I use many different learning technologies in my work including:

• Virtual Learning Environments (Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Open, Coursesites)
• content management systems and intranets (SharePoint, WordPress),
• content authoring tools (Xerte Online Toolkits, Captivate, Adobe Presenter),
• blogs (PebblePad, WordPress),
• wikis (PBworks),
• e-portfolios (PebblePad),
• webinars (Blackboard Collaborate),
• discussion and sharing tools (Piazza, Padlet),
• polling systems (TurningPoint/ResponseWare),
• mobile devices (various tablets and smartphones),
• video tools (Kaltura, Panopto, ThingLink, YouTube, Vimeo)
• social media (Twitter, YouTube, BuddyPress)

The following two examples demonstrate some of my technical knowledge and ability in the use of learning technology.

Xerte

I use Xerte Online Toolkits (XOT) to create accessible multimedia learning objects which are viewable on a range of devices.

To do this I select page templates for the required form of interactivity or information presentation. I populate the templates with content which I have produced myself, received from members of staff, or sourced from the web. This may be audio recordings, videos, text, quizzes, images or web pages, for example.

I frequently need to edit/adapt content to make it suitable for XOT and I use a range of software (e.g. Adobe Photoshop & Premiere, Audacity etc.) to do this.  I also edit HTML embed codes and iframes in order to display existing web content within XOT learning objects.

When developing and publishing the learning objects I consider where they will be used, by whom, and which devices will be used to access them. This involves having a good understanding of a range of hardware (e.g. different types of mobile device) and software (e.g. image or audio editing software) and the knowledge and ability to deploy the learning objects to different places, for example Blackboard, faculty-based servers, or directly onto stand-alone tablet devices.

Reflection

One of the biggest challenges I have found when using XOT with members of staff is determining the most appropriate page template (from more than 80 available) to provide the desired learning experience, which also fits with the content available. This challenge is exacerbated by the authoring interface being far from straightforward (e.g. requiring HTML skills) in early versions of Xerte, consisting of web forms which must be populated to create the learning object.

In my experience, teaching staff are easily put off when they see HTML code and find it hard working with web forms which do not closely resemble the desired artefact. They are more comfortable with WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) interfaces and find it difficult to envisage what their learning object will be like otherwise. For most non-technical members of the teaching staff these barriers are a significant challenge and have resulted in limited take-up of XOT in the faculty so far.

Throughout 2015 I pushed for the upgrade of our Xerte installation to version 3.0 largely because the new editing interface makes it far more usable for lecturers. UWE upgraded Xerte in February 2016 and now the challenge of engaging staff in making their own learning objects awaits me.

Due to university policy we are still not able, however, to serve learning objects directly to learners from Xerte. Users are required upload them to Blackboard for learners to access. This is yet another hurdle in the uptake of Xerte amongst teaching staff, and is something I will be pressing to have addressed.

Recording video

In addition to making video recordings myself, I train and support staff to make video recordings. This includes:

• recording computer screens,
• recording from webcam,
• recording live lectures in classrooms/lecture theatres,
• green screen recordings.

I use Kaltura, Panopto, Jing, Adobe Premiere, Tricaster, Screencast-o-matic, YouTube and Vimeo to make, edit and deliver videos. I select the appropriate tool according to how the recording is intended to be used, where it will be seen and by whom, and the technical ability of the users involved.

For example, the recording may need to be downloaded by users as a stand-alone video file; it may need to be embedded in Blackboard or an external website; or it may need to include related questions and the ability for students to answer them. I provide expertise and advice for staff regarding all of these options.

In addition to technical expertise I also provide advice, feedback and reassurance to members of staff regarding how to present themselves on screen, pacing and delivery, and appropriate use of language.

Reflection

I have found that members of staff are frequently daunted by the prospect of using video recording technologies. I have also found the best way to help members of staff get over their initial nerves at being recorded, and their concerns regarding sometimes complex technology, is to jump in at the deep end and have them start recording straight away. This gives them the confidence to have a trial and error approach (a very good way to learn) and gives them as much hands-on time as possible with the technology.

In contrast to the videos  in the Our Green City MOOC (made by the professional film producer in my unit) which I was involved in, the videos I make and help staff to make are intended to be made quickly using accessible and low cost technology. They do not need high production values, as long as the sound is clear and what appears on the screen is easily discernible. I believe students appreciate the ‘raw’ nature of these videos and view them in a different way to highly polished productions – the lecturers come across as more approachable and the recordings feel more personal, as though they have been made specifically for the student viewers themselves (which they have) rather than for general consumption.

Most importantly, the recordings must seem ‘doable’ by the academic staff themselves without the need to commit a lot of time (lecturers are always short of time) to scripting, recording and editing.

On reflection, I consider my technical knowledge and ability in a wide range of learning technologies to be one of my strongest assets. This gives me the ability to recommend suitable tools and approaches for the task at hand, and for members of staff and the students who will use them.

Evidence

For evidence of my technical knowledge and ability in the use of learning technology see the following posts. They include the Xerte and Video work I have referred to on this page plus some further examples which evidence my technical skills.