You might have noticed the little addition we’ve made to Learning Space in the form of a pool ball style question mark in the bottom right of the page.
Clicking on this will bring up a side menu that allows you to search the Learning Space support documentation without leaving the page you are working on.
You are also able to view zoomed in images and play videos whilst you go about the business of uploading files or editing the page.
It’s early days for the new functionality and we hope to add some more features in the near future, but we think you’ll agree that it’s helpful addition.
For anyone interested, the tool we’re using is elev.io and it’s providing access to our support documentation hosted on freshdesk.
After a short period of downtime (its first since going live), the Learning Space has now been migrated to its new location – a more robust server environment. You won’t notice any visible difference in the way the service operates, other than an increase in speed during periods of heavy use.
Can we take this opportunity to thank you kindly for your patience!
All words we are more than likely achingly familiar with, and that are often laden with an added burden of paperwork.
Well dear readers, fret no further. The Learning Space makes it easy for you to monitor all of these things at the touch of a button.
The LearningSpace logs each and every interaction that a user makes and our recently added ‘Attendance’ activity allows you to quickly and easily collect and export/print information on those that are present and correct at your lectures and workshops.
Not only that, but we’re also currently testing out additional analytical tools within LearningSpace, that will enable staff to view how students are interacting with particular activities such as quizzes, forums and access to presentations or other resources.
The idea of this stuff is to assist teaching staff in reflecting on their own practice and also identifying areas where students might need further support and assistance, which in turn aids retention and student satisfaction.
Here we are basking in the heat. Not of a much promised, though ultimately undelivered late summer, but in the toasty afterglow of a gift received. No, no – not a pen for signing up to a Michael-Parkinson-approved insurance package, but a genuine token of appreciation, from walking-talking people. Unexpected, and therefore doubly registered in the recognition of.
Russell from Digital Media BA (hons) came visiting and bearing gifts. (See the photo, taken at our Penryn Campus studio.) In appreciation of assistance given over the Summer during ’The Move’. We helped out here and there, and quality beer followed, to keep those at the coal-face refreshed. Thanks Digital Media.
I’ll leave you with an appropriate quote from a Frenchman, which sums up how we feel.
“By appreciation, we make excellence in others our own property.” – Voltaire. (He could really write you know? Plus he invented electricity!)
As ludicrous as that sounds, that’s what we’ve been trying to achieve with the implementation of the orientation module. We’re subscribing all users to one module that teaches you the basic information you need to know to find your way around.
There are several benefits to introducing things this way.
We can connect with home based learners.You don’t have to have a face to face induction to be able to use Learning Space, you can learn this stuff wherever you are.
We’re using the system to teach the system. As useful as it is to have a Knowledge Base with help information and our 1-2-1 sessions and consultation with staff, a great way to get to grips with the Learning Space is by doing it yourself in your own time, which leads to the next point.
It’s always available anytime you want. A key benefit of any Virtual Learning Environment is the ability to setup courses that allow you to learn at your own pace in your own time.
We’ve set up the course as you would see any module you subscribe to, with the course links and example information laid out in the same way. The course shows you different ways in which you will see information presented and also how this might be utilised. It also shows you where to find information on other University services, something that is key for those familiar with the old Learning Space of yesteryear. Finally, it introduces us and shows you how to get in contact with us.
The orientation is a living course and is continually updated by the team. We’ve had some fantastic feedback from staff and students so far, the more we know about how people use Learning Space the more we can improve, so many thanks for those of you that have taken the time to speak to us.
Let us know how you get on Learning Learning Space!
