Getting the most from
Kaleidos VTLE
This presentation will focus on two important areas to
enable you to get the best out of Kaleidos:
1. Content
2.
Synchronisation
Content for Kaleidos VTLE
Content is key to making Kaleidos VTLE
both useful and useable
Content needs to be exciting, and engaging
to appeal to students
Content for Kaleidos VTLE
The content you use in Kaleidos can come from
a number of sources:
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RM-produced Content
Content Partner Programme
Other 3rd Party Content
Web-based Resources
Home-grown Resources
RM-produced Content
MathsAlive
DiscoverAlive
Easiteach
Content Partner Programme
Content Packs
• Approx 30 signed Partners
• Over 65 released Content
Packs, including:
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Boardworks: KS3&4 cross curricular
Channel 4: KS3 science and geography
Helicon Publishing: KS1-4 reference material
Hodder Murray: KS3&4 maths and science
Immersive Education: KS2&3 Kar2ouche content
Oxford University Press: KS3 science
Nelson Thornes: KS2&3 cross curricular
Sunflower: KS3 science
Content Examples
Please visit www.rm.com/kaleidos/content
Content - Other Published SCORM
Content
• Should load and play in some form
• May not display user friendly structure
– e.g. simple collection of resources, or …
– one resource per pack
• May not allow full searching of
resources
– will not be tagged to curriculum objectives
– keyword searching may be limited
• These issues apply to all VLEs
• Therefore, we recommend content from
Publishers with this logo:
Content - Web-Based Resources
• A Kaleidos VTLE resource can be built
around a URL
– Can still be tagged, assigned, searched for
– Changes made to the website will be reflected
in Kaleidos
– The resource will be accessible out of school
• Learning Object Repositories
– Available in the next Kaleidos VLE version 3
– 3rd party web-based subscription services,
eg BBC Jam - RM is working to make about 250
packs freely available to schools
Content - Home-Grown Resources
• A Kaleidos VTLE resource can be created
from any existing file
– Powerpoint, Word, Easiteach, HTML, …
(NB: viewer software needed on each PC)
• As much or as little tagging as desired
• Resources can be:
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Structured in folders
Shared between users
Searched for
Built into courses
Assigned to students
Content - Home-Grown Resources
• A Kaleidos resource can link to a file on a
school network
- to use a large multimedia file (eg DVD)
- to access a file that is frequently updated
- avoids duplicating the resource
(NB this type of resource cannot be accessed across the
internet)
Content – Getting the
Best out of Kaleidos
• Importing home-grown resources one at a
time can be very time-consuming
• Therefore, it is recommended to download
and use BITT (Bulk Import & Tagging Tool)
Content - BITT
(Bulk Import & Tagging Tool)
• Allows users to import a number of resources in
one go
• Import a complete folder or folders
– You may retain or discard the folder structure
• Users can automatically create a course
• Full tagging capability
– Tags applied to multiple resources at once
• No tagging option
– Users can elect not to add tags
– Keywords are created from file, and folder names, as
well as the Kaleidos importer’s username
– Needs only 30 secs. of user time
Teachers resources already sit in
folders on hard drive
Step 1 of 3
BITT – screen shots
Step 2 of 3
BITT – screen shots
Step 3 of 3
BITT – screen shots
The folder structure and resources are imported
into Kaleidos and a course created
The course is ready to use
Content - BITT
• BITT has now started to be rolled out
• Check the RM website for details of its
availability: www.RM.com/support
Select:
“Knowledge Library”. Open the
“Educational Software” directory, then
“Kaleidos”, finally select
“Utilities for Kaleidos VTLE v2.1” for an update
Recommended Best Practice with BITT:
• Break down importing resources into small chunks to
avoid lengthy synchronisation
This will benefit both the BITT user and other users
when they next logon.
Content - choices
• Bought-in content:
– meets the needs;
– is professionally produced;
– has far more time spent on it than teachers can
spend;
– costs money;
– teachers have to get to know the product
• Home-grown content:
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already exists;
costs less;
teachers are familiar with it;
requires time to create VTLE resource with tagging
etc for sharing;
– does not have the professional finish
Content - Recommendation
• To get going use bought-in content
gives a quick start, with early ‘wins’
helps you understand what works
and what you need
• Then import your own resources
use familiar resources
don’t import everything
make use of your existing resources
Synchronisation
This is at the heart of one of the key
features of Kaleidos:
the ability for users to work
offline.
Anytime, anywhere without internet or network
connection
This feature distinguishes Kaleidos from
other similar products.
The following diagram shows how the various
options link together…
Kaleidos: how different computers exchange data
RM Datacentre
Synchronises
with RM
through
the Internet
School
Server
School Network Clients
Data available across
network instantly
Synchronises
with RM when
connected to
the Internet
Mobile Client (laptop,
home PC)
Can be used anywhere
without any internet or
network connection.
(also applies when Mobile Client
is used at school)
Must be
connected to
the internet to
work.
Synchronises
with RM
Student Thin Client
Must be connected to
the Internet to work
(also applies to student use
at home)
Synchronising - Scenarios
Teacher on a Mobile Client
Changes to
Changes to
Shared Area
My Area
Teacher on a Network Client
For work to be
available on
other Network
Clients
For work to
be available
on Mobile/
Thin Clients
Synchronises with RM Datacentre
when connected to the internet
Students can now access
assignments from home
Available on
N/wk Client:
Available on
N/wk Client:
When next
user logs in
on a Network
Client
When this
teacher logs in
on a Network
Client
All work is
immediately
available
Synchronisation
takes place on
log out
No
synchronisation
required
All work is now
available remotely
Synchronisation for Mobile Clients
Recommended Best Practice:
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•
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If teacher and students are on Network Clients
no synchronisation is necessary. So, to assign
work to be done in school, it is better for the
teacher to be on a Network Client.
Always put courses or resources that need to be
shared with any other teachers or students in the
Shared Area rather than My Area.
Get into the habit of logging on to Kaleidos on a
Network Client PC as soon as possible after
having worked on a Mobile Client. This will force
synchronisation of My Area to occur.
First Logon to a New Mobile Client
• When a new mobile client is added to an existing
installation there could be a lot of material to be
synchronised, eg resources, tests, tasks etc.
• This means the very first logon can take a long time.
Recommended Best Practice:
For new mobile clients perform their first logon well
before they will be used.
First School Logon of the Day
• The first Kaleidos logon of the day is sometimes
slower than subsequent logons because changes to
the Shared Area made by Mobile Client users since
the last synchronisation have to be synchronised.
This may noticeably affect only the first user in the
whole school to log on, especially after weekends or
holidays.
Recommended Best Practice:
Perform a Kaleidos logon as early in the day as
possible, so that any synchronisation of the Shared
Area will complete before Kaleidos is used in a
classroom.
Synchronisation – Copies of Resources
• When a resource is copied to My Area or Shared Area, a duplicate
of that resource is created and the link to the original is broken.
This applies to:
resources copied from My Area or Shared Area;
resources copied from the Search results pane.
This means that if large resources are copied, disk space will
be consumed and synchronisation will take longer.
• Adding a resource to a course does not make a copy.
A course is not like a folder holding lots of files – it is a list that
points to the required resources.
Recommended Best Practice:
• Only ever have ONE copy of a resource in Kaleidos.
• Use courses to employ the same resource for multiple
purposes.
Synchronisation – Copies of Resources
• How much of a school's digital resources should be imported from
the network file system into the Kaleidos VTLE datastore?
Recommended Best Practice:
• Files from the school network system should only be
imported into Kaleidos when it is certain that they will
need to be delivered and assigned using Kaleidos.
• Only add resources you know you will use in courses.
This helps to minimise the time for synchronisation.
Recommended Best Practice:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
If teacher and students are on Network Clients no synchronisation is
necessary. So, to assign work to be done in school, it is better for the
teacher to be on a Network Client.
Always put courses or resources that need to be shared with other
teachers or students in the Shared Area rather than My Area.
Log on to Kaleidos on a Network Client PC as soon as possible after
having worked on a Mobile Client. This will force synchronisation of My
Area to occur.
Perform a Kaleidos logon as early in the day as possible, so that any
synchronisation of the Shared Area will complete before Kaleidos is
used in a classroom.
For new Mobile Clients perform their first logon well before they will
be used.
Files from the school network system should only be imported into
Kaleidos when it is certain that they will need to be delivered and
assigned using Kaleidos.
Only ever have ONE copy of a resource in Kaleidos.
Use courses to employ the same resource for multiple purposes.