt a new way of teaching, or
see a need to form a coordinated group showcasing educational
research in an area that interests you, then Sarah can facilitate that.
Process Flow for VLE/Training Projects
Adobe Acrobat VLE/Training Request Form
Learninghttp://www.twitter.com/eteamnews
Support for your Teaching in PBS
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Recording VLE Project Requirements
New Members of PBS Learning Support
Requesting VLE design or Training Services
The HEFCE University Modernisation Fund
We will soon be using Adobe Acrobat forms to record what academic clients want from
the course portals, unit site designs, learning objects or training sessions they request
from the eLearning Team. A sample of the forms we are going to use is shown below.
During the summer, the university managed to win money from HEFCE to modernise its
systems, and some of this money was used to expand the eTeam. After training during
late summer, Michael, Dean and Kevin are already active supporting VLE development.
We want to be able to
better serve academic
clients in PBS, and will
be initiating all new
projects using forms like
this one.
The idea is that the
client completes the
form electronically, and
clicks a submit button to
send it back to the
website Acrobat.com.
Rachel or Mandy will
monitor these forms on
that site, and action a
project if all the required
details
have
been
provided by the client.
It is hoped that this will
ensure that we capture
all requirements, and so
enhance the quality of
the sites produced.
When this system goes
live, all projects that are
not pure site replications
or of small scale will
need to be initiated via
Adobe LiveCycle forms.
Michael Betts: Assistant OLCD
I’m from Northampton originally, and came to Portsmouth in
the autumn of 2006 to study E-Business at the University of
Portsmouth. After 4 years of study including a year’s work
placement at Fender Musical Instruments, I graduated in the
class of 2010. I decided that I enjoyed living in Southsea so
much that I didn’t want to leave, and by chance I’ve ended up
working in the very same building that I’ve spent most of the
last 4 years in! In my spare time I play electric and bass guitar.
Dean Chimezie: Assistant OLCD
I recently graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a
BSc (Hons) in Computing. For the past five years, I have been
actively involved both professionally and academically in
software development and programming (both web and standalone) and I am conversant with such programming languages
as C#, Java and PHP and Database Systems such as
Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle and MySQL. I am skilled in the
use of Microsoft Visual Studio, Adobe Dreamweaver,
Fireworks, and a bit of Flash.
Kevin Ebuehi: Assistant OLCD
I am currently working as an Assistant Online Course
Developer at the Portsmouth Business School. Providing
support to staff and students through the use of the Victory
Portal as a means of enhancing the learning experience for
students and a forum for lecturers to share knowledge to each
individual student. I was previously a student and part time
Service Delivery Adviser catering to the Information
Technology demand of the students here in the UoP.
PBS eLearning Team Developments
Use of Simulations in Teaching Accounting & Finance
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New Recruitment & Option Choice Sites
Rachel Short: Educational Technologist
The design and deployment of the test platform for the PBS
‘Virtual Student Placements Centre’ within Second Life (SL) has
proven to be fairly successful. This became our first key project
within SL and my area of focus for the next few weeks will also
encompass the potential for a Virtual Recruitment Centre (VRC)
within the virtual world. Elements of the VRC will be developed by
a postgraduate student with resources and land management/ real
estate being sourced and allocated from the Faculty of Technology
via the existing UoP Island in SL.
There will be a Victory presence with a number of screencasts and podcasts to support
the Faculty Preview and Open Days. The VRC will be designed subsequent to a client
needs analysis and with collaboration from staff working directly in this area. Initial
materials and the creation of learning objects will focus on HRMM and SBS. Virtual
Open Days will make use of MS PowerPoint with Camtasia Studio and/or Relay to
illustrate guidance on video presentations detailing the nature of the student experience
within PBS. The intention is to embed all of these resources within a virtual building to
be created within SL. The main aim is to complete the project cycle for a presence
across all five departments by the end of June 2011. For further information concerning
this major project for 2012, please contact the team directly: eteam@port.ac.uk.
Mandy McCartney: Online Course Developer
The start of this academic session has proven to be particularly
busy for staff and student requests related to the VLE. One of my
main projects has been to create an Online Options Fayre site for
the department of Human Resource and Marketing Management.
Poor attendance at physical options fayres in past years was the
driver for the creation of a virtual Options Fayre, where students
can learn about their options via a VLE site from any location.
I am working closely with Becky Quew-Jones to make the site as attractive and user
friendly as possible - our main aim being to encourage the students to engage with the
site and to feel that they are able to make the right option choices. The VLE site pages
are being designed using Adobe Dreamweaver, and by utilising CSS (Cascading Style
Sheets). This improves the design, structure and functionality of the site from a
standard Victory template, and creates more of a ‘web page’ feel. It is currently a work
in progress and will be ready to ‘go-live’ by the end of October.
The SimVenture Business Simulation
SimVenture Screenshots: Scenario/Running the Month
SimVenture allows the
user to make monthly
decisions on a range off
issues.
The game is then run to
see the impact that
these choices have on
outputs such as:
• Sales
• Enquiries
• Cash Flow
• Profits.
Use of Simulations in Teaching Accounting & Finance
Mobile Learning and Virtual Learning Environments
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The SimVenture Business Simulation
PBS Learning Support Plan
Screenshots of SimVenture
David Starkey: LTC (Operations)
The Learning Support Team has gained four new staff members
and lost one since the last issue. Many of you will know that
Anthony Harrison has left the faculty to work for DCQE. We wish
Ant well as an Online Course Developer over at St. Andrews
Court. A replacement Media Producer will be sought.
Happily, the team can now congratulate our Educational
Technologist Rachel Short on completing her MSc in Creative
Technologies and Enterprise with a distinction – very well done!
PBS Learning Support Operational Plan
Our new developer team will be working on a range of projects over the next year,
along with some day-to-day site development. Additionally, Rachel and Mandy will
be involved in other projects. All projects are being managed, and work allocated,
via the Zoho Projects service. New projects, such as course portal requests, will
be actioned via a new Adobe LiveCycle process. For more on this, see page 10.
Projects for PBS Learning Support Team (2010–2011)
Major projects will include:
• Victory Portals for a range of (often DL) courses requested by departments
• Virtual option fayres for Accounting & Finance & Economics
• A Virtual Recruitment Centre in both the VLE and Second Life
• The Introduction of Xerte for the authoring of distance learning courses
• Introduction of QuestionMark Perception into PBS (starting with training)
• Roll out of Camtasia Relay and the Camtasia Studio 7 & Snagit 10 Bundle.
• A New Portal for PBS Learning Support so staff can find information easily.
A project plan has been created for Victory development that matches the
completion of the portals to the planned 2012 revalidation events. The new
development team will be available during the slot allocated to your portal or
course-based unit sites. They will be available to help you turn your learning
materials into learning objects that can as easily be displayed in a future VLE as
they can be in Victory. We hope this slot allocation system will maximise the
effectiveness of the new development team, and give you a professional service.
Simulating a Real World Learning Experience
Simulating a Real World Learning Experience
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Educating Executives By Playing Games!
Bruce Bowhill: Principal Lecturer (ACCFIN)
In this article I will briefly discuss why you might want to use a
business game, and introduce two new business games/
simulations that have been acquired by PBS.
Why Use a Business Game?
“What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I
understand”....Confucius (circa 4th century BC)
As many of you will know from experience, when a traditional lecture plus seminar
approach has been followed, and you ask students to explain what has been covered
in previous weeks, the response can sometimes be underwhelming! As an alternative
or supplement, provide the students with the results of their last decision in a business
game and ask a question such as ‘why has your team generated the lowest profit of
any of the teams and run out of stock’ and my own experience is that you can be
pleasantly surprised. A business game or simulation can provide a laboratory in which
students can actually apply theory to practice and learn from mistakes and successes
in a way that traditional approaches may fail to achieve.
New Business Games/Simulations
PBS has recently acquired or used two new business simulations software packages.
The first is called ‘SimVenture,’ which has been purchased with a licence for 30 users,
and the second is ‘Executive’ which was first used by the MBA programme last year,
and is on licence for one more year.
The ‘Executive’ Motor Industry Simulation
‘Executive’ was used on the MBA programme last year and will be used again this
year. This game involves teams of students competing against each other in a
simulation of the car industry. Over a five year period (five sets of decisions must be
made) teams will make decisions on strategic, marketing, operational and financial
decisions for a company in the UK car industry. For accounting and finance issues, the
game is useful in underpinning the necessity for planning and budgeting, as a lack of
such activity will lead to teams making annual decisions that could have long term
financial implications. The game is not available for use outside the MBA programme
at present.
The ‘SimVenture’ Business Game
‘SimVenture’: A Business Simulation Game
‘SimVenture’ is I think a pretty
impressive bit of software. With this
simulation, there is no competition
between teams, however surviving a
year without bankruptcy is probably
challenging enough! The business is a
start up company making computers.
You play the role of an individual who has a full time job, but has decided to
manufacture and sell computers in his/her part-time. As the business expands it is
necessary to give up the ‘full time’ job and to acquire new premises. It is possible to
choose to operate in one from a number of markets and it is important to identify the
value propositions that are of key importance for the market segments that you choose
to compete in. This then informs the design of the product and the development of the
marketing strategy. After a relatively short period of time, particularly if you start
producing and are not generating sales, it is likely that the player will find that cash is
draining away from the company. The teams will realise that it is now time to raise
finance, but they may find banks and others unwilling to lend or invest unless proper
financial controls are in place.
In the Department of Accounting and Finance, we are going to use this simulation on
one of our MSc courses in the first semester of the coming year. The idea is to use it
as a means to integrate material taught on three of the four taught units and as an
icebreaker during induction. Each business will be run by a group of 4 or 5 students.
The game can be used on four levels, easy, medium, difficult and fiendish and we will
run the simulation on the ‘easy’ or ‘medium’ levels. The suppliers of SimVenture
consider that ‘difficult’ very accurately reflects true market conditions, while ‘fiendish’
provides hours of entertainment for true SimVenture enthusiasts from across the
world. We anticipate using SimVenture on the undergraduate accounting degree,
though possibly next year as a key integrative part of the first year.
For information, pages eight and nine include some screenshots of SimVenture with
the main decision areas that can be considered for each month of trading. The game is
available on the PBS network, so if you want to have a go at the game, go to:
start/academic applications/PBS/Simventure.
If you want more information then refer to:
http://www.simventure.co.uk/?q=lz&page=resources