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Using Learning Technology
WEB-BASED TUTORIALS ON ANY TOPIC
This page is aimed at giving you examples of tutorials on various topics and subjects which are freely available on the web. Take a look and have a go, and evaluate online learning for yourself.
BBC Languages - excellent free tutorials with sound and images in Spanish, French, Italian and others http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/languages/learn/index.shtml .
BBC Learning provides a set of online learning in subjects such as basic skills, creative writing and gardening http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/onlinecourses/index.shtml
BBC Skillswise Tutor Centre is more of an interactive teacher centre than tutorial, but is a superb example of the interactive and comprehensive use of the internet. Look at http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/tutors/
GCSE Bitesize Revision is another excellent BBC resource has many tutorials in different areas including English, Business Studies, Science and Spanish http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/
Open Learn - Learning Space - from the Open University. A fantastic free resource. The OpenLearn website gives free access to course materials from The Open University. The LearningSpace is open to learners anywhere in the world.
Starts at http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/
Using PowerPoint in the classroom at http://www.actden.com/pp/
Resource Discovery Network - Internet Skills Development Site - Set of HE-produced web-resources to teach internet skills to academic staff, in a subject specific way. Very wide range of subject areas covered. Looks like it'll be a hard job to keep current. www.rdn.ac.uk
Searching - "Bare Bones 101" - a basic tutorial on searching the web - is at http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml
'Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial' http://lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html Excellent introduction to Web searching basics; materials come from the University of California, Berkeley Teaching Library's Internet Workshops series.
Spanish tutorial .. with sound, which needs shockwave player to be downloaded at http://www.studyspanish.com/index.htm
TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE SITE - The University of Maryland University College-Bell Atlantic's "Virtual Resource Site for Teaching with Technology" is a resource for faculty seeking direction in appropriate ways to use Web-based technologies in instruction. The project is a joint initiative of two units at University of Maryland University College: the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment and the Center for the Virtual University. "The guiding principle of this project is to go beyond technical skill towards a full examination of the Teaching/learning issues in technology-enabled instruction." The site consists of two modules:
Module 1 gives examples of, and guidance on selection and use of Web-based media in the context of several different learning strategies.
Module 2 focusses on delivery of instruction. For details on the project, link to http://www.umuc.edu/virtualteaching/
Using PowerPoint in Teaching
If you want to improve your expertise with PowerPoint, there is a variety of web sites with tutorials. Some are better than other, but here are some you may wish to try :
The Internet4Classrooms (I4C), web site is certainly worth a look, though it is US school oriented. It is at :
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/on-line_powerpoint.htm
The Indezine web site has mountains of content on PowerPoint, including tutorials, articles and many other items :
http://www.indezine.com/products/powerpoint/index.html is where the PowerPoint content starts
http://www.indezine.com/articles/index.html has a wide range of articles, by no means all of which are positive about PowerPoint
A UK-based site from the University of Wolverhampton has a number of tutorials, guides and articles at
http://pers-www.wlv.ac.uk/~le1810/ppt.htm
Activities
PowerPoint Do's and Don'ts
Here are a few Do's and Don'ts which came from a recent workshop on PowerPoint at Bath Spa University
Don't
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Use PowerPoint without carefully considering the value of the content, how it contributes to your module and session learning outcomes and whether it will genuinely improve the learning in your lecture or seminar.
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Use images or other electronic content without checking the copyright (which you have to do at source)
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Ever use PowerPoint without a backup plan (on the basis of the 'if technology can go wrong it will at some stage' principle !)
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Be tempted to put too much on a slide
Do
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Experiment and try new things out. Most things with PowerPoint are fairly easy.
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Use the technology as a tool. How is the presentation going to help your students learn this section of content more effectively ?
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Ask your students what they think of the way you and others use PowerPoint
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Try to allow some flexibility in any presentation, to adapt to changing circumstances during the session.
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Provide supplementary notes, sources and other items to back up the PowerPoint content
Now try to add some of your own !
VIRTUAL TRAINING SUITE - a set of online tutorials designed to help students, lecturers and researchers improve their Internet information skills. NEW FE related material added in June 2002. 11 subject specific tutorials, including Health & Social Care, IT, Business others. You can work in your own time at your own pace - no one is monitoring you! The tutorials take around an hour each to complete, and include quizzes and interactive exercises to lighten the learning experience. Why not have a go? These tutorials are a comprehensive and growing resource, which is well worth visiting. Well structured, accessible and well designed, with a number of very useful features making them more interactive. Probably one of the best resources of its type on the net. http://www.vts.rdn.ac.uk/
Webwise, the BBC's well-known and very effective Internet Tutorial at http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/course/